Bentley Pool - June 20th - PB Bream

Another trip to Bentley Pool, I am still chasing a 6lb Tench and after reading a post on 'maggotdrowners' of a good catch on luncheon meat I was eager to give it a try.

I arrived at about 4.30pm to an empty car park, it was a nice sunny day, but with some cloud in the sky. I settled in on the 4th peg on the right hand side (again) setting up both a method feeder rod to fish to the island and a waggler rod to fish close to the lily pads.

Another guy arrived at about 5.30pm and after a brief chat he set up in the far corner of the pool.

I worked my way through various baits with no luck, I was getting lots of knocks on the waggler but nothing that I could hit, so I switched to the pole, with a 4.6lb hooklength and size 14 Gamma Power hook. I managed a small roach on maggots and bumped a few off before switching back to corn. There was an easterly wind blowing into my face which I think slowed the fishing down. I have subsequently read that you should fish with your back to an easterly wind and facing a south westerly!

2.5lb Bentley Pool Tench

At 8.00pm I walked round to see the other guy, but he had not had a bite yet.

Shortly after returning I managed a 2.5lb tench on the pole, it tried very hard to get in the lilies but the black hydro kept him out.

6lb 4oz Bentley Pool Bream

At 9.30pm the tip pulled round on the feeder rod and I was into a nice fish, not the same fight as a tench, turned out to be a 6lb 4oz bream that had taken the hair rigged luncheon meat.

I had no further action and packed up at 10.00pm and had a wander back to se the other guy, he had had a couple of tench on luncheon meat and was still fishing as I left.

River Dane - June 18th - Back on the rivers!!

I popped down to the River Dane for a very brief session to wet my lines after the close season.

I turned up at Byley Lane at 9.00am to find that I had left my bait at home!! A quick drive home followed and the back to the Dane.

I went downstream of the footbridge to the swim before the deeper section. I put about 6 bait droppers of feed into the swim and then tackled up.

1.5 T/C rod, 10lb Hydratuff main line, running drennan feeder, 2' 10lb sinkbraid hookliength with a S12 drennan SSB.

It was a nice morning with patchy sunshine, so I was not too confident of catching!

I glued three casters to the hair and cast in at 10.00am. I had to wait for 15mins for the tip to fly round.....game on. After a spirited fight I netted a nice 4-12 barbel. Unfortunately tha fish slipped out of the net whilst I was tryning to set up the camera!! so no piccy!! A couple more droppers of feed were added then I recast, then nothing else. I tired a spicy sausage Pellet O but with no luck.

Take Off

Damselfly

 

I turned my attention to some Damselflies playing in the sun whilst waiting for a bite.

I packed up at 12.00am and headed home mission completed. I will be back in a few weeks when the rush has died down, I just need to re think my tactics for the Dane.

June 14th - Bentley Pool - Again!!!

For some unknown reason I decided to go back to Bentleys to see if it fished I'm the mornings!! Well it seemed a good idea at the time!!

For once I managed to get up on time, set up and arrived at the water by 4.40am.

I settled in to the Lilly peg on the right hand side of the pool, there was a fresh breeze in my face and it was a quite chilly morning. I set up a method feeder, with a corn and maggot hook-bait and cast towards the island. I then set up a waggler to fish just off the lilly pads.

I have a bite fairly quickly on the feeder, a nice 2.5lb tench, a good start to the day.

Then nothing for the next couple of hours, an easterly wind started blowing into my face and this kept getting stronger so I decided to move peg to have the wind at my back, I opted to fish under the big tree on the left hand side.

Doug Butler and Barrie Roberts arrived shortly after I had settled into the peg, we had a good chat putting world to rights, whilst talking to Doug I hooked into what felt like a good tench only to pull out of it, nothing worse than loosing a fish except having someone watch you do it!!. I changed up to a size12 Gamma Power hook. Later I lost another fish which headed deep into the lilies and snapped me.

I packed up at about 13.00pm, at least it wasn't a blank, it seemed to be too windy and fresh to fish well.

June 12th - Bentley Pool

I arrived at about 4.30pm for another evening session on Bentley Pool. I set up on the right hand side by the lily pads hoping to winkle out a Tench or two.

I set up a Korum flat bed method feeder which was cast towards the Island, this was loaded with a scalded pellet and ground bait mix and the hookbait was a corn and maggot cocktail on a braided 4" hooklength.

I also set up a waggler rod to fish close in by the lily pads with 6lb main line, 5.5lb hooklength and a size 14 Gamma Power hook.

Bentley Pool - June 6th - Blankety Blank

I headed off to Bentley Pool for a short evening session, more in hope than expectation. The weather had been pretty rotten all day, rain and wind but the forecast promised a dry end to the day!!

I arrived to find one other person fishing on the right hand bank hidden under his brolly, so I decided to fish on the Left hand side next to the lilies!

The rain continued as did a fairly strong easterly wind, I tried the method feeder to the Island, waggler on the edge of the lilies with a variety of baits all to no avail, no bites no fish.

I packed up and headed home a little damp but none the worse for wear.

Bentley Pool - June 1st

Decided to head for Bentley Pool for an evening session after hearing tales of the quality tench lurking in the deeps. I arrived at about 3.30pm to find the car park empty on a very sunny afternoon.

When I got down to the pool I found a lot of carp cruising on the top, so I quickly rigged up a controller float but I failed to tempt them into feeding.

Whilst I was stalking Sean Downs turned up so we had a chat and ended up fishing on the right hand side of the pool, I was facing the island.

My Swim - Close in to the Island

I started on the tip, with and inline lead wrapped in scalded Robin Red pellets and with a fake corn bait hair rigged to a S14 Q1 hook and 10lb braid. This was cast about 4' short of the island.

I decided to prepare a pole line close to the island and was just plumbing up when the tip flew round.....the fish headed off round the right side of the island.....eventually I got it under control and finally landed a beautiful 5lb 6oz female Tench. I had no further Bites on the feeder.

5lb 6oz Female Tench

Switching to the pole I fished close to an overhanging bush on the Island and had two further female Tench, 5-00 & 4-12 on corn. The rig was 5.5lb main line with a 4.6lb hooklength & a size 14 Gamma Power hook set about 4" over depth. I had problems with the elastic in the pole, Diawa grey hydro elastic with a pulla bung, as it was too slack and secondly the pulla bung slipped up into the pole and left a slack elastic. Both Tench headed for the tree roots to the left of the island and with a slack elastic I was struggling to keep them out of it.

Whilst not catching I was kept entertained by the resident geese, on family of Greylag Geese with 10 chicks being looked after by a barren couple of Canada Geese and another Barnacle Goose with 4 chick. All was fine except when the Greylag chicks took a liking to my pole float, which ended up in the overhanging bush!

Family of Greylag Geese

Barnacle Goose & 4 Chicks

Sean fished a couple of pegs to my left, close to some Lilly pads, he had three tench capped by a 7lber at last knockings.

Packed up at 10.00pm after a very enjoyable session, 3 lovely Tench in beautiful surrounding, will definitely back in search of that elusive 6lber!!!

Lymmvale - May 29th - Blankety Blank

Back again and no joy this time out

Lymmvale - 24th May - Another PB???

This week has seen the weather change to a Mediterranean climate so I planned for an early start. I was out the house and at Lymmvale by 5.20am. I arrived to find 4 cars in the car park and the swim by the hut taken! I chose to fish the next peg round the corner.

I set up the usual two rods:
1.25 T/C, 8lb main, 2oz inline maggot feeder, 10lb braid hooklink, S14 Drennan specialist barbel hook
1.50 T/C, 8lb main, inline finned method feeder, 10lb braid hooklink, S10 Korum S3 hook

I spombed out some maggots to my left and away we went, maggot/corn cocktail one one rod and double fake corn on the other with a scalded pellet mix on the method feeder.

I settled back and enjoyed an early morning cuppa, occasionally disturbed by the odd bleep! But by about 7.00 all went quiet. Changed baits, tried pop up boilies, casters....still all quiet....8.30.....no change.....the sun is trying hard to put in an appearance but no action on the rods yet!!!

At 10.00am I decided to move to the hut swim and see if the fish were there....then I waited...... & waited.......1st run at 10.45.....struck....nothing there!!!!!...then waited.....until....another run...

First fish of the day at 11.00am just as the sun is burning off the clouds, a male tench of 4-03 on the maggot feeder rod falling to a corn/maggot cocktail.

I had no further bites over the next couple of hours. As the sun broke through the day really warmed up and lots of Carp were cruising, some looking to mate others just cruising. I threw a few pop ups in and after a while got the odd fish feeding, so I cobbled up a floater rig:

1.75 T/C, 12lb main, crystal waggler, 8lb gamma hooklink, S12 Guru QM1 hook

I spent 25mins whilst packing up with no luck so I moved further round the corner and after a further 20 mins hooked into a Carp, after a long fight, I landed a beautiful Mirror Carp.
After regaining my breath I weighed he fish only for the scales to bottom out easily at 15lb, very frustrating as I have been thinking of getting some digital scales. So I thought I better take a photo, I set the camera up on top of my ruckbag only for me to loose the fish when picking it out of the net, bugger! I am estimating the weight at 17lb, but it could have been more!!

Packed up after this and headed for home after an interesting session. This was the first time I have used Guru QM1 hooks and they performed very well. I will definitely keep using them.

Lymmvale - May 17th - Finally more than one fish!

The usual start to the day....slept in past my alam and woke up at 7.15....raining again...rolled over in bed to contemplate...decided to go fishing.

Arrived about 8.15 am, one other angler on the water fishing the Steps swim, I chose the swim by the hut again, very confident in the maggot/corn combo after last time.

I set up the usual two rods:
1.25 T/C, 8lb main, 2oz inline maggot feeder, 10lb braid hooklink, S14 specialist barbel hook
1.50 T/C, 8lb main, inline method feeder, 10lb braid hooklink, S10 Gamakatsu wide gape hook

I spombed out some maggots to my left and away we went, maggot/corn cocktail one one rod and double fake corn on the other with a scalded pellet mix on the method feeder.

Today I had decided to bring a camping stove and kettle so that I could make a nice cuppa, only problem was that I forgot to bring any milk so I had to make do with coffee. The kettle came in handy to make up scalded pellets though.
 

The family out for a swim

I had a little time to watch the swans

Come on lets go for a swim.

There food down there!!

The first fish came at 10.00am on the fake corn, a nice male tench of 4-15 then there was a period of calm.

4-14 Male Tench, nice way to start the day.

 Then I somehow managed to miss a screamer on corn, pulling out of the fish, again! A second fish came to corn, a female of 4-01, quickly followed by another pull out!! I changed to a Korum S3 S14 hook.

I also re spombed with maggots to my left at 12.00.




A third fish again fell to the corn, a smaller 3lb female and finally a fourth fell to corn again, 3-08 male fish

I switched the other rod over to corn & method feeder for the last 45 minutes after having no bites with the maggot feeder, with no further action I packed up in time to get back to Holmes Chapel to pick Tristan up.

I finally seem to be making progree at Lymmvale, that's probably given it the kiss off death!!

The weather forecast looks like it will warm up next week which should improve the fishing.

Lymmvale - May 15th - A new PB Tench

What a frustrating day, but a successful outing in the end!

I keep focusing on Lymmvale because of the head of fish that is in it, with my target this spring being to catch some larger Tench, the few fish I have had so far keep me striving to be more successful.

I set off at about 7.00 am in a light drizzle, which got worse as I neared Lymmvale. I was the only person there so I had the choice of any swim, I chose the peg in front of the Hut as I know this swim has produced plenty of fish this season.

I had prepared a scalded pellet mix the night before to use on the method feeder and this was fished on my RHS rod just past the overhanging tree, on the other rod I used a maggot feeder with a heli rig and a corn and maggot cocktail bait, per the latest edition of IYCF, this was fished about 15m out.

Fake corn mounted on a S16 hook

Maggots added to hook

I set up two rods, I am starting to like the Gamma co polymer main line, seems to be very smooth!
1.25 T/C, 8lb main, Heli rig & 2oz maggot feeder, 10lb braid hooklink, S12 super specialist
1.50 T/C, 8lb main, inline stonz, 10lb braid hooklink, S14 Specialist Barbel Hook

Even the ducks were looking for shelter!!

Mother and her 5 cygnets

When I was setting up the lake was flat calm but the wind picked up and the showers and squalls started to pass through. I was really struggling to get any action on either rod. I swapped bits around with no luck.

John Stubbs turned up at about 11.00am, I baited up both swims, using the mini spomb for the first time, and headed up to the hut for a cup of tea and a chat with John.

After settling back in the weather deteriorated further with a thunderstorm, lightening and a hailstorm all passing through before the wind shifted round to be in my face.

At around 13.30 I had a take on the maggots feeder which I unfortunately pulled out of!, I decided to switch over to an inline rig rather than the helicopter rig. I had two further takes on the maggot feeder which I somehow managed to pull out of.....very frustrating!!!

I re rigged the method feeder rod with an inline large 2.75oz maggot feeder and corn/maggot cocktail and cast into the same area as the other rod.

Just as I was packing up I had another take on the second maggot feeder rod, this time after a good scrap and managing to get my landing net out of my rod bag, I landed a lovely 5-12 female tench...a new PB!

A new PB - 5lb 12oz

After weighing and a photo I packed up and headed for home, in more rain, contemplating how I managed to pull out of three fish!

The rig that caused the pull outs was using a Drennan Super Specialist S12 hook with hair rigged corn/maggot, the other rig used a similar rig but with a Drennan Barbel Specialist S14 hook. My feeling is that the super specialist hooks have too narrow a gape for use with a hair. Next time out I will use the barbel hooks and try out some Korum S3's and maybe some QM1's.

Lymmvale - May 3rd

Afternoon and evening session

Lymmvale - April 10th

Lymmvale - 10th May

Back to Lymmvale in pursuit of a pb Tench.

Usual start to the day, slept in again, so I arrived at 7.30 am to find the Car Park and Corner swim occupied, but no fish caught. I decided to fish on the west bank opposite the Steps and into the face of the southerly wind. Hopefully the fish will follow the wind!!

I set up two rods, with reels freshly spooled up with Gamma Copolymer line:
1.25 T/C, 8lb main, inline maggot feeder, 10lb braid hooklink, S14 Specialist Barbel Hook
1.50 T/C, 8lb main, finned method feeder, 10lb braid hooklink, S14 Specialist Barbel Hook

I cast around to find a clear area, at about 35m, in line with the steps, and used a Spomb to bait up with a mix of hemp, maggots & s-pellets.

I fished fake maggots and casters on the maggot feeder rod and corn and pop up boilies on the method feeder rod.

I had no bites between 8.30 and 12.30, so I went for a mooch round, the chap in the corner pegs was landing a nice tench as I passed by, his second of the day, on luncheon meat fished on a flat bed method feeder very close in. The two chaps in the Car Park swim had not caught anything.

I decided to move into a peg in the corner, which was more sheltered. I switched to a flat bed method feeder on one rod with two pieces of fake corn, the other stayed on maggot both fished much closer in.

I had one fish, on corn, which put up a good scrap and weighed in at 5-0lb.

No more bites over the next hour so I packed up and went home.



Lymmvale - 3rd May

Woodside Pool - May 1st - A windy dreary day

I thought that I would give Woodside Pool a try after reading some positive reports.

I arrived at 7.30am on a very windy and blustery day, I chose the last peg at the far end of the pool were it was very sheltered.

It is a very pretty pool, but a little bit too close to the main road:

Looking right

Looking left

I set up a float rod, with insert waggler and fished close to an overhanging bush in about 4' of water.

Spot the floats

Clearly this was the hot spot as there were about half a dozen floats hanging in the tree. It would have been ideal for a pole, especially given the lightening bites, however the peg was cut into the bank so there was no room behind for a pole.





Fishing with maggot and caster brought a bite a chuck, very hard to hit, from roach & rudd.  Switching to corn or pellets did not bring any bites.

I had some very noisey companions for the day who also liked my loose feed.

I ended up with a load of roach, rudd and the odd skimmer and left at 14.00 to go home and warm up.

Lymmvale - April 24th

Second visit to Lymmvale, the weather promised to be dry after a couple of weeks of showery days so my hopes were high.

I overslept again, eventually leaving at 7.00, on arriving there was one other guy fishing opposite the Sandbank so I opted for a swim nearer the corner, seeing plenty of fish topping.

Set up two (1.5 & 1.25 t/c) rods, one on the maggot feeder the other on a method feeder. On the maggot feeder I switched between fake maggots and casters as hook bait, on the other rod I used a method mix of green supercrush and carp method mix groundbaits moulded to a fin type feeder with baits of sweetcorn or pop up boilies.

In my haste to get going, after sleeping in, I managed to forget to bring my bite alarms, bobbins and butt rests so made some up from bit of catapult elastic.

Female Tench - 4lb 4oz

I had no bites on either rod, but was having a lot of problems with weed on my rigs, which was rather frustrating. Every time I thought that I had found a clear spot I landed in more weed!!!

John Stubbs, the bailiff, came round and had a chat, giving me some ideas on how to tackle Lymmvale, he also gave me a copy of the depth map of the water.

He advised that I was fishing too far out and was on a shallower area which was why I  was having trouble with the weed. Apart from that it seemed that I was generally on the right track so after he had left I put out a method feeder with a pop up yellow boilie, this eventually led to my only bite and fish of the day, a Tench of 4-04.

I packed up at 14.30, at least my Lymmvale duck has been broken.

Thornhills Pool - April 20th

Had a quick visit to Thornhills today, primarily to try out some new white Bandums.

It was a very windy and wet day and I had a real battle with my umbrella when the wind picked up!

I fished the same peg as my last visit. I used my GTec feeder rod, 6lb main line with an elasticated banjo feeder loaded with flavoured micro pellets fished close to the tip of the island.

Typical Thornhills Mirror Carp

I fished for three hours and had 7 carp to 5lbs, on white Bandums and yellow pop up boilies.

There was only other person fishing and he blanked, but was probably highly amused at my inability to set up my brollie properly and watching it nearly get blown in.

Not a bad session, however I will probably not be back for a while, time to branch out elsewhere.

Lymmvale - April 18th

Finally made it to Lymmvale, home of big tench in Cheshire.

Approach to Lymmvale, a brighter day!!!

Problem was that it was a beast of a day, I slept in past my alarm and frankly I should have stayed in bed!!

At the Gates........on a brighter day!!!

It started raining as I was driving through Northwich at 7.30am and didn't stop until about 11.00am and along with an east/north east wind it was very chilly.

I started in a swim on the west bank, unfortunately the peg I wanted to fish was occupied, so I tucked in 20m nearer the car park in the most sheltered spot I could find.

Two rods both on the buzzer was the name of the game. 1.25 & 1.5T/C rods loaded with 8lb Sensor mainline.

Fished the maggot feeder helicopter style with either caster or red maggots on the hook at about 40m on one and an inline lead with corn on the hook at about 20m.

Bottom line no bites, one liner on the maggot feeder and that was it. 5 others on the lake and no one caught anything whilst I was there, did not see any bubbles or fish topping. The cold easterly wind did not help and the recent cold nights have lowered the water temp, hopefully it will pick up in the next few weeks.
 

View across to the sandbank

I probably should have fished the opposite bank with the wind behind me, away from the cold wind.

Ho hum! but I'll be back!!

Thornhills Pool - 12th April

Decided at the last minute to pop over to Thornhills for a few hours between the showers.

When I arrived there were four others fishing all on the spit of land, one on the end facing the peg I wanted to fish, none doing much though.

Decided on a peg on the LHS, tried a banjo feeder for the first time fished close to the island and planned a second line for the pole in the margins on the corner which never got used.

View towards Heron peg....I fished to the left of the Heron

Set up GTec 12' feeder rod, 6lb Sensor line, banjo feeder and started with hair rigged corn, feed pellets were flavoured with Marukyu liquid and ground bait.

1st cast and the tip wraps round after a couple of minutes, a smallish carp on, but unfortunately no landing net, which I had forgotten along with any rod rests!

I managed to land the fish by hand and a second that quickly followed.

Fortunately I was able to borrow a small net from another angler, Barrie Roberts, and carried on. The first three carp were on corn then I switched to a small white pop up boilie which accounted for a further 7 carp.

Managed a total of 10 carp to 7lb, and was napped up twice. Some nice mirrors all in very good condition.

All in all a good little session.

Ollerton Pool - March 27th

My first visit to this pool, which is a new water for BMAC, with the aim of dusting off my stillwater gear after months of river fishing.
I was not too condfident as the last few days have been blisteringly hot and sunny and today was no exception . I arrived at about 9.15am and had a walk around the pool. It is a fairly shallow (3.5 - 5ft) with coloured water and lots of lilly pads emerging but not too much activity. I selected a peg in the bottom left hand corner between some lilly pads, this was the only are that I had seen any bubbles.

I set up my pole, plumbed up and started to fish at about 11m near some lillies using bread.

View across the pool from my peg

 
I fed hemp and pellets sparingly and changed between bread & corn with no luck.

After an hour or so Pete Merry came round and had a chat, telling me a bit about the history of the pool etc. but also said that maggots had been fishing well...not really what I wanted to hear as I did not have any maggots with me, I did try some fake maggots later to no avail, he also suggested trying the margins as well.

Float nicely set...this is how it stayed - above the surface!!

I set up a second rig for the margins, again fed hemp & pellets and fished both the left & right margin again nothing.

I packed up at 13.00 having blanked, 2 bites both on bread and both missed!!

One other chap was fishing and he had 2 Rudd all morning both on caster...not exactly fishing its head off!! Walking round at the end I saw a number of carp basking in the middle of the pool and also under the overhanging bush on the right bank all around the 6-8lb mark.

Will I go back....not sure its really my cup of tea!!!!!!!!!

Final River Session of the Season - March 13th

Back on the Severn again for a final fling before the end of the river season.

I had decided to go back to Arley R/B at Hextons Farm with the intention of fishing further downstream. I was not sure what to expect but had a bad feeling as the drive down became a mare, due to a mega traffic jam going into Wolverhampton.

When I finally got to the car park I found it full up, lots of people out for a last fling before the close season. The Bailiff came over to see my card, the first time in years, and we walked down to the river together. I decided to fish the swim just upstream of the confluence with the brook, I was told that this had been fishing OK recently and the swims that I had fished previously were occupied.

I had just started to tackle up when two blokes came into the swim directly upstream and started to cast out bomb trying to rescue a rod which had been pulled in....but they gave up after a few casts! I was worried that it would mess up my swim so I went and tried to get the rod out...fortunately I got it hooked it on my second cast, but the guilty barbel had slipped the hook.

I set up two rods:
1.50 T/C. 10lb main, maggot feeder, 8-15 powerline hooklink & S14 specialist wide gape hook.
1.75 T/C. 10lb main, open end feeder, 10lb sinkbraid hooklink & S12 barbel super specialist hook.

First cast out on the maggot feeder and I had a bite within the first 5 mins.....landed a 6-8 barbel. Second cast out and another fish within 5 mins, cute little fish of about 1-8.  Finally I cast out my second rod with a 10mm pellet with no response.
I switched over to a caster on both rods and had two further fish (4 & 5lb ish) in quick succession.
A little lull was broken by a fish on one of the rods, when I had netted the fish the other rod went off and l was into another fish, fortunately the bailiff was passing and unhooked and released the first fish whilst I played the other one.

Good start to the day, 6 fish in the first hour and a half, but the guys upstream were starting to get on my t**s casting every few mins and shouting to each other, it felt more like a commercial!!

In the next half an hour I pulled out of a fish and was snapped on the strike on maggots...this time it was the mainline that broke at the swivel knot. With hindsight I should have changed to 12lb main...but didn't and paid the price later!!


Over the next couple of hour I tried to get the waggler going but couldn't get it to run through properly! I think the swim started shallow then got deeper which caused problem with setting the depth. Whilst I was trying the float a bloke jumped into the swim immediately upstream of me, which was way too close, despite my protest he started to cast in front of me!! I caught a Chub on the maggot feeder (about 3lb), carried on for another half hour then packed up and headed off downstream to find a quieter swim.

The Dead Tree Swim

I found the 'dead tree' swim further downstream, were the bailiff was fishing, he pointed me to a swim in the next field.

Fished caster on one rod and maggot on the other, after 15 mins I had a fish on caster on the upstream rod (4.5lb). Switched the upstream rod to pellet and had no further bites. On the downstream rod I alternated between maggot and caster, I was snapped on both baits over the next hour, both times at the swivel knot on the mainline....should have changed to 12lb mainline.

4-8 lb Barbel on caster

A nice looking riffle downstream...roll on the summer!!!

I recently switched from 10lb Diawa Sensor to 10lb Diawa Tournament ST mainline, because of ST's thinner diameter, I never had any problems with the Sensor breaking, tests later showed that the ST broke at around8lb. it may be OK for commercials but not for rivers....new line required for next season!!!

Packed up at 7.00pm...7 barbel & 1 chub...but very frustrated with the breaks!

Look forward to coming back next season.

Back on the Severn - March 8th

Decided to return to Arley right bank and see if I could winkle out some Barbel, specifically on the waggler. Arrived by 11.00am to find no one on the stretch so I managed to get onto the peg that I had seen a chap using the waggler last week.

Since my last visit I had started a thread on BFW to get info on how to improve my rigs so I was keen to try out some new ideas. ( maggot feeder, hooklinks & hooks)

I set up two ledger rigs and a float rig to start with:
1.5 TC, 10lb main, 11lb Powerline hooklink using a no slip loop knot & size 14 wide gape hook.
1.75 TC, 10lb main, 10lb Sinkbraid hooklink using a fig 8 loop & size 12 barbel super specialist hook.
Power Float, 8lb Supplex main, 3.5g loaded peacock waggler, 7.9lb Silstar hooklink attached with double uni-knot & size 14 wide gape hook.

View downstream, waiting for first bite!

First couple of hours tried boilie on one rod & maggot on the other, only one bite on the maggot, main line broke on the strike. Probably need to increase the main to 12lb if I am using an 11lb hooklink.

First fish was on the maggot feeder, about 8lb, then went quiet again.

First fish of the day.

Changed to waggler & maggot and kept the maggot feeder out.
Managed 7 barbel & 3 chub on the waggler, the first one was about 4lb ish:

First Barbel caught on a waggler!!

What a great feeling my first barbel on the float from the Severn. The largerst on the waggler went to 9-04. Waggler technique was to cast upstream, fire out maggots, pull waggler onto the same line and let it run through at river speed, seemed to work once I had found depth.

Switched the maggot feeder to caster hook bait and hemp & caster in the feeder, caught two barbel one was a double hook up with the float, bit of a challenge but managed to land both fish, the other was after I had packed up the float rod.

Packed up the waggler rod about 5.30 and recast the feeder rig with a 10mm halibut hook pellet, landed 3 barbel with the last , at 6.45, being the largest at 9-12. Tried to take a self take photo but the camera had run out of battery power, so I returned the fish and packed up.


All in all a great session 13 barbel & 3 Chub, my first barbel on a waggler rig, two 9's & two 8's, and much improved rigs. Met a chap on the bank who said that this stretch was very busy during the summer months with many fishermen staying in the lodges, worth giving a wide berth in the summer.

Hopefully one more river trip before the end of the season!!!

Finally out on the River.....2 PB's..March 1st

I finally managed to get out on the riverbank yesterday for the first time this year and what a day it turned out to be.

I had decided to fish the Arley stretch of the Severn, on the BAA card, with the intention of fishing the Harbour inn stretch. Unfortunately I got a bit lost and ended up in Highley so I thought I would fish the bottom end of the Hampton Loade section, however when I approached the Colliery Bridge car park I saw a police helicopter over the river and several police cars heading towards the river. It turned out that they were looking for someone who had gone missing, so I hightailed it out of there and ended up at Coombys farm at Stanley. Later I found out that it was an old man who had gone missing, I had assumed that it was a bad guy!!!

I walked along the stretch, initially I was not impressed, and thought about going on to the Harbour Inn stretch, until I found the only other angler on the stretch who was fishing the waggler. He put me on to a good swim so off I went to get my tackle. It was also my first chance to try out my new Korum Tripod, Christmas pressy from my wife, it worked out really once I figured out how to set it up!

I set up my 1.5 GTx with 10lb mainline, drennan blocked feeder and a size 14 drennan super spade to 6lb mono. First cast out to mid river with maggots on the hook and a bite within 3 mins....barbel on...then off!! Snapped hooklink. Next cast I tried 8lb mono with size 14 barbel super specialist hook....same result..snapped again. Next cast I tried a 10lb braid hooklink with a maggot clip..same result...snapped again Bait used was dead maggots, gassed with AB's flavouring and live maggots for the feeder flavoured with AB's flavouring.

I finally got the second rod out, 1.75 GTx with 10lb mainline, 12lb ESP coated braid and S12 Korum S5 hook with an Atlantic Heat boilie and paste wrap. After the 3 quick snaps on the maggot rod all went quiet for an hour or so until the boilie rod goes off....8lb 8oz barbel in the net...lovely fish..photo taken by some people passing by. This was the only bite on the boilie rod all day..tried Monster Crab boilies & large Halibut Pellet all to no avail.

                                                      8lb 8oz Barbel - Atlantic Heat Boilie

Another quiet spell finally broken by a chub on maggots 3lb ish on drennan size 14 wide gape hook & 8lb mono, trying to but a bite, a 5lb barb quickly followed...I was pleased to land it on the hooklink. Next up was a PB chub of 5lb 2oz, I thought it was a small barb until I saw it...Nice condition fish, stuffed with maggots, took a couple of photos with it in the net then I slipped down the bank into the river whilst trying to put the fish back in, water up to my waist, bait all over the place and fish gone. Managed to drag myself out of the drink, fortunately I had some spare clothes and wellies in the car so I got changed and continued.

Another couple of chub, about 3lb ish, followed in quick sucession, then normal service..barbel on...snapped hooklength. Tried a size 14 BSS on 9lb Fluoro with no luck so switched to a size 14 specialist wide gape & 10lb braid, short while later and I am into a big fish, very worried about the hook!! What a fish a new PB of 10lb 14oz..immaculate condition. Couldn't find anyone to take a photo and whilst setting up a self take the camera crashes...'zoom error' No further action so I packed up at 18.15, what a day two PB,s...3 Barbel & 2 Chub and a pile of wet clothes!

I definitely will be back but would like to try the waggler, the guy who was fishing had upwards of 15 chub and 10 barbs on the float, all on maggot, feeding maggots, hemp & casters. Can't wait until my next trip out!!!