Technically Tench

Still not convinced that curry, beers, a 12.15am finish with the chief followed by a 5.15am get up is the best start to a fishing session, but we will stick at it. Arrived somehow by the agreed 7.30am, PC dressed for action and the wrong pegs chosen. We moved to about 8 oclock as you look at the picture below. Feeder the only option and with the threat of rain we set up. Weather warm, layers came off. Sausage cob and liquids helped ease the pain and off we went.

First cast 10 metres from the island led to bites and nothing. Then a carp 1-2lb. Fish then followed for both anglers continually. Mostly tench and barbel, very few chub and only 2/3 carp between us. Skimmers plagued PC, where as Coot Catcher had plenty of small tench and barbel in the 6-9oz range.




Overall the fish count was soon forgotten as we had so many. Weather a complete roller coaster rain, sun burn, cold, wind but generally very still. Crying out for waggler or pole with light elastic. Estimated must have at 40-50 fish, Pc 30-40. No stop really only a few quiter spots, very busy all day.

Red maggot only bait tried, soft pellet on pole might do damage. All fish on feeder at distance, pole should improve catch rate. Fish have definitely grown tench are bigger than the small bars of soap they were gone from 2/3 oz to 6-8oz. Enjoyable days fishing and good pre before festival. Would say we easily broke double figures 20lb+? Who cares pleasure session, house move, Butterley and festival awaits.

BURNING BURNING HOT

Finally got round to fish again after my disaster with Derek and Lucy (least said)
Peg 38 chosen on good old Orfe for my converlesense on a baking hot day it wasn't
long before the arms and neck were burning.But at least I was catching fish with the pole at 6m at 4ft. and size 16 hook I was bagging up.With 2 red maggots to start ide,roach,tench and stockies came flooding in but to no great size.A change to 4/6mm pellet brought gudgeon ugh!!!! so a change to 3 maggots was the plan. Ironically that brought the best 4 fish of the day carp all about 2lb aswell as more of the above with perch thrown in.Though the pole was to hot to handle at times it was a really good practice session for the Shrewsbury Festival.By the way you can see my version of Piper-Alpha as Orfe is so low ,lost count of the number of fish but weight was easily in the25lb region.Roll on saterday to give Cudmore a bashing.



PEG BUT NO FISH

Peggy Sue Got Married

Weather Cold
Red Letter Peg taken - invaders!
Fished 7am-11am
Knew it wasn't going to happen
Conditions against me
Fished peg just over the bridge on the Swanick side
Had 5 carp
Every time I catch one I think they are getting bigger
Not bad
Getting greedy
Cudmore Saturday?

American Egg Fishing

Well what a difference a few weeks and the red letter peg can make. 8am until 12 noon, initially cold, windy and grey. Comfortable with radio, limited kit and my own company. Fished at distance with cage feeder and shellfish bollie. As simple as you like with ground bait and a few handfulls of 6mm pellets. Ended with 5 bream, 3 roach and 12 carp for a conservative 70lb. I honestly spent more time playing fish than waiting with a fish every 10 minutes or so including playing, casting and unhooking time etc. Baliff popped by and said the Americans had developed a new type of bait that looks like a fish egg which is strong enough to stay on the hook bag up with them. Butterley Bait Innovations. He talks some shite! There were anglers on the other side of the viaduct when I arrive but no one when I left - this paints a picture. The rocks rock! When its on its on - Buttlerley is hard to beat on its day, could have had the tonne if time had allowed.

Roll on the festival small rudd and the odd gudgeon.

Practice will eventually make perfect

Two sessions on Orfe and a session on Horseshoe answered a number of questions. Key bait for those abundant skimmers, dusting off the waggler and the threat of Papa Chav.

Waggler on orfe delivered around 15lb only fished with maggots and only for a few hours. Carp showed but in low numbers.

Orfe on pole delivered 28lb mainly skimmers with carp only briefly showing. Princess bride caught 16lb mixed bag including a nice 3lb tench. PC struggled until chuck it and chance it gifted three carp to place 9lb on the scales, yes 9lb.

Horseshoe in the final session was hard. No carp, skimmers, roach and wind, cold up and down weather.

In all honesty the festival will need the best from all of us roll on the 16th and 17th July.