Fishing Diary September 2013

Welcome

I am really pleased with how the dairy is going and if you have just joined us I'll give you a brief overview. This is an account of my fishing experiences mainly around the local area. I hope to provide not only a bit of entertainment but also some advice and tips. You can always contact me by email if you have any questions or want to share some of your local catches or simply to say hello at-

the.power@tesco.net



September 2013

It got to near the end of the month and I realised I had only been fishing once. Sometimes we all lose the love. It's especially hard when you are used to the summer matches in the mainly lovely weather and when you know all your mates (and Tony) are going to be there. Going out on a wet Autumn day on your own just doesn't have the same appeal........or does it?

Enjoy.......

9th- 12th September River Wye, Herefordshire

I won't dwell on this trip too much but it was nice to get out of Lincolnshire for a few days. Three days of canoeing down the beautiful River Wye with some friends from work was just what the doctor ordered after a busy summer season on the coast. We paddled forty miles in total. I saw loads of fish on the way and if ever you are planning to visit the river I'll tell you where I spotted a really massive Barbel. One the first night I managed to have half an hour with my telescopic rod and some luncheon meat. Alas no Barbel were forthcoming but I did catch some nice Chub. They were queueing up to be caught and despite the ridiculous amount of cormorants I saw along the way the river seemed alive with fish. Shoals of big Chub under overhanging trees, Pike striking, the occasional leaping Salmon and I even saw a Trout chasing a small fish.

 

 

Opportunities to fish were slim on the rest of the trip but Canoeing is very similar to fishing in the regard that sometimes just being there is enough.........

Woodlands Lakes, Spilsby, Lincs

Three weeks into the month and I realised I needed to get into gear. It wouldn't do to have a fishing diary about canoeing in another county. I emptied my seatbox and transferred my tackle to my bag and dug my comfy chair out. You can't match fish from a chair and nobody would 'pleasure' fish on a seatbox.

Woodlands is close to my home and having a couple of hour spare one afternoon I popped down to Hawthorne Lake to try for its large resident Perch. Stopping off at Sainsbury's I bought a pack of prawns and coloured them up with some predator plus liquid. Probably makes no difference but once you have one good experience with these colours and flavours it becomes a confidence thing. How did I do? Er......well it didn't quite go to plan. Not only Perch like prawns although I did manage one in the end (a bit smaller than I was hoping!)......

The Carp were still very active......

 

......and the Bream!

My prize, a four pounder (in about ten years!)

 

 

It was good to see the owner Eric and despite having a great afternoon I still wasn't super enthusiastic about going out again. A hangover from the buzz I got from the summer matches. I needed a fresh impetus and it came from an unlikely source. Ken the piker is a friend from work and true to his name he usually fishes for Pike. He had, however, been down to local river I had never fished before and caught some Perch and Chub.

River Lymn, Spilsby, Lincs

I must have been over this river hundreds of times over the years. I had heard it was good fishing but it always looked too small to me. As I pulled up to the road bridge just outside Spilsby I peered down and was greeted by the sight of a rather disappointing trickle of a waterway.....

 

 

Still, Ken had assured me it got deeper and wider a bit further down. He'd also shown me some pictures of the fish he had caught and I have to say I was impressed (don't tell him). I hopped over the barbed wire fence with my little leger rod and a few bits and bobs. I rang ken to double check I was OK to fish- "Oh yes, the farmer even gave us a cheery wave as we walked along," Ken replied. I wasn't so sure, barbed wire is usually a bad sign. As I made my way downstream I did eventually find a small pool that I tried for a while. I had a few bites but was cursing myself for not bringing some small floats. On these small rivers it's sometimes good to search all of the peg and I couldn't do that with my small link leger. Half an hour later I decided to move further down. I negotiated another barbed wire fence and got a wet foot from a small side stream. My mood wasn't great and with the farm looming over the next field I was pleased to see another likely looking pool. First cast I had a small Perch...

 

Followed by a few small Dace....

 

 

The leger still wasn't right though and I headed back to the car after a short time vowing to return with some more suitable equipment. If any of you have any information about fishing rights I would love to hear from you. Interestingly the pools I fished weren't the ones Ken had tried. He was closer to the farm and it really would be prudent of me to find out if we are actually allowed to be there before either of us goes back.

 

The Secret River, Lincs

 

Inspired not only by my last outing but also my canoe trip I decided to try my luck on another river. Although it can be very challenging at times I really have had some exceptional days on this venue. Usually weeded up in the summer months I hoped they would have died back sufficiently for me to get a bait among some fish. The target- big Perch. One day last winter I had six Perch over two pounds from one including two beasts over three pounds.

 

A quick stop off at the tackle shop in Spilsby saw me leaving with a big box of worms and half a pint of red maggots. Half an hour later I was pulling up beside the River. Being a chalk stream the most important factor is colour- if it is heavily coloured you may as well go straight home. Luckily it was clear, maybe too clear I thought as I carefully positioned myself at the top of the stretch. Setting up two tip rods with three swan shot link legers I cast out two worms on some size twelve hooks. Perfect I thought as I sat back in my chair and waited for the inevitable bites. I fed a few maggots over the top sporadically to no avail. Two hours passed without so much as a line bite.

 

My confidence plummeted so I partially packed up and had a walk downstream. Boy was it overgrown though. I battled my way to the waters edge half way along the short section and peered into the water. No sign of life and to be honest I didn't fancy battling with the foliage. Something caught my eye a little further down though. A small fish topped. I watched intently and sure enough another swirl appeared. I made my way down to the activity and handily somebody had cut a peg out so I set my chair down and watched for a while. Lots of fish were visible and they were attacking the floating weed that was coming down the river. That meant the leger gear was going to be useless so I did what any lazy bugger would- cut my swan shot off and attached a small dumpy waggler instead. Bear in mind I was using heavy line too.

 

I still had a few maggots left so I fired some in mid river and cast over the top with my improvised set up. What followed in the next hour I can scarcely believe myself. Never have I seen so many fish in a wild environment in my whole fishing career. I had a Dace or a Roach every cast until I ran out of both time and bait. There must have been thousands of them. Even when I did a ropey cast (easy with a quivertip rod and a float) miles from the feed it would go straight under. I was stunned to say the least.......

 

That night I had made my mind up. I'd get up early and do everything I had to do and then get back down to the river to see what I could catch if I did it properly. The passion was back. I bought some more maggots and headed down into the river valley. I followed it right from its source and I always wonder how many two pound Roach I travel past on the way. I certainly pass hundreds of Grayling and I've never caught one of them either!

The sun was out when I got to the river although the weather forecast on the radio had informed that would soon change. I set up a simple three metre to hand pole rig and cast in expectantly. The action wasn't instant like the day before but careful feeding soon had them queueing up again. At first Dace and then a few small Roach. I had decided that the only way to try for the bigger ones was to feed the smaller fish off so I upped the rate of feed. The wind wasn't making it easy however but eventually it started working as this fine Rudd shows.....

The fish really were pristine and next put in I had a perch and then the bigger Roach showed up. This was despite a ruddy great Cormorant landing just downstream and disappearing straight under the water. I shook my head in disbelief as my float went under again and again- all Roach in the 8-12oz class. It really was turning out to be a red letter day and I was sure that something special would turn up if I carried on. As I had that thought it started raining. Coupled with the howling wind it was blowing straight in my face. It wasn't particularly cold just really uncomfortable. I set up my umbrella and had to anchor it down with a storm pole to stop it taking off. Then the bites tailed off. I was just picking up odd Roach from all over the place. Something was amiss. Half an hour later it became more obvious. The rain eased slightly and a large, dark shape appeared near my float. It was moving downstream. to be honest it was that big it startled me. It stopped by the reeds in front of me and made its way towards my keepnet. A bloody great Pike. I tried to scare it by splashing my pole tip and it backed off before slowly edging forwards again. I stood up and it went off again. I could just see it though and it was directly below where I was bringing the fish in. With the rain getting worse again I decided to call it a day. Very frustrating but there will be another time and I might just catch that pike too..........

Final word

On both the River and the forgotten lakes I have caught Roach/Bream hybrids but never any true Bream- most odd.

At Woodlands I had a wander about and stumbled across one of the more natural lakes there- Elm. The photo doesn't even begin to do it justice but it looks fantastic. Not sure what the deal is in regards to fishing it but go and have a word with Eric and I'm sure he'll accommodate you.

 

 

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

Fishing Diary August 2013

Introduction

Well hello there. I must have some new readers because it says the diary has nearly four thousand hits. Remarkable really. Thanks to you all for reading and Spilsby Angling Centre and Tackle 4 U, Skegness for giving out my cards.

Enjoy........


Toad Hall, Candlesby, Lincs

Thursday night match at one of my favourite venues. You may remember Don beating me off peg 8 last time I was here with a magnificent twenty seven pounds. Guess what peg I drew the very next week? That's right. Peg 8. I virtually ran to the peg and set up with maximum enthusiasm. Don had caught to his right (where I had told him to!) about a foot from the bank and I plumbed up carefully and fished in the same place in about two feet of water. Peg 8 doesn't get put in very often but I won the final match of last year from it and was brimming was confidence. Three hours later I packed up in a huff. I just couldn't catch anything of note. Tipping back maybe three pounds of F1's I trudged back to the car while the others happily weighed in. I've said it before and I'll say it again- nothing like fishing for making you look like a tit.

Partney Brick Pit, Lincs

One of my main rivals and match organiser Tony was away for this match. Don and I decided on the pegs and I managed to argue the case for a peg on a bank we don't usually put in. As luck would have it I drew said peg (number 9) so I had an opportunity to prove myself right. It wasn't going to be easy though as a short while into the match Dave Brown hooked a monster fish and he was playing it carefully. Half an hour passed and I managed a couple of small Carp off the top. Dave was still playing his fish! When he finally got it in he weighed it straight away as it was too big for his keepnet. A massive Grass Carp of twenty one and a half pounds was registered and the banter started. 'Looks like we are all fishing for second then,' said Frank as Don nodded in agreement. I kept quiet. The Carp were still coming up in front of me and I though maybe I could beat that weight as long as Dave didn't have another.

Something very strange then happened. I hooked a fish on top and after a couple of minutes it snapped my line. I was mortified. I've not had a fish snap me off for ages I thought as I stripped off some line. In case you are wondering it was Browning Hybrid in 9.5lb breaking strain. Now to be fair it is super-thin and that is why I can catch so many on the surface. Neil did warn me it might not be ideal for use on the reel. I used to read about top anglers changing their line every few trips. I never even used to know what strength line I had let alone how long it had been on so I thought they were mad. I promised myself I would change this stuff every month or so. At £3.95 a spool it was no big deal. Anyway I carefully played the next four fish in and waited nervously for the scales. Would I have more than twenty one and a half pounds? You bet I would. My six Carp went twenty two pounds twelve. Did Dave have anything to add to his behemoth? Nope. Victory number five.

Toad Hall, Candlesby, Lincs

The final match of the season. The one everybody wants to win. Having paid in all year the money up for grabs attracted a record attendance. As a result peg 8 was in again along with 4 and 19 (usually rubbish compared to the rest). Guess who drew peg 8 again? Walking to my peg a little slower this time I felt quite relaxed. Just having something to weigh in would be an improvement over last time. My god my tackle was in a right state though. I pulled out my ground bait bowl and most of the rest of the contents of my bag followed it all tangled in some old line. I could see Andy looking over, I didn't need to be a mind-reader to guess what he was thinking. I managed to cobble together a couple rigs while the others carefully unwound their ready prepared, labelled and carefully arranged set ups. Why it takes some of them so long to be ready I'll never know. Did you know some pole rollers and even boxes have spirit levels on them now? Crazy.

Anyway I decided to fish straight out in front of me at five metres over some ground bait. This would be my main line if the close in line to my right was dead again. I fished the whole match swapping between the two. I never really caught quickly off either line but I was putting a few F1's in the net along with a proper Carp from in close. Then I hooked a decent fish but it felt a bit odd. When it surfaced Gareth caught sight of it. 'Phil's got one of your mates Don!' he exclaimed. I could hear Don laughing as I netted a dirty great Eel. Regulars will know I won't even weigh Don in if he has any Eels. Can't stand them. Totally irrational but hey at least I'm not scared of spiders like one of my brothers.

'Any good' asked fishery owner Vance as he came by with the scales. 'I've had a few but not enough' I said as he headed down to the main part of the lake. I had beaten Andy across from me and I knew Ian had caught some decent fish but couldn't really see anybody else. After weighing half the lake fourteen pounds was in the lead. I weighed sixteen eight. As we moved round to Andy he weighed ten pounds odd. Ian next. Vance and the others took a sharp intake of breath as they weighed his catch. Ian had weighed sixteen ten beating me by two ounces. I put my arm around him to congratulate him, 'Still not over, Brian has had a few on 19' Ian informed me. Do you know what? Brian did have a few. Nearly eighteen pounds. I was made up for him. It's nice when a regular who doesn't usually win takes the spoils. Better him than that canny old bugger Don or local superstar Gareth anyway.

'God willing I'll see you next year' said Ian as I left. I nodded and as I passed Brian in the car park Vance was just paying him out 'Well, it's like winning the bloody lottery' I heard him say as I drove out of the gates into the gloom and onwards to home.

Partney Brick Pit, Lincs

Next Tuesday night match and I drew a good peg- 17. As ever when I draw a good peg it refused to produce for me and I weighed in paltry five pounds. Couldn't catch off the top and the area I chose to fish to my left was too shallow and I should have known it. I think Don won with over ten pounds. Tony was second.

The following week saw me draw...........Peg 17! Even worse than the week before though I had Tony next to me on peg 18. 'Come on Phil, lets fish a proper match on the pole, it'll be all about skill' he said as we set up. I know he doesn't even believe this himself so I fobbed him off. After the previous week I knew it was too shallow to my left so I plumbed up all over. I found it slightly deeper out in front of me. I didn't want to go too far so settled on four metres. I also set up my surface rod, you know, just in case I ran out of 'skill'. Tony called the all-in and I threw in two balls of crazybait laced with expanders in the general direction of where I intended to fish. I noticed Tony was baiting his peg further out but with a pole pot. Skill indeed. My mum could do that.

Whoever invented the F1 needs to come and see me because by Christ they are annoying! It was absolutely solid with them but they were all over the place as bloody usual. I probably hit one out of two bites. Enough but frustrating when you have to keep re-baiting. Don had given my some worms beforehand and they were better but I ran out of those fairly quickly. Tony wasn't saying much until he hooked a couple of Bream and his mates from work came to watch him. While the F1's were still going crazy I thought at four or five to the pound it was worth having a go on top. I'd been feeding a few mixers and the odd one was getting slurped down. I was soon into a fish. I still hadn't changed my line and Tony heard my weakly set clutch. 'Has he got that bloody rod out?' I heard him say from behind the reeds separating us. One of his mates peered around the reeds. 'Yep!'. 'You bloody cheat, thought we were having a pole match?' Tony exclaimed as I laughed off his protestations.

The banter continued as I took another Carp off the top. Tony was catching steadily and some of his Bream were proper slabs so I had to be careful. I went back to the F1's and was surprised to hook into a couple of Tench in the last half hour. 'I've got ten pounds' Tony said to me and his mates at the end of the match. 'Yeah, me too' I added as I winked at Tony's pals. They laughed. Tony weighed twenty five pounds from Peg 18. A record from that peg this year I think and a very good performance. Sitting out on the pole with meat takes both patience and confidence (not much skill though!).
Tony's mates were still laughing as I weighed twenty seven pounds. 'Well done Phil, you fished well' Tony said through gritted teeth! As he said this he stood on my rod holdall in the dim dusk light. I'm not even sure he knew he had done it but I definitely heard a 'crunch'. A quick check inside revealed no obvious damage. We then went around to Don who had a notable eighteen pounds off peg 15 for third.

The week after saw me on peg 4. I baited in exactly the same way as the week before at four metres and...........never had a bite. I did mange one fish off the top which weighed five pounds ten but Don won with seven pounds odd and Tony second a couple of ounces behind. I did lose a fish that would have seen me win by a country mile but alas the ones that get away don't count. Interestingly when the gentry used to fish in the 1800's they considered the skill to be actually hooking fish. As soon as they hooked a fish they would pass the rod to a servant who would undertake the undignified task of playing it in.

Willesly lake, Ashby De La Zouch, Leices

Our first visit here was covered via the following link-

http://everyday-angler.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/looking-back-part-3-willesley-lake.html


After our last visit Steve and I were keen to get to the banks of this lovely old estate lake again. Even so with our hectic family and work lives along with the hundred or so miles between us it took almost exactly two years to reconvene on the bank. As ever even though I had a two hour longer journey I arrived in the car park first. It didn't take Steve long to arrive though and we excitedly made our way around to the wood side of the lake where we had fished before. A Carp angler had just arrived in the peg we wanted but we soon found another likely looking spot a few pegs away. We decided on a feeder approach for the Bream and as we set up the bailiff came around. 'Good spot this lads, the match on Sunday was won here, he had twenty five pounds you know' he said as he took our money. Steve and I looked at each other. We had over sixty pounds between us last time from the same peg so twenty five didn't sound very promising. We also noticed a distinct lack of bubbles out in front of us.

After a couple of hours it became clear something was drastically wrong. The Bream just didn't seem to be there. The last time I remember casting about twenty yards away from where I had been catching and still caught a Bream, on the drop, on a heavily laden feeder! Steve wandered off while I scaled down to a two pound bottom and a sixteen hook. A sods law would dictate I instantly hooked a Carp that destroyed my newly tied rig and I tackled up again. Steve came back all excited and said he had found some bubbles and was off to try his luck further down the lake. It suddenly occurred to me that here was a man with a large, young family, a business to run and several other responsibilities but all that mattered to him in those few hours was catching some fish. I guess that's why we love it so much and why it is so difficult explain to anybody else.

Steve soon came back after having only caught a solitary Roach. I started to catch Roach too, on my lighter, more refined rig. After catching three in quick succession Steve twigged some thing was amiss while he watched his stationary quiver tip. We had a good old laugh and I passed him the stuff to tie his own Roach set up. He wasn't happy though-



He was soon into some decent Roach though and then I had my first Bream. 'These big slabs don't swim around on their own you know,' I said to Steve as I netted what we both hoped was the start of a big net full. As I lifted it out of the net Steve started laughing. 'It's not even a pound!'. At least it was a Bream though and not a big clump of mussels-

We both ended up with a few Roach but no more Bream were forthcoming. Something must have happened to the Lake. It certainly isn't what it used to be. Shame but we still had a fantastic day. If you have an old mate you haven't seen for a while get out on the bank together, I can thoroughly recommend it.

Partney Brick Pit, Lincs

I don't know how many times I have told Mrs P- 'I have to go tonight, it's the last one' but I really thought Tony would surely bring these matches to an end after this one. I drew peg 2. Tony was on his favourite 18. A relatively straightforward match I took four fish off the top. I weighed sixteen pounds four. Tony had twelve odd for second. I great end to a highly successful summer series.......wait.......no. 'Who's up for starlight matches?' asked Tony afterwards. Everyone agreed although I'll miss the first one due to a canoe trip down the river Wye with some mates from work (don't worry, I'll be taking some gear with me). 

The Forgotton Lakes, Old Bolingbroke, Lincs

I hadn't been here in a while and Tony was having some success on the top lake, catching some big Roach. I drove down one morning with Mrs P and the chaos twins to bait up a peg with some corn and pellets. As we walked around the lake I spotted something in the water. A bloody great cormorant. Not only that it had a fish in its mouth, a big one too. It was some distance away but it looked like a big Rudd before the giant sea bird gulped it down. My heart sank. A quick argument with Mrs P ensued where I blamed the birds and she cited humans at fault for the whole situation. I have to say now she did have a point. I'll not go into it here because I don't want to sound like Keith Arthur (i.e a twat).

I went back a few hours later with my gear and set up a short pole and fished corn. It's bloody deep close in that top lake. I must have had eight feet of a water just a few feet out. The lake seemed quite healthy with lots of activity both on the surface and also in the form of patches of bubbles giving away feeding fish. There were even some coming up in my chosen peg. It still took a while to get a bite though. After about half an hour a started to get some bites. Rudd first and then a couple of Roach. Then it went dead again. Out of the blue the float sailed under and I struck into something more substantial. Was it a giant Roach? No, it was one of those lovely Cruician type thingys-

 

 

The swim went dead again and a short while later I became aware of something moving on the far bank. Up popped that Cormorant again and this time I could see what was in its mouth- a big Roach of maybe a pound, bigger than any Roach I had ever caught out of there. I tried to keep calm and carried on fishing. In the end it was a bit of a struggle to be honest. Here is what I ended up with- 

Just before I packed up I saw the Cormorant circling above. After a couple of laps it landed in the water and shot straight under the water out of sight. I decided to see where it had gone and sneaked around the lake. I may have even picked up my catapult and a few small stones on the way! As I made my way to the back of the lake I negotiated some pretty heavy undergrowth before it opened up into a small clearing. It always feels a bit spooky around there as the big trees cocoon the still, almost eerie water. An old tree jutted out from the bank and on it was my enemy. Not one but bloody two! Like a pair of Pterodactyl's they were. Massive things. They caught sight of me and shot into the water. I seriously considered going in after them.

After my ridiculous attempt to right the wrongs of generations of overfishing of our seas with a catapult and some pebbles I retired back to my gear to pack up. As I reflected on the day I was thankful I had caught a lovely summer Crucian and had an otherwise pleasant day. It seemed very apt that the sun was just setting over the lower lake as I got to my car. It seemed to signify the end of what has been a warm, bright and thoroughly enjoyable summer. Wonder what Autumn will bring..............

Afterword

I grabbed a quick hour down at the brick pit tonight. Being my usual lazy self I only half opened my rod case. Not being able to find my usual floater rod I took out Mrs P's rod that she loves so much. It's in a bright red bag so I knew which one it was. At 11ft with a bit of power it would do the job I thought as I pulled it from its sleeve. Wait what's this I thought as I looked at the tip. You know that crunching sound I heard when Tony stepped on my holdall? Good job she doesn't read this.


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

P.S. Some you have asked about my other blog and you can find it here-  

daisydo100.wordpress.com

Fishing Diary July 2013

Welcome back,

Mainly matches again this month and wow hasn't it been a scorcher! I never thought I would say this but I'm beginning to miss the bleak solitude of my winter trips to the rivers. Guess it is just part of being English. I do hanker after more relaxing times though, snoozing on the old weed bed at the forgotten lakes or snuggled up in my thermals on the river bank listening to episodes of Desert Island Disks. The short  summer evening match format suits me though because work is so busy at this time of year. That and the fact that I am so bloody competitive....................

Partney Brick Pit, Lincs

Fresh from my victory the week before I was keen as mustard at the draw for pegs. That was soon dampened by drawing peg 7- not traditionally a good area at all. Two hours in I had less than a pound in the net while I had watched everyone on the far bank catching quite happily. Peg seventeen in particular was doing well. Anyway in desperation more than anything else I flicked out a few mixers. The wind had died down sufficiently for me to use them as I was a bit paranoid about them drifting into somebody else's peg. If I had steadily built up my swim for two hours and somebody floated some dog biscuits over my peg I wouldn't be best pleased either.

About five minutes passed before the carp made an appearance, slurping greedily at the big floaters. I had five decent Carp in the last hour hitting almost every take. At the final whistle I knew had won and so the weigh -in proved. Nearly twenty seven pounds I was almost ten pounds in front of the chap on seventeen. Two wins in a row? Miraculous considering my previous form. "What do use then? Controller? Polyball?" asked a fellow competitor at the end as if I was using some kind of witchcraft. "Just a hook on the end of my line," I replied. There is no secret I really do just use a hook and line. To further rub salt into the wounds I was using my feeder rod with the quiver tip removed. Very satisfying when most of the guys use poles worth more than my car!

Keal Cotes fishing Mere, Lincs

I hadn't been to the mere just down the road at Keal Cotes for about three years. You used to be able to catch some big Roach on hemp and I'm fairly sure you still can. The purpose of my visit this time though was to catch some Carp. The Carp here are bigger on average than the ones at Partney. I knew from prior visits that they were partial to floating baits.

I arrived early evening to find the Mere fairly calm with not another angler in sight. Fed up of using my feeder rod I had a brand new eleven foot specimen rod that had bought the day previous for the princely sum of twenty pounds! Shakespeare Mach 1 if you really want to know. Not top draw but has a nice action and is fairly light. Half an hour into the session and I had caught already caught two Carp, both around five pounds. I was gradually getting them feeding closer to the bank and hooked a far more substantial fish. As I played it a car pulled up directly behind me on the path. Now this Mere is probably three hundred yards all the way around. Quite why some idiot would want to drive around is beyond me unless they were disabled (I kept my mouth shut just in case). In the end I lost the fish. My spectator was more gutted than I was. "That's why I didn't say anything," said the idiot. I ignored him. Then I heard his door open. "You'll want one of these," he said thrusting a day ticket in my hand. He was the bailiff! Now the Mere is far from the most picturesque lakes in the county but seriously? If you want to be a bailiff surely you must A. Be willing to walk around and B. Have some modicum of watercraft. Things were about to get worse.

An hour later I had caught three more Carp bringing the total to five. One thing I did notice was how bad their mouths were. I'm always unsure what causes this. Eric from Woodlands is adamant that it is the use of braid. Anyway I carried on and was soon into another fish. "Doing any good?" asked another passer by. "Had a few," I replied. It turned out he was staying on-site in a caravan. "Wow, blimey!" said the man. He had seen the carp feeding on the surface. After a short conversation it became apparent the lake had been fishing terribly for weeks. Spawning by all accounts. Utter rubbish I thought as I netted the Carp. My new friend estimated it at fourteen pounds. It was probably nearer ten and I considered taking a photo. Once again though it looked as if it had had some rough treatment in the past so I slipped it straight back.

My friend scuttled off to get his tackle while I carried on. The fish were really having it now, swirling all over the place. Another bloke appeared behind me. An older gent, he was transfixed by the Carp frenzy in front of me. "Crikey, never seen so many fish," said the old boy. I nodded, concentrating on my biscuit among the many out there. "I fished for ten hours here yesterday and never landed a fish" he said. "Lost some rigs though, lead leaders, the lot." he added. It suddenly dawned on me. These fish have been fished for a lot by people with no idea hence the poor condition. Peace broke out for about five minutes after the old chap had left until a group of five or six people from the caravan site noisily walked around the lake. When the bailiff drove around for a second time about ten minutes later I finally packed up and left a little disappointed.

To be honest maybe I have been a little harsh on the place. I first used to fish it a few years back and there were no caravans on site and as I said the Roach fishing was brilliant. It is certainly stuffed with fish. If you look closely enough you'll see the Carp still feeding as I left.

 

 

Woodlands complex, Spilsby, Lincs.

"When you taking me fishing then?" Asked Chris from work. As it transpired we went the morning after my Keal Cotes trip. Chris hadn't been fishing for some years. Regulars will know if my life depended on catching a Carp I would go to Woodlands and so that is where I took Chris. It was a glorious morning and there were a scattering of cars in the car park. We headed to the far end of Hawthorne lake well away from the other anglers and in the cooler, deeper water.

I set Chris up with my new rod and a simple waggler set up. I chopped up some meat and threw it about a rod length out. Chris cast over the top with his waggler and a small piece of meat on the hook. I settled down behind him, basking in the late morning sun. It didn't take long for Chris' float to show signs of foraging fish and his float soon disappeared. "Told you, I'm a natural!" He bragged. "When you setting up? I'm already one in front." He added cockily. "I'm OK, I'll watch you for a bit," I replied. With my exploits the evening before and a forthcoming match at Partney in the evening I felt a little fished out.

Chris' swim went quiet for a good while and I reluctantly wandered off to the next peg. I set up a method feeder and launched it towards the Island. Three fish in three casts soon had my interest waning- it was too easy! Chris did eventually catch another while I spent the rest of the session faffing around with my tackle box and trying to tempt them on floaters. Chris' fish was a good one though. "Hold it up for the camera Chris," I instructed. "Oooh no, I don't like the feel of them." He replied. I wasn't surprised- he's just as bloody awkward at work! The resulting picture.......

 

Partney Brick Pit, Lincs

 

That evening I tried to go three from three at Partney. As I pulled up to the lake though I was horrified to see a massive sheet of blossom all over the surface. It was going to be tough, I drew peg 7 again and settled down quite confidently. On the whistle a scattered a few floaters in as it was relatively still. The response was disappointing. Just the odd take here and there. I managed only one fish in the first two hours. I did add one late on but I knew I hadn't done enough. Don won with a fine fifteen pounds off peg 21. Little did I know I was less than a pound off second place. In the end my two fish went nine pound fourteen and saw me forth. If only I had gone for a few small fish in between Carp I thought as I loaded the car. I wouldn't have won but I'd have nailed second.

 

A week later and I was back. Peg 19 was ok-ish. I had a bit of room to fish on top and I hoped for a few small fish on the short pole. True to form I had a couple off the top straight away but they were quite small. It turned out to be a tough match and at the end of the three hours I had managed to scrape together a level ten pounds. Much to my surprise this was enough to win. I had been lucky. No disrespect to any of the guys but had my main rivals Tony and Don drawn better pegs I think the outcome may well have been different.  

 

Toad Hall, Candlesby, Lincs

 

Work commitments had kept me away from these Thursday night matches for a few weeks but I managed to sneak down for one mid-month. I drew well and raced around to peg 2- one of my favourites. The small f1 type Carp kept me on my toes all match, hooking about one in every three bites on paste. A decent Tench along with a Bream and a couple of proper Carp joined my annoying friends in the net and I was confident at the weigh in. I had certainly beaten everyone I could see. As the scales appeared I weighed nearly twenty six pounds. Only Don had been out of sight all match but he couldn't have more than that could he? He was on a good peg (8) but I was still sure he wouldn't have more than that. You know what's coming don't you? The crafty old sod had twenty seven pounds in his net.

 

Partney Brick Pit, Lincs

 

Next match. Peg 18. A disaster. The pegs either side were in and this restricted me massively. Dennis was to my right and he always fishes long so that would spook any fish up in the water within casting range. A new member was on 17 to my left and he set up all manner of gear. One thing I did notice was that he had his name on his box. Now I spoke to him after the match and he was a thoroughly nice bloke. Something about him having his name on his box though lit a fire in me. I wanted to beat him so much. Silly really and a bit pointless because his peg was heaving with fish. That's my competitive nature though.

 

As it happened I had five Carp off the top but they were all tiny. I picked up a few fish on the four metre line but my twelve pounds was only good enough for fifth. Who won it? Yes, that's right- my neighbour on 17. He did it, just, with seventeen pounds.

 

Last match of the month and I drew peg 2. I have to admit to chuntering a bit as I didn't fancy it at all. The other guys found this quite amusing as they charitably ignored my protests. I set up my usual floater rod and a four metre pole. A few bubbles came up as I was setting up just to my right so I decided to mix some ground bait up and put it in there. On the whistle I put in two large balls laced with pellets. Letting them settle I fished a frustrating first half hour on the top. "Can't hook any tonight Tony," I remarked to my friend and organiser a couple of pegs away. The very next cast I hooked one. In fact I had three in three casts. Nothing like fishing for making you look like a tit. Anyway the Carp grew weary of being taken off the top and I switched to the four metre line.

 

I was fairly solid down there and I caught a few little f1 type thingy's and then I hooked a Bream. "Got the Bream lined up as well eh Phil?" Tony remarked. "Yeah, what would he do from a peg he did like?" said Don from across the lake. Banter is so much easier to take when you are winning. In the end I had blitzed it. At twenty one pounds I was nearly ten pounds clear of the rest. Tony even packed up early and I've never known him do that. Still I've watched him bag-up enough times in matches to know how he felt. With the victory at the end of last month that made it four out of the last six. A turn around indeed.

 

"The thing about you is that you haven't got all the fancy gear but my word you can catch some fish," said Brian graciously at the end. I thanked him and wandered back to my car wondering if it was time to get my name emblazoned on my £40 seat box................

 

Afterword

 

The old boys comments at Keal annoyed me a bit. It's not his fault he is endangering fish using gear he has no idea about. I blame the papers and magazines that advertise it. What most of us realise is that they only exist to sell advertising space. He was only using what had been marketed at him. As for tackle reviews by supposedly 'expert testers' I'll give you an example of the type of stuff you come across. Angling Times recently reviewed a top of the range pole from Drennan costing two and a half thousand pounds. It ended like this-

 

"Is this pole any better than the others in its price range? Only time will tell".

 

No only you will tell! You bloody tested it and all the others. Just tell us which one is best! They wont of course because to say one is best endangers the chances of all the other companies advertising their products in the paper. It's nonsense. As is Krill being used in fishing bait but don't get me started on that one!

 

On a more positive note I'd like to thank Tony for being open minded about tactics. When I used to try and fish a bit differently in the matches at Mill Road lakes they just banned everything I tried to use. The candle, floating baits, the feeder..........why not just call it a sodding pole match. Anyone can fish how I have been doing and some have started. The fish will eventually wise up and then it's back to the drawing board. For now though I'll finish on a quote from match fishing legend Ivan marks- "If I know a particular method will win the match then I only have to beat the others who are fishing it.".  

  

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

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing Diary June 2013

Partney Brick Pit, Partney, Lincs

 

This month saw me fish four Tuesday night matches at Partney. At the start of the month I drew a decent peg next to the organiser Tony. He knows the place like the back of his hand and usually frames so it was an ideal opportunity to see what he gets up to. At the end of the match I knew he had beaten me but had anyone else? It was a tense weigh in as I claimed second by a few ounces. At nearly twelve pounds it was the first match I had really caught anything. Tony had a magnificent twenty eight pounds an won by a country mile. So what was the difference? Tony is a better pole angler than me no doubt but the main difference was the bait he was using. I have been persevering with pellets while Tony swears by little pieces of luncheon meat. I made a mental note for the next week.

 

I've said before that matches can give you invaluable information about what fish reside in what peg and my eyes lit up when Tony caught a couple of decent Bream. So a few days later I went down to his peg one evening and baited up with a bag of wetted micro pellets and some meat. At dawn the following day I was bank side and ready to go. Nine Tench later I did finally get a Bream of about twelve ounces. By half seven I was done and on my way back home.

 

Funny looking Bream....

 

 

The following week saw me draw another good peg. The one Tony had won off the week before and the one where I caught the Tench in fact. I came second with seventeen odd pounds on the meat. Sods law dictated that I also caught one of those decent Bream. Shame you don't realty get chance to appreciate them in a match situation though. A freak weight of twenty two pounds off the usually rubbish peg four won it. As I waited for the scales to come around I had a little lie down behind my peg and took a few pictures with my phone..

 

Lincolnshire skies really are something............

 

 

Bain Valley

 

Tony and I were keen to get out and try and catch some Bream from somewhere else but where? I mentioned to him one of the lakes at Bain Valley Fisheries. A few days later I got word from Tony that the owner of the complex had just bought three more lakes. One of them had been virtually unfished for twenty years and word was it contained not only massive Bream but also some big Perch and Roach. Better still he had given Tony permission to fish it and he could take a guest too! Only an angler can understand how exciting the prospect of fishing somewhere like this is. I think it is the unknown that keeps us all going. This place certainly fitted into that category. We arranged to go the following week and I readied my specimen gear with enthusiasm. The night before our visit I went down with Tony to pre-bait a couple of pegs. In fact the place was so overgrown that we had little choice of where to fish. Anyway I catapulted a couple of kilos of corn into a likely looking area and departed full of confidence. Being on old gravel pit this was in my experience the best way to go. The fish instantly recognise it as food. Groundbait in theses sort of waters is usually does more harm than good.

 

Another super early start saw Tony and I bank side at four o'clock in the morning. I fished the tip with corn and set up a float rod to fish maggot. The tip remained motionless while I began to catch a few small Roach on the float. After four hours with just a few Roach to show for our efforts our confidence gradually began to wane. A visit from the bailiff revealed that Bream were indeed present but were proving difficult to locate by the few that had already fished it. He also threw some light on a pair of massive birds of prey that we had seen during the morning. Marsh Harriers apparently. A breeding pair were nesting on the lake. They softened the disappointment of the slow fishing somewhat. A had a bit of a wander with my spinning rod towards the end and managed to catch a small Pike and I had a take from what I was sure was a Perch. Having read about quest for gravel pit Bream before I've concluded that I simply don't have the time or dedication to start a serious campaign for them. I would, however, like to go back sometime and try for a decent Perch.

 

The virgin lake............

 

The following Tuesday saw me back at Partney in the evening match. After my specimen hunting exploits I hadn't transferred my stuff back into my seat box. Typical then that I drew peg fifteen that required fishing the pole at eight meters. You simply can't fish a long pole from a chair and I didn't even weigh in. I was kicking myself. Fifteen is usually the peg to have and that was twice now that I had not done it justice.

The Secret River, Lincs

There is a long section of this river that I haven't fished or even seen. A local pub supplies the tickets for forty pounds for the year and I've been meaning to join for ages now. It's always a good idea to check out a venue first though and I took Mrs P and the Chaos twins with me for an afternoon stroll along the stretch in question. You might be able to tell from the pictures that it doesn't really see a lot of anglers and access to the bank was really poor. In fact for over a mile of River I could only see one fishable peg. Maybe it will be different in the winter. It certainly isn't worth the outlay at the moment. The last picture shows the rivers meeting. The others just scream big Roach.......one day........one day....

 

Partney Brick Pit

Sorry this month is getting a bit samey but my match exploits had given me another idea. The pole brigade were occasionally losing Carp they couldn't handle. While I hadn't hooked one myself I was keen to try a technique I hadn't employed for a few years. A quick trip down to the supermarket saw me leaving with a box of dog biscuits. In years past I've used chum mixers but alas the country's smallest Sainsbury's didn't have any so I settled on some small dog bakers meaty meal. I wasn't even sure they would float! Luckily they did and what's more they could be hooked straight from the box. Better than mixers and found by complete fluke. Anyway would these unseen beasts feed off the top?

The following evening I drove down to the pit and catapulted a few out. Half an hour passed with only the occasional swirl. Certainly not enough to have a cast at. Another half hour passed and I was considering going home. Just as I had decided to give it best they started to feed and I quickly dug out a rod from the car. No secrets to surface fishing. Fine-ish line and a small hook will see you among the fish every time. I use Drennan Double Strength in seven pounds breaking strain coupled with a size twelve wide gape hook. No float or weights just use the weight of the biscuit to cast. Soak it for a few seconds before casting and you'll be able to go thirty odd yards. Did I catch one? You bet I did. At eleven and a half pounds it was still quite lean with plenty of room to grow...........

 

 

The match the next night saw me draw peg fifteen again. This time I was ready with my box and a few floaters just in case things got desperate. I did wobble a bit after only having two small Tench in the first hour and I put out a few meaty meals. Two quick fish soon had them spooked but I had what I wanted. They must have weighed fifteen pounds between them. I spent the rest of the match on the eight metre line and managed another couple of Carp and a few Bream. At thirty four pounds it was the best weight this year and close to the match record. Victory at last. Never thought I would get there.

 

 

Final word

 

A mate of mine has been waiting for ages for an operation to have his leg re-broken (don't ask). Anyway a few days before he went in he managed a new personal best Carp of nearly twenty seven pounds. Get well soon Pete. I might just have to get one bigger to give you some inspiration. I think you are safe though!

 

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

Fishing Diary May 2013

The forgotten lakes, Old Bolingbroke.

 

At the start of the month I went to the lakes with my old friend Rob. For those of you new to the diary the lakes are about two miles from Spilsby. If you look on google earth or a map they are smack between West Keal and Mavis Enderby. I've only ever seen the gamekeeper once (in about thirty visits) who relieved me of a fiver for a day ticket. Anyway, how did we get on?

 

Rob and I started on the top lake because it was blowing a gale and we found a spot that was reasonably sheltered. Rob was happily catching small Perch and Rudd on the float while I struggled on the feeder. A couple of hours passed and although we had both caught a few by this time we decided to brave the wind on the more prolific bottom lake. Alas it proved fruitless because although we did manage a few more fish we caught nothing of any note. The best fish was this rather fat little Perch caught on a worm.

 

 

I did have one more short visit towards the end of the month but again the cold weather conspired against me and I blanked trying for those massive Crucians on sweetcorn. It did look rather pretty though as the sun went down, just a shame the float wouldn't go under.

 

 

 

Partney Brick Pit, Partney.

 

Partney pit is run by the Spilsby Angling Association. It costs a paltry £20 (less for juniors and OAPs) a year to join and tickets are available to anyone. The pit itself has twenty odd pegs and all have comfortable platforms to fish from.

 

This month saw the start of the Tuesday night matches which are run by my good friend Tony. Again they are open to any member. For the uninitiated a match starts with a draw for pegs. You then have a short time to set up and fish for three hours and the winner is the angler with the highest overall weight of fish in his or her net. Now this month was a bit of a disaster for me as I couldn't get a better result than third. A couple of bad draws were had but the main problem was adjusting to the format. I've been roving about all winter, fishing were I like and for as long as I want. When the first match finished I was gutted that I couldn't carry on as the fish had just moved in.

 

The other guys are no mugs either. They fish mostly matches all year round. Me turning up with my specimen hunter chair and short margin pole just wasn't cutting it. I soon transferred my gear to my seat box and even elasticated my spare top kit to give me another option. Gradually I began to feel like I was getting somewhere and you'll be the first to know when I do finally get a win.

 

One thing matches do provide though is a great insight into what a lake holds. I've seen Tench and Bream to nearly five pounds, plenty of Carp, Roach and Rudd and even some Eels and Ide. Pegs 15-19 are the ones to head for if you are thinking of going. A rod length out with corn, meat or big pellets will put you among the fish. Also be aware of the rules (very few) on the notice board. You can get tickets from Spilsby and Skegness tackle shops or even the petrol station on Partney roundabout.

P.S for those of you strange enough to target Eels I did hear a whisper of a eight pound beast caught last year........

 

Woodlands Lake, Hawthorn Lake, Spilsby.

 

After finding my pride well and truly dented by my poor match results I decided I needed a confidence boost. Woodlands can always be relied upon for a few fish. I turned up at about five pm and this meant the cost of my day ticket was only four pounds instead of the usual five. Any peg on Hawthorn is decent and again you don't have to fish too far out. I settled at the far end of the lake on peg 15. Feeding a few pellets and some small pieces of meat the carp were soon churning up the bottom. A couple of hours and seventeen Carp later I felt like a proper angler again! I thoroughly recommend it and if you haven't been yet get yourself down there. Eric is one of the friendliest lake owners around and he'll point you in the right direction. Hawthorn is one of five lakes on site. Here's a few from that night. 

 

Toad Hall, Candlesby.

Another local lake and one of my favourites. Again I was here for the summer Thursday evening matches that also started this month. On the first three hour match I weighed in twenty two pounds and came last! Fantastic fishing though. I had a big Tench and a few small Carp along with some decent Roach and Rudd. Also in here are Perch, Chub, Eels, Bream and even some Gudgeon. I think it is a fiver for a day ticket and the fish really are in first rate condition. Pegs 1,2, 6 and 16 are the best although don't overlook the first part of the lake as I'm sure this is where most of the big Carp hide during our sparsely attended matches. The second and third matches saw me draw badly and as at Partney I await my first win with anticipation.

River Bain, Haltham.

With the rivers being closed to anglers it's still nice to get down there and have a wander. I took Mrs P and the Chaos twins (my Labradors) for company. With a river like the Bain you can sometimes spot a few fish in the clear, shallow water. Last winter I found a big slack on the far bank just below the village of Kirkby-on-Bain. I felt sure it would hold a big shoal of hopefully massive Roach. Alas I never found the time to have a go for them and when I did finally get down there the wind made it impossible to fish. Imagine my horror then when I was met with this strange piece of landscaping. What it is for I really can't imagine. All I know is that it has ruined any chance of catching a big Roach from that particular area.

On a more positive note a little further upstream I peered over the steel footbridge to see a huge Perch in the flow. I was a little to clumsy though as it saw my shadow and scooted off downstream just out of sight. This is an area you can't fish as the banks are private but it was lovely to see such a big fish in a tiny river. Two pounder for definite, maybe even bigger.

I'll leave you with my favourite peg from last winter. It looks mighty different now. You can see the bottom all the way across. Quite how so many four pound plus Chub can reside here and remain out of sight is one of fishing's great mysteries.

 

Afterword

 

As I write this I have just received a rather special invite to fish an old syndicate lake which hasn't been fished for twenty years. It has just been sold to a friend of a friend and we will be the first ones to try it out. Details are a bit sketchy but we are reasonably sure it holds some big Roach, Perch and Bream. I can't wait to go and you'll be the first to know how we get on.

 

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

Fishing Diary April 2013

April 2013

The Forgotten Lakes

Old Bolingbroke, Lincs

I have stopped calling these lakes Neals Pits. It just doesn't do them justice. Anyway at the end of March I reacquainted myself with these lovely pieces of water nestled in the middle of nowhere. My first visit of the month saw me sat on the old weed bed again on the west bank of the bottom lake. I have a feeling it isn't the best area of the lake but my word is it peaceful. Sheltered by dense undergrowth in the afternoons it becomes a real sun trap. In fact it was so peaceful I fell asleep which is rare for me when I'm trying to catch an unseen beast. While conscious I did catch a few Roach and Rudd and then lost what I was sure was a big Perch. Playing it for a couple of minutes it came off before I could see it. Frustrating but it was just extra encouragement to go back and have another go.

My second visit of the month was with my friend and match supremo Tony. He fished the lakes years ago and was keen to join me. We settled on the East bank and were treated to some glorious spring sunshine. Tony and I caught Roach steadily all morning on both the float and tip. Nothing big but we were both getting a few bites. Totally out of the blue my worm-baited tip rod whacked around and I struck into a good fish. Could it be? Yes it was! A Perch. Bang on two pounds Tony assured me that it was still on the small side for what the lake used to produce. Still a great fish though and I was made up.

I have had a few visits since but caught no more Perch of note. As the weather got better though the weed bed peg got more and more pleasant to be in. My rugby mate and keen Carp angler Chris came down to have a look at the lakes one night. Regular readers will remember the massive Carp I saw in the top lake last year and I'm rather hoping Chris will have a go for it. After having a good look around he joined me on the weed bed. "Wow, it's idyllic," Chris exclaimed taking it all in. Just about sums it up really. I did manage to get one of those big mutant Crucians one evening. What a shame they aren't 100% because if they were I'd be famous by now!

 River Lima, Italy

My good friend Andy lets me and Mrs P use his home in Italy and so we had a week over there this month. As luck would have it his house is close to the Lima valley. It is one of the most beautiful rivers I have ever come across. A bit of online research suggested the Lima holds some good Chub. They didn't give locations though so I struggled all week. I say struggled but it's not really a hardship when the surroundings are so amazing. Like my weed bed spot, sometimes the catching is secondary. Just being there is special enough.

Casoli Lake, Italy

"You want to go up to the lake Phil, loads of fish up there," said ex-pat Daryl in the village restaurant one night. "Loads of snakes too though!" He added. After a long trudge up a farm track we came across a massive heard of goats. Good I thought, they'll scare the snakes off. Unfortunately they hadn't because the first thing I saw when I got to the Lake was a snake. My match fishing buddies will tell you I can't even stand eels so I can't begin to tell you how much I dislike snakes. I'll endure pretty much anything to wet a line though and I had a few fruitless hours with my jeans tucked in my socks just in case!

Afterword

This blog is coming up to three thousand hits. A massive thank you to all that read my diary and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

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