Looking Back Over 2015 Part 1 of 10
With the success of the previse session of looking back over the year’s, I’ve decided to go back even more. This series off podcast will feature 2015 grouping multiple trips in one long podcast, from pike to carp fishing and easy lakes, to the big water I love to fish so much.
I am doing a couple of days and a night with a friend for a social New Year’s drink.
The fishing may suffer a bit, we will set up next to each other as the weather has forcast plenty of rain.
I had even brought some dead baits, as I was still determined to catch that big pike. But I was going to be carp fishing at night, as I didn’t fancy catching an eel.
Bespite the conditions looking good for both pike & carp, all we managed to achieve was to lost a pike each.
However we did have fun and plenty of Rum was drunk.
Till next time
Richard
All set up in my first swim. I will be dead baiting today with mackerel and herring, I do have some trout with me, I generaly save these for the river. However, its always worth a go.
The water is the colour of mud as we have had so much rain over the past week.
Kettle is on
I have had a dropped take already. These fish are so switched on. I was free lining and the line got hooked up a bit, enough for the rod tip to knock and that was that, the pike was off Scott free.
Anyway, can’t say a lot, but there are some real idiots out there. I thought it best to go home.
I am going to take today as it comes, I may or may not move swim, I may move across to the other lake.
I have started in a quiet area, the is a very strong north wind. I am hoping that the sun comes out and warms up the margin areas on the back of the wind.
Just fishing small pop ups with tiny bags.
I have moved one if my rod’s to just under this overhanging tree. I had scattered some boillies when I first got here.
Unfortunately, the sun disappeared and the wind picked up and my confidence dropped. I had been thinking that, if this happened, I would move to the other lake. Which would be more sheltered.
My rod’s are cast one under an overhanging tree and the other across to the far margin.
I had changed one rod over to a bottom bait, as I had done well in the past on here with them.
My plan was to stay until 6pm just after dark. However, by 5pm my feet were really getting cold. Ever since I was a kid pike fishing, we use to wear welly boots and go home once we could not bear the pain of cold feet.
I am sure I did some damage back then and I have never been able to find a way to keep my feet warm. I did spend a £125 on some Bafflin boots that should keep you feet warm down to -40. Not my feet.
I made it 6pm, however still blanked
Till next time
Richard
I fancied the back of the wind, the fish had slowed down due to a fair bit of snow and the lake partly freezing over, I felt that this would be the best option.
This tree line did look good, I thought that if the fish were over there, I was not going to blast them with bait or leads. So single hook baits it was going to be the order of the day and if the fish had been put off with lots of bait going in, I maybe in with a shout. Bit of a gamble, as they had been feeding well.
It was going to be another cold one, Around 1930 and after a very hard week at work, I settled down in my sleeping bag. I was woken by a couple of beeps on the right hand rod around 0130, the bobbin was staying up and I got another single beep. Time to hit the rod and pulled into a bit of a lump. This was heading right, which would take it into the bay behind me. Not good for me as there is a big tree in the water. I started to pump the fish towards me, this felt like a life time and finally when I lifted the tip up, the fish was in front of me and after playing it, a nice 25lb 8oz Common was in the net.
I recast and tried to get my head down again, Unfortunately, I was buzzing to much, I must have fallen asleep at some point as I was woken by the warm sun light.
Behind me in the small bay was a bit frozen.
I did think it was a bit cold out there, but it was lovely and warm now. Hopefully I may get another fish on, during the day, before its time to head home.
The sun finally came out and started to warm up the far bank. By 11.00 the cloud was back and the wind had picked up, by 14.00, it was time to start packing up, can’t complain.
Till next time
Richard
I thought it best to play it safe again and only use single hook baits and small bags, which had my stick mix in.
Well, no luck this time
Richard
With yet more rain last night, the river has risen again and is still well and truly unfishable. So I have decided to go on the lake. I am in one of the small bay areas. This gives me plenty of options to catch some Pike today.
A friendly Robin was around to help.
Both rod’s have dead baits on , one ledgered and one on the float as normal.
However, today was not to be. No joy.
Regards Richard
I opted for a swim three peg’s down, this gave me access to a large area of the lake. This ment I could cast to areas I would not be able to reach if I was not in this swim. I felt that this would give me the best options with the coming of the weekend anglers. I had a little time before last light, the traffic was shocking on the way here, mainly down to the heavy rain showers, I was hoping this would not affect the fishing. I finally found a nice hard(ish) area and spomb’d some bait out, mainly ground up bollies, ground bait with hemp and a load of liquid attraction thrown in. I placed both rod’s on the spot for the first night.
Night one
It was very rough with plenty of heavy rain storms. I hope this has not affected the fish too much. I am sitting typing this beside my bivvy door, hoping to spot any carpy signs. I was happy with my baiting up yesterday (dispite the lack of time). I plan to leave them as they are until I feel the need to move them. No point on pushing any fish in the area away.
The first day has past with no action for me, there has been a couple of fish out the lake today. Unfortunately, it has got very busy, probably due to the improved weather conditions.
I have topped the swim up with more of my spod mix.
As the sun was setting, the bream came out to play and within an hour, I had had some 8 in my net!
Lets see what tonight brings. According to the forecast, there will be a good frost tonight. Which I was not expecting a few days ago.
Night two
Well, I had a nice layin it was nearly 10am when I woke, must have been knackered, I don’t normally sleep past 7 am!
With still no carp in the net, I had a few options but to move swim. However, as most people who were here last night have now gone and there would be a few hour’s before the Saturday night crew arrived, I had the chance to pick my swim. Unfortunately, the only two swims I fancied had people in.
I had no other option than stick to my plan. Today, I was going to bait up in the morning, as I would be off first thing tomorrow. Maybe, it may encourage a take during the day and low and behold, within the hour, I had had another bream. At least I was on some sort of feeding spot.
There has been all sorts of weather today.
Night three
Boy, that was a cold one. Not a touch all night and this morning the world was white.
The sun was out for a little while but it is now gone behind the clouds for the day. The air temperature has dropped and a slow pack up was the order of the day (after a few cups of coffee).
Till next time
Richard
8 -unfortunatly I can find trip 8 aw well.
The right hand rod is on the nice clear spot I had the common from the other week.
My left had rod is just off the corner of the island this time.
I have got a bag on the distant rod (as before), however, I have mixed up some stick mix using the Solar Mix glug and boy that smells great. I will stick some boilles out once the seagulls have gone to bed! I have catapulted some broken boilies round by the island as well.
Good God, that was the coldest night I have had for a long time.
Blanked and not too shocked.
Till next time
Richard
and Ive lost episopde no 10 as well.
I will be back on the big lake next week. They have been doing a lot of work on over the Winter months. I can’t wait to have a look.
I have picked a swim away from the prevailing wind, as there is still a bit of a chill in the air. A very friendly syndicate member has helped me out with a few spots in the swim.
After a good lead around, I picked a couple of likely ones and flicked a couple of pop ups out with 2 bait stringers on and after dark, baited up with the throwing stick. I did not wish to use the spomb, as it would make too much disturbance near the sanctury area.
My first fish turned out to be a bream and after quick recast I was back in the sack. At around 0245, I had a slow take on the same rod and this was most definately a carp and after good battle, I had a nice 18lb 2oz common in the net.
0630 The alarm was off again, unfortunatley, this was my phone and the call to work again.
Till next time
Richard
Part 2 of 10 will follow in a couple of weeks
Until then Richard
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Add it to meat, pellets, expanders or groundbait (perfect for adding colour to sloppy mixes!).
I am taking full advantage of my wife working from home until the government updates the rules and she has to work in the office again. I arrived down the lake, my golden rule is to sort out a swim and then talk to the other anglers on the lake if I feel the need for extra information. This time, I stopped for a chat with a couple of anglers before heading along to my more favoured swim, which they also both suggested. I missed out on it by about a minute, but is the reality of fishing sometimes and may be the lake was pushing me back to this swim again?
I did very well in this swim a couple of winters ago and was doing my best to keep away from there this winter, but alas it was not to be this trip.
The carp were clearly held up along the far bank and out of range from night anglers. You can just about squeeze in a single rod, but you’re limited to under the rod tip fishing, an overhanging tree is restricting this. The fish were held up a few rod lengths off the bank, making it the perfect sanctuary for them.
I leaded about a few times, found a couple of nice clean spots, flicked a couple of single hook baits out and would make a final decision on whether to put any bait out.
I decided at about 2 pm, I would get some bait out. I’d ground up a few kilos of catalyst and classic corn boilies, I had some liquid tuna, and let it soak over a few days before I arrived. I wanted to get a good amount over the area I was fishing by spreading the Spombs about to give the carp a good chance of locating my hook baits and get them searching for their food and burning up some energy.
The sun was going down on my first night and a few fish showing. There was a good chance of a bite tonight.
The temperature has dropped, and it will be bag time soon.
It was a very frosty start to the day. Luckily, the morning mist moved on very quickly. I’d no bleeps in the night, I was listening out for carp and wondering about, at about 2 am. This is something I do a lot these days.
Ian popped down for the day and brought me a nice pasty! We sat out in the sunshine talking about the coming year.
I’ve taken the decision that after still seeing the odd carp top over this afternoon, my rods will stay out for another 24 hours in the hope that this produces me a bite sometime over this period.
With the sun going behind the trees, the temperature is dropping, and it’s getting cold again. Time for some food and a coffee, I think.
I can only hope that the carp drift a bit more into the middle of the lake, they will need to replenish the energy they have expended today after all the activities. It generally takes until February before they really wake up in this lake, but unless you hear it, you will never know that’s the situation. Plus I love the outdoors, being on the lake and watching the wildlife.
The second night was as fruitful as the first, with plenty of sleep and silent buzzers! There’s a gentle breeze on the lake today. There is also the prospect of a slight warmer night and a good drop in air pressure. I’m thinking of moving a rod to another spot, I will need to get the Deeper out and search about a bit closer in this time.
I’m going to give it until around noon and then get the Deeper out.
Just after 9 am, Ian arrived for a day session armed with other pasty for me! It was a great surprise, I didn’t know he was coming down. It’s certainly nice to have some extra company in the day time with the long cold nights stuck in the bivvy. The morning and early afternoon progressed, there where (as always) a few carp showing. Unfortunately, still out of my range and in the sanctuary area along the far bank. I was content that I was as close as I could be and at 4.30, I would put fresh hook bait on for the last night and possibly switch them about, in a hope of finally tricking a fish into picking my bait up.
The pressure was slowly dropping, there is a chance of no frost tonight, with a bit of cloud cover due at some point, the wind may swing overnight if I’m lucky – to a gently south westerly.
It was not to be this week, but I will be out there again soon.
Until next time
Richard
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