A crusty loaf!

What a beautiful few days weather we've had....I've been doing some garden works this weekend just gone. The wife had been requesting I made some new steps up to the garden since last year and despite the fact that I'd started them, I had as usual failed to finish them. I'd been finding excuses to not do the concreting as I knew full well that I would end up in agony with my hips and back afterwards. Needless to say I did 5 bags of ready mix and I was in pieces. Anyway, I've made a start and it's kept her in doors happy for another 12 months!

I popped back over to the pool I caught the nice common at last week on Wednesday lunch time with the sole intention of bagging one off the top. I arrived shortly after 12pm and there was a lot more people on there this time around. All the better spots were taken and the place I had seen a few nice carp milling around in on Thursday last week had a bloke feeder fishing in it.

Yet another high quality Glamorgan Anglers rig! :(

After setting up a rod, net and grabbing a nice loaf of crusty Tesco bread. I trundled around the pool to the far side set of pads that I fished last week. I sat for a good 15 minutes watching the water and it became apparent there were at least 4 fish milling around the set of pads in front of the swim. I watched as each one seemed to take a set route around the pads and made a few assumptions as to their next planned maneuver. I spotted one of the slightly larger mid doubles coming around the route and with a good minute or two before it arrived at its next main area, I flicked a small piece of said loaf out to the area and awaited the results.

As the fish approached the area it went straight for the bait and slurped away....bosh, the tip flew over and off she went, straight into the pads. I did my best to turn her and she came towards me before the hook lost it's hold???? I couldn't understand why until I checked my rig. It had become entangled in the most horrific abortion of a rig which the carp had been towing around behind it! Yet again another utter pile of shite rig, which some total fool had made up. It consisted of 3 swivels and an American snap link. 20lb plus line and large hook, rig tube and a sea fishing bead!

I cannot honestly believe in this day and age that anyone could still not know how to tie a safe and simple rig. There's so much free information available on the web, TV, DVD, YouTube, books, mags etc. How's it possible to still tie stuff up that can and will kill the fish if it becomes tangled up or cracked off. Anyway, I removed said abortion and retied my single hook to the line.

I waited a good 20 minutes before a few more fish started to come back into the swim. All the other guys around the lake were fishing on the bottom and I can't understand why when all the carp are up on the surface? Fish where the fish are!

A stunning common off the top and caught in beautiful scenery.....

A few carp started to file their way back into the pads and looked like they were pretty unperturbed by what had happened slightly earlier on. I watched the routes again through my polaroids and picked a fish from the 4 that were present. She wandered off out the swim and I took the opportunity to introduce my bait while she was away. A few minutes passed and she was back in the swim. Straight towards the bait like a homing beacon! And.....whoooomph down it went in one fowl swoop.

Game on! I struck and met a good solid resistance immediately.  I had to apply maximum side strain and she stayed clear of the pads but only just. She then tried her luck in the near side set of lilies but I was way ahead of her and planted the tip low and to the side. Within about a minute, she was hooked and landed! Another superb looking mid double sat glaring back at me from the mat and I took some stunning pics in the midday sun before packing up and heading over to my secret little water!

The pool was empty on arrival and despite a good hours observation, I saw nothing other than a shoal of forty plus bream to go on.....These made me want to steer clear of them by as far as possible, so I opted for the opposite end of the lake and I happened to spot 2 nice carp there two. I got the rods set up and sat back under the brolly for the evening....

Ryan popped down for a few hours perch and roach fishing and we had a great giggle watching the fish taking his hook bait and freebies on the underwater GoPro camera. My night after proceeded to be very quiet and I had to failed pick ups which I think were more than likely bream takes as they did the usual pick up and drop back, pick up and drop back on the bobbin. I struck into thin air on both takes. Disappointing but that's fishing for you!

Tight lines all and enjoy the sun while it's with us
Keith
X

More than common!

Bonjour mes amis!

Big cuddles!

How we all doing? It's been a busy few days in our household with the usual weekend night working for the wife and myself on family duties as usual. The kids had great fun with the donkeys on the hill just up from our house on Sunday and they even managed to rescue a baby lamb, which had got separated from its mum by a 5ft high wire fence. The lamb was captured and unduly released, that was of course after copious amounts of cuddles from the kids!

We've also got new neighbours moved in next door after having no one present there for the best part of 6 months! It was great to find out that they are originally from Swanage and my old neck of the woods. We had a lovely chat about the place and I did my civic duty of giving them a little guided tour of the local area in the car, so that they at least knew where some of the essential amenities are.

Last Wednesday night I made my weekly jaunt over to the small club lake for the night and it was a very strange affair. I arrived at the pool around 4pm after gluttonizing my guts with a big fat Macdonalds burger and a pair of delicious apple pies! My Fave!  The lake appeared to be very serene and for the first time in 5 trips I couldn't see a single fish on the surface despite the bright warm sun which normally brings all the fish to the surface in there!

I had a walk around the pool with the polaroids on and there was nothing to see at all. Very strange??? I decided on my usual spot that i've been trickling a little bait into and got the gear sorted out. I'm trying out some of the new Mimicry 3D line from Pro Logic, which I have to say seems pretty darn good so far. It's very thin diameter, great strength and abrasion resistance and it looks the bollocks too!

The rigs were the usual size 4 curve shank with a blowback style set up and 4oz lead to a lead clip and about 1.5M of dark brown camou leadcore. I put a double hookbait on both rods and introduced a good helping of baits over each rod. The evening came by quickly and I settled down for the night. There was no bream action like the prior week but there was also no carp action either? It all looked and sounded rather eerie as a bank of incredibly thick fog rolled in!

I honestly couldn't see past the end of my 60" brolly! I lay back trying to make head and tail of the bank but my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep by 10pm. I awoke an hour later in pain with my back which seems to give me grief most when the weathers a little damp and cold, which it was this eve. I dosed myself up with pain relief and settled back down with a good book for a few hours. I eventually nodded off and awoke around 6.45am to the fog which still hadn't properly cleared.

The fog rolled in!

There wasn't a sniff of action all night and the fish could still not be seen anywhere? Where were they all hiding out and why? I felt a little baffled and decided to call it a day as I had some orders to send out that day. The following day I decided i'd have a few hours out chasing crucians and tench at another nice club lake.

I got set up around 10.30am and despite 3 guys on the opposite bank it was very quiet. Unfortunately they had other ideas though and continuously yapped the arse end off a donkey for 6 hours about utter crap which included a lot of racist remarks towards the English....very sad individuals who proceeded to show just how great they were at angling by loosing fish in snags and further annoying me with continuous loud talking and full volume bite alarms! My pet hate!

The fishing itself was spasmodic but the fish I was catching were of a pretty reasonable stamp. Tench after tench came to my float fished caster, hemp, maggot and corn approach. But the crucians just seemed to be else where or not feeding in the bright sunlight. I sat it out all afternoon and eventually my friends opposite left me in peace and tranquility! It was a delight to now be sat in the gorgeous sun with no company other than the wildlife.

The fish started to feed better as the afternoon progressed and as the sun started to drop behind the fir trees I hit into something a bit better, which had the hell bent idea of dragging me into the lily pads. I applied as much pressure as I could on my 6lb main line and 5lb 8oz hook link. The fish played havoc with me but eventually I got the better of a very nice mid double common!

A nice mid double but not what I was really after!

More tench followed and I had a swim of boiling fish starting up....i decided to have a go at the surface feeders with the float and casters and it was a big old shoal of roach/ bream hybrids which seemed to be present. One after another fell foul to the set up and I ended the afternoon with 11 tench and 17 bream and hybrids and of course the nice little common.

I'm taking the wife horse riding tomorrow but Wednesday is earmarked as my night out this week at the little pool. I've got an idea the fish may well have started to make their way up the lake to the slightly shallower water in early response to the warm conditions and a possible view to spawning early on. I'll crack on with a night in the new spot and I have Ryan popping down for a few hours to say hello. Looking forward to a catch up with him as it's been sometime since we last fished together!

Hope your all in good health and catching lots of fish!

Keith x

Easter fun!

Happy Easter guys!

Sker was beautiful as ever!

What a wonderful few days weather we've had eh? I can't remember the last time I personally felt the warmth of the beautiful sun on my back like I have this last week....It's probably the best Easter weather we've had??? Easter Sunday was spent on the beach at Sker with the family and we traipsed across the dunes to the lovely rock pools and fished out shells and coloured stones.

When we got back to the car I realized some twat had hit my car and scraped their bumper down the side rear arch....what a bloody nuisance! When will people start to care about other peoples things? In the evening I took Tom and his Uncle Stephen to see the awesome Blackwaters Rock band in Blackwood. The guys rocked it as usual with stuff by the Foos, Cameo, Guns and Roses and Lenny Kravitz to name just a few. What a great evening!

  I took the wife and Natasha down to see the rest of the family in Hampshire and Dorset last week and left our Tom at home for the first time to fend for himself and feed the managery! Needless to say he did a great job and will be trusted again next time! Well done son x

The trip down was kind of eventful in that it was the first time my new driver wife had driven on the motorway and despite a few nervous words she did exceptionally well and covered 80 miles quite handsomely! She did the same distance home and again drove impeccably. I'm very proud of her...

Thanks a bunch arse hole!

The brief few days spent down south were delightful and after a very early start on the Tuesday morning, we arrived at Mariannes mums house in Salisbury for 9.30am. The morning was spent chatting and then we ventured out to a garden and aquatics center at Porton. Nothing exciting about that I hear you say....well, if you like big Koi carp then get your back side over there as they have a stunning outside pool with the most incredible collection of very large Koi and Sturgeon in it. I sat there for a good hour just watching them and stroking them. Wonderful!

Less wonderful was the stomach infection that I have seemingly picked up....Not at all sure what's caused it and exactly what it is as yet but It started the day we arrived and I have it still now a week and a bit later. The doctor wants samples and bloods from me next Tuesday, so fingers crossed it's nothing serious.

Blackwaters smashing it in Blackwood! Great band, great music and a great bunch of lads...love u guys x

After we left M's mums, we popped over to see our Stuey and Nik with their new addition 'Baby Milo'. And what a handsome young lad he is too. It was wonderful to catch up with them all and I had a lovely cuddle of little Millie, who is growing into a super gorgeous little girl. A Chinese meal and 4 hours later saw us roll up at my mums place in Weymouth for the night. And at 12.30am we were totally exhausted from the very long day we had had.

My Amanite from Portland!

The Wednesday was spent in and around Portland and we had an awesome walk along the Jurassic coastline and I even found a really awesome Amanite fossil! We had a few hours spent in Portland Light house and tea rooms before retiring for dinner in a very nice local Pub. Thank Sue and Ivor Toms for your hospitality x

Well, down to some fishing at last and despite the ongoing stomach problems that are blighting my every day life, I ventured out last night to my regular bolt hole club water for the night. I turned up around 4pm and the sun was beaming down on the water and the fish were all over the surface of the pool. There were bream everywhere and I knew it was going to be tough work from the word 'go'!

I set up in the same swim I fished 2 weeks ago and got my gear sorted for the night. Both rods went out to a similar area and I fired out a handful of the ever faithful Fireball boiles and a few tiger nuts. I put out a size 2 hook and a pair of 20mm boilies and awaited the action. One of the lake regulars popped in to say hello and we chatted until just after dark before he left me to myself for the night.

My first proper bit of action was around 11.30pm with a take on the right hand rod which turned out to be a pesky bream! On a bait that size too! Another bream signaled a take at around 1.30am and I was begining to think it was going to be tough graft getting through the darn things to get to the carp.

Another low double original from my little piece of paradise. Well chuffed!

I nodded off around 3am after sitting listening out for crashing fish and alike and the next thing I knew was I was awoken rudely by a screaming take on the left hand rod at 7.15am. The fish kited hard to the left and tried to do my rig in the inside marginal growth. Some side strain and continued pressure saw her come free and within a few minutes she was in the back of the net sulking!

It wasn't a big fish by anyone's standards but like the last fish I had from there a fortnight or so ago, it was a very pretty dark chestnut coloured common of around 11 or 12lbs. I'm really happy now that things have picked up down there a bit and as soon as I feel a little better then I'll be back at it there trying for one of the bigger beasties!

Hope your all in good health and here's to the Summer!!!!!!
Keith x