Roach, bigger Rudd and bigger Perch

Headed back to the same pool as last week in an attempt to make acquaintance with the bigger relatives of last weeks catch. This time I took a kilo of worms and left the maggots alone thinking that was the answer, bigger bait, bigger fish. In the main it worked.
The smaller fish were on the bait first but after about an hour the stamp of fish improved and I landed a 12oz Rudd. Not entirely job done as I know for sure there are bigger still in the lake but a vast improvement.

Several more fish followed but nothing to trouble the scorers and then I hooked into something which felt altogether better. I feared it is was a small Carp but when it broke the surface and I spotted a big stripy my heart was in my mouth. I have lost big Perch before at the net, their bony mouths are difficult to get purchase into but thankfully the hook was firmly in the scissors. As always I thought it was going to weigh more than it did but I was still very pleased at 1lb 15oz. Shook the scales but it did not get to 2lb!

I fished on and caught plenty more fish but all in the 8-10oz bracket. A really enjoyable session.

Roach, Rudd, Perch and Carp

A day spent tiddler bashing on a spectacular intimate fishery that is full of silver fish, and the odd Carp. It is reputed to hold some good size specimens of Perch, Roach and Rudd and is little known so rarely fished. 

I spent the whole morning fishing flavoured maggots and hemp and built the swim in to a bite a chuck frenzy with only one problem, they we all small and carried no real challenge weight.

Our lad in the next swim was trying worm and while his action was a lot less frantic when he did land a fish it was of a much better quality. I helped him land and unhook a Rudd well over the pound mark and I could ignore it no longer. A change to worm brought about a slow down in bites but I still landed a few. No Rudd but a few nice Roach and some Perch, the biggest weighing 10oz.

I then decided to try the margins in search of it's dad and I thought I had cracked it when the float sailed away and tried to snag me. I managed to turn the unseen adversary and thought I had a record on but soon realised it was a small Common of about 4 or 5lbs.

The end result was a fun day exploring a new venue with about 40/50 fish in the net and a vow to return with a tactical change to land the bigger beasts that reside there.

Not so clever Pike, Warks Avon

There has been some debate in the fishing comic lately about Pike being the stupidest fish and today did them no favours.
I decided to venture on to new territory today and headed for a deep slow section of the Avon below Pershore, hoping to bump in to a Zander or two in the overcast conditions but it was slow.
I did however avert a blank by landing a Jack Pike, twice, from two different swims, over 100 yards apart, on the same bait!

The Pike was instantly recognisable from the large gash down it's flank. 

Twice it took half a Roach dead bait on a single hook rig. This was the first time I had tried single hooks, always using trebles in the past but on this result, two bites led to two in the net so I will definitely use them again.

Probably my last session on the river this season but I spent the afternoon sussing out a Barbel stretch that I am keen to get on in the summer.

Roach, Willow Farm

A first opportunity to get on the bank for ten days due to family and decorating commitments. I did not fancy battling the river with the extra water and the drop in temperatures so decided on a tiddler bashing afternoon after Roach. Started the session on worm but a succession of unhittable tugs and pulls made me change to maggots and the next bite turned out to be the biggest of the day. This 1lb 3oz fish scoring some needed points with the recent spate of big fish. A few more Roach were landed before I called it a day and went back to the housework. Thankfully that is now finished and I can concentrate my efforts on all things piscatorial.