How did you get on?

[peter crabtree]

Funnily enough it didn’t seem as cold as I thought it might today on the GUC.
In fact I had so many layers of clothing on I was positively toasty, except for my fingers.
12 turned up and 8 were still there at the end.
Of those 8 only 4 caught.
Winner had a 2lb:3oz perch which was his only bite of the day.
2nd had a skimmer 1:9, also his only bite.
3rd and 4th had a bag of bits each.
So Yep, I blanked for the first time in years.
It’s warming up from tomorrow thank goodness.

 

[mikench]

I was looking forward to your post Peter and I'm sorry you blanked but at least you went! I am going tomorrow come what may ie slightly warmer but with a chance of rain!

 

[The Runner]

Down in London for a few days, had a quick inventory of how many layers I had available, and the answer "not enough" combined with past experience of the Colne full of snowmelt and roadsalt made me cry off the club match which had been moved from a frozen Slough Arm.
Took a walk around for the last couple of hours, only 10 had braved it but all caught , if only just in some cases. 4-13 of roach won it, virtually all in the last hour on punch, then a 4-3 and then down to 1 1 and 0-15. A good bit better than I had expected, last time we had it in these conditions I was half an hour away from framing with a bullhead and three of the top four only had single fish.

 

[jon atkinson]

I was on a work party yesterday, so plan A was just to fish one of the ponds on the main group afterwards. They had frozen over during the week but it had been quite warm & sunny on Saturday, with no frost forecast overnight... it seems that somebody didn't get the memo about no frost overnight and on arrival at the pond we were working on, it was pretty apparent that I wouldn't be fishing. None-the-less, I had a wander over to our main group after the work party - they were all well & truly iced over, a good inch or so thick.

Plan B was formulated during the work party - head home, swap the pond gear for river and head up to the Alt for my bi-annual disappointment. The banks are too steep in most parts so I was limited to relatively few swims. I trotted single white maggots on a #20 B911 F1 on a 1.12lb hook length 'til darkness started to set in. I pulled in quite a few twigs, bits of weed Etc. but once again, no fish - I didn't even see any signs of fish, but it's my local river,and at least it's consistent(ly bad)! Hopefully back on the ponds come Sunday...

 

[mikench]

I followed the advice of PC and opened the front door! It was above freezing, damp and grey at 8.00am but I kept my resolve and headed off! I decided to fish on the feeder something I hadn't done for a couple of months!

There was a thin layer of ice on two of the lakes but the middle one was free so I set up there! I wished now I had float fished as bites were difficult to come by and whilst I didn't blank, 1 bream and 2 roach hardly justify a post on this thread! The weather proved to be quite pleasant with sunshine which almost felt warm!

Fortunately I was alone so there were no witnesses to my struggles! At least I was out and I remembered what to do!

 

[nottskev]

I followed the advice of PC and opened the front door! It was above freezing, damp and grey at 8.00am but I kept my resolve and headed off! I decided to fish on the feeder something I hadn't done for a couple of months!

There was a thin layer of ice on two of the lakes but the middle one was free so I set up there! I wished now I had float fished as bites were difficult to come by and whilst I didn't blank, 1 bream and 2 roach hardly justify a post on this thread! The weather proved to be quite pleasant with sunshine which almost felt warm!

Fortunately I was alone so there were no witnesses to my struggles! At least I was out and I remembered what to do!

Well, that's 3 fish more than most of us have had for a while!

 

[jon atkinson]

Well, that's 3 fish more than most of us have had for a while!

I'd call it border-line 'bragging' Kev :wink-new:

 

[mikench]

Never! I rarely have much to brag about least of all fishing related!

 

[sam vimes]

An unforeseen day off had me scuttling off to the tackle shop for some bait. I'd intended to go to a stillwater for a dabble at some roach. However, on arrival at the tackle shop, I swung past their ponds and found them still thick with ice. Even though the fishery is a fair distance away, there was little prospect of it being ice free.

A quick pop in for bait turned into a long slow rod and reel chat and show, the proprietor, a mate of mine, delving into his fairly extensive personal collection. Only his better half calling him for his lunch put paid to that bit of fun. Poked my nose in on the river on the return journey and found it well up and running like a train.

On returning home, I was left with the feeling of still needing to scratch an itch. So, despite the less than appealing river conditions, I swapped the rods and reels around, put in the river tackle box, and trotted off to the river.

It was no particular surprise that nothing much happened. I had one definite bite before the heavens opened and I shuffled off home. Sadly, I played what felt like a decent fish for quite a long time until I eventually lost it to a hook pull. I'm really not sure what it was, possibly a decent chub, or a decent brownie that has learned a chubby trick or two. The disappointment in losing it was tempered by the knowledge that fairly modest fish can feel enormous when the river is really pushing through.

Strange day in my location, 2 degrees when I set off, 4 degrees when I returned late afternoon. Hopefully, the temperatures increasing will see off the stillwater lids in time for the weekend.

 

[108831]

Well I'm going tomorrow and I feel a blank is on the cards,stillwaters will have ice melt and snow melt in them and rivers will have four inches plus of snow running through,plus salt,blanket blank...

 

[Another Dave]

That's the spirit!

 

[peter crabtree]

Red lion bridge Marsworth near Tring, yesterday’s venue for the 9 old codgers who turned out for our weekly match.

I fished by the bow of the boat in the foreground.
Commonly known as the ‘gudgeon peg’ it lived up to its name.

I balled in some groundbait laced with damp leam across by the gardens and a ball of liquy just over the near shelf.

The fuel merchant promptly appeared from under the bridge and serviced almost every boat on the stretch, lots of revving and manoeuvering turned the water to chocolate and washed the whole lot away!

I persevered with punch close in and got a few gudgeon going, along with some nice roach which promptly vanished after I bumped one...

Everyone else was having a hard time and after 5hours the top weight was just 3lb.

I had a paltry 1:10 for nowhere.

Hope it fishes better on Sunday when we return for a club fixture..

 

[nottskev]

I'd have to look on here to see when I last went fishing - must be a couple of weeks. The car knew its way to the Old Lake, but I'd pretty well forgotten what you do when you get there. The lake had been frozen half over (half frozen over?) when I had a quick look yesterday, but it was all liquid today



The bailiff was out doing a bit of spring cleaning. I told him I planned to fish chopped worm, and he kindly gave me a tub of redworms - there are stables next door. The water may have been ice-free, but it was really cold as I put some water on my casters. I'd walked round and set up under a tree; a tree always adds something to the fishing, no? This one got involved, too, later, as you'll hear.




I was after roach and perch, and I set up a worm rig and a lighter on-the-drop or off-the-bottom rig to fish maggot if need be. A bit of chopped worm went in one side, and a few maggots the other. No bites for the first hour - I didn't start til 11 - and to get a bite, I had to fish maggot over the chopped worm! Not a touch on the bits of worm that did well last time. The light was funny, too, and there was really only one small patch where I could see a float tip of whatever colour, so trying to hold it there, with a breeze and the draw of the stream through the lake, added to the er interest.

After a couple of hours, I had a brainwave and swapped to the lighter rig 15" off the bottom. Decent roach appeared from nowhere



and things were looking good until I foulhooked a big perch which came off at the net and the rig shot into the tree I mentioned earlier. There was nothing to do except pull, and the full length of line came back - minus hook, shot and float. I set up a similar rig, but it never worked like the original, which had accidentally proved the perfect answer for an hour, with a bite every time.

After scratching around for another hour, I gave up and decided to beat the traffic. Still, nice to be out again.

 

[mikench]

Some nice roach there Kev! It does feel good to be out!

 

[103841]

You’re right Kev, a tree does add something, in my case normally bird sh1t.

Nice roach btw.

 

[Pete Shears]

Ventured out on the upper Soar this morning hoping for chub.Settled down on a nice bend trotting a small stick float with punch bread.Struggled to get any response so changed to flake,just the same - nothing.Over to the tip using crust,flake & punch bread - nothing until I changed to a small lead and two dendros and caught a minnow.A mate further downstream had three chub to just over a pound on quiver tipped bread - time for a move.On the next upstream bend using two more dendros had a brown trout of 1lb 9oz first cast,followed by a chub of 1lb 13oz.Moving again saw another brown trout of 10oz or so come to the net.Plenty of birds singing and was tracked by a robin hoping for a breakfast.Spent a few minutes watching a kestrel and then a buzzard,time to move on.Flake on the tip accounted for another chub of 1lb 4oz.Came across two lots of scattered fish scales on flattened reeds,chatting with the farmer later confirmed two otters had been seen recently as if cormorants weren't enough.

 

[flightliner]

Arrived at the Tidal Trent just as it had backed up and about to ebb seawards.
Pike or Zander being the target I fished dead small naturals , a chub and a roach.
As usual rubbish collecting on the line near the bomb had line pulling off the drop off indicators at intervals and it was one of these instances that found me connected to a very feisty pike that to be honest had me thinking it was bigger than it seemed.
That was near on 12-45 pm and despite persevering until near dusk when domesticity was calling me from afar was the day's total catch.
Not to complain as any intended fish is what calls us from a warm cosy bed this time of year.
Nice to sit out the day also without the usual layer on layer of clothing but about 5pm it turned decidedly chilley .

 

[Tee-Cee]

What a great day for fishing; Mild at 6 degrees this morning, a minimal amount of sunshine followed by low cloud, and as still as could be...
I wanted to catch obviously, but truth be told I was just pleased to be out again with my friendly robin for company. He must've suffered last week in the bitter cold and snow, but he certainly made up for any loss of weight, judging by the number of maggots eh consumed!

The fish didn't turn up in any numbers despite my best efforts, so I had to be content with six mini roach (biggest 6" long!) and three perch that didn't come close to that length. Nothing mid or upper water, but as soon as I went over depth in 8' of water I found the fish..

Tried all sorts of baits and fished my socks off for 5 hours, but only red/white single maggots would do......

I came home pleasantly knackered....................


ps Water temperature was 42,5/43 degrees at all depths down to 20' - for what it's worth...

 

[peter crabtree]

Although there was a gale blowing this morning I felt I had to get out. Decided to stay local so opted for the Colne in town.
It was very coloured for a change and flowing nicely.

5BB stickfloat and a 16 hook with a pinch of flake was my opening gambit. Alas the big chub I hoped maybe there wasn’t.

Changed down to a 20 and gave punch a try, still nothing. I began to wonder where all the roach, which are usually abundant here, were?
I began to suspect they’d moved up into the canal to escape the faster than normal flow.

Tried maggot for a while which also didn’t produce a bite.
Back on the punch but a smaller size produced 2 small roach in 2 casts then nothing again...
After 4 hours I’d had enough and packed up.
Shame really as the wind had dropped considerably and it was quite pleasant.

 

[108831]

That's the spirit!

Well,the day didn't start well having walked round to the far side of the deep club lake I went to ring my mate and saw my pocket open,no phone,panic set in as nobody else was there,I retraced my steps looking for it,looked in the car,nothing,so I stood by the gate hoping my mate had left early(needed to contact the missus before she left for work,anyway two guys turned up and one of them let me use his mobile,Muppet here had left it on the kitchen table,I set up and fished all day,had my first bite at 4.10pm ending with four roach between 6-9ozs...