Monday 30 May 2011

Back to the pit with Bream in mind!!

With Friday being the start of my half term I had decided to get over to the pit early doors and fish for the Bream and tench. Arriving very early I spombed some participles onto a patch about 40 yards out, and quickly set up my rods both onto this area.


I was convinced that "the mistress" was going to give me a spanking this time, so sat back and prepared to take my beating!!!! This was until I saw a bream roll over the baited area, followed by a couple of beeps on my left rod....go on take it!!!! It did!. After a bit of rod dancing the fish was in the net, incidentally just as a pair of polish anglers arrived...after I told them last week that there was nothing in the lake I felt a bit embarrassed! On the scales she went 8lb 12oz.



First bream of the morning.



About 2o mins passed before the alarm screamed again, waking up all residents in the local area. This time the fish swan directly towards the bank, before fighting very hard in the marginal clear water. Slipping the net under another bream , which looked very similar to the last one....peas in a pod in fact, scaling 8lb 10oz!



Here very simliar sister!

A long quiet spell followed with only a couple a beeps indicating moving fish. I did have some issues with my right hand alarm, missing two bites due to the alarm not sounding but hearing the baitrunner which with bream was seemingly to late. This drove me crazy as when checked all appeared fine, perhaps they need a service back at Gardner!

After the long quiet spell came 5 mins off manic action, with firstly my left rod running, and landing a beautiful 9lb bream. Just 2oz of my PB weight!!!! Then whilst re baiting this rig the right hand rod ripped of with a slightly smaller on of 7lb 10oz.



Beautiful 9lb bream


Nearly two tone!

The shoal had definitely been over the baited area. Unfortunately as quickly as they came they disappeared, resulting in another slow spell. This was until once again my left rod howled out its shrilling scream. This bite was not a bream, but after a spirited fight a nice tench of 5lb 11oz was landed, quickly photographed and returned.



Nice belly

Things had definitely slowed down towards mid morning. Though I did managed to sneak two more tench the first being slightly larger at 6lb 0oz and the second coming as I was packing away my tackle to head back home. A smaller fish scaling 4lb 10oz




Pretty tinca



Last knockings!

I was very pleased with this session as in quite difficult conditions in a new peg I had managed to bank 7 fish again. Once again some other anglers did not far as well. I await my spanking!!!!

Monday 23 May 2011

Wind of change....Bream PB

On Sunday I made my way back to scene of my PB tench last week, with again tincas being my target species. This time I went about it slightly differently. I had decided to spomb out a carpet of bait then fish over it, with aim being to get the fish feeding over my area instead of moving in and out in a sporadic manner.


I started off with about 10 spomb fulls of a mixture of corn, dead red maggots, casters and pellets at a range of about 40 yards from the same area I fished last week. I set both rods and sat back watching the sun rise. At 5.45 my right hand rod had a run, after a steady fight a tench of was landed. A nice start. 4lb 13oz butter belly!





Over the next hour i missed two good runs, one of which I think might have woke me from a quick nap, the other of which snagged me on something in the open water. When runs are hard to come by I get annoyed at losing them, especially as the nap was not planned...perhaps the general anaesthetic from Friday had made a return??

I did not though miss the next one which screamed off, I was into a better fish as I could tell by the weight on the line, not fighting in that mad way that the smaller male tench tend to do. Instead making powerful runs in various directions. The culprit was a very nice female tench of 6lb 4oz



Though i was pleased to have landed a couple of fish by 9 o'clock the swim was not showing the signs that I thought it might of feeding fish. When the bailiff came round he bought he usual good luck, whilst talking the left rod belted off. A male with an attitude issue was the guilty party, though only 3lb 11oz it ran me a merry dance looking for snags and roots. In fact the bailiff commented that it might be the smallest one he has seen! No picture was taken in the shame!


By 12 the swim had gone dead and I made the decision to change plans and move to the other side of the lake into which the very strong wind was blasting. Be nice for my newly acquired holes in my mouth!!!

I had made a quick call to my girlfriend explaining that I was only going to be an hour or so but just wanted to give a new swim a go. After about 45 mins of this hour my right hand rod bounced to life with the bobbin jumping up and down 3 or 4 times prior to slowly running off. I hit the bite and was in, this time though the fight was very different....bream o'clock! As I slipped the net under the fish I knew I was in the PB area. On the scales the fish went 9lb 2oz. this fish was far from pretty but as my new person best I could not grumble. She was though very empty of roe so could have been a bit heavier just a couple of weeks ago?




I put the rods back out the the hope that there may be a shoal out there....within 10mins the left hand rod ripped off...tench I thought, well you know what thought did!!!! Another bream, this time a beautiful dark bronze male which gleamed in the half breaking sun as it drifted into the net. On scales the fish was 7lb 9oz which I would consider large for a male! With this in mind I do feel there could be a monster female in there somewhere.




I did stay a bit longer than the hour but my bed was calling as were the co-codermol!

Tight Lines

Friday 20 May 2011

Quick couple of tench..

Had a chance to get out of work on time and get to Ryton by 4 o'clock on Wednesday where Danny was already fishing. I had my rods and bait ready from my weekends exploits so it did not take long to get in the water. Though there was some activity I would not really say that they were "getting on it".




I had put one rod to the front of the island and the other into a deep whole short of the island. Whilst on the phone to Dan I had my first run, which transpired in a small female tench that scaled 2lb 9oz. Not to sure but I think Mr Peck might recognise this little man, seems to have healed up quite well after his close call with a pike.







After about an hour it was clear that this was probably an odd fish in the swim on that they were not in great numbers in this area. So after a conflab we both moved to the back of the island on the front off the wind but in the only calm area on the lake. It did not take long before we had both landed a couple of fin perfect small tincas. Interestingly enough both of fish appeared not to have hook marks in their mouths so might be some of the new stock coming through. Though nice to see it was not really what we wanted...perhaps in 3 to 4 years time?





As we had observed alot of feeding and rolling fish in the early pegs we decided to move again going on the adage that an hour in the right swim is better that 5 in the wrong one. Though we both had tench Jacuzzis between us I only manged a drop run, very difficult to understand how we were not getting constant bites...perhaps double caster may have been more effective?



A nice short session back on the mistress, hopefully the extractions on friday will not stop me getting out at some point over the weekend, got to make the most of the tench window prior to the weed getting up. Tight Lines

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Time for some Tinca-ing!




On Sunday myself and Dan had decided to pay a visit to a local pit. On arrival we walked the lake as it was empty . We discussed most swims with the focus being on depth, wind and of course any feeding/topping fish. After around ten minutes the decision was made to fish a couple of pegs next to each other.


After quickly adding some lake water to my secret mix, I set about using my marker float to check out what was in front of me., it appeared very clear and also thought the depth did vary between 6ft and 5ft quite level. With this in mind I decided to fish at about 40 yards with both rods, as I was fishing with barbel rods this was comfortable as they are not made for throwing huge weights.

It took about half an hour before my left hand alarm sang, fish on! After a energetic fight a male tench of 4lb 8oz was on the mat. Fin perfect and a good start to the session.




Though I was very keen to get a bed of bait out in front of me I was also aware that using my new toy of a "SPOMB" might have a detrimental effect on the swim and after taking one fish I thought why change it etc. So with this in mind I had a set plan of casting every 20 mins to ensure that if fish moved into the swim they would have enough particles and goodies to keep them interested and not to move on...(Into Dan's swim)

After another half an hour this time it was the turn of the right hand alarm to bleep twice and then scream, this time the fight was different alot less speed but more weight. As the fish surfaced I could see that it was a female which had a rounded appearance, perhaps this was the reason for her lack of energy?? She scaled 5lb 4oz, but ordinarily I do feel she was more like a 4lb 8oz fish as she was very short but rotund.



The next two fish came in quite quick succession of each other both of which where very similar runs, once again a couple of bleeps then a screaming run. The fish came in as one of 4lb 4oz and then a one of 5lb 1oz.






Lee had come over for a chat at this point with myself and Dan, we discussed all things from the angling fraternity. Hearing that I was having a good morning "Specimen Keith" had rang me for a chat, whilst discussing the session my alarm let out an almighty scream meaning that I had to throw Keith to the floor and let him know that I had to go! Hearing this Dan and Lee came round to see what was the culprit, though erratic the fish felt alot better that what I had landed so far. Though there was some interesting moments around the second rod, the fish was landed to comments of "its a good one"..."think its a six"..."its a female"......"its bigger that six"....

On the scales the fish went 7lb 11oz which for me is a new PB. I was really surprised to see first hand the difference between a 5lb tench and one of nearly 8lb. I know it sounds very obvious but the different is huge not only in length but also in overall mass. Very happy with this beauty, to be honest i do feel this fish will be over 8lb in a couple of weeks as she was not full of roe by any means.
I really do not think this picture does this fish justice...real beaut!


After missing three runs due to phones calls and a bit of over enthusiasm I eventually hooked into another fish only to loose it at the net whilst being watch by the local "staffy walkers", bit annoyed but I did rush that one.

It took a while before my alarm made a more convincing scream and I was in again. This time a fish of 5lb 0oz was netted. This fish was alot more gold in appearance than the others.

At 12.30 we decided to call it a day and head back. Dan managed to land a late tench to prevent a cheque book and pen, but the other anglers failed to catch (some very competent ones too). This might mean that the fish shoal up in certain or areas or............I am lucky??

Sunday 1 May 2011

Fun in the sun

A very quick blog to mention a quick session that I had last week. I had a short time slot, so nipped to Jubilee with a floater set up. I fished the back pool Horseshoe, as the carp appeared to be more active here than on island. I had spoke to a few anglers on my way around the lake who commented how poor the pool was fishing......In short I had 9 carp in 3 hours. Ranging from 6 ish up to 12lb 11oz. I have to say I was very impressed with the condition of all of the fish that I captured, just shows that a well managed fishery can ensure that the fish remain in very good order. All of fish fought all the way to the net, probably due to their massive rudders!!


All fully scaled commons, interesting as on the Island pool I catch alot of mirrors. I have put some pics below.