Thatcham Angling Association

[Rusty]

Morning all,

 

I've been thinking about joining TAA for some time now mainly for the river fishing but also to provide a bit of variety in the close season. So after researching their waters I drove to Thatcham Angling Centre to join up which was dead simple as it turned out.

 

A pint of maggots later I was at Jubilee, suposedly a good general coarse water. I was surprised at the number of bivvys and rod pods I saw but didn't really give it a second thought as I wandered round the lake to a nice looking swim which didn't smelll like a public toilet (as many did). Feeder full of maggots went out and a couple of their red chums wriggled like mad on a size 12 barbless hook, sqeezy bottle top was hooked to 6lb pound line and thoughts of catching a few Tench filled my head, all was good in the world.

 

I missed a few bites through not expecting them so early in the session but then something grabbed my bait and just gently swam into a snaggy part of the bank about 20 yards away. I didn't have a hope of stopping it, whatever it was didn't thrash about, it decided to swim in that direction and just did. I lost my end tackle and when the same thing happened an hour or so later I decided to call it a day.

 

On the way back to the car I bumped into a bailiff who I'd met last week at Wylies. I told him the story and he reckoned I should be using a minimum of 8lb line, preferably 12lb, and a match rod probably wouldn't be up to the job. Apparently Jubilee is a good general coarse water with a variety of species BUT you've always got a very good chance of catching high double figure carp and so have to use appropriate tackle.

 

If this is the case it's disappointing for me, I did the matching baitrunners and rod pod thing last year and wanted to get back to simple fishing but it seems a bit risky at Jubilee.

 

Any thoughts from other TAA members?

[Chris Plumb]

Rusty - I fish TAA for their river beats ( 2 in particular ) and hardly ever venture on to Jubilee as I'm not really into carp. (And like to have a bit of peace and quiet if possible!) Have fished Long Lake for tench - and trying to get one of the grass carp in there (unsuccesfully so far!). I did watch one guy floating fishing sweetcorn under his rod tip hook and land a 20lb carp from one of the carp park swims on JL a couple of season ago!!!

 

 

C.

[Stretpegger]

Rusty - I fish TAA for their river beats ( 2 in particular ) and hardly ever venture on to Jubilee as I'm not really into carp. (And like to have a bit of peace and quiet if possible!) Have fished Long Lake for tench - and trying to get one of the grass carp in there (unsuccesfully so far!). I did watch one guy floating fishing sweetcorn under his rod tip hook and land a 20lb carp from one of the carp park swims on JL a couple of season ago!!!

C.

 

 

What size do the tench go to in "longy" Chris?

 

I would ask on the TAA forum,thats if anyone actually went on it!

[Chris Plumb]

What size do the tench go to in "longy" Chris?

 

I would ask on the TAA forum,thats if anyone actually went on it!

 

Someone I know had a 9½lber spring before last - I saw the piccy - looked very ounce of it - very spawn bound though.

 

 

C.

[gozzer]

I don't know the waters your talking about Rusty, but it sounds like a lot of the waters I used to fish.

I say 'used to' because I no longer take yearbooks out for those waters.

It came to a point that the numbers of carp that were introduced into the water made it almost impossible to to fish for anything else, other than preds'.

You either fish for roach etc, which heavy tackle and rarely catch (those you do catch are well out gunned), or fish with normal gear and risk getting smashed a couple of times. I can guarantee that you will get carp at sometime in the day, the smaller ones (below about 7-8lb) I usually have no trouble with but having a double figure carp charging round your swim for 10- 15 mins while you either land it, or it finds a snag and snaps you, ruins any ideas of roach fishing.

 

There was a time when the carp numbers were much lower. If you wanted to fish for them you did, same with just about every species in the water. You did occasionally hook into a 'lump' when fishing for other species, but not two or three every time you went.

 

John.

Edited May 4, 2008 by gozzer

[Rusty]

You did occasionally hook into a 'lump' when fishing for other species, but not two or three every time you went.

 

John.

Indeed Gozzer, we've all hooked a monster once in a while when fishing for silver fish and I think that's part of fishing's attraction, you never know what's going to happen. But as you say when you know that at some point in the day you'll be holding off an entire division of Panzers with a peashooter then it's an entirely different matter.

 

Still, going back Monday with appropriate gear, no doubt I'll be pestered by gudgeon all day.

[12ft kerplunk]

How much did it cost you to join? I went into Thatcham angling a few weeks ago and was told i would have to pay a late joining fee of £30 on top of the cost for a permit bringing it up to about £70 and then pay again on June 16th. Is this what you had to do?

 

Has anyone fished Hordens Mere before? Its a small lake next to Jubilee and i quite like the sound of it.

[Guest Rabbit]

I havn't fished a commercial for a couple of seasons, but a local one I have ished holds a good head of nice roach and quite a number of double figure carp as well. The tackle I use is a heavy match rod with 5lb straight through to a size 14 hook. that way it gives me options with maggot, corn and even bread when I need to change baits quickly. it also gives me a fighting chance to land the inevitable crazy carp (hopefully)

it's a pity that these sort of fisheries don't segregate the carp, it shows a lack of consideration for both angler and fish.

[JV44]

The top lake Hordens mere[spelling] used to have a decent head of silver fish and less lumpy carp,Not fished it for years but may be a better bet than jubilee Steve.

[The Flying Tench]

I fished Jubilee a few times this time last year, usually with maggot and groundbait feeder. Most of the fish I got were carp up to about 10lbs, with a few tench and bream. Amazingly, with maggot hook bait, I got no roach. I used 6lb line. I got the impression Jubilee is no good for roach fishing.

 

TAA are trying to make Horderns into a decent silver fish water, but there are also a fair number of big carp and tench. I have heard of people getting nice roach to 1lb in Horderns, but the people I have seen float fishing with maggot have just got small stuff. No trouble with the carp, though!