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About this blog

I started this blog in March 2021, having blanked in over half of my fifteen winter trips to various waters of Newbury Angling Association. The rivers, canals and lakes are fine, I'm just not very good at catching the fish in them. Oddly, i seemed to get a bit better for a while, but 2023 has undone all that. In July I moved to South Wales, not entirely for the weather, but to enforce a change in my fishing luck.

Entries in this blog

Willows

A tale of Three Blanks

For those who don't have a Newbury AA ticket, Willows is a small, shallow lake without enough vegetation but with a central island that the carp, typically 6-12lbs like to swim around. It has also recently stocked been stocked up with bream and also tench of around 6lbs. Totting up, I've had around 260 commons and 150 mirrors since joining the club in 2021 with the odd decent crucian between them. You can see that it's what they call I a 'runs water' (I'd not heard of this phrase until recently)
Willows

14.3.23 - 25.4.23 - Various - mainly Willows

It's been a tough Spring. With chilly water and my forthcoming move to South Wales eating at my fishing time, there's been little to trouble the scorers from largely short, sharp sessions. When concern for my well-being was expressed by an anonymous reader of this bog (thanks, Chris) I decided to update the following catalogue of mediocrity. 14.3 - Willows - A shortish evening stint, colder than yesterday and zero degrees when I packed up. One wintery shower caused a 'hailbow'. 2 Commons -
Willows

8.11.22 - Willows

I was planning to go chub fishing this evening at a syndicate water, but was put off by (1) talk from another member of crayfish, combined with the view of a professional crayfish trapper that they are most active under full moons combined with (2) a second consecutive Tuesday of winds and threatened sharp showers had me thinking it would be slightly less unpleasant under a brolly in relatively sheltered Willows, than roving across open country casting between swaying branches over a narrow rive
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

01.11.22 - Willows

A strange evening, my first Tuesday evening after the clocks went back. I'd intended to do some evening chub fishing on the river, but with strong winds and yet more heavy rain due, I felt an evening huddled under the brolly would be a slightly less uncomfortable than roving the banks. Naturally, I was the only one on the lake as I was blown down the bank. With the two-rod winter allowance now in place, I cast one to the island, the other along in the margins. I made friends with a mallard
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

9.9.22 - Willows

A slightly better than par day at the Willows. With the air as still as can be and at a lower pressure after heavy rain most of yesterday, I had hoped for better. With nothing happening on float, I defaulted to the method feeder and through the day found pulses of fish at different ranges - commons of 4lb 8, 6lb 5, 5lb 15, 6lb 9, 5lb 9 & 6lb 5, with mirrors of 6lb 6, 7lb 12 and two bream, both under a pound. I've caught plenty of feisty carp here in recent times, but no doubles for aaaa
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

30.8.22 - Willows

A slightly disappointing end to a month which brought almost 400lb of fish - my best month to date. Had 2 Commons and 2 Mirrors, all around the 5-6lb mark, but that was half the story. I had two more snap brand-new 9lb hooklinks  and lost three more on the wind in. I thought I'd appeased the fish gods too, by passing my rod soon after hooking a fish to a nice young  boy who, fishing on his own in the swim next to me, had apparently fished all day for a small bream. Half way through the
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

26.8.22 - Willows

After last Friday's bumper haul, I'm keen to give it a go in the same swim. There's a slight chill in the air first thing which perhaps explains the lack of the fishy surface movement seen last week. It's fairly quiet on the bottom too, though 'takes' at 6:30 and 7:30 both end with fish dropping off the hook after several minutes of playing. Later in the morning, my luck changes, and in come a 7lb 2 common, tench of 2lb 6 and 21lb 10. Then a mirror of 7lb 10 and more commons of 6lb 10, 6lb 4, 7l
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

12.8.22 - Willows

The ploy of starting at 5am to overcome the torpor of another 32 degree plus day ultimately backfired. My two modest carp came either side of midday, with the number of smallish bream that came from time to time not making it anything other than a tough day. The highlight was the company of my neighbour and new fishing pal, Chris, who was fishing for the first time since 1998. I've not seen such a smile as wide at his reintroduction to the noble art, though the fish god's chose only to
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

23.7.22 - Willows

First light had me casting my float adjacent to one of the few lily patches believing the fish would be hanging around seeking oxygen. And so they were, at first, and quite soon I had a few roach to my name. The next sink of the float had me spending over half an hour playing a very annoyed carp. With the water as warm as soup, his energy seemed boundless and time and again he took line and refused to come anywhere near me. Eventually he got bored, or felt sorry for me and in he came. A good loo
Willows

28.06.22 - Willows

A last chance to make amends for the month. My nerdy spreadsheet shows that June 2021 brough a total weight of 221lbs 7oz, while this crummy month has limped to 118lb 2oz with just this session to go. Regular readers will know that I've being finding it quite scratchy for weeks now, and tonight was no different. The wind which has accompanied so many of my recent trips was here again, blowing hard from the south causing a proper surf, ruling out my intended float fishing plan. So method fee
Willows

14.6.22 - Willows

Right, a big full moon, so a chance to test the theory about how this might affect fish behaviour. With hot sun and a brisk west breeze, 3pm til 8pm proved pretty hopeless with just one tench, albeit a pretty one of over a pound. With the heat of the day waning, 8pm til 9pm was frustrating. My swim by the lilies produced cloud after cloud of pin-prick feeding bubbles and had some large tench rolling within feet of my float,  but fishing corn on a size 14, I missed bite after bite. Even
Willows

18.04.21 - Willows

It's a funny old world. Last Tuesday evening there was such a strong wind blowing through that I had to pop back to the car for gloves. But through the chop, I could see the silhouettes of the carp, dozens of them, swimming in packs under the surface. I fished a zig rig on the bouncy surface and just under it, then tried the bottom, 6-inches and 2ft off it. I've rarely seen as many fish as I saw that evening, but left with a blank. Saturday - A Spring scorcher. Lovely to sit in the sun. Bit
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

9.4.22 - Willows

Another frosty start, and having had a 'meh' day at Dobsons yesterday, I made for my default lake of Willows. Here the water temp at 11 degrees was down a degree, and I wondered if it would have any effect. Maybe it did, because after fish at 9:20am (a pretty Mirror of 6lb 6, 10:20am (a Common of 8lb 9) and 11:20am (a 1lb 3oz tench), the old '20-minutes-past-the-hour' trick evaporated and so did any more catches. The surprisingly few anglers around the bank also struggled. The morning
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

5.4.22 - Willows

A good evening, even if it was pretty chilly in the strong S-SW breeze. But it went to plan. I set up in my swim at 3:15, anticipating fish arriving in it about 6 (though hoping they might be there already, of course) 6:00 - The first bite came on-the-dot. It was a slow bite and a long lethargic fight, but it eventually came in as a perfect 13lb 8 Mirror.  6:15 - A personal best 8lb 3oz Bream 7:00, 7:35, 7:55 and 8:10 -  Commons of 8lb 2, 6lb 6, 9lb 9 and 4lb Not sure if
Willows

30.3 - 2.4.22 -Willows

Wednesday - A last short afternoon of the season as the gardening season has properly kicked off, and I have to pay for the maggots some how. Arrived at Willows at 2:30 to two surprises: There was only one other chap fishing, and the carp were up on the top everywhere. It was a still afternoon, certainly not the warmest, but there they were, sucking at the surface, some only 3ft from the bank, with groups of 3 or 4 fish seemingly liable to pop their heads up at any point. I fancied I’d either ca
Willows

11.3.22 - Willows

Hmm, though the end of the running-water season approacheth, I could not resist a last chance at Willows before the planned transfer of 50 of its larger carp to other lakes the next day. What's more, with rain is due, I always feel it will be easier to huddle under a brolly on a lakeside rather than a river bank.  It started off dry and still, and with two fish in the first three casts, I anticipated a fine haul. Then the first of two, two-hour rain stints kicked in and the strong S/SE wind
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

29.12.21 - Willows

With the temperature in unseasonable double-figures and the rivers low, I thought it rude not to have a bash on the lake. Not an auspicious start as mid-first cast, the pop-on spool on my reel popped-off and flew into the drink. I carefully hand wound the 100 yards or so of line and had it on the surface about 10 foot from the bank when the backing knot gave and it sank irretrievably lost to the depths. Spare spool clicked firmly on, I had no bites as the showers lashed in until 11am w
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

9 & 10.11.21 - Willows

9th - 3:30 til 7:45. Had just a few tentative bites, then, at last, a solid one. I struck, there was strong resistance and I brought in...a large branch. Did the vegetation really make a grab for my bait? Then I struck into a carp which pulled yards from the centrepin. I played it for a minute or so, but sensed that it wasn't firmly hooked. I was right, and off it fell. After that, while I always felt the fish were close - though not as near as the rats than were scampering around the undergrowt
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

06.11.21 - Willows

A Saturday morning to fish, and yesterdays frosts gone (though still requiring a fleece, waistcoat and thick coat). With the winter rule of 2 rods being allowed on the lake, I fished a light float to my left, and a boilie on a bomb in the margin to my right. I've never used a boilie before, but these were kindly donated to me and with it still nippy, was not sure the fish would be bothered to break into the cargo of a method feeder. Nothing on float, not even a bite on maggot/caster or
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

2.11.21 - Willows

My first evening session after the clocks went back. With a light frost that morning and the threat of even lower temperatures tonight under still, clear skies, a blank would have been disappointing, but not inconceivable.  Nothing for an hour, before I brought in a very welcome 5lb 10 common, one of those fish that broke the surface as soon as it was hooked and insisted on surfing throughout the fight. With the swim still reeling from the disturbance, my float, not 10ft from my feet, gave
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

23.10.21 - Willows

A mixed day. I predominantly fished the margins on a virtually deserted lake. Within 5 minutes, I'd hooked a good carp on float fished single corn dipped in my top secret ingredient, that had the centrepin screeching and took me right, left and central before falling off the hook, unseen, after around 10 minutes of fun. If this wasn't annoying enough, I then missed bite after bite after bite, the float dragging under every 5 minutes or so, yet I couldn't hit any of them. I began to suspect crays
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

21.9.21 - Willows

The first feeling of autumn. Despite a near 20-degree 3pm start and a stillness in the air, it was quite chilly and dewy as I packed up an hour after dark as the harvest moon was rising. Anticipating fish on the surface, I aimed to repeat last Saturday's surprise catch with a foam zig rig. The carp weren't on show until I pinged in a few biscuits. Within two minutes I had 4 wheeling terns plus 3 moorhens and 2 coots in my swim waiting for the next ping. The carp were almost as quick on the
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

17.9.21 and 18.9.21 - Willows - the King of Fishing post!

Friday: A bonus early morning 3 hours. Despite being put off seeing a guy fishing topless in shorts while I was considering running back to the car for a third layer, I was warmed by two sparkling mirrors of 9lb and 8lb 15. It was one of those mornings where the quivertip was trembling throughout, but despite changing baits, I didn't manage to convert the action to bites. Lost one at the end which would have made it a great sneaked session. Saturday: 7:30am til 2:30. An autumnal misty start
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

4.9.21 - Willows

A nice mornings fishing. Lots of line bites, knocks and spells of fish playing with the feeder, and some rod-yanking takes that somehow failed to connect. The sum total was 3 mirrors of 5lb 2, 6lb 2 and 7lb 8, ending with a bream of 3lb 8 was probably about par. 
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

20 & 21.8.21 - Willows

Two long stints at my favourite lake (when it's playing ball) to test my theory that the carp swim round the central island in the morning, move to open waters in the afternoon and slink out to the margins for their tea. Friday: dry and with the lake to myself at 6:30am pinged the method feeder out towards the island. By 9. I'd had visits from commons of 7lb, 4lb 10 and 9lb 12, all on the same orange wafter. It was set to be a fab day and I held my smile even when fourteen Canada geese splash
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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