Almost The Weekend....

Yesterday whilst in the local indian takeaway, I bumped into an old school friend who I hadn't seen for years and used to fish the river with, after an interesting conversation of what we'd both been upto led to, lets have another session this weekend, so yeah I said great, it'll be interesting to have a proper catch up, so Sunday it'll be, great stuff.

This is another thing I like about fishing, the people you make friends with, the places you get to visit and the things you learn, great int it?

Still haven't got rid of this cold bug-man flu, whatever you wanna call it burrit ain't gerrin me down one jot, no I'm still tryna work it outta me an everytime it eases off it seems to bounce back wiv avengance, grrrr.

Time to try some different bait tactics then me thinks, havin had some nice chub and bream out, as mentioned in previous posts, cos it's gerrin coader and nows the time for some curry powder laced maggots with hempseed in the feeder, instead of boilies and pellets, I may even go for the two rod approach, if I can be arsed, we shall see. I've always been one who is prepared to try new things but there aren't that many new things left to try, so a change of approach can been as good as rest!

Might even be worth gerrin back on the worms, although when something works why do you need to change it? well having blanked on the last session it could well be worth a change of approach rather than floggin it out on the same ol 'same ol tactics. Sometimes when I've had a blank it normally means it's sign of needing to change my approach, that's one lesson I've learned in the art of angling and another reason most others moan on about not achieving much, sometimes finding out what others are doing also helps, you know like what bait they are catchin on and how they are presenting it, daft things like that are the key to sucess. Otherwise you'd end up getting frustrated with pluggin away at the same thing to no avail.

So having had an interesting conversation in my local tackle shop a few days ago with another barbel angler, who fishes the same local stretches of river as I do, was very informative! the guy was explaining to myself about how he'd changed his line of the same breakin strain but in a lower diameter, strangely enough his catch rate has improved, strange how changing things such as that, increase your catch rate, well yeah it could do and well worth thinking about when considering a change of approach.

Now what about hooks, there are that many to choose from sizewise and like lines diameters or rather should I say gauges it becomes a hard decision to make, some swear by Drennan barbel hooks others use Korum seamless hooks for knotless knots and then there are others who use those camo coated ones made by Middy, the list is endless again what do you prefer to use and does it work? is it really worth changing what hooks you use? sometimes yeah it can be like take for instance I prefer long shank type hooks for worms and Drennan barbel hooks for pellets n boilies hair rigged. S'pose it's what you get used to.

Then theres backleads, do we really need to use them? again if the swims clear of snags then backleads can be useful in pinning your rig down on the river bed, but if the swims snaggy I wouldn't bother with backleads because you can always guarantee every hooked fish will become tethered down, these things I've learn't about when actually fishing not what others have advised.

Is it really worth using an angling guide? now come on really?  Me I learn't alot of my fishing from the old man and his friends, but if your unfortunate enough not to be able to do just that then yeah having a guided lesson would be practicle and believe me there are some folk that do guiding. Mind you I know of experianced anglers still learning and even I still learn stuff from time to time, but the only guides i'd use more often than not other than the line guides on my rods would have to be venue guides!

Anyhow to all whom are out this weekend, even though it could be a coad'un have a good'un, I shall be.

Could This Be The Way Forward?

Having read a bit of this weeks Anglers Mail, I came across this bit of news from the Angling Trust, seeking value for your licence fee. Now don't get me wrong but the idea of getting the Environment Agency "reformed" couldn't be such a bad idea but if you ever read barbel fatwa world? Would you want those kind of clowns policing your waterways? Nah I certainly wouldn't, especially if it meant being dictated to by a bunch of know it all barbel policemen!! So if the idea of reform goes ahead with the Angling Trust, Association of Rivers Trusts et al having more say in how the EA is run would that mean that I You They and Us, "WE" actually get a say in what goes with the day to day management of river fisheries? Personally I think it would work BUT! only in the right hands!

As I said in the above paragraph, it'd be no good having BFW know it all policemen managing our waterways. It has to be the right people, those with the skills and knowledge to maintain the general management of river fisheries, so the EA can concentrate on dealing with poachers, illegal fish smugglers and polluters. But that doesn't mean that I am personally prepared to tackle licence dodgers, no the EA still needs to concentrate on that subject too.

Link to the news from Anglers Mail  I think the only way forward with this idea is to give it a try and see how it goes, if it works then great, but if it don't then at least it been tried but at the end of the day it really does need to work and hopefully the BS will join in and put some of their funds and time into the equasion, then and ONLY then I would consider membership with!

Read An Article, The Other Day....

On Steve Popes blog, about using the bait dropper to keep the feed going in and achieving better catch results which made myself remember the days when the lads down at Clifton Grove on the Middle Trent, used to use this exact tactic around about the late 80's to early 90's in time. The results always won matches down there regularly with weights of 30 to 40lbs bags earning those 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. Mainly chub, barbel and bream being the target fish at the time in question, but a tactic really worth adopting to your fishing in my very honest own opinion.

So having read the said article, made me think about using one of the pair of carp rods I originally brought for dead baiting. Something that I'll now make more use of, in future to my advantage.

Link to said article 

Cheers, Steve for reminding me of a very useful tactic, one that I'll be using more often. ;)

Out on the bank again Last Night...

Decided to fish another stretch a bit further upstream from where I normally fish and on a different swim too, but didn't even have a sniff, zilch, nothing, nada. There were plenty of Kingfishers, a few herons knockin about and  the odd kestrel hovering around the bankside in what was a nice afternoon (weather-wise) to be on the bank.

Come around 6 oclock I moved downstream to a well known more prolific swim and as the sun set, by christ did the mist rise and the temperature dropped, not to the freezing mark, but not far off. Now I started getting bites in the more prolific spot, but couldn't connect with owt, there must've been a shoal of skimmers in the swim as everytime the rig was cast in place, the amount of knocks, rattles and slight pulls on the rod tip resulted in a 15mm boilie smashed in half. Some would say I was plagued by crayfish but not where I were on the Trent, no twas definately a shoal of skimmers.

So a total blank was had, maybe it's time I stopped chucking three to four rod lengths out and concentrated more on the boat channel area! At the present time in life the Trent's low and clear, could really do with another good rain storm to get some colour and flow back into it. Otherwise the stick float gears coming back out again, after those roach and dace.

Speaking about the wildlife I forgot to mention, the amount of dragon flies still hovering around, amongst the other flying insects and surface skaters was also a sight to see and by the end of the session the huge flock of noisy Canadian geese finally settled down in one of the gravel pits at the back of where I were fishing and on the walk back home there were plenty of rabbits dartin about in and around the fields and bushes surrounding the fields and here was me thinking to myself that the last dose of mixy had killed 'em all off.

Last Nights Game...

Not a very productive first half, the second half was more pacey, but no result, just a point for both teams in what England should've had a penalty awarded amongst those freekicks given for the amount of crap Montys team can produce in a match,was unbelieveable and the amount of times england almost caught them with their pants down was unwearable.

Monty yer teams just a buncha handballing, barging, diving drama queens, collectively known as CHEATIN BASTARDS...

Come on Engerland....

Yes tonight England take on "Monty"negro (pun intended) in a Euro qualifier, kickin off at 8pm on ITV1, This'll be an interesting game to watch, funny how the team has always played better in friendlies and qualifiers, but tend to let us all down in big tornaments like the world cup, s'pose that's the thing with being a fan, but ther yer go...

And will they go all the way to performing the "full monty" this time round, we shall see, Come On Engerland, engerland, engerland,  Engerland,  engerland, engerland  Engerland, engerland, engerland, Engerrrland, ENGERRRRLAND...

Still Catching Chub, but no Barbel...

This afternoon started out t shirt weather, but soon turned cooler into dusk with a brisk north easterly blowing it's way through just to remind  me that winter is on it's way. The river has lost it's colour since Friday and gone back to being low and clear, near enough normal summer level. Frank came down and blanked on the halibut pellets. he never had one bite all afternoon. Then those flippin speeding idiotic cruisers came through and got caught out by the regional officer for the area of BWB, bless yer, it couldn't of happened at a nicer time, I was laughing my socks off when this ginger haired guy was walking past myself on the river bank calling the boaters a right bunch of wankers and he had the decency to explain to me who he was and what was going to happen Monday morning back at the office, nice one it looks like some clever prick of a boy racer is going to lose his boating licence, well that'll teach'em, thanks to the British Waterways Regional Officer patroling the river banks. A case of it's not what you know but who you know that counts, superb.

So after all of that I only had one bite resulting in a nice looking chub, weighing in at 4lb 6ozs.....

Next time hopefully I'll catch another barbel, personally I reckon Frank scared 'em off, nah just kidding, if their there they'll have it if not they won't but that's what it's all about seek and ye shall find, till the next time, tight lines.....

Other Stuff part 4....

This one certainly brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "the truth hurts".....



There's never a true word spoken in jest is there?

Having Another Session On The River Tomorrow....

Been sorting the gear out for tomorrows session, in fact when I'd sorted the gear out I even decided to tye some spare hook length rigs complete with hairs on, all stored on a rig board inside the rig wallet which is a handy bit of kit to own, so much so I'm considering buying a second one. Hopefully tomorrow the barbel shall play ball, if not I'm happy enough to catch owt that's having a go, that's the thing with my fishing whatever happens I enjoy it regardless of not catching what I went for or even blanking I don't care, I just go with the intensions of enjoying it and why not?.

You see the trouble with some folk I've come across in the fishing world are all so so serious and must catch fish all the time' as if they have made up demands to themselves in mind and what happens when they don't catch, they call the place/venue crap. That sought of thing to me is all wrong, you've just got to learn to enjoy it first and then consistency will reap your rewards of comitment there after. Yeah even I have my moans from time to time apparently, or so I've been told but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it. Well who wouldn't go fishing to not enjoy it?.

Just read an interesting article over on Bobs blog about a capture of a four pound barbel, that even I assume was grabbed by a wels catfish down on the tidal Trent, that took bob three hours to land, ouch that must of been a painful experience, but that's fishing for you, these things happen and by the sounds of it even bob enjoys telling the story of what happened. Annoyingly this has happened to myself when stick float fishing for roach, dace and other stuff, the pike have come along and grabbed the hooked fish, then tore off down the river and snapped the line, but I just re-rig the rod carry on fishing to my ut most capabilitys of enjoyment and why not?.

Anyway to all whom are out on the banks this fine weekend, have a good'un, I know I will, even if I cannot shake off this dreaded man flu that is doing the rounds in the big wide world.

Out On The Trent Again Today....

Had a good session, was really fishing for barbel but the chub, bream and eels were more obliging and Frank had other stuff to attend to so he couldn't make it, sod it thought I, I'll fish all by myself then OK Frank popped down to see me later in the afternoon, bearing in mind I didn't get there myself until half past three, with the boilies and pellets intended for the barbel, that just weren't to be but I enjoyed catching some kamikaze chub for a change along with a nice slab bream and a foul hooked bootlace eel, not bad to say the river is still coloured but fining down after a flood..


                                              First chub weighed in at 2lb 10oz..

Then the bream at 6lb 12oz

And then a parrot faced old warrior of a chub weighing in at 4lb bang on the dot...

I didn't bother to weigh or photograph the foul hooked eel.So all in all a nice afternoons fishing was had again, hopefully I shall be out on the bank again on Sunday for another bash. And Frank will most likely make it this time! We'll see. 

Trent Roach....

Whilst out for a walk along the River bank this afternoon I happened upon an angler who I used to go fishing with regular, his name is Frank Sharpe. Frank is someone who is a bit of an all rounder and is equally happy to fish with stick float tackle as he is to fish for barbel. Anyway I got talking to Frank, asking him what he had caught and he said a few roach and the odd perch, but he said there are two nice roach in the net, which he showed to me and boy were they nice roach, now we didn't have no scales but I decided to take some photos of this nice pair of Trent roach. One roach had this orange streak across the side of it's mouth, something I've not seen before but quite common apparently! has you will see in the photos......


                                                                A nice pair....


And the one with the orange streak across it's mouth taken on it's own.....

Like I said in previous blogs there is a nice stamp of roach in the Trent at this present time in life, coming out on stick float fished hemp and casters and also maggot tactics. After a discussion with Frank, tomorrow we have decided to have a session for the barbel, seeing has the river has a few inches of coloured water on for a change. This usually is the best time to fish for barbel but we shall see how it goes.



Other Stuff part 3....

MEMORANDUM

TO :  ALL EMPLOYEES

RE : ADITIONAL TRAINING FOR ALL STAFF

a.  It is now, and always has been, the policy of this company to ensure it's employees are well  trained.    Through  our SPECIAL HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING programme, (S.H.I.T. for short), we have given our employees more S.H.I.T. than any other company in the area.

If any employee feels that he or she does not recieve enough S.H.I.T. on the job, or that he or she could advance to another position by taking more S.H.I.T., please see your immediate supervisor.

b. If you graduate to the top of your list by taking all the S.H.I.T. that is given to you, you can then qualify for our Supervisors programme COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY ACTION PROGRAMME, (C.R.A.P for short).

So to become a member of our management team, simply take all the S.H.I.T. you can, and then with all the additional C.R.A.P. you recieve, you will soon reach the top. Any employee who has the initiative and drive to take both S.H.I.T. and C.R.A.P. will soon become one of the elite.

c. For a limited period only, the company is offering all employees the chance to try for our latest scheme, ADVANCED SUPERVISORY STAFF HELPING OUR LOYAL EMPLOYEES, (.A.S.S.H.O.L.E. for short).

d. We recommend an academic qualification and will encourage you to strive for membership of PARSIMONIOUS INSTITUTE OF SUCCESSFUL SUBORDINATES (P.I.S.S. for short). With this benefit you will evenyually know your job from back to front.

Work hard. you will find that the more S.H.I.T. you take and the more C.R.A.P. you can handle, will qualify you as a P.I.S.S.ing A.S.S.H.O.L.E. for sure.

Todays Tip...

Having frequented the fishing sites for a few years and having noticed how most single species anglers want it on plate than rather think for themselves made me realise how easy it is to get carried away with not thinking for myself. Today I did just that, I thought for myself! Rather than go out there on the big WWW I thought stuff it there is another way and whilst pondering over a cup of coffee and a fag "bang" the idea came straight to my mind, just like that. Strange isn't it when you think for yourself, you will always find an answer to any given topic.

So having thought about seeing if my fishing scales are weighing as near enough to as close as damn it acurate, I decided to use two different sized club hammers, one of which weighs 2lbs the other 4lbs and were placed individually into a carrier bag to see if the scales were weighing right.
First up the 2lb club hammer weighed 2lbs 12ozs next the 4lb club hammer which weighed 4lbs 12ozs, now bear in mind both hammers have a hickory shaft so they obviously weigh a little bit more, but that's just one way to find out if your scales are near enough acurate and you haven't got the hassle of posting on a forum asking questions and possibly getting ripped to pieces all because you couldn't think for yourself.

Ok there is also another way of calibrating your scales the easy way by using your clip on feeder leads or Arsley bombs, it really is that simple to open your mind and use your imagination to suss things out for yourself it really really is! What's beyond belief is the kind of questions that are asked on internet forums and the same can be said for the know it all replies, which really do piss me off  "especially" from those whom are glued to the screen 24-7. It really ain't worth it, however it really does pay to think for yourself from time to time after all isn't that what fishing is all about? Not folk like me spelling it ouf you and making it so, so damn easy. And the moral of the story goes... Don't tell someone how to do something if you cannot Do It Yourself.

Other Stuff, part2...

Before you ask me for a day off, consider the following statistics:

There are 365 days in the year. You sleep eight hours a day making 122 days, which subtracted from 365 days makes 243 days.
You also have 8 hours recreation every day making another 122 days and leaves a balance of 121 days.
There are 52 Sundays that you do not work at all, which leaves 69 days. You get Saturday afternoon off. This gives 52 halfdays, or 26 more days that you do not work, this leaves a balance of 43 days.
You get an hour off for lunch, which when totaled makes 16 days, leaving 27 days of the year.
You get at least 21 days leave every year, so that leaves 6 days.
You get 5 legal holidays during the year, which leaves only one day.

And I'll be damned if I'll give you that one day off!!!!

Other Stuff....

Perhaps one of the most interesting words in the english language today is the word "Fuck". It is one magical word. Just by it's sound you can describe pain, pleasure, love and hate. In language fuck falls  into many grammatical catergories. It can be used as a verb both intransitive ( Dave fucked Anne ) and transitive ( Anne was fuckd by Dave ) ; as an adverb ( Anne is a good f uck ) and also as an abjective ( Anne is fucking beautiful ). As you can see there are not many words with the versatility of "Fuck".

Besides the sexual meaning of the word, there are also the following:

Greetings.......... How the fuck are you.
Fraud............... I got fucked at the car auctions.
Dismay............. Oh fuck it.
Trouble............. Well i guess i'm fucked now.
Aggression........ Fuck you.
Difficulty........... I don't understand this fucking job.
Displeasure....... What the fuck is going on here.
Incompetence.... He fucks up everything.
Lost.................. Where the fuck are we.
Retaliation......... Up your fucking ass.

And remember General Custers famous last words:- "Where did all them fucking indians come from?"

And also the last words of the mayor of Hiroshima:- "what the fuck was that?"

And last but not least those immortal words of the captain of the Titanic:- "Where is all this fucking water coming from?"