Now the plan was to get a day off which is not that easy at the moment as we are very busy at work, so when someone cancel a days holiday I jumped at the chance and said I'll have that thank you. Thursday 2nd of October it is then I couldn't wait got my tackle ready about three times, my plan of action was tiddler bashing. Let me explain now my son Louis (@Frychaser) has got this method down to a fine art fish shallow 2 ft max with one maggot to start with, you can up the hook size and how many maggots you use on the hook as your session progresses, but just keep spraying maggots over the top. The small fish come easy and the more you feed the bigger the fish get well that's how it's meant to work (it does for him), my attempt was not that successful don't get me wrong I caught fish but they were very small and there was millions of the little blighters but I was catching. I'd forgotten how much fun it was just to be there and fish, I think it's safe to say you can get caught up in all the hype about specimen hunting and I did, not saying I don't want a big perch or carp or any other fish but you can just forget what you are actually meant to be doing. "JUST GO FISHING".
I arrive at 6.15am its still dark, just shows you after all these years of fishing the excitement is still there. So i text Andy to see how long he was going to be and say hurry up i think i can here a banjo playing in the background he said that i'll be a couple of minutes and true to his word he was, i think he was just as excited.We stood in the car park and chatted about what swims we are going to fish and what method would be best, and it wasn't long before Andy start digging me out about how many times i re-tweet stuff on twitter and telling me how he was going to out fish me with his skill. I have written about this lake before with it's feeling like know one has been here for years it's a lovely old deep pit with some big fish in it. Now this is the place where i had a couple of hook pulls from some big perch last time i was here but i'm not going to dwell on that i am just going to chill and see what the day brings.
Now after catching a ton of tiddlers no bigger than an ounce or two, and with all that splashing around i knew it wouldn't be long before it caught the attention of Mr Pike. And there are some very big crocs in here both Andy and i have witness them at very close quarters, So low and behold while Andy and myself was chatting about what was going on and thinking of what to do next a pike all of about 4lb smashed the small roach i just hooked right by the bank, which made the both of us jump and laugh Luckily hooked on the outside of the mouth i was able to land the monster predator in question.
It was a funny old day because the swim just seemed to go dead after that, i thought it would of come alive with the pike sorted out. So a swim change was needed, i moved into the swim where i had the dreaded hook pulls last time, will it happen again not if i can help it. A step up in terminal tackle is required, now my main line was 6lb and my old hook link of 3.1lb and a size 18 hook, this time i'm going to up that to 5lb hook link and a size 14 hook, stronger and with my soft float rod i got more chance of landing a beast or two. Iv'e lost interest with the tiddler bashing method for now, i need Louis to show me how to do it again" LOL".
I'm going to fish a lot deeper now but have no weight on the lower part of the rig so the maggots slowly sink past the snags with the free offering i'm catapulting over the top hopefully that will get the fish feeding again. After what seemed like ages i eventually caught a small perch then it just went dead again, had Mr pike moved in or was it something else. Well let me tell you when the float bobble and slid under the surface it was meet with a swift side ways strike, and i knew that the fish on the other end was a perch because of the head shakes, and at 1lb 15oz it was my best of the day. So after losing the next fish which felt a lot bigger, i tried everything after that but nothing seemed to work at least i didn't blank and it was good day and nice to be out.
I ask my good friend Mr Gibbs to write a few words on how his day went and what he thought of the fishing......
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| Andy with a beast at 2 lb 6oz |
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| Not as big, but a cracker 1 lb 15 oz |
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| Plenty of these critters in here |
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| My first pike in 20 years |
Now after catching a ton of tiddlers no bigger than an ounce or two, and with all that splashing around i knew it wouldn't be long before it caught the attention of Mr Pike. And there are some very big crocs in here both Andy and i have witness them at very close quarters, So low and behold while Andy and myself was chatting about what was going on and thinking of what to do next a pike all of about 4lb smashed the small roach i just hooked right by the bank, which made the both of us jump and laugh Luckily hooked on the outside of the mouth i was able to land the monster predator in question.
It was a funny old day because the swim just seemed to go dead after that, i thought it would of come alive with the pike sorted out. So a swim change was needed, i moved into the swim where i had the dreaded hook pulls last time, will it happen again not if i can help it. A step up in terminal tackle is required, now my main line was 6lb and my old hook link of 3.1lb and a size 18 hook, this time i'm going to up that to 5lb hook link and a size 14 hook, stronger and with my soft float rod i got more chance of landing a beast or two. Iv'e lost interest with the tiddler bashing method for now, i need Louis to show me how to do it again" LOL".
I'm going to fish a lot deeper now but have no weight on the lower part of the rig so the maggots slowly sink past the snags with the free offering i'm catapulting over the top hopefully that will get the fish feeding again. After what seemed like ages i eventually caught a small perch then it just went dead again, had Mr pike moved in or was it something else. Well let me tell you when the float bobble and slid under the surface it was meet with a swift side ways strike, and i knew that the fish on the other end was a perch because of the head shakes, and at 1lb 15oz it was my best of the day. So after losing the next fish which felt a lot bigger, i tried everything after that but nothing seemed to work at least i didn't blank and it was good day and nice to be out.
I ask my good friend Mr Gibbs to write a few words on how his day went and what he thought of the fishing......
Started off well....
Gudgey and I had decided to fish The Old Quarry again. I'd offered him The River Thames in search of bream but we decided to hit the lake. After all , it had fished well last time we came here in May, so let's give it another bash.
I set up in peg 4, the corner swim, just where I fished last time so I had half an idea what to do.
I set up in peg 4, the corner swim, just where I fished last time so I had half an idea what to do.
Out went the pole to 7 metres by a clear patch in the weed next to a very fishy looking bush. It's deep out there, around 12 feet finds the bottom.
I'm set up on a 1 gram float, 4lb mainline to a 3lb hook length, all finished off with a size 16 barbless. A few cups of 4 mm pellet and a few maggots later and I'm swinging in my first fish, a small skimmer.
A few small Perch followed along with a Rudd and a couple of Roach. All good do far but I knew bigger fish were hiding out there.
On goes a lob worm tail and almost straight away the float dips and I'm in. Straight away I know this is a proper fish. Loads of 8 elastic flies out the end of my pole as this fish seeks the sanctuary of the weed. Which it makes. Easily.
It's gone well in the weed and feels like it's off.
All I can do is pull back the gear, along with a bundle of weed, Gudgey scoops the whole lot in the net and lo and behold, the fish is in there! A super Perch. Quickly in the sling for a weigh and she went 2lb 6oz. Well pleased with that. Took a couple of quick pics and popped get back into the depths.
This is all after no more than 10 minutes angling and I'm thinking I'm onto a right flyer here. Then......
I'm set up on a 1 gram float, 4lb mainline to a 3lb hook length, all finished off with a size 16 barbless. A few cups of 4 mm pellet and a few maggots later and I'm swinging in my first fish, a small skimmer.
A few small Perch followed along with a Rudd and a couple of Roach. All good do far but I knew bigger fish were hiding out there.
On goes a lob worm tail and almost straight away the float dips and I'm in. Straight away I know this is a proper fish. Loads of 8 elastic flies out the end of my pole as this fish seeks the sanctuary of the weed. Which it makes. Easily.
It's gone well in the weed and feels like it's off.
All I can do is pull back the gear, along with a bundle of weed, Gudgey scoops the whole lot in the net and lo and behold, the fish is in there! A super Perch. Quickly in the sling for a weigh and she went 2lb 6oz. Well pleased with that. Took a couple of quick pics and popped get back into the depths.
This is all after no more than 10 minutes angling and I'm thinking I'm onto a right flyer here. Then......
Petered off in the middle......
So I'm on a high after that cracking perch and expecting to have a few more, so I stick with the lobs as bait.
Nothing. Not a touch. So I'm back on the maggot again for a few more micro Perch and similar sized Roach. The fish are coming but not thick and fast.
I'm having to change depth and down a hook size to an 18 with a single maggot just to get any interest.
There's some good bream and tench, not too mention the carp in this lake so I carry on dropping in the pellets and loose feed corn going one will turn up.
Still nothing and now it's getting harder to catch even a small roach. Such a far cry from earlier in the year when it was a fish( or at least a bite) every put in.
Time for a break so I wandered up to Gudgey to see how he was getting on and have one of his lovely cups of tea.
I watched Gudge land a pike that took a small Rudd he was reeling in then got back to my swim in the hope that a rest may have done it some good.
More nothing. The odd micro Perch and that was it. And even they were becoming hard to catch.
Half an hour later I hear a yelp from Gudgeys swim. He's into a proper one. By the time I get there he's got a lovely perch in the net. Not as big as my specimen but at 1lb 15oz still a great stripey and one that put a smile on The Gudgeons face!
Nothing. Not a touch. So I'm back on the maggot again for a few more micro Perch and similar sized Roach. The fish are coming but not thick and fast.
I'm having to change depth and down a hook size to an 18 with a single maggot just to get any interest.
There's some good bream and tench, not too mention the carp in this lake so I carry on dropping in the pellets and loose feed corn going one will turn up.
Still nothing and now it's getting harder to catch even a small roach. Such a far cry from earlier in the year when it was a fish( or at least a bite) every put in.
Time for a break so I wandered up to Gudgey to see how he was getting on and have one of his lovely cups of tea.
I watched Gudge land a pike that took a small Rudd he was reeling in then got back to my swim in the hope that a rest may have done it some good.
More nothing. The odd micro Perch and that was it. And even they were becoming hard to catch.
Half an hour later I hear a yelp from Gudgeys swim. He's into a proper one. By the time I get there he's got a lovely perch in the net. Not as big as my specimen but at 1lb 15oz still a great stripey and one that put a smile on The Gudgeons face!
The less said about the end, the better.....
Now I'm struggling. Properly struggling. I can't even buy a bite. I've tried the lot and the best I can do is the odd micro Perch. Not good. So I borrowed one of Gudgeys incredibly well made weed rakes (available to order at very reasonable prices) and cleared myself another swim. Once cleared I dropped in a few balls of groundbait, some pellet, corn & maggot in the hope one or two of the tench might appear.
I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you what happened next as you can probably guess that this killed the whole thing dead. Not even a touch. Nothing. I went through the whole bait selection once again.
I suffered the newly raked swim for an hour or so, then back to the original bush swim, by this time I'm ready to pack up and go, a bite every half an hour from a see through perch is driving me crazy.
Gudgeys delightful tea keeps me going along with some spectacular banter keeps me going until I've properly lost heart in it and packed up.
Overall it was a disappointing day on what we know is a great venue, punctuated by my specimen 2lb 6oz Perch and Gudgeys small 1lb 15oz effort. Oh and his lucky jack pike.
And if he tells you about the one he hooked that got away, you'll be there for hours as he regales you with the whole story. It was massive, apparently.
Cheers for letting me have a go on your blog Gudge, and thanks for a fun day and some great cups of tea, looking forward to the next time already.
I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you what happened next as you can probably guess that this killed the whole thing dead. Not even a touch. Nothing. I went through the whole bait selection once again.
I suffered the newly raked swim for an hour or so, then back to the original bush swim, by this time I'm ready to pack up and go, a bite every half an hour from a see through perch is driving me crazy.
Gudgeys delightful tea keeps me going along with some spectacular banter keeps me going until I've properly lost heart in it and packed up.
Overall it was a disappointing day on what we know is a great venue, punctuated by my specimen 2lb 6oz Perch and Gudgeys small 1lb 15oz effort. Oh and his lucky jack pike.
And if he tells you about the one he hooked that got away, you'll be there for hours as he regales you with the whole story. It was massive, apparently.
Cheers for letting me have a go on your blog Gudge, and thanks for a fun day and some great cups of tea, looking forward to the next time already.
Andy
I hope you enjoy reading our story, until next time Tight Lines.
