Blimey - how long has it been?

To be honest, I'd forgotten I'd parked this blog, so while I had a little bit of time on my hands this morning I decided to resurrect it for old times sake.

I'll try to remember to update it as the fishing weather picks up over the coming weeks.

Another grand day out on the sluice

I thought I'd have another go at fishing a sluice match on Sunday, but bombed completely and didn't bother weighing-in.  I might've scraped a pound-and-a-half if I was lucky, but considering Graham (on the next peg) had 9 (yes, NINE) tench, I wasn't wasting any more time bothering the scales.

Instead, I prepared what bait I had left for a day on one of the areas of the sluice which almost never gets fished.  One person has owned up to trying it out this year and the signs were there when I walked the length last week.  I pitched up yesterday and after a yomp through the long grass (any sign of that mower yet?) I got to the spot I wanted to try.

As has happened a few times on expeditions of this nature this season, as soon as my seatbox was setup level & I was sat on it, the pumps started.  "Oh golly-heck - that appears to have knackered it" I thought to myself.  While I setup the rest of my gear, the usual rafts of reeds floated past and I settled myself for feeding as a flowing water dictates.

Just as I was about to start, the pumps stopped again - leaving me with a clump of bait in the wrong spot.  I fished over it for a while as the main target area settled down after my initial bombardment.  There were a few small roach & perch attracted at first, before I moved overf to the main swim and the bites started to come from larger hybrids.  They're certainly angry swines when they're hooked and they're well worth their weight in terms of the fight they give.  It wasn't long before the swim started fizzing and sure enough, the larger bream started to respond.  I really do need to replace the rodent-damaged sling I lost last winter, because I can't weigh anything now - a couple of the bream I caught must've been around 6lb each and weren't alone.  There were a good few around 3-4lb and a guest tench also put in an appearance towards the end of the session.  I was snapped twice by what I can only assume were other tench.  The first broke me on my hooklength and the second parted above my bulk shot after the line got wrapped around the pole tip & the elastic failed to take the strain - could've been an expensive incident if the line hadn't broke when it did...  There are some very large specimens lurking in there (of various species) so I'm not entirely heartbroken I didn't see either of the two which snapped me.

Water extraction pump aside, it's a great place to fish - but like most of them on the drains, it involves a long walk so best not to go with loads of gear. I'll be having another go on that little stretch again soon - it beats sitting there scratching your head wondering where the fish have disappeared to.

ADDENDUM:

It was good to see Norman Holt back on the sluice on Sunday.  By his own admission, he hadn't fished a match on the sluice and he looked well.  His luck was no better than mine though - he didn't trouble the scales either...

A month on...

I've just had a look at when the last post on here was put up & thought it was time for another one.

I'm still going on for the odd pleasure chuck, but my SDAA match days are at an end for the time being I think.  Having said that,  despite not fishing the matches, I've been having rather a lot of success while experimenting this season.  I realise that anyone walking past me whilst fishing could reasonable ask "where's the match?" because I always setup as if I'm fishing one, but that's where the similarity ends.  I'm well off the beaten-track as regards groundbait these days; there are now two or three mixes I use which always seem to work - none of which use badged products from tackle shops - all of which are as cheap as chips and work exceedingly well.

Today is a good case in point.  I went up to the match length and decided to walk far enough to be out of the way, but not that far that I needed oxygen when I got there.  The first job was to pitch as much groundbait in as I could, allowing it to do it's thing while I setup.  Once that was done, I used the left-over bait from the weekend to fish with and caught a fish a chuck, mainly skimmer & hybrids - 12-14oz apiece for the best part of 5 hours.  That's how I like fishing on there these days - just to catch as many fish as I can while I'm there.  I might stay for 2 or 3 hours of an evening, or 4-5 hours if I go during the day.

My match interests haven't completely disappeared - I did fish the WDAA flyer at Parbold on Sunday - because when I got up, that was what I wanted to do.  I drew crap and got tonked either side by the Walker brothers, but hey-ho, that's the gamble.  In actual fact, I really enjoyed it - I caught next to nowt, but even considering the walkers, cyclists and boats, it was good to be back on the flyers again.

Enjoy your fishing - whatever flavour it is.  More in a month (or sooner - again, if I can be bothered)

First week of the season - progress so far...

So - the season is a week old and, as I haven't exactly been prolific with the updates on here of late, here's a bit of a catchup.

Thursday 16th:

For the first time in I dunno how many years, I didn't make it onto the bank on the 'glorious' 16th.  Sad, I know, but it's just a sign of how things are these days.  Work comes first and I was too busy to take a day off.  I went for a squint at the old place in the evening and it looked like I hadn't missed much.

Saturday 18th:

Instead, I waited until the weekend.  I got up there on Saturday morning and was quite surprised to find no-one there before me.  Had word gone round that it was fishing like the proverbial toilet?  I set forth to find out for myself, opting to avoid the early pegs which had likely seen the most activity.  As I crossed the bridge, I had every intention of a long walk up to the wires.  Sadly, the length of the grass meant I was all-but spent by the time I reached the second reedbed, so I dropped my gear at peg 16 and had a brew while I got my breath back.  

Has anyone got a petrol mower?  D'you fancy spending 2-3 hours walking up & down the top bank with it??  Failing that - d'you fancy lending it to me so I can do it??? That top bank is in dire need of some attention & needs cutting properly so you can walk on it.  I really don't mind doing it myself so long as we can get that grass down to a manageable length.  No wonder so many anglers are investing in powered trollies lately.  I really don't want to have to resort to Cocodomol every time I got fishing - just to stave off backache through having to drag a trolley through that lot...

Anyway, I sat and had a swallow of coffee from the flask (that Millicano stuff they're advertising on the TV is quite good...) and set about clearing my peg.  With the (lethal) Seymo double-bladed cutter carefully added to the landing net handle, it was another 20 minutes before the 'rampant' rushes were cleared from the front of the platform so I could get my keepnet in the water.  A discussion I had later in the day confirmed what I initially thought:  those rushes really have exploded all the way along the river and a major up-rooting exercise is needed around the pegs (draw forks at the ready, chaps...).  It'd be a crying shame if all the work done to put platforms in was wasted because they become overgrown by rushes, rendering them unfishable.

Preparations finally done, I setup & started fishing.  By this time, the sun was shining and I thought it may be a bit of a struggle.  To be honest I was quite content just being there, so fish would be a bonus.  What I didn't expect was a lunking great tommy Ruffe on the first put-in.  Now, the fighting qualities of these rascals are well-documented on here, but this one had me completely fooled until I saw it.  When I lifted the pole, I was met with a thump as the elastic came out and stopped dead.  It didn't move for a couple of seconds and I initially thought it was a tench.  Then, it woke up and took a dive for the far side.  Considering I'd started with the big worm rig & had the Fox red hollow elastic in the top-kit (can't remember what number it is...) this thing didn't half pull plenty of red stuff out of the pole.  It turned and headed straight at me, then came to the surface - the colouring gave it away instantly, but what a whopper!  Easily 4 ounces and a good 5-6 inches long.  They're on steroids I tell ya!!

After that as an eye-opening starter, I settled down to waiting - and waiting.  I waited some more (this was back to reality...) until I switched to the maggot rig and the bites started to come.  In fact, they kept coming for most of the morning and into the afternoon.  Some nice skimmers to start with; only small (3-4oz), then some nice netters around 8-9oz and the odd pounder mixed-in.  Trying a different tack, I switched lines to one I'd fed with hemp & caster & had an instant response;  a hybrid over a pound which fought like a fish twice it's size - typical hybrid behaviour.  Initial swim now abandoned through lack of interest, I focussed my attention on the hybrids, which kept coming; a fish a chuck, some up to 2lb - all on caster.

Sunday 19th:

All the while I was catching, the nagging doubt that this wasn't going to transfer to the following day persisted.  Fast-forward to Sunday and that nagging doubt was realised.  I drew the next peg to the previous day's success and - true to form, a struggle ensued.  In fact, several of those gathered struggled all along the length of the match.  Had I not lost a 6-7oz skimmer at the net, I would've sneaked a section win (which was actually won with 1-15-0).  that gives you an idea of how changeable it can be.

Monday 20th:

Monday night proved to be only marginally better.  The first of the summer sweeps was moderately well attended and to begin with, we had pleasant weather.  I indulged myself in snaffling a few roach and small skimmers early on, followed by a descent into nothingness thereafter.  The weather turned a bit off, with rain falling until dusk.  I added a pound to my previous day's total, but retired homeward feeling a bit disillusioned with the place.

Wednesday 22nd:

The disillusion happily only lasts a couple of days at this time of year, so I was back again last night for another try.  All thoughts of long walks were banished from my mind as I decided to fish one of the early pegs.  Peg 3 is pretty early (well, you wouldn't want to fish in the rat-traps that are 1 & 2 by choice, would you?) so I got setup a quick as I could.  I hastily threw a few handfuls of groundbait in a bowl and mixed/riddled as I fished.  that done, I cupped it in along with a few hookbait samples.

Again, the small roach & skimmers fed quite willingly, interrupted a couple of times by tench which plodded around and eventually transferred my hook on both occasions in the reeds.  I wasn't too upset at losing them, given I was only fishing on a light rig.  The fact they were there and I was hooking them was proof enough that the method was right, even if the rig wasn't - easily remedied another time.  Gord was scouting around - doing a sterling job of weeding the car park.  I keep forgetting to give him that picture back...  Anyway, (I digress) my experimentations with the groundbait (as hasty as it was) appeared to work.  It seemed to draw the fish in when I topped up, so thats more info. to store for future reference.  Roach, skimmers, hybrids and the ubiquitous Ruffe all showed themselves along with a couple of tench - a good way to wait for dusk.

So, there's my activity for the first week of the season this year.  Pleasure angling is the only viable proposition on that venue for me I think.  Time being the rare commodity it is these days, I've reached the decision that I can't waste it on the anti-climax that matches inevitably bring.  I love the place, but it's not a match venue - not really.

It wasn't Leyland Mill Lane...

No sir-ee Bob.  I stayed at home all weekend, only venturing out on Bank Holiday Monday.  I wasn't really that bothered about going at all if truth be told, but I went anyway just for something to do.

I set-off from home with every intention of going to the footy pitch at Haskayne, but ended-up at Sollom - dunno how that happened.  Anyway, it was raining very lightly with hardly any wind to speak of.  I set off for the pegs beyond the wires and bushes on the straight, passing some overstaying boats on the way.  Despite BW stating very clearly that motorbikes are NOT allowed on the towpath, one boater has taken it upon himself to not only setup illegal residence, but he's parked his motorbike on the towpath next to his boat.  He can't exactly deny he's been there more than 48 hours because the grass is about 18" deep around his wheels (BW have mown the grass around it...)

Anyway, off I strolled - under the wires, past the trees and out the other side to the boggy bit...  I like it up there - too far for casuals to wander and just far enough away from the boats.  I got setup and as I was putting my top 3s together under the brolly, noticed (as usual) that the wind had gone from barely able to raise a ripple, to bending the brolly into my mush...  Never mind, I wasn't packing in over a bit of wind, so I just got on with it.  The wind was bringing in clusters of low cloud, which had a clear sky behind it so the signs were good.

I mucked about with a few dodgy rigs that have been sat on winders for ages for an hour or so without catching much - mainly down the track.  I've been experimenting with the latest 'must have' groundbait, which is the Sonu F1 - probably catches more anglers than fish, but I was curious about the claims some people have made so I bought a bag (hooked).  I'd fed it on the far side with a few hookbait samples and first dob-in over the top, a load of original slip flew out as I lifted into a bite.  A bit of give & take ensued, followed by a nice bream of about 2lb slipping over the lip of the landing net.  I fed a bit more to see if they were scared of it coming down on their heads and after a brief stand-off, they kept feeding.

It never happens in a match, but as I'm not exactly breaking down doors to fish matches at present, I'm more than happy to pitch up for a pleasure chuck and catch them in numbers.  A grand day out - even the sun obliged...