Jump to content

The Flying Tench

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3922

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    20

 Content Type 

Blog Comments posted by The Flying Tench

    The Flying Tench

    Posted

    Thanks, Bayleaf. Yes, I half wondered about the splash factor, though the swim is about 5 feet deep. I once heard a speaker at an angling club meeting, possibly Newbury AA, it may have been Dave Harrell, and he was fishing a match against a friend on a canal.  He started by chucking a couple of bricks into the canal to attract the fish! He reckoned they associated it with the sound of match anglers throwing in bait. I don't think he intended us to take that too seriously, though!

    • Like 1
    The Flying Tench

    Posted

    I don't think I ever tried hemp and tares when I was in Newbury. I could imagine them on the canalised bits of river. What I hadn't realised till recently is that the roach mainly switch onto 'seeds' in August and September, and they are supposed to work well near elder bushes dropping their berries in the river. Having said that I do remember try elder berries on the wharf with limited success.

    Bayleaf the Gardener

    Posted

    Hi Bayleaf

    I was in Newbury from 1994 to 2014. Have just been reading some of your blog entries with a touch of nostalgia. I can't comment on how to lose less fish on the method, as I've never used it. On the subject of good roach, however, I'd like to say I think you are doing pretty well. In 20 years I never had a roach of over about 8oz from the lakes, though I did get a few quality roach from the river up to 1lb 2oz. John

    Chris Plumb

    Posted

    Great catch, Chris! One question. I don't imagine you'd normally have that number of chub of that size in one shoal. Many would ledger for big chub, but I think you usually float fish. Is a possible advantage of this approach that by loose feeding you were drawing fish up from some distance below?

    Chris Plumb

    Posted

    I'm in range of the Newbury waters, I guess - about the same as Rusty. But after 20 great years fishing the Kennet I decided I should learn something different. For the first 4 years here, as well as the Thames, there was a really good lake, Ladygrove. As well as easy carp there were quality roach, better I think than anywhere in Newbury, and the tail end of a big perch boom. But then there was a bad fish kill and though they have restocked a bit it's nothing like it was. Still, I've joined Wantage club now. Nothing enormous, but nice fishing with lots of small crucians as well as carp, bream and roach. Fun fishing, I think, as long as I'm not worrying about pbs.

    Chris Plumb

    Posted

    In theory my blog is still in action, though I was shocked to see I haven't submitted any entries for over a year. A mixture of reasons. House move (though still in Didcot area), Covid and  tackle shop closed, health.  Bad back means I need to fish very near the car, and cataract means I can't do trotting and limits driving at night - though hopefully cataract will be fixed soon.  Also the Thames doesn't seem to be such an all seasons river as the Kennet, being very hard to fish when up and coloured. Perhaps I should say it's a learning curve!

    Despite all this I do intend to start blogging again SOON!.

    • Like 1
    Chris Plumb

    Posted

    Congratulations, Chris, particularly on the 3.10!  I've heard some negative reports on the Kennet over the last 2 or 3 years, so good to hear it's not all bad. I also thought the conditions were OK, here at Didcot. The Thames was up and coloured, but I thought I might do OK in a lock cut, the only one around where you don't need a lock and weir permit, which are not available this year. Alas, the hard-standing that I fish from was underwater!

    • Like 1
    Chris Plumb

    Posted

    Congrats on your splendid pb crucian, Chris!

     

    Bad luck falling in. I fell in the Thames a couple of years ago. In a lunatic kind of way, for some reason, I was pleased! I think perhaps I found it funny. But I wouldn't have been pleased if I'd lost my car keys, just a hearing aid which NHS replaced for free. But a real pain losing your specs, as you say.

     

    Wow, a good start to the season having a pb under your belt already!

    Chris Plumb

    Posted

    Thanks, Chris, that's interesting. I now remember about the roach and dace, and also the pike. I don't think you very often fish deliberately for pike nowadays?

    Even allowing for the points you make, the fact that all your pbs are post 2000 suggests that some of the stories of the great times of yesteryear are exaggerated, or at least taken out of context. I have heard stories of 2lb roach and1lb dace from the Wharf told in such a way that you'd think it happened all the time. I was fishing Hungerford canal once and someone told me about a match won with, I think, 25 lbs of roach - and they were all over 2lbs! That was when it was clear and weedy, before it opened up to the boats.

    When I was in Newbury, up till 5 years ago, I sometimes met pessimists who gave the impression there were no decent fish left in the river, and your blogs always encouraged me that they were there, and gave clues about where to start finding them. Though I'm sorry to hear even from your blog that the Kennet has taken a dip, certainly for perch and barbel.

    Chris Plumb

    Posted

    An interesting and, if I may say, impressive list, Chris. Well done with the rudd last year! The thing that particularly strikes me is that none of your pbs go back before 2001, though I am sure you were fishing the Kennet and elsewhere long before this. It rather puts the lie to those who say that it was all far better 25 years ago. Can you put your finger on any reason why you had a flush of pbs in the years 2001-5?

    Thanks for sharing this info.

    Rusty

    Posted

    Happy Birthday in retrospect, Rusty. A few years ago a youngster told me of someone getting a 2lb perch at the lower end of the Walton Road stretch. I think it was just after the EA did their stuff, though who knows if it was an 'incomer'. A few years before that I was present when the EA netted a more central (and sluggish) bit of the Walton Rd stretch, before they did the shallowing up etc. Lots of small roach, a few trout and grayling, a pike and some small perch. But, I suspect like you, I've never caught a perch there.

    The Flying Tench

    Posted

    Thanks, Paul. I'm sure you're right with regards the tench. I'll have to have a tench campaign one year soon, though not I think this year as my priority will be the Thames weir-pools.

     

    But what about the rudd? I remember reading that some rudd specimen hunter targeted them by ledgering, possibly late autumn. Not an approach I've ever used for rudd, I must admit.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We and our partners use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences, repeat visits and to show you personalised advertisements. By clicking “I Agree”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.

  I accept