Cracked Again (April 19)
Posted by Steve Walker, Apr 27 2007, 03:22 PM
Sorry, the weather was too good, and I was hearing too many reports of tench waking up for the summer. So I had a session on Wickwater main lake for the tench. It was slow, the water was still quite cold, but I eventually managed one tench of about 3lb and four little rudd, all on red maggot. It was a lovely evening though:
Last Chance Barbel
Posted by Steve Walker, Mar 26 2007, 10:49 AM
I managed a couple of end-of-season trips to my favourite barbel haunt in the last week of the season. We'd had a lot of heavy rain, and the rivers had been out of sorts for weeks, but finally the levels dropped, the colour faded and the rivers started to look inviting, so I gave it a go.
After traipsing across three fields feeling smug about the people fishing the swims near the road, I got to my favourite barbel swim to find some rotter fishing it. This stretch doesn't actually have all that many good pegs, and I had half a mind to just go home. I walked down a little way and found that the floods had collapsed the banking, creating safe access to a swim I'd previously been loath to clamber down to. I'd got a willow stump growing in the water on the opposite bank creating an eddy down the far side, and a fast, turbulent run under my feet. To be honest, I expected chub but thought it lacked a certain barbel-ness. Still in a bit of a grump over my swim-usurper, I set up a link leger and baited up with the fattest lobworm in the pot. On my second or third cast, exploring the downstream boundary between the run and the slack, I got a very chub-ish rattle and pull. I hit it, expecting the usual token charge for cover of a 3lb chub, and instead got a savage jolt and a big golden flash. After a short, hard fight, a 6lb12oz barbel was on the bank. End of season mission accomplished!
I took a few small chub on worm before deciding that as I'd now achieved my main objective, I'd dig out the centrepin and have some fun on the float. I had a succession of small fish, chub, roach, dace, a lovely fat six inch gudgeon, before hitting the second barbel of the day. I would be lying if I denied that I had the possibility of my first barbel on the float in mind when I tackled up, hence the 4lb double strength bottom and #14 hook, but in the end it just wasn't enough to keep the fish out of the snags. 
After a while, the swim died off, and so I took a wander downstream. I found a nice long, steady section to fish a float down, and spent the rest of the day catching more or less a fish a chuck on maggot. Mostly chub and dace, with a few roach, and none of them much over 12oz, but a lovely way to end the season. I've found a braid that I like on the pin, a Fox product intended for fishing floaters, and it was perfect for fishing a long trot, mending the line and contacting fish at a distance very neatly. Perfect!
|
October Barbel Campaign
Posted by Steve Walker, Oct 29 2006, 11:55 PM
Well, my plan for a Thames barbel seems to have been derailed again. Not enough fishing and too much of it tenching, I think. I decided a couple of weeks ago that although it was too late to seek out Thames barbel, I would like to catch at least one during 2006. Probably the best barbel fishing round here is on the Bristol Avon, which I can fish on my Bristol, Bath & Wilts card, but with the year wearing on I felt that there was insufficient time to really suss out the Avon. One for next Summer. Instead, I've rejoined a local club with some barbel fishing on a small tributary of the Avon. The barbel are in a relatively short section of river which I know a little, though it's a few years since I've fished it. They run into double figures, though my largest from there is around 6 or 7lb (I didn't have any scales on me). So, I forked out a few more quid on permits and gave it a crack.
My first two sessions found the river low and clear after the dry Summer. Finding barbel turned out to be fairly easy. Catching them was another matter. On my first session I walked down to the bottom of the second field, hoping to find a couple of swims I'd had success in before. I found them, but one overgrown and inaccessible and with the water low and clear I could see that there was nothing to be had in the other. There is an undercut, which I fished into for a while, but nothing came out.
Moving downriver, I found a shoal of chub and a couple of medium sized barbel lurking in shallow water beneath an overhanging bush. They were willing to take pellets, but it was very hard to get a rod to the water. Ideally I’d have put a bait in from upstream of the bush, but I just couldn’t get a rod through the undergrowth. The barbel kept drifting back under the bush, and any attempt to get a bait to them resulted in a take from a chub. Infuriating. Eventually, I failed to whip the bait away in time and hooked a small and very vigorous chub, which sent the barbel drifting into permanent hiding. I headed back upstream.
There were two other anglers on the upper field, so I ended up fishing the most obvious (and therefore pressured) swim on the beat. I've never had a barbel from this swim, though there are plenty of chub. I set up a loafer and had a few chub to about 3lb on floatfished pellet before settling down to leger a bait under the far bank feature. This brought a few more small chub, but nothing whiskery.
I wasn’t discouraged by this, and indeed took the next day off work to fish again. I felt that I needed to get some fishing done before the weather turned against me; a cold snap and the first frosts of the year could put paid to my plans. Also, one of the other anglers had caught a couple of fish. This time, I decided to concentrate on the upper section. I settled in one of the deeper swims, where a narrow current flows over streamer weed into a short deep pool. After ten minutes of exploratory fishing I put a few handfuls of hemp and pellets in and left the swim to settle.
one of the deeper swims, where a narrow current flows over streamer weed into a short deep pool
While I waited for some fish to come out, I sneaked a look at another swim a little further down. This spot is shallow, less than 3’ deep, and shaded by trees. At the downstream end is an overhanging tree, and downstream from that a weedbed. I noticed a shoal of chub hanging around by the tree, and put a couple of handfuls of pellets in. Almost immediately a trio of mid-sized barbel arrived and started tucking in. I nipped back to my swim and returned with my rod and net. I flicked a bait a little upstream of the nearest barbel, meaning to let it trundle down with the current, but immediately it hit the water a small chub turned and aimed to take it on the drop. I whipped it away and tried again, this time aiming to put the bait closer to the barbel. The barbel spooked, turned and powered away, followed by the other two. I left the bait on the bottom, waiting for them to return, but it didn’t take long for a small chub to find the bait. I left it and returned to my main swim
This pattern was repeated throughout the day. I would fish for a while, spook the barbel and return to my swim. Any bait left lying around would be chubbed in no time, and any bait dropped close to a barbel scared it. I finally spooked them for the last time by feeding a few torn up chunks of luncheon meat. Complete panic, from which they did not return. I think they’ve seen it before! I ended up with a similar catch to the previous day, eight or ten chub to about 3lb but not a sniff of a barbel.
During the next few days, my fears were confirmed as the heavens opened. No frost, but an awful lot of cold water. My hopes were not high the following Saturday as I found the river running a foot high and brown. It was falling, though, and had apparently been 2 ½ feet up the previous day. I settled in the swim I had been stalking barbel in on the previous session and fished lobworms while feeding hemp and pellets. I’d left my hooker pellets at home, but had a feeling that lobworm would work better anyway. It was windy, and though I was out of much of the wind in the deep cut of the river, for the first time since last winter, I was cold. Not a good sign. Once again I caught a succession of chub, with more or less constant rattles as chublets gnawed at the lobworm. Frustrating, because had I not been after barbel I would have been very happy with such a catch of chub on an out of sorts river. I hate the attitude of treating one species with contempt when targeting another, but the chub really did seem to be getting in the way of the barbel.
I found the river running a foot high and brown
I returned to the river today to find it in much better condition. It had fallen, and carried a little colour. I could see a few chub about, but it was too coloured to see through to where the barbel lurk at the bottom. I returned to the swim I’d fished on the previous session, and resumed the process of catching chub on lobworms. After a couple of hours and half a dozen chub to about 3-4lb (the largest of which had my hopes up for a second or two), I decided to give up and try somewhere else. I would return to the swim in the second field with the undercut bank, and see how it looked. I had another target at the back of my mind; there were a few lobworms left, and there might be perch under that undercut bank
the largest of which had my hopes up for a second or two
Returning to the swim I’d tried on my first session I found it much improved. There were small fish topping at the head of the swim and with a little colour in the water and a little more water in the river I felt more confident . I started off with a couple of lobworms, link-legered on a size 6. First cast resulted in a jagged twanging of the quivertip, and the inevitable chub of about 12oz. Subsequent casts resulted in much chewing of the lobworms and a few three inch chublets which somehow managed to engulf a lobworm on a #6. Huge gobs! Eventually, having explored the whole swim and run out of lobworms, I decided that I needed a more aggressive approach. In went half a pint of pellets and half a pint of hemp. I removed the split shots from the link and tied on a flattened 1oz lead. I squeezed a couple of shots onto the main line behind the swivel for the link, creating a (safe) fixed lead rig. I baited this with two 11mm halibut pellets and waited. 
Returning to the swim I’d tried on my first session
I soon started getting knocks and twitches from small fish. I couldn’t be exactly sure where my loose feed had ended up. The swim was five or six feet deep and reasonably fast, so I suspected that it had gone a fair way downstream. With each cast I gradually fished further down the swim until suddenly the knocks and twitches were replaced with a double lunge which seemed too violent to be a chub. As I picked the rod up I felt something pull hard, and then reeled in a short length of streamer weed. Something had pricked itself and dived straight into the nearest weedbed, somehow transferring the hook to this disappointing frond.
By this time, it was almost dark. A few casts later and it was time to go. I normally fish on a little past this point, and have five or ten “last casts”, but this particular swim is sloping and slippery and ends with a three foot drop into six feet of fast water. If I fell in, I’d have to swim downstream to get out and I wasn’t going to risk it, so this really was to be my last cast. I put two pellets on and swung the rig out to the bottom of the swim. A tap. Another. Then a confident pull. I hit it and knew immediately that it wasn’t a chub. It had power, and it wasn’t giving up. It went for the tree roots, for the undercut bank, and then tried to run upstream into the jungle at the head of the swim. I turned it and saw a flash of gold which confirmed my suspicions, and then it was in the net.
At 4lbs, not the biggest barbel in that stretch, not even my biggest barbel from that stretch, but I was absolutely delighted with it. Mission achieved, and on the last cast of the last day. The next couple of weekends are fully booked, so I may not get down to the river again until late November. By that point it might be too late, so today may have been my last chance. If I can get some more, better still if I can get larger, that will be a bonus. Right now I’m just happy to have achieved my objective.
At 4lbs, not the biggest barbel in that stretch, not even my biggest barbel from that stretch, but I was absolutely delighted with it
Hmmm
Posted by Steve Walker, Jul 21 2006, 08:06 AM
Two sessions on Wick to report on. I've been fishing this swim out of stubbornness. It's crawling with tench, I've just been having problems connecting with them. The last three trips have resulted in the first fish hooked getting off, and two of them to a blank. I though it was Groundhog Day again yesterday, but managed to put a couple of small tench on the bank later. Last night's incident was inevitable; I suspected that the fish were tackle-shy, so I scaled down to a 4lb bottom and a 14. Bingo. Couldn't put enough pressure on to keep it out of the submerged willow branches, though, and it transferred the hook. Not before I'd gone in up to my knees with the landing net in the hope of reaching it, mind. That satisfied my suspicion about tackle and baits, though. I'd started off fishing mussels on a size 6 hook, and couldn't buy a bite. I changed over to fish a small piece of soft pellet on a size 10 to 6lb doublestrength bottom, and changed the shotting from a lift configuration to a more conventional setup. This brought a couple of tench of around two and four pounds.
I think I know what's happening. I've seen Wick tench get tackle shy when the water is clear (which, oddly given the weather, it is; gin clear). They are also getting preoccupied with particles, in this case mini-pellets. My problem is that Wick is a harder water than Dabchick, I'm only fishing it because it holds larger tench, into double figures. Is there any point, if I have to scale my gear down to the point where I'm unlikely to get a really good tench in?
No tench
Posted by Steve Walker, Jul 6 2006, 10:11 PM
Just got back from an unsuccessful session on Wick. I thought I'd give it a try because the fish seem to run bigger; an average Dabchick tench is 4-5lb, an average Wick one 5-6. There are also some very good tench in there, into double figures. I fished a peg at the opposite end of the lake to my usual pegs. I just didn't feel like fishing a big expanse of water into the wind, so I found a calm and sheltered bay at the upwind end. Shallower and more weedy, and at the wrong end by the wind, but with plenty of tenchy activity. Lots of bubbling, but very few bites. I hit one, but lost it after a short tussle. It can't have been very well hooked, I wasn't putting all that much pressure on it when the hook pinged free.
I don't know what the problem was this evening. The water was very clear again, which never helps. I'm almost certain I could have had plenty of bites if I'd scaled down the tackle, but what's the point if you can't get the fish in? I'll give it another go soon, though. It's a nice swim to fish, and there were feeding fish in front of me, so it's just a matter of finding something they'll take with confidence.
More tench
Posted by Steve Walker, Jul 1 2006, 12:02 PM
I gave Dabchick another go last night, same peg and tactics as last week. The water looked a good deal clearer than it did last time, and I think it showed. Also, a bloke I was chatting with told me that it had been fished each of the last four days. It's a great peg, but is unfortunately right next to the car park, and can get hammered. I'll have to spend some time looking for a less accessible peg with similar features.
Anyway, I ended up with half a dozen tench to about four pounds, a couple of skimmers and some small perch and roach. I had a couple of tench in on the pole, which was, erm, challenging. The ducks again did their best to drive me nuts. A pleasant evening, all the same.
I'll risk a photo, since there weren't all that many fish and the keepnet was just lifted onto the unhooking mat for a minute while the shot was taken.
[attachmentid=43]
|
Bag o' tench!
Posted by Steve Walker, Jun 24 2006, 10:42 AM
May I make a confession? During yesterdays tench session I reached the conclusion that I really do hate ducks. They are swines. Every time I 'pulted out some loose feed I had Mrs Duck and her horde of stupid little teenage ducklings home in and paddle round my float. Waving a pole at them just about chased them out of reach, but with the next batch of feed they were back again. What with confusion with line bites from the ducks and missed bites while waving six metres of carbon at them I reckon they cost me a lot of fish.
What is it with waterfowl? Imagine a birdwatcher. Got it yet? Sort of like an angler, but slightly better dressed? Somewhere between a pig farmer and a tramp? Possibly with a beard? OK. What's he got round his neck? That's right. binoculars. Why is he carrying binoculars? Well, it's because for the vast majority of the time human beings and small birds have co-evolved on this planet, our relationship with them has largely involved pointy sticks, camp fires and the licking of lips. It wouldn't take many days of empty supermarkets for this situation to reassert itself and at a deep instinctive level birds know this. Most birds. Not ducks. Stand up, wave your arms, attempt to tw@t them with a carbon pole, they won't take the hint. I've previously seen a fox prowling round this particular lake (who, incidentally, treated me with an appropriate degree of respect for a wild animal). I bet they don't hang around when he's acting menacingly.
Don't get me wrong, I love wildlife. I love to see birds. I just prefer them to be wild, not semi-domesticated water pigeons. When I am made Grand Dictator Of The World I'm going to have them all served up with pancakes and hoi sin at my celebratory banquet. Apart from those big white farm ducks, which I will permit. Because I like duck eggs.
Now that I've got that off my chest, the fishing. I thought it was worth giving Dabchick Lake another try now that we've had a prolonged warm spell. Dabchick is deep, and Last time I fished there it was still cold and very clear, and I had a tiny tench for my troubles. This time it looked a lot better, with plenty of colour. After walking most of the way round the lake scanning the water with polarising lenses I picked a peg fairly close to the car park. It looks as if the submerged weed has been cleared better at that end. There are also some wide swims where I thought I might be able to cast my 'pin if I got round to setting it up later (I didn't). I had a nice overhanging tree to my right, and decided to fish close to that.
[attachmentid=40]
[attachmentid=41]
[attachmentid=42]
I arrived at about 3pm and started off by setting up my pole. You can plumb the depth so much more accurately with a pole. Also, I thought that there would be little tench action until the evening, and planned to entertain myself catching some silver fish. I found about 11 feet of water by the tree. I set up a heavy float rig, using 4lb Drennan DoubleStrength, a .75g carp float and a barbless size 14 hook designed for commercial carp fisheries and my heavily elasticated top set. I was after roach and bream but wanted a fighting chance if I hit anything better.
Fishing three maggots on the hook and loose feeding maggots, hemp and pellets I soon started to get bites. I had two nice roach and a couple of perch within a few minutes before something pulled all of the elastic out. The hook pinged free. It seemed that the tench were not waiting for the evening to feed. Next cast resulted in a "scale model" tench of about half a pound. Cast after that was another elastic-puller, and again the hook didn't hold. I decided that a running line rig was needed.
I set up my 1 1/2lb TC avon with a six pound mainline, 6lb doublestrength hooklength and a size 8. I was using a 2 1/2 swan crystal waggler rigged as a slider, and a couple of worms on the hook. I put in a little groundbait and continued loose feeding. I soon had a nice tench of 5lb in the net. I continued to catch tench over the course of the evening. I had the occasional foray with the pole whenever the swim went quiet or the ducks became unbearable, one of which resulted in a few bream of a pound and a half or so, and every one of which ended with the size 14 pinging free from something powerful.
I ended up with 14 tench (13 really, one was foulhooked in the pectoral), three bream, two roach and two perch. Two of the tench were less than a pound, one about three pounds. The rest were all in the four to five pound range. No one fish was really big enough to photograph, and shots of nets of fish are frowned upon these days, so no photos I'm afraid. So, no really big tench, but a cracking haul all the same. Those tench really go some. A good day, despite the ducks 
|
|
|
Down the river
Posted by Steve Walker, Jun 23 2006, 09:49 AM
I nipped down to the Thames for a couple of hours last night, on the swim I fished on opening day. I started off fishing pellets on a feeder rig. I hit one good bite and was briefly connected to something powerful before it weeded me. I'd like to think it felt too strong for a chub, but I'm not convinced.
I later switched to fish maggot on the float managing to land a couple of chub of around 4lb and to lose one. Good fun on heavy float tackle, fishing the centrepin and Drennan Avon rod with 6lb braid through to a 4lb DoubleStrength hooklength and a size 16 superspade. And a crowquill Avon, most definitely not made by Drennan.
Opening Day
Posted by Steve Walker, Jun 17 2006, 12:21 AM
Against expectations I managed to grab an hour and a half on the Upper Thames today. I hadn't planned it, expecting to be somewhere on the M6 this evening, but I had some hookable halibut pellets and 2mm feed pellets left over from tenching, and went on a whim at about 8pm. The swim I was headed for is a fair way down the Thames path, about half an hour's brisk walk. I'm still harbouring hopes for a Thames barbel, if I'm honest, and that's how far you have to walk before you find any swims with both depth and pace. So, sweating in the evening warmth and ignoring the various chubby swims en route I got to my intended swim at about half eight. And found someone in it. Damn. I found another swim a little further down which looked equally good, though, and settled in there.
[attachmentid=37]
I had a fairly strong run in front of me, with an eddy on the far side and a slack running the length of a reedbed. I started off fishing a large hookable halibut pellet on a size 8 to 6lb line and a 1oz Arlesey bomb and putting it on the edge of the faster water. After a while I switched to a half-ounce bomb, which I was able to roll downstream. I was using a catapult to feed pellets across to the edge of the faster water, but I didn't feel confident of where they were hitting the bottom, so I switched to a small feeder. This eventually brought a clonking bite which I connected with, and for a few seconds I thought my Thames barbel plans were off the ground. It couldn't keep up the power, though, and a nice chub of about 4lb came quickly to the net. I've had bigger chub from the Thames, but not many from this area of the upper river.
[attachmentid=39]
I was soon forced to pack up by the failing light, a thirst for a cold beer and the knowledge that if I didn't get my arse into gear the offie would be closed. I'd come out in shorts, and as dusk fell I realised that I wasn't going to be able to see the nettles along the path. My legs are still tingling now. I've been stung by the vegetation and feasted upon by the insect life, but at least I made it down to the riverbank and put a short session in. Hopefully better to come.
|
|
Presentation, presentation, presentation
Posted by Steve Walker, Jun 12 2006, 10:16 PM
Had a few hours on Wick this evening. I alternated 14mm halibut pellets and worm on the hook over 2mm pellets and hemp. I fished most of the evening using a lift rig but just couldn't get the presentation right. There were plenty of fish feeding in and around the swim, but I had only two fast bites, which I missed. Really frustrating. I like the lift method, it lets you fish a large bait under a float with sensitive presentation, and helps to differentiate line bites, but for some reason it just wasn't working tonight. I later moved the shot around to fish a more conventional waggler style and had a lean tench of 5lb on a pellet just before it got too dark to see the float.
I think there might be a sinking-into-the-weed issue going on here. I'm wondering how well either an adapted lift rig or a float-leger setup would work with a popped-up bait. I think it could possibly work very well, even with a greater length of line between the hook and shot than is usual. I know I'm being stubborn fishing the float for these fish, but I enjoy it so much more. Also, the tench must take a hammering from the carp boys who are almost all whacking their sea leads out into the middle of the lake. They're feeding freely in the margins though, and I don't see any point in legering when I can see tench bubbling violently under the rod tip. I reckon they hardly ever see a baited hook fished close in, so if I can get the presentation right I should do well.
It's a shame that bloke showed me his photos of double figure tench. I should have been really happy with the five pounder tonight, but was ashamed to be a little disappointed that it was "only" 5lb. That's still a nice fish, when all is said and done.