Any one going to brave the cold this weekend?

[Steve Walker]

Fished the Thames for a few hours this afternoon - very, very cold water, slowly rising with meltwater, big rafts of vegetation coming down. Trotted maggot and then fished swimfeedered maggot into dusk. Not a tap, rattle, dip or chewed maggot, completely dead. I think if it had stayed just that bit colder, we wouldn't have had the meltwater going in and it would have fished well.

 

Finally got the clothing sorted out to feel warm for a full session, adding a pair of tracksuit bottoms between the thermal long johns and the lined walking trousers, with breathable waterproof overtrousers on top. Interestingly, warm legs = warm feet, despite wearing the same boots and socks as last time.

[JV44]

Fished the Thames for a few hours this afternoon - very, very cold water, slowly rising with meltwater, big rafts of vegetation coming down. Trotted maggot and then fished swimfeedered maggot into dusk. Not a tap, rattle, dip or chewed maggot, completely dead. I think if it had stayed just that bit colder, we wouldn't have had the meltwater going in and it would have fished well.

 

Finally got the clothing sorted out to feel warm for a full session, adding a pair of tracksuit bottoms between the thermal long johns and the lined walking trousers, with breathable waterproof overtrousers on top. Interestingly, warm legs = warm feet, despite wearing the same boots and socks as last time.

 

Steve i am still sorting the winter collection and happy with most just tips of my toes when static fishing so probubly gonna have to go for clumpy moon boots ,the karimoor snow boots are toasty when you are walking around roaming but sit still for a couple of hours and toes get cold....maybe another layer on my legs would stop this plan forming face any way well done for getting out there any who did .

 

John well done on dispatching the Munty as it would have had a lingering death if not,Rabbit rats whatever are easy but something bigger just seems to look you in the eye making it hard to dio what has to be done Steve

[Steve Walker]

I'm using walking boots and a couple of pairs of thick socks. I had really cold feet (and legs) last time, but this time sorting the legs out seems to have sorted the feet out too. I think having cold legs probably shuts down the circulation to your feet.

[jaypeegolf]

I went to the Warwickshire Avon at Stratford, the Lido section, on Friday afternoon.

Patience was running thin and I stuck it out for 2 hours, up to my calfs in the river, until my hand was imovable on the rod due to the cold!

1 bite, 1 fish! A chub of 4lb.

[Steve Walker]

16ºF when I started fishing this morning thats-9ºC in new money! Water temp of the Kennet was barely above freezing at 35ºF. Had a chub before a brownie wrecked my swim - and found the left overs of Mr Otter's tea - 1 bite!

 

 

Just looking at the fins on that barbel - I wonder if that's post-mortem decomposition, 'cos if it didn't have that big bite out of the back of it, I'd be thinking that it looked in pretty poor shape. Might have died and been scavenged?

[Anderoo]

Just looking at the fins on that barbel - I wonder if that's post-mortem decomposition, 'cos if it didn't have that big bite out of the back of it, I'd be thinking that it looked in pretty poor shape. Might have died and been scavenged?

 

I thought the same, Steve. It looks as though it's been dead for some time yet the wound looks pretty new. It could have been lots of little bites rather than 1 big bite.

[Tigger]

Just looking at the fins on that barbel - I wonder if that's post-mortem decomposition, 'cos if it didn't have that big bite out of the back of it, I'd be thinking that it looked in pretty poor shape. Might have died and been scavenged?

 

 

I was thinking exactly the same myself. Obviously didn't taste so good.

[Rusty]

Just looking at the fins on that barbel - I wonder if that's post-mortem decomposition, 'cos if it didn't have that big bite out of the back of it, I'd be thinking that it looked in pretty poor shape. Might have died and been scavenged?

 

Possibly but Chris's blog suggests it was quite a fresh kill, not sure how long it would have to be out of the water for the fins to look like that. I know the stretch and there have been at least two confirmed otter sightings in that particular swim so on the balance of probabilty (and at the risk of incurring the wrath of AN) I'd say an otter got it.

[Tigger]

Possibly but Chris's blog suggests it was quite a fresh kill, not sure how long it would have to be out of the water for the fins to look like that. I know the stretch and there have been at least two confirmed otter sightings in that particular swim so on the balance of probabilty (and at the risk of incurring the wrath of AN) I'd say an otter got it.

 

 

Chris, if you look at the fins on the fish they're bitty and rotted at the ends which was obviously how they where before the fish popped it's cloggs which suggests to me that it was in bad fettle.

[Matthew Simmons]

Decided to fish for pike on saturday on the Loddon - fished deads and leapfrogged every hour - not a touch. Not surprised - there we big chunks of ice floating down the river! M