Wingham conundrum

[Andrew Burgess]

Steve Burke:

 

Excuse the 2 finger salute!

[jedibond]

Top fish Steve, nice to see the effort rewarded !

[Nutshell]

Cracking tench!

 

[ 30. June 2005, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: Nutshell ]

[Steve Burke]

3 rods, although nothing came to the 3rd rod at all. Simple running ledger with either sweetcorn, lobs, dendras or maggots. Loose feed only.

 

Rods set really high with bobbin indicators on a long drop to help show the difference between liners and proper bites. That's very, very important when after big bream, although as I said I still struck a liner - and promptly spooked the fish!

 

However, on a water like Wingham baits and methods aren't nearly as important as location. Get that wrong and you'll blank. It's not just the right swim, it's finding the hot spots within the swim. In this one I've found only two so far, hence the third rod producing nothing - not even a bite.

 

Edit note: this was in reply to Nutshell's question about how many rods and the bait/tactics I used.

 

[ 30. June 2005, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

[Tog]

Terrifc Tench Steve.

 

When you say, 'Behind the wind' do you mean 'Windward or Up wind' ie the wind on your back when facing the lake? or Down wind - leward with the wind in your face when facing the lake?

 

I'm somewhat confused by the weather at present and have generaly thought it better to face a cool wind, as the cooler water should come down the lake on top and decend under your feet to be cycled round and come back up hot at the windward end. (assuming the fishies want cool water)

But on the lakes I've been on the fish don't seem to be more active anywhere? (not very active!)

[Leon Roskilly]

 

TL - leon

[Steve Burke]

Tog, by "behind the wind" I mean with the wind on my back when facing the water.

 

I too was confused by this situation as I mentioned. I suspect what happened is that the north-easterly wind blew the top warm layer of water away to the south-westerly end of the lake. This then allowed cooler water to rise to the surface at the north-easterly end, where I fished.

 

Hence, for a while anyway, there was the unusual situation of the coolest water being where there was least wind. And of course after the heatwave it was the cooler water the fish wanted.

 

Another factor to consider is the amount of oxygen in the water. In high temperatures this can get too low for the fish to feed. Usually a wind ruffling the surface increases the amount of oxygen. In this case low oxygen turned out not to be a problem, although of course I didn't know that when I arrived. It might well have been on a smaller, shallower water. I'd add that my Coarse Lake is 40 acres with depths of up to 24 feet.

 

[ 30. June 2005, 10:43 AM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

[Nutshell]

quote:

---

Edit note: this was in reply to Nutshell's question about how many rods and the bait/tactics I used. [/QB]

---

Hi Steve. Thanks a lot for that. Sorry I deleted my question! After I posted the question I re-read the thread and noticed that you had given some more information in the post with the photo. Therefore, I went back and deleted my question!

 

Anyway, many thanks for taking the time to answer. I really appreciate it (and I'm sure many others do too.)

 

[Vagabond]

What a cracking tench Steve! - well done mate.

 

Now here is a conundrum of my own, from the same venue.

 

Last time I fished there, I got three perch in quick succession, all around 4.30 am. This one, about a pound in weight took the float under - I struck, and thought "medium perch" at which point the rod slammed over and several yards of line left the clutch.

 

"No, a better perch" I thought, at which point the pull ceased, and medium resistance only was felt. "Hmm, one of Steve's pet pike" I muttered as I wound in this perch.

 

The lower back was skinned, BOTH SIDES. Took a picture to show Norma when she got back from her Cetti Warbler hunt.

 

 

Took a look at the enlarged version when we got home - and would like few "second opinions".

 

No teeth marks were visible - in fact the skinning is similar to that one gets on smaller livebaits when perch fishing.

 

But look at the size of the bite ! (compare with artery forceps top right)

 

If it WAS a perch that did the damage, how big would it be ? Pretty massive IMHO.

 

Whatever, I'm going back to try again!

 

[ 30. June 2005, 11:37 AM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

[Severn Wolf]

What a great looking fish! Well done Steve, thats a donkey for sure.