Still not been Fishing

Typical!! The worst weather over Christmas for years has kept me away from Fishing, that and a knackered ankle, the result of a motorbike crash. I've just checked the weather and Thursday looks not too cold, so I'm going to give the Bridgewater Canal a try for the Pike. I'll try using a Spoon and Deadbaiting .

Did I go Fishing Last Weekend,,, Did I bloody hell!!!

I had all good intentions of going fishing last weekend, my first weekend free in ages, and guess what? I caught my first bad cold in years, it started on Friday evening and laid me low all weekend, bloody typical! I'd even decided where to fish to have ago for the Pike. It's now only two weekends to Christmas, so I can't see myself getting before the Christmas Festivities are over. I AM GETTING OUT OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, SOMETIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've had enough decorating to last a life time, I'm going fishing next weekend

No matter what, next weekend I'm going fishing!!! Two months I've been stuck in the house!!! Decorating, waiting for builders to turn up, so I'm going to give the Pike a try next weekend. I might try Grey Mist or the Bridgewater, but I'm getting out for a couple of hours, no matter what!!!

Rixton Clay Pits

An afternoon and early evening session with Owen. First time in 12 months I'd fished Rixton, and the improvements the club has made to this water are very good,alot of the pegs have been renewed. We set up on peg No 2 opposite the Lilly pads after about 45 minutes the bite alarm went off and we were into a Tench which gave a good account of it's self.
For the rest of the day it was Skimmers only we had five altogether, all about the same size, about 3/4 of a pound.
I used my dads old rod, the first time it had landed any fish in years. We used Hookable fish flavoured 8mm pellets and a 1/2 ounce bomb with pva net bags filled with 4mm pellets.
Look forward to next year, Im going to fish Rixton more often.

Cicely Mill Best Bream To Date

Once again used PVA bags, a hair rig and Hookable 8mm pellets for bait and had another good sesion. Started at 11.00 and after a slow start, landed a very good Bream, my best to date. After the Bream things slowed up, but as usual as the evening approached things started to liven up! I had a Crusian, a Skimmer and three nice Tench. It's a pity to stop fishing as darkness approaches but there is no night fishing allowed on this water.

Best Tench Session To Date

Had the best Tench sesion ever at Cicely Mill, using the method recommended to me last time I fished the mill(and struggled).
I used my Shakespeare Telescopic Pike Rod, Shimarno Baitrunner Reel and most important of all, P.V.A Bags.
I used a small inline bomb, and a size 10 Barbed Hair-rig. For bait, I used a 10mm Hallibut Bollie. In the P.V.A bags I used a mixture of 3mm pellets and crushed Hallibut bollies.
I used my Bite Alarm I bought years ago, and never used. I also used the Fox Chair I also bought years ago and hardly ever use.
I started to fish at first light. I fished at about 40 yards out (for me, quite a distance), and was into a fish within half an hour, a nice Tench of about 4lbs. By 10 o'clock I'd had 3 Tench and had missed a couple. I then caught two more before lunch (one just as I was frying some Bacon).
After lunch it went very quiet, just one run, which I missed, I then had another fish, at about 4 o'clock. I also had a couple of fish on! but lost them (not sure why I lost such a number, I'm begining to think the hair was too long). Between 5 and 7 o'clock I caught 2 more and lost a couple,
The smallest fish was a female of 2lb's and the rest were all male's between 4 and 5lbs.
I rearly enjoyed the day, it was mild with a slight wind and the occasional sunny spell. Cooking my lunch was also very nice, as warm food is much better than sandwiches any day! Having hot coffee on tap is also very civilised.
That was probably my last 'long day' of the season, as the nights are 'drawing in' now and I have alot of work at home in the next few months.
I'm starting to draw up a list of things to make my fishing more sucessful next season, I think I will try to target Tench next season, and try to get to grips with Rixton Clay Pits, as it's close to home.
One mistake I made, (and will eliminate) was when I saw Tench bubbles, I cast towards them so by the end of the day, I had cast bait all over the place. I will try to concentrate my casting to just a couple of places thereby keeping my groundbait in just a couple of places and hopefully will also concentrate the fish in the same couple of places.
I know I will have to improve my casting accuracy.

Cicely Mill Thursday 27 August 2009

Another long day on Cicely Mill, and to be quite honest it was a disaster! I was using hookable pellets with my pole, and using for the first time the pole hooks I bought from North West Angling Supplies. It was a slow start, after an hour I hooked a small Tench, which I thought was massive, as it was a real struggle to get it in, but I had foul hooked it. Then I caught a nice Roach, then it went very very quiet.
One angler to the right of me was catching, and did so through the day, using long range tactics. He was using pellets and PVA bags. Seeing him catch at long distance I switched from the pole to my Quiver tip rod, and I managed to take a reasonable Bream, but that was the end of the catching for the day.
Going back onto the pole for the evening sesion. I was, to put it mildly fed up! so I put lots of feed in and fished over it, just as dusk was setting in I got a good bite and it snapped me off, it felt very very big, I was sick as a Parrot, and then to cap off a crap day I lost another good fish, so I came home ,throughly fed up!
In conclusion, looking back I dont feel too bad as the only angler catching was the chap next to me, and he had years and years of experience of the mill, no one else, me included caught much at all.
I dont thing the weather helped, during the afternoon the wind became very strong, it was hard to keep the pole in one position.

Cicely Mill Monday 24 August 2009

I thought I'd have a long day a Cicley Mill, Got up at 5am, arrived at the water at just before 6am.Set up in the middle peg of the 3 by the carparking area.
I bought some hookable pellets from Baileys to try for thr Tench and Crucians, initally everything was fine, using my pole and the pellets, in the first hour I caught a decent male Tench a nice Crucian and couple of small Skimmers. I then started to be plagued by very small roach, and one of which,no more that two inches long actually managed to take an 8mm pellet. This continued for the rest of the day. I did manage to land to nice Roach, in good condition, but no matter what I tried, even on a good size lump of Pellet paste I was still being pestered by tiny Roach.
The other anglers around me were catching more than me but not much, and not what I would expect from this top notch fisherie.

Sea Fishing at Porthcurno Cornwall August 17 August 2009

I must make it clear from the start I'm no Sea Fisherman,but every time we go to Cornwall on holiday I always take a telescopic rod and some pike bungs and some No10 hooks and 20lb line. This kit enables me to fish from the rocks below the Minack Theatre at Porthcurno.
The fish I'm after is the Pollock,the ones I catch aint very big, maybe a pound or two, but they go like stink and give a very good fight. This time was a time of very low tides, so the sport was a bit thin, but I connected with two Pollock both of which fought like mad.
The major difference between the majority of my fishing and sea fishing is I tend to keep the catch for the plate, Pollock aint the best fish for the table, but if you wrap them in foil and give them 20-30 minutes on the BBQ they melt in your moulth.
If ever you're in Cornwall, near Land's End head for Porthcurno, look for the Minack Theatre and walk along the Coastal Path then scramble along some rocks and look for a flat platform and fish from there, use small bits of Mackrel for bait and fish the tide on the way in, and always try fishing feathers for Mackrel, they're not always there but when they are you're in for some fun!

Pike Fishing the Bridgewater

Pike fished the Bridgewater for the first time in a while on Monday 19 July. Hit 3 Pike and landed one about 4lbs. Caught the fish using the walk trolling method, but discoverd Pike will take with a faster retive, I think the Pike are following the spoon and when you begin to wind in to re-cast the Pike must think they are about to loose a meal so they attack! and strike at the spoon. Had a bite on one of the soft rubber lures.
Will try again later in the week

Fly Fishing

Monday 13 July
Visited Clay Lane Trout Fishery. Very nice venue, good facilities. Only a small water but well stocked. Caught two Trout the first was 1lb and the second was 31/2 pounds, it gave a great fight and took some landing. Will visit this fishery again.

Fishing on Ibiza

Had a weeks holiday on Ibiza the fist week in June and of course took a telescopic rod with me. We went to a resort called Portinaxt very much like Cornwall, lots of coves, and rocks to fish from. The fishing was good caught lots of beautiful small multicoloured fish that would have looked at home in a tropical fish tank.
Using a piece of fish on a number 4 carp hook and a pike float with 15lb line I tried for somthing a little bigger and was rewarded with an eel, it was about 2 foot long and a beautiful copper colour. It had a fin running the whole length of it's body and a pointed head with an impressive mouth full of teeth, it gave a good fight.
It was nice to be able to fish in nice weather, wearing shorts and a tee shirt instead of the usual wet weather gear.
Next time we go there I would tale some lighter gear as I missed lots of bites.

Failed on the Bridgewater

Tried the Bridgewater once again, but failed badly.Tried all the usual spots where I've had fish previously but not a touch, ziltch, nothing.
There was alot of boat movement maybe that had a bearing, cutting down the visability, and there was alot of floating rubbish in the canal.
The weather was in and out, sunny then cloudy with a strong gusty north westerly wind
I tried some of the Pike Flies I bought years ago, I fixed them to meps, although I had no luck today, I think they will work
Saw some very nice boats, one had a traditional engine, sounded lovely.
Back home by 1800

Christened My new Rod

Took another trip to the Bridgewater Canal this evening and christened my new rod,with 2 pike, both caught using an Abu Garcia 35g Atom Spoon. I also lost one, which looked to be a decent fish.
The weather was warm and sunny with a slight breeze.
Both fish, and the one I lost were caught early in the session, which seems to back up the theory that the afternoon is the best time for Pike.
Saw a couple of unusual sights on the canal, and I think they were linked. First I saw a dead Dog in the Canal with both it's front legs tied, it looked like one of those fighting dogs, it's face was very scarred. Then a mile or so further up the canal I saw a dead Badger floating in the water, most unusual.

New Rod Arrived Today

My new rod arrived today,to replace my old spinning rod, which I broke on Saturday, it's a Shakespeare Expedition, 9ft (2.70) 6 section with a casting weight of 15-60g. I ordered the rod from Bennets of Shiefield yesterday and it arrived at 3.oopm today,brilliant service! It comes with a substantial carrying case which will go on the plane later in the year. I can't wait to try it out!

Another Trip to the Bridgewater

Returned to fish the Bridgewater Canal for Pike, this time with both my sons.
Richard had the first go, just before Lloyds bridge a Pike went for his spoon but let go. About 20 minutes later, at the end of the church stretch, his spoon was grabbed by a Pike of aprox 2lb, he handled it brilliantly, he did'nt panic, and reeled it in what a star!
We were using a cut down rod my father built, but it was a little too short so we changed to my fathers Fox Pike rod.
We then walked back towards the carpark,and just as I was passing under Lloyds bridge I was well and truly grabbed,it was obvious it was better fish than we had from the Bridgewater. The rod doubled over and the fish shot off, I managed to get it under control and we landed it, a beautiful 8lb Pike in pristine condition.
This is the second Pike caught on the Mackrel soft plastic lure with it's long flowing tail.
The one downside of the evening was we lost the spoon we had caught 5 of our previous Pike on.
Both the spoon and Mackrel soft plastic lure have a lot of Red colouring, so it would seem Red is the way forward
We fished from 16.30 until 19.30, only 2 fish but a good trip.
The weather was overcast with a slight breeze

Bridgewater Canal Saturday 28 March 2009

Using the 'Walk Trolling' method, fished the Bridgewater Canal from Oughtrington through Lymm village. Myself and Owen caught four Pike between us.
The first three on a spoon and the last one a soft plastic Mackrel lure(my first fish on a soft plastic Lure). The first two were about 4lb the third was a small one at just about 1lb and the last one was about 2lb.
The final pike was a spectacular take it leapt out of the water and onto the lure.
The weather was overcast and at times windy and felt cold. We started fishing at about 3.15pm and fished through untill 7.00pm .
Whilst unhooking the first pike, the dam thing bit me on my thumb, it took an age for it to stop bleeding.
Disaster at the end of the day I broke my Spinning rod, the last section just snapped.

First Pike From The Bridgewater Canal and First Pike On A Spoon

Ever since I joined Warrington Anglers I've tried, each time I fished the Bridgewater Canal to catch a Pike. I've tried all methods, Deadbaiting, Lures and Spinners. This evening for the first time I've been sucessful, using a spoon I caught a Pike, not a monster it weighed about 4lb. I wobbled a spoon about three feet out. This was also the first Pike I'd caught on my spinning rod(which I bought 15 years ago). I started fishing at 17.00 at Oughtrington and walked down to the turning hole just before Lymm. It was bright but windy and starting to get cold. I hit the Pike at 18.oo aprox. I'll definitely try wobbling a spoon again.

About Me and How It All began

I came to fishing later than most people, I was in my early 30's(18 years ago). It happened by chance, I was on boating holiday cruising down the Shropshire Union Canal and had mored up for the night, just in front of my boat was a man fishing from the back of his boat and was catching small Pearch and little Roach. I was facinated, so I went over for a chat. I was hooked!, so I mentioned to my wife I fancied having ago myself.

When we returned from holiday I went to Argos and bought a fishing kit for around £20 (I still have the rod) and after a couple of barren trips to the canal I finally caught a fish! a beautiful silver Bream from the Bridgewater Canal. I can still remember the thrill of seeing the float slide under!.

Around the same time A Passion For Angling was being shown on BBC2, that magical and beautifully photographed programme had me transfixed.I was determined to try to catch some of fish I'd seen on the programme. I joined Warrington Anglers Association and bought lot's of books and monthly magazines to try to learn as much as I could.

At first I fished the canals and after a while I could catch lot's of Pearch and Roach with the odd Bream thrown in for good measure, fun as this was I wanted to connect with something with a bit more power and fight.

I convinced myself the Pike was the fish for me! so back to the book shops to find as much infomation as I could, it was daunting! should I Livebait, Deadbait, use Spinners or Lures, as I loved to see a float slide under the water I settled on Float fishing Dead bait's as the easiest method for me. so for the next 3 years every time I went fishing I had some Pike tackle with me and I dropped a dead bait 'in' to see what would happen, and nothing did! I carried on fishing & catching the run of the mill fish Pearch, Roach and Bream (and they were getting bigger and more of them) so for 3 years I dreamt of pike but never saw one. Then one cold day in October I was on the Macclesfield Canal at Poynton I had my usual float fished Sprat in the water whilst I carried on with my usual catching of Pearch and Roach and at 3.40 pm (I remember it that well) the Pike float started to bob up and down and then slide away, I waited 5 seconds and struck! I was on! connected to Pike! my heart was pounding, as I struggled with the mighty! Pike (as it turned out it weighed 3lbs), after what seemed an age I slipped the net under the fish and I had done it! I'd caught a Pike! . I visited the same swim 5 or 6 more times over the next couple of weeks and I caught Pike every time. When I think of it now I can't understand why it took me so long, on those next visits I fished in the same way I'd fished over the previous years and caught nothing but now I could'nt stop catching.

At the same time as catching my first Pike I had discovered River fishing. I lived in Stockport at the time and whilst out walking by the River Tame saw a couple of people fishing so I gave it a try, that was the best decision I ever made over the next 5 years or so I fished the Tame 2 or 3 times aweek and it was a very rare event if I failed to catch,there was Chub, Roach, and BIG Pearch the ocasional Trout, and even the odd whisper of Barbel but most of all there was Pike, and lots of them, not massive but up to 7lbs and in running water they were great fun.

Once I started to fish rivers I almost gave up on canals. The tactics were very different, I learned to use a Centre Pin Reel ( I now own 5 Centre Pins), I love to be in my Waders in the water watching the float slide down the swim (and occasionally vanish under) not knowing what you're attached to!, it could be Gudgeon or a Chub, it doesent matter what you've caught, as long as you're there, in the water,and in the peace and quiet, Heaven!

As I mentioned earlier I had joined Warrington Anglers Association and was able to make use of the wonderful selection of waters available to members. I started to fish Rixton Clay Pits, what a wonderful location, and full of Tench, some of them big. I also began to fish the River Ribble at Bolderstone, what a river The only small fish I ever caught was a very young Barbel everything else was big! I started to catch Barbel, what a fight they go like crazy and never know when to give up and one day I caught my first double figure Barbel a 10lb beauty. Chub of 4&5lb were almost common.

My most memorable day as a fisherman must be day I caught a 16lb Pike(see photo above) at the Wide Hole on the Macclesfield Canal (also in the Warrington Anglers Association Book) the fight was long and hard I thought I'd lost it in the bushes a couple of times but I managed to bully it out each time.

I've never fished a match I'm not competative! and for me fishing is relaxation,having said that I have the upmost respect for those that do, and do it well!

As for the future, I'd like to try for a Carp, I've caught 3 so far, all by fluke and not by design. I like to tackle a few more Barbel and most of all get my two little boys into fishing.