May 2015

Apologies

Well, we are running a bit behind but better late than never as they say. After April's debacle I've been very busy trying to catch something worthy to show you. Did I succeed? I'll let you be the judge of that.............

Lure practise

With a boat booked for the predator opening day of Northamptonshire's Pitsford Reservoir in the middle of the month I thought I had better get some lure practice in. First off though I had a bit of a problem. My new lure rod had developed a crack in a ring lining. Typically it was at the bottom where it was causing all sorts of havoc with my braid. Back to the shop it went and they ordered a replacement for me. Never mind I'll use the old faithful Ugly Stik I though as I wandered around the lake on site.

It didn't take long to get one as a fish of around a pound shot out from the near bank and engulfed my lure. Another one quickly followed before something far more substantial became attached to my line. Again I only hooked it feet from the bank but it shot out into the deeper water and bored around trying to shake the hook. It's always a bit daunting seeing a big Perch surface for the first time, even now they still look impressive. Anyway it did shake the hook but luckily it was in the net at the time. A fine fish weighing 2lb 15oz........

Sadly that was the end of the action for the evening but I left happy with my efforts. In keeping with my lure practice I popped down to the beach the day after to fling some Bass lures around. It was always going to be a long shot in the shallow murky water off the Lincolnshire coast but I had a good go. It certainly made the dog walking a little more interesting than usual.......

4lb Perch hunt

As many of you will know a 4lb Perch is one of my long term goals. With my new found confidence in lures gained on the Boating Lake where I was catching fish on every trip I headed over to the dreaded caravan park. This venue has produced a Perch of 4lb 6oz in the past (to sweetcorn!) but very nearly broke my spirit last year as I tried in vain to catch a decent fish. As I arrived at the lake in question I was pleased to see nobody else fishing which gave me a free reign. To cut a long story short after three hours I had covered every inch of the Lake with my trusty lure and had just two micro Perch to show for my efforts. I had a little dabble in each of the other five lakes on site but my enthusiasm had been blunted. My mood was further dampened on the way home. One of my favourite winter drains had been just that.....drained......

Quite where they put all the fish is a mystery. Not too far from me anglers bemoan the weed growth in the drains. They ought to think themselves lucky, at least they still have water in them.

I also visited Water Meadows fishery in Chapel St Leonards. I'd heard of some big Perch in the match Lake there and after a chat with owner and all round nice-guy Andy he very kindly agreed to let my have a go with my lures. The conditions were far from perfect and although I did manage to lose a good Perch that proved to be the only take I had. Maybe one for the winter months when the Carp haven't coloured the water so much. Thanks to Andy though for letting me have a go.

The Main Event

You'll remember some of the guys from last month, Nate, Carl, Andy and Leo. Well we all arranged to meet at Pitsford Reservoir for the opening lure fishing day. New guy Jamie joined us to make three pairs. Pitsford is a water that definitely holds 4lb Perch. It is usually fly only but after overhearing some Trout guys in the car park it seems they've opened up to the predator anglers early simply because they have been running at a loss for the last few years. Keen to oblige we each handed over £30 which gave us a full day fishing and the use of three motor boats. My boat partner for the day was to be Leo, my old Rutland compadre.

We quickly headed away from the rest of the gang and motored right to the dam end of the reservoir. This took us a good while and while it wasn't particularly cold it was quite windy which had whipped the water into a choppy maelstrom. By the time we got to the dam I was soaked from the spray of the waves crashing on the bow. Any thoughts of discomfort (typically I had no coat to wear unlike Leo who looked fit to work on an oil rig) were soon dispelled as I had my first take in nearly 40ft of water. All through the fight I was convinced it was a large Brownie as it led me a merry dance all over the place, surging off at every opportunity. I have to admit I was a little disappointed when a modest Pike popped up. 'Bloody hell, I wonder what a 20 pounder goes like,' I said to Leo as he kindly netted it for me........

After an uneventful hour the Perch were conspicuous in their absence. Leo decided to put a proper Pike lure on to see if he could get a pull. Leo quickly opened his account with another small example and then I added another. The Pike really were active as we also had several follows and takes. Every one of them fought like scolded tigers. Forget what you've heard about Trout water Pike, those Pitsford fish fight, even the small ones......

Leo and I hadn't gone to catch Pike and we decided to head back to some calmer waters with the intention of finding some Perch. Even with a drogue we were drifting too fast to work our Perch lures effectively in the open water. Setting up a drift close to the most sheltered shore seemed a good idea but even so I imparted very little action into my lure due to the rate of drift. A quick glance at the sounder revealed a drop off from 15ft to 20ft. As we went over I lowered my lure down another five feet and bang I was in straight away. At first I thought it was another small Pike but gradually it woke up and everything went a little crazy.........

The water was quite clear that day and I saw what I was attached to quite early in the fight. It was a Pike and a big one too. Towards the end of the season I detailed losing a very big fish on the secret river. As they inevitably are, the loss was still fresh in my memory and I began to get doubts. My little 5g lure rod was struggling and the fish started to take off reducing it's effectiveness even more. Leo was quickly on my vintage trolling motor and I gradually gained on it as he manoeuvred the boat into the deeper water.

All through the fight I though it would come off. My little Mustad ultra point was holding though and the fish tired begrudgingly. The tension in the boat was palpable and I fear I may even have been a little blunt with my boat partner as the bow turned in the wind alarmingly close to my line. Leo was marvellous though, he held his nerve and when he scooped the net under it he was as pleased as I was. After a quick high five a victory whoop we set about weighing her and taking some photographs. By this time we had drifted onto the shore. I still can't pick my favourite shot so have two.............

The weight? 22lb 8oz. One of my favourite captures of all time and I now knew how a twenty pounder goes. 

Before we knew it lunchtime came around. Leo rang the others and we all met for some food at the picnic area. Carl and Jamie were struggling while Nate and Andy were faring a little better not one of us had even seen a Perch. A foreign looking gentleman was also having a quiet time on his float set up, changing to a feeder as we looked on in amazement. 

By the end of the day I had seven Pike with Leo not far behind. We didn't even see a Perch and neither did any of the others. We had a brilliant time though. We could hear constant laughter from Nate and Andy's boat. Andy had also unwittingly found a lure irresistible to Trout which gave them something to do. As he says 'You never have a bad day afloat'. I can thoroughly recommend it. Even the trout anglers were friendly towards us, certainly more than the other lure anglers. Maybe I'm being a little unfair as they could have been 'in the zone'. There is however a slight elitism emerging with lure angling- I've been doing it longer, I was the first to do this, look at my £200 rod, I'm an expert etc etc. I'm happy with my cheap rods and tackling large expanses of water without a coat. All the idea and no gear if you like.

A test

So, lure fishing, just how effective is it for Perch? Back to the boating lake for a little experiment. My best catch on lures had been five fish in total. I wonder what I could do with bait I thought as the lure fishing became less and less productive over the weeks. The plastics had given me an idea of the best place to start and I arrived one afternoon with my pole, a couple of pints of red maggots and some worms. After three hours I had fourteen Perch in the net along with a couple of decent Roach around a pound. The best Perch went 2lb 9oz........

The one at the top is the 2 9 so there are probably three other 2 pounders among the best fish of the day. Certainly more productive than the lures and while it's hardly scientific I wouldn't neglect bait fishing for big Perch...........

The rest of the crew (rogues gallery)

A quick round up of this months action from my pals.....

Trout aficionado Andy Wilson with a superb midlands Bream of 11lb 6oz....

Fishing nutter Dan Sales with a traditionally caught Carp.....

Man vs food competitor Dave Owen with a mighty midlands Bream of 12lb 2oz........

Fellow Lincolnshire specialist and new acquaintance Martin Barnatt had one of the most spectacular Tench catches the county has ever seen topped by this magnificent fish of 10lb 8oz......

Over to Kent to see Tench supremo Nate Green now. He also had an unbelievable catch of big Tench. Countless eight and  nine pounders topped by this beauty of 10lb 3oz....

Also from Kent is this 47lb Carp caught while Tench fishing by my old mate Rob Thompson......

Tackle Talk

Tackle tarts need not read on......

Back in the 60's the British motorcycle industry almost totally dismissed the threat of products from Japan. Ten years later they had been humiliated into an ignorant series of bankruptcies by their far eastern competitors. I always think of this when people dismiss Chinese made fishing rods as crap. They might have been to start with but not now. Some seriously good equipment coming from there and at a price almost nobody else can compete with. I came across my latest lure rods completely by accident. The ever helpful guys at Big Catch Tackle gave me the keys to their rod room and told me to'pick anything I liked' after my lifelong loyalty to Shakespeare had been tainted by them not replacing my rod in time for my Pitsford visit. I appeared after much debating and waggling later with an Okuma Dead Ringer. I had no idea how much they were (no price) but the 7ft 5g-20g felt great even if the upper rating was a little ambitious. After my Pitsford trip I fancied a beefier version. A quick internet search revealed a 10g-30g version at guess where? The very same shop. Price? £23...........Quite remarkable, cork handles, good finish, tough rings, super light with lovely actions..........

In my search for a 4lb Perch I have been investigating new venues. Almost none of my potentials will let me lure fish. Very short sighted in my opinion. They way I fish it is almost impossible to foul hook one of their precious Carp (that gets caught twice a week anyway). Another thing to consider is the amount of detritus I can remove with lures. I've taken out line, hooks, litter and even an old unhooking mat this month. No charge, I'm happy to help those that are happy to help me.........

Contact

As ever you can contact me via email here........the.power@tesco.net

Photo's

Lure fishing from the Beach, Daisy at sunset and a beautiful Pitsford sunset..............

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

April 2015

Introduction

Traditionally April has never really been kind to me fishing wise. I'm afraid to say it has been poor again this year. I'm not going to bore with details of sessions ranging from uneventful to disastrous though, oh no, you deserve far more than that. I have a veritable smorgasbord of talent just queueing up to keep you entertained. So from Tench to Scorpion fish there will be something to whet your appetite. Enjoy.......

Time for Tench

One of my friends Dave Owen reminded me of an old adage recently- When you see the first Swallow it is time for Tench. Now Dave has caught a few tench this month but I promised you something special so first we go to Kent to see how young superstar Nate Green has been faring. Now Nate has a PB list that would be the envy of many an angler let alone one of such a tender age. Here he is with his magnificent Tench PB of 11lb 11oz.......

Now Nate is nothing if not persistent and it's highly unusual to consistently catch big fish without putting in a good deal of time and effort. So, undeterred by a blank two night session Nate returned the following week to finally get among some fish topped by this beauty of 8lb 5oz. You can tell he'd been there a while by the state of his facial hair........

So what is his secret? Well here are five of them, take it away Nate.........

1) Critically balanced baits, after observing Tench feeding in tanks and in underwater films it's clear they use a lot of fin surface area to disturb the bottom debris, anything that is drawn upwards by this commotion is drawn into the fishes mouth and then food is quickly sorted from non food items by being either spat out or filtered out through the gill plate. A critically balanced bait both ensures that the hook is drawn up in front of the fishes mouth easier, and will be sucked in easier to ensure a more efficient chance of hooking the fish.
2) Use leads as method feeders, I haven't used a method feeder for years, a small 1-2oz inline lead offers several advantages to my mind. The ball of bait becomes more compact and aerodynamic and once the groundbait has broken down the lead is still of sufficient density to provide a bolt effect. I also feel that in clear water a small coated or textured lead is less visibly obtrusive to a feeding fish than a large multi-finned method feeder.
3) Hi-attract baits, I'm a big fan of highly flavoured and fluro coloured boilies in my method fishing for Tench, with a dark mix moulded around the lead a highly flavoured bait of a bright colour is surely likely to stand out to the fishes' senses.
4) Use the right tool for the job, there's a lot of airy fairy nonsense written about angling and Tench in particular seem to become subject of the traditionalist brigade. Using a centrepin reel and a float rod to catch tench is a lovely way of fishing, but its only any good if the fish are feeding within float range. If fish are rolling a long distance from the bank you need to be able to get a baited rig to them. I use 2lb tc rods for most of my Tenching which allow me to fish efficiently for them in most situations, but I have stepped up to full carp style setups in the past in order to achieve long range casts to reach fish. My personal best tench was caught at approximately 110 yards range utilising a carp rod.
5) Watch the water, Tench will show themselves off regularly at dawn and dusk by rolling and sending feeding bubbles to the surface, watching for these signs and understanding when and how to react to them is instrumental in anyone's ability to regularly catch big tench.

Thanks Nate, something for us to think about there, top tips. In other Tench news and moving to the Midlands two of my other friends have achieved PB's in the last few weeks. First up is all round nice guy Craig Palmer. Now by his own admission Craig isn't a specimen hunter but he just loves fishing and was made up with this Tench of 5lb 9oz caught on an insert waggler and a size 18 hook baited with a single red maggot..........

Next up is Eel aficionado and mankini fan Barry Fisher. He doesn't often target the humble Tench but with his recent exploits maybe he should. A multiple fish catch last week was topped by his new best of 6lb. Barry took most on maggot feeder with a couple falling to mini Maple nut boilies........

Living the Bream......

South Leicestershire now and we meet up with Andy Wilson and his much maligned fishing buddy Dave Owen. Andy details their adventures this month-

Lately I'm finding myself drawn to having a go for some saltwater species, perhaps it was the fishing I did in Belize last year that lit this fire. I desperately want to catch a wrasse or two as I have never caught one before, they look fantastic and the lure fishing for them appeals enormously. I am by nature impulsive, Dave is extremely cautious. So one day as we sat having a brew and Dave ate the burger he'd just fetched, I said "let's go to Wales wrassing" expecting him to go all quiet, as he does when concerned. To my surprise and joy he gave an emphatic "YES". So it came to pass that, the very next Thursday saw us taking an early morning soiree into deepest Pembrokeshire. I'm reasonably familiar with the area form a holiday makers perspective, having been many time over the years. My fishing experience there however extends to feathering for mackerel and pollack and casting plugs for bass.

Neil Bradley had been very helpful with information on lures and rigs for the wrasse, but I was still well out of my comfort zone. The day we chose was glorious, clear blue sky and sunny with the sea reasonably calm although again the breeze was cool and so was the water. I opted for a variety of Senko worms fished weedless on Texas rigs. Dave did his own thing and tried most of what he had in his lure box, he even managed to get some of them back! We were fishing from a rocky headland which gave access to reasonably deep water close in, even at low tide. We worked the lures mainly within twenty yards right in to the deeper gullies at our feet and through the sparse kelp encrusted boulders. It takes time to come to terms with the swell as the waves repeatedly devour the irregular coastline, but I found myself developing a rhythm, working the lure with the rise and fall of the water. It all looked so good, the area, the method, everything. I've never felt so confident and was sure every cast would produce. Mid morning Dave suddenly shouted he'd had a couple of plucks on a little red shad and as I looked round it struck again and he was in. It was only small but as I netted it and clambered back up the rocks I was as excited as he was and couldn't be more pleased. A beautifully marked and coloured Ballan Wrasse greeted us from the bottom of the net and it was the most beautiful thing to behold, with better teeth than Matt Hayes. But sadly that was it, we fished on, had a nice pub lunch, but nine hours has never gone so fast and we headed for home all too soon. Mercifully I am back for a weeks' holiday at the start of July when hopefully warmer sea temperatures will provide me with my coveted wrasse.

With the month progressing Dave was itching to get after his beloved tench, but I just wasn't feeling it. Sometimes you have to go with your gut and mine was telling me it was still too cold for tinca. Dave's gut was telling him to find the nearest burger van, but that's par for the course.  To make matters worse Dave then saw a swallow one morning. According to Dave every swallow arriving from Africa brings a tench with it that it drops into one of our lakes. So there was no stopping him now, and off he went for a few afternoons when, to his credit, he did manage a few when the sun came out and a warm spring threatened.........

And so, just last week, I finally succumbed (that's not rude is it?) and gave in to Dave and tench, dug the tinca gear out and we headed south for a couple of days. Target for us both is a double figure Tench, neither having had one, although I did come within a thrice a year or two back. But end of the day its' just a number and we enjoy catching them all regardless.  After a grand tour of the southern half of Britain and several waters, circumstances, not to mention a heap of carp anglers, lead us to a large sixty acre gravel pit in the Cotswolds. It was a delight, only about half a dozen other anglers present and the place was looking lovely. After a good walk, twice as far for Dave with his little legs, we plotted up in a large shallow bay that received the sun from first thing in the morning which might encourage a couple of tincas to visit. A lead about in my swim revealed a clear area at thirty five yards about the size of a brolly, this was surrounded by sparse weed. Some assorted ground bait and dead maggots were deposited on said spot and two inline maggot feeders winged their way out to sit amongst it, being refilled and recast on a regular basis. The feeders were taped up to slow down the exodus of gentles within. Late evening as we dined alfresco, I saw a definite tench roll just off my spot, which was nice. Sometime into darkness I had a couple of bleeps on the right hand rod, I immediately thought liner and peered from under the duvet to see the bobbin on that rod jammed between the rod and bite alarm with the reel squealing and line ripping out. I'm not slow in assessing a situation and almost immediately I realised I had a bite! A few hours later, as dawn broke, i was up and re baiting when the same rod burst into life again as bait was crashing in above. Later in the day I added my third and final fish of the trip. Dave had been slow getting going but his spot 'ripened' nicely late in the piece as they found his bait and he had five nice Tench in a relatively short space of time. Remarkably the first three we landed between us reads like Tom Daley's score in a diving contest,  6.02, 6.02, 6.02, The other fish we landed all went five plus and made for a splendid session. We were told that to catch eight and not have a much better one was very unlucky, but it keeps the enthusiasm going for next time, in hopefully much warmer conditions. Dave with a 6 2.....

Andy then recounts a fabulous story about a Bream session. Alas we don't have room for it as we still have a lot to get through this month. I wont begrudge you the picture though. 10lb 4oz...... 

The Imitator......

Over to Warwickshire now to see how lure nut Carl Arcus has been doing. Now I like Carl, he is a lot better than he thinks, In this crazy time where most anglers are breathless from blowing their own trumpets Carl's attitude is as endearing as it is refreshing. His enthusiasm is infectious too and he could happily talk all day about all things lure related. He isn't too shabby with a camera either......

'All very well Phil but has he caught anything this month?" I hear you ask. Well yes he has. A trip to a local canal yielded plenty of Perch and Zander. Nothing big but the action was hectic.......

It's was an opportunist session that Carl had while working away that captured his imagination the most though. Finding himself at the edge of a saltwater marina he lowered what he thought might be a suitable lure into the depths. Not really expecting to catch anything Carl's first fish was a bit of a shock but also a very welcome surprise. A small Coalfish of around 8oz was swiftly returned and he was quickly into something else. This was real mystery fishing at its best and Carl was made up to fool a bristling little Scorpion fish........

Carl's lure fishing tips-

1) It's helpful to know how your lure is reacting to different retrieves so test them out in a clear marginal spot if possible. You'll get to see what works best for which lure and you can also experiment with different rigging styles.
2) Always try and used a balanced set up. Carefully consider your lure size and jig weight. Sometimes the fish will be voracious and chase the lure a good distance but mostly you are trying to encourage a feeding trigger so using a good balanced set up helps when you need to impart the subtlest of movements.
3) If like me you get too attached to your lure collection you may want to use Texas rigs. Seriously though this type of rigging is great in weedy or snaggy waters.
4)Don't be too afraid to experiment. Fish don't adhere to rules so you never know what is going to work on the day.
5) Confidence is key. With lure fishing perseverance is sometimes necessary and it is a lot easier when you have a high confidence level. 1) and 2) help with this.

Gentle ribbing......

Back in Leicestershire we join all rounders Phil Kenny and Leo Heathcote. Now there is always a bit of friendly rivalry between these two with all the associated banter. Leo struck first on a trip to a local canal, bagging a Zander while Phil struggled for a bite. The next time out they went after some early season Carp with Phil getting the upper hand this time bagging a few specimens topped by this 20lb 4oz beauty.......

Phil was doing so well I asked him for his a few tips on short session Carping.....

1) Local knowledge/do your homework and speak to other anglers. When time is tight a head start can be invaluable.

2) Watercraft and a good pair of eyes (probably a friendly dig at glasses wearer Leo). Not being afraid to swap and change or even move.

3) At this time of year I prefer to feed a large area rather than fishing over a tight bed of bait.

4)Use a good quality bait (matched to water temps, e.g Its too cold for fishmeal baits at the moment). Recently the Carp have all fallen to versions of the cell or hybrid (nut based baits) and a super sweet birdfood. I've also been glugging them in a yeast based glug which has worked really well for me.

5)Slack lines or back leads coupled with small leads (2oz or lighter) have also been very effective in the last few weeks.

Now I don't know whether Leo had been delving into Phil's bait bag or his luck simply changed because right at the end of the month he came good. A fine looking Common Carp of 22lb 8oz............

My exploits

I hope you have enjoyed meeting my buddies but what of my fishing this month? Well it hasn't been great to be honest. I took our old friend Andrew from work Carp fishing and I did get a couple off the top before being violently ill. Then I had an unsuccessful trip to the forgotten lakes, the Crucians just seem to have disappeared. I did have a few small Perch on lures but proceeded to drop my camera in the lake while trying to photograph one of them. In short I was thoroughly fed up. Even a visit to the bottomless lake failed to ignite my enthusiasm.

It took a trip back to Loughborough to relight my fire (as Lulu would say). The venue was my old haunt Nanpantan Reservoir. A few of the boys were due to visit me so I was there fairly early to get settled. Typically it was blowing a gale so I opted to fish on the back of the wind at the top end of the lake. At least I would be warm I thought as the sun came out. I set two tip rods up and as I was expecting company decided to give them matching tips. I've been fishing with one glass and one carbon tip all winter for no other reason than I am a lazy sod. Anyway I belted out twenty odd big feeder fulls of groudbait about forty yards out and then fished over the top with corn. To cut a long story short I had some initial success on the tip before it went quiet. When Leo arrived he encouraged me to set up a float rod which I did.

I threw a ball of feed in about a rod length out and saw the tow drag it sideways as it sank. This called for a slider as I could fish a heavy bulk down the line to try and counteract it. It worked enough to get me a bite almost every cast. Roach upto about a twelve ounces came winging in as the rest of the crew arrived- Andy, Dave, Phil and Carl. On a couple of occasions I had to hand a rod over with a fish on while I got another one in. At times it was hectic and at times I wasn't upto the task. 'Do one thing well,' Dave whispered in my ear as I juggled feeder and float rods. However when there are fish in front of me I have to catch them, just the way I am I suppose. With keepnets being banned the Roach going back soon unsettled the shoal and I ventured a little further out where luckily a gang of hard-fighting hybrids were hanging out. The feeder rods produced sporadically throughout the day with Bream upto around three pounds.

When my brother and a old friend arrived I took a break and offered my float rod around. Andy reluctantly took hold and got into position. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw him struggling. Now you might have garnered this already but Andy is the type of guy you can imagine saying to himself- fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Indeed that day he looked as if he was kitted out to comfortably hike the Appalachian Trail. In contrast I had turned up for a days Bream fishing in some super absorbent tracksuit bottoms and trainers with the laces undone. Anyway it suddenly occurred to me that not only had I been using one of my super quirky reels it was coupled with a rod that cost me £4 off a car boot sale, not only that but one of the rings had fallen off earlier when I had taken it out of the bag. In fact he only thing that endears me to it is that it cost £4. Andy wrestled with my set up for a few minutes before I returned to put him out of his misery.

This single episode made me swear to myself I'd be more organised. I have loads of gear and usually end up using some rubbish or other. I always have a feeling I've forgotten something when I go fishing. I resign myself to the fact that it'll be too far to turn back when I realise what I've left behind or worse still be playing a fish or something and look around for my landing net before it dawns on me that it is still in the garage.

Andy, Carl and I rounded off a great day with some luring. Carl had a lovely example while Andy had a couple of little ones. I had a few plucks but learnt a great deal. They didn't realise I was watching them but watch I did.

A week later and I'm out again, refreshed and ready for something new and challenging. Inspired by the guys sea fishing escapades I decided on a spot of Bass fishing in a local estuary. I took the dogs and had a lovely afternoon. While I didn't catch anything (I'd caught the tide wrong) I thoughroughly enjoyed it and I'll be back for another go.

With only a few days of the month left and limited time I headed to Chapel Boating Lake with Perch and Roach the targets. Imagine my glee when searching around for a groundbait bowl (I have three) or maggot box (I have hundreds) to no avail and ending up mixing it up in an old reel case. So much for being more organised.......

Did you have any Phil? I hear you cry. Yes, yes I did and some good ones too. Perch that is, all on the lure........

Now Chapel Boating lake isn't to everyone's taste but I like it as an occasional venue. The one thing they do have is an excellent tackle shop. Two in fact. They have a separate rod room which is more like small aircraft hanger (more on which later). The guys there are super friendly too. They have been very kind to me and  I can't speak highly enough of them. Thanks guys.

The thing is with busy places they are all the more special when you go at a quiet time and have it all to yourself. Just look at those old stanchions sticking out, perfect for a spot of luring of an evening............

Tackle Talk

Now you probably all know I've been using a cheap but very capable Shakespeare 6ft 6in GX2 Ugly Stik light lure rod for my lure fishing. While I really like it and have had Perch to 3lb 10oz on it I wanted a slightly longer version for some almost vertical jigging in the margins. With this in mind I headed to the expansive rod room at Big Catch Tackle located on the Chapel Boating Lake site. What a great place it is too. I picked up the 7ft version of the GX2 and wasn't impressed. The recovery speed of the tip section was woeful, certainly nothing like its smaller sibling. Luckily they had just taken a delivery which included the Agility range of lure rods. After a few speculative waggles I opted for the LRF 7ft 5-15g model and what a beauty it is. Problem was it had no price on it. I'll pay upto £40 for this I thought as the ever helpful Steve leafed through the price guide. "£27," he declared to my surprise. Forget the fact it is badged as a light reef rod, its going to be ideal for my fishing. I can't wait to try it............

It wouldn't be tackle talk without a few obscure reels now would it? Not one to disappoint I added a lovely little ABU Cardinal C3 to my collection. The smallest of the range it may be twenty odd years old but I've already spooled it up with some Savage Gear braid ready for some light lure work..........

I like to think I know a few things about reels but I came across something this month I have never seen or even heard about. At first glance the Ryobi 3000 looks fairly normal. Upon closer inspection it really is rather odd. The drag is on the handle and the clutch is in the spool rotor. So if a fish wants to take line the reel gives it by the rotor turning anti-clockwise. If you didn't follow that then I'm not surprised, it is remarkably strange. The bumf on the box declares it as the first ever reel with no line twist, not sure if that is true but it even has a adjustment for the strength of bail arm return. Bizarre. Had to be worth £10 mint in box though didn't it?.......

Last but not least this month is a tip from me. The number one Perch lure for me over the last year has been the 7cm Fox Rage Mini Fry in Hot Olive colour. They now come ready mounted on 5g jig hooks. If I have one gripe it is that the hooks are ever so slightly heavy in the gauge. You can swap them for Mustad Ultra Points which are finer. With a lighter hook that has a bit of flex you can actually bend it out of most snags even with lightish braid. I only say this because a) I'm tight and b) I do worry about losing lures and a fish picking them up. This has been proved to be a problem in the US with Bass that have undigested rubber lures in their stomachs. Maybe something for the manufacturers to think about. Anyway Hot Olives, my go to lure of choice, devastating......... 

Photographs

As ever I'll leave you with a few photo's from this months escapades. We have a lovely old black lab from the Carp lake that pestered me for biscuits, my own labs on our Bass fishing trip and a stunning sunset over the Forgotten Lakes.........

Afterword

I couldn't go back to my old haunts without paying my old mate and fishing mentor a visit. You can read all about him here- https://daisydo100.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/the-waggler/

R.I.P buddy........

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

March 2015 end of season special.

Introduction

All round angler based in Lincolnshire. This is my 50th blog post in over 3 years and during that time it has evolved into more of an online magazine. There is something for everyone this month and as ever the fish are the stars, enjoy........

This is it

I did a double take, sometimes the shadows and reflections on the water can fool you. Nope, it definitely wasn't there, my far float had disappeared from view. I ran the short distance down the bank and looked at my reel, the spool was giving line and for a split second I was hypnotised by the writing on the side turning into a rotating blur. Upon lifting the rod I set the hooks with a firm strike and whatever was on the other end wasn't happy. The rod took an alarming curve and the thump of a big fish translated through the carbon into my, by now, sweaty palms. Gradually I began to get the upper hand and slowly coaxed the fish upstream. I could see my line cutting through the surface film and the fish rose in the water column. As it fought doggedly I saw a big swirl. The thing I had trouble computing was the disturbance caused by its tail was some four or five feet from where my line was entering thew water. This was a big fish. I whistled to Benidorm Dave, not wanting anything to go wrong, the help could prove invaluable I thought.

15 minutes earlier......

Dave had a 19lb fish, incidentally the one he had last month. Again the recapture came a long distance (half a mile at least) from where Dave had caught it a week or so earlier. Anyway having seen a 19lb fish in the flesh it was fresh in my mind. Lucky for me (and before I moved downstream) while he was playing it his other rod went and I landed a fine looking Pike, albeit a lot smaller........

With the leviathan still unseen I was keen to get a glimpse of it. I wouldn't have to wait long as it was coming upstream steadily. My mind was racing, it's going to look great in the blog, I'll be in the Angling Times, the pictures are going to great etc etc. Besides that it could be the target fish, a 20lb river Pike. Not some drain fish or a one stuck in a specimen lake somewhere, a proper chalkstream twenty, my holy grail for most of the winter. All those hours in the the very worst weather of the British winter, the effort, the learning, the miles travelled, dare I say it- the dedication, it all boiled down to this moment. Through the greeny/blue tinged water it finally came into view just under the surface and for a moment time stood still. It was at least as long as Dave's fish but considerably fatter.

As I watched agog at the massive Pike in front of me it paused briefly before accelerating itself skyward and completely clear of the water in a mighty show of aggression shaking its head as it did so. I took a sharp intake of breath, this was definitely it, the unknown fish I had been after all winter. As it hit the water it laid on its back, it's white underside gleaming through the water. Something was wrong. There was no tension on my line and as I turned the reel handle my worse fears were confirmed. It had shaken the hooks. I realised before she did and saw her hang upside down briefly before righting herself and sinking slowly back into the depths.

By the time Dave got to me I had my head in my hands. Despite staying another hour or so she was gone.

Pause for effect.

We visited a couple of drains on the way home where I took a fish from each. Scant consolation......

Opportunist

Mrs P wanted some decking in the garden. Ever the cheapskate when some used stuff came up on one of those facebook selling sites I jumped at the chance. The fact that it was some considerable distance away mattered not, it was close to one of my favourite Chub haunts. I only had an hour or so but luckily it was enough. A big lump of link-legered Danish Blue cheese on a size 6 barbless hook its downfall. The picture below displays one of the idiosyncrasies of the humble Chub. You could but almost any weight on it you liked. In reality it was 4lb 15oz.......

Catching to order

Dave was keen to do a bit of Chub fishing and I was only too pleased to oblige. It is however, a little tricky on the river as there are only a certain amount of places to catch them from so taking someone else means giving up at least half the best spots. One spot I wouldn't give up for anyone is a far flung peg which I have always thought may turn up a real surprise. It took me a while to finally get one but after around 45mins I had a positive bite on bread. As with every fish from this particular stretch it fought like no Chub should. Although it wasn't quite the 6lber I was after at it was still a fine looking fish of 4lb 11oz......

Dave and I fished a few more pegs on the length to no avail. He was using a feeder full of mince with steak on the hook while I stuck to the more traditional bread and cheese. With our Pike exploits well documented you didn't expect us not to have a speculative Pike rod out as well did you? Mine was the first to go and typically I struck into thin air. Using lamprey I'm still in two minds as to whether it could have been a Chub. Anyway Dave's float was the next to disappear. While not massive and the photo not doing it justice it was a remarkable looking fish. Much darker than those from the other venues we frequent. One place to maybe have a serious crack at Pike-wise next year......

The Pike were all very well but I wanted Dave to get a Chub (as did he) so we headed to another stretch a few miles away. I sent him down to a real hotspot and encouraged him to get rid of his feeder. His bait was fine but the feeder usually does more harm than good while targeting spooky small river Chub. I whiled away a biteless hour in a weirpool before heading down to see how my friend was getting on. I was slightly surprised to find he hadn't caught but just as we were about to leave he did get one of around four pounds.

With Dave's appetite whetted he was keen to get some more so once again we were on our travels. Once again if I hadn't been with him I'd have gone home. The river was too low and clear for my liking and all sorts of doubts were creeping into my mind. It is fortunate we did move because Dave had a couple more four pounders while I had two magnificent fish of 5lb 5oz and 5lb 6oz.......

A fitting end to the river season. A slight shame that PB's have been thin on the ground (apart from those magnificent early-season Bream) but I have thoroughly enjoyed myself none the less. Till next season.......

Funny looking Crucians

With the weather warming slightly and the rivers closed my attentions turned to the forgotten lakes and those resident Crucian Carp. Slight problem though, having travelled the fifteen or so miles to where the farm track used to be I was horrified to find it had been ploughed over. Despite my best efforts I couldn't get down to the lakes and I didn't want to walk it as it would have meant leaving most of my gear in the car- never a good idea in the middle of nowhere. I ventured elsewhere with no real results. I lost an inordinate amount of lures in the lake at Bellieu Bridge Trout farm. I did have a couple of bream on the feeder but I wasn't feeling it and to be honest the lake had progressed from being fairly natural to wildly unkempt. A real shame as I have some fond memories from there. In desperation I tried ADH fisheries again to no avail. A day to forget.

Not one to be deterred by a long walk I decided to travel light (ish) and give the forgotten lakes a visit by foot. I've written at length about these lakes before and there magical qualities but the walk made this particular visit extra special. Having parked up I walked alongside a large ploughed field. On the other side the ground falls away as the path rises and after short distance a stunning house comes into view which nestles above a small natural looking lake some thirty odd feet below. As you turn southwards large trees take over the view on the right, among them some exotic looking specimens. After another turn you drop down into the valley of a small stream and the whole of the landscape becomes one giant natural amphitheatre. On this particular day there were no foxes or dear but two magnificent Buzzards skimming the outlining trees. I stood at the top of the slope to catch my breath and take in all the sights. My words don't do it justice, it's like nowhere else I've ever been.

All very nice Phil but what about the fishing? Ah well, the Crucians weren't playing and neither were the Perch who refused to take any kind of lure all afternoon. They were partial to worms that day though and I caught my best fish yet from there of 2lb 10oz.......

I'm not sure if the farmer wants people there or not. I had a chap in a tractor see me and also someone in a land rover and they didn't say anything. One thing is for sure though, They make Bellieu look like a golf course lake. The day after my visit I went to work in a t-shirt and it looked like I'd been self harming, I even had cuts on my face. I've never seen brambles like it.

A pigs tail.

It was a little early for the Crucians but could I catch a Tench for you? Despite the temperatures taking a dive again I thought I might be in with a chance on a really deep lake where I caught one last February. Although it was a little on the skinny side, I do love it when a plan comes together, caught on a sliding float fished lift style with red maggots..........

I'm going to finish this main part with a bit of mystery. The 4lb Perch is still as far away as ever and the 6lb Chub a mere dream. The venues are largely the problem and especially with the Perch. I've seen my favourite Perch haunt get hammered all winter (largely the reason they aren't there anymore) despite my best efforts at keeping it a secret. Other than that I only have a few old captures from other venues and hearsay to go on. If I had a tenner for every time someone had told me about the unfeasibly large fish in a particular place or ones they have had themselves I'd be a rich man. It is like this with every fish of supposedly specimen proportions, not just Perch. One of my friends Andy puts it more succinctly.....

'Phil after all these years I've heard all the rumours, Pike that have swallowed entire keepnets, Bream as big as garage doors etc, etc. As I'm sure you know too well whenever a matchman sees a Perch over a pound and a half they think it's a four. But I look at it like this just once in all those spurious fairy stories one of the old buggers will be legit.

Which rather begs the question- where to fish next? Who knows........

Tackle Talk

In addition to the DAM CTE closed face reel I obtained last month I've added it's cousin- the CFM. We all know about the ABU closed face reels but these 80's and 90's offerings from Germany really are fine reels. This one just makes do with the backwind facility and you can see why they are affectionately know as 'The coffee grinder'.......

It was a bit late in the season to try something new but I had a little try with some big circle hooks and some knotable wire for Pike. unfortunately I can't give you any feedback as I never had a take while using them. I may employ them full time next year as my take to catch ratio can't possible get any worse (famous last words).

It's been a while since we had a rod in this section and I was very pleased when I came across this Ivan Marks match rod in a local auction. I met him a couple of times when he was alive and he was a thoroughly nice bloke in addition to probably being the greatest angler ever. The rod is in great condition with all the original rings and fittings. I can barely believe I got it for £3........

While we are on the subject of Mr Marks, I can highly recommend his book that been out a while now. Made up of old stories published in the angling press from years ago not everything is relevant to angling today and some of his ideas were seemingly a bit crackpot but it is a great read.....

I'm slightly conscious of maybe teaching my granny how to suck eggs so forgive me if you already do this but it's a great little tip. If, like me, you don't have rods set up all the time then at some point you'll have cursed the modern (ish) screw reel seat. They become stubborn to the point of hardly securing a reel at all. Simple solution, keep them well lubed and you'll never have to endure a stubborn collar again.......

Other news

Big congratulations to my old friend and fine supporter of my ramblings Rob Thompson. He's made a front cover. Look out for it in newsagents. At the risk of stating the obvious, it isn't exactly Vogue or Time magazine but as an angler it's just about as good as it gets, well done mate........ 

As ever you can contact me via e-mail here-

the.power@tesco.net

And while we are are adhering to tradition we'll finish off with some photo's. One of the forgotten lakes and a couple of the Chaos twins on my Tench trip...........

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