tiddlertamer
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Posts posted by tiddlertamer
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I journeyed down to my tackle shop this evening only to find that they’d sold out of maggots. The recent cold weather had got in the way of a fresh delivery. Can’t complain really as the shop is normally very good and I’m sure it’s more than just maggot deliveries which have been affected by the cold weather...
Anyway, the lack of maggots made me think about other baits.
The bait I wanted to check out was pellets. A popular modern bait and if they work, probably easier for me to store than maggots, which I normally use. In fact, by nearly always float fishing on rivers with maggots, my fishing had become one-dimensional.
Pellets, so I have read, are an effective bait on commercials and other lakes for carp, but are they good for trotting with on rivers? Are they also considered more of a legered bait? I'll guess I'll find out tomorrow through trial and error what works but it'll be good to have confidence in hookable pellets as a good bait for trotting...
I bought three bags of Sonubait hookable pellets.
4mm, 6mm and 11mm which I’ll use tomorrow. My rationale was that the 4mm and 6mm pellets would be good for smaller fish and the 11mm might just pick up a large chub or barbel. Sound good?
I did in fact pick up some 11mm monster crab and mussel pellets last month. Never had the confidence to use them and left them in a cupboard. I always wondered why my flat, which is within a Victorian central London building, had never attracted mice. Well the pellets certainly did and I found the bag ripped open and pellets scattered everywhere. I ended up using the pellets as bait on the mousetrap, and I caught four of the pesky furry rodents!
Let’s hope fish find them as attractive...
A final couple of questions – what hook size is best for different sized pellets and I guess when trotting, hookable pellets can go straight on the hook point, leaving the tip exposed, rather than using pellet bands or hair rigging the bait?
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I prefer fresh maggots but have used old ones successfully. However I flavour all my maggots, whether fresh or not. Not only does this get rid of the smell of ammonia but is successful in its own right. In fact I haven't used non-flavoured maggots this century!
Whilst I buy liquid flavours from tackle shops, powdered ones I make up from various spices. In general the colder the weather the hotter I spice I use. Hopefully you'll have some spices in the kitchen cupboard. You can use them on the day, but I prefer to add them to the maggots on the day before. They'll eat the spices and then taste of them too.
Like Leon I often freeze maggots, and find this preferable to boiling. I still flavour the maggots by adding the liquid flavouring to a plastic bag. When the maggots thaw out the flavouring will have been absorbed. BTW, you'll probably need to freeze the maggots for at least 48 hours to kill them.
I like the idea of using flavourings, both tackle shop ones and also from the spice rack in my kitchen.
I've tried tumeric once but just ended up with very yellow fingers...
What flavourings would you suggest though?
If you could only have between 3 and 5 flavourings, which would you pick?
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Just been rummaging through my fridge and found some old maggots in a couple of containers from a day out fishing about ten days ago. (Don't tell the missus
)One container is just black casters - no good methinks. They'll just float as loose bait.
But one container has maggots. And they are wriggling... But I suspect they smell of ammonia and there is certainly a horrible amount of sludgy waste.
Are they still usable?
Some people think that old maggots, stinking of ammonia put fish off.
However, maybe I'm being wasteful.
Should I cut my losses and buy new maggots or will fish in fact fish take old maggots. My tackle shop is quite a journey away from the river I hope to fish so I can save a lot of fishing time if the old maggots are good for catching.
Views please.
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I know floats should match river conditions and flow but I do tend to fish with Avon floats. Normally between 2AAA and 5AAA and bulk shot though depending on depth, often using bb shot to minimise the splash on the strike. (Any other bulk shotters use this trick?)
I do own much lighter stick floats down to 4 no 4 shot but I struggle with them. I tend to find it a problem avoiding having the float moving off line if I make the slightest adjustment or attempt to subtly hold back which in turn must make the bait move unnaturally. I guess I could use them near bank on very low flowing rivers such as the Suffolk Stour, but preferring far bank fishing on rivers such as the Hampshire Avon, they rarely get a look-in.
Happy to hear from others if they have answers as to how to float fish successfully.
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That's no help to Graeme though tiddlertamer. So who's crucifying them ? If they get their finger out and look after their customers then there would be no problem. You'd think in todays economic climate tht they would go out of their way to ensure that their customers where happy.
I'm sure they aren't above criticism but the fishing world would be a poorer place without them.
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Unlike tiddlertamer I don't think matters if they make gold plated angling dvds, they should sell you perfect items or replace faulty one's asap. I'm pretty sure trading standards would have a dim view of their customer services. If you get no joy maybe you should contact them. There's nothing worse than being ignored when they have your cash !
Graeme admits himself he had poor phone reception where he was. I don't know enough about this particular case to make any further comment but it does sadden me when the 'good guys' get crucified on fishing forums.
I repeat my earlier statement that I personally have had nothing but polite, considerate customer service when dealing with Calm Productions. A company that have given fishing fans a great deal of pleasure with their 'A Passion for Angling' and 'Catching the Impossible' films.
A company that has given far more than they have taken from people across the country who love angling.
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I've always had an extremely good customer service from Calm Productions.
They have also undoubtedly produced the best films on angling in existence.
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Regarding the whole Otter thing i used to think o god there gonna eat everything like the Cormorants but every summer i see vast shoals of silvers on the Thames despite the numbers of Cormorants and this year in particular was noted for the whole of the river being stuffed with them ...no idea where they go in the winter but next summer back they are .
I too have found huge shoals of silvers on the Thames.
Sadly, from an angling point of view, they've all been bleak...
Have yet to stumble upon any big roach.
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Not a patch on it's former glory then I take it??
Chris Pumbs' blogs reveal a river rich in fish. I guess, though, you need his years of experience, to know where they are, and quite how to catch them.
All I ever catch on the river is trout...
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Rusty – what a brilliant set of photographs contrasting one of the best settings from probably the best series of angling TV shows ever, with the river Kennet today.
Next beat downstream from Barton's Court methinks but I bet it’s a hundred times more expensive unless you know the right people! You lucky so and so but at least you are one of the good guys – thanks for sharing the pics.
I wonder how other key settings from A Passion for Angling are nowadays.
Anyone been to Redmire Lake recently? (Or indeed ever?)
Anyone know what stretch of the Hampshire Avon was used for filming. I believe the amazing Bob James haul of nine 2lb roach was from the Longford estate so probably not somewhere your average Anglers Net member has access to. They appeared to use other stretches of the Hampshire Avon though, for both the autumn, and summer Childhood Dreams episode. Anyone know where and what these stretches are like now?
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Waterproof, warm in winter, cool in summer and capable of serious walking I've used these for years, expensive but brilliant!
I like Altberg boots too.
I bought the waterproof, very tough, military and lightweight (relatively...) Warrior Aqua Microlite MK 11.
Expensive at about £150 but quality.
From a top Yorkshire bootmaker.
See:
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I feel like the man taking the pigeons to the cat...hehehe
I agree with tiddlertamer
I've had Normarks and have a fair few Hardy rods, I got rid of the Normarks because for my style of fishing they were nowhere near the standard of the Hardy nor for that matter the Drennan rods. I have had a few Normark lock up in their action something which I have never experienced with either a Hardy not a Drennan.
I am willing to conceive that I might have been unlucky with the Normark but I doubt it...in my personal opinion the Hardy rods are worth every penny. With one small exception for trotting a very light float the 14' Drennan Ultralight match pro waggler beats the Hardy for lightness in the 14' size and I think it has the edge over the Hardy for short to medium trotting but for long trotting the Hardy seems to have a slightly quicker pick up.
I have not needed their after sales service but whatever it may or may not be like as Normark are long gone it must be better than the current service not offered by the now defunct Normark
A point well made Watatoad.
And we agree for once!
If I'm ever in the Sudbury area, let's go explore the Suffolk Stour. With your experience of the river, I certainly won't blank!
Hardy rods a go go...
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Between 57 and 58 seasons.
Sorry I missed this out when replying to an earlier post. I did say that I had blanked at the floodgates pool previously.
Before asked I try to fish between 3 and 5 times a week...because of my health these days they are just short sessions say 2 to 4 hours.
Sorry Watatoad.
You often dispense good angling advice.
But to suggest you spent over 50 years of fishing without blanking seems simply delusional.
But maybe I'm wrong. It's all about knowledge and skill and if you are good enough, you will never blank despite the conditions...
But I doubt it...
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Yes with the one exception when I fished a floodgates pool in flood conditions with all four gates open and snow on the ground last winter.
But I am not saying its specimen size every time I fish but it is fish and not 2" minnows.
To be honest I have a problem believing anglers blanking so often, it must be something silly and probably simple that is being overlooked, I just cant think what it might be.
How long have you been fishing?
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Think about what you are fishing for, consider what the fish might be thinking (food wise) then offer the food to the fish in a place that looks likely.
Best tips I can give anyone is read the Mr. Crabtree books, study the river and let the uppermost thought in your mind be (as a fish) minimum expense of effort (food store) maximum intake of food, fish light - very light. Forget about chasing the Specimen and the record until you can guarantee you will catch every time you go fishing. Consider your venues - if you are not catching, Why not?
Are you you crashing around the bankside?
Are you fishing too heavy?
Are you shotting up properly?
Have you plumbed the swim?
Did you remember to put the bait on the hook?
Are you fishing silhouetted against the skyline?
Is your ipod or whatever turned up too loud?
Are you spending too much time sending texts?
When throwing in loose feed are you throwing it in far enough up steam to do you good where you are fishing?
When throwing in groundbait are you throwing it in far enough up steam to do you good where you are fishing?
Are you casting so that a; your hook length and line does not tangle. - and - b; your float and cast gently land on the water
- and - c; your hookbait has time to sink to the chosen depth for your loose feed and/or groundbait.
Is your float right for the venue and the prevailing conditions?
Have you got too much float tip showing?
Is your set up balanced?
Are you really watching your float they don't always go under? Sometimes they just move differently to the flow or slower or faster.
EDIT:
Start loose feeding as soon as you arrive at the waterside,
Tackle up away from the fishes line of sight.
I am willing (health permitting) to go fishing with anyone if they think it will help them and I don't charge.
END EDIT:
Good advice Watatoad and those that read your words of wisdom will undoubtedly become better anglers.
But do you still stand by your claim in an earlier post that you have never blanked?
I'm sure you are an expert angler, certainly far better and more experienced than me, but surely everyone blanks on occasion...
Time to come clean on the issue methinks.
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This Winter, what should we expect?
Well for me I'm expecting a blank, followed by another blank interspersed by blanks with warm blanks coming in from the west and cold blanks blowing in from the North & East and all covered in a light dusting of blanks.
Blank, Blank, Blank, Blank, Blank I can't take it any more.
Here fishy fishy come to Stevie
Blanking happens to the best of us... (with one exception on this board
)I'm actually not a very good angler so it also happens to the worst of us...
One winter I blanked on five of eight fishing trips. I don't remember catching any monsters on the other three trips that winter either...
But when I did catch something it was a wonderful feeling.
You'll catch again soon.
If fishing was too easy, the fun would soon disappear from it.
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We will have to ask Dales to write one up once he has broken his blanking spell. Im sure it would make a great read full of renewed enthusiasm.
A tip top write up - very much enjoyed it.
Interesting photos too that showed a river that would have been the envy of many on this board.
I wouldn't ask what stretch you fished let alone which swims. I won't even ask whether it is the upper, middle or lower stretch of the river?
But I will ask what river it is?
From your address on your profile - Preston - I'm guessing the Ribble.
But I'm a Londoner who knows nothing about the delights of northern England.
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Had just 3 bites today - fortunately 2 of them were from these beauties - 3lb3oz & 3lb 2oz...
C.
Tip top fish mate. Well done!
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I'd like to just put in a quick plug for Gerrys of Wimbledon.
A friendly team of staff and Clive the manager is helpful, knowledgeable and also has a rather amusing and dry sense of humour.
More carp based than a river fishing heaven but they’ve always ordered in stock that I was looking for.
Give them a visit if in the area.
And if you can’t visit them, check out all the links via our forum website host – the wonderful Elton.
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Grayling must definitely do jump although it's not that common. As far as I can recall it has only happened to me when using fly tackle and not when trotting, not sure why. Given that you were fishing BC which has an abundance of Rainbow Trout and seemingly no large Grayling (any more) I would bet your lost fish was a Rainbow Trout!
As Matt has eluded, barbless hooks are becoming more and more popular in fly fishing, I know rarely ever use barbed hooks. They make releasing fish much easier and although it took me a while to fully believe this, you lose far less fish (particularly Trout and Grayling - even when they jump). All in all it's a win win situation.
Matt, where you fly fishing the Avington stretch as part of the syndicate there? I've only glimpsed the water from the bridge at the upstream end on BC but it looks a lovely stretch, you're a lucky guy! N
Thanks for your reply Nicholas. I always use barbless hooks if possible so it's reassuring to hear other people's experiences about finding it both easier to unhook fish and also that you lose less fish.
Watching Robson Green recently (and now foolishly admitting to this on the anglers Net Forum...
) I noted that when fishing for tarpon, he kept on losing the fish when it jumped out of the water.His guide advised him to lower his rod and keep it parallel with the water.
Is this a technique known to coarse or fly fishing folk in the UK?
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explaining the subtleties of playing fish ,could fill a book ,basically your in a tug-o-war with the fish ,so if you pull one way it'll want too pull the other .there are some basic things too remember
- your rod (should't) won't break ,unless its faulty or you've not set your drag correctly !
- theres two weak points in your set up ,your hook & your line
- you can minimise line breakages by setting your drag below the line b/s ,set up a rod & reel (with the drag tightened up tight) with just line through the rings then tie your line too something solid and with your rod out too the side and apply pressure until the rod wont bend anymore or the line snaps ,if the line snaps re-tie it and this time apply pressure upto the point the line previously snapped .Now you adjust the drag untill it give's line cleanly .now your reel will yield line before it gets too its braking strain (b/s)
- Never wind your reel ,when its giving line !
- pull the fish towards you then wind down too it
- you change the angle of your rod too change the direction the fish is going !
- its better too play a fish in mid water than on the surface or bottom or near the edge !
- only bring the fish too the surface when its beaten & ready too land (nets spook fish )
- keep the fish away from snags ( easier said than done )
- lastly Don't Panic
Good advice. Especially the last line about not panicking. And the best way not to panic is to enjoy the whole experience of playing a fish.
Robson Green whoops are not however part of the equation.
I'm sure most Anglers Net veterans wouldn't begrudge you a John Wilson chuckle or two though...
- your rod (should't) won't break ,unless its faulty or you've not set your drag correctly !
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I think the Pike's "savagery" is grossly exaggerated and I think the description does them no service at all
Hmmmmmmmmmm
I think I had better elaborate and explain what I mean.
I am not using the word savage in a pejorative or negative sense. My dictionary states that the word savage means wild, untamed, fierce and vicious.
Which I think is true and part of the pikes' beauty and appeal.
It was not a comment meant to denigrate pike as ‘bad’ creatures. Neither was it intended to infer they were indestructible and I’m sure all pike fishermen would want me to emphasise the need for careful handling of them on the bank in order to be returned safely.
I’ve only ever landed one pike whilst legering lobworms for chub and barbel and somehow hooked the pike in the scissors of its jaws.
But I do come across them occasionally when trotting. And in their element of water they are pretty awe inspiring creatures. One minute I’m reeling in a dace or some suchlike fish and the next moment there is a huge swirl of water followed by a brief tug of war which I invariably lose.
Seeing a 20lb monster suddenly burst across the swim is jaw dropping stuff. It sets the pulse racing. It may be only doing what nature intended it to do as it seizes its prey but I think the term ‘savage’ is apt. Such power. Such ferocity.
And knowing there are potentially leviathan pike lurking deep in the water when I fish it only adds to the mystery and ultimately the pleasure of fishing.
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I thought some on this board might go for pike. Surely Britain's most savage coarse fish. Any takers?
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Which species of fish would you target if you could only target one species? A bit random I know but some people do spend much of their angling lives in pursuit of just the one species.
I’d have to go for chub. Not an obvious choice I know.
They don’t fight as hard or for as long as the barbel.
They don’t have the fantastic look of a large bristling perch – those wonderful stripes...
Neither are they as common or strong as the ubiquitous carp.
They don’t have the savagery of the pike.
They don’t have the grace of the wonderful red finned roach.
They don’t have the tug boat determination of a tench.
They don't have the huge sail like dorsal fin used so effectively in a river's current by the grayling.
They don’t grow as large as the bream.
They lack the Dracula like fangs of a zander.
They lack the exotic colours of the bronze rudd with its crimson tinged fins.
So what do they have? I think it was John Aston in ‘A Dream of Jewelled Fishes’ who described them as a ‘fish shaped fish’. Which I think is quite apt.
They grow to a decent size and their first rush to cover when hooked can get the adrenalin moving.
They hang out in rivers which are where I do 99 per cent of my fishing.
They are robust too. You can catch one, unhook it, weigh it, take its snap and it happily drifts off back into the depths when you release it.
And if they are very big put up a really good fight – not that I’d know as I have failed to snaffle anything really big.
I guess I like them because they are like your mates down the pub – bare with me here but there is method behind my madness! – they display very few manners and you’d struggle to call them awe inspiring. But they are fun to hang out with...
Which species would you target and why?
Trotting with pellets
in Coarse Fishing
Posted
Good question! The Thames at Tower Bridge is less than 600 metres from my front door.
But I've never fished it...
It normally looks dark and dangerous. A heavily stained water with treachourous currents. And just so big and wide. Tidal too. I will try it one day though.
I go south - the Mole and Wandle. Though the Wandle is only just starting to recover from a pollution incident in 2007.
North - the River Lea though prefer the upper Lea to the middle stretches which got hit by a pollution incident in 2006.
East - the only time I tried the downstream stetch of the Lea, I saw lots of large dead bream being washed downstream. I've tried the Suffolk Stour and there are great stretches though much is too sluggish for my liking.
I go west too and and have fished the Kennet and Lambourne. I love the Hampshire Avon though it's probably too long a journey in Winter when the days are so short.
I have also fished the Great Ouse and Dorset Stour.
I may have to travel, but one good thing about central London is that it has good public transport links across the country.
I envy you people with great rivers on your doorstep though.