fishermanste

following a day or two of sun (if we get any more) try throwing bits of floating bread as free offerings, its highly visible even through the thickest of weed and if you resist the temptation to fish then their confidence will grow unaware of your plans to catch them off the surface...... failing that i would stick to natural baits such as maggot and worm...... have a look for overhanging trees and bushes they can hold some natural fruity treats that may slip into the margins unnoticed the main thing i would do is fish light!!!! there's no point sitting there with your line cutting through the water like a lazer beam and a hook that would scare jaws

Westwood lakes??? 4 well stocked lakes although 3 are match lakes they do have a lovely natural pool...... stunning log cabins set in beautiful surroundings, onsite cafe (fishermans rest) complete with a quality chef of course... personally i go 3 times a year for a week at a time..... yes its that good...... its in 'boston' lincs.... google it for a sneeky peek

a cage feeder when i had 10mins preveously said "i wish i had a cage feeder", a 7lb pike when fishing worm&caster on a size 18 hook and a landing net complete with attached landing pole!

So the Maggots i gave you didn't do their job then Janet! they should of been hugging those tiny perch we have in there at the very least! I must say it was fishing rather slow today but it was flipping cold last night.... I only managed a lovely mirror around 4lb, 3 roach and 2 perch! i must say janet you cant half take a good picture!!!!

Has Anybody fished Heskin hall fishery???? I have a match there on the 7th of nov.... pond1.... The big problem i have is on their web site it clearly says : no bread product, no pellet and no paste that can be moulded around your hook. I thought i would double check the rules with the owner but after 3 days they still wont answer the phone...... frustrating i know... I checked around and their are a few web sites with people reporting their days fishing.... to my supprise most of the catches fell to bread punch, pellet and paste???? Im thinking of going down the worm&caster route but dont want to be the one falling behind because the guy on peg 22 is bagging up on pellet! Help!!!

I use 2-3lb main and a 1.5lb hook link at the moment...... i will go up to 4lb main in the summer

Thought i would give you some advice as i started Match fishing without a pole.... The obvious method for me is the waggler, fishing up in the water casting to a close enough swim that allows you to loose feed to either by hand or cati..... use a smallish hook around a 18 - 16..... this should catch you plenty of silvers even the odd bonus fish if you keep those maggots going in. If there is plenty of carp then it might be wise sitting it out for those 3-4 carp on the tip rod, i came 2nd last week with 14lb of small roach on the pole when 1st place caught 3 carp totaling 17lb on the tip rod (the jammy bugger).

I fished a match last week at Pendle view fishery, without prior warning from my fellow matchmen i discovered that the trout lake.... situated close to the match lake.... had sprung a leak and in turn the owners had decided to put the trout in the match lake while they drained the trout lake.... Trout in a match lake? i had never heard of it! more to the point i hadn't caught one before! I set up my seat box and assembled my pole not knowing what to expect..... a little too proud to ask the bloke on the next peg how to fish... i mearly looked over at him and said 'this should be fun', to my supprise he spoke (i usually get pegged next to the grumpy ones) he said 'well it was bloody fun yesterday just watch your fingers these little buggers have teeth, its mayhem for the first hour due to the trout not giving the other fish a chance but we will soon catch them all' the nerves kicked in a little at this point thinking how stupid i would look druing a match not knowing what to do with a fish i had only eaten before now..... was it going to take my fingers off? (what a softy) The time came for 'All in' and i shipped out my pole to my chosen swim and let the float settle....... all around me trout were filling up keepnets my foat twitched then dipped for my first fish was on....... a roach around 2"..... nothing again for another 30 mins whilst others were seriosly bagging up... a skimmer around 2"..... this was looking bad, from where i was sat everyone was catching bare me. My time did come eventually but only in the form of 5lb of trout! it was enough to save me coming last by 11oz... ... and i dont know what i was fussing about what a lovely fish to catch

I would rather poke myself in the eye with a baiting needle......(had to keep it fishing related)

Hi all, could do with your help..... just purchaced a lovely new feeder rod and was advised (by the bloke in the shop) to get myself some glass quiver tips....... i should of asked why but felt a little thick ha ha..... help! why do i need glass tips? thanks all

So come on people, tell us all about that angling moment you will never forget....

oh thats a shame that you didnt go, if you think about it people are always feeding the ducks on canals so alot of bread goes in.... it does the trick every time i go

Well that certainly sounds like how i started off as a nipper, fishing squats on a size 24..... or smaller, using the whip with line that would snap if a decent size fish so much as nibbled my bait. sounds like your on the right track to me.

Hi all, thought i would give a little advice to you the fellow angler on your local fishery at this 'freezing' time of year (especially up north).... I have discovered a method that ONLY works after 'ice' has just melted.... As we know fish will pack tightly together during the winter months and will seek deeper water.... this is for a reason.... its not that its warmer where its deeper its the fact that when ice melts, it sinks as cold water... which sits on the bottom and will sit on the bottom of shallow waters far longer than deeper swims,( if ice melted on 8ft of water then it would of reached 'mean' temp by the time it reached the bottom) so where fish can they will seek 8ft of water for that warmer climate as the cold water from the ice wouldn't bother them.......... obviously this is would seek our fish..... However!!........... where this is not possible (due to there not being 8ft or even 4ft of water) i seriously recomend this method...... plum up and fish dead depth.... nothing? then move up in the water....around 2".... this is where the fish will be...... if not come up another 1".... my method is that because its bloody cold on the bottom, the fish(carp in particular) will move off the bottom in search of both warmer water and your bait!!!!!

Its nearly time for me to pack my Carp rod, tip rod, waggler and of course my pole into the car and head down to 'westwood lakes' for a week of relaxed fishing in 'Boston' 'Lincs'. Its a lovely place and have visited a few times...... Has anyone had the pleasure of getting their line wet there?