Roaming Free

Something Better Change

2012-01-20T21:34:00.032Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSEOzimKnEY The Stranglers .. Something Better Change

Hi , and can I offer you a Warm Welcome back to the Start of Some Brand New Fishing Adventures for 2012 at Roaming Free. Can I start by wishing you all a belated " Happy New Year ". I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas Holidays and have settled back into your routines. My Angling Year has started much like it finished.......... Slooooow. These things are set to try us I suppose. I have been fishing long enough now to have suffered a few of these lean times. You just have to keep battling away for it always comes right in the end , I guess you just have to be patient grrrrrrr.

I started the year pretty much the same as I left it in 2011 , in the good company of that Born Again Fisher and NWOBHM Guru - Alan Goulbourne. The weather has been somewhat up and down to say the least. One day sub zero temperatures followed by temps into double figure which is crazy certainly for January. We have mixed our days up with attempts for Barbel Chub and Pike.First Fish of the New Year for Alan.

The Mild Conditions brought it's fair share of rain which meant that my two main Rivers The Dee and The Severn have both been in flood. I did have a dabble on the Severn for Winter Barbel without much success. Slash on the other hand got off to a flier catching numerous fish to over 8lbs on a New Boilie. Bravo Sir.

Slash Rewriting the Rule Book Again with this January Barbel.

I spent one glorious Mild Evening more like May than January on a Flooded Upper Severn whilst after Winter Barbel, where I was treated to one of the most breathtaking Sunsets I have ever witnessed, that in itself , was well worth the 100 mile trip in alone. At one stage I had Curlews , Lapwings and Tawny Owls all competing for who could sing the loudest. A Good Salmon topped things off by leaping out of the water mid river at spasmodic intervals. I was at peace with the world and Life........ was shear bliss.

After a secession of blanks Alan and I targeted a small river that somehow had manage to fine down much quicker than the rest and we were treated to some good sport from both Pike and Chub. The Chub was particularly satisfying as it was only through Alan's shear determination of trying various swims that saw him triumph. This Guy really does have the bug and boy does he learn quick. They weren't Monsters but it didn't matter we had caught and that's all that mattered. Sometimes Shear Consistency of Catching Fish regardless of size is Always Comforting. It just means that you still have your finger on the pulse and time will serve it's fine rewards when it is ready.

Alan and I even managed to team up with Neil and Gulper on a well known North West Pike Water. On a Frosty Morning we set forth for the challenge with Pressured Esox uppermost in our minds. This fish had seen many baits and methods in their time and delicate rigs with minimal resistance playing the main role.

Neil Bags One

We were all treated to a magnificent Sunrise before casting out to known spots that Gulper had fine tuned his trade on and off over the years. He even predicted the feeding times. True to his Word Both Neil and Gulper went onto land three fish a piece within minutes of predicted taking times by the master. It was quite uncanny but I knew from previous trips to Scotland on one particular water that you could virtually set your watch by the timing of the first run. It was a good day full of fun and laughter as always even if Alan and Myself failed to catch. I think I need to fine tune my rigs after two dropped runs.

Gulper gets to Grips

I finally managed my first fish twelve days into the New Year in the shape of a feisty jack off the River Dee. The level had finally fallen and the margins were quite clear , certainly enough for a Pike to exploit it's hunting powers. I actually managed two jacks in short succession and it was nice to have a bend in the rod again.First Of Many.

Heres Hoping Some Really Hungry Mothers Turn up in the Near Future. Them Big Girls Must be Starving after such a sustained period of flood. Let's hope we can get amongst them soon. With all these Tiddlers - Something Better Change !!

Tight Lines !!

2011 Review. Sometimes I Get a Good Feeling

2011-12-28T13:53:00.063Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OnnDqH6Wj8 Good Feeling - Flo Rida

True friendship is like sound health , the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.

As far as Years go , 2011 was a fairly mediocre as far as Fish Captures go. It may sound as if I am having a whinge , I am most certainly not , for it is all part of the challenge. A long dry Spring and Summer saw the Rivers Painfully low and for once maybe the Fish Won the day. Having said all of that , what the year lacked in Captures it certainly made up for in Friendship and Continued Learning. I have be a lone Angler now for many years now and I am still more than Happy , Content and at Ease in my own company. However , 2011 brought something New to the table , with the Gift of both New and Old Angling Acquittance's , and this was to set the tone for the whole year. A Pb Salmon plus a New Pb River Severn Summer Chub over the Magical 6 lb Barrier , plus some Cracking Brown Goldfish Captures were the Highlights of a Fairly Slow Year. As Always , whether Successful or not , it was Always a Pleasure and Privilege being out and about in Mother Nature and All She Offers.

Piking as I have found over the past few years can be quite a social event. I am lucky in Having Two of the best Pikers in the North West as Mates and so , with that in mind Mike and Gulper led the way as ever with their continued Unselfish Help - Skill and Laughter. Our Spring Trip to Ireland saw Baz , Neil and Buzz all join forces briefly before the weather and personal circumstances took there toll. Mike showed incredible strength and endeavor battling a Very Nasty Tooth Abscess whilst skippering a boat. Many a mere mortal would have crumbled , But Mr Chairman Battled On Regardless. The Trip never really got going with many an unseen circumstances taking it's toll. Saying that Captain Gulper Reigned Supreme during the week taking Top Boat Spot with The Fury. We all battled away and it was Baz that finished the trip on Top Spot with a New River Pb , enough said. I was Very Impressed with Neil's Boating Skills and this Guy certainly knows his stuff and many a Large Croc is set to fall to his silky skills in the future , for sure. I came away from Ireland Much Wiser and Enjoyed Myself Immensely despite the ups and downs. A Big Thanks to All the Lads for the trip.

I continued my ships passing in the night Angling Relationship with that Welsh Wizard Bruce , who really does have me wondering that maybe it's not just luck with him after all , lol , ;)) Gwindaff needs to spend more time on The Banks than in the Pubs and Clubs Chasing Big Fish instead of Old Trout , but I guess your only young once. Keep Plodding Mate.

I continued to play , in my new Adopted Guiding Roll or " Doing a Gulper " as I call it , by accompanying my Old Mate Alan Goulbourne on many a trip for him to take more PB's of Many an Individual Species in a season than I have had Hot Dinners. It was Great putting Something back into the Sport for someone else to enjoy , and The Look on Alan's Face as He Cradled a few Lumps was more than just Satisfying. It aim for it to continue into 2012 in Helping Others achieve their Dreams whilst having the odd fish myself. Slash , for one reason or another , I failed to touch base with , but as always we were in constant contact through Phone or e mail and we certainly need to get out more come January. Slash had a steady year and was recently landing Both Quality Barbel , Tench and Pike during the recent Cold Spell. Thus Proving that he is Top Notch.

It has just gone to prove one thing to me , that know matter where we are in life , Friendship is an important and integral part , and it should be savoured through both good and bad times. Malcolm Hough and Clive Parry are both waiting in the Wings , and both proving there worth as Top Anglers , and it is a pleasure to have them as Angling Correspondence. Top Bombin Gents , keep the flow of success coming.

And So Into 2012 and All it Offers whether I be on my own or with my mates. Bring It On I say <"))))<

Tight Lines for 2012 ............ Go Get em !!!

Happy New Year !!!!!!!!!!

Often Slain - Yet Rarely Beaten....................

2011-12-18T09:59:00.056Z

One Man
One Goal
One Mission
One Heart
One Soul
Just One Solution <"))))<

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4txdFIuQrlw - Queen - One Vision

My last three trips have not quite gone according to plan and as such , I have somehow failed to put a single fish on the bank. However , contrary to any belief , this has in know way taken any of the shear pleasure and enjoyment in the pursuit of some Very Large Specimen Fish. For Once , quite simply , The Chase was Better than the Catch. I have certainly taken on board a great deal from each of these individual visits and plenty of ideas have been mulled , chewed and stored for any future return trips. It is very rare that you come home less the wiser. It is a fine line we Specialist Anglers tread and , as we know , we are only ever one bite away from that fish of a life time. That in itself , if nothing else , should keep you Striving.

Blanking is unfortunately just part of the business , and as long as we do everything possible to prevent the occurrence we do occasionally need a steel chin to absorb the blows. Some days it can just be on the toss of a coin but as long as we continue to enjoy ourselves , then that is the most important part. Like any Good Footballing Striker we all have our lean times. Having Full Confidence in Ourselves Are Angling Ability and Knowing we are more than Capable should keep us More than Focused. Normally it's not too long before we are start banging them in the back of the net once more.

Fight On Men
I am Hurt but I am Not Slain
I'll lay me down and bleed a while
And then I'll Rise and Fight Again

My two most recent trips , even with a lack of any fish , have both been incredibly rewarding and I have Mike Ashcroft , Chairman of The Chester Predators Group , to Thank for Two Quite Exhilarating Trips. Both adventures , for that is quite simply what they are whenever fishing on board a " FURY " vessel with either Mike or Gulper , has seen us in Pursuit of Some Very Large Pike. For whatever reason we failed to produce the goods , but one thing was for sure , it certainly wasn't for the want of trying.

Our first trip was spent on our own home river whilst on board Mike's New Predator Hunter, " The Mini Fury ". Armed with a variety of lures and baits we spent a memorable morning of History and Nostalgia on the lower River , where as boys we had both started our Fishing Careers many moons ago. Mine as a Schoolboy in the Popular Winter Leagues , Dee Championship and Cabglass Trophy, and similarly with Mike as a Young Piker going on to land his first ever Esox of 19 lbs from a popular fishing spot. It is no secret that both Mike and I share an Equal Passion of Our own Majestic Lady Dee. Over the last few years She really has been in the form of her life since the fish kill of 2000. In that time many a fine Specimen Roach , Pike , Chub , Dace , and even Barbel have graced our nets to large welcoming happy smiles. We embarked on an early start and spent a good seven hours searching numerous spots that I had frequented as a boy but this time afloat.

However for what ever reason it just wasn't meant to be , but if anyone had asked me if I was disappointed I would have replied most certainly Not. It had all been a blast from the past and a 36 year buffer since my passion for angling for the Dee had first been began. Many a Famous Landmarks such as The Suspension Bridge ( scene of many a match draw with Vince Headly ) , the Slab - or pegs B2 and B3 that normally won any match ,The Weir , The Boat House and the Earls Eye / Kissing Gates on The Meadows were all to be absorbed and explored. It had been a Great Day and it had been a privilege to do it all again after such along time gap. A Big Thanks must go to Mike for a Very Special Day Out.

My next trip would again see me in Mike's Company. This time we would be heading for a secret venue where Mike had landed his first ever 30 lb + Pike. I new how much the venue meant to Mike , and so , as respect earns respect , I had never ever pressed him into ever taking me there. I had listened to the many tales of success and failures numerous times over the years and the place certainly held a Magic that only an Angler could Ever Understand. Many of Mike's Piking Dreams had become Reality over those years and with many photos of Large Female Lumps present in Mike's PC Photo Portfolio.

The Venue at present may well be passed it's sell buy date , but as everything in the Pike World goes Full Cycle , you just need a good strain of fish and a few lifetimes to enjoy it all in. During a Cold and Incredibly Windy Day it had all ended up in defeat. I thought I was going to go down with exposure at one point so relentless was the Gale. It was more like fishing the North Sea than a lake. I had been in Great Company sharing the day with Two of the Best Pikers in The North West of England. The lack of fish between us all had quite possibly showed how tough it had all been and it certainly helped cushion the blow for me personally. Piking , I have come to experience first hand , can be incredibly easy or the most frustrating of all. At the end of the day it is all down to the fish and if conditions prevail then it's fill your boots time.

Local Angling News See's Gulper and Wife Dawn fleeing the country for a much deserved Warm Weather Christmas Break on Far Off Shores , Where as Slash , is currently recovering from a home DIY incident , after burying a Drill Bit in his Ankle , Ouch !!!

Most of our River's are in full spate at the moment with snow melt so it's not a bad time to be absent plus , most will be off work shortly for the Christmas Hols. Get Well Soon Mate. Gou I guess will be playing Father Christmas and Mike I know will be incredibly busy ferrying in a different nature this time as a cabbie taking the Party Revellers to and from town , best of luck mate. I will be working and getting as many OT shifts in as I can over the next 2 weeks ready for all them nasty bills come January. Can I take this Opportunity in Wishing All The Readers of Roaming Free " A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS " and of COARSE , TIGHT LINES if you manage to get out over the Holiday Period. A BIG THANK YOU for you continued support during 2011 and , if I have only inspired in only getting one of you out this year , it will have been all worth while. Life is just too Precious to Waste.................... <"))))<

By the way , my third trip was to a lake that unbeknown to me , had been netted last Summer. For three hours I was actually fishing a Lake void of any fish at all , lol. Cest la vie ;))

Have a Merry Christmas !!!

Curly Tails of the River Bank

2011-11-27T20:46:00.070Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hruhe6n7Stk Night Prowler - AC/DC.

I had a four day break to go at this week , and with the weather more like April than November , I was keen to make full use of my free time. I jumped out of bed after my second overtime shift and headed for My local River Dee in search of a Roach and Dace Stick Float Fix. I chose a spot that normally obliges at this time of year and started the short session on a 6 x no 4 float set over depth at 10 foot trotting and introducing maggots in the steady even flow. After thirty minutes it was becoming obvious that perhaps the fish were further downstream in the deeper water ready for the on set of Winter. All of a sudden I received a dip on the float and suddenly I was playing a hard fighting Fish. It was quite a different type of scrap that I was used to , normally a Roach or Dace would thud away whilst being reeled in but what ever was on the end of the line had other ideas and it was just holding itself in the medium pace current.It soon became apparent what the culprit was as a large dorsal fin appeared on the river surface. Initially I thought it was a Perch but then saw a rainbow of colours as a Magnificent Female Grayling ( Thymallus Thymallus ) struggled for her Freedom. My Heart was in my mouth as I held the waiting landing net. Fortunately for me She went straight into the net on the first time of asking. I stared down at the wondrous sight , She really was a Beautiful Creature if ever there was one. A mass of Blue and Green with Slender Deep Silvery Metallic Flanks , Black Spots and a slender pixie snout. A True Lady of the Stream or in this case River. I held her firmly as she wriggled and writhed in my hands , Wow , what a sight for sore eyes. A was an obvious true member of the Salmon Family with her Adipose Fin evident just below her large and stunning Sail like Dorsal Fin.The Welsh Dee is fast becoming a haven for these Beautiful Fish. Some say the next record fish could well come from the faster currents beyond Bangor on Dee itself. I felt it a privilege to have caught her on such light tackle and have already decided that I must have some further fun with these fantastic Fish. After a quick succession of photos for the blog I eased her back into the flow ensuring She was fully recovered before allowing her to swim back strongly. Fantastic !! , I carried on trotting for a further hour without any success bar a few Minnows and then decided to call it a day. I may only have caught one fish but what a fish. My break was off to a flier and I was a Happy Angler. My next trip would come the following evening and his time I would set the Fish Mobile to Auto Pilot and head for an old Club Water 50 miles away on the River Severn. I had started fishing this special stretch many years ago with a lot of success. It wasn't so much for the size of the fish on offer , especially the Barbel , but more for the shear numbers and great sport it offered. I had a lot of respect for the venue and the Club who owned the stretch , for it had provided me with the education I had needed for catching these hard fighting Rive Fish back in the 90's. I had arrived at 15.00 with an hour of light still available. There are numerous debates going on at the moment about some Barbel Anglers inability to catch their quarry in the daytime. All I will say on the matter is. I have always had great success in the evenings , a time steeped in history and simply known as Barbel O' clock. A Magical Wondrous time of the day in both Summer and Winter for any type Angling and with usually many less Anglers on the bank. Selfish this Maybe , but for me the fewer the better without being nasty. This is how I personally enjoy my sport the best , Just me , Myself , The River and I.It had been a long time and some of the swims were much more accessible than I had remembered. The Work Party's of the club certainly had to be congratulated although there seemed to be more rubbish than previous years and I spent the first 25 minutes picking up small items as I walked the entire stretch. It was just as I had remembered , a straight , wide walking pace dace glide with much faster shallower run providing oxygenated water to deeper water above and below. It Quite Simply Screamed Barbel. I decided on two spots , and would fish both swims if possible. At present I had the whole stretch to myself , it was like Old Times. In those long gone days I would just leave my gear mid stretch bait up numerous swims and just walk between each with one rod having a fish from here and one from there. It really was getting near the witching hour and so I made my way down to my initial spot. Just as arrived back at my tackle I heard a splashing and looked down to see a pair of Otters playing on the other side of the river. I immediately started taking a video recording of this wondrous sight. After two minutes or so of free viewing I unfortunately stepped on a noisy twig that saw both play mates glance before disappearing from sight down into the fast current. It had been a pleasure to watch them playing together in that short time. Otters really are making a comeback just keeping nature in check. I know some anglers have issues with them but I for one have no problem. Nature always evens itself out and they were on the rivers long before I came on the earth. The river was slightly narrower where I was sat that included a bottleneck the water slightly quicker on an even pace dace glide with no boils or obvious snags. I had just made my first cast when I heard a russel in the leaves behind me. Initially I thought it was another angler and turned to meet the approaching guest. It was a Stoat , and as I turned , he caught site of me and he scampered off as quick as his tiny legs would carry him. I chuckled to myself , he was obviously on the look out for his super. I carried on fishing my eyes fixed on the tiny isotope fixed onto the rod tip. It wasn't dark yet but it soon would be. Then I heard another movement once more in the leaves and I turned expecting to see the Stoat on a return trip. However nothing was visible until suddenly I fixed my stare on an equal set of eyes just watching my every move. I froze and simply stared back in shock more than anything. Know there is only one thing in this country that can hurt you in the countryside at night and that's another person. This was certainly not Homosapien but I was intrigued to find out what it was.Initially I thought it was a small dog , but then I became aware of another shape followed by a muffled grunt. Slowly but surely the two offending shapes made their way closer and I could quite clearly see in was a pair of small Pigs more like Wild Boar than Domestic Swine. As they inched closer I could here them grunting and offered them a token of friendship in the form of some ground bait and hemp seed. This certainly did the trick and all manner of wariness of both parties was soon forgotten. I chuckled to myself and took numerous pictures and videos of my new found companions. For 20 minutes they continued to eat me out of house and home as their hunger for more bait was never ending. It was great fun having such a pair of funny looking animals wagging their Tails with Glee as they searched out every last seed , somewhat like a Barbel in many respects. It really was quite dark now and I finally turned my attention to fishing and my chosen quarry. I had added a Small amount of bait into the river on my initial arrival. This always allows any fish in the area to have a good hours free dining before I even add a bait of my own. This can obviously work in your favour especially where Big Chub are concerned losing some of their natural wariness. I didn't have long to wait once I was focused and shortly I received the first three foot twitch of the night. I went on to catch Seven Severn Whiskers in the following four hours.

A mixture of pellet and worms did the trick with action coming thick and fast every 30 min's or so. I never realised it at the time but during that time , the air temperature had dropped from around 10 to 2 oc. I had received a text off Mike Ashcroft asking me if I was home? I had replied No , and that I was currently feeding Barbel and Pigs on the Severn. He had laughed and said I was mad with it being near to freezing back in Chester. With all the action from both land and sea , I had been totally oblivious. Air Temperature doesn't bother the fish of course but any sudden drop in water temp certainly will. I called it a day at 10 pm as the bites finally dried up and I focused on a nice Hot Cup of Coffee and my bed. It had been quite an evening with Pigs and Otters plus a few Whiskery Barbel for Company. It had been a pleasant return to a spot I had and Always will enjoy.I had one more trip during the week with Alan Goulbourne to The Upper Severn. Anticipation had been high with dreams of massive Pb Fish but as always the upper slapped us both in the face as the illusive fish had other ideas. We even headed downstream to the Middle River and The Pig Swim only to be thwarted once more. Alan lost a good fish to a heavy clump of weed that came from nowhere. Like any Sport , it happens , and sometimes you just have to be a blanker to really enjoy the good times when they finally come around. Even the Best Fail and We should have known better than to raise our hopes So High. On the other hand Nothing Ventured - Nothing Gained..Another important lesson in the world of the Specialist Angler and Tracking Down Big Fish for Alan. Blanking unfortunately is just part of the baggage , but it does all equal out in the end. Alan has had a Good Run so far with Numerous Pb's this year and hopefully , long may it continue.We ended up in the local Chip Shop for a Fish and Chip Super. This more than made up for a tough day.More Adventures Next Week in one Form or Another.

Until Then , Tight Lines !!!

Video - A Pair Of Severn Otters At Play

Video - Things that go "Oink" in the Night

We Shall Remember Them

2011-11-13T10:52:00.006Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqwwsrhJiqI . Nimrod - Elgar

Lest We Forget

You Can't Tame This Energy Inside

2011-11-13T07:47:00.048Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiBujP7LTBE&feature=related DJ Fresh - Louder

Wow , I have just realised that it is virtually a month since my last Blog Account. It has been a busy time of late with one thing or another and I have had to put my family first, which of course , is Always the case. However , You will be glad to know that I have also been out and about Roaming Around and I have managed to squeeze in quite a few fishing adventures in that time , just to keep an even keel. My Angling Hunger has returned with a Vengeance , It Always does , and I feel the better for the time off. My Thumb has returned to full working order and has been tested with some Powerful River Action from Pike , Barbel and Chub just to ensure it was up to the task. I am glad to say it passed the test with Flying Colours.

I have to go back to the back end of October for my first encounter. I still had a burning desire to catch a another large Chub after increasing my River Pb Fish in July this year. It had been a special night as I had witnessed my scales inch past the Magical 6 lb barrier. I am still over the moon with That Special Capture in July when I banked a Super 6lb 1 oz River Fish , but it was now time to move on and attempt an improvement. I found myself on the banks of the Upper Middle Severn the home of many a large Chub , and over the course of two trips managed a couple of fish over the 4 lb mark. Tactics had been simple , visit swims that had provided large fish in the past in hope they were still resident. Numerous Classic Chub swims were explored roving the swims for obliging fish. Chub Bites never fail to amaze me.

Normally they are lightning fast , some so incredibly quick , that the message rarely reaches your brain before the rod tip returns to it's original position before you even think of striking. And this is the challenge I so enjoy. Wild Fish testing you to the limit. Hair Rigs and Chub are never a good combination and so you have to be as cunning as the Chubster itself. Ditch the hair , Hold the rod and Hope your Reflexes are up to the task if you are to stand any chance of hooking The Houdini of the fish world. Small baits were to provide the success I craved , being finely mounted on a strong hook ensuring that the point of the hook was always fully visible.I even managed to hook a couple of barbel with one fish going 8-12 on the Richter Scale. It had been very pleasing hitting the twitch at 2 inches and not the normal 36 ".

I had received a visit on one of those Chub Nights from Slash. He had been fishing locally in the area and it had been Great to See him again. We always keep in touch via e-mail and text , but it had been virtually seven months since we had graced the bank together. Slash had been taking advantage of the recent mild conditions and had been catching Tench in late October of all things and he had also managed to bank himself a New Pb Perch as a Bonus.

My next trip took me back to The Mere. My last visit had been in early June , catching Tench to maggot feeders but as always when the Rivers Open everything else stops. I took with me one rod and two packets of smelts and went on to land numerous jack wobbling these small baits to great effect. It was Great Fun in the Autumnal Sunshine.

At one stage I had caught Five fish within Six Casts so was the concentration of fish in one area. Topping Roach had signalled the Opportunity upon arrival and I guess rest was history. It Just goes to show , Never overlook the obvious. It was nice to on the boat again and the beauty of The Mere is always a joy to behold.My Friends The English Long Horn Cattle were also present in their meadow with the addition of a New Impressive Bull. I would certainly think twice before entering that paddock.

My next jaunt was a real adventure. Together with Darren Conroy alias " Buzz " and Mike Ashcroft - Chairman of The Chester Predators Group , we all set off early one morning for a Navigational Adventure of My local River Dee , whilst on board The Dreadnought. I hadn't seen Buzz since our ill fated trip to Ireland back in April so it was good to catch up. Unfortunately the Dee Pike were not forthcoming in our attempts to land one , but for me personally it didn't really matter.

Many a time as a School Boy I had drawn a high peg whilst attempting to Win The Dee Championship or Cab Glass Trophy. This would mean a long Cycle ride up the meadows to Eccleston or even further. Today would be different for now I was Admiral of the Dee just for One Day.It was a Fantastic Trip and I discovered part of the River that I never new existed. I am already planning a few trips to favourable swims that possibly yield a large surprise or two. The Trip unfortunately ended with Mike taking an Early Bath as he somehow managed to fall in at the end of the day. Buzz and I managed to contain our laughter somehow but I was found out a few days later as I went for a bath Myself this time in another Border River , The Mighty Wye. Mike always said we Chester Preds Always like to take a closer look at our intended venue. You know what , I think he has a point , lol.

Four Days later and this time I joined Neil Lissaman again of Chester Preds for a long awaited trip to The River Wye. It had been 30 years since I fished her last which was way to long. I met up with Neil at at 05.45 am after setting out from Chester at 3 am. We arrived at our intended spot just before light. Wow , The Wye is a Magnificent River if ever there is one. I can remember looking at her all those years ago and being initially scared to death at her pace as she tore past. Today there was nothing to fear after many years on The Mighty Severn. Unfortunately for Neil and I we just happened to be on the river as a cold slug of water made its way past our position.

It had obviously put the Chub and Barbel right off as we tried all day to coax one to our baits. After talking to the Water Keeper No One on the river was catching. Undaunted by this news I did manage to winkle out a Mid Double Pike after changing Tactics and targeting a favourable swim. The day was somewhat saved but I will certainly be back possibly for a longer time period next time. The Wye is a River that has a massive potential and I am determined to spend some considerable time on her before e I head of to the Big Whirl Pool in the sky. I would like to thank Neil for organising the day and for not laughing when I managed to slide down the muddy bank straight into the Drink. Cheers Mate , Your a Gent , lol.

My latest adventure found me back on the banks of Sabrina with Alan Goulbourne in an attempt to better his Chub and Pike Pb's. It had been a pleasant day more like May than the middle of November. We had taken advantage of the good weather and spent most of the afternoon walking the banks with Paternoster Dead bait Rigs fishing Favourable spots for Spotted Predators. Only One Jack was forthcoming , but it Had all been very enjoyable in the Mild Sunny Weather. Alan now has a good idea of how to catch and handle Pike of the Severn or any river for that matter. On another day it could have been a good double or Twenty Pound Fish he had tamed. That evening was spent in a favoured spot for Chub and Barbel. Alan did manage to hook into a Very Good Barbel but unfortunately played it a little to hard only to see the hook pull free.

It has happened to us all at some point or time and it is always a little bit disappointing to say the least. All we can do is learn from it an ensure the same error is not made the next time. This I guess is how we sometimes learn. All was not lost however as Alan managed to extract a nice brace of our intended species after they had become incredibly cute to our tactics. The hair rig was soon ditched in favour of side baited offering and holding the rod as standard. Eventually and after a lot of soul searching success was our as Alan banked two Good Fish of equal weights from a Snaggy Swim. We had both learned a great deal from the whole trip and as always Angling had Won The Day.

Nature has also been taking advantage of the incredibly mild conditions of late with many wild flowers still abundant. I saw both Red and white Campion on the banks of the Wye amazingly with both Red Admiral and Peacock Butterfly's in full view.

Whilst on the Dee a Common Toad was found swimming in the margins as a small jack pike missed eating him by inches. He was glad to be in my hands and I placed him in a possible Hibernating Spot where he should already be. Red Kites were seen circling in the Wye Valley along with Buzzards and a pair of Kingfishers that seem to be everywhere this year. A female Kestrel was spotted in an old tree as we floated past on the Dreadnought.

Apologies if the updates this time have been somewhat brief. I will ensure that I keep up to date for future events so as to give the best feedback possible. Until then and As Always Tight Lines Roamers

Video of a Fiesty Mere Jack

Taking a Back Seat

2011-10-19T12:23:00.052+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5L8RrphXRg&feature=related.
Princess of the Night - Saxon

It is fair to say , that time for My Beloved Sport has dwindled somewhat over the last two months. I have not been able to devote my usual 110 % commitment and thus , as a result , I have spent less time on the river banks than I can ever remember. Work , Family , my local Football Team , plus a Broken Thumb have all taken their chunk of time. I even considered getting the my old golf clubs out of the loft at one stage , but thankfully I came back to my senses very quickly. This kind of situation can and does arise from time to time , but to be honest , it never usually lasts very long. The Angling embers are ALWAYS there burning away , somewhat subdued but always ready to reignite at a moments notice. It never does you any harm just to have a rest from time to time. Angling , Nature and the Combined joy that they both bring will never leave me , for quite simply it IS and ALWAYS has been , just a Delectable Way of Life.

Now , having said all that , I really am enjoying my New Found Ghillie Role at the moment. I have always known that at some stage that I must put something back into my wonderful Sport , and how better than helping others achieve their Angling Goals. Watching a Wide Cheshire Cat Grin Develop is something that I really am enjoying at the moment. The word Satisfying falls somewhat short , for it is one of the most rewarding pleasures I have come accross. It is a Magical Feeling and long may it continue. Obviously it will not stop me from my own little adventures , but I already know that now is the right time for me to start helping others.

This week I had organised a trip with Alan Goulbourne , my old found mate who is just getting back into his fishing. Our last trip had been a great success as Alan had gone on to record his first Barbel capture , and in doing so had managed two successive PB's during the same said trip. It had all been very rewarding , not only for Al , but for his Ghillie as well. This week we would return to the same venue. Alan had really enjoyed the initial adventure with it's three foot twitches , and the incredible fight that these powerful river fish are so famous for. Another Adventure was needed and we new just where to find it.

As usual , we had arrived at our chosen venue just ninety minutes before darkness. By doing this , it would allow us to gain what ever was on offer in that magical hour , Barbel O'clock as I call it , is that Magical time an hour before and an hour after the sun sets. We started off in a favoured peg where an over hanging tree was providing max cover from the bright daytime sunshine. We both new from our previous trip that this swim was a banker given the current bright conditions. Sure enough ten minutes after casting in , Alan received his first wraparound of the evening. The fish fought really hard as all Barbel do , but unfortunately somehow it managed to rid itself of the hook just before the net . I was not sure why this had happened but it had looked a good fish and would certainly have pushed Alan's previous best fish for sure. A little disappointed Alan recast and we sat back and watched the Sun turn to Gold as it dipped majestically below the skyline. We had just entered Peak Catching Time. All of a sudden the rod tip arched around and Alan was attached to a feisty torpedo shape intent on reaching the Bristol Channel. The Baitrunner Screamed as the fish tore off ensuring that the 2 lb TC was tested to it's max. I could see the enjoyment and bewilderment written all over Alan's face.

A Fish to be Proud of and a New PB for Alan @ 9lbs 13 ozs

I new exactly what he was thinking. " Wow , This is incredible " !!! After a short time , the fish surfaced and splashed as it refused to give in. Soon after , it was ready , and I slipped the fish into the waiting net. Smiles were broad and wide , business had been resumed. We allowed the fish to recover from it's hard battle for a few minutes in the steady flow before unhooking and releasing. It had weighed in at just over 6 lbs and had been in fine condition. It's flanks had just starting to to show the dark bronze colour of a maturing fish. Nothing more was forthcoming in the next 25 minutes , and so we moved much further downstream to another favoured dace glide. It was now dark , and so two rods were introduced as appose to the single rod of upstream. It didn't take long and soon Alan was in again. These Glugged baits really were doing the business. Even though the river was fairly low , I new that the river had received some additional water two days earlier. As we know , flavoured baits and coloured water are always a great combination . I just had a hunce that a smelly baits would work better , and so it was proving. Alan's Fish bore hard and deep and litterally refused to budge off the bottom. This is always a good sign as the larger fish do tend to thump around a bit. The fish then decided it wanted to move upstream and this was even a better indication. After a very hard fight Alan finally managed to steer the fish into the waiting net , and let out a sigh of relief. He was fast becoming a Barbel's Biggest Fan. We peered down into the gloom for a better luck.

Al holds his Princess of the Night.

She certainly looked long , but it only became apparent when I attempted to lift her that she really was a "Good Un". We slipped her back to recover as we set up the scales for a safe unhooking and weigh in. Alan dug out his newly acquired Avon Scales whilst I hunted for my annoying pair of steamed up reading glasses. The Arrow of the Avons went round and round and round. I new straight away this was another Personal Best Fish for Al. The Needle finally stopped quivering and we both settled for a lump just 3 ozs shy of 10lbs. At 9lbs 13 ozs this was a Fish to be Proud off and was the one I had been trying to get Alan most of the Summer. After some quick Photographs and lots of grins The Fish was allowed as much time as she needed to recover until she was Strong enough and ready to go. Obviously All Angling stops at this critical time as the safety of the fish Always comes first. I took a last gasp shot of Alan releasing his prize before she swam off strongly into the inky darkness.

Alan went on to catch a further five fish before we called it a day a 10.30 pm. A large white orb had appeared in the sky in the form of a bright full moon intent on ensuring that bites finally came to a grinding halt. I have only ever had one good night when a full moon had been present and that night where I went onto land two double figure Barbel plus and a 5 lb 9 oz Chub all in successive casts , but that was a different tale. Tonight I was just pleased for Alan and his Wonderful Achievements. A Princess of the Night and all in a simple fours hours spent on The River Bank. It had all been Fantastic Stuff.

More Adventures Next Week as the Passion runs deep for another Big Chub. Fingers Tightly Crossed.

Tight Ones Roamers.

September Break

2011-09-22T08:17:00.031+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRsxpoAc5w Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5

Fishing of late has been at a minimum to say the least. Somehow , I had managed to Fracture a bone in my left thumb. You wouldn't believe how vital a thumb is to an Angler. Try and live without it and then do battle with a Barbel or two and suddenly that little piggy is all so important. I had been staying local of late with fuel being so expensive. Utilisation of what was on offer within a few miles radius has been my main focus. A mixture of local Canals , Rivers and Pools have all played there part. Fun has been top of the list with the Big Game being put to one side for the time being. This may seem a bit odd given September can be a wonderful month for Specimen Fish , but for once I was happy to let the serious side of things slip. A bend in the rod and max enjoyment was top of the list. I found myself on a venue that I had not fished for well over 40 years.

The Shropshire Union Canal was the first venue I ever went fishing. At the early age of six I had walked briskly to the cut with my Father in a blaze of excitement and anticipation. In my sweaty mitts I had clutched a Brand New 6 ft green glass fibre rod with it's red and white handle and price tag still attached. Attached at the but was a bright shiny Green Ratchet Reel that once wound made an awful din something like an old football rattle. The package was complete with a large bright Yellow Perch Bob Float that even a 8lb Chub would have struggled to pull under, lol . And so we had sat on the canal right at the back of Chester Zoo on that red hot August Day. I didn't have any maggots so bread was the bait. Not surprisingly I blanked , but it had been the catalyst and the next 40 years of adventures would make up for that fish less day.And now I found Myself on that same tow path , I smiled to myself as I reminisced. Incredibly that had been over 40 years ago. Nothing seemed to have changed much. The water was still it's same old muddy colour , numerous brightly coloured barges were tied up to the near bank and the canal still looked devoid of fish. However this time I new different , my old mate Gou had been having some great sport of late catching numerous Bream to well over 3lbs on light feeder tactics.After watching him , I must admit I had been bitten by the bug and really had been taken in with the shear fun and pleasure of catching these wonderful grazing fish as they hoovered up the many free offering. Roach Gudgeon and Perch were also part of the package. It had been like stepping back in time and most importantly it had been great fun even if it had been just tiddler bashing in the pleasant Autumnal Sunshine. I had been quite incredible. I had reached into my tackle box and reached for the same old Bayer Perlon 1.7 lb line for a hook link that I would have done all those years ago, testament to a wonderful line manufacturer still going strong. A tiny 20 barbless hook , single maggot and Drennan black cap feeder had provided the anchor link. Bites had come thick and fast especially when the Bream had drifted in.I had numerous hours on the canal that week trying different tactics and swims and all with the same enjoyment.

Later on that week I had allowed myself to a trip on the Upper Severn after we had experienced some rare rainfall the day before. The river had risen 0.5 M and there would certainly be a bit of colour showing on the web cam so I fancied my chances. I had lost a couple of decent fish earlier in the year on this stretch and had stepped up my gear somewhat to prevent any such eventualities. I had confided in Slash as to the choice of a strong reliable line and had ventured forth. Funny how the confidence you have gained over numerous years can suddenly lose all it's attraction after the loss of a big fish or two. I needn't had worried. The line did the business and I finished the evening with a deformed humpback Chub of 4 lbs + and a Whiskers just shy of 8lbs both to heavily glugged pellets. Glugged baits always work well in flood water. I tend to favour something fishy such as prawn , halibut or crab or even something meaty that also brings in the Chub. You can afford to be less delicate in coloured water and even I fish in the daytime even on the nocturnal upper reaches. I was pleased with both my success not so much for the size but for the actual action. It really has been tough on the upper this year and any fish up there is worth 5 or 6 fish on the middle reaches.With success forthcoming I rang Bruce and told him that conditions were favourable if he fancied a bend in the rod. We had initially set out for the Middle Severn but time had been against us so in the end we stayed closer to home but on the much Tougher Upper Reaches. We needn't have worried as Bruce managed to land a Barbel and thus some action. The capture had really been cold to the touch and we wer both miffed as to why the fish had been much cooler than the river water ?? Very Strange. No more action save a few Chub pulls that failed to materialise , and so we retreated home at mid night.

The Next Night I was out again. Once More in a Gilly Capacity with my Thumb in Tatters. This Time I was out with Gou again. Alan has just got back into his fishing but unfortunately he had never caught a Barbel. It had not been for the want of trying and I had tried to catch him a fish or two from the upper reaches of the Severn but without Success. This time in my Gilly role we headed much further downstream the The Easier Middle Reaches where fish were plentiful. After walking a stretch that I hadn't fished for over six years , we both agreed on a steady smooth Dace Glide that looked the Dogs Do Dar's.

The next swim upstream was even more favourable as far as I was concerned as the evening sun shone down brightly. An overhanging Willow provided a dark secluded spot for a few fish and with this in mind we introduced a couple of handfuls of hemp and magic mix into the spot. We left this for a good 20 Min's as we set up for darkness in the Dace Glide. After 20 minutes we were all set. I had explained to Alan the obvious importance of Safety during any nightime adventure and had shown him how I go about knowing just where everything is not only for our , but for the fishes safe being. This done we grabbed a single rod and crept into the willow swim.

This swim looked great. It was secluded and away from the brightness of the day. The pace of the river was perfect being a steady walking pace and flat calm suggesting a clean flat bottom , perfect for feeding barbel. We introduced the bait , sat back and weighted. We didn't have long to wait. Tap Tap on the rod tip suggested Chub were picking and dropping our bait so I instructed Alan to hold the rod. Suddenly the rod arched over and Alan was attached o a strong fish hell bent on reaching Bristol. Alan couldn't believe the power of the fish as the baitrunner clutch screamed and the 2 lb TC arched. A torid tussle was in place and I took the opportunity to take some photographs whilst giving out advice. It was great to watch. Doing A Gulper as I call it and allowing others the enjoyment of catching fish really gives you a buzz. I guess it's about putting something back into the sport I Love.

Alan was winning the battle and after the third attempt the fish was successfully in the net. " Phewww " , I could see the immense joy on Alan's Face , he was simply chuffed to bits. " That beats any still water Tussle " he said and beamed. We arranged the unhooking mat and set about unhooking the capture. It was a decent fish and upon weighing took the scales down to a pleasing 7lbs 3 ozs , not bad for your first Whiskers and another PB. I shook Alan's hand and congratulated him. We returned the fish to the steady flow whilst we set up for a few Photographs. Alan was amazed at the beauty of the fish with it's deep gold flanks , bright pink fins and all important Barbules. It was obvious how these beautiful creatures are so adapted for strong currents having that torpedo shape that allows them to hug the bottom as the current washes over them. Photographs complete with Big Smiles complete and the fish was returned to the current in the landing net where it was still obviously strong and thus Alan allowed his new PB to glide slowly out into the river. We were both very pleased and could really start enjoying the session without any pressure. We were in luck as Alan went onto land another five fish the best going 7lbs 9 ozs improving his PB on the same evening. It really had been most pleasing and rewarding for us both. We retreated at 23.00 hrs are minds both fixed on the following day and Chester FC's Away fixture at Stafford Rangers in our minds. It was Barbel and Chester all the way home.

Video - A Wild Hearted Son Shows Off his Prize.

My Thumb is well on the mend so hopefully come Mid October I should be back in business. Best Wishes to Gulper this week as he goes in for surgery on his main Esox Hauling Arm. Good Luck Mate.

Tight Lines Roamers !!!

Blaster Bates

2011-09-17T20:38:00.003+01:00

A Bit of Fun and Laughter from Cheshire's Own Blaster Bates

Thrutching for Pike. lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19QLBQK_ILE

Runnin' Wild

2011-09-14T14:36:00.038+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NsOPerdJCM&feature=related
Airbourne - Runnin' Wild

Personally , My Own Big Barbel Quest has not been going to well of recent. However , there is still plenty of time left as we enter possibly the best time for bagging a lump. It is fare to say I have had my chances , but alas I have been smashed to bits on two occasions. It is all a bit frustrating for I know deep down inside that they were both possibly double figure fish.

My Angling Colleagues on the other hand , have been faring much better and have all achieved Double Delights even with the Rivers being painfully low.

Slash Yarwood is currently flitting between two local rivers and has landed a string of 9 s plus a 10 lb 9 oz Beauty. Someone ( naming no names lol ) put him onto a new bait and bingo he hit the jackpot on the third time of asking.

Three Great Fish for Slash as they receive The Hard Stare Treatment.

Neil Lissaman and his co host Baz have been putting in a bit of time on The Wye and have had some Great Success. Neil however stayed a bit closer to home and smashed his Personal Best with a 11 lb 15 oz Specimen. We will have to imagine how fantastic it was as Neil left his camera at home but here is another super looking whisker and one for Baz not to be out done.

Neil looks Delighted

Baz and a Wye Stunner.

Stew Moss is no stranger to Big Barbel and his has just managed a brace of fish from a notoriously hard venue with fish of 11 lb 10 plus a Monster of 14 lbs 14 ozs. Fantastic Angling by any ones Standards.
Two Dream Captures for Stew.

Keep going boys you are pushing the bar higher and higher.

Fantastic Whisker Fishing !!!!!

Pastures Old and New

2011-08-15T17:24:00.100+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXmJeAjYHKM Beautiful People - BB + Chris Brown

This week my Angling Adventures continued. I had already decided last week to concentrate on my local River and thus had a number of trips to both Pastures Old and New. One thing was for sure, the level would continue to be painfully low. I could only ever remember the River Severn being up and coloured three times since early May. The Fishing would continue to be incredibly tough , and only some much needed prolonged rain , could ever inject a new surge of life into the system. Anglers much further downstream were already struggling. The fish on the upper the stretches were holed up in the faster water , reaping the oxygen rich rewards for survival. Feeding at present , was second priority. The fishing was quite predictable as I knew my two chosen spots intimately , almost like the back of my hand.

Only a major flood could ever change them , and there was more chance of me flying to the moon than of us receiving a decent quantity of the wet stuff. Knowing any stretch of river really well normally works in your favour. Confidence is sky high , as you have a fairly good idea of where the fish will be. The normal hot spots tend to guarantee you the odd fish , but a fish from a new swim was always a possible and of course very rewarding. With the level being low at present , even fish from well known haunts could never be guaranteed.

Old Stretches of river are good for a bend in the rod , but New Stretches add a bit of spice to the equation. The thrill and challenge of any New piece of water , Always gets me excited and normally I am like a kid in a sweet shop as I walk any new length for the first time , my inner watercraft running wild and in Overdrive as I search out the likely haunts. Barbel , Chub and Pike are always upper most in my mind. Find the slacks and eddies and Chub and Pike should dwell , find long walking pace glides and Barbel and Dace should loom. Somewhere in between will come Roach and Bream. Initially , it is all a game of cat and mouse , as you seek and search trying to piece the jigsaw together. Only invested time would paint the larger picture , but one thing was for sure , it would be challenge , but fun trying.

On my initial trip , I asked my Mum if She fancied keeping me company. Since My Father and Best Mate past away in 2003 , Mum , or Grandma as I affectionately call her , often accompanies me on My Fishing Adventures. At a Sprightly 73 , Mum puts most teenagers to shame , creeping around the banks of the River Severn during the hours of darkness. Mum is Real Trooper , and is no stranger to catching a few fish herself with Barbel Chub and Pike her Top Species. We set out as normal at 8pm , just to arrive at the water for dusk. We had picked an old favourite stretch and spent the first half hour baiting two known spots. Once again the River Level was painfully low , but I knew a few fish would be holed up in the two faster glides. Initially we tried swim One , but soon moved after an hour and a half without any action . Swim Two however , proved much more successful , and I started to receive Chub taps almost immediately. I placed my downstream rod to my left whilst I held the other feeling for the slight pulls and tugs on the mainline. Sure enough the taps continued and soon I had made contact with a fish just after 11 pm. At 5lbs 2 ozs I was most pleased , She was a cracking looking Chub.

Grandma and I were thrilled to bits. I never tire of looking at Big Chub , and this fish was in fine condition. Her stomach was totally empty and She would be a much heavier fish come the winter. After a few shots , She was returned but well upstream of our intended spot. Unfortunately , and even after taking this preventative action , the swim soon died and Mum and I called it a day just after 2 am.

Trip Two saw me accompany The Welsh Wizard " Lucky Bruce " , and once more we travelled to known swims on the Upper River,. This would be a chance trip after a conversation on Facebook , and it would be good to see the young rascal again. Bruce always makes me laugh , it is like looking back in time. Instead of dedicating his time to the banks and fish this young pup spends most of his time with the girls and the pubs. At his age his has it right I guess , good look to him I say ;)) . Once more we arrived just before dark and I put Gwyndaf in a known he Hot Spot as I made my way downstream to another fast Glide that I fancied.

The evening once more was all a bit slow , but I did manage a Chub of 4lbs + . Bruce went onto land a Barbel of 7 lbs 15 ozs plus a Snake, well , an Eel actually , of just over 1 lb. We both laughed as Bruce attempted to wrestle the python. It had been lip hooked which for an eel is quite an achievement. They normally have a nasty habit of swallowing the hook right down. Eventually , and after a bit of mud wrestling , Bruce managed to get the beast in a half nelson enabling him to remove the hook. Sid , was duly returned to the river none the worse for his capture.It is nice to see an Eel, they have been somewhat illusive for the last ten years or so. Bruce and I both had work the next day so not long after we called it a day. Gwyndaf did his usual Colin Mcrae impression disappearing off in a dust cloud and a wall of metal mayhem as he left. I laughed and shut off my ventilation system so as not to choke to death. lol.

Trip Three saw me travel with my old mate Gou way upstream to an old hunting ground from many years gone by. Alan and His Grandfather Cliff had fished this upper stretch many times in Alan's Youth spending a week on holiday together. I had visited the place a few times and I new that this stretch of river was hard going but it did hold some very Big Chub , having seen them a few times from the high river bank. It had also produced some large Grayling as it was more of a game venue than coarse. We arrived and set about walking the shallow stretch of river reminiscing as we went.

I could see the memories all flooding back in Alan's mind as he remembered the lodge and numerous swims on both the river and canal that both he and his Grandad had fished in the past. Initially we made the decision to search out the deeper swims that could conceal a real Monster Chub and favoured a bait up and wait process. Unfortunately nothing was forthcoming , and so , after three hours we were forced to change tactics and went Roaming in the shallower water Instead. It wasn't Long before Alan came up trumps landing a nice Out Of Season Brown Trout on a float fished worm. It was a stunning fish and we were keen to ensure that it went straight back to the river immediately. As far as fishing action went , that was unfortunately it , but it had always been a hard stretch of river to fish and quite inaccessible. Saying that we had enjoyed our little trip down memory lane and even had a pint at a local pub on the strength of it all.

We had already decided on a trip back down stream to another known venue that hopefully would give Alan his first ever Barbel. And so , after a Fish and Chip Tea we set off in hope of a Monster. It didn't quite go to plan and for three hours we sat in a confident swim without so much of a tap. And then , just on the strike of 11 pm , one of Alan's rod sprang into life and I watched as one of the Isotopes started to pull round. I must admit , this was not your normal three twitch , it was just a slow steady pull that just kept going. Alan grabbed the rod and for a moment he was attached to a very good fish before all of a sudden the line went slack. " It's Off " he said in a disappointed voice. I was baffled , I had already taken steps to up my main line to 17 lbs as I knew there were a few snags in the vicinity, but this line was more that capable of dealing with even the largest Barbel. When I finally inspected the parted line , it became apparent that the culprit must have been a large Pike. The line had been chauffeured by some large teeth. I have had them take baits of the bottom before. I guess it just wasn't meant to be and with us both having work the next day we decided to call it a day. Despite the loss we had both enjoyed our trip down memory lane. Cliff , would have been proud of Alan's Spotty capture , and with this in mind , we were both satisfied. The Monster Barbel would just have to wait another day. Two days went by and I was ready for my next trip. This time I was ready for Pastures New. I had done my homework on Google Earth on a new stretch of river in the same area. Alan and I had visited the stretch briefly as we had waited waited for the sun to set two evenings prior. I had always fancied this stretch , and was just itching to give it ago. After our initial walk , I had set my heart on two likely looking swims , both , I was sure , would hold Chub and Barbel. I arrived late that evening and set about pre-baiting both spots with hemp the main ingredient. I set up in swim one initially but was soon on my way to swim Two after an hour without a sniff. The Moon was almost full and it dominated the sky with its bright rays. It was just like daylight and the glare really was incredibly bright. Fortunately a band of cloud moved in just after 10 pm and just after I received my first wrap around of the night. It resulted in a hard fighting Barbel just shy of 8 lbs. I was just relieved to get in after a hard and torrid tussle. The fish was warm to the touch and was absolutely Mint. She certainly hadn't seen a hook in a very long time , if at all. I allowed her to recuperate fully in the fast flowing water and then took some shots for the blog before she went back strongly. I gave the spot another hour , but with no further action I went Wandering back to swim One in the now Bright Moonlight. I laughed and joked with myself , and sent a a message on Face book about me having to tell the Werewolves off , for howling to loud , and thus Spooking the fish. Nothing came form swim One , not even a chub tap , but I put some more bait in just for good measure.

On returning to swim Two , the cloud cover had returned once more , and after two more initial casts my rod hooped over and I was in again. The culprit was another hard fighting fish just shy of 8 1/2 lbs. Once again the fish was in Mint Condition , I was a Happy Angler. Sometimes they don't have to be massive for them to be enjoyable. These were true wild fish and were a sight for sore Moonstruck Eyes. Fish Two went back Strong and I recast , as the moon reappeared. No more bites followed. It didn't really matter , I had succeeded and was quite content. I only ever set my heart on catching one fish that far upstream , two fish was good going and a bonus, three would have been greedy and a little over ambitious. I would have been easy to have travelled the extra 20 miles or so to the middle Severn and just pulled out ten fish on the same evening , but somehow , it wouldn't quite have been quite the same. I do enjoy this kind of approach and the empty banks really are everything. Fishing an unknown stretch for the first time is always rewarding especially if you are successful. I really had enjoyed it all very much , so much so I had gone back the following evening but was soon brought back down to earth as I blanked Big Time. Once more the Big Bad Moon did it's worst. Even the bats were wary of the bright light. I hadn't caught but it been a Great Adventure and Fun and I had enjoyed it all , even with the failure. There is always something you can take from any session , and I had sussed a few Pike swims out for the onset of Autumn.

I intend on battering the Overtime next week but have a trip with Bruce lined up already so let's see what it all brings. I cannot wait ! until next time.

Tight Lines Roamers !!!

Hello Sir Number 9

2011-08-05T01:15:00.011+01:00

Slash had a week off work last week and spent some of that time on his beloved Rivers. As usual , the Angling Maestro went on to land many of his Favourite Summer Species , The Hard Fighting Barbel , and netted both these 9lb + Beauty's , from two different River Systems. Both Received The Hard Paddington Bear Stare.

Levels are low at the moment which makes the captures even more rewarding. Slash even went on to land some of his second favourites Species .... The Chub. lol ;))

Well Done Mate !!!

One Small step - One Giant Leap

2011-08-01T12:20:00.106+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYW8GPam6iI&feature=fvst
David Guetta - When Love Takes Over

" If you can imagine it , you can achieve it "

For as long as I can remember , I have always set myself a little angling target at the start of each and every Season. Nothing to Impossible , certainly not breaking a British Record or becoming an Angling Guru , lol , but a little personal goal all the same , that , if achieved , usually fills a large hole in your Wanted Fish List. A kind of Angling Puissance if you like , where the bar is set that little bit higher from the norm. I never take them too seriously or beat myself up if unfulfilled , but they are always there in the back of my mind ticking away until the time is right. Examples from past years gone by have been , that first 20 lb Carp , and , as equally important , that first 20 lb Pike. A Double Figure Barbel , A 2lb plus Rudd or Roach a 3lb Crucian or even that first Salmon capture. They are all there together , sitting cheek and jowl in the slack waters of my mind , waiting for the flood water to abate . Let's face it , most anglers PB Species Wish List is endless, but we have to be realistic of what we have or where we fish . We don't all live on The Great Ouse.

I still have many unfilled dreams left to experience over the next 30 years. Whether or not I achieve them all is another matter , but it will never stop me trying or having fun along the way trying. If achieved , the bar is of course immediately raised to the next level , but that doesn't stop you feeling that tremendous sense of pride and achievement. After weeks , months or even years of trying , all of a sudden any tinge of doubt - disbelief or wondering , after numerous blanks , are evaporated in an instance. That Inner Angling Coach Wraps his warm strong arm around your shoulders and squeezes you uttering those mortal words " I Told You , You Could Do It ". Reality hits home and you soon realise that were on the right track after all. Ask any 100m Sprinter what it must be like to break the 10 second time barrier for the first time. You may get the same kind of reply that I have just given you. For me , catching any New Personal Best Fish , brings the same earth shattering Adrenalin rush every time. The Sprinter , only has five or six seasons to produce , whereas I can continue peaking and achieving right up until I disappear to that far off river in the sky.
We all love to achieve , it is human nature to improve and better oneself. Man is incredible at adapting and attaining many good things. This can only be good for the soul and maintains individual self belief. We work hard and invest a lot of time and effort into our Angling , so why shouldn't we feel Good about our achievements. There is , as with most things , a downside to any of these major achievements, and normally you are quite oblivious to realise it at the time. That is .......... until you finally view your photographs. And there, splashed right across your face , it is ............. That Silly - Crazed - Out Of It - Look. A look so Balmy that if it is spotted by any unsuspecting member of the public , walking the dog for instance , normally sees them quicken their stride immediately to flee that obvious Freak or Nut. Whatever the case , this little personal challenge , just adds a bit of spice to an already highly flavoured menu.

The Home of Many a Big Chub

This season , as you may have guessed , from my previous posts , I had set my heart on achieving a long time ambition. I served my river apprenticeship many years ago and I still craved the Capture of an illusive River Chub in excess of 6lbs. This is certainly not the easiest of fish to find or catch for that matter , and as I live in the North West of England makes it doubly difficult. That however has not me trying for over thirty . I have never given up. Like most things in life I knew it was achievable given the right time and conditions. The Chub is a Predator in every sense of the word and that , unfortunately for the fish itself , is it's major downfall. Chub have a never ending insatiable appetite that normally sees it as the first fish out of the day or not at all. From time to time this constant hunger can see it forget itself for a split second , the result being the fishes downfall or an Anglers Joy. Chub are not every ones cup of tea, ask the Specimen Barbel Angler ( cue - Slash ) lol , For me , however they open the door to both species as normally there is always One Monster Chub in any shoal of Barbel so I can have the best of both worlds. The most important aspect in catching these Awesome Fish , as with any Specimen Hunting , is to ensure that the water you are fishing holds such quarry. It sounds so simple , but many thrash away at waters that just don't hold the stature of fish that they aspire to catch. I am guilty and have done it myself, but now I was fishing the higher reaches of the River Severn where chub of 5lbs + are fairly common but do grow much bigger , certainly 6 and even 7lb + fish have be caught.

Otter Prints in the Dry Severn Mud.

The river here is wild and just screams Big Chub. Saying that it is never easy and stealth is an incredibly important aspect of the game. Being Mobile searching miles of River go hand in hand. Occasionally you may be able to find a Hot spot where Large Chub reside with equally large Barbel. If you find one of these spots hold on to it. Having said that , this is quite rare , and should not be taken as the norm. I had three trips out this week all planned around my shift pattern. The first of these would see me just above Shrewsbury that really has seen some colossal Chub captures in the past.

A Whacker of 6lbs 6 ozs . I don't call him Lucky Bruce for Nothing ;o))

My first session started last week after I had finished my second day shift. I had made my way down to Shrewsbury after work. I was both keen and eager to get started for I new this stretch had produced many Big Chub in the past , one notable fish to my good mate Lucky Bruce who had managed to extract a pb fish of 6lbs 6 ozs whilst chasing Barbel. It can happen quite easily of course with both sets of species living in harmony in the same swim togetrer. A truly fantastic capture certainly as a river fish and I would be lying if I said I was not a little bit in ore. During the 5 hr session , I went on to use a wide selection of baits to track down my Chub quarry. This included a wide selection of natural baits , boilies plus the ever reliable pellet. I had started to think like a Chub during the last couple of weeks and picked up a few self taught tips along the way. Incredibly long hook lengths were certainly the order of the day , my quarry disliking any type of resistance whatsoever. Picking up on the the many natural chub haunts along the stretch , that evening , I went on to land numerous fish around the 3 lb mark , but unfortunately , No Monsters. I did manage to land a bonus Barbel that had everything else fleeing from the swim once it made it's mind on reaching Bristol in double quick time. It had been a dark night with little moon yet I had witnessed an Otter swim right under my rod tip. I had also watched a Barn Owl hunting on the other side of the river at dusk , for a good 30 seconds before She spotted me and drifted off into the next field and hedgerow.

My Second Trip of the week was much further up the river and I arrived in bright sunshine. I decided to walk the stretch searching out the slacks and eddies with various baits for unsuspecting fish. This time I got lucky , and after a few taps , I decided to hold my rod feeling the line in my left hand for pulls. It worked , and I managed to extract a super fish of 5 lbs 8 ozs from a classic swim, a great reward for the touch method. I felt the fish pick up bait before I struck. The Fish fought hard and true , searching out the roots of a nearby willow tree. However my nerve held , and I finally got to see her in all her glory. She was an absolute Stunner with her Bright Orange Fins and Silver Flanks glistening in the bright Sunshine. It was hard to let such a Magnificent Fish go , but back she went , as they all do , and I gazed longingly at her she drifted back , possibly with a silly grin on my face. I stayed into the evening and well into dark , and managed a few more fish around the 3 lb mark plus another pesky Barbel that wrecked the swim intent on never giving in.An empty 5lbs 8 ozs Summer Fish , and My Best Chub of the season so far , or was it ?

Another Pesky Barbel :0)

My final trip came two days later and I found myself on a fairly new stretch of water that I had fancied for some time. I had arrived in plenty of time now being on my shift break and walked the river bank, keeping well off the skyline , whilst adding a bit of bait to favoured swims as I went . One spot stood out a mile , and it screamed both Chub and Barbel. I decided to add a good quantity of hemp and micro pellets using a bait dropper well up stream from some nasty looking snags . I left it well alone for a further 2 hours just to allow anything present to gain full confidence. It really did look the dogs do dars. I started fishing in a totally different swim much further upstream. It was now 21.30 and I cast the first rod into position. I was just starting to put a bait on my second rod when first rod sprung into action. The rod tip travelled the full 36 inches and the baitrunner screamed into action. From this tiny observation I immediately guessed that the culprit had whiskers. After a torrid tussle , as is always the case with Barbel , I managed to land her. As always seems to be the case on the upper river She was well over the 8lb barrier. I think they are born at 8 lbs up there. I allowed her to recover before slipping her back after a quick pic for the blog. Barbel always give their all and with levels as low as they are you should always ensure the fish is strong enough to be returned safely. The last thing you want is a bellied up fish floating off downstream. Never be afraid to retain them that little bit longer in a steady current so they have max oxygen passing through their gills. They will soon let you know when they are ready to go as they glide upstream out of the net of their own free will. I carried on fishing for another hour without any further action before deciding it was time for a move to the gonads swim.
Nothing happened for the next 2 hours , but I knew that fish were there from the odd flick or line movement. At 01.30 am I returned to my van for a bait that I had mistakenly left in the boot by mistake. I arrived back at my swim and attached four of these baits and cast in. It really was pitch black , The moon phase being a New Moon. No Sooner had I placed the rod on the rest than the tip shot round and I was fighting a hard heavy fish intent on reaching the Willow roots of the tree opposite. It really did fight hard and tested my 10 lb double strength to the limit, my drag being my savior. This was not a Barbel but it felt really heavy. I wondered to myself. I could barely see the fish as she surfaced it was that dark but as I guided her closer to my waiting landing net , I could just make out a large open white mouth. Fortunately for me , She went in first time of asking and I said my thank yous out load. I allowed the fish to recover in the net whilst I set up the unhooking mat. I new the fish was a Chub and it was certainly a good one at that , but it was only when I lifted it out of the water that I new I certainly had something special. I peered down in the gloom , some 20 yds upstream from my swim and flicked the torch beam on. My Jaw immediately hit the floor and I grinned at the prospect of what just might be. She was Colossal and was certainly the biggest River Fish I had ever caught. The question was , would she go 6lbs ? I checked my scales carefully and held my breath as the needle started to turn clockwise.

Am I just a Crazy Guy ? You Bet !! A New PB River Chub at 6 lbs 1 oz

A Hollow Summer Chub. I was Over The Moon. Can I catch you again in December Please ;o)

Round and Round and Round it went before stopping just at the number 6. By this time my reading glasses had steamed up completely and I peered hard at the needle. It was impossible , I would have to wipe my specs. With trembling hands I place them on my face and stared at the needle . " Yes " I uttered. The needle was just beyond the number 6 but only just. I wiped my glasses again after steaming up for the second time and checked again. I grinned I had done it My first 6 lb + Chub. 6lbs 1 oz on the button and an Empty Summer Fish at that , I was overjoyed. I allowed the fish to recover for a good 5 minutes in the good flow , whilst I set up my camera. Four Pictures later and she was ready to go back. I stared hard and long at her Wide Silver Flanks and Enormous Scales , She really was a Warrior. If I'd have had longer , I would have asked her to tell me of her many tales of the river and it's ways and how she had managed to become so large. She was a True Wild Welsh Fish , Simply the stuff of legends and many an Anglers Story and back she must go and so she did. I was Over The Moon. It is at times like this that catching anything else kind of peels into insignificance, but there is always that chance of another fish of similar proportions could also be there , so I carried on. I did at one stage nip back to the van again to check my scales with a set of Avon's that I have for very special occasions. They were smack on with my flyweights , and boy was I a happy chap.Nothing else happened for the next 3 hours , until just after dawn had started to break at 04.30. Suddenly and without warning my downstream rod hooped over and something shot off at double speed. Once again I guessed it was a Barbel , and so it was. This fish really was intent on reaching a nasty snag but on two occasions I just managed to turn it in time as the rod went the full 90 degrees. Another Powerful Clean and Empty Summer Fish graced my net once more and once again the scales went well past the 8lb mark. All this from a river less than 20 ft across.I stayed until 6.30am only to witness what many may have witnessed before , but for me it was a first. I heard a high pitch whistle and watched as two electric blue shapes raced towards me. As they passed one of the birds , an obvious Kingfisher suddenly stopped , did a loop the loop and landed right on the top of my rod tip. I stared in disbelief as the little bird sat and watched me with it's head cocked on one side. It uttered a load whistle calling it's departed mate.It's chest was bright orange with it's beak long and dark and pointed. An Angler Supreme and just yards from me. In an instance it was gone , off after it's mate. What a Night it had been. As most of the Uk slept ,I was having the time of my life. Maybe some should get a life and simply Go Fishing. They may see something they are missing. On the other hand don't bother , Sleeeeeeep On.

Tight Lines Roamers !!!

Video - 5lbs 8 ozs of Summer Chub

The Chase is Better than The Catch

2011-07-16T09:20:00.078+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z890WIBB8c
Motorhead + The Chase is better than the catch.

I had a full six day break to go at this week , and after working solid like a dog for the last three , boy was I looking forward to some Quality Angling Time. I am sure that most people have a stereotypical image of me when I tell them I go fishing. To them , I must look like something off the front of a Birthday Card. There I am sitting on on an old creaky wicker basket in my trilby , with a flask and my egg butties , just happy to sit and watch a bright static orange float all day , he he !! Of Course , as many of you will already know , that this isn't quite the case and Angling Activities these days can be somewhat different. In fact , quite the reverse and I would certainly have some reaching for their Inhaler's during some of my excursions. Sitting on a cold wet river bank may occur from time to time , certainly during the Winter months granted , but in my case , and most of the time , Nothing could be further from the Truth.

At this time of year the rivers are open the water temperatures are high and the fish are spread out far and wide , distributed throughout their systems. Therefore, it is normally a game of hide and seek , and this will see me wandering far and wide on numerous watery assault courses in this country. Daylight or even under the cover of darkness , I am not fussed , but I do like to utilise what precious time I have. Over the years , I have learned through a trial and error process , to utilise what time I have to my best possible advantage. This may seem a bit odd to a 9 - 5 worker but believe me it is just good common sense. Unlike most , I don't go fishing to chill out - I go to catch fish - for me it is a way of life. On certain days I can be trudging miles to far and distant swim whilst on others I can be crawling around on my hands and knees stalking Carp or simply sitting up a tree just watching fish and their actions. Sitting Still for me really is a last option. If I can view or study fish first then I will and I much happier to take this line than sit and wait. This may sound as if I am totally decrying the Set out your stall and wait Approach. I can assure you that I am not, for as Any Specialist Angler will tell you , this is a major card in any Specimen Hunters Hand and there are massive gains to be had in setting such traps. But the fact is , I am not the most Patient of Persons and so if I can opt out of this long term approach I will have no hesitation in getting off my butt and go hunting instead. It may sound crazy and somewhat bizarre to the oblivious , but shadowing and studying my intended catch before I even dream of making a cast , really is my forte.

Maybe it's just an inner primeval hunting notion ? Maybe a red Indian approach of studying a heard of Buffalo before an initial attack takes place ? or maybe it's just that age old Man goes Hunting to provide food for the table still burning long and true and strong ?? I am not quite sure , but as I cannot come up with any other explanation for This Urge , then I am quite happy to accept it. It is only a mere 40,000 years ago that Man went hunting to survive , so why shouldn't these fine tuned forgotten skills still be burning strong. This type of visual Angling really is what I enjoy the most , and for me Nothing Comes Close. Lemmy of Motorhead Fame once wrote a tune called " The Chase is Better than The Catch ". Believe me nothing could be closer to my heart than a good old stalking session just watching fish in gin clear water before eventually springing a trap. It brings all your primitive senses to the for front in a burning rush of enhanced sight , sound , touch and water craft. There are plenty out there who do it in a different guise on weekly basis , in the sweaty night clubs and discos of our fair land , but for one I prefer to confine mine to chasing ladies with scales in the confines of our Glorious Rivers , Lakes and Pools of our Nation. That silly old T-shirt , was thrown in the Tesco recycle bin a long time ago. And so now , if I haven't frightened you off , let's get back to the REEL thing and some fishing adventures from this past week.

Recently , and after twenty years or so , I met up with an old close mate of mine in Alan Goulbourne. Alan is just one of those guys that I have always been comfortable with. There has never been any competition or higher ground to be gained. We are both like minded guys with our feet firmly on the ground. We enjoy a similar taste in music and support the same Jekyll and Hyde Football Team in Chester FC. Alan and I went are own separate ways somewhere around 1992, but recently our friendship has just carried off where we left it two decades ago. We are now somewhat older , and certainly somewhat wiser , and are both happily married with wonderful young families. Gou and I have always got on , and we have had some Wild and Wonderful times along the way. Even as far back as the early 1980's we were heavily into our Fishing and Alan's Grandfather " Cliff " was a keen Game River Angler also . We would often spend quality time with him , roaming the banks of The Wild Upper Severn. Cliff really was a stalwart , and even in his 80's , would often put both Alan and I to shame walking miles and miles of upper Severn river bank with his constant enthusiasm looking to land the Big One. Cliff had a plaque on show in his flat that would stop me in my tracks each time I went for a visit. I would always read it without fail before mind mind would start to wander to some far forgotten Mythical lake and it's accompanying Dark Black Shapes. With a bit of humour thrown in for spice, it went something like this.

Lord Grant me the Grace to Catch a Fish so Big that even I
When Talking of it afterwards , would never have to lie.

A wonderful little quote , I am sure you will agree and that most Anglers can relate too. I will always remember the good times that both Cliff , Alan and I spent together. There may have been a 60 year age gap between us , but this never came into it , for as Anglers we were Brothers and we were all united in our passion for Angling and it's constant draw. Cliff is probably wandering the banks of some magnificent river on high right now , whilst happily reunited with his real true love , Alan's Grandmother.

And so to Fishing , and after my last night shift I decided to stay up and nick a couple of hours on my local stream before tiredness took hold. The weather was warm and dry and so a bit of stalking was certainly on the cards. I was successful and went on to land two Wiley Chub on bread flake plus two surprise Brown Trout captures , again on smaller bits of bread. It was great fun and by 8 am I was ready for bed for a much needed snooze. By 1 pm I was up and on manoeuvres , this time for Wiley Old Carp off the surface of some local pools. I managed a small common carp within minutes of arrival and the had another fish an hour later . I had caught this Old Warrior earlier in the season , and it put up a tremendous scrap and I was relieved when I finally got her in my landing net. Numerous times She had taken me into various snags , but my nerve had held firm and I finally managed to have a good look at her once in my net. All the fish went back none the worse for their wear.

Gou , had asked me weeks ago if he could spend a couple of days with me just brushing up on various types of Fishing, the bug haven bitten him again. I gladly obliqued and said I would become guide for a few days. Crucian Carp were to be our first target, and an early start would be needed , but unfortunately for once I forgot that my local tackle shop shut at 4 pm on a Wednesday , and so the early had to be delayed until 9 am. I was a bit annoyed to say the least and gave myself a right *ollocking there and then. The particular venue in question was without doubt an early morning water and rarely did bites continue after mid day. I had studied the resident fish at some length during previous trips and without a shadow of a doubt these Crucain Carp certainly had a bait preference , especially the larger fish. Very rarely did they ever refuse a multi maggot offering , but where corn or bread was concerned these were often treated with much more suspicion. When they finally took , the bait would be taken ejected several times before finally being consumed. Hair rigged corn had landed me several good fish just from these simple observations.

We eventually arrived to find the swim we wanted already taken , and thus we had to settle for second best. I hate doing this , especially as it was possibly my fault, so I *ollocked myself again, Doh !! We had no option, but fortunately I had done some previous homework and new that the fish would be in this second contingency spot also. Alan went on to land plenty of fish up to 8 ozs but the larger fish eluded him as much as we tried. We could see fish of 2 and 3 lbs + in the gin clear water drifting in and out of the baited area , but always staying to the outer edges. If you ever watch Crucian Carp you will see that they really are a chilled out fish , slow and methodical and usually in a sea of gold. For this reason I had positioned a larger static ledgered bait a good eight foot away from the baited area. This has accounted for a good fish in the past. I was mesmerised by the comings and goings of these gentle giants and have certainly taken on a lot on board about Crucian Carp behavior from these simple observations. In the end and after thirty or so fish to simple float tactics , the bites stopped as predicted and we decided on a moved to another Specimen Crucian Water not too far away. Alan went onto land a new pb of 1 lb 8 ozs and was pleased as punch. The 2 and 3 lb fish will have to wait for another time but now Alan has a good grounding on how to target these fantastic Fish , stealth being the ultimate key.

That evening we spent a fruitless seven hours in search for Barbel on The Upper Severn. We tried our hardest but for what ever reason the fish were reluctant to oblique. At 2 am we left after a large Full Moon was the final straw. There will be plenty of other times in the future. Deep Down I knew it was always going to be tough with the river being both painfully low and clear , saying that , if you are defeated before you ever turn up , I see very little point in attending in the first place. The Upper Severn is never an easy nut to crack unlike the easy middle and blanks go hand in hand , but manage a fish and usually it's a good one. That was the end of day one.

The next day I was greeted by the sun streaming through my bedroom window. This meant one thing only , stalking carp at close quarters from local pools. I had made some mixers up two days previous. Carp just love Sweet baits , and so I had mixed a Scopex and Molasses syrup as well as a small amount of salt , carp also love their salt. Alan arrived at mine at 11 am and we spent the next two hours trying to coax a fish off the top using stalking tactics I get the impression that someone had been there the day before with the amount of litter and bread bags littered on the pool. Fishing these pits is not for the faint hearted and litter is a constant problem. Discarded tackle is an even bigger issue and I always try and remove this as best I can. I have seen numerous fatalities of both fish and bird life over the years from discarded tackle and it makes my blood boil. Alan did manage to hook a fish but lost it virtually straight away to a hook pull. Once more we left empty handed but now Gou was certainly more adapt in utilising his sight and hearing for locating surface feeding fish in the margins than previous.

It was now 1 pm and Alan wanted to have a go for Chub on a small intimate river. Now in my book there is nothing better it really can test your watercraft to the limit and so with this in mind we headed off to one of Cheshire's Finest Chub Rivers in The River Dane. I had never realised it , but it had been 20 years since my last trip to this little Chub Mecca. I cut my teeth on her over 25 years ago and it gave me a solid grounding as a river angler along with my time on the Dee. There was no need for hi tech rigs here. All we needed was a light rod with 7 lb Double Strength line with a light size 8 Super Specialist Hook for free lining bread flake. It worked and starting from the bottom of the length we worked are way upstream and Gou managed three fish in quick short secession.

I could tell from Alan's eyes this really was his cup of tea. Some of that old upper Severn magic was flooding back and I could see the rust literally dropping of him, It was good to watch. This really was Wild Fishing at it's best , Just an angler with limited tackle and loaf of bread , but with bags of watercraft to burn. Simple yet exhilarating stuff , that was all down to allowing the bait to act naturally finding it's way to hidden and secluded fish. Not Rocket Science agreed but pure hunting. I guess you either have that age old technique or you don't. If you can feel that watercraft buzz and your senses running wild then you have it , if not , just do it your way. It really was rewarding stuff and after two hours we had covered the whole length of river on offer and had taken numerous waiting fish. We had gathered vital information as we had gone , and had picked up on some Big Fish Spots plus had one or two Barbel sightings for future trips.

We had both enjoyed the two days immensely. We had had some ups and some downs but that's fishing for you. Nobody catches them all. It they ever admit to that do they are only kidding themselves. No one hates losing fish more than myself , but it happens and you just have to get on with it. I would like to thank Alan for his Great Company and already know he is much closer in fine tuning those deep hidden hunting abilities. He already understood the importance of stealth and how you can learn so much just from observing fish in their natural environment. His Water Craft Skills has been enhanced and I am sure he is well on his way in smashing many Pb's in the future. He has the skills and has the Waters all he needs now, is to apply them. Oh , and just a word for Alan's endearing Wife. Jane , I know how much you enjoy your prose and fine literature , so there is little chance of you reading this pile of junk, ( lol ) , but in the slightest chance that you do , please invest in a pair of Polaroid glasses for your hubby. With a set of these in his armour , he will probably go on to catch even more fish than I do ! , Cheers !! ;)

Tight Lines Roamers !!!

Burning The Birthday Candles at Both Ends.

2011-07-09T20:40:00.067+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyoDbX1EkPQ&feature=related
New Order. Blue Monday

It has been all work for me lately since my last Roaming Free Post. With various thoughts in mind , I took the decision to grab as much overtime as physically possibly before my current employer leaves the refinery at the end of July. On August 1 st 2011 , I start work for a New Company after 30 years with the same firm in The Oil Business. I have always worked hard and been loyal throughout that time , However , Loyalty counts for nothing these days , business being business , but I have always enjoyed and been proud to be associated with such a Great Firm and even more so , the people I have Worked with in that time. Now is time for a Brand New Era. With these thoughts at the fore front of my mind I seized the oppurtunity and worked a Crazy 88 hours over a two week period. The Lump sum generated will all go into the Maddocks Holiday Slush Fund. Call me bitter and twisted if you like , but as the current mob really have shown their true colours , all that is left is a final and mutual Two Fingered Salute.

With all that work , Angling Time would be limited to say the least and with only a two and a half day break on offer a cunning plan was required. I would keep things simple but would try to mix my intended Species in the race against time but with maximum success.

A Firm Favorite of Mine. Rosebay Willowherb.

I had finished my last night shift and I studied the weather forecast closely as I ate my breakfast. I tend to use the BBC weather forecast @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/weatherforecast/4270 . Obviously this well designed web page allows you to study and pick a wide range of towns and Cities in the the British Isles and splits the forecast into 3 hourly predictions for that coming day. As it happened , Bright Sunshine was forecast all that day , so I decided there and then to prepare some Molasses Flavoured Chum Mixers before I went to bed.

Carp love Sweet baits and you cannot get much sweeter than Molasses. After a few hours in bed to recuperate from work , I awoke to find the mixers expanded flavoured and ready for use. I prefer to soak my mixers for this way they absorb maximum flavour which I find essential for success. As most of my fish are caught in the margins , and usually from under the rod tip , I can easily attach a Soft Prepared Mixer to a Drennan Super Specialist Hook in seconds once a fish has been spotted. I have found that some fish are extremely wary of hair rigged baits and consequently I opt to hide the hook fully in the soft body with only the point showing. I can easily cast these baits 30 yards if required , I just drop the bait in the pool and allow more moisture to be absorbed giving the bait more weight to be cast.

A Dragon Fly Patrols It's Territory.

I was in luck and with it being a Monday most of the locals were either at work or School leaving the pool I wished to target vacant. Monday's are not always the best days to visit these pools as normally the fish will have been pressured over the weekend, but with limited time I had no choice. Now , This particular Monday just happened to be a Special Day for me personally as it was My Birthday. It was American Independence Day , The 4 Th July and I was a Yankee Doodle Dandy and 29 again ( + 17 ) , lol. I know I may only look 29 , but I actually still feel 16. I still climb trees , I still fall in the river and certainly catch much larger fish then I ever did back then in my youth. I guess there is still a time and a place for us so called Oldies if you ever listen to my Children Chatter ;))

He Had Come To Wish me " Happy Birthday"

After some initial hard work in getting the fish interested and creeping around the lake on my stomach for two hours I finally made contact with a fish that wanted to say " Happy Birthday ". It made the trip and effort all worthwhile and I returned back home with an evening visit to my local stream in the back of my mind. First It was Party Time and Tea for My Wonderful Family at the local Toby Carvery.

Once Tea was Over I actually ended up on the Upper Severn on an unusual choice of venue that saw me blank spectacularly for the first time in ages. Still , I was Happy and Content with My Special Day and My Surroundings and the Wonderful Warm Southerly Breeze that had been blowing steadily all evening. I was not the only one enjoying the warm air as a set of Balloonist sailed overhead. I could actually see the people waving to me from the Gondola underneath the craft as they passed silently overhead. I waved and Smiled. The next day I had some serious fishing to do. The morning would be spent targeting Tench followed by a trip to the River Dove for Hard Fighting Chub and Barbel in the afternoon . I allowed myself two hours on a Tench lake in the morning and managed a fish just over 6lbs. Content with my success I was on the move once more as I yearned for The River and so I left there and then for Derbyshire.

Job Done and I was on My Way.

I arrived at 10.30 am and sat down to study the river. My She was Low !!! Very Low !!! Low Bright and Very Clear , this was going to be tough. I knew my chances of Barbel during the day were very slim but as it was Chub I was after , I set out my stall. Keeping Low and off the skyline I walked a mile of bank looking for basking fish. I found one or two but they were only small fish so I returned to a spot that I liked the look of initially and set up two lead rods. Streamer weed was all around and I knew that both Chub and Barbel and possibly other species would be using this natural cover to hide from the bright Sunshine. Two feeders were attached and cast to likely spots. After only 20 minutes I started to receive the tell tale taps from Chub as they picked and dropped my baits once initially feeling resistance. I immediately switched from hair rigs to hook mounted baits to achieve maximum chance. One rod was retired and I concentrated on the solitary rod by holding it on the rod rest with the line in my left hand feeling for bits whilst staring at the rod tip , any movement and I would strike. Chub unlike barbel have open mouths and can readily eject baits as their Carp Cousins do regularly without you even knowing. To combat this you should always hold your rod if you are to stand the best chance of hooking a Crafty opportunist Chub. After two vain attempts , I finally made contact with a fish , but this certainly didn't feel like any Chub I had ever caught , this felt Big and for a few minutes I thought I had hooked a Barbel such was the power of this obvious river athlete. However as I slowly gained line I finally caught sight of the speckled green culprit and my chin suddenly hit the floor as an obvious 20 lb + Pike did her best to drag me to the other side of the river. My 1 3/4 Barbel TC Rod was literally bent double as She fought for her freedom. After five minutes or so of to-ing and fro-ing I was convinced She was mine. But just three foot from my landing net She decided to spit out the chewed feeder that She had obviously grabbed on my initial retrieve. Slowly , and now feeder feeder free She Sank and slowly moved off before coming to rest in full view just ten foot from me. I scrambled from my position from my obvious disappointment and scoured my tackle bag quickly for any type of lure. Alas Nothing came to hand !!! The fish was now sat just yards from me and I cursed my luck. I must have removed my opportunist River Pike gear from my bag during my recent trip to Ireland. I still had one last chance and I legged it to my parked van in hope of any old bent lure.

My luck however was to be dashed , as again I just couldn't find a thing as it was all sat neatly packed away in my shed at home. Drat or words to that effect were issued. I was Gutted. I returned to the swim to find Madam or Mrs Nasty as I christened her , chasing Blue Damsel flies in the marginal weed , Doh !! I couldn't believe how aggressive this fish was , and there I was helpless without any method of catching her. I removed my hook from the feeder rig and set about teasing her, just to see if she would follow the battered feeder again in the clear water. I was mesmerised as sure enough She switched on to the flashing green plastic and followed it slowly yet surely . It was just like walking a dog dog around the margins. It really was both fascinating and educating stuff , but highly frustrating at the same time. I got that frustrated in the end I actually left the swim, A smaller fish also showed up , It also followed one of my my feeders. These Two Magnificent Beasts were intent on just taking The Micky out of me !!! I sent a text to Slash and told him the tale. He asked for exact grid references of the swim and said he would whip her out on Friday. In true Slash style he did just that and went on to land the smaller fish of the two at 11 lb 6 ozs. Unfortunately there was no sign of Mrs Nasty but I am sure She will not have travelled far and one of us will make her acquaintance in the future . I went on to land some nice Chub from other spots as I roamed the banks trying a cast here and a cast there. The Dove really is a magnificent river and my best Chub went 4 lbs 6 ozs and made up for some of the Pike Nonsense that I had undertaken.

And that was it , the evening arrived and so with it came the rain and I made an early exit as my Over Time Fest beckoned early the following day. I did manage a few local Chub from my local stream on free lined baits plus a rouge Brown Trout I was also lucky enough to witness a large Dog Otter as he bow waved towards me. I had stood Frozen , with the trout in my hands before the Big Boy finally spotted me and fled from whence he had come.

A True Wild West Cheshire Brown Trout

And Finally a Big Thank You To My Friend and Fellow Worm Dangler Stewart Bloor who for some reason has taken it upon himself to include me as a " Guest of the week " in his most recent Angling Video Exploits On You Tube @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nbU8KxDVLY This is part of his Weekly Angling Journal that has been available since 2003 http://www.sicm.org/anglingdiary/ . I have been an avid reader of Stew's writing for over seven years now and it is always a pleasure to read and watch his Angling Exploits. Stew is currently on a Barbel Roll having successfully landed three Double Figure Barbel on the trot. His dry sense of humour and intelligent wit is always lifting and he always inspires to get you to get out on the banks where you truly belong. Stew I am honoured and humbled at the same time .Many Thanks Mate !! , Keep up the Good Work and here's to the next eight years ;))

It really has been a hard week both at work and at play but I felt I had crammed just about as much as I could into my limited Angling Time whilst reaping the rewards. I have a Full Six day break to go at next week with some company from Gouey to look forward to. Let's see what Fishy Adventures we can get up to.

Video - Lovng the Chubing

Until Then Tight Lines Roamers ;))

Small River Magic

2011-06-29T21:18:00.045+01:00

Work. Kelly Rowland . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uZczPvm4jk

This week most of my time was spent at work as I decided to go on an overtime fest. Needs must I guess with the current world financial situation the way it is , and let's face it , those incoming bills are never going to pay themselves. Fishing Time would be limited to say the least , but as always I had a cunning plan . Any trips would be confined to early morning or late evening which suited me fine as this week my Target Species would be Crafty Chub form a tiny stream. Now I talk somewhat in riddles here for the stream that I refer to is actually a tiny River , but as you can literally step over it in many places I do class it as a stream. I have had some great fun over the last two years on this neglected stretch of water and the place still continues to amaze me with the stature of fish that it throws up. And so , with my work head firmly to the grindstone , this little piece of living breathing water would provide me with the escape and Magic I needed to satisfy my Ever Wandering Angling Mind.

As anyone who has targeted Crafty Chub will tell you , they really can be ridiculously accommodating yet at the same time incredibly frustrating , once spooked. I cannot emphasize how important stealth is when targeting these Shy Wild Creatures. Step on the wrong twig or branch at the wrong time and it will certainly be curtains. Wave your rod tip on the horizon and the fish will simply disappear. However , drop a ridiculously large bait noisily into the right place during a careful first cast , when fish suspicions are at a minimum , and normally a Chub will hang itself , so is the nature of this Wild Greedy Opportunist. The Chub is a True Predator in every sense and he will rarely miss an opportunity of a free meal given the chance. Slugs , worms , small fish and hatching fly life all sustain the Chubs hungry appetite on a daily basis. Chub often dominate parts of rivers with only Barbel and Pike as opposition and competition. As this tiny river holds no Barbel the Chub present only had to deal with a few resident jack pike , and so often boss swims from hungry Roach and Gudgeon. As always , I had studied these fish on previously hot sunny days during the close season just to get a taste of what was to come when the River Season Opened. They were certainly present and I knew there were some really Good Fish Present that could certainly see my tiny venue 4lb 2 oz PB tumble.

Another Free Lined Beauty.

Chubing for me is one of the most rewarding types of fishing I have ever undertaken. You are simply doing what comes natural , in Hunting and Stalking Wild Fish whilst actually witnessing them consume your Bait. I thrive on this type of fishing as this really is Fishing in it's purest sense . No bite alarms here just the rivers pace and your inbuilt watercraft to net you a hard fighting prizes. Maybe that is why I enjoy catching Carp on surface baits so much. The Thrill of witnessing a surface feeding fish consume a bait at close quarters before the water erupts really does take some beating.

My Tackle would be light and simple for I would be roaming the stretch and free lining baits searching out opportunist fish. An old and trusty Diawa 1 1/4 lb Test Curve Rod equipted with an equally old Shimano 8010 bait runner reel with 10 lb Drennan Double Strength Line and a Size 8 Drennan Super Specialist Hook would all that would be required. No Shot , No Weights for this would only hamper the action of a slow sinking natural bait. You may think that my choice of line is somewhat excessive but I can assure you that as most of these fish are usually only yards from snags and willow roots and so the choice of breaking strain allows me to initially bully them from a swim once a take has occurred. The Natural Sandy colour of the light tends not to worry the fish unlike some darker lines I have tried in the past. A variety of Natural baits would often be tried from Worms to bread flake to maggots possibly being the most successful. Previous seasons had taught me where the Chub would be present and so during the week I went on to whinkle out quite a few fish from various spots. Many of the fish were in the 3lb range and once they have achieved this weight they are always a stunning sight with their Deep Bronze Flanks Glistening.

It is always heart stopping stuff as your bait sinks slowly to a waiting fish with that will it won't question burning deep in your mind. Normally a split second viewing as a large White Mouth Opens before the water erupts from the fleeing fish upon strike. Once spooked Chub become possibly the hardest of species to catch , Very Rarely have I caught two fish from the same swim in succession using these stalking tactics. Normally a capture normally means an instant move to another spot for another chance. If there are fish in a swim and you fail to catch then you can always nip back after say an hour when the fish have become less weary but normally a capture kills the swim for the remainder of the session.

Red and White Campion

The Wild Flowers in the meadow were a joy to behold this week after the constant noisy smelly hydrocarbon pumps and tanks at work. Red Campion flourished in great numbers whilst it's sister The White Campion was more illusive. Poppys , Wild Crab Apple Blossom , Deadly Nightshade and Flowering Stinging Nettles all added to the spectacle. I watched a kestrel hunting one morning whilst crouched in a favourite spot. Dressed in a bay of green She just never saw me as she hovered yards from me. A sudden drop followed by a high pitched shriek told me She had been successful as a tiny Field Mouse met it's maker.

A New Venue PB

One Capture during the week did stand out amongst all the rest as I went on to successfully beat my venue PB with a fish just 2 ozs short of the Magical 5 lb mark. At 4 lbs 14 ozs this Mighty Fish from a Tiny Stream allowed my passion to be full filled during a week of hard graft at work. This was certainly not my largest Chub capture but sometimes you have to put things in perspective. This tiny venue was not the Great Ouse or The Upper Severn but so it wasn't a monster , However it really was a Great Capture and Any PB fish from a tiny venue is always very pleasing. I for one was Cocker hoop and will be back for the same during another Work Orientated Break.

Happy Fishing Roamers and Tight Lines of Course , of Coarse.

Video..... A New Small Venue PB Chub , ( intent on smacking me in the chops ;)

Same Old Desire

2011-06-18T18:48:00.054+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgHPNdUuQs8 ... Desire ... Ozzy Osbourne.

And so the Glorious 16 th was only hours away and like a True Warrior , I had ventured forth to welcome one of the most important and cherished dates in my life. I had set off from home at the usual 8 pm with is quite normal with any of my Barbel Fishing these days. My Mind was open an my Heart was pounding just with pleasant thoughts of being on back on living breathing water again. It really would be good to be back where I Truly Belonged. I knew my chosen stretch well, somewhat like the back of my hand and I also knew that I would have the place all to myself. A Little Selfish Maybe , but then every Angler likes to keep the odd magical spots to Himself , It is Good For The Soul.

I had arrived in hope of seeing the promised lunar eclipse at 9 pm , but a thick heavy cloud cover had eliminated any chances of this , so I was left to walk my well trodden path to Her Ladyship and familiarise myself in her company. I have always been a big Fan of The Mighty River Severn. I cut my teeth on her many moons ago in the late eighties on both the Bridgnorth Town Stretches and the upstream Apley Estate. That was over Twenty years ago , but I still have The Same Old Desire Now at 46 as I did then and still get off on the same old electric adrenalin buzz. Barbel always get the heart strings struming a bit quicker and tonight these Mighty River Fish were my target. Normally the bigger the better , but as this was opening night and with the level being so low , one fish would quite suffice. With time on my hand I set up two feeder rods and made myself comfortable for the coming darkness. I honestly believe that fish on the upper river are naturally nocturnal feeders. I have always caught and caught well in darkness. Rarely have I had any success in daylight hours except in flood conditions. Therefore , and for that reason alone , I only ever arrive at the waters edge about an hour and a half before dusk. I have met many an angler trudging back to their cars over the years and had them waffling on and complaining of depleted fish stocks and sunny weather making things really difficult. Needless to say I always give them my condolences before heading off with a rye grin on my chops , before filling my boots.
It was 9 pm and I was all set to go. With 3 hours to spare I sat back started to take it all in. I sat , and just listened................ Nothing Replied , There was Total Utter Silence. Only the faint whisper of moving water chattered as it moved along it's journey to the sea. Many May Flies were hatching and the odd trout was rising consuming these easy fat tasty morsels. A Hen Goosander nervously made her way upstream with her nine chicks staying close to Mum and the far bank as they could. I Studied the River and read her like a book. She was painfully low and I instantly knew that all the fish in front of me would be on the far side in the fastest part of the river. At 22.00 hrs I introduced three large baitdroppers of hemp and mini pellet mix into my two chosen swims. One Rod would be placed upstream below a sunken tree and the other 30 yds downstream on the same line. My chosen swim was a classic walking pace Glide , No obstructions No boils but with Willow Trees and accompanying roots to negotiate should a powerful fish make a beeline.
Thirty minutes in , and I had received my first 3 foot twitch.

And So the Magical Hour Finally Arrived and I wished myself and Others " A Happy New River Season". Both my first cast were good. I had already picked out two silouettes on the far bank to cast to , thus ensuring my accuracy and keeping the fish in an initial tightly packed area. As the session progressed I would allow the feeders to travel further as the freebies were washed naturally downstream. I didn.t have long to wait and just 30 minutes into the new season my left hand rod hooped round in true Barbel Bite Stle and I was attached to a fish intent on reaching Shrewsbury in double quick time. It fought hard , as all Barbel do , and all the pleasures of this type of Angling came flooding back in an instant. From Tranquility to Mayhem in a split second. This felt Good , This felt Right.

Unfortunately not long after that first fish a Large Full Moon Appeared on the horizon and it was more like the middle of the day than 1 am in the. I have had this many times and usually the kiss of death. I gave it another two hours but admitted defeat and returned home happy to have had the whole pleasant experience to myself and for the on e capture that had made it all worth while. Stewart Bloor had kept me company on the text front being a pool and catching some descent Rudd. As most of the UK Slept we were out there doing what we enjoy the most. Fishing. Slash Yarwood , I had found out later , had also been out and he had gone on to catch 19 fish in two days confirming that experience does count , when most anglers on the river system had initially struggled.A Grass Snake Nervously makes it's way across Crucian Lake.

I also had a couple of trips out helping a few friends get to grips with their rekindled love affairs with Angling. Paul Tainty had joined The Mere Syndicate this year but two wrist operations had denied him the chance to get out and dangle his maggot so to speak lol ( Matron ). I had nipped down for a few hours and helped put Paul on a few fish after my last night Shift. Paul even finished his day with a New PB Tench so I felt my input had been well worth while. It is Always Very Satisfying Watching Others Succeed after they have receieved a bit of Coaching.

Finally Out and a New PB Tench for Paul.

I also met up with Alan Goulbourne for an hour after he had texted to say he was on a local stream trying to catch Chub. I immediately stopped what I was doing and met up with him. After stalking a few fish , Alan went on to land a New PB Chub than had him firmly hooked on River Fishing for life. I love and thrive on stalking fish as you know and watching this wild fish take a well presented natural bait into it's large white mouth , was Magic in itself.

A New PB Chub for Alan. A Man firmy hooked on His Rivers.

And so it would appear that everyone was happy in a week that usually fails to deliver. Angling always makes it's own rules , ensuring that it always keeps you on your toes. Remember , not everything is cast in stone. Fish Outside the Window and a Fish of a Lifetime is only ever One Cast Away.

Tight Lines Roamers !!!

Worlds Apart

2011-06-08T21:14:00.049+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRf3wceipLw Empire State of Alicia Keys

Very little to report on the Fishing scene this week as I have just returned from a wonderful trip to the United States in order to celebrate My Wife's 40th Birthday. We both had Great Time and spent some quality time together on both Manhattan Island , plus a few days drinking Tea in Boston , Massachusetts. It amazes me , Normally I just want to escape from it all , The Rat Race , People and Society in general , so why would I want to go to one of the most crowded places on Earth. Well , quite simply , in My Book The Big Apple is just Unique and Very Special. The Whole Vibe of the place combined with some incredible Architecture and it's Multi Cultural society all add to making New York what it is plus it is one big movie set that you have grown up with. Since 9/11 , it is quiet possibly The Safest Place on Earth. Everyone should be given a free pass when they are born just to go and explore the place. It is quite simply , One Big Adventure.

While I was there , I did manage to have a chat with some locals whilst they were fishing just below the Brooklyn Bridge on the East River. I saw a boat just of The Statue of Liberty in the Hudson River that uncannily resembled " The Fury ". There must have been twenty rods hanging of the side of it ensuring it resembled a Floating Game of Kurplunk, lol.

It wont be long now. June 16 Th will soon be with us and fially The Shackles , of The River Anglers amongst us , will be broken , allowing The River Anglers amongst us to get back to some real living breathing water. Having said that , most of the Rivers in the North West of England , as with other parts of the country are painfully low at the moment and we really could do a month's worth of rain just to inject some life back into them. The South and Middle England is noticably Brown as my low level Heathrow to Manchester flight proved last week.
I tend not to get to excited about June these days as it normally is a bit of a let down. Most fish are still recovering from their spawning activities. If the levels remain low , I will even for-go any Barbel trips as the fish will be just sat in fastest glides requiring all their strength and energy for survival. The last thing they need , is a run around the block on the end of an Anglers Line. Let's hope The Country as a whole receives some much needed precipitation , Very Soon.

I have been out since my return and had two short trips to local venues. One was spent chasing a PB Grass Carp for Bruce but unfortunately we failed , the Grass Carp were somewhat on edge and I guess someone else ha been chasing them during the previous week. The Welsh Wizard however did manage a Super Marked Koi Carp to a floating Dog Biscuit from another pool so at least we were not a couple of blankers.

I also had a morning trip to The Crucian Carp Water that I had been targeting before my recent trip to Ireland. It had been a tough week. My Lad had been involved in a Car Accident and I had spent most of my break sorting the whole mess out. Fortunately No One was Injured , only some pride some of it mine. The Piece of metal was subsequently crushed and My Lad now has a push bike as a mode of transport. It took me a few days to come down off the roof but once it was all done and dusted I knew exactly where I needed to be.

From previous trips I had sussed out that this would be a morning adventure. Very little usually happened after midday. I went armed with my favourite bait of all time maggots plus a bucket of brown crumb. I should of had some sweetcorn but there had been a party at our house whilst Lou and I had been a way and someone had eaten my whole fishing stash, Doh. It didn't really matter , Maggots would do the trick I was sure.

I arrived at 05.30 am and had the place to myself , Fantastic !!. This was a far cry from the recent hustle and bustle. I went for a quick walk to see if anything was showing and sure enough saw three good Crucian Carp roll on a favoured spot. That was it , the wind was blowing in just the right direction and my mind was made up.

The ground bait and maggots was distributed in two spots , close together. I would use a tiny 3 x no 4 waggler float on one rod and a feeder rod on the bottom below the float . This would be set up with the aid of an optonic bite alarm. Using this method I could fish the float whilst being alerted to any good takes on the lead rod that would be fished on a size 10 hook and a multitude of maggots. Float tactics were simple , 2 lb Drennan Double Strength line with a tiny 18 Barbless hook and double red maggot as bait.

The plan worked and I was soon into my first fish of the day , a Crucian of 8 ozs. After that the fish came steadily as the morning progressed right up until midday when everything as usual just tailed off. Ten maggots or so were trickled in on a little and often frequency just to keep the fish interested and active.I was in for a Great Time and I did manage some great fish. The best of these was a swollen Brown Goldfish that was set to burst being full of spawn. I estimated at the time that She would go 2 1/2 lbs but was amazed when the scales swung round to a staggering 3 lb 9 ozs. I was Chuffed to bits. I also had two other Goldfish of 2 lbs 9 ozs and 2 lbs 7 ozs , plus some really good Crucians just shy of the 2 lb mark. It had been just what the doctor had ordered and I was back in My Angling Mode once more. It never takes me long , I guess it's just like riding a bike , You never forget.And so , I have a week of work to go at , that will guarantee that I am off to welcome The Glorious 16th. I already know my river venue and I am itching to get back to My Beloved Rivers where I really belong.

Until then " Tight Lines " Roamers and A Very Happy June 16 th. Still a Very Special Date for Anglers Everywhere !!!

Laughing In The Face of Adversity

2011-05-21T20:25:00.138+01:00

CHESTER PREDATORS ON TOUR - IRELAND - 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AipT-igsloo&feature=related The Trio - Ennio Morriconi ( Quite Fitting Music to go with this article )

Do Not Fear The Winds Of Adversity
Remember
A Kite Rises Against The Wind - Not With It.

Sometimes Life Really Can Test You To The Limit , Not Only As An Angler But As A Human Being. In a too often Bitter Sweet Symphony , A personal Injury or Insult is usually combined with a lot of Soul Searching and Immense Pain. Take that out of the Frying Pan and place into the fire in a Howling Gale whilst staring hard into The Face of Adversity. Add a tad of Euphoria a dash of Disappointment , and Simmer in a Barrel of Hard Tough Gritty Determination. Chester Predators were in Ireland , and were about to be put to The Test.

The Good , The Bad Ass and The Beautiful.

I have just returned from a weeks Pike Fishing In Ireland as a welcomed guest of The Chester Predators Group. It is fare to say that the trip certainly had it's fare share of ups and downs right from the off , in a week that can only be described as " Having it All ".

An Excruciating Tooth Abscess , A False Accusation , Numerous Boat Issues and Meeting A Demon head on , were only a tiny part of the assault course. One unfortunate member of the group " Buzz" managed less than 24 hours on the trip after having to be admitted to hospital. We were all left a little miffed left wondering what we had done to deserve our misfortune. Fortunately, these Boys are Incredibly Tough and as the week progressed the same question was asked many times. On each occasion the situation was dealt with in a truly professional and diplomatic manner. " Rising Above " , became the norm as each Angler handled their unique situation with little or no fuss just meeting it hard and head on . Lesser mortals would quite simply have perished but as these guys are Special , they just took it all in their stride. Believe me , they really do have incredibly broad shoulders and are fully flexible, It takes a lot to rattle them. I am glad to say that combined their constant infectious Humour and Stiff Upper Lip Attitude saw them through and not only made the trip worthwhile , but also Incredibly Enjoyable.

Home for the Week - Boats and Trucks Everywhere.

Initial Finding on arrival certainly set the scene for the week. This tiny group of Mariners really were up against it from the start as a cruel South West Wind was to blow Hard and Relentless All Week. Add to the equation that , the majority of bait fish had spawned three weeks prior during Aprils heatwave and had now disappeared and dispersed far and wide in an incredible daunting wall of water. I think secretly we all new it was going to be tough , but as our motto is Work Hard - Play Even Harder , we just rolled up our sleeves and got ready to work our Gonads off.

The Boss

I had been lucky enough to receive an invite to visit The Emerald Isle from Gulper in November last year. A trip that for one I had personally been been relishing for some time. Previous Successes had seen me drooling over photos on The Chester Predators Web Site http://chesterpredators.blogspot.com/ with plenty of photographs of many a Mighty Leviathan with Happy Anglers attached. Now it was my turn and I for one craved some of the action. The Exact Destination of our Adventures will , for obvious reasons , remain a close and guarded secret only to protect what so many have worked so hard for over the years. It is fare to say that the trip , involved the crossing of The Wild and Rugged Irish Sea to a Country Steeped in Fame and Folk Law that quite simply Continues to Produce Large Coveted Mammoth Pike.Irish Pike Eyes Were Smiling

Five of us had arrived like excited school children on the last day of term. A flotilla of three boats and four wheel drives. Five Anglers were present and Darren would join us later in the week. Buzz as he is better known , had kindly lent us his craft " The Dreadnought " for maneuvers. Darren had certainly named her well , She really was a sturdy vessel if there ever was one. Spirits were sky high , and I was really was excited as we finally managed to get the boats out on the water that evening after an initial electrical fault had us all scratching our heads ( A dangerous task for the baldies amongst us ). Everyone chipped in and sorted the problem and Mike and I were soon setting off to a known hot spot just an hour before dark. It all went to plan and Mike put me onto a fish virtually straight away. I went on to land my first Irish Esox , a feisty jack that fought hard. Irish Pike really do have a reputation for going " absolutely mental " as Gulper would put it. I can certainly vouch for that.

Captain Fantastic. Gulper Cradles a Lump .

In the mean time Steve had " Unleashed The Fury " and Baz and Neil soon had the " Predator " roaring up and down the lake. After a further twenty minutes we returned to moor the boats for the night and set off to the local Pub for a liquid Tea of a Guinness or Twenty. I had never tasted Guinness in Ireland before , but I soon adapted to it's smooth creamy taste. I continued to sample it all week, hic.

One for the Future. Neil Certainly Knows His Stuff.

Neil also recommends Nivea Cool Balm for those severe cases of Sweaty Boat *ollock ;))

We were all up bright and early next morning as you would expect. Baz and Neil soon had breakfast sizzling and on the go. I had never met either of these Pikers from Coventry before but I warmed to them immediately. Baz has had numerous fish well over twenty pounds and quite often meets up with Gulper for social sessions all winter. His dry sense of humour was incredibly infectious and I spent many times during the week just chuckling to myself over some of his comments. Neil was one of those guy's that you meet very occasionally and you know immediately that they have it. We had numerous chit chats during the stay and this Boy certainly knows his onions. This was to be enhanced and confirmed from his obvious boating skills and Water Craft Skills as the week progressed. Neil went on to successfully put Baz onto a new PB river fish of 24 lbs 2 ozs. With Breakfast out of the way and we made a quick fuel stop for the boats and set off on our our first day of the trip.

Best Fish of the week and a New River PB for Baz @ 24 lbs 2 ozs

The Gale Force Wind ensured we had to remain in the river system on the first day. Sport was quite steady all day and Gulper and I went onto land numerous jacks plus two Good. Live baits are totally banned in Ireland and everyone was made aware of the situation before the trip had even started. We stuck by the rules all week and were sure that only on the last two days would they have made any difference at all when takes tailed right off. The rules however did allow four silver fish to be used per angler per day as dead baits . After that , lures and jerk baits would take over. The deads could simply be trolled or trotted down on the current.

Gulper went on to use his extraordinary boating skills using previous knowledge and went on to put me on to my largest spoon caught fish to date. The day was made totally complete after being served cheese toasties and coffee , Fantastic. Mike , Neil and Baz had all managed fish and were already in the pub celebrating first day successes. The second day was somewhat easier, as we had managed to local a few shoals of silver fish. The old adage of find the silvers find the pike held true. Again using various methods we went onto catch. Gulper had two fish within twenty minutes of each other . I was delighted for him , this guy really works his socks off. You just never know how fast Gulpers legs are moving below the surface of the water. Technology allows him to steer the boat on the electric motor with a hands free device. He makes it all look very easy and it's certainly not especially in the teeth of a gale. I went on to land more feisty jacks and Neil and Baz did the same also landing double figure fish.

No Pain No Gain For Mike

Mike found a small bay and battered the jacks on numerous lures and had several follows from much larger fish who as always just turned away at the last second. That night we were treated to Spaghetti Bollognaise as Gulper turned Chef for the Night. It was quite simply delicious , Dawn your a lucky Girl ;) Mike took a turn for the worst that night and he was left visiting the dentist for the next three days with a very painful abscess. He battled on through the pain but it got the worst of him in the end and he had to go for tests in fear of blood poisoning. I have never seen a Piker fight so much obvious pain without so much as a whimper. Fast Acting Anti Bio tics did the trick and the offending tooth was removed days later much to Mike and our Delight.

Baz getting his priorities right ;))

We were out again the next day and this time had a visit from the river police. Gulper new the guy after a run in with him last year. As we were playing every thing by the rules " el Presidente " seemed happy, well , possibly not quite the correct choice of words , as I got the funny feeling he was hell bent on nailing our asses to the mast. I think he was quite put out when he found us obeying the rules. Another boat unfortunately felt his frustration and the unlucky boater had to cough up a fine after one of his Stone Dead Deads supposedly twitched. I guess Fish Can be reincarnated then ??

We could easily have bought deads in the town but the quality was crap and some were even green in colour they had been in the coolers so long. We all chipped in for the unfortunate chap after having a chat , but we all still felt aggrieved at this total injustice. We soldered on somewhat bewildered , but finally our just rewards came as Neil put Baz onto The Best fish of the week hours later with a Stunning 24 lb 2 oz Mama. Neil was thrilled and rightly so after guiding his boat buddy after finding a good shoal of bait fish and sticking it out for the large Predator. I went on to land even more jacks and a couple of low doubles along with Gulper. Mike was in and out of the dentist chair and quite simply had a head on him , like Birkenhead.

Sometimes the Roach were a little to Big and had to go back.

The next day saw Buzz arrive and Mike Soldered on through the pain barrier guiding The Dreadnought in an attempt to give his boat buddy the chance of his first Irish Pike. Unfortunately it never went to plan and later the next day Buzz had to travel home after a Mystery Ailment forced him to be taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The local Doctors were unable to diagnose the problem fully and this forced Darren's hand as he decided on a quick return to the UK for piece of mind. We were all bitterly disappointed to see him go , and were left wondering what else could possibly go wrong. The next day the wind had dropped sufficiently to allow The Fury access onto the lake. The crossing to our initial destination was , let's just say , a bit bumpy lol. Gulper and I were soaked but the trip was worth while for we soon had eleven fish in the boat in a very short space of time. We even managed a Double hook up at one point that led us a merry dance and had us chuckling. The weather had deterred Baz and Neil although they had found shelter in a small bay. We went to check out a spot that two English guys had told us about after catching some bream but it proved uneventful even though the shoals were spotted on the fish finder in good numbers.

Top Boat of the Week Award Went to The Fury ;))

After that the fishing really did tail off and only small jacks were forthcoming. I actually blanked two days on the trot but was just happy to see Gulper catching after all the hard work he had put in during the week. I was more than happy with my achievements , sometimes it pays not to be to greedy.
Buzz and Mike Getting to Grips with The Dreadnought.

And that was it. I am not sure how many fish we caught over the 8 days but it was well over the seventy mark. It had been hard work but we had done remarkably well given the conditions. The Wind had battered us all week and each of us had a face like a tomato. I must take this opportunity in Thanking All the lads for their help and their Wonderful Companionship in the Face of Adversity. We had a wonderful time even thou the fishing wasn't up to it's usual best. A Special Thanks must go to Mike for putting me on to that first fish and for his unselfishness all trip. And finally a Very Big Thanks to Gulper who Organised , Cooked , Steered and Put me onto to numerous fish during the week. This Guy really is The Cats Do Dar's ( Gulper doesn't do dogs lol ). A Fabulous Week given the circumstances , when I think we all learned a little bit more about our Angling Ability and Ourselves. And so here's to the next trip. I for one cannot wait !!

The Gruesome Twosome Testing The Local Vintage.

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with Talent. Genius will not , Unrewarded Genius is almost a Proverb. Education will not , The world is full of Educated Derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are Omnipotent.

Video one - Getting To Grips ;))

Video Two - Turned Out Nice Again !! ( contains swearing and laughter. If easily offended by either please refrain from viewing !! lol )

Video Three. Gulper Lands a Lump

More Photos to follow. Tight lines Roamers !!!

To Be or Not to Be ???

2011-05-07T08:22:00.082+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t166M5ESVNk Change - Killing Joke

This week it was time for a change. Sometimes as a Specialist Angler , you can quite easily become bogged down and blinkered as you strive for your quest. As much as I had enjoyed my Tench Fishing I needed a Breath of Fresh Air and a New Challenge. I had been Shackled to that tiny stage since Mid March. It was now early May and June , My Sanity and My Beloved Free Flowing Rivers were now only weeks and not months away. As I mulled things over in my head , I arrived at a tiny slice of hard drive where Bars of Priceless Gold were waiting to be discovered.

The Crucian Carp ( Carassius Carassius ) has long been one of my favoured Species. Often caught in the same nets as it's Sister The Tench , this tiny yet True British Carp never fails to melt my heart with it's shy delicate bites and it's dogged spiraled fight. Even a small fish would always put up a hard scrap testing your light gear to the max and the Big Ones , Well , it was Always Heart in the Mouth Stuff as a Large Golden Doubloon finally hit the surface. My Chosen Venue was a local Club Water. Initially , thoughts of crowded banks and constant mobile ring tones dampened my spirits , but luck was at hand. This particular water was only available to members who had served a work party and thus , only a dedicated few could fish the water until mid June. I seized my mental plan and browsed my picasso pictures for past rigs and captures a modern day picture note book if you like. Two seasons ago I had managed a Stunning Fish of 3lbs 9 ozs.

Now before we get carried away, a True Crucian Carp really is a hard fish to identify even for a Scientist. This being the case , I had asked for some advice from Mike Wilkinson , British Golden Orfe Record Holder and all round Fish Expert who was Up on most Fishy Matters. After consulting a local Scientist with a photo of my capture , even the boffin had been unable to give a definite yes or no. The water water also contained Brown Gold Fish ( Carassius Auratus , a sub species ) so my capture could not be verified , even if everything pointed towards being 99% Positive. Quite simply that particular fish would of had to have been killed and taken for DNA testing to prove it's authenticity. As this was never going to happen , I had to keep an Open Mind. Scale Counts along the lateral line were the best form of indication being between 28 -35 for a True Crucian and 25-30 for a Brown Goldfish. The Goldfish also favours a convex Dorsal Fin as appose to a Concave Fin for a Crucian that also posse's a natural high back. The Current Record Crucian Carp stands at a staggering 4 lb 9 ozs and was caught at the Yately Complex by John Wilson's Nephew and Star in the Making Martin Bowler in 2003. Whether the fish I was about to track down were Goldfish or Crucians I was still uncertain, but one thing was for sure , they were all Stunning Looking Creatures and , as I enjoy catching all Species of Fish , they were certainly on my current list , given the current time gap.

My approach would be a blend of stealth and fine tackle. Previous experience had told me that these fish favoured low light conditions thus , I would be targeting them early morning. Normally, once the sun had risen over the yard arm the shy and delicate bites would soon dry up. Initially , and possibly in Obvious Still Water Mode , I had chosen a spot that had provided the goods in the past. After a short time however , it soon became apparent that I was totally in the wrong spot. A number of Good Fish had been observed rolling much further up the lake and so in True River Angler Style I was soon on my way , using my old trait of moving to the fish as appose for waiting for them to move to me.

My Observations worked and my first cast soon had me playing the first Crucian Carp of the day. They really are a stunning Fish , With their Deep Gleaming Golden Flanks , Up Turned Mouth and Tiny Bright Eyes that follow your every move. The pool harbours a catch and release policy and the fish seem quite happy once returned as if they know the drill only to well. I guess this is another reason I favour my Rivers for most of the fish that I catch are Wild and have possibly never seen a hook before , certainly on most of the upper reaches I frequent. I was initially using 2lb 12 oz Drennan Double Strength Line and a tiny yet very sharp Drennan Super Barbless 18 hook. I was going to use two rods.

One Rod would be static in true Specimen Hunting Style with a larger Static bait placed on the edge of a drop off close to the vicinity of my first choice a float rod. My mind thought was that I could wade through the smaller fish and eventually land my target , where as the static rod would be working as a constant trap for much larger and possibly more wary fish. During Two Early Morning Stints I managed a staggering 96 fish in total , many were over the 1lb barrier and , three went over the Magical Two. The Best fish came on the static Rod and weighed in at a pleasing 2lb 12 ozs. The float rod picked up fish of 2lb 5 oz and 2lb 1 oz. Apart from the larger fish roaring off with the larger bait , the majority of bites had been slow delicate dips on the float which is always pleasing.

I had the float set an an agonising 0.5 mm above the surface so even the slightest sniff was visible. I had varied between depths with the majority of fish coming 25 mm off the drop off bottom. I had a few lift bites , as well as the classic float disappearing act. Tiny Pin Head Bubbles were often observed as the fish grubbed around on the soft sandy bottom.On the nature front I was treated to the spectacular sight of a Great Spotted Woodpecker as it flitted around the pool , it's Deep Red Crest highly visible. A crescendo of tap tap taps was constantly in the air as it pecked at various trees at the complex. A new brood of Ducklings were feeding hard on the surface fly life whistling as they made there way all over the lake. Mother Duck often Scolding those who failed to keep up.

I had taken some floating dog biscuits with me for the Large Mirrors , Commons and Brightly Coloured Koi Carp that inhabited the Pool but the Ducklings made it an impossible task , so the plan was soon shelved. A friendly Female Chaffinch keep me entertained all day as she helped herself to my maggots on a regular basis for another obvious hungry brood. Swallows and Sand Martins filled the air with their high pitched screams as the fly life was battered both on land and on air, I am still waiting for the Stealth Bomber Swifts to appear. One things for sure What ever these fish are , I will be back for some more Glowing Golden Treasures.

Video A - 2 lb 12 ozs To Be or Not to be ??

Video B - 2 lb 5 ozs To Be or Not to Be ??

After such a Harsh Winter , Nature Really is Exploding and is in Full Flow at the Moment. Birds , Trees and Even the Fish are already in Full Swing of Providing and Ensuring Their Futures are Safe for the next Generation. A Time of Plenty Once More !!!!

Tight Lines Roamers ;)

Just A City Boy

2011-05-01T18:33:00.049+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUYuIVbFg0
Journey. Don't Stop Believing...........

Some Will Win , Some Will Lose. Some are Born To Sing The Blues !!..

Sorry I haven't posted any earlier , but my Home PC finally packed in. It has been playing up for a few weeks now. I am currently using my Daughters Laptop to write this latest article , but as I have never used a lap top before it's like sussing out a new swim so you will have to bear with me. This week, I found my commitments split in two. One half of me was watching My Home Soccer Side Chester FC become Champions of The Evostik North Division whilst my other half watched two close Friends Fine Tune their Tenching Skills , as for once I took a back seat and only managed an hours Angling in both a busy and eventful week.

CHAMPIONS.

Obviously , I am and was Very Proud of My Teams Achievements. This time last year they didn't even exist. My Old Club Chester City FC had been wound up 12 months ago , under no fault of their own due to financial irregularities. A New Phoenix Club had thus been born from the ashes , being groomed and financed by Chester's Own Supports. Finally they went on to become the first ever Phoenix Club to gain automatic promotion , the first time of asking. I for one was just happy to have My Football Team to Support , but as the season had gathered momentum the side that I had watched for over 40 years Bloomed and Blossomed and were running amok in a local league of incredibly friendly clubs. The final game came and went and we actually sneaked past the winning post more like Devon Loch than Red Rum but we were Champions none the less. It has been a fantastic season and one I remember for a long time, with 29 Wins , and only 5 defeats that included 107 Goals , with only 36 conceded. I had been constantly coming home from most games with a Fixed Grin on my Happy Face , something I have never done in the full 40 years of following the club who have certainly seen more downs than ups. Now we are slowly gathering pace to reestablish are football league status and are only 7 seasons off being in the Premiership. lol.

Video - Celebrating Chester FC Style.

On the Angling scene I had met up twice during my break once with Bruce Ruscoe and the other time with Alan Goulbourne ( Gou ). Both guys had asked me to fine tune their techniques , and so I obliqued and relaxed as they both did all the Fishing. Bruce is a fine Angler and if honest seems to come up Trumps with the Really Big Girls after weeks or even years of trying. He does posses that Lucky Streak that sometimes we all need. I met up with him at The Mere and set up in the swim that we had both been trickling bait into since mid March, This had certainly payed dividends as I had gone onto to land 50 Tench all over 4lbs the best a Female of 7lbs 9 ozs and a Male of 7lbs 4 ozs. Not massive fish by National Standards , but these were Cold North West of England Fish. The Male certainly had me thinking of future prospects of Potential Female weights.

They often say you should double the Males Weight to find the Potential of the Females. I totally agree with this rule but always knock 3-4 lbs off , just to be realistic. The Mere has done authentic doubles in the past, and with the abundance of natural food available, I see no reason why it cannot produce one again. Bruce had fished the venue for over two years now and has favoured the Big Bait Big Fish route, however , after seeing my success using the humble maggot , the cheeky chappy had obviously had a few sleepless nights pondering over my approach. I had served my time many moons ago on a Moody North West Tench Mecca and had probably studied the fishes activities more than actually fishing for them. I had watched in amazement as all manner of Specimen Fish had literally stopped in their tracks once the Wrigley morsels were observed. Some favoured large baits , but I had always done well on small naturals.

After constantly introducing an endless supply of maggots in the clear margins , and left to gain the fishes confidence , it wasn't long before even the most wary of fish in the water were feeding veraciously in complete confidence and in competition with their large counterparts , their huge tails wafting in the margins hovering up every last morsel. And this really is the success of any Big Fish Capture. If you can gain a Fishes Total Confidence for a split second then it's downfall will come very soon with a Stealthy Approach. The look on a 20 lb Carps face once it has realised it's mistake is something to be behold. It's as if the realization suddenly hits home before the shallow water explodes and the Focusing Wild Creature bolts for freedom.

And so with the majority of hard work being done by us both adding bait over a period I went on to show Bruce my rigs , including my choice of Strong Fine Line and Tiny 18 Barbless hooks. Bruce adapted well and during a fairly short day session went on to land 9 fish all over 4lbs , the best going well over 6lbs. Accuracy of cast plus the regular introduction of feed , little and often using these Match Type Tactics certainly did the trick. We Should Never overlook Match men , They often catch large fish in a very short periods of time. We can all learn from each other.

Team Work !!

In between Bruce's and Gou's Sessions I had travelled down and had given each of the swims a good raking. Just prior to this I had given myself an hours fishing as a few fish had been seen rolling on the markers. My luck was in , for after 30 minutes I was into a fish that turned out to be the my 51 st Fish of April and my second best female fish of the year. She took the scales round to a pleasing 7lbs 7 ozs. I decided to call it a day there and then in case I spoilt Gou's chances the following Morning.

A Chance Capture. 7 lbs 7 ozs

The very next day I allowed Gou to take over from where I had left off. He did really well considering he has only just got back into his fishing after a twenty year lay off. Using the same tactics and with rust falling off everywhere Alan went on to land ten fish all over 4 lbs, with numerous PB's falling as the day progressed. Gou's best fish finally going 6 lbs 3 ozs which totally shattering his previous best of 2lbs. Alan was very pleased and was a bit of a loss with how simple things had gone . Just goes to show that a little leg work goes a long way , certainly when Tench are the Target.

A New PB for Gou

On the wild life front Mother Goose was still on her nest. I figure she has another ten days of incubation which must be hard work given the current high daytime temperatures , A number of noisy warblers were had also arrived in the shape of Willow Warblers and a pair of Blackcap. Swallows were much more apparent and The Fiendish Cuckoo was noticeable flitting from one corner to the other terrorising it's smaller targets. Tadpoles were abundant in the shallows in a large black masses awaiting their Shape shift.

And that was it. Certainly one of the most nervous , nail biting , yet Satisfying and Successful weeks in a long time. Time Spent with Friends and Family. Twenty Fish landed and Divisional Champions Elect. All in All it had been quite a Journey , that reminds you that , be it Football or even Angling , You Should Never Stop Believing !!!

Until Next Week , Tight Lines !!

Video - Celebrating Tench Style ;))

Mother Goose , Ballabriggs and Other Fairy Tales

2011-04-16T19:46:00.045+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-GEuJOyLOg Back Betty - SpiderBait This week I continued with my Quest for Early Season Tench. I really was enjoying the change and was content and happy to experience Run after Run after Run. It really was exciting fishing and the disappointment of the Rivers Closing is well and truly behind me. I had Adapted well to the slower pace and was eager to extract the most that I could from the venue at this given time. The Jigsaw was starting to unfold , and like most Early Tench Venues , the Feeding usually started late morning , progressed through the middle of the day before slowing around 3pm. Another much shorter binge would materialise much later in the evening, usually an hour or so from dusk and then into darkness. .

Towards the later end of the April and certainly Early May, the fish would gradually come closer to the Bank and would at times be quite visible being close to the Margins. This is quite possibly down to the Larger Females looking at the local vegetation in view of a spawning ground. For now though , they were 30 yards out and they were just starting to feed in earnest after their long Winter fast. As a Specimen Hunter I know I should be chasing he Big Ones , but unfortunately I always like a nibble of the Biscuit before I eat the whole packet. The Big Girls will have there chance in another Month or so when they are at their Heaviest. For now , as it always is , it was just about having Fun.

My car journey to The Mere takes me through some of the finest Cheshire Countryside available. Lush and Green , this is Pure Dairy Country and in turn this is home to some of the finest Dairy Herds in the land. Sitting on a bed of Lower Triassic Sherwood Sandstone the route takes me right through the heart of the flat Cheshire plane , past Beeston and Peckforton Castles and beyond , I even pass the stables of the recent Grand National Winner Ballabriggs in Dreamy Malpas.

A Picture of Donald McCain and Ballabriggs at his Cheshire Stables. I do like a flutter , and this year I managed to persuade my Mum to have a little wager on Donald McCain's , locally trained 14 -1 shot. Like a True Champion he obliged and Grandma's flutter came home to fruition. I am sure I caught a glimpse of him in the fields the other morning whilst on route. I will keep a look out in hope of attaining a better photograph. The short trip only takes me twenty minutes but as always , the scenery is so magnificent I nearly always stop on the way to take photographs of Wildlife that just add to the enjoyment of the day. Cheshire really is a Beautiful County. I had managed one Tench trip in between my days and nights break and had a short five hours on the Tuesday. The wind was quite strong and was coming from South Easterly Direction I had ensured I had plenty of layers on before setting out in the Rowing boat. Anything wind with a Easterly in it has the potential to cut you to the bone. Despite to much cooler conditions I did manage six fish that day all to feeder tactics , but boy was in cold. I shivered all day even with six skins on. It can be quite exposed out on the stage and an umbrella is quite impractical. I solved the problem by purchasing a cheap but good quality Euro Hike Tent for £19.99 from Blacks Camping Shop. It had been £65 , so I got myself a bargain. It will provide good shelter for when the weather is really wet, apart from that , I am happy to sit it out in all weathers. I will be buying a pipe and slippers next , Not !!! , note.. Rat Free as well Stewart Bloor ;)

Slash we be horrified when he See's this photo lol. What's happened to the Roaming Angler he will ask. Panic Not Slash ( grin ) , I still have the boat remember and can go cruising anytime I wish. Remember , I nearly always go to the fish , as you found out last year when I got you that PB fish. This is Base Camp , I still have six weeks to summit ;))

My Next Opportunity was after my last night shift. As I new the fish were late morning feeders. I spent the morning in bed , there was no need to break my back after a 12 hour shift . I awoke at 11 am for the short drive to the tackle shop for bait and then continued on the dreamy drive to the venue. On the way I pasted my heard of Long Horn Cattle on the Cholmondeley Estate feeding on Straw. The Opportunity was to good and I took some quick shots of these Magnificent Beasts. I arrived at The Mere to find that the Easterly had finally dropped out , ad now I was left with a wonderful Southerly Breeze in my face, oh the joy. This time I was down to a couple of T shirts , what a difference this had made to the chill factor. The Sand and House Martins were taking advantage of an obvious hatch, and they were flying around with there high shrills echoing all around. Tiny white flies were visible all over the stage , and the birds were simply mopping them up.

They were not alone , for as I climbed out of the boat a Familiar Cry was carried on the wind , and I smiled as the image of a Devious Bird materialised in my mind. Cuckoo Cuckoo , the cry always manages to put a smirk on your face , for you know they will soon be up to know good. Normally this is the signal that warmer weather is only just around the corner plus it is nesting time . Most of the Bird Life on the Mere would soon be laying their Eggs. One Couple had already beaten the rush and I had a Hen Canada Goose thirty feet from me , incubating six large white eggs. These eggs should take approximately 20 days before they hatch , I shall watch there development with great pride. On that much warmer day I managed 3 x Male Fish all 5lb +. This really was enjoyable. The Sun was beating down and I was getting Run after Run. The Fish were getting noticeably stronger as well. Gone were the slow dogged frosty bones fights , these fish were now warm to the touch and were screaming off. As a result they were testing my 7lb Drennan Double Strength Line and tiny 18 hook to the limit. This is why it is never a bad thing to have a few early failures , so that you are ready for when a Big Girl turns up. Normally I always like to back wind when playing my fish ,certainly on rivers. Normally I have the Reel in Manual Control so to speak. However , as there were no snags, for once I was quite happy to allow the Shimano Drags a bit of a life and they were set and left on auto pilot. Once hooked up , The drag systems purred in approval as Tench after Tench Ripped yards of line off during there second and third runs. I guess it's the equivalent of having a £40, 000 car and not using the indicators , but as I own a Fish mobile and signal more often than not , I wouldn't know. My Money is safely invested for my family , and not in a car dealers pocket.

Video - The Sun was Shining and The Free Spools and Optonics were Screaming ;)

I also managed to catch a few Surprise Rudd on the second trip. I really am a Rudd Fan espicially The Big Ones. These were super fish and were all around the 8 oz mark. Their Deep Bodies and up turned lip were a dead giveaway. Maybe the Mere Holds some Monster Rudd, I will certainly be having a go. The local Pike like the Roach and Rudd to and I found out when retrieving a roach only to have it savaged on the way in. The Roach was lucky as the Jack Pike for once let him go. The Roach was left with a nice set Of Pike Teeth Tattoo's down it's flanks.

( Above ) A Deep Bellied Rudd , Does The Mere hold any Monsters ? (below) The Lucky Roach

That evening I decided to give one swim in particular a good raking. It would be interesting to see how it behaved the next day. I returned the following afternoon again with the same feeder set ups and waited for the 1 pm Dinner Bell to sound. Sure enough the fish responded and the Raked swim went on to provide the most runs. As I say Tench Fishing , it's Not exactly Rocket Science , but it certainly helps matters if you put a bit of effort in. I also had a go with rubber casters a method that I have had alot of success with in the past. If you look at the Tenchfishers Web Page at http://www.tenchfishers.com/tench-bait.html there is an interesting table of fish caught and baits used 40 % of fish caught over 6lbs fell to maggots , 40% of fish were caught on boilies the rest from a variety of others. As I don't use boilies , I stuck with the maggots and fake Casters , and so I went onto land four fish in five hours on this old successful method from the Raked Swim. I never had a run from the others.

Artificial Casters . Many the downfall of a Big Tench.

I finished of my last trip on the Monday with High Pressure camped over the UK. It's going to be a work filled week this week but hopefully I will be out again next week on Good Friday with Bruce for company.Let's see what we can muster up as we join forces for The Dream Team.

Happy Easter for Next Week and Tight Lines !!!

Getting a Reel Buzz !! Out Of Early Season Tench

2011-04-07T08:37:00.127+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVizAB9twFY Taio Cruz Featuring Kylie - Higher .

If Angling was a Drug , then I guess I would be it's Biggest Addict , but as it is a Sport , then I guess I must be a Decathlete. It's a fine line we Anglers tread at times , but when it comes to Attaining Natural Highs from Successful Days Out , then for me , Nothing Touches it. This week I had three fairly short sessions on my Syndicate Mere. Each day was completely different , either weather , events or conditions , but each day I managed to nail it and put my finger right on the spot every time. As I rowed off into the sunset on each consecutive evening , I was left reeling ( if you pardon the pun), content and as high as a kite from each of the wonderful days events. In comparison , I guess I could have been given all the drugs in the world ( not that I need any of course ) but , I reckon , It still wouldn't of had me feeling any better about myself or my achievements. That Natural High that you feel after a Great Days Fishing really does take some beating. When it all goes right Angling for me , is the most rewarding sport of them all. I have played most , be it Golf (+11) , Football or Rugby , each to a fare standard I may add , but Angling and it's Wider Nature Package gives it the winning edge every single time. Even as far back as February this year , I had been looking forward to this Tiny Piece of the Angling Calender. April for me means one thing , and one thing only , Tench Time. Usually at this time the Hawthorn Hedges are just starting to show the first signs of white blossom. I always get excited when I see this natural wonder , how many actually see it at all ?? Even now , despite the long cold months Nature is already well on her way back and usually if the Sun is forthcoming She Kicks on with a vengeance being revitalised from her long dormant sleep. Fully Refreshed , She is ready to bounce back and give New Life as each day passes. There cannot be many anglers out there , who haven't at one stage or another, enjoyed catching one of our most trusted , and much loved species The Tench ( Tinca Tinca). I am sure we can all remember those innocent school days of getting up early , either by yourself or disturbed from your fishy dreams by school mates tapping on your window with a clothes prop. Normally one way or another this would usually lead to the whole house being woken up , and you end up legging in fear of a Mothers Scorn. Off you would go on your push bikes down deserted country lanes , twisting and turning down to the local pond for some early morning Tincas. Cresta Pop , Tench Bubbles and Curled Up Cheese Sandwiches are all part of the jigsaw memory that comes flooding back. You would arrive at your destination , the cold air full of chatter and giggles in anticipation of what the day would bring. Tales of mythical 2 lb Monsters would be hurled at each other , with who was going to Catch the Big One.

A Caddis Fly Larvae and it's House of Sticks Stones.

However , even at this young age The boisterous chat , would always be cut short and left with the bikes at the farm gate. Slowly , yet purposely you would creep up the dew soaked field with a fishing basket as big as yourself , the strap cutting deep into your shoulder blade. With bated breath and with barely a word spoken you would creep quietly into your your favourite swim only to find it Fizzing and Alive with Tench Bubbles. A Quick mix of Maggots and Kestrel Ground bait would ensure that the bites were forthcoming as it was placed in position with trembling hands. All that was left now was to ensure that your float was correctly set to a depth that would have your bait firmly on the bottom of the pool , for that is where the Tench lived. .With a swish off your Woolco Glass Fibre 6 ft Rod , your favourite quill float ( possibly taken from the porcupine enclosure at Chester Zoo the week before ) , would be cast into position. Worms , in those days , were the number one bait , usually dug the night before from someones Grandads allotment. These writhing baits were only really second to Maggots , well , that's if you could get to the Headleys tackle shop before it shut on a Friday afternoon after school. With your heart still pounding in your chest , you would sit there , huddled in the cold morning air , trying to ignore your soaking wet socks. Now , all that mattered in the whole wide world was what that tiny orange float tip was doing. After what had seemed like an age there would be movement, first a twitch and then a dip. Refraining from the strike , normally there would be a pause and then nothing again. Then sure enough , more movement as a bubble or two appeared on the surface right next to your float position. Then Suddenly , with great majesty , the whole of your float would rise slowly into the air as if defying gravity itself. After that it would either lye flat on the surface or a suddenly slide away , the ever disappearing orange tip travelling fast usually heading towards the nearest reed bed. On striking resistance was always the same , strong and surging as the glass fibre rod tip made that familiar tap tap tap. The whole rod would shudder as a tiny but powerful fish made a break for freedom. Soon a tiny 6 oz Tench would appear on the surface it's black fins fighting hard and strong. If your nerve held and you escaped a birds nest on your Woolco Reel then you would gaze at a gaze down at an Emerald Delight in the shape of a Tench. Into the Keep net he would go , only to be joined by several of his mates as the morning progressed. As the morning progressed the Sun would climb and the bites would finally fizzle out. Top , A Chunky Male with His large Pelvic Fins 7lb 4 ozs . Bottom , Red Tinged Female 7lb 9 ozs

Fantastic Early Memories that will stay with me forever, but have no fear those Magical Days are still here. Nothing in those past 35 years has changed for me much. My mates have all gone, dotted all around the globe, but they still keep in touch via the internet and they still pull my leg about them beating me in our misspent youth. Nowadays I have to wake myself up , but being a shift worker it's easy as the body clock often kicks in ten minutes before the alarm goes off. One thing is for sure, I still get the same buzz that I always had , and I still get the same rush of adrenalin as I tip toe into my chosen swim on the day. I even greet the Tincas I catch these days with the same grin as I did all those years ago as I stare into those tiny red teddy bear eyes. Time has seen my Tackle Improve in vigour somewhat with fancy modern bite alarms and Smooth Rolls Royce Bait runner Reels , but really that's about it. I still arrive at first light , I still creep into position and I still use maggots every time !!! Somethings , I am glad to say , Never Change !!! The Best HNV Bait of them All !!

The Fish I catch these days are somewhat larger , but those early years have ensured that come early Spring I am always ready for a bit of Tench Magic. At one point , I was lucky enough to spend two seasons on a well known North West Tench Mecca after summoning up the courage and sent of a babbling letter to a guy who I new could catch Outstanding Tench. His name was Cliff Taylor. Cliff had only recently got back into his fishing after a bit of a lay off, but being Cliff he had soon rekindled his fine tuned skills and his passion in conjunction with The Current British Golden Orfe Record Holder , Mike Wilkinson , Cliff had discovered that you could go totally against the grain and actually catch Tench well Up in the water on a waggler. A constant trickle of maggots would see these Mythical Green Beasts rise from the depths to accept tiny maggot morsel and thus leading you on a merry dance on fairly light tackle. I think the concept was initially devised by Bright Minded Specimen Hunter to catch large wary Still Water Chub but the Tench responded well and after some coaching and wise words I went on to catch many a PB fish , week in and week out. I am glad to say that I am still good friends with both Cliff and Mike to this very day. It has always been a pleasure sharing some Great Fishing Experiences and Angling Wisdom on and off over the years. Both these guys are Fine Anglers of the highest caliber, and I am proud to call them my Friends. Thanks Guys For All Your Help and Intervention over the years , you really are the salt of the earth !!! Carry on doing what you do best , Helping Others and Catching Mind Blowing Specimen Fish , You know you love it ;)) It's only when you see these guys in action that You realise that Watercraft really is a True Magical Inner Gift.

Blue Sky and Big Tench , Magnificent !!

I won't go into any great detail about my methods only to say I kept it simple. Feeders to the same spot on a regular basis kept the fish in position once they had drifted into position. Sport was that fast and furious and at one stage there was rods everywhere. At one point I had to call for a time out , sport was that frantic. The Magic Mix I use is a real Winner. It attracts all Species from Barbel right the way through to Carp and Tench with it's Fish Meal Base. Once Again I have Mike W to thank for putting me onto this Wonder Attractor. Sport was coming Thick and Fast.

In three days I put in 16 hours and managed numerous fish. All were over Four Pounds with many fives two sixes and two sevens. A Chunky Male fish of 7 lbs 4 ozs was possibly the best fish of the week. As The Mere is Still uncharted Territory for me , the golden rule as we know is double the Males weight to find the potential of the females. I am excited as you can guess , plus this is the North West of England we are talking about, not the dreamy south. You know your luck is in when you can catch Pike on maggots and have the maggots safely in the Scissors. I had a young Jack Pike on my second session , I couldn't have placed the tiny 18 hook any better.

Nature was as rewarding as ever. I managed to see a Stoat hunting the hedgerow one morning as he was chasing birds , his black tail and white chest clearly visible as he skipped along the country lane before he spotted me. I also saw a Large Hereford Bull that the local Farmer is obviously using to breed Beef Stock and the funny Sighting of three Llama in a local field , a funny sight to say the least. Possibly adapting to the hard times for the wool industry ?? The Birds of the Mere were plentiful and I spotted my First Swallow on the third day. He was all alone , so it certainly doesn't make a Summer Quite Yet. I am sure his mates are not far behind him with the current high pressure drifting in.

House Martins were plentiful and I counted 14 Mute Swans all in the thrones of having a large Cob chase them all over the place. I had two Canada Geese building a nest just off my second rod , plus Buzzards soared in the thermals once the East had dropped out of the South Easterly to leave the Mere Shimmering in it's wake.Frogs Croaked and Great Crested Grebe played out there funny head shaking dance whilst Mallards and Tufted Ducks looked on. A pair of Golden Eye Ducks were spotted flying over along with Grey lag Geese and a solitary Female Kestrel.

My , he was a Big Lad

I finished the last session off with a rare Roach of 3 ozs. This tiny fish brought the biggest grin of the week. I know these fish grow to a good size in The Mere and I am yet to pursue them with any vigour. I shall save this for another day. For now I will continue to enjoy all the fish I catch large and small , looking glum just doesn't do it for me.

I am already itching to get back to adding another piece of the partial completed Jigsaw. It is early April and hopefully even bigger pieces will turn up to complete the Bigger Picture. Untill then Tight Lines Wherever You May Roam.

Pushing Out The Boat For Tench

2011-03-30T14:23:00.094+01:00

Antonio Vivaldi - Spring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-dYNttdgl0

This week the clocks went forward one hour , thus embracing a long awaited British Summer Time with both arms. Fishing Wise , I had four days to go at. A late ask by a work college for a Days for Nights Swap seemed like a good idea at the time. It had certainly served it's purpose, and I had utilised the time well in banking a few Carp off the top during two Sunny Days when really I should have been grafting. However, I now found myself on the reverse side with a much shorter break. I had gained from a shorter 11 hour night shift and was now ready to seize what little free time I had left. Tench were upper most in my mind. There is nothing quite like an early season Teddy Bear Eyed Tinca to put a guaranteed smile on your face.

My One and Only Carp Target of the day , shelters in a bay.

I jumped out of bed after waking from my sleep and my last night shift. It was midday. I peered out of the bedroom window and weighed up the scene. It was dull , overcast and misty. It was as if Winter had returned rapidly overnight. Still , there was a chink of Sun and blue sky on the horizon so the chances of bagging an early season Carp on surface tactics had to be a possibility, even if it was still only March. I had a quick bowl of Shreddies , grabbed my already prepared Scopex Mixers out of the fridge and travelled the short distance to the small local pools.

Dragon Fly Larvae , a Vicious Predator.

There was a Cool South Easterly Breeze Blowing and so , I put an extra skin on for good measure. Pool one looked Cold and Static , even with the sun shinning. I would do well to see a fish let alone catch one I thought to myself as I sneaked around the pool in the hope of spotting a fish. I stopped in my tracks as sure enough by an overhanging tree , was a small dark shape. Slowly I sunk down and disappeared from it's view. On all fours I went about attaching a cold mixer with trembling hands. That was the easy bit done. Now I had to present the tiny bait to the fish without spooking it. Fortunately as I rose from the marginal undergrowth, the fish had decided to turn on itself and now it had it's back to me, Perfect !! I slowly went about inching my rod tip out , before flicking the mixer six foot beyond the unsuspecting fish. Hopefully the wind would now play it's part and ferry the bait back. Sure enough the bait started to drift and was now only inches away. I could see the fishes gills fanning. Suddenly the small Common Carp must have picked up the sweet scent of the bait as slowly but surely it's pelvic fins started to twitch and quiver.

Video - A Good Capture Given The Conditions.

Slowly it made it's way towards the floating morsel. " Open Wide" I said to myself. The Fish kindly obliged and the mixer disappeared from view. Strike !!! The Fish was on and the rod tip hooped over !! For once it had all gone like clockwork. It doesn't always go that way, but this had been perfection. The Fish gave a lively scrap and was unduly unhooked admired and slowly returned after a few shots for the blog.

Got You !!

Unfortunately , that was it for the day, I never saw another fish. Saying that , I was more than happy having caught a fish in such poor conditions. I really was glad to get back home for a hot cup of Coffee to warm myself up, it really had been cold. It had been a good hour spent and it had been a Great Start to my break. The next day I helped my Mum take a load of stuff down the tip. Why do Mothers hoard so much stuff ??? I still had two days left and on each trip to the tip, little green faces would be running through my mind. That eager thought of catching early season Tench just wouldn't go away. There and then I planned a visit to an old hunting ground famous for it's Tench , a Simply wonderful place that could provide me with that Proverbial Double Figure Fish come late May or early June.

Home for an hour.

A day later , and I arrived at my destination , to find the place packed with Carpers Everywhere. This just wasn't my cup of tea , and after having a chat with a young guy , I promptly left , my tail firmly between my legs. My hopes had been dashed , however , as most Anglers do , I had a contingency plan. The Mere had to be the best option. I had been slipping a bit of bait over the past few weeks during a couple of pike trips , plus Bruce had been raking the swims, so it had to be worth a go. I certainly had know option now so off I went.

Freshwater Shrimps. Fish love them !!

I arrived to find the same South Easterly Breeze as on my first day off , blowing right across the Mere , so with that I made a bee line in the boat straight for a swim directly in it,s path. It really was choppy and I would be going home with a red wind chapped face. I peered at my watch, it was 15.45 pm. Well , maybe not the best time for Tench if you read the books , but I was limited and I only had three hours of day light left. I trickled a small amount of bait in over my markers as I rowed rowed the boat this cut out that dirty word spodding. I didn't put a lot of bait in or obviously I would be reducing my chances , just enough Magic Mix to add a scent trail and thirty or so maggots. Hopefully , if there were fish in the swim they would continue to route and grub around inspired by the sudden artificial hatch.

Video - row row row your boat , gently up the mere ;))

Tench , as I have witnessed many times, drift in and drift out of swims many times during the course of a day. Normally, if they are in the vicinity , you can coax them for a visit with that wonder bait bar none , Maggots. Very Rarely will they refuse the small and wriggly natural High Protein baits. I have sat and watched them many times in the clear margins of lakes, and unless spooked by hook lengths or spooky hook baits, such as corn or boilies will return as if Oliver Twist , for more and more. The Fish on the Mere were only lightly fished and so spooky baits may not be an issue , however , maggots would ensure that they would visit the spots on a regular basis thus increasing my chances tenfold.

First Tinca of the year as opportunity knocks.

I set up two feeder rods and cast to appropriate spots. I rarely use Optonics , The Bait Runners tell you when a Fish has hooked itself. I always find it more exciting having the purr of the reel as appose to the shreeeek of an optonic. I had just sat down on was making myself comfortable on my unhooking matt when my RHR was away. The tip of the rod was nodding as the reel purred and a fish some 30 yards out bolted for freedom. I stared in disbelief , I had forgotten how pleasurable tench runs are. Quickly I came to my senses and lifted the rod slowly. There was no need to strike the fish had hooked itself on the bolt rig, all I had to do now was hold on and hope that the tiny 18 hook held firm. Slowly but surely I gained ground and after a heart stopping fight, as is always the case when you are on 18 hooks , the fish was in the net. I smiled , it wasn't a huge fish , say 3lbs , but it was a Tench and my first fish of the year, I grinned.

Video - My First Tench of 2011

On recollection , I think this was certainly the smallest fish I have ever had off The Mere , but it didn't matter, my confidence had risen rapidly from confident to extremely confident. I took a few shots and released the tiny fish. I had a good look at his tiny red teddy bear eyes before releasing him. That super sight always brings a rye smile to your face. I recast to spot A1 and relaxed , This felt good !!! After twenty minutes I was away again on the same rod. This time it was a better fish , a female of 5lb 9 ozs. This was more like it. She was duly photographed for posterity before being released. After that the bites stopped which reminded me to take a keep net on my next visit.

Second fish in an hour and at 5lbs 9 ozs they were getting bigger. .

I returned the next day with all sorts of expectations , only to have my blushes spared by a 2 oz Roach. It just goes to show what being in the right place at the right time can do for you. At least I am off the mark and I am looking forward to the coming weeks immensely.

They don't all have to be big. This 2 oz Roach Spared my blushes. Not a Blanker this time !!

The wild life this week had all been quite spectacular. Most of the bird life had started to pair up with Coots , Moorhens , Mute Swans and Grebe still squabbling or going through their early courtship rituals. I saw a pair of Golden Eye plus three Cormorants on the Mere that were feeding freely even with my obvious presence. On the way home from Winsford , I had stopped to view an Old Breed of British Cattle, The Longhorn. Certainly an Ancient and Captivating breed with there peculiar and wonderfully shaped horns.

Long Horn Cattle an Ancient English Breed

It was a sight to behold and I took numerous photographs. The Starlings have stating to nest in a roof gap in a property opposite my home. It won't be long now before the neglected egg shells of many a new hatch-ling start to appear. I have a whole week to go at next week , and I am looking forward to it already. I think I need an upgrade in the Camera department , My current Nikon Coolpix is starting to let me down. A part ex is most certainly on the cards !!! Here's to a brighter future ;))

Until Then , Tight Lines As Always !!

Sweet Success in the Spring Sunshine

2011-03-24T13:09:00.048Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zf1Rhp-fZs Sweet Dreams , Beyonce.

This week , it was time to target a different species. I really have enjoyed my Pike Fishing over the Winter Period , but a few days of Golden Sunshine told me that the Opportunity for Catching Local Carp of the Surface was approaching fast. A pleasant change is always as good as a rest. I only target Carp these days by catching them of the top using flavoured Dog Biscuits. Being a River Angler at heart, my approach has always been one of moving to the fish , not waiting for them to move to you. The thought of sitting behind motionless bite alarms for long boring days , waiting for a fish to hang itself disinterests me intensely. Don't get me wrong , there is a time and place for this kind of approach , and my Tench Fishing Tactics in the next few weeks will prove this to a certain degree, but I much prefer being active and thus I go Stalking.

The Intended Target basks in the early morning Sun.
End Result, The Capture.

This approach can only be described as hunting in it's purest. A behavior that utilises all your True Watercraft Skills to maximum effect whilst incorporating all of your five senses , ten fold. Sight and Sound are always at the the forefront, but even the Sweet Taste of Success is often enjoyed. Red Hot Sunny days give me the maximum chance of exploiting these natural skills to spot and plot the downfall of many a chosen or opportunist capture. It may not be every ones cup of tea , but basically I want fish on the bank instantly in a Short Sharp Sessions During Daylight. I travel light , very light. A 2 1/2 lb TC Rod a Bait Runner Reel lined Powerful 3olb braid and a Small Light and Delicate Yet Strong Drennan Super Specialist Hook complete my armour , oh , and a landing net.
Baits are simple and quickly prepared either the night before on on that particular morning if conditions are favourable. I Always use Pedigree Chum Mixers. I have tried several cheaper options over the years but find there is no substitution for the quality rubbery texture of the former. Often, I need to hook a bait on fast whilst in a uncompromising position as I crouch behind a basking fish, Crumbling baits are not an option and a missed moment of opportunity can leave the whole mission in tatters. Flavouring is kept simple and Timely Trusted Sweeteners such as Richworth's Tutti Frutti , Scopex and Nutrabaits Sweet Cajouser need no introduction catching possibly more Carp in their time than any other flavours. .

Conditions can make a big difference to our chance of success. Sunshine gives Max Chance. Carp are avid Sun Worshippers. Being Cold Blooded the warm Rays from the Solar Powered Fire Ball in the sky often lures even the wariest fish sending it into cloud cuckoo land. As anyone who has lay out in the garden will tell you , quite often you can totally switch off having been removed from the real world as the heat takes over. Fish behave in quite a similar manner. I have quite often dropped a bait inches from a Sunning Fish only for that normally spooky lump to open it's cagey mouth freely to consume passing sweet tasting morsel whilst in Total Sun Bed Bliss. If conditions are warm and still I tend to target basking fish in the margins , however if a stiff breeze is also present I use this to my effect by allowing baits to travel the whole lake allowing travelling fish to initially spot and then follow. Both methods work. I have learnt my trade over the years through trial and error and do have it down to a fine art. I once read a book by Brian Skoyles which had a big impact on what I had already taken on board.

If I ever get to hear fish slurping baits in the margins , I am quick to act. A fish in this mode is an Opportunist capture. Carp seem to turn into Great White Shark Mode at this time. They don't have the ability of rolling their eyes back but they are intent and carry on grubbing around until they are sucessful in consuming the bait. If you are careful and accurate you can drop a bait right on the fishes nose. Normally it will not spook as it seems transfixed sometimes and only submerges once a bait has been taken. Competition is always creates a better success rate. Sometimes a free baiting session can be used. By freely dishing out floating freebies on a regular basis normally spooky fish can become suckers and once confident you can easily plot their downfall especially if they have a few mates in attendance for competition.

Video 1 ........ Doing Battle

Video 2 ...... Sweet Success

This week I had two days out on the trot after swapping my Days for Nights. In that time I managed to land eleven Fish which considering we are still classed as being in Winter, is not bad going. Most Fish were in the 5- 6 lb bracket but I did manage a couple of Double figure Fish that allowed my hunting skills to fine tune in the Super Sunshine. All said it was great fun and I enjoyed Myself immensely.

As I continued Winkle out the fish out the fish all around me Nature was slowly but surely waking from her long slumber. I saw my first Painted Lady a Peacock as she hurriedly went about her business, A Six Spotted Ladybird , A Bumble Bee Buzzing around , a wonderful sight after a long hard Winter. The farmer in one field was busy spraying a field with an exceptional device for spraying pesticides over a large area in one go. Frogs were evident in all pools and great mounds of jelly frogspawn were spotted in various corners with small black dots forming life in it's midst.

Video 3 ....... Best Fish of the week and a Real Stalking Challenge.

Video 4 ........ Another fish bolts for freedom.

Spring this week really was trying to hustle Winter out of the way. It doesn't always work and at times we can be lured into a false sense of Spring Security. There is still time for more snow and ice yet but Nature really is getting there. Hopefully I will get some Tenching in next week. It may be a little early yet, but with the Carp moving as much as they were , It has certainly got to be worth a go. Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained I guess. I will leave you with a video of a Hard Scrapping Carp Caught once more Off The Top , Simply Wonderful !!!!!!

Tight Lines !!!!!!

Morning Glory

2011-03-20T20:37:00.019Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Ba68PB3Bk

Only two outings to report on this week.

The first was a failed attempt at an early season Carp Off The Top at my local pools. As you will know , I only target Carp using surface baits and , as the Sun had been putting in an appearance during the week , I new the odd fish would be basking and thawing out it's bones in the warmer margins. I was right , and on closer inspection I found a fish taking in the rays on the far side of one of the pools.

A Large Dark Shape passes at the end of the Marginal Reeds.

However , somehow I had managed to leave my mixers in the van and on returning , the fish had moved off when a large Cumulus Nimbus had moved into position. Drat and Double Drat . I had another opportunity later on but somehow failed to make contact with a Good Mirror. Fare to say I spooked it and it never made another appearance. Maybe I will have more luck next time.

The second trip was somewhat more successful as on the Saturday as I turned Ghillie for half a day. Gulper wanted to try out My Syndicate Mere and so as Steve was limited for time we arranged a 05.30 am meet up at my house. We arrived at the Mere at first light to a Frosty Spectacular Sunrise as the Sky turned a Magnificent Bright Purple. After sorting a boat out , I took on my role and to continued to row my Host around the Mere at various spots for a bit of Fun and Sport.

Five hours later and Steve had managed Seven Jacks all to a variety of methods and baits, including Gulpers favourite piece of metal , a large Copper Spoon. Wobbled Smelts and a variety of Mepps Spinners accounted for the remainder of the tail walking critters. The Big Girls had eluded us , but we had managed a few fish and Steve had enjoyed himself.

Not sure what this week will bring. Spring is most certainly on it's way and the water temperatures are starting to rise nicely. I did pre bait a few Tench swims on the mere so perhaps I will be swayed that way. If the Sun pops out , an early Carp must be favourite whilst they are still in slumber mode. We shall see !!

Tight Lines if you venture out ;))

Dra - Matt - tic Late Season Action for Slash

2011-03-15T10:51:00.020Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djj7jW6ny2M&feature=related
Bad to the Bone............ George Thorogood

As a River Angler , your heart tends to sink a little as March the 15 th approaches. The end of season blues normally start to kick in and it's soon time for the Still Waters to enter the forefront of your mind. However , if you are bold and stern enough , conditions can sometimes swing in your favour. A sudden drop of Warm Rain or a period of sustained Winter Sun can see the Water Temp rise , triggering the fish into a tightly packed feeding frenzy.

This week my Good Mate Matt Yarwood took advantage of such conditions , possibly with one eye on the clock as the minutes ticked by to the close season. Slash managed two late trips out on successive days. Needless to say the Master Craftsman filled his boots , defying the Frosty Conditions and had The Middle Severn Barbel literally Crawling Up his Rod Tips. In just three hours he managed 15 fish in quick succession. Here is his account of the exciting and busy event.

One of Fifteen Winter Fish for Matt.

When your aiming for a 5 am start , an early night is usually a good idea. Top that with a Stella Free Night and your normally on a Winner. Somehow , I failed on both accounts , and as the alarm clock shattered my silence all I could think , was You have got to be kidding , or words to that effect. As I made my way down the lane it was drizzling and I did wonder about my decision not to take an umbrella. I dislike carrying the beast at the best of times as it can play games with my ability to be mobile. By the time I had reached the River it was Chucking it Down. Fortunately I had a light golf umbrella in my rod quiver , so up it went.

My choice of swim involved a right hike to an area I had never fished before. Crackers some may say and especially in the Winter , but nothing ventured nothing gained, well that was the plan anyway. I just had a good feeling about the spot , cannot really explain it but my watercraft gamble would certainly be put to the test.

I arrived at my chosen spot at 06.35 am . I was in a right lather from the trudge, well everything except for my hands , they were blue and numb with the cold. I scanned my chosen spot and it did feel good. With the adrenaline still pumping and my heart jumping out of my chest like something from a cartoon clip, I set up in double quick time. Within minutes I had both rods in position. Both were on 10 mm MC Pellet with a small open end feeder filled with Maddocks Magic Mix. The golf umbrella wasn't giving me much protection but it was better than nothing as the cold rain continued to pour. My first bite came sharp within ten minutes of arriving. I sat and watched as the rod tip hooped over. Immediately I was hooked up into a bronze Torpedo intent on heading for Worcester. At 7 am , I text ed my friend to see if he was on the river after returning my third fish of the day. The action really was coming thick and fast, they were literally crawling up the rod tips. At 7.49 I decided to text Stu after returning an incredible seventh fish.
.Some Very Big Barbel Live in The Middle Severn. And guess who is there to catch them. 13lb +

By this time the wind and rain had soon been forgotten for the action was more like something from the summer. The fish continued to hang themselves and I laughed as a reply came through from Stu Maddocks ranting on about the Easy Middle Severn, and giving the Extra Tough Upper Reaches a try. I chuckled to myself , as the fish still continued to arrive , some even taking the bait on the drop. At 09.49 the rain finally stopped and so did the bites as the sun decided it was finally coming out to play. It was time for a breather and I went wobbling dead baits for Pike for an hour. At 10.49 and with nothing doing I text ed Stu with my tally now standing at 14. I was itching to move but another Barbel duly arrived and had me questioning my decision. After that needless to say the swim went quiet and when I finally made my way back at midday my tally stoold at a commendable Fifteen Barbel and one Chub. Not bad going for March I Guess , lol.
.Slash returned the following evening and managed a further three fish during a shorter trip. With frost forming on the ground he finally called it a day with the long three month lay off firmly in his mind. Still Job Done. Just goes to show , late season Barbel Bashing can be as good as the Summer. We can all re write the Angling Text Books from time to time. Well Done Slash !!!!

With the river season at an end , The Still Waters beckon me next week. Let's see what they Magic they can bring as we enter possibly the Best season of the year, Spring and all the New Life that it brings.

Tight Lines Roamers ;))

Fame and Fortune in the Trossach's

2011-03-06T11:51:00.020Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz7N70IU6EE The Fame , Lady GaGa

Angling Fame has arrived for me at long last.......... lol ;))

For Featured on Page 41 of the latest
2011 Visit Scotland Tourist Board Brochure Fish in Scotland ,
is a picture of yours truly holding a Decent Esox whilst over the border on Maneuvers with Gulper last year.

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=mypagesuite&refresh=o15Q07YzAi91&PBID=3b1fe141-c361-4bdd-b1cc-da3b44105996&skip

Gulper took the photo whilst on " The Fury" so I will be treating the boys to a few rounds of Guinness with the proceeds that I received , when we all go to Ireland very soon.

Not to be out done , My Blue and Red Nike Fishing hat was also caught on film last Saturday.
The hat , a firm favourite of mine , was captured bouncing up and down like a Crazy Pike Bung just about to receive some interest , when Chester scored the winning Goal versus Skelmersdale Utd. ;))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5UVKj71sKw

It's all coming thick and fast.
Will I be able to cope with all the Pressure.
Will it change my life ??
and will I be the next Andy Gray ??
I don't think so............... you can keep it all.

Just let me carry on being me , catching fish. ;))

Tight Lines !!

My Warm , Snug and now Famous Nike Fishing Hat.

Out of Town Fishing with Jack Hargreaves

2011-03-04T16:42:00.003Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAWOu7QuM8U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kl-Tw5DNvA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVrGGVvNWeU&feature=related

It was always worth getting up early on a Sunday Morning back in the Seventies to be captivated and intreagued by Jack and his Country Side Knowledge ;))

Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing

2011-03-04T16:14:00.004Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn3Ve69lpWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv9PXX1CSnc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCeACofiinw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHyrMGKXogA&feature=related

How most of us started with the Fishing Bug ;))

Just feel like Smilin '

2011-02-28T09:03:00.050Z

Just Feel like Smilin ' " Engine" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5Vkh6zWkcY&feature=related .

This week , I managed to dedicate some valuable time for fun and laughter with some very close and like minded Piscatorial Friends. It is fare to say that they all seem to posses a few things in common. Firstly, they are all highly intelligent people , who all hold highly responsible positions in society. Confident Expirienced and Sincere and Loyal to the Core , yet at the same time Laid Back and Care Free , with that uncanny ability to switch on in the blink of an eye, to make life saving decisions. I liken them to the lions of the Serengeti. Top of the tree with few to fear, formidable at their art and passion , Close , but with that sinister devilish streak , like the Species they aspire to tame in Esox Lucius. There best trait however , is their Wicked , and Side Splitting Sense of Humour. I often come away from days in their company with my jaw aching. Tears often roll down my face, not with sadness , but from relentless tittering and laughter from their ability in providing me with endless cognitive experiences that provoke laughter and amusement, often during tough and demanding adventures. The beam is always high, for these guys are hunting Big Prey and have more than the ability to achieve their goals given half a chance. The Tackle is always Tough and up for the Task , for Large Pike once hooked , seldom come quietly.

You don't have to be Mad to be a Chester Pred , but it sure does help ;)http://chesterpredators.blogspot.com/

I had finished work on my last night shift. I had been quite busy during the night and had already resounded myself for the visit to snooze ville. At 6 am , I received a text from Mike Ashcroft. Mike was sat next to the river waiting for first light. He told me, he was the only angler on the bank and that the level was nearly back to normal after a week of flood water. The colour was dropping out fast and chances were much improved. My Mind raced , suddenly all tiredness vanished from my body and I text ed straight back that I was on my way. A quick dash home and I was just in time for the dawn chorus as I pulled up next to Mikes Car. It didn't take long for Mike to wave his magic and he was attached to a feisty young jack who could finally see it's prey in the filtering flood water. We were quite upbeat at this great start but unfortunately, that was the last of the action. The river was still high and somewhat coloured and we both came to the conclusion that the Pike may well still be sheltering in their flood swims occupied by match anglers. It had been better than bed and as usual we had bounced are angling brains off each other and had a chuckle at the expense of it all. At 13.00 hours I was wilting so I said my good byes and retreated home for some well deserved kip. An evening with the my wonderful family left me refreshed and ready for my next angling adventure the very next day.

A Pair of Early Risers Together.

The next day arrived quickly with the alarm clock showing a bleary freakish time. I had planned a day out with Slash Yarwood. Matt had lost his father just before Christmas after a long hard fought battle and I wanted to give him the opportunity of getting back on the bank with the chance of a very good river fish. I still wasn't sure where we would end up , but had arranged to meet during a call the previous evening at the same river venue in case conditions had improved. The EA provide a service that allows you to see current river levels all over the country without setting a foot out of the door. It can be found @
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/default.aspx

You Never Lose it. Slash quickly gets back into the swing of things ;))

It is a wonderful tool , and if you own a PC is totally free , unlike years gone by where you either had to pay through the nose with a phone call or a view a reliable web cam view of the river the day before. We were in luck and the river had dropped a further two foot plus, more importantly the colour had improved dramatically and the margins were totally clear. Matt arrived after his trip up from Stafford and I placed him in the swim that I had reserved arriving at stupid o'clock. I gave Slash the low down on the swims characteristics and then retreated allowing him to attack. Matt soon had the first rod in position and had started to set up his second rod. Suddenly the float on his first rod disappeared and shot off quickly into the middle of the river. We both noticed it at the same time for as the words " You have a Run" ran off my lips, Slash already had seen it and had the rod in his hand and was feeling the braid being pulled from the spool. Almost immediately Slash Struck only to see his bait pop up in front off him. Blast !!! Did you feel the fish I asked, No came the reply, " Good" get it back in , That fish will be back " . I could here Mike's experienced river voice in my head. Matt showed me a pair a incisor puncture wounds on his baits stomach and recast it back to the same spot. It is never nice to miss a run but I would rather have this than a deep hooked Pike anytime. If a Pike doesn't feel the resistance there is a very good chance it will return sooner than later , especially if blood is forthcoming. Ten minutes or so past and now Slash had both rods in position. Suddenly, the float on the first rod dipped and moved of confidently. Matt Stuck and was immediately into a good fish. After a spirited fight , the fish was soon in the net. Slash had managed to christen one of his new rods. I was very pleased. She was certainly a double figure fish and went on to weigh a pleasant 14 lb 8 ozs.

14 lbs 8 ozs and Slash is back.

This had been a great start and the sun was still in bed. We sat it out for the rest of the morning and changed venues twice, but all to no avail. Still it had been great seeing Slash after such a long absence and I knew he had enjoyed himself immensely. I could get used to this gillie lark. Max enjoyment from providing others with happiness from Anglers. It could become addictive, but for now I am happy keeping it to a minimum.

Slash must have got the bug , for two days later he was back on the River Severn catching Barbel in air temps below 0 oc. " There is ice on my unhooking mat" the text had read. " Just put one back weighing 9 lbs 15 " . " It wouldn't go ten no matter how much I bounced the scales ;)) " A true mark of the man and certainly great having him back in the fray , where he belongs.
The Following day I had arranged to met an old mate that I hadn't seen for years. Alan is a fellow Chester FC Fan. I went out with his Sister for 7 years, it was great, I had the best of both worlds. Chester City FC , Heavy Metal Mayhem plus a bit of Passion on the side lol It was wonderful. I am sure I will get a slap for that. I had Bumped into Gou as he is better known , at a recent Chester home game and had exchanged mobile numbers. We had always got on. We both loved our Football both home and away with Chester over the years , and we both loved our fishing.

Alan's Grandad Cliff had been a keen Game Angler. He would take Alan away for the summer on the upper Severn and Montgomery Canal. Cliff , a fellow River Angler enjoyed targeting Trout and Grayling . He used to both inspire and amaze me , for even well into his eighties he would still potter about on the banks putting both Alan and I to shame with his endurance and Passion for Angling. It was always a pleasure being in his company , I just hope I can emulate his enthusiasm into my old age. I'm sure I can , for we like minded Anglers are built of stern stuff. I am sure he looks down at me from time to time watching my adventures from on high. Surely , you just can't switch off from Angling just like that , even if you have moved onto the Dreamy River Bends in the sky.

I picked Alan up at 07.30am for a short drive down the A483 to the Roach Pool. There was to be no pressure. Gou was just getting back into his fishing and I just wanted him to catch. We did manage a quite a few Roach and Carp before switching for a dabble of Piking on a local river close to home. In a couple of hours Gou managed three jacks and had a whale of a time catching a species he had always been a bit weary of. I think it is the same for all of us. Respect maybe for a Predator who is King of the hill. I went on to explain and show Alan how to handle and hold Pike Safely. It is always easier to be shown on the bank than reading about it from a book. Usually it is the treble hooks that warrant the most respect. I know Gou had enjoyed himself immensely and this will probably be the first of many trips now we are back in touch".

Oh I don't want no fuss , all I want is to have a good time , nothing gets me down cos I learnt to make myself feel fine. Don't feel like dying , Don't feel like cryin , Just feel like Smilin' Today ;))

The very next day I had set the alarm for 03.15 am , gasp !! The easy days were over and now it was time for Gulper's Maneuvers. Today Steve had planned a trip North of the Border. In true Gulper style the sights had been set high , with large Scottish Female Esox the target. A 500 mile round trip in 12 hours never came into it. This was to be Adventure in it's purest. Travel , Hike , Fish , Catch , Return Trip ;)) This guy knew his stuff both on boat and dry land. There is never a dull moment and I spend most of my day with Mike and Steve howling with laughter. Some how we manage to squeeze the fish that we catch amongst the tears of joy. Today was to be no exception. After picking Steve up we had arrived just after first light in a fine tuned plan.

The Gulpmiester. He certainly knows his stuff !!

The 250 miles had been covered in 3 hours flat officer. Then came the hike.Tri-athletes could
learn a lot from Gulper. It is more of an endurance test than a pleasure fishing trip. Eventually after trudging through miles of forest we arrived at Loch Side. I placed my gear on the floor , stood up , took a deep breath and allowed my mind the chance to take it all in. The scenery in front of me was mind blowing and I gazed at the magnificent sight as it unfolded in front of me. Loch Fury, as we call her , never fails to have your chin on the floor with her magnificence. It really is an incredible place. The scenery alone is breath taking and then you have the fishing on top of it.Bright Sunshine , yet Steve Still manages to get amongst the action.

We unpacked and set up four rods. Now at this point I should rephrase this , for only four hours into the fishing did we finally manage four rods in the water together. Action was blistering from the start. In a total of Seven hours , we took Ten Fish from Thirteen runs. There were four doubles in the total , the best fish going 15 +. We even managed to experiment using an ingenious method of getting baits out far into the lake without casting. Quite an incredible invention from the Gulpmiester considering there were no bait boats and only one and a half rods were used.

Biggest Critter of the day at 15 +

The day as always , was full of fun , the suns rays had beamed down on us and it felt more like May than February. It all ended at 15.00 hrs when the runs runs finally stopped and we actually ran out of bait. The secret success of the day was down, possibly , to some High Tech Chummy Cubes devised by the maestro himself. Either that or from the cat wee sprayed on to Steve's Waders the previous evening by Boris one of Gulpers cats. lmao ;))

Gulper reckons Some Really Big Muthas live in Loch Fury. The bite marks on this 12 lb fish add to his theory.

So there you have it , a week spent fishing with friends. Work Hard, Play Even Harder is our motto. And to think I used to be a loner. You can learn a lot from these guys and , have an incredible laugh at the same time. Social Piking is the way to go. Life is just far to short to be miserable. With the end of the River Season Approaching Fast , I already have a few adventures planned for next week. Until then unfortunately I have to work for a living , Doh . Until then
.

Tight Lines Roamers ;))

Lucky Man

2011-02-17T18:54:00.043Z

Lucky Man by The Verve http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6UeSYFiVbQ

Sometimes this Fishing Game is incredibly easy, and yet , other times it can see you pulling your hair out, maybe that is why I am as bald as a coot lol.. This week , I had a foot in both camps. You can call it Lady Luck if you so wish , but I think it's all about being in the right place at the right time. For two days I tried my little heart out chasing large Specimen Roach in Shropshire. Needless to say, either I was in the wrong place , or they were just not having any of it. Sometimes Luck can play a major role , but I like to think of it as either good or possibly bad judgement on the day.

Spring was certainly in the air as I finished my last night shift with air temps pushing ten degrees. Once again I had managed a soft night shift , and so was full of the joys. I was in no mood for wasting my time in bed and was focused instead on the chance of a large red fin or two. I made the quick trip home made my Wife a quick Coffee , before grabbing my gear and setting sail for Sunny Shropshire.

Luck or possibly lack of it was to play a major role that day. I had arrived just after 08.30 am. The traffic had been horrendous. I am so glad I don't have to commute at that time of the morning each day. The risks that some people are prepared to take just to save a few seconds is quite unbelievable. I unpacked my gear from the car and stared out onto the lake. It still amazes me how many Anglers just turn up and head to a favourite spot before even way-ing up conditions or even looking at the lake. Roach as we know , do like a prevailing wind on Still Waters. The hatching insect life is often blown to the far bank on the ripple and the fish know this only to well. With this in mind I set up for the far bank and into the face of a stiffening breeze. It was a bit nippy but as a seasoned angler sometimes you have to bite the bullet for max rewards.

I had chosen my spot well , or so I had thought. I had placed myself facing into a stiffening breeze after arriving and watching a few topping fish on my side of the lake. I new this lake quite well , or so I thought. I always try and invent my own bit of luck. This comes from a mixture of previous experience , inner water craft plus the weather conditions of the day. Information gained from previous trips can always pay dividends. Vital clues such as depths , natural food , features and holding spots can all add to our chances. The Weather conditions nearly always play a major part.

Initially I started on just one feeder rod, but after four slow hours I was starting to doubt my own judgement as I had only landed four 8 oz Fish. I would give them another hour and then it was time for a move. Almost immediately the quiver tip shot round and I was attached to a very good Roach. I have had a few fish from this over the 2lb barrier and they are very distinctive once attached. However the anticipation and quickening heart beat were to be short lived as the hook pulled 3 seconds into the fight. I was left with a bait less hook and that terrible crushing sinking feeling. I hate losing fish at the best of times , but when they are large and a possible lump , it is always a bitter pill to swallow. I regained my composure and carried on fishing but it continued to be even slower. The lost fish had obviously spooked any had warned his mates big time. After seven hours my tiredness was starting to catch up with me. I decided there and then to pre-bait the swim with hemp for a following trip the next day.

I arrived the next morning with weather conditions virtually the same as the previous day. I set up shop in the same spot and cast to the same tree shadow in the water knowing I was in exactly the same pre-baited spot. Even though my day had been slow the previous day I still trusted my judgement, and was more than happy when I started catching from the off even if they were only 2 oz fish. After an hour I was a bit perplexed as to where these small fish were coming from. I had never caught them this small and in such numbers before. Had there been a mass explosion from spawning two years previous ?? I had no answers. I continued to catch and eventually started to catch some better fish. I should have been impressed as most were well over 2 -3 lb range , However they were not the species I wanted. The Carp had turned up and had bullied all the roach out of the swim. An Angler from the other side of the lake had come around for a chat after seeing my light Leger rod constantly being bent double. I told him I was a bit cheesed , as the Carp had moved in and it was Specimen Roach I was after. He seemed a bit taken aback. I told him that any one could sling a bait out and sit on it for 3 days for a fish to finally hook itself, but not everyone could catch shy and illusive 2 lb Roach. For some reason he disappeared almost immediately. lmao.

At 14 .00 hrs I had moved three times and each time the carp seemed to have followed me. Totally Frustrated , I called it a day and set my sights on a Pike Trip to the Mere the Following Day. Maybe , It would be the Pikes turn to evade their capture ??

I had a leisurely breakfast the next morning and made my way to The Mere arriving at 10 am. There was no need to rush for I already knew I would have the whole place to myself. First job was to empty the boat of rain water with a makeshift ladle. With everything in place and nice and dry, I set sail. First stop was a favourite spot that had the wind blowing straight towards it. It was a cool breeze but the Roach should be in the shallower water. My mind was already ticking over like a computer, as I rowed up the lake. Sure enough second cast on a wobbled Smelt I made contact with my first fish of the day. He fought well and turned out to be a Jack of about 7lbs. Back he went and I recast. Wobbling Smelts is a classic way of catching Pike. It may not get you any Monsters but you will have some great fun . It is a simple well proven method on both slow moving and still water. After another 30 minutes of casting around in a clock wise fashion I had managed another fish of around the 6 lbs mark. My luck had changed and I was in full control of what was in front of me on offer. Another hour passed and I moved to another area of the Mere but had no furthur action. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a fish striking in the margins towards the boat house. Not one to miss a trick I immediately moved to this obvious feeding fish and cast a bait to where I had seen it move. Bang !!! the smelt had only just hit the water when there was a swirl and I was connected to another Jack. This was great fun. In the following 25 minutes I went on to land a further six fish , four coming on Smelts.

Wobbled Smelt. A deadly method and over looked by so many.

It was fast and furious and great fun. I just couldn't get the baits on fast enough. Experience has told me that there were some large Females in the area. These small jacks were obviously gathering for courtship, the problem was I couldn't get the baits through them to the Big Girls. I set up another Dead Bait rod on a large Popped up Sardine but nothing Materialised. I wasn't complaining , I had had a great days sport with Nine Fish in total. I left at 15.00 hrs giving what jacks were left a break. Sometimes being greedy just isn't cricket. I was satisfied that I was a Lucky Man after all. Keeping my wits and eyes open had repaid me well , and I had reeled in the rewards. Sometimes Luck just doesn't even enter the equation. Simple Observation can beat Lady Luck Hands Down , Every time.

I have a string of Adventures already planned for next week with Slash , Mike plus a Very Good Friend I haven't seen for a very long time. Alan is a Chester Fan , so I am sure we will hopefully Catch a few fish and reminisce of the Good and Bad times of our youth. Looking Forward to it all.

Video 1 My Luck Just keeps getting Better

Video 2 Always a pleasure watching them go back

Video 3

Nine Fish later , and my luck had changed , thanks to a simple observation

Tight Lines Roamers !!!

Spring is just around the corner

2011-02-06T10:37:00.008Z

One Swallow certainly doesn't make a Summer, but after an early morning run , and with bunches of Snow Drops evident everywhere, I reckon Spring is officially well on it's way.

My Tench Rods are Poised Eagerly in Anticipation ;))

Big Girls You are Beautiful

2011-02-01T17:26:00.025Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDSK91mUNLU Mika ...... Big Girls

This week the Rivers continued to Deliver. My hunch that furthur Fish could be caught proved correct and I went on to land these two Stunners of 17 lbs 9 oz and 18 lbs 3 oz. I just lit the blue touch paper and stood back. As is quite often in angling a chance visit inbetween day and night shifts turned out to be quite memorable. Sometimes those planned days can leave you flat and wanting. Usually the chance impulse visits are the Ones that can pay out Big Time.

I could get to like this Pike Fishing Lark. ;)) .
.
Lump 1 @ 17 lbs 9 oz

Lump 2 @ 18 lbs 3 ozs .

Video - Back She Goes

More Angling Adventures Next Week ;))

Until Then Tight Lines !!

Baby your a Firework - The Dee Delivers

2011-01-26T15:50:00.054Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTfZXh427B0 Katy Perry....... Firework

Just prior to Christmas, and for a never ending month, the whole of the UK had shivered as the Coldest Winter on record bit hard. Temperatures as low as -14 degrees had been recorded in Chester for the second year in a row. With both Still Waters and incredibly Rivers both being frozen , I had utilised my Angling downtime well . I had managed to work as much overtime as possible could whilst the Siberian weather did it's worst. Come January I knew those heavy utility bills would be landing with an almighty thud on my door mat. And so , as we entered January the slush fund was bursting at the seems ready to stem the barrage of demands. Any little time that I did have off during the Christmas period , had been spent confined to Angling Barracks. If there was such a thing as Anglers Cold Turkey, I had it. It had been a long time off , too long !! However being halfway through January we were finally beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. Air temperatures had finally risen and the rivers had automatically thawed and gone into major flood mode for an incredible ten days , as the cold brown snow melt washed off the Welsh Hills , and made it's way through the water causes and out to the Irish Sea. Soon it would be time. I certainly had a lot of catching up to do, and I intended on filling my boots as soon as the opportunity arrived. Those fish would be hungry, really hungry. I just needed to be there , when those Big Dee Girls were finally able to feed.

An alternative day out with Grandma and Matthew at our football club , Chester FC.

It was now mid January, and after what now seemed like an age , I finally got to wet a line on my local river. Just before my last night shift I nipped down for a look. She looked Great !! At last She was well within her banks and was fining down nicely. A tinge of colour was still present but these were perfect conditions. This was the perfect time to intercept a very Big Fish. During the recky , I had been pleased to see that the match men were just starting to catch from the large shoals of silver fish that had now moved out of their recent flood swims back into the much deeper glides. Constant temperatures were what these little fish needed and the deeper water would provided it. I was excited, very excited, those Dee Pike would be starving. For two long weeks they had been shielded from there prey by a wall of icy brown water. Conditions were good and soon they would start to feed in earnest. I fancied my chances and fancied them good.

For once my last night shift had been a doddle. I was fresh as a daisy and bed that morning was never in the equation. I needed to go fishing. Where should I go ? I thought to myself as I raced through my works car park turnstile. I have always tried to squeeze the most out of my life and still consider every second as priceless. Angling and Shift work gives me the excuse to abuse the system fully , and extract the ticking clock for everything that it's worth. It was 7 am and the River Dee really was calling me but I knew in the back of my mind that all the best swims would already be taken. Today I would settle for chasing Large Specimen Roach. I stopped off at my house briefly to pick up my gear and bait and fifty minutes later and I would be sat at Roach Pool.

I arrived only to find half the lake frozen. Two frosts had come from nowhere over the previous two nights and they really were starting to threaten my plans. Fish dislike sudden temperature changes at the best of times. This I had learned from my early club match fishing days in the Grosvenor Angling Society as the first frost of September would see sections won with solitary fish. Five days of frost and the fish would soon adjust to the new climate and go back on the feed , but sudden drops like this and the bites would dry up fast After three hours and only four fish to show for my effort , it was time for a rethink. I couldn't get the River out of my head. She really was spot on. I had no option. A strange feeling like a six sense was luring me back, and like so many times in my Angling career I listened. Once more my gear was hurled back into the van and I sped off back to where my chances would be maximum, all I had to do was find a peg.

I made two stops on the way back. The first was a upper river spot , more renown for it's game fishing than it's Pike , but my luck was out anyway as I peered through the hedge. I could clearly see two Pike floats bobbing around in the water as another angler with similar thoughts was already out. I jumped back in the car and headed for a match length. I arrived to find the place crowded with match men and Pikers crawling the banks alike. This was not for me , so I took off for a quiet and secluded spot that would see me away from the madding crowd. I arrived , and let out a sigh of relief as I rounded the final bend to find the spot deserted. Brilliant. I jumped out of the van and peered down. She was spot on. A tiny amount of colour was just starting to fizzle out of the main flow plus the margins were Gin Clear.

The business end of an Atlantic Salmon.

I always throw a Pike rod in with my roach gear. It always gives me an alternative option if the going is poor at Roach Pool. Quietly I reached for my wobbling rod and grabbed the packet of smelts off the back seat and made my way down to the water. She really did look good. I would cast to the crease and allow the small bait to flutter down slowly to the river bed before retrieving it in sharp spasmodic jerks , thus imitating a dieing fish. My first cast was perfect and I counted down and watched my braid peel off out it's spool until it stopped. Straight away I started to twitch the bait back towards me with sharp jags on my baitrunner reel. Suddenly and without warning there was a sharp pull on the braid and I was immediately into a fish. Wow this really was a powerful beast. Just as I was about to bend down and grab my landing net , A large Silver Torpedo launched itself from the water. Not once , not twice , but three times in quick leaping succession. I knew immediately what I had hooked , I peered into the water and could clearly see the that this was the unmistakable shape of a Fantastic Dee Salmon. I loosened the drag immediately and set about the fight a little bit more cautiously. I had caught a returning Grilse a few years back on the same tactics but that fish had eluded my camera lens after it jumped back in before I had chance to capture it on film. I was determined to give this Silver beauty the chance of a photo shoot.

Like the 4 th of July , but it wasn't even my Birthday ;))

As the fish drew nearer I could see quite clearly that this was a male cock fish as it possessed a wicked hook jaw. I was tingling with excitement and was enjoying my tussle immensely. Soon the fish tired but only after a tremendous account of itself. Soon I was able to draw the fish close to the landing net , and I held my breath as it finally glided over the outstretched rim. " YES !! " I shouted. " GOT YOU". I grinned like a Cheshire Cat and stared down at the wonder bar of Silver. He was out certainly out of breath and I new I had to get him back quickly. This fish was the future of my river and I had no intentions of allowing him to perish. I took some quick shots and a very short video to show my pleasure and them I immediately returned him and held him back in the strong current a bit further upstream until he finally kicked hard and swam off strongly. I punched the air , pleased that he had gone back so strong and no worse for his brief encounter with the strange grinning human. Later on in the day I received confirmation , that sure enough that my capture had been a Kelt, a spawned out fish , who was making his way slowly back down the river and back to the sea. He was obviously not alone for as I continued fishing there were constant leaps from accompanying fish.

After 15 minutes of further sink and draw, I retired and set up a float paternoster rig and put a bait on. Once more I cast to the near by willow and I sat back to catch my breath. However this was short lived , for five minutes later I my float was away and travelling a good 12 inches below the water surface and was heading for the Irish sea. I struck and made good contact with a jack of between 7 - 8 lbs. He fought well for a nipper and he really did give his all. I took a couple of snaps for posterity . It's not often you catch a Salmon one cast and a Pike the next. He also went back both strong and safe.

This was to be the last action of the day but I was more than pleased. The Kelt had weighed in at a very pleasing 7 lbs 9 ozs and was it a new PB Fish , even if it had been caught by accident. The River really was spot on and I wanted more. During that evening I arranged another immediate trip the following morning after raving to Mike Ashcroft how good She looked. Large River Pike were on both our minds and we new just the right spots to find them.

Mink and Coot tracks in the Dee Silt

It was early , very early when I arrived at the river the next morning. Mike was already there and had laid claim to a very productive swim. It was still dark , another two anglers were also present. For some reason they had both neglected a brilliant spot that really could do the business. Without any hesitation I jumped at the chance and placed my gear quickly in the spot before they had chance to change their minds. I chatted to Mike as we waited for the daylight. My expectations were still high as everything was still bang on. As the dawn chorus started we both cast our baits to favoured spots , thus lighting the blue touch paper and sat back in full anticipation.

The wait only lasted 70 minutes . I only had one rod out at the time and was placing another bait on my second rod. As is normal , there was a sudden jerk on the float and it shuddered after something below had had hit the bait hard. Soon the bouncing float came to a halt and instantly the red buoyancy aid started to ease away before it dipped below the water surface and glided off positively towards into the main current of the river. I picked up my rod and allowed the run to develop. This fish was not letting go and wanted the bait for sure. I wound down and and struck, " Yes " Fish on !! The fish surged for the middle of the river and fought hard in the main current as all River Pike Athletes do. This was no still water plastic bag, this was an Athlete hell bent on escape, and she had all the endurance to do so. She really did put up an incredible battle with several powerful lunges and gave the Salmon I had yesterday, a true run for it's money. Finally I managed to gain on her , and after two attempts She was safely in my net. Mike had heard the commotion and had come to over to lend a hand. We stared down at the dark shape and estimated that she was a mid double of about 14 lbs. Sure enough she weighed in at 14 lbs 4 oz. From her bulging appearance this fish had been feeding hard, as whole roach and dace could be seen protruding from her belly. We captured her stunning looks on film before she idled her way back into the river without a care in the world. Brilliant !! this had been the best possible Start. I thanked Mike for his help and recast with a fresh bait to the same successful spot. Thirty minutes passed and unbelievably I was in again. Unfortunately this time the fish managed to throw the hooks after a 60 second battle. I never saw her , but she felt a good fish. I was left wondering what might have been. I have learned over the last couple of years that you very rarely land all the pike that take your baits. It' just part and parcel of a Bony Mouth and the luck of the draw where the fish grabs the bait. I was a bit cheesed off but I was certainly not down. I attached a new bait and recast to the same obvious Hot spot.

Make em go oh oh oh . Fat Feeding Pike. 14 lbs 4 oz

After another 40 minutes, I was in again and this really was a powerful run with the float showing no signs of slowing once taken. It just glided off on it's merry way at a wonderful steady pace travelling at 45 degrees under the water as it powered off strongly into mid river. These fish really were hungry. Once again I wound down and hit the fish hard. " Yes" this felt much better. I back wound as the fish lunged around and stayed deep. Once again This fish fought hard and long lunging and shaking her head many times before I finally coaxed into the waiting net. Yes !! I was most relieved. As she had come to the net I had seen that she was only lightly lightly hooked with one set of trebles hanging out of her mouth. She was quickly unhooked and Mike once more did the honours with the camera. Even Mike with all his captures over the years commented how magnificent she looked with her Silvery Flanks. She really was an immaculate Fish and was much lighter in appearance than the darker 14 lb fish. She was both long and lean and looked very mean and once again had been feeding hard. According to Mike , her gut resembled that of Santa and she took the scales round to an impressive 17 lbs 4 ozs. She really was a beauty.

Boom Boom Boom , even brighter than the moon. A Magnificent Silver Dee Lady @ 17lbs 4 oz

This was my best fish of the New Year. We photographed her and then returned her no worse for her visit. She shot off and soaked me in the process. I didn't care I was a Happy Piker. I laughed. All my expectations were coming to the fold. Three good fish hooked and all within 3 1/2 hours of each other. This was what I had predicted and was coming true. Now those long five weeks were being returned with Big Fat Pike. It was all coming good. For me that was to be the last action of the day. Mike finished off the day with a nice River Perch in true Predator Style. I was more than happy with my two captures. We finally called it a day as the street lights came on , said our good byes and headed home quite content with our team effort.

Mike , Every inch a Chester Pred.

The next day I was back , but as all the swims had gone I was left in an unfavourable spot and caught a few Dace , after blanking at another Dee Venue. It had been a bitterly cold morning with a hard frost present. As if that wasn't enough a biting easterly wind was present and chilled me to the bone. I settled and called it quits after catching ten super Dee Dace on the Stick Float. I could barely feel my fingers and for once was content to call it quits before heading off home, for a red hot bath brrrrrrrrrr.

Super Dee Dace !!!

Thursday, and Mike had a plan. This year I have decided that I would like to achieve a new Pb Grayling. Mike had such a spot of where I may achieve my dreams and so at first light , we made our way to a tiny river that held one or two fish well over the 2 lb barrier and possibly even bigger. The day didn't go exactly to plan and the Lady of the Stream played hard to get. Mike managed one fish plus a small Brown Trout and they were both released immediately on capture. After 2 hours we were frozen standing in the main current of water and it was time for a move. Mike went to work and I went Dace bashing once again. The cold easterly wind blew was still present , but this time I managed 15 Dace on the stick float plus a small 4 lb Jack Pike from a marginal shelf.

Friday , and this was to be my last day. I had been promising a lad from work a trip out for many months. Finally I decided to put in the effort and I telephoned Steve to arrange a trip to Roach Pool the very next day. Steve is a Very Good Match Angler but had had a long lay off. He was desperate to get back into the sport he loved. I new that the Roach Pool would give him the perfect opportunity to get back into the spirit of things and so at 7 am the very next day I picked him up and we set sail for Shropshire.

To cut a long story short Steve soon bounced back to his old best. For two hours he battled to find any feeding fish but once he found them in the deeper water he was away. He went on to land well over fifty fish all in the 6 oz bracket with a few just just shy of the 1lb mark. It had been a tough day and conditions really had been against us, but Using Pole tactics Steve got the shoal feeding and massed a good 20lb net of fish. I had shown him to his peg for the day giving him the best possible chance and had leftt him to his own devices . His confidence oozed just for being at the waters edge once more and I new such confidence was always the mark of a good angler. Steve enjoyed himself immensely and I am sure he is already planning his first match entry having been biten by the fishing bug once more.

After such a good week I was happy to roam around the pools in the winter sunshine after struggling for three hours to intercept any of the larger Specimen Red fins . I did manage one good fish over the 1 lb mark but in the end just had some fun catching endless 8 oz fish plus a few Perch and Gudgeon for good measure.

It didn't take Steve long to get back into the swing of things !!

It had been a great week and I had enjoyed myself immensly. Sometimes it just pays to listen to those inner instint gut feeling. As Anglers this really can just give you that major edge. Water Craft is the essence to many a good capture so never ignore it's magical power. And talking of education. We can always learn something form each other, be you a Big Fish Hunter or Winning section Matchman. Never be afraid to ask questions and bounce ideas of each other. Sometimes just watching another angler can put you onto success. Never be to proud to ask advice, it could mean the difference between a Big success and not a failure.

I am sure there will be more Dee lumps in the near future. Conditions really are spot on and them Big Girls will be packing on the protien ready for spawning at the end of March. We shall see.Until my next adventure.Tight Lines Roamers !!

Video 1 My first ever Kelt

Video 2 A fiesty Dee Jack caught on successive casts after the Kelt

Out At Last 2011

2011-01-20T18:59:00.027Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYLseVbOHjk Now We Are Free. Gladiator Theme Tune.

This week I finally made it through the front door after the weather had abated and actually allowed me the chance of wetting a line. The Rivers were still up and in Full Flood carrying a good dollop of Snow Melt off the Welsh Hills , and were thus totally out of the equation. Still Waters it would have to be. I was already twelve days into the new year and I still hadn't been out. I was starting to get Anglers Cold Turkey, if there was such a thing.

My entertainment over the Christmas period had been spent in the Barmy Army , camped out on the Sitee downstairs in the wee early hours of many a morning watching The England Cricket Team on Sky TV. They really had been Magnificent throughout the full fives tests and went onto to claim a well deserved Team Victory over the old exiles with plenty more to spare. And so , not only did we retain, but went on to Win The Ashes Outright and Spanked the Whinging aussies in their own Back Garden 3-1. Oh Joy , after 24 long years of hurt and torment.

The weather of late really had been bad The Stills had been totally frozen and the Rivers were in flood , but now I had my chance. With a four day break ahead of me I took my chance and headed out to my first destination , The Mere. I had actually visited Her Ladyship two days prior only to find her still frozen, even after a couple of days of Mild Rain. This time I was in luck and I waded through three foot of cat ice and freezing cold water to the boat house. I was met with a scene that resembled something from a Hollywood Blockbuster. Pearl Harbour litterally unfolded before me , with stricken and upended and sunken craft all around me. It really had to be seen to be believed. I managed to bale out two of the boats before placing my gear in the larger of the two. Then and only then did I head out onto the main water coarse. At last I was back where I belonged.

The Wind really was gusting and biting hard, but it was just good to be out and I never felt the full force of the gale until later on in the day when I was left glowing with a chapped face...... I made my way to a favourite spot and put out a dead bait float rod and then set out wobbling a smelt in the margins. It wasn't long before the little Smelt was snaffled and I went on to land my first fish of the New Year.

A small but well marked and defined Jack Pike of about 5lbs. It was a start and whatever pressure was on was now off. Unfortunately that was it for the day. The wind really got up and I was literally blown all over the Mere without any further success. Never mind I had just enjoyed being out in the fresh air. The fish had been a bit of a bonus. Another highlight, besides the little fish , was the sighting of a Large Dog Otter in the Boat House Area. I tried to get a picture of him but Tarka had other ideas and he vanished into the reeds and well out of site of my camera lens. I will have to capture him another time.

The next day and I was out again, but this time for Roach. I have a wonderful little pool in my portfolio where the are some stonking Big Roach to be caught. The Venue is a commercial Carp fishery but as with most Carp Waters not only the Carp grow big on the endless supply of protein being hurled in on a daily basis. Some of the Roach are rumoured to be in excess of 3lbs and were responsible for annoying many a sleepy carper by triggering their optonics at 3 o'clock in the morning by consuming a good side boilie, much to the Carpers disgust. I on the other hand new the potential , for a Roach of 1 lb was always a Specimen in my book , A 2lb er was a fish of a Lifetime. A 3 lb Fish , was well , just something to make your knees go week , but I had it on good authority that they did exist. I had arrived as most Roach Specimen Hunters do at first light. Roach have a lovely habit of giving themselves away at first and last night by topping. Some of the larger fish can be seen swirling as they chase hatching buzzers up in the water. This timely showing can enhance your chances know end and is another string to your fine tuned angling bow.

Armed with a fine and very effective Roach Ground bait and White Maggots as bait , I set up stall in a known haunt and proceed to to cast for the first hour to the same spot with a good carpet of Ground Bait. After 15 minutes or so I received my first twitch of the day and retrieved the small feeder to find both maggots sucked. This is always a good sign so early on for it proves that the fish are in the vicinity. Some Anglers will already be questioning my approach and the lack of Casters for bait for the Better Quality Fish. I can assure you I have tried various methods and baits at the venue and have always found double white maggot to be most successful. Maybe the are more visible at a 13 foot depth, I am not sure ?but they work and I am confident with the approach.

It can be a noisy venue with it being a working Mine so I always take a pair of ear plugs with me. I went onto land well over Fifty Quality Roach , most in the 8 - 12 oz bracket with four fish well over the 1 lb mark. It had been a super day on fine 2 lb tackle and a tiny 18 hook. Roach always fight well and these Beauty's had been know exception. I went home a Happy Chappy. It is always a privilege to catch such Super Specimens with their Bright Red Fins and Silvery Flanks. Wonderful.

Two Days later and I wanted some more Red Fin Magic. This time I was accompanied by The Chairman of The Chester Predators Group, Mike " Ashy" Ashcroft. Mike was also hungry for some New Year Action having spent most of Christmas behind the wheel , Taxing many a Party Go-er around the Chester Area. Now it was his time to Party. Mike is a Piker through and through but does have a soft spot for many of our freshwater Species. Having served a Fine River Dee apprenticeship like myself , Mike can quite easily turn his hand and adapt to most forms Specimen Hunting at the drop of a hat. The last time we had been out together had been in July last year when I attempted to guide Mike on to a Double Figure Barbel. The Double never materialised, but we did managed a few smaller cousins form a couple of venues during a mild summer evening.

I put Mike in the Hot Spot whilst I disappeared onto the other side of the lake in the same deep channel but from another angle. Unfortunately we had suffered two hard frost in two days and it really did have an effect on the fishing. We went on to land about thirty fish between us , but it really was hard going. Mike managed Three Good Roach over the 1 lb mark which was good going on a really tough day. The bites two days previous had been wrap rounds. The equivalent this day had been mere flicks and were very difficult to hit to say the least. Still we had been out and had enjoyed the day immensely. I personally spent most of the day wandering around the venue trying to locate some of the larger inhabitants that may have been shoaled up tight, however I had been found wanting for once with only one fine Specimen to show for the ants in my pants approach.On another frost free day, I may well have cleared up.

Mr Chairman and Two Quality Red Fins Caught on a Tough Day.

It had been a good break and I was back into fish finding mode. It had been a joy just being able to Roam around searching and just trying to outwit some of the venues unwilling fish.

I have four days of work to go at and will be raring to go again next week , and this time the Rivers should just about be Spot On ;)

Until then , Tight Lines Roamers !!!!

Watchful Eyes , Thoughtful Mind

2011-01-06T10:06:00.004Z

Heres to Tight Lines in 2011

Ecstacy of Gold. 2010

2010-12-26T11:08:00.095Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOKhQ8ObQ7E&feature=related

WORK HARD .......... PLAY EVEN HARDER ...........

A few of the Highlights of Yet Another Great Angling Year

Mentally Stronger , Physically Tougher.

A Big Thanks to Mother Nature and all the Anglers I have had the pleasure of sharing Our Great Sport with in 2010.

Love Life , Love Angling.

2011 , Bring it On ;))