badexcuseforanangler

Just a quick report for me managed to get me one barbel just under 7lb on the first night a new pb for me as my previous barbel was all of 2.5lb! The mozzies were killers I got bitten on my ankles even though I had my socks tucked in my trousers! The day time was bit of a waste of time fishing caught with the other members got abit of sleep, watched ferret drive hill radio controled car up and down the bank, fed the minnows watched the pike feeding on the minnows. I was expecting a quite night on the saturday it was far from quiet it just wasn't the fish making the noise, sounded like there was a country and western concert going on over the fields somewhere, then there was the group of lads fishing the next few pegs up, 1,000,000 candle powers torches, and bite alarms turned up to max. Even with all the noise I was getting the "starlight stare" if thats a saying from staring at the starlights so put the alarms on and reclined my chair, next thing it was 5am in the morning and the people next door had $rap playing the car stereo now I was just about to go have a word when the down stream rod was almost pulled from the rest. After a nice fight a 7lb barbel was in the net. Thanks to seph for taking the time to organise it and getting me a proper barbel. I had some bait to use up so after drving home and having a sleep I headed over to Tring for an evening on the canal. I fed some halibut pellets down the edge and fished some left over paste, the avon barbel wasn't took keen on the paste but I ended up with carp of 16lb, 18.5lb and 21lb ! Its been a good weekend

As you are just starting out it may be a good idea to try a day ticket comercial fishery where the stocking levels are lot higher than most canals. You can then get into practice and get the idea of what works and what doesn't then you can move on to more challenging venues. If you post what sort of area you are planning to fish Im sure someone will recommend somwhere for you to go.

Im finishing work at 2pm on Friday so will hopfuly be there about 4-5 pm allowing for friday traffic, save me a good peg. Hoping for a pb barbel if I get one it shouldn't be hard previous best is about 2.5 lb, who says there are no small ones in the ouse!

Just been and bought myself a 25kg bag of 6mm hallibuts lucky the carp like them on the cut here as can't see me using that many in a weekend. I'm gonna stay on the river bank under the brolly if the weather allows may put the tent up if its bad. Do they do evening tickets or do we have to pay a full day if we arrive tea time ish on the Friday. Not long to go now

I'm not a regular barbel angler planning to pva bag pellets whats a good size pellet to put in the bags? Ive got 15mm pre drilled halibuts for the hook and halibut boilies.

Sounds like a good excuse to have a "social" in the day time and fish at night to me

Tell me about it too, had holes in my nets, windsurf sails, rod bags and no hemp left

The Tring anglers is the controling club its good value for money Its good fishing zoo creatures are quite common and they often turn up out of now where which is interesting when you are catching roach and skimmers. Join the club and fish the members only section at cooks warfe its a bit peggy for the carp they have had some 100lb plus bags in matches on the "the pegs" now they have silver fish only and still theres 30lb bags of roach n bream If you fish the "arm" get some 20 laccy for the pole you will need it! If theres any depth of water right under your feet the carp will be there in the evenings put a good load of pellets in fish over the top and hold on!

On my tent there is a large label sown into the bag with some blury pictures on!

The pop up tents are ok but best to get the larger one with "wings" as the ventilation in the smaller ones isn't very good you can get quite a lot of condensation, also I wouldn't want to spend a windy night in one of them as they don't feel very stable other than that they are brilliant for a quick set up, packing away is easy if someone shows you as its really hard to get the knack from the instructions

Im off to Blenheim in a few weeks time has anyone got any pointers? Ive never fished out of a boat before other than when out seafishing either. Is it like most places now where the fish respond to pellets? Thanks all Darren

As this is posted in the session carp fishing I assume you are after one of the French waters stuffed full of huge fish. If you after some mixed fishing, roach, bream, tench, carp upto 10ish, could be bigger in there but lakes have never been fished properly so don't know whats in there really, check this link LeDuchou. Hope elton doesn't mind the blatant plug. Its my Dads place in France just opened for guests this year. There are two gites, two lakes so its not going to get over crowded and there are very few bookings for this year at the moment . Its got a brand new swimming pool too Nice quiet location loads of wildlife birds, deer, wildboar I hope to get a holiday there later this year, have been put to work on all the previous visits!

Can book the fishing peg and cosworth the weekend after Ant?

Ive just come back from just down the road from Dalbeattie but I was up there for the mountain biking. The place I stayed had a lake and I was planning to have fish in the evenings but it looked very weedy and the midges were rife the rod didn't come out of the car. www.barendholidavillage.co.uk was the place that I stayed

How true it is I don't know but on the mk's website last year there was reports of big bream coming out of the northlake at willen

Im ok to fish from Saturday morning overnight til sunday, will maybe do friday night too but won't know til nearer the time

Just have to sort things out at work but I should be ok for it

Rather have a two day plus overnight inbetween so not to miss out on the hours of darkness

I think a weekend/over night would be a good idea. Arrive Saturday morning get sorted out / fish for a few hours then have a bit of a social for the slow part of the day then fish/camp over night.

Depending on dates im up for this one.

Wow it was windy! perfect windsurfing wether but I had my fishing cap on this weekend. Great to put names to faces and to spend weekend at such a fatastic place that Wingham is. My catch report is very short one Pike of just under 10lb caught on lobworm/corn cocktail and a Rudd(all 2oz of it!) The Pike was caught saturday evening the Rudd on Sunday morning. I had a few bleeps and tugs over night one of which make me realise how bright one of the blue led's on my alarms is it. I heard a bleep woke up and just lost all my night sight from the brightness and nearly went base over apex getting out bed. Needless to say it got a sticker stuck on it after than but the fish decided not to set it off after than. I found the fishing hard this year but had a great time my thanks to Steve to allowing us to fish. Also like to thank the bailifs Terry and Glyn for all their hard work including tractoring us to our swims Darren peg21

Hope no one gets blown away in the night see everyone in the morning Darren

How did you do in that swim? Looks like the one that I fished from the year before

I think I'm on

I know that feeling Ant, fractured a bone in my shoulder last year and couldn't even pick up a rod a week before I should of been fishing at Wingham