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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

16.8.22 Willows

A good fun evening started with two missed bites and a 7lb 15 common within the first 10 minutes. I'd half an idea that it might be good going as the afternoon had brought the first rain in weeks and weeks following the lower air pressures and temperatures of the heat wave that has been threatening hose bans and our sanity. A lovely fat 12lb mirror soon followed before the deluge came. I huddled under the brolly for a good 45 mins while the rain crashed down. It was beautiful. It also meant
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

8 & 9.8.22 - Bellwood and Willows

A second consecutive weekend away allowing me to fish on Monday afternoon and my usual Tuesday evening. Was turned away from Willows by the fire brigade on Monday, kids having set a fire in the tinder dry reed beds. Turned back to my nemesis, Bellwood. On what must be my 6th or so trip there, I've not caught anything more than half a pound, and my paltry 4 roach for 5 ounces barely troubled the scorers. Are you sure it's got fish in? The fire engines had gone by Tuesday, and within 5 m
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Willows

26.7 & 1.8 - Knotts & Willows

Two afternoon trips to try out my new pole either side of a few days away. For the first, I went chasing the large roach that are meant to have been jumping out at Knotts. Plenty of bites, though I had to keep switching float depth and baits to keep them coming Did manage 23 of the silvery red-finners, but none bigger than 4 ounces. Nearer the margin later on, I extracted 3 small  perch, and a spritely 15 ouncer. But bites dried up completely towards dusk and I packed up early. In the meant
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
Dobsons

18 & 19.7.22 - Heatwave at Dobsons

You may recall that temperatures on Monday were due to reach 36 degrees - far too much for my gardening work, so I cancelled that and attempted to stay cool on a swim situated between two large trees that shaded me for all but the middle of the day. It was predictably hard going, and though I changed methods and depths throughout, only ended up with a battle-weary warty old bream of 4lb 2 its smaller relation of 1lb 6, a tenchlet of 1lb 14 and a dozen or so roach and perch to 10oz. If youdo
Kennet & Avon Canal

16.7.22 - Newbury Angling Association v Shipston Angling Club - Enborne Canal

My first time representing NAA with a match against one of its friendly rivals. Apparently this home-and-away competition has been running for nearly 10 years. We fished the unfish-friendly 10am til 3 on one of the brightest and hottest days of the year so far (not much of a brag, it's been over 25 degrees every day for what feels like weeks).  . Combined with the regular boat traffic, which regularly interrupted the fishing and ensured any loosefeed was washed away to other swims, sport wa
Dobsons

12 & 15.7.22 - Dobsons

An evening session and an all-dayer, both in high heat. I thought the ease in temperature on Tuesday evening would bring the little darlings out for their tea, but just had the two bream of 1lb 4 and 5lb 6. Did lose a largish-carp which might have made it a less disappointing session. For the first tow hours of light on Friday morning, I watched delicious feeding bubbles all over my baited areas, but neither a method fed wafter to my left, or cage fed corn to the right were on their br
Dobsons

5.8 & 9.7.22 - Dobsons

Three cracks at my nemesis. Dobsons always promises so much, though I rarely find it in prolific form, and sense it relishes being awkward. Tuesday evening: Clipped up and casting every 5 minutes fir the first hour laid out a bed of groundbait 30 yards out. I slowed the casting before slowing and waited for the ensuing bites. Only a 12oz bream and two roach around the 6oz mark to show for the effort. Rod 2 was dropped closer in, line and drag drum tight and rod positioned ready to grab and
Dobsons

2.7.22 - Dobsons

Right, a fresh approach was required after such a slack June. Those fish have been laughing at me. A new tactic at my favourite Dobson's swim. Rather than the float one rod length out, I put on a cage fighter, I mean feeder, and clipped up my line, despite my concern that anything decent could swim away to destruction. I stuffed the feeder with corn and a plug of groundbait and aimed it into the distance where I'd seen feeding bubbles in recent weeks. Here, in line with various You Tube vid
Harris lake

1.7.22 - Harris Lake, Marsh Farm, Surrey

It was an honour to be invited to compete for the 7th Paul Goldbourn Memorial Trophy with the revered Chris Plumb and a good number of other anglers, waifs and strays. Not knowing what to expect, my kindly chauffeur, MB, warned me on the way down that the lake can be a little 'moody' which was later reiterated by CP who told me that not much tends to happen in the afternoon. And so it proved. The competition for biggest Crucian was fairly won by a 2lb 12 fish (see CP's post as below), but I
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

21-25.6.22 - Willows, Marsh Benham, Dobsons

Three very different sessions. Tuesday evening, I spent longest evening in the heat of Willows, float fishing where in recent visits I'd seen good feeding bubbles a rod-length out, but had been too windy to float fish. It's always fab to watch that quarter-of-an-inch tip of orange, but admittedly it would have been even better if I'd had a few more bites. Shallowed up for 3 small roach in as many minutes which broke the blank, but wasn't what I was after, so I switched to the trusted method
Willows

17 & 18.6.22 - Willows

At last, at last, the new season is here with rivers and canals coming into play, so where do I end up on Friday? Back on the lakes. I decided that the recent good weather would have the canals busy with too many of those boats, angry swans and ghastly paddle-boarders for my blood pressure to endure. The river sections I favour also seem weedy of bank and water on recent scouting mission, and with temperatures forecast of thirty degrees I plumped for the lakes where I would not suffer the physic
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
Dobsons

7 - 11.6.22 - Willows & Dobsons

I've combined three sessions, none of which really deserved a post in their own right. Everyone I've spoken to bankside say they've found catches sketchy of late. Well, I suppose the weather has been Spring-like (albeit we are a week from midsummer day), and let's face it, we've all had spawning on the mind. Maybe its a good argument for adhering to the traditional close season. On the other hand, it's been lovely to ditch the gloves and thermals and absorb the sun like the grass snake that swam
Dobsons

21.5, 2 & 3.6. Dobsons. Meh.

Hmmm. OK, a week away between visits, but nothing to write home about in any, so you'll just have to make do, I'm afraid. 21st - 25 fish in total, biggest a 1lb perch, though a pretty good carp straightened my hook out. 2nd - 22 fish. Some nice roach among them, but nothing more than 12 ounces 3rd - 1 roach, 1 perch for 3 ounces in 7 hours I've fallen off a cliff. Thank goodness for Peter G, who accompanied me on the last trip and while he wasn't puling in bream after me and r
Dobsons

20.5.22 - Dobsons

A treat for me to have a fishing day with the revered PeterJG. I arrived at 5:15am to find my partner already set up on the bank, rods out and primed for hot fishing action. However, being the gent that he is, Peter insisted on not catching anything while I set up, and for a good hour or more afterwards.Naturally,  I returned the compliment and we both remained biteless before I eventually broke the protocol with an 8oz bream. It was a strange day. Very enjoyable, but with the fish cagey and an
Dobsons

15.5.22 - Dobsons

With the wind dropped after yesterdays Westerlies, I headed for the east bank to where I hoped the fish had been blown.  I had a really enjoyable session on the hottest morning of the year and a real mixed bag. A 7lb 4 common and 4lb 8 bream were the only heavy weights, but most fun came on the float less than a rod length out. 2 more bream, 3 perch, and 19 roach, most between 5 and 12 ounces. In a spell when I had a roach shoal in front of me I struck into a bigger fish. Estimating it in f
Dobsons

10 & 13.5.22 - Alders and Dobsons

(a) Tuesday evening. Alders. Unpleasant westerly wind made float fishing tricky. Had a 5lb bream after 15 minutes and that was it. A couple of additional bites was more than my counterpart had all session on the bank opposite me, so I was happy to have caught a fish. Very Alders. (b) Friday. Dobsons. Even more unpleasant westerly wind made float fishing tricky. Had a mad half hour mid-morning - a bite on float had me into a good fish. One fight later I had my net ready when up to the surfac
Alders/Willows

6 05 22 - Alders/Willows

So, here was the plan. (a) Start at first light at Alders on float until the sun climbed high enough to send the fish into hiding in the clear water. At that point I'd (b) cross the grass to Willows where the opacity of the more turbid water may be keeping the fish less guarded. (a) went well. I had bite after bite, good ones too, and I missed lots many more than the 2lb Common and Bream of 3lb 12, 5lb 1 and 5lb 8 I had to show for it. As anticipated, the bites slowed, though there was time
Alders

2 & 3.5.22 - Willows & Dobsons

Coming downstairs on bank holiday morning anticipating a session of hoovering and spring cleaning, my wonderful Mrs suggested I go fishing for a few short hours instead. Before she'd even finished the sentence, I was running for the bait fridge. Chose Willows as best chance of a catch in the time available. Arrived at at 7am to find all the carp mouthing at the surface. Pellet waggled at them, but rather than stirring up an orgy of feeding, this seemed only to drive them to other areas of the la
Alders/Willows

30.4.22 - Alders & Willows - The rough, the smooth and the rough

A session of mixed emotions. Firstly, shock. I had the unanticipated delight of scraping the thick ice from the car windscreen at 5am. I'm sure our neighbours enjoyed this nearly as much as I did. Arrived at a heavily frosted Willows with the temp gauge showing it was exactly 16 degrees below the day's anticipated high of 16 degrees. Surprise next. Anticipating the cold would have kept the fish firmly under their duvets in the lakebed, I kept it down to single corn, size 14 hook, 5lb l
knotts

29.4.22 - Knotts - The Great Roach-Off

What a treat. Today I got to fish with PeterJG of this parish. I joined him on the bank ashamedly 30 minutes late for our agreed 5am start, with PJG doing the gentlemanly thing and not catching anything before my arrival. Sadly, this was to continue for both of us some hours, though  I did manage a tiny blank-avoiding roach. Finding it a struggle, I scaled down to a size 18 hook, only to be destroyed by the first lunge of the one decent fish of the day. PJG showed me his photo alb
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in knotts

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Alders

26.4.22 - Alders

Arrived at 3:30 in shirt-sleeve sunshine to find a gent tackling up in the swim I'd planned to fish. No problem, we had a friendly chat and wished each other luck as I took the swim opposite. He set up a pole rig, a tactic I am too clumsy to attempt,  which would prove an interesting comparison to my ham-fisted approach. Immediately, the sun went in, never to return and the NE breeze, prevalent of the last week or more built up and blew over my competitor and into my face, chopping the water in
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Alders

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