How did you get on?

[nottskev]

The forecast for the weekend looks dire, so I had a couple of hours on the old canal. I had a nice mix of fish last time, and got seen off by a couple of big carp. I went back today plotting revenge. There was someone on the peg I fished last time, so I dropped in a couple pf pegs away where the canal is about 16m wide.

But anything beyond 11m was safe from me; I'm taking a conservative approach to pole fishing just now until various parts of my body stop hurting. I decided to fish maggot on the drop for small fish in front of me, while feeding up a swim for big fish down the track to my left.

The first part of the plan went ok, with some nice ide

and plenty of perch

Meanwhile, I cupped some casters and even a few grains of sweetcorn, into the swim off down the track to my left. I'd set up a rig for this swim with a size 14 hook to .16 line and a doubled no 4 elastic to wreak vengeance on the carp that smashed me up twice last time. Two hours in, I shipped out with a piece of corn on the hook. The float slid away

Oh well, at least my new Acolyte net didn't break No, you're right, that's not funny. It looked like only ide and perch were feeding. The bloke on the lock peg above me packed up and came past; he'd just had a couple of perch. I had another couple of tries for something bigger, then gave up. The small fish were still feeding in the top two feet, so I stuck with that for a while, until the sky started to look ominous. No big fish, but my £20 season ticket is looking like a bargain.

 

[mikench]

Even I know that whilst you need fish in front of you, you still need the skills to catch them and determine where they are in the water column, feed regularly and change your tactics if necessary. It's those skills I fail to apply consistently. It doesn't reduce my levels of enjoyment though and whilst frustration might set in , its soon dispelled by the sights and sounds of nature. There were 3 coot chicks yesterday enjoying themselves. Ugly but cute at the same time. On another water a brood of 14 ducklings had, at the last count, been reduced to 5 by pike and mink.

 

[Philip]

Having lost what felt like a big fish the previous trip & with wind and rain to stir things up it was one of those days when I felt had to get a bait in the water even if it was just for half a dozen casts. Lockdown rules meant I was racing against a ticking clock so I shot down the river with the bare minimum arriving just as the rain eased off. I had a pull within minutes which I missed then third cast I managed to connect & slid the net under a good Roach. I managed another 3 over the next 45mins the best going 1lb-11oz

It was frustrating as I felt the chances of a really big fish were on the cards if I could have sat it out but with the curfew in force I had to pack up. Still I had to be happy with the result of the snatched hour in a swim I had been on the verge of giving up on.

 

[Steve Arnold]

Fitted in a few hours between showers, at the river yesterday.

A couple of bream again, the most unhappy looking specimens imaginable! Do they "beat themselves up" during spawning?

Both were around 4lb-5lb and covered by red marks and missing scales. They had the spawning tubercles clearly around their heads and pectoral fins....

Lots of line bites as well, so I think plenty of fish in the swim. Usually there are barbel here when there is as much flow as today, reckon they found some peace elsewhere - or maybe spawning in the shallows a short distance upstream?

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

Interesting to note your comments on the bream and barbel, on my river, the bream are not yet showing any tubercles and the barbel seem to have vacated the bottom of the garden swim, I too am thinking they’re on to the shallows to spawn, the water here is still very cold, particularly when you’re up to your nadgers wafting bits of fluff about,


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[Steve Arnold]

Interesting to note your comments on the bream and barbel, on my river, the bream are not yet showing any tubercles and the barbel seem to have vacated the bottom of the garden swim, I too am thinking they’re on to the shallows to spawn, the water here is still very cold, particularly when you’re up to your nadgers wafting bits of fluff about,


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Yes, the river is still cold! I went down the slipway to wash my hands and it felt March temperature - not May! Normally you can wade in trunks by now!

 

[mikench]

What cracking roach Philip; stunning fish! Il y a de quoi vous écœurer ! Blague à part bien mérité.???

 

[Philip]

J'ai dû marcher dans quelque chose

Thanks Mike

 

[Silure]

Caught 2 of these this week and lost one big thing. They have been eating all my bream and tench. They are rehomed to someone who wants them. Bait was sardines.

 

[markcw]

Try @mikench ?

 

[mikench]

Filleted first please.

 

[markcw]

Similar to what was/in Lymm Dam.

 

[peter crabtree]

Town pit yesterday on my so far unsuccessful quest for some tench or bream. Usual method feeder, gb and treble maggot on a 16 QM1 hook. First time I’ve seen swallows, martins and swifts this year too. Lovely day to be out but still no joy…

 

[mikench]

On further reflection I doubt they are eaten unlike the American catfish which are delicious but they at least look like fish. Are Wels taken for the pot?

 

[markcw]

Only by unscrupulous anglers Mike, if those that were put in Lymm Dam around 30 years ago have survived until now, they will be a decent size,
There is one in Lymmvale near Winsford that is 70lb.A Lymm club record

 

[108831]

Been today on the crucian lake,newbie in hand,fished different baits today,custard powder paste(???)and bread,had 21 crucians,three over 2lbs,biggest 2-6,3 carp to 6lbs,2 small tench around the pound,2 nice roach and a skimmer,torrential rain at times,saw my friendly robins,song thrush,a pair of blackbirds who worked tirelessly removing the bits of bread I threw behind me for their brood,a female blackcap,red kites,grey wagtails(3)and swifts,now sitting in the armchair aching like buggery.

 

[The Sogster]

I used to use custard powder in bread mash a lot, it now seems a lot paler than it used to be and not as yellow.
Still a good additive though.

 

[The Runner]

Well, after the knackered reel debacle of a couple of weeks ago , its finally a HDYGO from me that involves actually fishing. Still no fish though...
Bike ride again over the hill road on a lovely sunny morning and headed for Bracadale Point- walk in a bit squelchy but only a bit more than half a mile so no real problem. Two other anglers arrived just before me, a guy who lives a mile from the venue and his young grandson who apparently fish it (and some of my other regular haunts) a lot but oddly we'd never run into each other before. At least he confirmed that last year had been a very poor one for Rays there, so it wasn't just me...
Let them have my usual ledge there, as more room on it for two, and went thirty yards past them but still on the deeper water. Was to fish the tide four down and three up, a lot less than ideal for there (two hours either side of high seems favourite, especially the very start of the ebb) but never mind.
Set up running ledger with long tail of 4ft or so , about 80 yards out, mackerel strip on a 2/0 and a 150gm grip lead as the ebb was running quite hard. Had one little knock second chuck that came to nothing and 40 minutes later a hard double bang on the tip which I managed to miss. Quiet for next two and a half hours, other two decided to call it a day biteless and go home for a late lunch. Had a good natter with them, and then 20 minutes after they'd gone the tip went round properly after a couple of tiny knocks- real "carp on a method feeder" style pull round. Hit it and knew straightaway it was a good fish. Came to the top about five yards out, thornback ray looking to be at least 7 to 8 lb, did one last dive (about 25ft of water right in the edge) as I dropped down the rocks to water level to land it and the bloody hook pulled . Swearword.
Never had another indication...
Still no pics of fish so...
Classic shot across the loch to Portnalong with the Black Cuillin behind

And looking up the loch towards Clach a' Chruinneachaidh and Gesto

Usual Loch Bracadale wildlife about with loads of Oystercatchers around, a pair of Red Throated Divers on the sea plus Rock Pipits and a Cuckoo calling behind me most of the day, and some linnets on the fence where I parked the bike . And a White Tailed Eagle high above the hill road on the way home- sorry not my best pic but it was a long way up and I'm only using my phone

 

[wetthrough]

Just following on from Mike's post https://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/threads/how-did-you-get-on.350900/post-1565805 Thanks for the maggots Mike and loan of various bits of equipment. I'd happily have fished with the feeder rod but Rods weren't the only thing I'd left at home. I'd been looking for something in the bottom of my tackle box (a toolbox) the night before and hadn't put the tray back which had all my floats and odds and ends in.

Started of with some clumsy casts intended for the far side landing about 12' in front of me. It took me a while to work out that I hadn't threaded the line through the tip ring Managed a cruciaN AND A COUPLE OF Ide and a better Roach shortly after Mike left, all around the 7oz+ mark, all to corn. There were some Carp cruising along ghe far reed margin so haD A BIT OF PRACTICE Getting the rig to land in front of them as gently as possible by checking the line hard on the cast. It seemed to work as it wasn;t long before this was in the net,

to corn again, almost a double of this one https://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/attachments/img_9808-jpg.14579/

Almost the double of this one to corn again, almost a double of this one https://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/attachments/img_9808-jpg.14579/

Had one more Common of around 4lb and a couple more Ide. Packed up around 6.

 

[Roger Johnson 2]

On further reflection I doubt they are eaten unlike the American catfish which are delicious but they at least look like fish. Are Wels taken for the pot?

I have a recollection from a TV prog with chef MartinJames “French Road Trip” which showed Dordogne silure on a specialist in freshwater fishmongers slab, the area featured was a long way downstream from me.


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