Usual Monday

Well the year is rapidly coming to a close and last night there was a definite chill in the air. The big guns had all been on the water in the past few days and struggled to scrape together a fish or 2 each so I wasnt over flowing with confidence even though it was a lovely evening. I went back to using back leads to keep the lines pinned down and also to keep the mainlines out of the way while playing fish on one of the other rods. When the run came I was glad The other lines were out of the way and I didnt need to recast them but the extra weight penduleming around close to the hook made me concerned about the hook pulling. A short scrap mostly near the net preceeded a nice fat mirror of 15lb 8oz pulling the scales down.

Future Plans

The winter is coming and theres no stoping it so all I can do make some plans to get through it as best as possible and hope for the best. firstly I want to do some sea fishing and try using halibut pellet on hair rigs. Maybe even adding something like squid and mackerel strips. I was also considering using a maggot feeder filled with pellet. As always I'd like to have a crack at some big pike with my good friend Jay. Not sure where yet but probably on one of the local rivers. Talking of rivers I'm hoping to get out and try for some roach and chub. As with all plans...... the best laid plans of mice and men!

Under Capenwray

We returned to dive at the flooded quarry near Blackpool known as Capenwray on Sunday. Those big roach made their usual appearance and also the gnarly old trout.

I Love Autumn Fishing

Autumn is always a great time on my local water, I had an eye on the weather and noticed cloud coming in on monday which meant warmer evenings. Sure enough after arriving in my warm gear ready for a chilly night the wind dropped complete and it was surprisingly warm. I agonised briefly whether to fish into the wind or on the back of it if it was going to be on the chilly side. I decided to fish on the back of the wind in my favourite corner but in the end it turned out to be a little acedemic as the wind dropped completely. With all 3 rods set up on simple semi fixed leads and S7 bottom baits I sat back to wait. Shortly after dark my left hand rod indicator dropped back and remained motionless, about 5 minutes later the indicator pulled up nearly back to its original position. I left it for a few more minutes then reeled in to check my rig, on picking up the rod a realised there was a fish on and I reeled a 10lb mirror into the net. The most uninspiring run I've ever had! A short time later the ame rod raced off and a second mirror almost the same size ended up in the net. I was due to pack up but decided to have a last cast because it felt like the kind of night where anything was possible. With a few minutes before I was due to pack up I was congratulating myself on 2 fish when the same rod went off again and it was clear that this was a better fish. Sure enough a lovely common slid into the net and pulled the scales down to 19lb 11oz. Theres every chance the fish could have gone to 20lb as I weighed the fish in my unhooking mat and slipped the old girl back in the same mat. I think the mat absorbed lots of water and so wieghed more than it did when I weighed the fish. Still a great fish and I'll settle for 19lb 11oz.

Gadgets

Lt me get this out in the open, I am a gadget addict! Its amazing the ammount of electronic gadgets that we use on a daily basis espescially when you look back only a few years. I think the same can be said about my fishing too. it started many years ago with bite alarms, the first ones I made myself until finally I could afford some Optonics. I still have my compacts, plus an extra couple, and I remember thinking how amazing they were. I still think theyre brilliant and if they had a remote wireless sounder box I'd still be using them! I may have started the story in the wrong place, perhaps my first fishing gadget was a 35mm camera, esential once my attention turned to carp. Now, of course, the camera is a digital point and shoot Olympus. it wasnt until recently that I got a bank stick adaptor so I could my shots while I fish alone. it was a year or 2 ago that an acquaintance showed me a remote fob for his SLR which enables more than 1 shot at a time to be taken. Apart from my phone I suppose the final piece of kit I cary is a battery pack to recharge my phone. Given that over 30 years ago I started with a 5foot rod and acient reel attached to a float and a worm on the hook I think I'd have been blown away not only by the vast array of gear I now carry but also by the perceived need to carry it.

Still Night

I ventured out onto the bank of my favourite water. Its ideal as its local and I can fish shortish evening sessions. Pete turned up for chat as I was setting up. Pete fished with us in the early days and although I occaisionally see him wandering around I never see him fishing. With the usual banter bout how little I catch he departed just as my left hand rod screamed off. Smuggly I shouted him and hit the run..... only to strike in to thin air. With my first bout of good luck I realised that he hadnt heard me! The evening and night were absolutely still and I was constantly expecting a run at any time, as the night wore on though I began to doubt if anything would materialise. It was with a lot of relief then when my right hand rod tip pulled around and I was finally in. A short dogged fight followed and a mirror of 14lb 11oz finally slid into the net.

Waiting

Got a date with some carp on monday! Moving in to autumn as we are I'm expecting some fish on the bank..... several fish on the bank in fact! On a bit of a tangent I've just returned from a camping trip with my kids, we dived under Swanage pier and to be honest I was surprised that there wasnt more fish getting caught! Anyway back to my original point, roll on monday.