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Hello from London!


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Hello, My name is Ralph and I live in London with my wife Sue. I did not start fishing until 18 months ago. Before that I had never even thought about going fishing and had never held a live fish! Imagine my shock when I hooked and landed a reasonable size common carp! Within a few hours I had landed four of them. Well that was it, I was hooked (sorry). I was 58 years old, so you see I came to this late in life. In a few weeks time I will be 60 and my only regret is I did not take this up sooner. To save repeating lots of it here, you can read the whole story of my fishing adventures on my purely for fun fishing blog (no adverts or commercial links).

 

In brief, I started waggler float fishing after watching a few videos using some cheap tackle. I them got involved in match fishing by entering a few friendly local matches. I am also keen on light lure and urban fishing. It is a convenient way of fishing for a few hours in London, especially on the Regent's Canal.

 

Recently I have acquired a small pole (9,5m) and a seat-box to get a foot into pole fishing. at the moment I am tying to master dealing with those tiny N.10 and 12 shots.

 

That's me so far. I like to think of myself as a bit of an all rounder, keen to try new methods. A planed move out of London, later this year, to the coast might fine me exploring a spot of sea fishing. I am no expert and probably never will be, but I get as much pleasure out of learning as I do out of fishing.

 

Ralph.

It was T H I S big, honest!

 

My Blog

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Hello Ralph and welcome to Anglers Net :)

 

There's a few people from London on here plus some who regularly fish the upper Thames. No matter where you are or what you fish for, you are sure to enjoy it.

John S

Quanti Canicula Ille In Fenestra

 

Species caught in 2017 Common Ash, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, White Willow.

Species caught in 2016: Alder, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Crab Apple, Left Earlobe, Pedunculate Oak, Rock Whitebeam, Scots Pine, Smooth-leaved Elm, Swan, Wayfaring tree.

Species caught in 2015: Ash, Bird Cherry, Black-Headed Gull, Common Hazel, Common Whitebeam, Elder, Field Maple, Gorse, Puma, Sessile Oak, White Willow.

Species caught in 2014: Big Angry Man's Ear, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Common Whitebeam, Downy Birch, European Beech, European Holly, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, Wych Elm.
Species caught in 2013: Beech, Elder, Hawthorn, Oak, Right Earlobe, Scots Pine.

Species caught in 2012: Ash, Aspen, Beech, Big Nasty Stinging Nettle, Birch, Copper Beech, Grey Willow, Holly, Hazel, Oak, Wasp Nest (that was a really bad day), White Poplar.
Species caught in 2011: Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Elder, Fir, Hawthorn, Horse Chestnut, Oak, Passing Dog, Rowan, Sycamore, Willow.
Species caught in 2010: Ash, Beech, Birch, Elder, Elm, Gorse, Mullberry, Oak, Poplar, Rowan, Sloe, Willow, Yew.

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A welcome from me as well. Since you are a youngster of 60, you should have at least 20-30 more years to enjoy the sport. :fishing1:

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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Thanks for the welcome!

 

Fishing the upper part of the Thames is just about as far as you can get from where I live and still be in London! It is not impossible, by any means, but it is not on my doorstep as it might seem. It is easier for me to fish in the rivers that run through the towns in Kent such as Maidstone and Canterbury.

 

The only canal that ran anywhere near me was the Surrey Carnal but that was filled in when I was a kid. Since then a park has been built over part of it and in the 1980's a large lake was dug. That is stocked with fish, some decent size specimens too, but that is not a solo venue as it is too public and you cant leave your gear to answer a call of nature or to get some food.

 

I tend to stick to day-ticket commercials at the moment. They suit me especially while I am getting to grips with this whole new fishing thing. Eighteen months in and I have learnt a lot. I still have an awful lot to learn, having only scratched the surface, but that is the bit I enjoy. I am in the process of tying pole rigs for my new 9.5m (cheap!) pole and plan to get out to the bank this weekend to give it a go...

 

Ralph.

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It was T H I S big, honest!

 

My Blog

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Ralph, we used to have a member from London, a Gerry Castles. Like you he enjoyed lure fishing and was very successful at it, having had good pike from the Broads and excellent perch from the Thames. He was very much into finesse styles, eventually buying a boat that he kept at Penton Hook. Gerry's enthusiasm and successes, for a London based angler, were a great credit to him. He also proved quite conclusively that fishing in London was well worth while.

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Zander a viable target as far up as Chertsey possibly higher but certainly Shepperton where there are good Perch as well and even cats have fallen to guys lure fishing here

Something different is the size and number of Ruffe in the lower around here they must have predatory tendencies for ultra lite lures

Walton on Thames is a good area for big Perch and the local tackle there a good place for info even if the fella makes happy Tone from Thatcham seem full of the joys

The Thames Anglers Conservancy forum is a good place to meet fishing buddies and glean some info I only get down the lower bits once or twice a year

We are not putting it back it is a lump now put that curry down and go and get the scales

have I told you abouit the cruise control on my Volvo ,,,,,,,bla bla bla Barder rod has it come yet?? and don`t even start me on Chris Lythe :bleh::icecream:

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