weirwulf
-
Posts
287 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Posts posted by weirwulf
-
-
Easy to tell a roach from a rudd. The rudd feeds normally high in the water and has a longer lower lip to enable this whereas the roach feeds mainly at the bottom and has a longer upper lip to enable it's feeding habit
-
Thats funny I thought he just changed his name to Jack Michealson
OK wheres my jacket I think they are coming to take me away. 
-
The Polaris is essntialy dependant on there being quite a bit of weight low down the line which at this time of year will probably put off any shy biting fish once they feel the resistance. If conditions dictate that you need lots of weight to either cast out or keep things under control then it may be better to use a sensitive quiver tip or swing tip and a running ledger. If you must use the polaris the bites will show as either the float rising or being taken under so no set rules. If you are fishing at close range and the water is not much deeper than say 6ft I would recommend setting up a waggler or drift beater type float set slightly over depth. Place most of the weight needed to cock it near the base of the float and then a cvouple of light shot on the hook length . To do this properly you will need to use a sinking line washed with washing up liquid to keep it free from grease including hand grease so there is no surface tension . Then cast beyond where you want the bait and when it all lands place the rod tip beneath the water and sharply strike the line to sink it. Make sure the rod tip is always low to the water to keep the line sunk and then your float will not move far. Any interested fish will then pick up the bait and feel very little resistance and feel confident enough to take it properly for an unmissable bite. Forget the polaris unless the water is very deep.
-
I would agree there is a lot to be said for tradition and perhaps it is what makes us British but perhaps with climate change and the extremes of weather associated with it there could be room to shift the season to reflect the weather seasonal change. The main reason I would support a motion to do away with close season altogether is the greater presence of cormorants when anglers do not regularly visit the river.
-
Seen herons a plenty but no kingfishers since the flooding. However I wouldn't normally expect to see them just yet even in a normal year. I assume they retreat when the floods come and find temporary homes somewhere safer so will only get really concerned if they don't show next month.
-
Doh! What a spanner
-
The local river looks better than it has for 3 months and the last day of the season I caught quite well when it was just beginning to come good. Ah well as you say, typical
Just in case you want to be cheered up even more why not take a look at the predicted weather for our easter break. SNOW! -
Anderoo, thanks for locating this and bringing it back to the top. I can already feel a tingle in the spine of anticipation!
-
I appreciate this is now deviating from the original topic of pike but the thought of big tench has stirred some emotion for me also. Wingham is a place I have never visited and my searches indicate that it is a syndicate venue with no day tickets so those of you who have knowledge can you please refresh it for me and others who have an interest. I also did a search for Wingham fish in and the results were quite old.
-
Always wise to try some free offerings first. When you do eventually decide it may be a good idea to present a floating bait don't be surprised if all the free offerings go and the one with the hook in doesn't! Floating baits always work best once you have started a feeding frenzy by slowly building the amount of free offerings you put out. You can present large quantities of bread at a distance by cramming lots of bits into a pva bag attached to your rig
-
Two weeks ago we were privileged to observe a Barn Owl enter the dusky residue and then begin to pare the far bank copse; he, or she, then suddenly turned and flew directly towards my wonderfully warm winter furry hat, passing over my head and towards his original entrance route – keeping dead still I was eyeball to eyeball for a wonderful but fleeting moment with surely one of the most beautiful, and rare, winged hunters. If I ever get that close to a wild Barn Owl again I will consider myself lucky for the second time in my life……
Goosequill makes a good point here. The fact is that fishing along the river brings unexpected rewards. More often than not the rewards come to us because we are aware of the need for stealth and often stand or sit perfectly still. So far as the barn owl is concerned I have been lucky enough to see a good number of them but never take them for granted. The same goes for the kingfisher often seen perching on the rod or even a mink when it is boldly feeding from your bait bag! These are humbling experiences that I feel honoured to enjoy and shall miss in the next few weeks.
-
I catch more pike by default than any by design. Most of the pike I catch have a size 18 and a single maggot right in the scissors or have decided to attack my big bit of luncheon meat placed where I think a barbel will pick it up
-
Some good catches guys and by the look of things some very enviable stretches of river. My last day was spent trotting a stretch of river 15ft wide and ended with a 3lb 9oz chub. The after dark change to an attempt at one last barbel failed with a hook pull though it was good to feel one on for the first time in weeks. itend to agree with others comments that the season closes too soon. I am happy for anyone to tell me otherwise but in my experience (not in rivers I might add!) when the fish are spawning they become uncatchable and therefore self regulating. Also if the close season was either shorter or did not exist the presence of anglers would help to deter cormorants from decimating the fish stocks. From my viewpoint it is these birds that put the most pressure on the fish and not the anglers.
-
I am no great expert on this but have used plastic corn to tip off real corn or maize with great effect and also rubber maggots to bulk out and "waft" a bunch of proper ones again with good results. I guess if you break the situation down and look at it from a weight point of view then a semi bouyant bait must be lighter to suck in than one of full weight therefore if the bait wafts it probably goes in the mouth that bit easier.
-
Anyone had any success with tench using maize as hookbait?
Sorry I should have been more specific in my post of 9th March. When using hemp and maize as a ground bait I will mainly use maize as the bait too and often just balanced with a bit of plastic corn to make it more visible. Best catch on that method was 8 tench in an afternoon with the smallest at 5lb 2oz and going up to 7lb
-
It will be another one of the nice things about fishing there, from time to time I should run in to the odd AN member.
Sorry that does not read right, when I mean odd I don't mean AN members are odd, but then again
I shall get even for that remark
-
I guess you just placed it into perspective sportsman!
-
Unless I have missed it the one line not mentioned here is the Daiwa Infinity Duo. It seems that one of the things the line must not do is twist and this is the most twist free line I can think of. The long cast potential is good too but never having used it in an area that is snaggy I can't say how it will cope . I imagine the duo colour of it will make a good line to use in weedy areas that tench love. I am another angler who prefers flourocarbon not perhaps for it's so called invisibility but simply because it sinks so well. The fox illusion I mainly use possibly is the springiest line you will ever encounter but take a look at it on the river bed and hey presto you have a winner!
-
Can't comment on the others but I use a Drennan Ultralight Matchpro 14ft for much of my winter river fishing and can honestly say it is the lightest rod I have ever used and the superb action results in very few fish lost to bump offs and the like. Depends what you want to do as it would be no match for a big barbel for instance but will handle good chub without complaint and sets the hook well into lightning biting grayling and dace.
-
All my better tench have been caught over hemp and maize. There was an article recently in IYCF that described how to mix those normally wet ingredients with rock salt to use them in pva. Frankly I have never tried it but I do know that salt is still relished by fish though I would probably stick to spodding as I feel more confident when hemp lays in quite a big area to get the shoal grazing. In terms of using a single bait where you would normally use a bag with it I would simply wrap a bait in paste which will readily leak off feed stimulating particles. If you go the salted pva way perhaps some prawns or shrimps will do the trick as tench love both.
-
I have to admit I go bonkers when the season ends especially as I tend to do the work parties and usually see the river under exceptional looking conditions. The insult and injury at the end of this season will be especially difficult as the river has been a challenging place this past 3 months effectively rendering the season a 6 months season. Like most anglers I do find some entertainment at still waters where I can join the hoards of loud beer swilling copy cat tackle tarts who mostly would not have the water craft to tackle any fishery that wasn't stocked to the hilt. The river is a place where I meet well informed skillfull men and women who have exceptional watercraft . Of course it is unfair to label any group of people but by and large that is my experience of it and there are a few still water anglers who know their stuff but just prefer to sit all day in one spot. Good luck to 'em but roll on the new river season for me!
-
My most often used pin has 2 line guard positions so allowing the user to suit themselves and I think that is exactly what you should do.
-
Interesting discussion this as I know nothing of these two rods but own others from the same range and rate them very highly especially when you equate the performance to cost and realise you bought something that was worth every penny. My experience of the Korum 12ft heavy float rod I own is that it handles large fish very well but miraculously is not at all bad for tiddler snatching. Equally, the 10ft series 7 feeder has now been campaigned for 2 seasons mainly for cheese paste and chub work and is silky smooth whether I resort to a size 20 to snatch tiddlers or if I latch into a heavy chub (or river carp!) so if either of the mentioned rods perform like the ones I use from the range I would say there is little in it. The Drennan is possibly better value for money, has a really good case that takes the rod/reel made up and certainly if you are into graphics those are good too.
-
My experience of barbel tells me that your intended rod will be outgunned. I shall not enter into specifics but most purpose made barbel rods now come with a 1.5 test or 2lb test tip plus a selection of quivers and they don't break the bank. I fish a very difficult and snaggy river where hit and hold is often the way but I seldom use the heavy tip other than during floods and find 1.5 the best all round action switching to a quiver when bites start to become shy towards winter. Using the 1.5 still gives a bit of fun with chub.
Lidl's fishing tackle sale
in Coarse Fishing
Posted
Dunno how true it is but I heard the kit works very well but does not have a standard ie 3/8 bsf thread instead it is metric. You would have to take along some small bit of kit to try it in. I bought a box of the night lights which are brilliant when I go camping at the race track and put one at the end of each guy rope! Stops the other drunks tripping and helps me find my own tent