Lower Itchen Fish-in

[lyn]

Well thanks to chesters1 the 'chuck wagon' cooker is back in action and safe!! so mulled wine and bacon rolls will be available at the end of the day. I would like to point out that chesters kindly fixed the cooker for nothing stating that was his contribution to the fish in, see he's not really a grouch thanks again

 

See you all in the morning.

 

lyn

[Vagabond]

Re book Angling Vagabond - those who wanted one and still haven't got one, see the Angling Vagabond thread.

Edited March 1, 2008 by Vagabond

[Leon Roskilly]

Well thanks to chesters1 the 'chuck wagon' cooker is back in action and safe!! lyn

 

 

Chuck Wagon in action!

 

 

 

(Sue, Lyn misse you, we missed you!)

 

More Photos at:

 

http://flickr.com/photos/leonrosk/sets/72157604021281563/

[lyn]

I had a really great day even though I didn't catch. I felt like I'd done the 'tour de France' on my bike by the time I had been to the very end of the beat to find Andy to get my shiny new blue 'pin', I will write more on it but I have fallen in love with its smooth running action and will be out with it again tomorrow.

 

It is aways nice to see everyone again and despite Eltons idea for Wingham I will NOT be driving round delivering cooked breakfasts

 

Great day and great company as always roll on Wingham!

 

lyn

[Leon Roskilly]

ps Did Andy finally appear?

 

(I pm'd him)

Edited March 1, 2008 by Leon Roskilly

[lyn]

ps Did Andy finally appear?

 

(I pm'd him)

 

Yes and they all had bacon rolls and mulled wine showed him what you asked me too.

 

lyn

[Jigotai]

Yes and they all had bacon rolls and mulled wine showed him what you asked me too.

 

lyn

 

Sorry I kept you waiting, I found it really hard leaving I was enjoying myself so much. Thanks for the bacon rolls and the drink at the end, they were much appreciated.

 

Thanks also to Seph for organising another great fish-in.

 

I'm a bit knackered a the moment so I'll post a full report tomorrow.

[Will Wilkinson]

What a cracking day - thanks to Paul for organising it.

 

I didn't land a lot of fish, but the quality made up for the quantity. I only landed 1 Grayling of 15oz 8drm (PB) but lost 2 others, one around the same size and a MUCH bigger one that might have been close to 3lb that dived into the marginal weed just as I was about to net it. Also had a few brownies between 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds and a small Salmon between 1 1/2 & 2 lb, my first ever (didn't weigh it as it had fought hard and I wanted to get it straight back in).

 

3 PBs (Thought it was 2 but on checking my list realised the biggest brown trout of the day was also a PB)

 

The day started at 5am for me, leaving the house at 6.15 in the dark. Saw a barn owl just as dawn was breaking on the drive down which was a great bonus, it flew out of a tree on the other side of the road and turned in front of me giving a fantastic view.

 

Arrived near the fishery too early to go straight in (we weren't allowed onto the fishery until 9), but a little to late to be worth going to Asda for breakfast so parked up and walked along the river downstream. There's a short section of free fishing here near the White Swan that looks nice although apparently doesn't produce many Grayling, you can even park directly next to most pegs.

 

Drove up to meet everyone and collect the centre-pin I was trying out from Andy (Jigotai), took a little stroll up the lower reaches of the river (and saw the first Buzzard of the day, there was a pair circling overhead through much of the day) and then drove to the end of the track before deciding to fish just below the no fishing section where there was a nice pool with a few features followed by a longer, partially reed lined, glide.

 

Set up Andy's 'pin on my self-built 13' match rod built on an early Diawa carbon blank, I remember saving for it when I was 17 - just the blank was nearly £150 and there was no way I could afford the built rod at £300 It's served me very well over the years though, landing many of my PB fish and is by far my favourite piece of equipment.

 

The 'pin was a lovely tool to use, fantastically free running and beautifully engineered, far superior to my Okuma Sheffield which I'd been really pleased with up 'till now although I took a little while to get used to using handles - I usually retrieve by sticking a thumb in the spokes. The ratchet on-off knob was properly placed on Andy's 'pin as well, easily engaged with my index finger while holding the rod with the same hand, something I can't do with the Okuma where the knob's not only too low, but also needs finger and thumb to turn.

 

Started off in the pool, steadily feeding maggots, and had my first bite 4th trot down but missed it. Next trot and as I held back hard at the bottom of the run, the float slid under. A firm strike and the first fish of the day was hooked. A short but spirited fight followed (boy do these Grayling go some) and soon the first fish of the day (and the only Grayling I was to land) was in the net. No matter what I did I couldn't persuade the scales that it made the pound mark, so I settled for 15oz 8drm, a new PB in any case and it wasn't yet half-past ten. I kept fishing the pool for another hour, but no more fish came, although I had several missed bites and lost a small trout when it shook the hook free.

 

Decided to rest the fishing for a bit before moving onto the glide so went for a walk and a chat with some of those fishing downstream of me. Spotted a water vole swimming along the far bank which I'd have missed otherwise and managed to get out of the wind for a bit which was pleasant.

 

Back to the fishing, I moved 20 yards downstream to the top of the glide and, again feeding steadily, started to explore the swim. Had a small trout on the 3rd trot down, then missed several rapid bites, lost a small Grayling as it twisted and threw the hook, then had a bite, struck and thought I'd hit the weed (again). As I applied pressure the "weed" woke up and shot off across the river at some speed After a slightly more protracted fight I caught the first glimpse of a huge Grayling that was well over twice the size of the first one I'd landed but just as I was about to slip the net under it it made a final lunge for freedom and disappeared into the marginal weed. Steady pressure failed to extract it, neither did a slack line so more pressure was applied but the hooklength wasn't up to it and eventually parted at the hook knot. Somewhat disappointed to have failed to land this fish I carried on fishing, and was soon rewarded by the biggest brownie of the day at 3 1/2lb, not quite as prettily marked as some of the smaller fish, so I suspect he was a stockie (talking to the keeper earlier had revealed that their minimum stock size is 3lb so any fish smaller than this is wild), but a very good fighter. Several casts later produced the biggest surprise of the day for me - a small Salmon of between 1 1/2 and 2 lb, this gave the second hardest fight of the day after the big Grayling.

 

The bites slowed down mid-afternoon, and only a couple of small trout came from them, so I decided to try a couple of other swims on my way back to the bottom of the fishery but despite a couple of bites no more fish were forthcoming.

 

Had a brief try in the pool below the sluices on the tip to see if I could tempt a Barbel - apparently a 12lb+ fish was caught from here recently - but without success (could have done with much heavier gear to hold bottom in the flow).

 

Lyn provided much appreciated mulled wine, bacon and sausage baps, hot-cross buns and tea

 

After a while Andy appeared and I was able to return the 'pin with a request for a slight change to the spool to accommodate those of us who like to wind with finger/thumb rather than handles.

 

Left at 6:45 for the long drive home, arriving tired but happy just before 9.

 

I'll definitely be wanting one of Andy's AN 'pins now, it's spoilt me for the Okuma

 

Looking forward to Wingham now, assuming I manage to get a place.

 

Will

[Dick Dastardly]

Well as usual had a really enjoyable day on the Itchen.The annual trek (no where near as tedious mind you from Mitcham as it is from Ashford!) down to the LIF started off a bit bad as I over slept! but leaving from Mitcham it was much quicker and I still managed to be at ASDA's for brekfast.In fact first in the que but let a few go in front so people couldnt take the mick!

 

The weather was similar to the other years Ive been down being bright and windy but it was a lot warmer,in fact stayed in my shorts all day.The river though was quite cloudy and up 10" to a foot on what Ive fished it before.

 

Went up to the swim I normally fish on the Coarse Syndicate section just below the rail bridge.The back eddy on the U bend was full of floating rubbish but as it had produced well for me before I settled there.

 

Even harder to fish than usual but I percevered.Was certainly slow compared to normal years but I could see Fay and Vidar getting a few just up from me so stuck it out.Last year (I didnt fish at the last minute due to waking up and not being able to move my neck!) it was also pants apparently but that was explained by Fay catching a good pike that was obviously hold up there out of the current.it was possibly the same this year.

 

First fish was well into the day and soon as I hooked it knew it was a good one.Now a 4lb Chub might not be much to a lot of you but as I had only ever caught one of this size before I was well pleased.Even weighed and photographed it.

 

 

Next trot a minnow! needless to say I didnt bother weighing and photographing that!.A few minutes later I struck in to a bite and by the time I had manouvered out of all the floating rubbish it was right down in the slack of the swim it was very slow moving with only the occaisional nod of the head to let me know that it was a fish and not a log! also Ive hooked very few logs that move against the current! sadlly after another three or four minutes all went slack and I came back hookless the line having gone just above the hook.Most likely a good pike,maybe even the one from last year!

 

Mind you after that the fishing picked up and I had another three Grayling.Smaller than I have become used to in this swim at around 1 1/4 - 1 1/2lb. Great sport though and terrific looking fish as allways.

 

Packed up early and went down to see a few people and do my bit helping Lynn get rid of all those bacon and sausage rolls!

 

Thanks to Paul for sorting out yet another great AN Itchen Fish In and to Lynn for making sure we all didnt waste away!

Edited March 2, 2008 by BUDGIE

[Andrew Burgess]

The River Itchen get better and better every year and again had another cracking day.

 

Our day started a bit late due to Budgie alarm clock went silence even if he was awake. We rush like mad to load the Range Rover up and hurried like mad to refuel and hopefully got to the ADSA big breakfast. But to our surprise that we was the first one at the breakfast!

 

I decided to go up to the bridge for a change and really give it a go on the float and centre pin - well it proved to be tougher than I thought but manage to catch a small grayling on a float.

 

By midday thing was going to been tougher than I thought and at this stage still only one small grayling! Well I was thinking of moving down the river as it is a very long walk back to the car park. (due to my leg ucler was playing up again) So I went moving down to another peg. There is a peg where I did really fancy it - where the river split into two section.

 

 

I have already set up the feeder rod before coming to the fishery with a 50 grams kamasan black cap blockend feeder with the mainline of braid 10lb (2lb mono thickness) and 4lb mono to a 2.1lb hooklenght with a size 16 hook.

 

I set the feeder rod in position and not long was already getting knocks on the quivertip but still missing them, so in the case waiting for positives bite than little knocks. The first three fish on the feeder were brown trout in the 1lb - 2lb bracket.

 

 

It went quiet for a while and I decided to increased the rate of chucking maggots into the water along with the feeder. The quivertip went round and the fish, sort of tail walk (fish jumping out out the water) a few times. By the time I netted it and a closer inspection of the fish - Just wonder is this might a sea trout? Any clues fellow members?

 

 

Well I was still hoping for a big grayling to show up and things was getting a bit desperate to scale down the hook and hooklenght. Cast out into the river, and increase the rate of chucking a few red maggots every 30 second. All of sudden everything went! Quivertip bang right round and fish was on, but as it came the the surface I realise it was a big grayling. So I played it cool in order not to lose it as I was on a very light hooklenght.

 

I quickly weight it and it went to 2lb 6ozs

 

 

Budgie and I pack up early for the social gathering!

 

Lyn - Thanks for the bacon and sausages roll as they were beautiful.

 

I will look forward it for next year.