8/7 Saturday

24 hours match on main lake, due to family commitments could'nt enter, £35 entry inc Evening meal and breakfastand £140 for biggest weight...14 pegger only.

Managed to escape and go fishing in afternoon, arrived bank side at 3.00, there was a spare peg, but did'nt fancy it, also not just Carp, it turned out to be weight of WHATEVER you caught, at least 4 guys fishing it match style AND 2 carp rods out, thought bugger it, I'l lfish top lake, place ABSOLUTLEY RAMMED ,can tell the WC has finished .

Hooked 3, landed one, fishing just over the edge og the platform, rolling mini boilies and pellets over the edge after I saw a fish mooching around under said platform, nice common of 9Lb odd in the net and that was it...I suppose I should be grateful for small mercies.

Oh yes, while looking under over hanging bushes ajacent to platform, which I was'nt sitting on, well back so I coulsd see under it, noticed what I thought was one of those bungee lines that fish thieves use, hauled it in, it's a crayfish trap, about 16 of the feckers in it, did'nt know there were crays in lakes, spoke to bailiff about it later, these are a recent addition to the original pond life, I've fished on and off there for 13 years, first one's I've seen. now I know theres beemn comments about pan frying them with chilli but what about converting them into scampi...do you boil then fry the tails, cut into pices and bread crumbed, or do crumb the tails ,cut into pieces and fry them to cook ?..answers on a post card please 'cause I love scampi, crayfish tails are'nt bad either but I've only had the ready prepared ones...

Nothing to report viz

Saturday 15/7/2006

The anticipation of catching bugger all (again) was not in vain. Another Saturday spent baiting up, sun bathing and generally giving myself and the kit an airing

Saturday 22/7/2006

Repeat of previous weekend...if anything a damn sight hotter..whats the melting point of Garner GR60 in 12Lb , well not quite true...3 runs, one fell off, one cut off, a cut off on this lake ?????? and landed a fish of about 6lbs, I suppose I should be grateful for small mercies. After cutoff put on 12' of ESP braided shock leader, but no runs to say it sorted problem out.

Sunday 30/7/2006

After a bit of a chinwag with pete, had a dig aroung in the garage, bait factory car never goes in it , and found a few ounces of a Haiths product, enough to bolster a 15 egg mix which I put tograther Saturday night...just over 2K's of boilies.

(Yeah I know, I dont do Sundays, but she who must be obeyed had an invite to event I was'nt wanted at so I'd collared a whole day upfront...7.00am to 9.00pm .)

At lake a 7.00, even Matt, the bailiff, commented on my early arrival, but more to the point, got in the swim I've been baiting hard for 8 weeks odd now, but it's so open...feeding little and often all through session, that the numpties who predominate dont realise what you're doing, but then I have'nt been catching from it either, however methinks there'll be fights for said swim in future , but I digress.

Set up gear, go for a walk-a-bout as there's guys on who've done the night, as it turns out it's been very quiet, Lee the trumpet maker, seriously thats what he does for a living and his M8, the baiting king () have been on since Criday, I'd have gone home a while ago and not doing very well at all.

Back to the plot,swim to you and me, and appx 50 assorted boilies go under the over hanging bush I've mentioned previoulsy, by assorted I.m referring to baits with slightly different base makeup, and also different enzyme levels...one mushes quickly, the other more slowly so the fish get something to nosebag on. It's 8.30 by the time I'm sorted out and the liners/false alarms start almost immidiatley, by 9.15 I'm hacked off so, out comes the rod and I tie up a fresh stiffie, but as a longer hooklink, back out it goes...15 minutes later its awaaaaayyyyy...lovely looking appx 15lb mirror, well worth a picture it's such a pretty fish, I get a photogrpher lined up and then cant find the bloody battey's for the camera. I dont know if I have a fault but batteys dont last that long in this camera, ah correction, I'm catching or have caught so few fish this year, the batterys have been dead on me twice. O, after fish is put back hoome and everyone has returned to their swims carried on their walks around lake I eventually find the batterys in a Tupperware box containh tubes of coffee and sugar ., well at least camera is up and running.

More boilies under the bush, also put other rod out on a bar at about 15 yds, this the place I got cut off on last week, this rod does nothing, despite moving it about, until about 3.oo when I do a bit of marker work, find a nice little spot, catty 50 boilies out and await results.

The bush rod produces 5 fish at about 1 hourly intervals, BUT, I.ve had to pile bait in to achieve this, and also modify postitioning of the hook bait, it's not actually 'under' the bush ,but from ax the lake I'm told it looks as if it is .

The bar gives up 3 fish at around 4.00 and deffo 5.15 then 6.00, all commons, one with very odd markings,it's the only fish I bothered snapping, I'll post it later, unfortunatley the lad who took the snap aint done a very good job

So, I've ONLY packed up at 7.30 because I've run out of bait, but I'm hungry/tired and more to the point, I've had the best days fishing all year/season, NO ONE else has had a carp, well at least not by design, if you dig,I've ended up with 8 fish, not weighed any as, without being blase, they have to LOOK bigger than previously caught fish otherwise I just put them back, smallest around 9lb best probably the first mirror which I estimate at 14lb, but I like to err on the side of caution weight wise.

Well, one thing I MUST comment on, the Century FS is a GREAT fish playing rod, for those of you who've been giving them consideration, this is the first protracted opportunity since I bought them to be able to comment, other than that they chuck a long way

Reading Dazzles Blogg, nice fish M8 , and realised I needed to update mine. Lifes been bad to me since April so I have'nt posted, although I've been out angling, as it would have reflected in my ramblings these being personal posts .

Anyway, I'm always going to miss me Dad who we lost in April and being made redundant at the end of August after 41 years service, although the icing on the cake, is'nt that bad , especially as I've now got another job and with my previous company's pension I'm actually better off .

I've mentioned in the Ultimate Nutrition thread regarding the 19 fish caught in an afternoons session so moving on, I've been back 3 times since, and have to say days like that dont come very often, do they , the scores since have been 1 fish, 0 fish and yesterday, 3 fish.

Saturday 23/9/2006

Rolled up a 15 egg mix, Fridaqy night, of PeteB specials, well old specials as mine is Petes previous pre Ultimate recipe, and left unfrozen, still have'nt got them to go mushy Pete, they're just a baarstard to roll if I overload the enzymes ..

Arriving at water at 8.30 odd, humid overcast day, which by about 10.00 had turned into a scorcher. As the swim I favour was occupied I fished the swim I would normally cast into, I'm facing the sun, the breeze is pushing the ripple towards me, fish are showing EVERYWHERE , within 3 rods lenths of bank , OK, one rod under marginal overhanging bush, you know the one , and the other rods goes out on a roving commision....do I catch anything, do I fcuk , nothing apart from the sun anyway.

12.30ish, I.m getting bored and looking to move swims, BUT there are a good few pleasure fishermen, (and more than a few carpers.....baking sun but the bivvies are up, barrows parked, one guy even had a 'Sky' pod...enough gear to go on a safari for a fortnight....and I'm not being derogatory, if you're there for a day, on a day like Saturday was, you cant move swims, easily, with all that gear , and they're not there for a weekend session) when I realise the best swim on the lake has become free, I must have been asleep

I've moved rods, sticks and ruck in 2 minutes, and I'm reset up and angling to my known spots in 5 minutes, which an hour later have decided to be 'were' known spots , so I decide to pull rods in and cast to showing fish. The breeze is'nt constant, and the lake is periodically going dead falt calm, so the rods are placed on regular 'bubblers', still no joy and it's getting on for 2.00, then a fish, a good one, crashes out, rod in, rod out, bang on the money and follow through with 40 baits well spread around spot.
Crash, another fish shows, no more than 2 rod lenths from bank(sorry platform ) to right rod. This rod comes in and out(sexy)again with a couple of handfulls of boilies sprinkled, individually,over the top.

Sit back, kettle on, do a brew, it's now 3.15 when the right hand rod goes off, a slow steady run, pick up rod and bend into it, it's been on for 5 minutes when the left hand rod goes of, a one noter with fish going to hell for leather for the other side of the lake.

Put rod I'm playing with in sticks, hit the other rod, now this feels a better fish , by now I've got a gallery, and I'm asked 'do you want me to play the other fish', I reply 'naw, you go and catch your own', but what came out was 'no thanks m8'. I've netted the 'better' fish, which has turned into a 7lb common and proceed to deal with the other one, which is the better fish, a common of 14.10oz.

The geezer who's offerd to help meanwhile is asking me questions about lead sizes, rigs, line etc, but as I was playing the other fish did'nt take a lot of notice.

Now I try to be different, VERY different, to what everyone else does, to the point that when I catch a fish I'll always unhook it in net, on this particular fishery, and drop the rig etc into the water so an audience cant see what you're doing. This guy had wound the rod in, and short of taking a photograph knew about, unfortunatley, at least one rig I've been playing with, impressed I was not, I asked him if he always did that, very very sheepish young man, the silly barrstard'll go and show all his M8's and another edge goes before you've had time to reap the full potential.

I,ve got a brace of commons, although not big, they look SO GOOD togeather, and then my effing digital has eaten it's batteries again , so the fish go back unphotographed.

Just then a guy, turns out to be John Hunt of Fox International, who has come round from other side of lake to help, both with fish and photographs, he bought his camera, turns up. We end up having a really good chank, turns out he's just got back from Salagou, his advice was dont go, after the outcry in the press and on angling sites dont think people will go now. Anywat, cheers for the assist M8, and dont forget to tell Mark (Bird)you saw me .

The end of this saga occured as I was packing up at 4.00, all kits away apart from one rod, which goes off, so at last knockings I pick up one more fish. a common of 11lb 3oz....nice day, in fact a VERY nice day taking the brace into account, one of those times when size is.nt everything, especially when there are 16 people on the opposite bank who are'nt catching and can see whats happening...that old cry of ''the fokkers got another one'' are starting again

Tight Lines

Sunday 22/10/2006

Had to give it all a miss due to family commitments over the last 2/3 weeks, especially a wedding in Worthing last week, stayed down overnight, at breakfast in dining room the next morning, Sunday, were looking across the road at beach, absolutley stunning morning so we went up to Brighton and caught a few rays on the beach there, in the middle of October

Anyway, managed to get down to water early yesterday, Saturday, only 4 cars in park, excellent, humped ruck round to swim I had decided on to find it taken, 20 swims on that bank as well , and on the other side of the lake couple of cousins of the Three Toners, noisy bloody sods, everytime I dozed off them piddling about with their alarms woke me up, talk about inconsiderate .

One rod to back of island, the other straight out in front. Bit restricted due to M8T in next swim but he was putting feeders out (depth charging with bricks more like) about 3 rods lenghts however with a bit of care I was able to hit the spot without crossing in front of him.

Nice Southerley breeze and I did consider moving and fishing into it, but on going fish hunting decided it was bit too cool for the fish to have moved on it, could'nt find any under the over hanging shrubbery etc anyway, so decided to stay put.

11.00 ABSOLUTLE screamer, first blood on the new alarms, treated myself to a pair of Stevie Nevilles on Friday, I'm still not sure on them appearance wise and a proper volume control would be nice, while Delkims were considered I decided it was a lot of dosh for alarms, what I do like about the Nevilles is the fact they're built so they're waterproof, against rain, which is/was an irritant with the GFM alarms .

Anyway I digress, this fish has gone full bore to the left and a couple of anglers have now set up two swims down, so I'm giving it loads of side trying to turn it, I'm thinking christ this has got to be huge, its staying deep and pulling like a barrstard, I'm worrying about hook pulling and also after about 10 minutes of tooing and frowing also thinking it's got to be a catfish when a voice from down the bank shouts

'LET YOUR CLUTCH OFF M8 .

Eventually same voice yells I can reel in now which I do. On going two swims down to my left old boy has a 6lb 3oz Tench in the net, now he's fishing straight out in front of his swim, our end tackle, relative to each other is about 20 yards apart, how the fcuk did that fish pick up my line , he reckoned it kited right to start with, but boy, that was a scrap and a half .


Meanwhile I've also been watching South end of lake, which is'nt getting the breeze full on and looks relatively calm compared to the chop being wind generated up where I am and, just when I finally decide to move for the last couple of hours, 3 lads turn up and bivvy up on the beach I looking at, so there went that option.

At 3.00, I decide to pack up as I'm getting bored. Walking back to carpark I pass the 3 lads who moved in about an hour previosly, bugger me, one of them has a high double on the mat . knew I should have moved, next time I'll trust my instincts, however, it has given me further insight on where to fish in given weather/wind conditions, a blank day fish wise, another piece in the puzzle fish location wise for the water

Captains Blogg 28/10/20006

No fishing, ventured where nobodies ventured before....Bluewater in deepest Kent...with her in (out) of doors. A quick in and out (they were playing Hold on I'm coming in Virgin Records)and back through the tunnel for a drag round Thurrock...every cloud has a silver lining ,so what did I get well I came back with...2 K's of Australian liquorice from Lakeland...if you like liquorice this IS THE ONE to get...it knocks eveything else into a cock hat , and 3*1.5K tins of Cadburys Miniture Hero's, on special in Woolies (thats my constipation AND the wife and kids Christmas sorted ).

Sunday 29/10/2006

NOW I know why I go fishing, 'cause I did'nt go Sunday either, daughter and har partner round for Sunday roast, my treat as, and even the wife admits this, I do a better roast than she does, aint it nice, after a couple of beers, a bottle of wine and coffees and every one compliments the chef on the dinner....still rather have been out angling though as I also did lawns, and washed car...bloody hell and they say s womans work is never done !!!!

Today

Into car park, 10.00, shopping at Tesco took priority, anyway someone came and started chanking to me in the car park, so by time I'd sussed a swim it was 10.20, and in next swim is hoodie all sprawled out in a chair, its James, another regular in disguise

Another chinwag ensues, dont time fly, I've still got to go and get rods !!!. Get them sorted in the end first rod on end of island poulded out 30 odd boilies, the right hand rod two swims down my right margin, just on the edge of the branches sweeping the water, walked down and put 20 flattened feeders arond the area, creates less splash and they butterfly down.

Beautiful day, suns shining and its frosty, excellent. In the bush next to me theres a bird that cant keep still, and I keep hearing splashes, peering round bush, tree really, theres a king fisher snaffling fry out, could'nt see well enough to see what it caught.

About 2.00 the lads next door pack up so I move left rod on to other end of island, 30/40 bioilies in the area and sit back, getting liners so I pull it back, eventually having to rechuck, in doing so a large fish back out of water, level more down than we think, makes off, well that the chance gone

2.30 left hand Nevs screaming a one noter, and against a tight clutch but the bobbins not moving Picked up and struck, at fresh air, start winding in and theres resistance, rod tip pulls round and fish is going left and kiting in at a rate of knots, I've let the clutch off, phew. Does'nt want to come in, two lads on beach opposite have got bored of spectating and are fishing again.

Really pulling under rod tip, it must have made 15 runs, getting weaker, just like my arms, in the net first time, hooked in middle of lower lip, remove hook and hoist fish onto mat, open net, NICE, I knew was a Koi but they look so much better with bodies having that orange hue, and it went 16lb and no to do a piccy, not a best, well Koi wise yes, but a good looking goldfish

Pete B..The bait seemed to work better having taken it out of the freezer Thursday, left in airing cupboard, only a Ki, and it started softening nicley but stil ok to catty out.

I was''nt in swim I particularly favour, although it does have its days, and two lads previously mention on the beach were where I had intended setting up, it covers a lot water and the fish favour it on cold sunny days as its shallower water, but I can tell you they cuaght sweet fanny adams

SUNDAY 12/11/2006

Dont normally do Sundays, but wife worked last night, bandaging the beaten up, the drunks and the odd car accident victim in A&E, she was'nt happy as she's not normally in there AND its a dangerous place for nurses, with all the drunks .

Anyway I'd rolled my bait in 12.00mm this week, instead of the uaual 16.00mm, (only 'cause I'm tight and you get more boilies from the mix at the smaller size ), arriving at lake pretty deserted so yomped up North to top end of lake, which not olny catching the sun was alsao sheltered from the light breeze.

Caught naff all, and a change of direction meant the breeze was coming at me, surprising how cold it got, actually packed up at 2.00 as I was bored

Saturday 18/11/2006

I was'nt going to post this, but what the hell, real parkie day on the bank, after much casting and moving of end rigs I finally cught a fish.....the smallest flaming common in the lake.....all of 1lb 9ozs , after some of the fish kills, 3 in 7 years, it's nice to know the fish are spawning, well we knew that , it's wether any were actually growing on, now we know as there has'nt been a restocking in 5 years, and the last one was with roach.

No the main reason I posted was that I had a guy I mentioned previously come down, James, for a social. He was moaning about havingbeen smelling of curry all week, his car, his bed, his parents have been commenting as well , last week I was glugging hook baits in Hutchy's Secret Agent, and told J to rub a bit on his hand and smell it, PHEWWWWWW he went, taht smells foooking terrible, as he wiped it off with a bit of tissue. I forgot to tell him you need to wash your hands IMMIDIATLEY with that stuff or you stink for weeks, and I mean at least 2 weeks till it wares off, it gets under your skin.

Anyone else used it, Secret Agent, and found it 'PERMEATES' everything , heres a thought put a smigin on a door handle , not your house mind works a good place, place'll smell like a Indian restraunt , and so will those who use handle.

Sunday 17/12/2006

Looking through diary Friday night, I knew which swim I would go in if it was available on the Saturday (16th). Wife needed to go to Tesco's in morning when I picked her up from work, shes a night nurse, so I did'nt actually get to lake till 10.00.

BEUTIFUL day, Chiltern Radio forcast it precipitating down all day as I was leaving home, I thought then they were talking rubbish, anyway, 7 acres of lake, 3 fishing it, including me, AND I've got the swim I wanted, the reason being last December, the 6th to be exact, almost the same weather conditions although it was colder last year, I had 2 commons of 17lb and 18.5lb so I'm thinking it, the swim, does produce at this time of year, hence my decision the night before.

And how did I do , despite much chucking around of end tackle at bubblers and the occasional rolling fish, oh, the sun was brilliant , most of the day the pond was flat calm, I ended up stripping various layers of clothing off and sun bathing in a sleeveless tee shirt.

Great day to chill out as no bankside numpty disturbance, they've all gone into hibernation , and as you're all agog to know what I caught, well, this time it was just the Sun, another blank for this blogger, although, despite not having caught, due to how calm the pond was I've sussed a couple of spots THEY visit, MY next visit I'll be putting baits on the them