8 super chub for Gareth on the Bristol Avon
Now Gareth is a good carp fisher who unlike many likes to fish the river in winter when the carp fishing slows down, and over nighter's are more difficult as you need to set up and pack up during the hours of darkness. He asked me to show him some of the techniques I use to fish for chub on the →
“Boom “barbel 12lbs 10oz
So after a great start to the river season and two 6lb chub plus a 5lb 11oz a week had passed and I was soon heading down to the H.Avon. I deliberately didn't get up at the crack of dawn for this one as I wanted to explore another part of the river and needed the sun up to see →
Sam and Henry and a great day out.
For a birthday present these two chaps were given a days coaching with me. After talking to Sam's mum we decided to start at the very basics and try to get them interested. Well the day was to run something like this. We would fish a small commercial fishery near me to learn how to float fish, play land and unhook →
June 16th and two cracking 6lb chub
It was early in the morning as I drove down the roads to the H.Avon traffic was not particularly busy at 5am, however there are alway some idiots driving in a hurry and over take in dangerous places. The A36 is a single lane road for much of the route to Salisbury and the A338 onward. The best plan is →
Some tough times after the tench.
I was hoping to complete a feature with Gary Newman who writes for the Anglers Mail at Horseshoe lake. We had concocted a plan to show what methods are used on this beautiful water to catch the tench. We agreed to met there on a Monday morning and spend 36hrs on the lake. As with most of this year the weather →
3 guiding sessions and 84 tench to 8lbs 3oz plus carp to 26lbs. Happy days !
Well I've been busy organising and running the Tench Fishers national fish-in at The Carp Societies Horseshoe lake and going on hols to the Fjords. Not only that but have been busy guiding. So that is May gone in a flash and no tench fishing for me! The weather has been seasonally cold with chilly winds blowing for most of the →
First Tench session for me and then the first for Mark and 4 tench
My first session of 36hrs was cold in fact the morning frosts of -2c did little to help out in the terrible conditions. I persevered using method mix and plastic casters and the Drennan inline maggot feeder. The bobbins remained fixed if not by the frost but the total lack of any activity from anything with fins. Had some fun →
38 tench and 4 carp guiding Kevin.
Kevin wanted to catch a few tench. So after listening to him and understanding his needs I set about finding a couple of waters. The first being a relative easy water where you can catch a good dozen or so tench in a day. They are not huge fish but can reach about 7lbs. The second water was much more difficult and →
First tench session of the year guiding Luke
Luke had been wanting to catch a few good tench as he had not fished for them before. So we sorted out a date and a venue. The gravel pit we wanted to fish produces plenty of tench up to about 7lbs. I guided on there last year and has some great catches. The weather during the previous week had →
A few photo’s from the back end of the river season, and work experience for Charlie
Much has been going on in my fishing world but not actually fishing. The season end guiding went well with some good fish caught. Dave Robinson asked me to guide him in catching his first pike. After 2 takes and him striking out of each one 3rd time lucky for him. He also wanted to know how to unhook them safely. So →
Last day on the river season for me and a 6lb 2oz chub.
Well "time waits for no man" and that saying is very true. Where did that river season go? I had a brief chat to Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley on the Thursday night deciding on the tactic for tomorrows last day on the river for the both of us. I wanted to head to a stretch I had →
Chub and Bream from the H.Avon and a stalker.
Having stopped over in the car overnight in Ringwood I was up and around early in the morning. It's something I'm not to proud to admit however I do know the toilets around the area and what time they open. So enough said time to move on. I was up and walking around a new stretch of river one I had →
Guiding Paul, Nick and Rob H.Avon and D.Stour
Nick and his Dad Rob had booked a days guiding on the D.Stour. Eventually the day arrived. We Met on the banks at about 7.30am as they needed to pick up some maggots. Our first plan of attack was to fish red maggots on a short hooklink feeder rig. The river had just about the right colour and things looked very →
13 Chub and lost a larger one
I saw a great T shirt and something funny while on holiday recently. It read. "I came into this world with nothing and I've still got most of that now" The chub fishing for Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley has been good however the bigger fish of 6lbs plus has been eluding him of late, certainly whilst I was →
Perch chub and perch.
Well after 2 weeks in Mexico soaking up some vitamin "D" (sunshine) and cool beer to counter act the heat it was time to be back on the bank again. First stop was a very short 3 hour perch session on a local pool........result blank although I had to leave before the last light. The second session was with Chris on the →
Late Jan and hello more large chub and a great perch catch
Feeling reinvigorated after the ill health of December and early Jan it was great to look forward to some fishing on a perfect H.Avon and D.Stour. I say perfect, " low and clear an the chub are here" springs to mind. I was supposed to be guiding on the Tuesday then a day to myself on Weds and then helping a →
Still been chasing perch and some chub and pike fishing
The last week has been a little of this and that. The housing project is almost complete and I'll be pleased when everyone has moved and my bank balance looks healthy again. On the fishing front I did a little more with the perch and my local fishery. I saw a chap catch a couple of mid 2lbers in a very →
Plenty of perch during 3 sessions
Since my last blog I've been fishing 3 times for perch. Twice on a local water where I have caught on each occasion and once on a prolific water. The local water has been producing perch to 2lbs 15oz over the last couple of weeks however no 3lbers have come out as far as I'm concerned. The methods I've been trying →
The longest gap in my blog 5 weeks!
It's been one of the strangest month for me December 2014. First off we celebrated my Father-in-laws 90th birthday at the end of November. What a great age to get to. However his health had been in decline for quite sometime however he was still able to look after himself in his apartment. Unfortunately his ill health rapidly took over and →
Perch and many more perch
Yesterday I was at my local CO-OP buying a large bag of Purina dog food for my loyal pet and was in the checkout queue when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog. What did she think I had an elephant? So, since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I →
River Itchen grayling fishing with friends
Last year the 7 of us had to call off our river Itchen river adventure due to the floods. Now normally we book for November however last year it was booked for February. Not wanting to make a mistake again and be caught out this year we reverted back to November. So the list of participant’s is Sir Geoff, Steve, Colin, →
On the H’Avon and some great chub.
It is that time of year again the annual visit to the New Forest for a weeks holiday. It’s also another great excuse to pack the rods. I don’t normally fish whole days preferring to fish for a few hours before darkness. My usual float fishing method is used for these few hours and it’s surprising how effective it is. My →
12lbs 4oz barbel from the Wye!
Normally my guiding days on the river Wye are finished around early October. Sometimes it's difficult to guage what the water temperatures could be. Up in the hills they can have some frosts which kills the sport for barbel. However I've continued guiding right until the end of the month due to the unseasonable warm weather. Paul from Dublin and Tom →
Stuart fishing for grayling on the Itchen
Stuart comes from part of England that doesn't have rivers that contain grayling so he had asked me to guide him on the Itchen. It's such a beautiful river with some stunning fish. They may not reach the size of 3lbs however there are some large fish in there. Certainly you are in with a chance of a 2lber. So I →