You’re talking the Mick?

Well I thought I would post a blog, something I don’t do enough of?
Anyway I was due to go to the Carp society horseshoe lake to spend an weekend with Mick Brown in February, but due to the lake being frozen this was cancelled and re-scheduled for the weekend of 16-18 March. I had already paid, so thought what the heck I would attend still rather than get my money back?
The trip sound came round, and I spent the week before hand planning and preparing for the weekend?

After I had packed the car of tackle, change of clothes, bait etc it was time for me to set off. Making good time, well I thought so until I came across the A429 being closed and a massive detour. A 1 hour 15min journey was to take me 2 hours?
I arrived at the lake at just after 10 on Friday where I was greeted by the head ranger. He pointed out the different sides of the lake, winter and summer bay, with winter bay being the deeper of the water and my choice for the weekend? The whole lake was closed and the 15 anglers that weekend had the choice of swims?
On approaching the side I was going to set camp up, I walked up and down a few pegs, I settled on a swim that was deep right in front of me, the water was gin clear and I could see down to the bottom to 12ft. The signs were good cause whilst standing at the top of my chosen swim, I saw a small rudd or roach swim away from the bank, a sign that if the bait fish were here then hopefully the pike wouldn’t be far away either.

My plan for the weekend was to fish my swim Friday, and then hop swims on the Saturday up the lake hopefully locating more pike along the way?
I set up two rods, one on a roaming sliding float rig, and a second on a ledgered paternoster rig. Both were fished with sea baits as course baits are banned for the meantime. The legered rig was cast to about 35 – 40 yards, and baited with a popped up mackerel tail. The float rod was cast to about 10 – 20 yards and allowed to drift around in the tow to hopefully cover some water.
The mackerel tail rig was getting constant single bleeps which I wasn’t sure if it was fish interest or simply lines bites or the line on weed which was moving about. The float rod hadn’t seen any interest so was broken down and changed over to an identical rig to the other rod? I had been watching a grebe fish very successfully just beyond my rigs, and doing very well too, so my hopes were there on getting a fish or two?

Anyway about 4:30 Mick came round to introduce himself and have a general chat? A chance for anyone to pick his brains or just talk waffle? Anyway whilst talking away the line starts to pull off the bait runner, very slowly, but a definite pick up? A chance for me perhaps to catch a fish in front of him. No I picked the rod up, felt the line and the fish, then lifted into the strike. All I got was nothing, but now I had chance to show my rig and bait?

Well, when I lifted the bait out, Mick eyes nearly popped out, I was using a whole Joey mackerel on this occasion, his first comments were on how big the bait was and it really should be half the size? He then looked at the length of my lead leader and said it was too short and the lead was possibly pulling the bait into the weed? A bit more of a chat and he said his goodbyes, leaving me with a suggestion of pre-baiting in front of me with fish chunks and fishing over them?

I took his advice and pre-baited, then placed one rod over them? Both rigs were altered to have longer ledgers leaders, never one to dismiss any good advice? Well as the light started to fall at about 6:10, I was talking on the phone whilst watching the rods? All of a sudden the margin rod tip bounced twice, I was up quickly and on the rod. I lifted into the fish which sped off at speed; this fish was netted after a good battle and plenty of spirit. The fish was quickly unhooked and was the length of the mat, she looked perfect and well stocked up?




That was it then, I was now ready for the tea that had been laid on along with a talk from the man himself? A very interesting talk, and an eye opener to what’s going on beneath the water where we cannot see? One thing was evident, not many fish were showing, and Mick himself had come to the conclusion that I had a massive roach shoal in front of me so was in the right place. Lucky or what!!!

After a nights kip (well sort of) I was up at the crack of dawn to start fishing for a few hours before the breakfast was served? Both rods were cast to just short of where the grebe had been fishing (and came back to once the mist had disappeared). Within 10 minutes the right hand rod indicator dropped back and I struck and landed my second fish? Again a fine example of a pike, fighting hard all the way to the net. Three runs two fish, I was happy with that. Time for breakfast?
After breakie I decided to get mobile, I set one rod back on the float and set my lure rod up? Moving up the bank I decided to fish a swim which was further up, approx 80 yards away. Quite a few anglers had the same idea, and I think after Mick pointing out the roach shoal being this side of the lake had made them make their mind up?

Second cast with the lure rod, and a jack of approx 4lb was in the net? What was pleasing about this fish it was caught of a savage play lure, again I had plumbed for a roach looking bait, my first on this lure?

After a while I decided to go back to my base and have a few hours there again? Baits cast out and the wait was on? Anyway whilst distracted and not watching my rods I hadn’t notice and run till it was too late, I picked up the rod and again a fish was on? The fish landed and the biggest of the weekend of about 13lb. unfortunately for me the fish was deep hooked a thing that has only happened once before. Only one set of trebles were taken, but with the help of the guy on the next peg, all the hooks were retrieved and the fish returned safely. The fish had a sulk for 10 minutes in front of me before going on her way. Lesson for everyone here, always be on your rods, I normally strike early as possible, and I would rather lose fish than run the risk of a deep hooked fish.

After this episode I decided to go for a walk and see how others had been doing? Again a few fish had come out, some to wobbled smelt and others to static dead baits like me? It was a chance to view the lake and generally chat to other anglers? With one angler very keen to show me his 42lb pike on his phone!!!
Well I went back to my swim to fish, but the afternoon proved fruitless apart from one lost fish that was hooked but shed the hooks soon after. I decided to fish up until 7 o’clock when again it was time for evening tea?

Again a fine meal was had, and Mick again gave a talk, this time about his 2011 year of fishing / life? Very interesting, as he is not just a predator angler, and it was evident that he enjoys the other aspects of course fishing too?
I retired to my bivvy at 10 and decided against fishing through the night, I really could do with a night’s kip rather than be on edge like it always is when you have bait and alarms on?

I woke up early Sunday morning wanting the loo, so a quick water of the bush behind, the kettle on, I was ready to cast out and start fishing? It was a misty morning again, but I had the measure of my range now, so casting to the correct distance wasn’t going to be a problem. It didn’t take long (well actually 10 minutes) for the indictor to fall back and line start peeling off the reel, again an early strike and fish was on. This fish was soon landed, unhooked and returned, she sat in the edge for 15 minutes sulking before swimming off no doubt to keep on hunting.

That was it for me then, I decided enough was enough I was to pack up and go home.
All in all it was a very enjoyable weekend and some good useful tips picked up along the way. The fish count was 5 fish, 4 of them doubles, 1 lost fish and a few missed dropped runs? Think lady luck was with me this weekend because that large roach shoal never seemed to move away from in front of me (the grebe proved this) and the pike carried on feeding?

Sorry for the long blog but I haven’t done one in a while!!

Short & Sweet

Short and Sweet!

Well with literary a few hours to kill, I decided to head up to the local Coventry Canal in Bedworth to have a very short session fishing for Zander?

Rods packed into the car, predator kit bag picked up and the frozen Roach collected from the freezer, I was ready to go? The short journey took me all of 5 minutes and I was in my swim by 8:15pm?

I choose a swim which had some overhanging bushes on the far side with some zander looking bays carved into them? The plan of attack was a free running ledger, with a roach head section on my right hand rod, and a light zander bobbin float with a whole roach on my left rod?

The ledger rod was the first to be set up and cast into its spot. Whilst this was in the water the float rod was set up, I had decided to fish really light, so the float was a small bobbin, which had no weights on the line, I was going to rely on the weight of the roach to set the float?

After two boats had came through my swim quite quickly, I could now settle down to fish. The float registered some movement, then started to move with some vigour to my left, the rod struck and I had half expected to see a pike fighting for its freedom, but the familiar thump thump thump, signalled my first zander of the season, a fish all of 1lb 2oz. I was glad that the towpath was empty when I weighed this fish for the challenge competion?

The rod was rebaited and recast out, but both rods remained dormant until I had to pack up and leave at 9:45pm.

Short journey home and I was soon sitting at home with a cuppa and in front of the TV?

Severn Heaven

Well Sunday's fishing trip was supposed to be on the Avon around the Bideford area, but when I was picked up, my fishing buddy wasn't keen to try there as he thought the water is still low, so with a quick change of plan, and a change of postcode in the sat nav, it was off to Hampton Loade on the severn.

When we arrived the signs didn't look good, as we were getting our kit out of the car, another angler came into the car park, when questioned about his day, his response was 'not even a bite all day mate'. We set off anyway asking other anglers along the way, who pretty much gave us a similar response to the first?

Anyway after choosing a couple of pegs, that had a lot of weed in front of us but what appeared deeper water beyond behind them, we set up?

My choice of setup was to use my feeder rod with the heavy tip, fished down to a 6lb bottom? Terminal tackle was a oval swimfeeder with an additional lead weight to hold bottom, Bait was 16mm halibut pellet, the swimfeeder was packed with hemp & red maggot? Loose fed pellets were fed over the top of the swim.

The swim was dead for the first few hours, only small fish knocking the swim feeder I suspect to get the maggots out quicker? At about 5:45 the action started in what was to be a hectic few hours? My buddy Mark was first to get off the mark, a hard fighting Barbel of 6lb dead. Soon after it was my turn to get a fish, the rod tip bouncing twice then doubling over, after a decent fight the fish was landed, a baby at 3lb 4oz. Fish landed, and rod recast out, Marks rod bent into action again, this time a similar size fish to mine landed and released safely. My turn again, this time no indication on the tip, it just bent double, fish on and landed at 5lb 4 oz. The swim then suddenly died and the bites had finished.



We carried on fishing, with neither of us having any indications, just me still getting small fish knocking the swimfeeder, then out of the blue and with an hour to go before we were going to leave the rod bent over once more, and the fish had a good go at ripping it off the rest, but I was on it and into my third fish? This fish powered off on a couple of runs and took line, but it was safely netted and weighed a new PB for me at 6lb 10oz. Then came the surprise, a roach of 12oz hooked cleanly in the top lip on a 16mm pellet, how the how it got hooked I will never know as the pellet was on a hair rig, but a welcome bonus for the challenge?




The light faded and we headed back, with me arriving back in Coventry at 10:45, tired, but very chuffed?

Double Jeporady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I had arranged for a half days fishing for pike at Bishops Bowl, but due to a late postponement of the Kids footy game on Sunday afternoon, I was able to make it a full day, lucky for me as you will see as you read on.

I turned up just after seven hoping to fish the first peg on Greenhills, the largest lake on this complex, but me and my fishing buddy were just beaten to the peg by a few minutes, oh well, we decided to fish the second peg instead?

It didn't take long for the rods to be out, I was fishing a static dead bait (roach) on the right hand rod at approx 30 yards out, and a roving dead bait (bream) on the left hand one? My friend was fishing dead bream on his right hand rod in the margins and lamprey popped up again at approx 30 yards out?

I didn't have to wait long for the right hand rod to register interest and the indicator duly rose upwards. I struck into the fish and started to play it towards the bank? The fight didn't last long as the fish slipped the hooks, and the fish was lost?

I re-baited and cast out waiting for the fish to return, I had to wait quite a while? After about 4 hours, at 11:30 the indictor rose and the bite alarm signalled interest, but this time the run was aborted, and I was to change over both rods to fish the bottom, one rod hard on the bottom, the other with a popped up mackerel?

Well at about 2 o'clock the indicator rose and alarm sounded, this time I wound down and struck into a fish, after a short fight the fish was landed, unfortunally for me the fish was deep hooked, not badly, but enough for me to have to go through the gill rakers? I don't know how, as I always hit the bites as soon as they register, and this is my first deep hooked fish. Anyway the fish was out of the water longer than normal, but went back fine, swimming off strongly. So unfortuanlly I didn't have chance to weigh the fish, so we estimated it at 7 - 8 lbs?

The rod was re-baited again and cast out to near enough the same spot 30 yards out? A celebratory cup of tea was then made? Whilst supping this tea, the indicator and alarms go again, again winding down I pulled into the fish and I was in again? This time this fish felt better and gave a better account of itself, after a short while the fish was banked, with the trebles being just inside the mouth. The fish weighed in at 8.5lbs and a chance for me to register some more points on the board. it wasn't until I turned to fish over to have a better look, that we realised it was the same fish from 30 minutes before, I'm absolutely shore as both fish had a distinctive mark on its face, it was a wound of some sort? My buddy also was in agreement with me and spent the rest of the day ribbing me that it didn't count lol.

My mate had one run at about 3 o'clock which resulted in a fish of approx 5 - 6lbs, again on popped up mackerel?

The irony is, if the footy game hadn't been postponed I would have left at 1 o'clock and missed out on this strange story?

Off the Mark?

Well my fishing buddies,

After joining this years fishing competion (i dont know if its a good thing or not?) i finally have some points on the board, not many but some he he.

I ventured out last sunday for a cheeky few hours on the canal at Hawkesbury Junction. All i had to show for that visit was one dropped run, and nothing else? So this week i arranged a morning session at Bishops Bowl with Pike my Quarry? I arrived half an hour late due to me taking a wrong turning, dont know how as i have been here on many occasions? Anyway i arrived to meet Mark, my fishing partner already in our chosen swim for the day and just tackling up? After the normal hellos, i started to tackle up too?

As only deadbaits can be used here, i had recently stocked up on course fish from a company called online baits, i purchased in bulk saving myself a few pounds in the process? I was starting on roach on one rod and bream on the other? Within a 10 minutes of Marks rods being in, his float signalled interest on his lamprey section, the bite developed well but when he struck nothing was present?

He rebaited and cast out to the same spot? After a short while there was interest again, this time resulting in a fish of approx 8lbs? This fish had a very large teeth wounf which was larger than my hand, and proberbly was an old one which had grew with the fish? His second rod soon shown some interest and a second perfect condition pike of about 6lbs was banked?

In all this time i had been searching out a bite for myself but to no avail? Then mid morning whilst reeling in, and within a few feet of the bank a pike rose out of the shallows to launch itself at my bream, the pike was on and banked very quickly. My prize for this was a jacke pike of 2 lbs 6oz? Not much of a fish but enough to get me started? lol. On release the por bugger sat in the shallows for a good hour, having a sulk i think?

11:30 soon came and it was my time to leave and try and manage a kids football team?

So points on the board for me and looks like i have a lot of catching up to do already?

P.S next time i will photgraph it opps?

Poachers Beware?

Hi Folks,

I have not posted for a very long time, but thought i would make some of us local lads aware of what is happening at some of our local free ponds?

Last night thought i would pop out for a few hours fishing with the youngest at a local free pond. It was one of the ponds at the local disused golf course in Hawkesbury Village. After catching lots of small rudd, two eastern european men turned up to start fishing. I witnessed them putting the larger fish into a black sack, i did causally mention to them that i hoped that they were putting the fish back, the shy response was that they were? then the guys even had the bals to ask me if i knew if they were bigger fish in the pond, my response was that nothing bigger than 6oz that i knew of.

On another occasion i would have tackled them with a bit more aggression, but as the youngest was with me, nothing could be done.

So just beware all you local guys who fish these ponds.

Gaza

AT LAST!!!!!!

Well Fridays trip had been planned for a couple of weeks, with the time being booked off work ready in earness. It was to be our last trip out for the pike, before concentrating on the coarse fish again.

Anyway after having a few fishing trips since January and blanking on every single one, i was starting to get desparate to get a run, and hopefully a fish before the season finished.

The day was planned that we would head down towards the lower Avon at Nafford on BAA water. We arrived to find the conditions looking near perfect, we gathered the tackle and headed down towards our first swim, just below the weir. I started out with a paternostered sprat, and trotted roach in the slack water at the far bank. For the first hour, nothing was happening, with my colleague Mark trying similar tactics, but different baits next to me. Anyway i decided whilst waiting i would set up the spining rod, and just fish the roach deadbait. Within a few casts the first fish was on, a little jack of about 3lb was in the net and my monkey was broken for this year. (although i was trying to break that duck with a deadbait lol)

Nothing more happened in this swim, so a change was decided upon. Again various rigs / baits were tried and no fish were forthcomming. we stayed at this venue until lunchtime when it was decided that we would try a change of venue. Fishing gear packed away, off we started our short car journey to the next venue, this time Pershore was the destination.

We soon settled down, and got our baits in the water. Then the local baliff turned up and started to point out where the pike normally were, typical everywhere but where we had chosen to start. Anyway after his departure, it allowed me to cast my second rod. This rod was set up with a herring tail and ledgered har to the bottom, very close to a overhanging tree. Within ten minutes of being in the water, the drop back indicators sounded interest and i struck into another fish.

The fish felt a decent size and was giving a good scrap, even on 15lb line. The short fight ended when the net slipped underneath the big girl. She was duly unhooked / weighed then had a quick picture with her capturer. At 13.25 lb she is PB for me beating my previous of 12lb.



Not the best of pictures, but one all the same.

The day petered out with neither of us having any more bites. So a rewarding day for in the end. Heres to next october when i can start for them again on the deads, although i might be having a go at the pike with spinners through the summer.