2008 Was It a Good Year For You?

[john-d]

After 20 years of trying to beat a personnel best eel of 5lb's, this year I had a eel of 6lb 9oz. Although it was a fish I'd dreamed about for years, the next eel I caught a week later was less than a third of its size I was just as happy...well almost.

Taking my 11 year old son cat fishing and seeing him catch a 36lb 14oz fish, the look on his face will remain with me forever. Minutes later he was back to catching small roach and perch, I asked him which he liked best the big cat or the little silver fish, his reply was "I just like catching fish dad".

This year I decided to fish with a centerpin more often than just once or twice. My best fish was a 2lb 15oz perch on a lob worm fished on my local River Derwent, and on a home made float too.

[ahop0911]

....how about you?

 

Great for me - got back into angling after 20 years in purgatory! Realised what I'd been missing. Happy Days are here again

[wellyphant]

2008 should have been a good year for me because i left my girlfriend of 3 years who hated me going fishing and kicked off every time i dared to mention it,yes,i was well under the thumb..Free at last and the world being my oyster i accepted the invitation to fish the lower ebro with some mates where previously i had to decline the offer..We went in april,when in previous years the river was in flood and the cats were havin it..This year though the river was very low and we only managed to land 3 cats between 5 of us,me not being one of the lucky ones.It was only on the fourth morning(day of departure)i caught a couple of double figure carp from the bank saving me from total humilliation.The rest of the year hasn't been much better either,except for a couple of decent tench sessions in may with a new pb of 7lbs..After that,all down hill,,the most fishing i've done for ages with the worst results..The highlight of my year was watching my 9 year old daughter collect the 1st place under 12's trophy after fishing a match on the lancaster canal,she was made up...

[WickerDave]

It's been an enjoyable year on the mixed fish puddles. My local fisheries have been quiet angler wise this year, even on the warm evenings, which added to the enjoyment. I got close to my first 20lb carp with a 19½lb floatfished caught fish at the end of May, and then finally achieved it with a 21¾lb surface caught fish a month later .

[richjones]

I have learnt a vast amount about fishing during 2008, both techniques and skills (mainly patience!).

 

I have caught good grayling, good chub and pb pike and bream, however, overall 2008 has been a bad year for me.

 

Back in july i was grayling fishing with my dad, catching well and a perfect sunset was approaching. All of a sudden i felt ill and had to lie down.

Next thing i knew i was waking up in intensive care and it was 2 days later!

 

To cut a long story short, my heart stopped and i came within a minute of my life ending on the banks of my favorite stretch of river.

 

They diagnosed it as wolf parkinson white syndrome and i am now back to 100% with nothing to worry about.

 

the worst thing was missing 6 weeks of summertime fishing though!

 

Still, im only 21 and i'm now looking forward to plenty more summers full of fishing trips! bring on 2009!

[Peter M]

Well due to my wife’s illness and work commitments this year I have done less In terms of hours on the bank. I let a club membership lapse and did no carp fishing at all this year. I mainly concentrated on finding new stretches of my local river Stort including a nice side stream where I caught a nice chub of four pounds and one of 3 and a half pounds; as well as a much bigger one when I had left my scales at home that could have topped 5 pounds which would have been a PB. I also had a Pb for the stort bream of 4 and a half pounds on opening day of the season. I caught a 5 and a half pound Tench from my local commercial Timberlands in Harlow which I was pleased with.

 

My autumn perch fishing in pursuit of a 2 pounder fell flat on its face and I only caught a few small ones but I have learned a lot by trying (and reading the reports on here from many of you) and I have enjoyed the chase.

 

Next year I want to go out sea fishing again as I did none this year, and carry on fishing my local waters.

[Robeano]

I started to write that I'd had an average year but now I think about it it's been pretty good! None of the PB's were massive on a national (or even local!) scale but I was still pleased.

 

January - New PB pike of 15 pounds and ounces

 

May - A new PB tench of 5.10lb

 

June - First Thames barbel just under 7 pounds

 

July - Although I've stalked a lot of carp before I saw a 17lb common suck up my bunch of maggots in about 12" of crystal clear water 3 feet from the bank. Fantastic!

 

August - New PB barbel - 9.09lb from the River Soar in Leicestershire (a good 'un for that river)

 

October - Had my first proper attempt at pole fishing and landed a 13lb common after a 35 minute fight on 2.5lb hooklink.

 

Roll on 2009!

 

Robin

[poledark]

Compared to some other years, this has been a funny old year for me. A few PB's, Carp 40.04 (english) tench 9 14 , pike 20.02, Rudd 1.6. Wingham unsettled me It gave me the urge for a double figure tench, and I ended up with a 40lb carp:) and 20lb pike (both on maggot feeder)

 

Accidental capture of a decent roach set me off to see just how big they had grown in the 7 year old lake I was fishing, and I caught them to 1.6. One of the highlights for me I really don't think there is a better feeling in fishing, than catching a big roach by design, seeing the float bury and feeling the pull of a good fish, and then the glorious sight of that chunky silvery body..........magic

 

Rudd, well what can you say about them? stunning fish, looking forward to even bigger next year, but for now, it is the search for a "proper" 20+ pike

 

All in all, a good year, but by golly, I don't half have a selection of tackle in my van now, carp/pike rods, feeder rods, match/waggler rods. A couple of poles, three different landing nets and 3 handles. Several tackle boxes (I can never find anything these days Even two different unhooking mats. The passenger area is full of sacks and tins and bags of various baits/groundbaits/pellets etc

 

Den

Edited December 9, 2008 by poledark

[Neil G]

Hasn't been great for me really, have struggled piking on the rivers this year where last year it was relatively easy.

 

Have got into Fly fishing for pike though which I have had some success with and look forward to taking that further along with trying to catch my first catfish next year.

 

2008 not over yet though

[1superken]

Its been pretty good actually i hadnt realised until i heard my mates complaining what a poor year they have had . Ive had lots of big bags of fish ive had Tench to 8lb Carp to 24lb & im hopefull of a nice Pike this weekend so quietly away yes i suppose its been a decent year