And We've Off

Belated birthday fishing session yesterday, and a return to to my challenging tench water for another session after this elusive species.
Woke up nice and early, but didn't / couldn't get up, the mojo for tench is waning after a high number of session without a sniff of one. None of my tench session have been a blank, with plentiful amounts of bream and roach to save me blanking, but when your after tench, everything else can be a disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, I love my bream and roach fishing, but my mind has been set in targeting a PB tench from this water where they grow to double figures.

I left the house with the rods after the usual jobs of feeding animals etc, so with a cuppa in hand I set about the task of driving to the lake. Now normally this would be eventful and I could tell you about the wonders of the wildlife on route, not today. Today it was all in a blur and I was soon parked up think I had, had a senior moment and couldn't remember the journey. Ho hum.

After waking up again, the first challenge of the day, put the new barrow together. This is one of these TFG Blazer barrow's (birthday present from the wife). 

Decided that with all the bait etc I'm now carrying for a session that I need to get a load shifter or not take as much stuff. A barrow came out the winner, as I can take the quantity of bait I need without damaging my back.

Te barrow was soon loaded and off I went pushing it along over the bridge, throw the meadow and to the lake. Luckily the cold gloomy day had put every one off the idea of fishing and I had the place to myself. This made it easier to decided which swim to setup on. The swim is nicely placed to fish a number of different features and normally it is taken up with a carper.

Soon the rods were out, method feeder, maggot feeder and marginal bolt rigged boilie. The boilie was a new type that I was trying out for a manufacturer, I had hopes that something large would decide it needed a fast food snack and snaffle it. Ten tennis ball sized balls of ground bait were catapulted out into grazing area.

The other two rods were baited with red maggot and these soon got the attention of the resident roach shoals. The method feeder was soon away and a roach was in the hand. The nice thing about the roach in this water is that the average size is 8-10oz with a few 1lb fish making an appearance.

The "rig" was soon away too and a perch was hooked, again another species that seem to grow big n this water, and maybe another species to target in the autumn.

Both rods were rebaited and recast out to the baited area and it wasn't long before more 8-10oz roach were landed. The carp on the far side were crashing about and grabbed my attention with their antics.

By 9am, I had landed about a half a dozen roach and then it when quiet, a few more balls of ground bait were catapulted out to liven things up and soon the bite started again.

The method feeder bobbin then twitch, before climbing to the rod ring and the bait runner started to sing, this wasn't a roach. The rod hooped over and by the feel of it, a better fish was hooked. It was either a small carp or a tench. The latter was what I was hoping for.

After a spirited fight in which included a could of short runs, a tench tail broke the surface and my heart started to beat faster.

The tench was soon over the net and it was mine. Off the mark at last. It was soon unhooked and weight 5lb 14oz with the sling, so that's a health 5lb 6oz tench to get the campaign going.

Rod was soon rebaited and cast out and the roach were back on the bait. By the end of the session I must have had fifteen plus 8-10oz roach and one of nearly a pound.

The marginal rod didn't get a look in until last knockings, whereby the alarm was screaming, but the fish, which was likely to be one of the carp broke the 8lb hook link.

Only other large species I had was a single male bream of about 4lb, its head was cover in the white tubercles, so spawning was probably on there mind.

May as many other bloggers have said is the costed since year dot, and the tench fishing have mostly been awful. We have all struggled for tench, but with a warming wind set to blow through June, I hopin to catch a few more before I start fishing the rivers again.

TL

Kite, Cats and.....

At last the 2 day fishing/social trip to Oxford was here. Time for some fun in the sun (hopefully).

The venue for one of this years pikers pits socials was the Orchid Lake fishery in Oxfordshire.
We were fishing the Club Lake, which is home to the Wels Catfish.

Left home mid afternoon on the Thursday for the two and a half hour drive to the fishery. Traffic was its usual leave and after a couple of pit stops, I arrived at the fishery in good time.

After I had met up with the rest of the group, we draw for pegs, my name was first out of the hat and I picked peg number 5. This peg had lots on offer, snags, overhanging trees and bushes, open water and a  small bay. Hopefully, one of these area's would hold a catfish or two.

 I soon have the bivvy up and soon the two rods out. Being newish to catfishing, I decided to opt for 12ft 3.5tc rods, with my trustworthy Shimano Arelex 7000 reels, which were loaded with Big Game 25lb mainline. The hooklinks were made from Quicksilver 45lb braid and the hooks with eagle weave, sizes 2 - 4/0 depending on the bait.

For bait, I had brought along a small selection along with me these including large/small halibut pellets, tins of luncheon meat, whole squid and large lobworms.

The first baits to go out was a whole squid on a running ledger under the far bank trees, with a scattering of halibut pellets and attractor, and the margin rod was baited with five juicy lobworms on a dumbell rig.

Now I no expert on catfish, and I still waiting to land one of these giant tadpoles, but the organiser of the event was quietly confident that some would come out over the next 3 days.

So with the rods out and the bivvy set, there was not much to do exempt have a yarn and a cup of earl grey with a slice of victoria sponge.

As the afternoon turned to evening it was time for the social arm of the event to kick off, so after reeling in the baits we head off to sample some of the delights the cook had brought along. Tonight it was hommus with french sitick for starter and the main was beef curry, all washed done with some John Smiths and a couple of glasses of Roja.

Soon the sun was descending and it wa time to head back to the rods and get the baits out for the night. I was sticking with my baited areas from the afternoon and with precision cast the squid landed on the far bank trees. A couple of hand fulls of pellets were catapulted out over the bait, to hopefully draw the cats out of their liars.

As darkness draw on the first night, the bites started. To be honest, the squid was left alone, but the worms were being battered by nocturnal feeding carp and a couple of time they even managed to draw me out of the warmth of the sleeping bag.

Night turned to dawn, and with that the nights silence was broken by the birds, I was soon up and inspecting the baits. The squid, which seem to have remained intact, had drawn the attentions of something, as upon inspection, the squids head was missing. The lobworms were another matter. All the battering during the night had left very little left.

Both baits were replaced and rods recast, in the hope that a cats would still be on the prowl. This is when I saw my first red Kite over the Oxford countryside, flying above me looking for breakfast. After I had breakfast  time myself, I reeled the rods in and wend for a walkabout. The other catfishers were slowly stirring from their night time slumbers.

The day was uneventful on the fishing front for me, and in fact no catfish were caught for the whole two days. Some of the lads brought float or quiver rods and managed to winkle out some nice tench, bream and a solitary double figure carp. But my catfish baits remained untouched for the whole weekend.

Whilst I didn't catch, it was nicet being out again on the bank for a weekend. Something I hope to do again soon once there weather turns into something resembling summer.

TL

Last Game

Value for Money

Bank holiday Monday has arrived and all around the country anglers are lining the banks of still waters to get there fishing fix during the extended weekend.

For me, it was on one of my new water for the year and it is becoming a favourite place, trouble is some other had the same idea.

I ventured out of the house at dawn and arrived at the lake in good time, but when pulling into the car park, a sight that I wasn't expecting greeted my eye. Instead of the usual empty car park, there was a number of different car and vans parked up, including a friend who was fishing with me. Its a good job he arrived a lot earlier than me, because, had he not, we would have been struggling to get into some of the better swims.

After the mornings pleasantries were exchanged I was soon lugging the gear to the swim.

I'm still after the elusive tench with the smattering of bream too, so stuck with the carp style fishing set up.

Rod were soon unbanded and rigged up with the usual baits, maggot, corn and 10mm boillies. These Two were cast into an area about 40 yards into the lake and a marginal /sleeper rod was swung out.

The lake was alive with topping silver fish and jumping fry. The fry shoals were vast and with the bright, warm conditions the hunters were out in force. The fry were hugging the bank, closet to me and the perch were swimming adjacent to them, occasionally striking into the shoals for a meal.

Carp love fry

It wasn't long before the alarms were sounding and the bobbins jangling, but alas these were small fish peaking at the baits. Some call them nuisance fish, to me there are just fish that aren't big enough to swallow the baits.

This activity continued most of the morning until a couple of better sized roach hung themselves on the rig. But all was not right and before midday the bites dried up completely, what could be the reason I prey. But no sooner had that thought crossed my mind the middle rod was beeping and the bobbin dancing again, I struck and felt the tiny knock of a roach, only for it to go solid and the tell tell thud of a pike on the line. The pike didn't stay on long and  retrieved the method feeder to find the hook link cut in half.

New link on and feeder recast and i sat back in the very warm sun pondering the morning. The carpers on the lake were having more luck and a few decent fish were landed.

I did hook one bream, but alas it dropped off in the margins.

Midday came and went both being uneventful including the eating of lunch, curling sandwiches and the warm squash, yuk, prefer the winter hotpot and 2 litres of tea!!

The afternoon rolled in and whilst sitting by the rods another jangling roach bite followed by a drop back, so I struck, another some thud was soon followed by the rod bending into something half decent. a tench maybe. Then came the knock of a pike again.  It soon became apparent that Mr Pike was either not letting go of his lunch or was hooked. I was hoping for opinion one, but it was the latter and I was soon battling with a small pike on size 14 hook and 7lb hook link.

Rubbish picture

The pike made a few dashes for freedom, and I was convinced at some point the hook link would be bitten through, but amazingly he was hooked cleanly in the side of the mouth and the hook link was well away from his toothy jaws.

After a spirited fight, he was in the net, the hook neatly in the scissors still with the double red attached.

the pike was soon unhooked and swam away strongly, hopefully the roach and bream would returned.

Alas they didn't and  fished until home was dinner was calling. I packed up at 17:00 n the evening sun still tinca less.

TL

A Grand Day Out......

Yesterday was a day off from work and life's pressures to enjoy a days lure fishing in the name of charity. 

The event was a lure match organised by the Lure Anglers Society on a local water to raise money for Children with Cancer.

Whilst walking the dog at silly o'clock n the morning, I noticed two things about the this bright, cold morning. 1) the sun was shining with not a cloud in the sky and 2) there was a frost on the ground. These conditions could make for a tough day on the lures.

I was soon leaving the house for the short drive to the venue and upon arrival, I spied that 99.9% of the car park was full of car, vans and 4X4's loaded with anglers and gear. I squeezed in the car to a space and wanderer over the mass of angles in and around the cafe.
Most of the faces were unknown to me, but I soon saw a few familiar faces including the events organiser and other local lure anglers.

After a brief chat with so of the motley crew and with the start time looming, the all important peg draw happened. Peg 28 for me, so back to the car to grab the rod, net, mat and bag of lures etc.

It was a short walk for me from the car park to peg 28 and I soon had the first lure clipped onto the trace. 

The water was soon foaming around me as  thrashed the water with an assortment of lures. The weed grow on this particular lake, was quite high and I admit to struggling to find lures in the boxes that could be fished effectively just below the surface. I did have some topwater lures with me, but it didn't feel right fr them

By 11.00am and still be fishless, I went for a further wonder and nice looking swim which could be explored with the recommended Rapala X-Rap Sub Walker. After half a dozen chuck, there was a tap on the rod tip and soon a small jack was wrestling to get free. Off the mark at last and my confidence rose a bit. The jack was soon returned and swam off angrily. A few more casts but nothing else followed, so change of pegs was required. This change lead to a couple of follows and another fish, a micro jack of about a 1lb.

I continued to move about and had a couple of takes, but nothing developed into another fish on the bank. Most either hit the lure and missed, or getting hook, only to shake the lure free in the shallows.

The morning was soon up and as most were heading to the cafe for a spot of lunch, I took the opportunity to fish on and venture to some of the sort after spots. I dropped into a deep water peg and changed to a 6" Manns shad, something I been using a lot over the winter. As I worked the shad through the swim,  I had a hit from under my feet, a jack was on, but soon off leaving a shredded shad behind. As this lemon shad was no longer useable without the attention of a soldering iron, another pattern was rigged up.

This was cast to the far bank under the trees and I was soon working the shad around again. On my second to last cast, I thought I hooked some of the roots from the tree lined edge, but no, this was moving. After a spirited fight in the deeper water a lovely lean double rose to the surface, before diving back down. Having strong braid on the reel, I soon bullied her to the surface and onto the waiting net.

A nice long lean pike for 12lb 8oz was soon photographed and returned.

After that I moved about about and managed one more for the day, a battle scarred old girl who was blind in one eye (left) and going blind in the other. She had scars all over her head and flanks and whilst letting her recover next to the staging,  I felt a ting of sadness for this pike. She had obviously had a hard life and wasn't in the best of shape. Probably felt the vibrations from the lure and thought she had a easy meal.

I sat next to her and held her for a minute or two to regain her strength, before guiding her through the reeds and into the coloured water back to her lair.

The day was soon at an end and the anglers assembled outside the cafe for the drawing of the raffles.  Whilst I didn't win the much sort after custom built utralight lure rod that was donated by Truly Custom Rods, I was fortunate to get a nice new custom lure from a very talent builder.

Looking forward to next years event already.

TL

Off the Mark

Sunday morning saw the alarm sound early, but instead of getting straight up I laid in bed for another 45 minutes before I couldn't resist the urge to get out on the bank. The trouble was it was  minus 2 outside with a frost. So much for spring.

With a slightly heavy heart, I went through the motions of getting the animals fed, me fed and baits out of the various cupboards and cool bags (maggots are ban from the fridge now).

I finally set off for the lake a little after 06:00, later than planned, but with the frost on the car that the extra time in bed was worth while.

After driving along the country lanes to the lake, the cars' temperature gauge showed that it wasn't getting much warming, in fact the temperature was dropping and the fog was rolling in across the fields. Now normally, I would be commenting on the wonderful sight of the wildlife on route, but alas today I couldn't see sod all apart from the old rabbit sitting in the middle of the road waiting to be run over.

I arrived at the lake and parked up, not a sole in sight, just how I like it, and was soon lugging the gear to a predetermined swim based on the wind direction. The swim or peg is positioned on a steep bank, which can make setting up troublesome, but it has a number of features both close in and out in the middle.

I was soon setting up the rods, but due to the fog, I couldn't picture the distance I needed to put the bait out at, so the marked float was deployed, after some impromptu feature finding.

Whilst setting up, a text had come through from a mate, asking if I was alone or not. As my reply was yes, he decided to join me at the venue, rather than at his last water which wasn't challenging enough.

I soon had a feature found, a bar at about 40 yards with 2ft of extra water either side of it. This was to be the main feature for the days session.

Three rods carp style were deployed, all on self hook / bolt rigs, two with feeders (open and method) and one with a lead. Baits were a mixture of pinkies and maggot, imitation maggot and 10mm Nash Squid boillie.

The method mix was one from my local bait supplier (Lake Wizard) which is  a fishmeal based mix with additives.

I soon had all three rods out and sat back in the fog with the first brew of the day. As the fog was being burn off the first of the action started and a nice 8-10oz roach hung itself on the rig. This was soon unhooked and returned. As the sun started to burn through, then jagged roach bites increased and I soon had another roach self hooked and on the bank, trouble was the gear was abit heavy for roach, but they were a welcome sight on a cold morning.

With the sun shining, the entire lake and the surrounding countryside seemed to be waking up from the winter solace. The warblers were singing in the reeds, the carp with jumping for joy and the bees were busily collecting much needed nectar. The whole place was alive including the fish. With roach and rudd topping over the lakes surface, their movements stirred the predators lurking below and soon vast shoals of fry were being scattered by shoals of hungry, hunting perch.

By lunch, the mornings tally was four roach and rudd, all in pristine condition, but no sign of the bream or tench that i was craving. To be far, conditions were far from ideal for either species and I did resign myself to catching the occasional roach, rudd and maybe a skimmer. But that thought was premature.

Soon the alarm was sounding, but instead of the ultra light bobbin just rattling, the line was being pulled through it and the baitrunner on the reel was signing with a running fish. I struck and felt the weight of a fish and wasn't sure what I had hooked, tench, bream or carp?????

After a short but spirited fight, the first bream of the season was on the surface and in the net. Nothing huge, but a very welcome fish of about 4lb. It was noticeable that this was a male, as it had already started to show the white spots or tubercles that the male fish get prior to spawning time.
The rod was baited again and recast, it wasn't long before another rod was away and another male bream of a similar size was in the net, but this one had a damaged mouth, probably from it having an encounter with a carper last season.

As the afternoon rolled on, I soon had three bream landed, with the biggest being 5/6lb. But the sun was now shining very brightly and the the bites dried up. The boillie was changed to a maggot bait and the lead replaced with a feeder.

15:30 came with a bang, and the baitrunner was away again, and another battling male bream was kiting across the swim in an attempt to get its self in a tangle with the other rods. Another bream in the 4lb class, and this was followed by another in quick succession.

The day was getting on, and the pinkies had been finished, so another opened feeder was deployed for the last hour of the day. The wind picked up and the sun disappeared, and with that the bites started again, alas I was running out of time, but I did manage one final bream at final knockings.

By the end of the day, the count was four roach, two rudd and seven bream.

It was soon time to pack up, and on reflection, it was a good day, nothing huge, but the three species all welcome as it gives me three target species to fish for on this particular venue along with the elusive tinca, which as yet haven't made an appearance, still in bed I guess.

Tightlines

Tinca & Abramis Start

Now that my winter piking has finished for another season, so the search for big tinca and Abramis brama begins.
I been lucky enough to find a few waters locally that hold some decent size fish of both species, so the campaign began and I might even stumble on some carp along the way.

It began with an early drive to the chosen water through the back lanes of the county with the wonderful sights of spring along the way. Mad March hares in the fields, lapwings on the wing and a solitary barn owl hunting in the early morning gloom.

The gear has been changed from last year, as it really wasn't up to the task for distance fishing for bream and tench, so the rods have been up rated to 2.5lb tc carp rods and reels have been changed to better size for casting, but are light weight.

I arrived to fine the wind blowing from the north east as predicted and sleet/snow in the air. The lake had a fresh feel about it and, some i chose a deep corner of the lake were it was both comfortable for me and hopefully the fish.

Rods were soon out and baited up, one with a conversion method feeder with 12" hook link and baited with double red. The second was a inline maggot feeder, this was loaded with pinkies and would be recast or catapulted over every 10-15 mins to build up the swim.

Soon I was relaxing on the bank with a steaming cuppa and enjoying just begin out there again. The sun was out and it felt warm on the back, spring is here. Then a bloody big black cloud came over and dumped a 5min snow shower over me and the gear. Soon the sun was out again and with the warming rays the first tentative bites started on 2nd rod and the light bobbins were twitching with small roach bites.
Hopefully a something would hang themselves on the rig and get the session started.

The twitchy bits continued in between the snow and my confidence started to grow. Out in the distance, over the valley, a buzzard was being chased off by a couple of noisy crows and a green wood packer was hunting for ants on the far bank.

The left hand rod was away half hardily and on inspection, the maggots were sucked lifeless. This was soon re baited and recast, whilst I sat back with another cuppa and tied some of my version of DL "The Rig". Its really a version of the helicopter rig, but with some changes.

I have replaced the ESP power gum with a similar BS, just this one is clear, the hooklink is attached via a big eyed swivel and the hook is a 16.

Lunchtime came and a flask of stew was consumed with another cuppa, the snow had returned and it felt bitter in the wind so the brolly was put up to give me some shelter from its icy bite. The afternoon was colder than the morning and the twitchy bites dried up.
I noted in the corner of the swim that these was some fish moving about, so I introduced a handful of freebies  to see what their reaction was. After 20 mins, it seemed that the movement was fish, species unknown, but if they were feeding, then there was a chance I could catch them. I hastily put together the 13ft float rod, but the reel attached with a pin with 6lb mainline, which was left over from the winter river fishing, so I hoped they weren't carp. I soon dropped in a lift method  float setup with a small clear crystal straight waggler, with a banded 10mm boilie attached and waited.

There was some fizzy about the freebies and I tried to moved the float so the baited hook was in amongst them and sat back again with another cuppa. Nothing happened for for an good hour so I recast to the shadow lurching beneath the surface, but my cast with the pin had no finesse and the bait plopped into the swim and scared off the beast beneath.

The rest of the afternoon went off without any action, apart from a barn owl who stole a tasty mammal from a hunting kestrel. The kestrel was having none of this and pursued the much bigger hunter, in a mid air duel.

The snow returned for a final time and with the lack of action and the air temperature dropping, I admitted defeat, but as I packed up the last rod, a carp went airborne as if to aid to my bitter mood.

Elsewhere I learn't that some had been more fortunate, and had managed to winkle out both bream and tench. There is always next time.