Let's talk fishing

[RoubaixCube]

Two of the newest bits of kit in my collection:

1-10g with 9lb on the baitcaster and 6lb on a spare spool. Not had a chance to get this setup out on the water yet as the reel just arrived a day ago. Surprisingly strong backbone in this one. Would probably land some sizable jacks and bigger pike if the correct amount of patience and prayers were applied.

10-45g on the one above with 28lb braid. Top half has enough flex to make flicking out lighter lures out with ease and enough backbone to work hard lures, crank/glide baits - been out on the water with this one. Sadly, I wasnt able to hook into a fish that day. water was pea soup green and despite the forecast saying cloudy and overcast for the entire day. 90% of the time the sun was out.

 

[gbb]

I will see if I can get some photos....
I loved fishing as a teenager but left it behind, the desire never returned. That said, as I ride the countryside, I see spots that look perfect, one such, I told my son about maybe 5 years ago. I'd seen barbel milling around in this beautiful quiet spot nearby. He loves fishing but often comes home after blanking on the Nene at his usual haunts.
Eventually, he tried this spot I'd seen, it's not even that far away.....he's catching beautiful barbel and small chub....we don't see him till after dusk, he's loving it.

 

[13 rider]

I think I've fallen back in love with fishing me and my 2 brother in law's joined a local club in May ,I've not missed a week yet ,my brother in law's are a bit more sensible and have avoided the winter , I'm currently exploring the local canal as I can still get bites in the worst of conditions . Been today had 15 fish biggest just 4oz but considering a lot of the canal had ice on it I was happy to get a bite

 

[gbb]

Its always been fast moving stream fishing for me, smitten by the chalk streams in Dorset when i was a nipper, little brown trout mostly. Used to cycle 30 mile round trip, rod tied to top tube, wonderful

That's the.kind of fishing I used to love as a teen. River Devon I think, little more than a fast moving stream in Notts. We used to catch mostly dace though, nothing exotic.


I long since lost the desire for fishing but our son has shifted from specimen lake fishing or pike/ zander fishing to what I'd call micro fishing. Very very lightweight gear, remarkably simple setup, he enjoys it immensely, it's refreshingly different from the arms race you fond yourself in with 'conventional' fishing, always looking for bigger fish with ever heavier gear
The aim of course is to catch ever smaller fish. It's also a good indicator of the river condition, he catches loads...

 

[Pross]

I got back into fishing about 20 years ago for a few years (searching for the photos it was August 2020, I thought is was 2022 or 2023!) and did a mixture of a bit of sea fishing (had a caravan on the beach in South Devon and also did a couple of boat trips uptiding in the Bristol Channel out of Penarth); some fly which was my main efforts as a kid but mainly some old school coarse on local club ponds with light float gear or small feeders. Like many others the heavy duty carp stuff doesn't appeal to me as I enjoy the simplicity and tranquility. My last outing was on the mill pond at Carew Castle chasing mullet on the incoming tide using an Avon rod, light float set up and bread that resulted in a couple of decent mullet providing a good scrap. I'm useless with guessing weights but that net is around 60cm so the top one was around 50cm and the other about 60cm. The top one looks like he's had an encounter with something pretty big. It's a great little spot to fish when the tides are bid enough to fill it up with lots of channels. Some good bass in there too.

 

[13 rider]

Been exploring the local clubs canal stretch that seemly no one fishes according to any walkers that stop and talk , it's really got me intrigued catching plenty of these

Up to 20 in a session but none bigger very few fish of other species a few roach and no perch yet and most fish are over 2oz it seems devoid of smaller fish which is normally what you expect from the canal . Might get a couple more trips in before the boat traffic does my head in as it gets busier ,I used to get up early to beat the boats but can't be bothered these days

 

[Jameshow]

Been exploring the local clubs canal stretch that seemly no one fishes according to any walkers that stop and talk , it's really got me intrigued catching plenty of these
View attachment 766604
Up to 20 in a session but none bigger very few fish of other species a few roach and no perch yet and most fish are over 2oz it seems devoid of smaller fish which is normally what you expect from the canal . Might get a couple more trips in before the boat traffic does my head in as it gets busier ,I used to get up early to beat the boats but can't be bothered these days

Blame the pike, herons and cormorants!

 

[13 rider]

Blame the pike, herons and cormorants!

Add Zander to the list 🤣 their in there as well oh and cute and cuddly otters the vicious ba#£[=\s

 

[Hicky]

Cormorants, I'm part of a fishery and do a little pest control. Cormorants are the issue, we have a reasonable amount of Herons but they don't take too many....the black ones cause the issue on an industrial scale and there's very strong restrictions on being able to target them beyond netting, roping and bangs or simply chasing them off.

 

[13 rider]

Another canal trip a bit more variety

A couple of better skimmers ,the first perch I've caught out of the canal and a few roach also a couple of smaller fish . Had a nightmare at times getting a rig in once the boats started and put floating debris like dead rushes on the top . Had a quick conversation with a boater while he chugged past , apparently the EA had electro fished the next stretch up and removed 38 zander last week as that bit of canal is an SSSI ,seems a bit pointless as fish can swim along the canal 🤣

 

[13 rider]

View: https://youtu.be/rZp80bfEZ5E?si=VO6WsqExmUZD4Jvn

I'm in the market for a new carryall what do you think to this one

 

[gbb]

The river Nene near us has a lot of Zander, my son used to catch them regularly . There were no shortage of people, Pakistani or East European that ask him if they can take them...which he obliges happily.
There's also been a resident seal here for two or three years (although not seen this year so far) .
Add poaching, apparently it's 'common knowledge' that a local fishery was taking big fish from the Nene when it was setting up.
Add East Europeans taking them to eat..I looked out my window 2 weeks ago to see our Romanian neighbours barbecuing 4 or 5 large river fish in a pan. Nothing wrong with that per se, dad used to take pike and fish in the 60s and cook them... but the scale was much smaller back then, more sustainable perhaps.

That said, we walked the bank near town late last summer, loads and loads of small fish, perch etc. As for good sized fish, can't say, he likes his micro fishing now, very small and light setups so he's not seeing them.