Thanks, Seph

[Elton]

I'd like to say thanks to Seph for organising the Itchen Fish-In. You did well, fella

 

Also to Tony and Sue for the mulled wine session and to everyone who attended. Nice to see so many faces.

 

Tight lines,

 

Elton

[KAYC]

I'd like to say thanks to Seph for organising the Itchen Fish-In. You did well, fella

 

Also to Tony and Sue for the mulled wine session and to everyone who attended. Nice to see so many faces.

 

Tight lines,

 

Elton

 

Ditto

[Anthony78]

Well I've just returned home from the fantastic River Itchen. I had a brilliant day. But first of all I'd like to say a big thank you to Seph for organising the fish-in, also thanks for the bacon sarnie, and the hooks, oh and last but not least for taking photo's of me and my lovely PB Grayling. I'd also like to say thanks to Malc for the advice on how to fish the river and for feeding a swim for me to poach later on in the day. Thanks mate Oh and thanks to the lady that went to the trouble of preparing some mulled wine for everybody( sorry I didn't catch your name)

 

Now to the fishing, when we finally found the river (Seph forgot how to get to the fishery ) The river was spot on, It was dropping and with just a tinge of colour it looked perfect. I couldn't wait to get set up and today was a special occasion as it was my first time out with my new centrepin. I set up an 8bb Avon float on 4lb drennan floatfish straight through to a size 17 barbless hook. My first swim was actually pointed out to me by Malc(cheers mate ), it was a deep channel on the outside of a bend. I started off by feeding a handful of maggots and ran the float through over the top. My first cast was uneventful but on my second trot through my float dissappeared and I leaned in to a very nice brownie of about 3 1/2lb which leaped all over the river. I had christened my pin, unfortunately it wasn't the target species but at least I wasn't going to blank. That was to be my only fish out of that swim so I ventured further up river. I had now got a little more confident with my pin so when I found a swim with a nice little channel about two rod lengths out and after I had a few pointers on casting from Vidar(thanks mate ) I was fishing like a pro. About half a dozen casts later I had a 3 1/2lb chub on the bank. Again not what I was after but I was having a lot of fun. After that fish I really struggled so we headed back to the car park for a well earned bacon butty and to compare catches.

After watching Andrew burgess lose ?? fish on the feeder I decided to give the float a rest for a bit and to concentrate on some of the slacks with a maggot feeder hoping for a big chub. I din't find any, but I did manage another trout that I am sure was the same fish I had on my second cast of the day as It came from the same area. Either that or it was his twin brother. anyway, as I was sat there watching a motionless tip I noticed that Malc hadn't gone back to the swim that he'd had his grayling from. So in the blink of an eye I was there running a float down my prebaited and, dare I say it, poached peg(sorry mate but I was getting desperate). For the first half an hour I couldn't get a bite but when I was searching in my pocket for my line floatant I found my small bait dropper and immediately cursed myself for not thinking of it sooner. I think it would have made a massive difference if I'd have used it from the start. I dropped 2 loads of maggots in the centre of the flow and within 10 minutes I was landing my first grayling of the day. It was only about a pound but it was my first for many years. Another 10 minutes passed before I hooked in to a much larger fish which gave a very good account of itself, twisting and turning in the current like only grayling do. It was a new PB of 2lb 2oz and I was ecstatic. The very next cast I lost a fish of around the same size right at the net and that was to be the pattern for the next half an hour. They were obviously aware that their shoal members were dissappearing and were feeding very cautiously resulting in me losing a string of fish due to hook pulls. It wasn't untill Seph came along with some barbed hooks that I managed to catch another grayling, and what a fish it was. When it slid over the net Seph's first words were " that looks like a 3 mate" I wasn't so sure but It was deffinately another PB. On the scales it went 2lb 9oz, and after a few snaps and nearly falling in trying to return it I was made up. I did manage another chub but no more grayling so we called it a day.

If you did manage to get this far without nodding off thank you for reading my report and if you were there I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If you weren't there then you missed a brilliant day and I hope to see you all next year.

Hopefully there will be some pics to follow soon.

Ant

Edited February 18, 2007 by Anthony78

[Vagabond]

I'd like to say thanks to Seph for organising the Itchen Fish-In. You did well, fella

 

Also to Tony and Sue for the mulled wine session and to everyone who attended.

 

Hear hear, your efforts are much appreciated Seph

 

Sorry to have missed the mulled wine, but on our way down (starting whilst still dark) we discovered the offside headlight bulb had gone. Needless to say, it was the one bulb missing from our replacement pack. We left early so as to be home before dark, and avoid the attentions of Officer Dibble (to say nothing of the danger of an oncoming vehicle mistaking our one headlight for a motorcycle!)

 

Norma had an enjoyable day's bird watching in the Lower Itchen Country Park, and as for me - to quote A.K.Best "Another success - I intended to go fishing, and that's exactly what I did"

Edited February 19, 2007 by Vagabond

[KAYC]

 

 

Fabulous chub, Well played

Edited February 19, 2007 by KAYC

[KAYC]

A few more pics.

 

 

 

[Tony U]

Well Sue and I greatly enjoyed ourselves even if we were not on the fish; next time we will try the swims by the Mill and those above the footbridge.

We will continue to provide the mulled wine at these events just to carry on Gerry Castle's tradition;

and for those of you who did not stay over you missed a great night out at the Bengal Brasserie Curry house.

 

 

Tony

[Matt Baldwin]

kev where are the pics?

[KAYC]

kev where are the pics?

 

Sorry Matt heres your PB chub 3lb 6oz the other pics are on your phone Hope you had a good day.

[gozzer]

Great pics KAYC, looks like some of you had a good day. It's a bit far for me, but, some day?

 

The grayling with the bite marks? Did it get taken on the way in, or did Mr Murphy just get a bit peckish? :rolleyes:

 

 

John.