Neil G
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Posts posted by Neil G
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Big carp which are few in number, inhabiting a vast, rich gravel pit must be really hard to catch (I've never tried, but I'm thinking back to the pioneering carp fishing done in the 70s/80s/90s). Big pike, I think, are hard to catch because there aren't many of them. I reckon piking is one of the easiest forms of coarse fishing, so I'd disagree with W One there.
Big bream are the hardest fish I've ever tried to catch, but I bet trying to catch big roach is even harder!
What I think is the 'problem' (not the ideal expreesion, but you know what I mean) is the style of fishing. It's the going straight into strong rods, big reels, heavy line, boilies, rigs that are far too complicated and misunderstood, without understanding why any of it is being used. I don't mind if people want to catch a lot of carp (although I agree with Gozzer's lack of choice point), but using a 3lb tc rod, big pit reel and boilies in a little pond where the biggest fish is 15lb is missing the point of it all.
I think this is why I've turned into a grumpy 'rig cynic' too - beginners (spoon-fed by the media and tackle trade) thinking that doing nothing different except using a new rig or bait will instantly solve all their problems, when in reality the problems are much more fundamental (e.g. not being quiet enough, being in the wrong place, not being able to work out where the fish might be, poor feeding, fishing at the wrong times, etc.).
I would therefore say that a 'progression' from float fishing on lakes, to float fishing on rivers, to legering on lakes, to legering on rivers, to more specialised forms of legering which are necessary and to solve a specific problem, would be a better way to look at it.
However, if people start fishing at a certain (too high) stocking level and get used to catching a certain number of decent fish every session, it must be a real shock to then go to somewhere with a more natural number of fish.
Agree that pike fishing is easy...but only if they're in the water your fishing, if there scarce it can be very hard!
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Here we go, most oo it will end up broken and left on the riverbanks
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I am going to go carp fishing this year but I will be using a fly rod or a single barbel rod and very simple tactics as that should be fun
If I really have to sit around behind rods I'd prefer to do it for something a bit more interesting like catfish
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I think you'll find the majority of anglers on here enjoy a very mixed bag of fishing types but not that many are into the long session carp scene.
TBH even if I was into carp fishing I wouldn't have the time to do such long sessions...I'd soon be single again!
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Nowt wrong with Fox jerkbaits, just the done thing to slate Fox products lol
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Never used one but Kelbrick's a very experienced lure angler and sure wouldn't put his name on something that didn't work!
Tad expensive though compared to a lot of lure rods on offer out there
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Didn't fish Sunday and glad I made that decision, some of the wierdest weather down south form sun one minute to snow the next and seriously high winds
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If booking weeks of work to sit behind bait rods at trout ressies in the cold is trying hard then I don't....TBH I don't want a big fish that badly, rather go to places lke that when the crowds have gone.
Nowadays I've got pretty lazy in terms of travelling distances to fish and now that I've decided to take the blinkers off and target other fish I'm within 15/20mins walk of specimen barbel spots and within an hours drive of good pike and Tench spots (Chew & Cheddar ressie) which is all good
Looking forward to an all lure/fly approach come the spring too which just means less tackle, less time farting about setting up and more time fishing which suits my lifestyle as working day in day out I don't get to get out much
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Fished a coloured up Avon yesterday for pike with nothing but a missed run early on
Must of covered miles of riverbank without a single take, I only assume esox is getting ready for spawning etc.
Fitting end to the river season (crap), look forward to June now and some quality barbel fishing
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Good going
Looking forward to packing away the bait rods and hopefully having similar sessions on lures & fly
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I know I blank a lot because I fish rivers where specimen fish (pike) are very rare but I just don't have the drive to be travelling all over the country in pursuit of big fish.
I'm not prepared to scrabble for swims and sit it out at trout ressies either for the 30, just don't want it bad enough like a lot of folk do these days. I think come May I'll be having a go for ther tench as it's a fish I've never caught and I have some good venues within and hours drive
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River Avon wher I am coloured up and with 12deg forecast tomorrow I should be out for one last pop at the barbel
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I very rarely use more than one rod piking as 99% of my fishing is on rivers where moving swims regularly is the way to do it.
Tomorrow though may be my last session on the river until June so it's s**t or bust, will put two rods out in different areas. Be lucky to get a run on either though lol
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Geoff your no where near it yet!
When I used to carp fish a lot it ws not uncommon for me to fish for months on end bivvied up! Longest I ever went without a carp was 6 weeks and a few days on one very difficult water! Thats fishing 24/7 with only the occaisional few hour reel in to go get supplies etc.
As a proffesional guide the longest I ever went without my customers catching was 7 days.This was while the cats were spawning and was the worse 7 days of my fishing career!
Now that is blanking...I would have thrown the towel in!
I've blanked a good 4/5 times in a row this year on stretches which I know well and have had plenty of fish out from which makes it even m ore frustrating.
The evidence of tackle packets of eastern european origin and litter (luncheon meat & sweetcorn tins) does shed some light on the situation. Well, it's my excuse anyway
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The Bucktail Hi-tye
Here's a great pattern to try if you are a beginner and fancy a crack at tying Pike flies. This is actually a Saltwater pattern but has proved very effective for Pike too. It isn't going to bring the big girls up from the depths but it will get the fish chasing in shallow water.
The other BIG advantage of using this fly if you are new to Pike flyfishing is that it is virtually weightless and can be cast with ease. Try it!
The method is simple, you cut the butts of the bucktail to a clean edge and when tied in, this creates a small step which cause the next wing to stand up at an angle rather than flat across the shank (hope that makes sense). Colour variations are limitless...
If you want to expand it a little you can try things like this......
....this one has a mylar belly on the underside of the hook containing 2 rattle chambers (6 BB's!!) and I've added a long rabbit tail.
Have fun!!
That's a great pattern, have some very similar in a pink and yellow colour and almost always catch on them
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An eel close to 7lb has to be a fish of a lifetime...very impressive
I've caught two eels worth mentioning both at 4lb a piece out of an estate lake/commercial. Wierd thing is these fish both took float fished sprats (was piking at the time) in the middle of a hot, sunny day right out in the middle of the lake, I con only assume there was a big snag out there they were hiding in.
Always have some wire cutters to hand, they tend to roll a lot in the net and often hooks get snagged up in the mesh as I found out
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No barbel showing on my local stretch of the Avon yet, in fact not much showing of any species.
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Don't think a bait can be too big either but the bigger they are the more hassle they are to control
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Cheap spinning rods are almost always the tool of the idiots down my free stretch along with a lack of unkooking equipment and a clue about pike. I think it's probablty the 'easiest' way for a lot of youngsters to fish but as we all know when you get into it lure fishing isn't that easy!
I've used my 9ft spining rod (2.5tc) many a time for light deadbaiting, wouldn't have an issue using it for carp fishing as well where pasties are the order of the day
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Good pics
Never fished the fens but from those photos there looks like a hell of a lot of water to cover!
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I lost what would have been a PB pike for me last August on a Rattle smolt lure
Saw it smashing into bait fish (and heard it) got all excited and had a few casts in the direction...hooked it on the second one only for it steam into a patch of reeds. Saw it roll which is when I realised it was a big fish (20+) then it was off.
Went back to the same spot with some baits without any success..that's fishing for you
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Still don't get it, what makes the fish in the river any different than the fish in the canal literally 100/200 meters from it or any stillwater?
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Bet your mate got took off your Christmas card list then
,Unlucky few things worse than losing one at the net for whatever reason,must of been some hole get him to sew it up 
steve.lol
I had to laugh, sort of summed up my season so far!
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If your serious about fly fishing for pike worth joining the pffa, good bunch and some escellent events.
I can't wait to get back on the fly for the pike,IMO it's miles more fun than any other method i'v come across, okay sometimes hard work but rewarding when youdo catch
How hard do you try?
in Coarse Fishing
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Agree Steve, long journeys to venues aren't my bag either, often you just don't get to suss these places out enough where as local spots can be fully explored and you can spend more time fishing which at the end of the day suits me