One weekend left!

[Jeffwill]

Some great reports & pics...bit of a pain the weather has finally decided to sort itself out just as the close season begins!

 

Can't say a great deal about my last weekend...livebaited and had a couple of jacks and a friend had a nice 2lb plus perch which is always nice to see. Sun brought out the morons though and it was like fishing in the middle of a flippin' playground (people feeding ducks, chucking rocks in etc. etc.).

 

Roll on summer & the barbel fishing

 

Rivers need a rest now from all the angling pressure.

[Steve Walker]

Rivers need a rest now from all the angling pressure.

 

I've never seen another soul on the bit of the Thames I fished yesterday!

[tincatinca]

Some excellent end of season stories and pics. Got down the river yesterday for the first time in a long time annd tied several swims before settling down in a little utilised swim that has produced some decent Roach in the past at this time of the year. Continuosly feeding maggots resulted in nothing for quite a while except a few slight knocks on the float but at around 4pm an explosion of Perch like the one in the picture, between 3/4 to about a pound. This continued until around 5.30 when I hooked into something a lot bigger which came off after about 20 seconds. I thought that would be it for the day but at around 6-30 another good fish on which also came off fairly quickly with the float and end tackle finishing in a right mess at which time I decided to call it a day. No big fish but very enjoyable. Now to the serious preperation for the T And Bs and the head banging that goes with it.

 

 

[Tigger]

Rivers need a rest now from all the angling pressure.

 

 

 

What ......i bet there's only been a few dozen chub(if that) caught on the ribble all winter and hardly any anglers due to the conditions. The rivers round here have had no pressure at all. Infact it's about time they (the powers that be) got their heads together and close the season 6 wk's later when the fish do start to spawn. The winters are dragging on longer and longer and the fish are spawning later and later so their spawning at the start of the season.

 

By the way nice Perch and pic's TT.

[Anderoo]

Yesterday was one of the very few times I've seen anyone fishing the Thames here. Three other chubbers were fishing along the far bank.

 

If any fish need a break, it's those in club and day ticket stillwaters that get hammered 24/7 and have nowhere to run.

[Neil G]

Rivers need a rest now from all the angling pressure.

 

The thing is there has been no pressure...it's only the good weather and end of season that brought out all the part timers, us few die hards/loonies have been fishing all winter (when the river has actually been fishable).

 

I'm sure there will be some of our eastern european friends fishing on regardless of the close season....same old story on the Avon every year!

Edited March 15, 2010 by Neil G

[Chris Plumb]

Nice chub Anderoo. I spent a good part of yesterday fishing a small weirpool known to contatin a 7lb+ chub - even think I caught a glimpse of it in the clear water. Twice my float buried and twice my heart fluttered as something substantial took off in the current - alas not the biggie - the first time my lob was snaffled by one of its smaller breathren - the second time by something with an adipose fin - ho hum there's always next season!

 

 

C.

[weirwulf]

Some good catches guys and by the look of things some very enviable stretches of river. My last day was spent trotting a stretch of river 15ft wide and ended with a 3lb 9oz chub. The after dark change to an attempt at one last barbel failed with a hook pull though it was good to feel one on for the first time in weeks. itend to agree with others comments that the season closes too soon. I am happy for anyone to tell me otherwise but in my experience (not in rivers I might add!) when the fish are spawning they become uncatchable and therefore self regulating. Also if the close season was either shorter or did not exist the presence of anglers would help to deter cormorants from decimating the fish stocks. From my viewpoint it is these birds that put the most pressure on the fish and not the anglers.

[Anderoo]

Nice chub Anderoo

 

Thanks Chris - it means a lot to me, that fish, more than any other I've caught this season I think. Next season will definitely see me back on the Thames feeling much more confident!

 

It is very strange to think I won't be fishing at the weekend.

[Nicholas S]

Both Saturday and and Sunday spent at two lovely venues on the Kennet. Had a fantastic day on Saturday with Steve (JV44) and Robbie (doggy companion). No records were broken but we had a very exciting day which certainly wetted our appetite for the venue. Think it's fair to say that we will be back to make up for some good fish that we lost, witnessesd and heard plenty of stories about! Sunday spent at Barton Court, surprisingly it was a relatively hard day (at least compared to when I was last there) but managed to catch a good mixed bag including some really nice dace which I was very pleased about. All in all a great last weekend of the season except two 5 30am starts meant I was practically half asleep at work today!!

 

N

Edited March 16, 2010 by Nicholas S