Big bream

[Anderoo]

Well, I had a go at putting it all into practice. A swim which has produced bream in the past (with, luckily, the right wind blowing into it), a baiting strategy to create a fairly big bed of attraction with little actual food, spodded out in the afternoon several hours before dark, a balanced bait which should prove attractive to bream but which hopefully eels couldn't take, and a rig I was confident with. A very different approach to my tench fishing there.

 

Blow me if I didn't go and catch one! My previous PB was 7lb 8oz...this was 15lb 12oz (She'd recently spawned - I wonder what she weighed a couple of weeks ago?)

 

 

I'm SO chuffed! I think I've figured out the secret recipe:

 

50% being on the right water

40% luck (includes swim selection...)

9% getting the baiting right

1% rig and bait selection

 

 

In the context of this topic, it took a pellet topped with fake corn (I'm convinced that this means nothing - any eel-proof bait would have been fine) on a semi-fixed bolt rig (ditto), at 4.30 am. It was a funny bite, the bobbin rose slowly to the rod and stayed there - I stood next to the rod and the tip was knocking so I lifted into it half expecting an eel, but found myself latched onto a heavy weight that didn't really do much. I went a bit to pieces thinking that it might be a bream, but when it got under the rod tip and I saw it my legs went wobbly and my heart started racing - it kept shaking its head trying to throw the hook and it took what felt like an age to draw it over the net. It's been a few days now, and I still shake when I think about that moment!

 

I'd better hang up my rods for the rest of the season, god only knows what karma has in store...

 

Huge thanks to Steve, Budgie and Alex who have been so helpful and pointed me in the right direction. Still, you can do everything right and blank for many years at Wingham - it comes down to pure luck really. I've never been a lucky angler, but now I know why - it's been saving up for last Thursday night

[Kappa]

Well, I had a go at putting it all into practice. A swim which has produced bream in the past (with, luckily, the right wind blowing into it), a baiting strategy to create a fairly big bed of attraction with little actual food, spodded out in the afternoon several hours before dark, a balanced bait which should prove attractive to bream but which hopefully eels couldn't take, and a rig I was confident with. A very different approach to my tench fishing there.

 

Blow me if I didn't go and catch one! My previous PB was 7lb 8oz...this was 15lb 12oz (She'd recently spawned - I wonder what she weighed a couple of weeks ago?)

 

 

I'm SO chuffed! I think I've figured out the secret recipe:

 

50% being on the right water

40% luck (includes swim selection...)

9% getting the baiting right

1% rig and bait selection

 

 

In the context of this topic, it took a pellet topped with fake corn (I'm convinced that this means nothing - any eel-proof bait would have been fine) on a semi-fixed bolt rig (ditto), at 4.30 am. It was a funny bite, the bobbin rose slowly to the rod and stayed there - I stood next to the rod and the tip was knocking so I lifted into it half expecting an eel, but found myself latched onto a heavy weight that didn't really do much. I went a bit to pieces thinking that it might be a bream, but when it got under the rod tip and I saw it my legs went wobbly and my heart started racing - it kept shaking its head trying to throw the hook and it took what felt like an age to draw it over the net. It's been a few days now, and I still shake when I think about that moment!

 

I'd better hang up my rods for the rest of the season, god only knows what karma has in store...

 

Huge thanks to Steve, Budgie and Alex who have been so helpful and pointed me in the right direction. Still, you can do everything right and blank for many years at Wingham - it comes down to pure luck really. I've never been a lucky angler, but now I know why - it's been saving up for last Thursday night

 

Congratulations again! That is a HUGE bream!

 

Rich

[dant]

Thats one hell of a fish there!! Many congrats. You're reaping the rewards of putting some pretty serious bank hours in. You deserve it!

Lovely looking fish.

There can't really be that many people who've had Bream to over 15 lb's.. Excellent work old boy, excellent!!

[Jigotai]

Nice one Andrew, that's a giant! Well deserved too, you've put a lot of time and effort in for that one.

[Dick Dastardly]

I was so pleased for you when you told me this weekend mate.More 15+ bream captors on this site than anywhere else on the net I would sugest?

[Anderoo]

I was so pleased for you when you told me this weekend mate.More 15+ bream captors on this site than anywhere else on the net I would sugest?

 

Must be - I can think of 6!

 

Thanks everyone

[Guest tigger]

Well done that man what a catch and it looks in beautiful nick

[Kappa]

it comes down to pure luck really.

 

By the way, I don't think thats true in your case! Planned, executed, succeeded!

 

Rich

[Guest tigger]

By the way, I don't think thats true in your case! Planned, executed, succeeded!

 

Rich

 

 

Absolutely !

 

Anderoo, that wouldn't be a Wingham fish would it ?

Edited July 8, 2008 by tigger

[Will Wilkinson]

Well done, what a corker of a Bream.

 

Will