January 2015

Introduction

It's our anniversary. Three years we have been going now and for those of that have just joined us you may be wondering what it is all about? Based in Lincolnshire I've progressed from a pleasure angler and part-time matchman into a kind of specimen hunter. Now I don't presume for one minute you are interested in my circumstances but I do try and show you some fantastic fish and you are in for a real treat this month. Someone asked a question the other day and as quite a few of you reading are non-anglers I think it would be nice to try and explain. The question was simply- 'Why do you go fishing?'. I answered quite curtly- To bring life out of something that is lifeless.

A non-angler may see a river or Lake and give it no more than an admiring glance. Many of us, on the other hand, see beyond the landscape and our imagination goes into overdrive, We can picture big Pike lurking in the reeds; beautiful Rudd just under the surface, iridescent Green Tench grubbing about in the margins; huge, golden-flanked Carp cruising in the middle; giant Roach with blood-red fins and silver flanks hanging mid depth; massive, stripey-sided Perch laying in wait for an easy meal.  The possibilities are endless. A parallel universe that is tangible but hidden from view. Our imagination concerning any piece of water is almost childlike and the mystique never diminishes. Got it? Right, here we go.......

The investigation continues.....

Just how big are these Roach that inhabit my local drain I wondered as I liquidised a loaf in the garage. With my bait prepared and my imagination fired I headed down to the drain and set up a couple of small feeder rigs. The liquidised bread would pack into the feeder and I would fish a small piece of flake on a size 12 hook. The drain isn't very deep and I used cage feeders so the bread would virtually explode from them on impact with the water. It didn't take long to attract some interest. Unfortunately it was a small Rudd, nice but not what I was after. To cut a long story short it turned out to be quite a session. I had half a dozen Rudd before the Roach moved in. The biggest? A fine example of 1lb 2oz........

Pastures new......

While Piking last month Gary and I discussed possible new venues for big Perch. One place in particular stood out. We had nothing concrete but the venue seemed to tick all the boxes regards Perch being the only predators, plenty of bait fish, them being seldom fished for etc etc. As sods law dictates on the only day we could go together half the lake was frozen over. Ever the optimists we were still enthusiastic and Gary very kindly let me pick the spot I fancied and he'd slot in somewhere else. As it turned out I fished three pegs throughout the day. Typically all the really Perchy looking spots were protected by a thick layer of ice. So how did we do? I had two tiny perch and then hooked something that pulled back a bit on my light bomb rod. Could it be a Perch I hoped? Er.....no..........

Gary had a little more success with his sit and wait approach and was rewarded with this fine looking youngster as the light faded........

A few days later and with the temperature rising I headed back to the lake to try out all those spots I couldn't get to before. Once again it was tough going. I fished worm on the float next to a really thick bed of reeds. Feeding chopped worm with a pole pot over the top I was convinced I was doing it right. Three hours later and just a couple of Roach to show for my efforts I needed a re-think. I wound in my float and set off around the lake with my lure rod. Again the spots next to the reeds were proving lifeless. In desperation I cast into open water. Even before I had chance to start my retrieve my little lure rod took a healthy bend. Yes. I was in. Elation is the only word to describe my feelings as the flank of an angry Perch shone back at me from the depths of the margins. I quickly returned to base and placed it in the net and set off after another. It didn't take me long as I had seemingly found the hot-spot. I had four in total, nothing massive (biggest 2lb 2oz) but very worthy fish and they brightened my day up no end.......

A familiar feeling...........

Fishing with Gary was an eye-opener. He is a Carp angler for most of the year and has incredible patience. I am on the other end of the scale. I always try and make something happen if things are quiet, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The following has to my best tale of itchy feet....

I was back at the Lake a few days later. I planned to fish worm in the hot-spot while feeding red maggots over the top. I was sure it would work. Nobody told the fish though and after a few rogue Roach I pulled this fine looking fella in.......

After the Carp I gave it a rest and went for a wander while the lure rod. I didn't have a touch so I went back to the tip rods. Another couple of worm stealing Roach came to hand before I'd had enough. Even the local maggot-robbing Robin (try saying that quickly) couldn't keep me entertained. Besides that I was cold, however there was still time in the day to try somewhere else. Having taken most of my gear with me it was an arduous task getting everything back to the car. It took a good deal of effort not to go straight home once in the warm confines of my vehicle. I didn't though and the question is- did the move pay off? Well on my very first cast on my second choice venue I hooked into a real lump. I had placed a Lure into an area I knew held Perch at certain times. Luckily for me one was one at home and it was a really big fish too.....

At 3lb 10oz it was the third biggest Perch I had ever caught and not a fish I recognise. It was also the biggest Perch I had ever caught on a lure. I've always said the Perch in the river don't respond to rubber but that has now been disproved. My experiences on the lake had given me the confidence to give them a real go. It wasn't the Perch that didn't like them it was my lack of confidence holding me back. Anyway I had a few more casts and lost another big fish but it didn't matter, I had proved myself right by moving venues, a nice feeling. Quite how many times it hasn't paid off I can't begin to tell you.

The next day I was back with a worm and maggot approach. I took eight Perch and the highlight was a fish of 3lb 3oz. You may notice it has a remarkably similar stripe pattern to the 3lb 10oz fish. Sometimes they are so close you can't tell them apart. I only noticed when doing this blog and could it be possible that it had dropped 7oz overnight? Of course it couldn't, Luckily I had taken a few shots of each fish and they are 100% different. Just shows you, stripes aren't always sufficiently different to tell fish apart. Anyway here she is...........

On a roll.......

With the weather still very chilly and changeable I needed to target a fish that isn't much bothered by such things. The Chub sprang to mind and with that I headed over to the Bream river. Now the club book stretch I fish has seen a real surge in anglers this year, great for the club, terrible for me. Even the normally suicidal Chub wont stand a lot of pressure and they have become very cagey of late. I had a few moves before I eventually hooked one and the bite was ridiculously delicate. After a rather dull battle I landed a fish of 5lb 3oz with only half a tail........

On the very next cast I cracked off on a fish and with bites at such a premium I was livid. That was the end of the road for the water knot for me. Links from now on would be tied with a sliding knot. It takes a little more time but is much more reliable.

On my next visit to the river I deliberately avoided the club stretch and headed to a much neglected length. It is a lot deeper than my normal haunt and I've always felt it would throw up a surprise. Besides that there is something about not following the crowd that appeals to me. After a good walk I was at the top of the section. I kept really low and crawled into position. It may be deep but these fish don't see many people and they can travel a long way if spooked. The peg I fished first has a few snags and my first cast resulted in a lost rig even with a weak link tied in expectation. I quickly tied another up and cast beyond the snags. About a minute later the rod was nearly wrenched from the rest, proper wild fish these. After a very spirited battle I slipped the net under this fine Chub of 5lb 1oz..........

Despite trying several other areas that was the only fish of the afternoon to fall to my bread tactics. I did have a couple of small Pike on lures but as ever when I fish that area I left feeling the river had kept most of it's inhabitants a secret for a while longer.

Another day and a few biteless hours on the club stretch saw me heading to another different part of the river and one that had been both kind and cruel to me in the past. It can be very difficult and the fishing rights aren't clear so it was somewhat of a gamble to go there. The weather was truly terrible that day and its effects magnified by me forgetting my coat. I was glad to sit in the car for a while to warm up and dry out after a mini-blizzard. Any thoughts of the cold were soon dispelled as I caught sight of the new piece of river and I rushed upstream to a likely looking spot. Once again and in total contrast to the club length the first bite I had nearly ripped the rod off the rest. The culprit? An absolutely mint fish of 4lb 14oz........

The best was yet to come though as half an hour later I had another savage bite. In the narrow swim it was a real tussle as the fish tried to weed itself on a number of occasions. Luckily I manged to maintain the upper hand and was absolutely delighted to net this beast that weighed 5lb 11oz......

Forget what you see in the angling weeklies. I don't travel far for my fish and considering the area I live to catch two 3lb Perch and three 5lb Chub in a month is really special. When I published my 2014 round-up a few people said 'Hope you have an even better 2015'. I was sceptical, although the sentiment was nice I was proud of my captures last year. Besides that I didn't think it could possibly get better but do you know what? I think it just might.

Tackle Talk

The Shakespeare GX2 6ft 6in lure rod has been with me for a few months now and I got into a minor internet scuffle about it recently. Some chap was looking for a cheap lure rod so I mentioned the GX2. Another chap then commented that they were 'rubbish'. Let me try and be a little more objective. Despite being mostly glass-fibre the rod is light and very slim. I throw it about all over the place, It rattles about in my car boot for much of the week. I even got the tip wedged in the car seat folding mechanism and it didnt break. In use it is far from the most sophisticated rod on the market but it is perfectly usable. The reel seat is secure and comfortable and it has that most bizarre clear tip. I like it. Remember the cost? £24.99.........

The Baitrunners have gone, only to be replaced with............some older baitrunners. These came to me via my friend and all round good egg Andy. I haven't used them yet but I'll put them to use soon. I used to have a pair and it is nice, once again, to own some timeless classics.....

Contact

If you have any questions or just want to say hello you can contact me via email

the.power@tesco.net


As ever I'll leave you with some photo's. Thanks for reading.

December 2014

A beautiful dawn

After ploughing a lone furrow for much of the year I had suddenly become popular. It wasn't just Benidorm Dave that was outside my house at ridiculous o'clock one morning early on in the month but Poacher Ken too. We had a day on the secret river ahead of us. The only problem was I wasn't feeling great. A bottle of the wine the night before left me reluctant to drive. I flipped Dave my keys and he seemed confident of not crashing my pride and joy. Besides this was at least the third time I'd met him. What could possibly go wrong?

Pause for effect..............absolutely nothing, we got there just fine. Anyway on to the fishing. We parked up and walked upstream to an area that was noted for Pike in the past. Ken was travelling light as usual (too light). He had a spinning rod and one for deadbaits while Dave and I had two each for bait fishing. So there I was, on my favourite river with my mates and the most glorious of sunrises. It was magical........

After we had all set up and cast in I checked my watch, it was just after 8am. I had a phone call to make to get a duplicate water bill (don't ask). As fishing law dictates as soon as I got through to a human being one of my floats bobbed before slowly disappearing. Luckily Dave was on hand to help and after a spirited battle while juggling my phone he netted a lovely Pike for me. Typical of the type in the river it had a small head and fat body...........

Dave then took a smaller fish from his swim before we all decided to move. We had a lot of water to cover and wouldn't spend long in each area before moving. I had another small Pike from my next spot while Ken continued to struggle. After another move I cast in my first rod and the float vanished straight away. The culprit was a Pike of around six pounds. About ten minutes later my other float started dipping below the surface film. After another cracking fight Dave did the honours with the net again. "You'll recognise this fish again Phil, it only has one pectoral," Dave stated pointing at where it's front fin should have been. I took little notice, I was there for a twenty pounder and although it was a nice fish I had no interest in catching it again........ 

By this time Ken had seen enough and wandered off downstream and out of sight. It wasn't a day for lure fishing....or was it? I had a speculative cast in the peg Ken had been fishing just for something to do really. Must have been my lucky day as second cast I had one...........

After the next move we were back at the car. We all had a bite to eat and I told the guys I was off downstream in the car to try and find some Roach. It worked out really well because I could give Ken my rods to use and they could continue to make their way downstream on foot, meeting up with me later on in the day.

"How was the Roach fishing Phil?". Rubbish, despite trying numerous likely looking swims. I never had a bite. It was late afternoon by the time Dave and Ken got to me. They had enjoyed a great afternoon. Dave caught four more Pike to over fifteen pounds while Ken had taken of couple of doubles. We had half an hour of light left and we all fished for Pike again. As luck would have it we all caught another fish each. Dave's doesn't count though because it was the same one as Ken's albeit fifty yards and ten minutes apart. So all in all it had been a great day for Pike. Fifteen different fish between us and a lot of those in the 9-12lb range.

Losing the plot

In the last diary I caught some Roach from the secret river and some belters too. What I didn't mention was that out of the twenty or so fish I caught at least four of them had slash wounds on them. I didn't mention it at the time because you know me by now, I can share the quarry of my pastime with animals that need food. Or so I thought.

After the Pike bonanza I headed back to the river a few days later. Despite trying about a quarter of a mile or river I didn't have a single bite on maggot or worm. In fact I didn't even see a fish top all day. So frustrating when the Roach/Rudd fishing can be so phenomenal. In the end I managed a solitary perch on the lure.......

The next few hours I had spare were spent on the river again. Same results, not a single bite or sign of fish. As the sun began to drop in the sky a Cormorant flew overhead. I didn't think anything of it until I rose from from my chair and glanced upstream. There they were a few hundred yards away, in the dead tree. The same fifteen or so Cormorants that I used to spook on those distant summer dawns. I packed my gear into the car in a right old huff.

Here is the result of my third attempt to find some silver fish on the river..........

As you can see I gave up after another few biteless hours and went after the Pike. I had another one too and guess what? It was old no-pec. Now I really began to wonder. It was at least half a mile from where I had caught it a couple of weeks prior to this. Was it too searching the river for fish? As the Cormorants came home to roost again I was convincing myself they were to blame.

Session four was a mirror image of the last one. Couldn't find a silver fish anywhere so I ended up Piking again at the top of the stretch. I took another couple of small fish but it was pretty dire and seeing a whacking great sea bird popping it's head out of the river about twenty yards from me did my mood no favours at all. Something needed to be done.

On my way back to the main road I passed the Cormorant tree and stopped the car. After a short rummage I alighted with an old t-shirt. Breaking off a bit of the dead tree I drove it into the ground next to both the river and the tree. I then stretched my t-shirt over it and to be honest I was was pretty impressed with my efforts. An impromptu scarecrow. It was getting dark by the time I reached the main road and as I went to open the gate I casually looked back upstream. The Cormorants hadn't been put off in the slightest by my efforts and were roosting in the tree as normal. I snapped.

Spinning the car around I headed back upstream. I'd gone. Silly really when I think about it now. I am prone to the odd bout of bad temper and this was a beauty despite the ugliness of it all. Anyway what the hell was I going to do? I wasn't sure, in fact I had no idea. I just wanted to piss them off. About fifty yards from the tree I slowed and they scattered. Great I thought, I'll just get a bit closer..........or I would have done if I hadn't have got the car stuck deep in the muddy track.

It took me an hour and half and the sacrificing of a jumper to free the car. Entirely my own fault. Ridiculous behavior and I haven't been back yet. I've fallen out with the place.

Right under my nose

My local drain was my next chosen venue. Its that close I can walk to it and guess what? On my very first cast in I had a Roach of about a pound. That wasn't the only fish there either as I took some cracking Rudd and Dace. I went quite a few times, an hour or so at a time. Great fun and some very nice looking fish. It might deserve a bit more of my attention in future.........

Finally

Whenever I go into the tackle shop in Skegness a face is always looking back at me from the photo board. Over time I've got to know the bloke holding a multitude of specimens displayed on the shop wall. Gary is his name and not only is his a fanatical angler he is a very nice chap too. Gary fishes for Carp and Catfish for most of the year but he does have the occasional trip for other species in the colder months. As luck would have it he fancied a days Piking, not a species I was having any trouble catching.

We got there at first light and left at dusk. I moved about a lot and took a couple of early fish on lures. They weren't very big and we were both experiencing a lot of dropped takes on the deadbaits. Maybe they just weren't that hungry we concluded. For those of you that think you need a fresh deadbait Gary used the same bait all day- an Eel section.. He was still getting takes on it at the end of the session. Remarkable. In the end we managed to bank a couple of fish each on the deads and we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a fine end to the year.........

Tackle Talk

A few weeks ago I came across a Chub unhooking mat in a bundle of gear I bought from a neighbour. Now it is only a bit of nylon coated foam but I was impressed with it's quality and design. With Christmas approaching and Mrs P badgering me for a gift idea I racked my brain as to what I really needed. Now I've had cheap fishing boots before and they last a matter of weeks, so I persuaded her to get me some decent quality ones. The ever helpful folks at Spilsby Anging Centre had just what I was looking for and Mrs P was dispatched with her purse. As it happens they are also marketed by Chub and a fine looking boot they are too. First impressions are very good having kept my feet warm and dry in some pretty rough conditions. Priced at £49.95 they aren't cheap but they are by some distance the best boots I've ever owned........

As some of you know I've had the odd bit of trouble with keeping worms in the past. I think I just might have cracked it and it is relatively simple. I bought a plastic storage box for £5, lined the bottom with newspaper and added some general purpose compost mixed with a little sand. Add to this a few egg shells to neutralise any acid build up and some food, I use bananas but you can use potato mash, pasta or pretty much any decaying fruit or veg. The worms are doing just fine and have even started to breed. Mine has a vent in the top so be sure to make some small holes for ventilation if you get one without...........

Another top tip here and this one came from Benidorm Dave. When you plan to go deadbaiting for Pike and are struggling to find some bait or are on a tight budget it is worth trying your local supermarket. You wont get the range you'll find in a tackle shop but if you get there at the right time you might just get yourself a bargain..........

Lastly I was going to tell you how I was getting on with that Abu Cardinal 57 I bought last month. In short, it is great. It's a heavy beast but has real soul. It makes all kind of agricultural noises when in use. It's a no-nonsense piece of kit, simply put together and built like a tank. I like it so much the sale of my more modern Baitrunners is going to provide the funds to get another or maybe even two. To be honest I never need the Baitrunner facility and although they have been good reels I never really gelled with them.......

Contact

You can contact me via email and I always look forward to hearing from you-

   the.power@tesco.net

As ever I'll leave you with some photo's taken during the month..........

Till next time..................

Looking back on 2014

Introduction

Welcome back and seasons greetings. Here we have a look back at 2014. It was a great year and probably the first that I targeted specimen fish almost exclusively. The matches fell by the wayside and in came some relatively new skills- Pike fishing and the continuation of my education in the world of lure fishing. I've said it before but fishing is a sport that has so many facets it seems churlish not to try them all out. We are not on anything as pretentious as a 'journey' here, it's just fishing. Being outdoors, keeping things simple but most of all enjoying it. As ever the fish are the stars and with the exception of my trip to Rutland they were all caught in my home county of Lincolnshire. Here are some of the highs and lows of my year........

January

A few Perch to 3lb 6oz and some decent Hybrids from the secret River and when that was out of sorts I ventured onto a local lake chasing a 4lb stripey with no success whatsoever. I also took one of my favourite shots (taken on my phone of all things) at the end of a long day which shows my friend Ken walking upstream as the sun went down on the secret river.......

February

I had a truly remarkable day in February. First of all I caught my first 5lb Chub and then ventured onto another river for Hybrids to 4lb 9oz and rounded of the day with a 3lb 12oz Perch. Again when the rivers were unfishable I dropped onto a nearby stillwater and had an unseasonal Tench of 4lb 6oz........

March

Without wanting to sound like a football commentator it really was a month of two halves. The end of the river season saw me bank some magnificent Chub topped by fish of 5lb 10oz and 5lb 14oz. In the second half of the month the forgotten lakes gave up some of it's impressive Crucian hybrids of 4lb 9oz and 4lb 11oz......

April


Just one picture this month and highlights the usual results when chasing specimen fish. I became rather obsessed with catching a 4lb Perch and concentrated on a venue that nearly broke my spirit. As you can see it didn't happen and no I didn't think of using it as bait......

May

With the weather improving and wanting to have some fun I had a go for a few Carp. it was very much back to basics with simple freelined dog biscuits. The competitor in me took great pleasure in turning up at the Lake, slotting in between the serious Carp boys and showing them how to catch fish with the minimal amount of tackle. Bless their little cotton bivvy slippers.........

June

A magical month for any river angler and yet again the secret river gave up some of its gems. I broke my Bream PB on numerous occasions culminating in a fine fish of 7lb 14oz. A decent Bream from any river and the surroundings were superb......

July

More Bream this month and the PB kept creeping up. Fishing a different river I had an amazing session where I saw every fish take my bait in the shallow, gin-clear water. The double hump fish in the first photograph was the biggest at just under 9lb........

August

Rivers full of weed and a photo-shy giant Chub put a dampener on proceedings. The company of Mrs P lifted my spirits along with a few lure-caught Perch and some impressive Pike........

September

I continued to flog a dead horse with the rivers before giving up and it was back to the Carp lake to boost the confidence and I also snatched another great lure-caught Pike from a local drain.........

October

It's only by doing something like this you realise what were the most productive months and October was certainly one of the best. My first ever Zander from a great trip to Rutland water, a near 5lb Chub and my best Perch catch to date- sixteen fish to 3lb 8oz including two more 3's and seven 2 pounders. The Perch made the Angling Times and I was very proud to get 'Picture of the week'..........

November

Some decent Pike from my local drains. A week with seven 2lb Perch of which I barely took any notice (you don't have to give me a slap, I did it myself) from a new river. This including my first fish over that weight on a lure. I rounded off the month with some nice river Roach........

December

My December blog isn't 'live' yet (seriously, who says that?). What I mean is I haven't written it yet...........have some preview piccy's to whet your appetite......

Thanks

I really would like to thank all of you for taking the time to read my diary. To all those who have corresponded via e-mail I salute you. My 'real life' friends Jim, Ken, Neil, Gaz and Benidorm Dave have all been a great help and source of inspiration. My online friends who are too numerous to mention ad infinitum but include Rob, Baz, Stuart, Neil, Dan, Leo, Andy, Dave, Pete and Phil, I also lavish with praise. I'd also like to give my friends at Spilsby Angling Centre a high-five too. Thanks all.

The star prize of a massive hug and myriad of superlatives is reserved for Mrs P. Behind every man who is able to dedicate so much time to a hobby is an amazing woman. This isn't just some smooth talk to get me out of all the DIY she has planned for me in 2015, oh no. She really is great. Thanks Mrs P.

Till next time.........