Vagabond

Good on ya Nightwing - me too, although less often nowadays. Used to spend time as a volunteer in restoring, firing and driving steam locos, but have retired from that now. When not fishing am either maintaining/refurbishing tackle; planning future trips (one to the States soon) or taking the wife birdwatching. I spend time on AN instead of sleeping!

Good on ya Nightwing - me too, although less often nowadays. Used to spend time as a volunteer in restoring, firing and driving steam locos, but have retired from that now. When not fishing am either maintaining/refurbishing tackle; planning future trips (one to the States soon) or taking the wife birdwatching. I spend time on AN instead of sleeping!

As from March 14th I'll be giving the perch a rest (old close season applies at Deerdrink) and flashin' me flies at the trout

As from March 14th I'll be giving the perch a rest (old close season applies at Deerdrink) and flashin' me flies at the trout

Alan - I like that phrase "sight fishing" I don't know why more people don't concentrate on the margin under the rod top - it works for carp, tench. crucian, perch and pike - and also for chub in a river. You have to keep quiet and still of course, but as you say, you learn so much in such a short time.

Alan - I like that phrase "sight fishing" I don't know why more people don't concentrate on the margin under the rod top - it works for carp, tench. crucian, perch and pike - and also for chub in a river. You have to keep quiet and still of course, but as you say, you learn so much in such a short time.

Used to fish out of Newhaven and Brighton - now fish out of Eastbourne and (in August for skate) Oban. Will fish anywhere where I can get a boat!

Once fished with a chap called Charlie - from Chicago - Fished the Gt Ouse, good fishing, good company. During the evening we visited about ten pubs so he could sample several English beers (he liked them all). About the third pint - before the conversation got too stupid, Carlie made some disparaging remark about Lindon Johnson - the then President. "I don't know much about American politics" I said "what is the matter with Johnson?" Charlie exploded "Wassa matter wit' 'im?, wassa matter wit' 'im? - He's a Goddam Texan, THAT'S WASSA MATTER WIT' 'IM" On my last visit to Texas I was delighted to see one ranch flying the Confederacy flag and the flag of the Lone Star State at his gate. Newt - where does N Carolina come in all this? - I thought it was the most northerly of the Southern states - but apart from knowing the civil war was 1861-5 I'm not sure where the North-South divide was . In England the boundary is the Trent (unless you come from the north.....

Once fished with a chap called Charlie - from Chicago - Fished the Gt Ouse, good fishing, good company. During the evening we visited about ten pubs so he could sample several English beers (he liked them all). About the third pint - before the conversation got too stupid, Carlie made some disparaging remark about Lindon Johnson - the then President. "I don't know much about American politics" I said "what is the matter with Johnson?" Charlie exploded "Wassa matter wit' 'im?, wassa matter wit' 'im? - He's a Goddam Texan, THAT'S WASSA MATTER WIT' 'IM" On my last visit to Texas I was delighted to see one ranch flying the Confederacy flag and the flag of the Lone Star State at his gate. Newt - where does N Carolina come in all this? - I thought it was the most northerly of the Southern states - but apart from knowing the civil war was 1861-5 I'm not sure where the North-South divide was . In England the boundary is the Trent (unless you come from the north.....

Once fished with a chap called Charlie - from Chicago - Fished the Gt Ouse, good fishing, good company. During the evening we visited about ten pubs so he could sample several English beers (he liked them all). About the third pint - before the conversation got too stupid, Carlie made some disparaging remark about Lindon Johnson - the then President. "I don't know much about American politics" I said "what is the matter with Johnson?" Charlie exploded "Wassa matter wit' 'im?, wassa matter wit' 'im? - He's a Goddam Texan, THAT'S WASSA MATTER WIT' 'IM" On my last visit to Texas I was delighted to see one ranch flying the Confederacy flag and the flag of the Lone Star State at his gate. Newt - where does N Carolina come in all this? - I thought it was the most northerly of the Southern states - but apart from knowing the civil war was 1861-5 I'm not sure where the North-South divide was . In England the boundary is the Trent (unless you come from the north.....

Once fished with a chap called Charlie - from Chicago - Fished the Gt Ouse, good fishing, good company. During the evening we visited about ten pubs so he could sample several English beers (he liked them all). About the third pint - before the conversation got too stupid, Carlie made some disparaging remark about Lindon Johnson - the then President. "I don't know much about American politics" I said "what is the matter with Johnson?" Charlie exploded "Wassa matter wit' 'im?, wassa matter wit' 'im? - He's a Goddam Texan, THAT'S WASSA MATTER WIT' 'IM" On my last visit to Texas I was delighted to see one ranch flying the Confederacy flag and the flag of the Lone Star State at his gate. Newt - where does N Carolina come in all this? - I thought it was the most northerly of the Southern states - but apart from knowing the civil war was 1861-5 I'm not sure where the North-South divide was . In England the boundary is the Trent (unless you come from the north.....

Don't know the river in question, but on the basis of the information supplied, I would take along a supply of perch lures and a tin of lobworms. One thing I can endorse from experience at Deerdrink is to keep feeding maggot and cloudbait to attract the small bait fish in. I even catch a few and slip them back close to my perch bait - which is usually close in under the bank..

Don't know the river in question, but on the basis of the information supplied, I would take along a supply of perch lures and a tin of lobworms. One thing I can endorse from experience at Deerdrink is to keep feeding maggot and cloudbait to attract the small bait fish in. I even catch a few and slip them back close to my perch bait - which is usually close in under the bank..

Deerdrink is about 6' deep close to the dam, which deepens to about 8' a rod-length out (10'rod) BTW I don't necessarily fish close to the bottom, I move my bait about quite a bit, usually close to the dam, and have actually seen perch approach and take the bait (or sometimes just look at it, but perhaps take it later) several times. Visibility into the water is about three to four feet, so takes at this depth are midwater. "Watching it happen" certainly sends the adrenaline levels up! Not being entirely happy with the usual recommended rigs (don't ask me to rationalise that - it is a gut-feeling and subjective confidence thing) I pass the single hook through the bottom lip, then LIGHTLY through the skin in front of the pectorals (taking great care not to go through the body wall) This results in the bait remaining lively, and it can be released unharmed (with a dose of clinik on the small wound) if no takers appear. They always swim away strongly. So far (touch wood) I have had no deep-hooked perch - all have been hooked in the front of the mouth, or they have dropped the bait and departed. In addition th the eight fish I have had about six abortive runs (THREE of them yesterday - NNYYAAAH) I know freelining is considered dubious, but, PROVIDED YOU WATCH CAREFULLY WHAT IS GOING ON, there is no danger of deep hooking. I use thin floating braid right through to the hook and watch the line - the thin half-matchstick "float" is so when the bait dives deep, I can still see the matchstick a foot or so under the water - so I know where the bait is at all times. If and when I think the perch are wising up to the line I would put on a threefoot mono leader. These methods are appropriate to Deerdrink - if I fished elsewhere I would expect to evolve different methods.

Deerdrink is about 6' deep close to the dam, which deepens to about 8' a rod-length out (10'rod) BTW I don't necessarily fish close to the bottom, I move my bait about quite a bit, usually close to the dam, and have actually seen perch approach and take the bait (or sometimes just look at it, but perhaps take it later) several times. Visibility into the water is about three to four feet, so takes at this depth are midwater. "Watching it happen" certainly sends the adrenaline levels up! Not being entirely happy with the usual recommended rigs (don't ask me to rationalise that - it is a gut-feeling and subjective confidence thing) I pass the single hook through the bottom lip, then LIGHTLY through the skin in front of the pectorals (taking great care not to go through the body wall) This results in the bait remaining lively, and it can be released unharmed (with a dose of clinik on the small wound) if no takers appear. They always swim away strongly. So far (touch wood) I have had no deep-hooked perch - all have been hooked in the front of the mouth, or they have dropped the bait and departed. In addition th the eight fish I have had about six abortive runs (THREE of them yesterday - NNYYAAAH) I know freelining is considered dubious, but, PROVIDED YOU WATCH CAREFULLY WHAT IS GOING ON, there is no danger of deep hooking. I use thin floating braid right through to the hook and watch the line - the thin half-matchstick "float" is so when the bait dives deep, I can still see the matchstick a foot or so under the water - so I know where the bait is at all times. If and when I think the perch are wising up to the line I would put on a threefoot mono leader. These methods are appropriate to Deerdrink - if I fished elsewhere I would expect to evolve different methods.

The water is very clear, despite having an inlet stream coming off the Ashdowns sands (really alternate layers of sands and clays) Most of the catchmenrt is woodland tho' so not a lot of erosion because the soil is protected by litter layer. I use freelined lives, with a "float" about half the size of a matchstick 5 ft from the size 6 hook. Interesting that your optimum times and conditions seem to be similar to mine BTW I note your comment about taking a close-up photo of the opercular - good idea which I will adopt. Will also photo BOTH sides of the fish - that will double my apparent catch-rate at a stroke

The water is very clear, despite having an inlet stream coming off the Ashdowns sands (really alternate layers of sands and clays) Most of the catchmenrt is woodland tho' so not a lot of erosion because the soil is protected by litter layer. I use freelined lives, with a "float" about half the size of a matchstick 5 ft from the size 6 hook. Interesting that your optimum times and conditions seem to be similar to mine BTW I note your comment about taking a close-up photo of the opercular - good idea which I will adopt. Will also photo BOTH sides of the fish - that will double my apparent catch-rate at a stroke

Alan, thanks for input - you confirm what I am intuitively guessing about the population. Of the fish taken so far (1 just under 2lb, two of three pound and the rest between two and three) I have not identified a repeat capture - but one picture is still in camera, so I can't vouch for that. What is interesting is that this morning I had three runs (the most I have had in a session there) but all dropped the bait - could be they are wising up! It was very windy this morning , and I have noticed before a good SW wind is favourable here - but at other venues Steve has found otherwise. The other unusual feature is time of takes - early afternoon (2 to 3pm) last autumn, but between 11am and 2pm this winter. Goes dead in the evening, although as I now concentrate on what I have found the peak times, an element of self-fulfilling prophecy is beginning to creep in. Keep in touch - there is a lot of interesting stuff to discover I hope.

Alan, thanks for input - you confirm what I am intuitively guessing about the population. Of the fish taken so far (1 just under 2lb, two of three pound and the rest between two and three) I have not identified a repeat capture - but one picture is still in camera, so I can't vouch for that. What is interesting is that this morning I had three runs (the most I have had in a session there) but all dropped the bait - could be they are wising up! It was very windy this morning , and I have noticed before a good SW wind is favourable here - but at other venues Steve has found otherwise. The other unusual feature is time of takes - early afternoon (2 to 3pm) last autumn, but between 11am and 2pm this winter. Goes dead in the evening, although as I now concentrate on what I have found the peak times, an element of self-fulfilling prophecy is beginning to creep in. Keep in touch - there is a lot of interesting stuff to discover I hope.

Friday was the first wreck-fishing trip of the year - Three trips have been cancelled since the last one, and the last of the cod fillets in the freezer went into a fish pie last Wednesday. So I was really looking forward to this trip - the weather looked good as I drove southwards - and when I met up with my boat partners spirits and hopes were high. The huge breakfast (bacon egg sausage chips mushrooms black pudding fried bread) at a "greasy spoon" café near the front tasted even better than usual but was rather hastily eaten - we wanted to get fishing! Once out of harbour we were pleased to encounter a dull lead-coloured sea , disturbed only by our long white wake as we arrowed out towards our first mark. On the mark a gentle Force 2 eased the boat steadily across tide, so that a slow long drift over the wreck was possible. The day passed all too quickly - drift followed drift, and cod and pollack that had been undisturbed for much of the winter eagerly grabbed our "Redgills" - although I used a black "redgill". No monsters were caught, just plenty of fish up to fifteen pound or so, the majority being pollack of about 7 to 8 with a few cod thrown in. As the day passed, so the wind strengthened to about Force 4 - just the odd whitecap, and the drift became that much faster, necessitating a slight increase in lead size. Back to harbour, followed by a cloud of screaming gulls as we gutted and washed our catch. Watched a huge front coming up from the west out beyond Beachy Head. Then came the hardest work of the day, staggering up the ramp and loading gear and fish into the cars. Drove home, as the Force 6 to 7 promised by the forecast began to whip the treetops. Treated like a hero at home - given a "sundowner" to drink whilst the fillets and packets of roe were packed into the freezer - rabbit stew for dinner with a good red Burgundy - a perfect end to a perfect day. Now, specially for Alan - an Eastern fish dish. FISH MOOLLI - For three normal diners or two greedy ones. About a pound and a half of skinned white fillet. three tablespoonfuls of warm milk a couple of teaspoons of white wine vinegar 1 large onion chopped 1 clove garlic chopped two tablespoonfuls of sunflower oil 2 oz creamed or grated coconut 2 green chillies chopped Lemon juice, salt, pepper Spices - turmeric - half teaspoon ; ground ginger, asafoetida quarter teaspoon of each; two or three black peppercorns saffron (pinch) Warm the milk and vinegar and soak the spices in it for half an hour. Fry onion and garlic in the oil till golden - add the spices and saffron and stir-fry in the coconut with a little water. When hot, add fish and chillies and cook for about ten to fifteen minutes, adding water to keep sauce fluid. Salt to taste, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with fried or boiled rice. This is, like Walton's recipes, "only fit for anglers or very honest men"

Yep Phone, and re another thread, the reel has a slipping clutch made out of a wine cork ! ...and I've got 50 years -worth of pictures in my filing cabinet - take cover!

Yep Phone, and re another thread, the reel has a slipping clutch made out of a wine cork ! ...and I've got 50 years -worth of pictures in my filing cabinet - take cover!

Spindle - what a pity you didn't wait for my advice on tench rods, or you could have opted for this one

Spindle - what a pity you didn't wait for my advice on tench rods, or you could have opted for this one

As a Norfolkman, I must support Peter Waller. Real salt-of-the earth types there, and the beer is good - none of yer over-hopped southern beers, or the acidic gnats p... from those people that also market tea-bags up north. First day at work I was confronted by a bloke who said "Aah cooms fra' Yoorkshire, and aah says what aah thinks" To which my response was " You're someone arter my own haart, bor, a man of few words" I think he is still working that one out. Moved south when a kid, after sixty years am almost accepted by the sturdy yeomen of rural Sussex - unofficial motto "Won't be druv" ( part of irregular verb - "I am firm, you are obstinate, (s)he is a pig-headed fool") Northern women are fine though - my late first wife was a lass from the Peak District, and I went north again to the dales for Norma, my second wife - as a previous poster said, no wonder those blokes from north of the Trent are miffed. How to wind up a Yorkshireman - refer to him as a midlander, and when he gets shirty, suggest "The North starts at Darlington lad". Its all good fun though, and I hope taken as such - and I haven't even mentioned Welsh sheep sh...sh...shearers.