Flippin Lucky...

I know I've said in a previous blog post, that I'll be away for a while, fortunately I won't be & luckily it's only cost me £250.00, that'll teach me ter keep me big mouth shut in future, still not going into specific detail on the big WWW about it & I'll certainly not be doing that again.


Speaking of being lucky, it's about time I had some luck in the fishing department, which I'm currently planning the next session, for somewhere around about mid week. With the river levels up & some cold North, North easterly winds, the temperatures plummeting back down to low single figures & more rain on the way, it's gonna be hard work, but as the saying goes, you never fail till yer stop trying, time for another riverside recce, me thinks.

Tactics, well I'm considering the ground bait feeder approach, for a change, using Sonubaits hemp & hali crush ground bait laced with 4mm feed pellets and for the hook bait is gonna be the usual 15mm boilies. Blimey that just got me thinking of how baits in general have advanced over the years, compared with what I used to use, suppose it's a case of moving with the times, come to think of it so has the fishing tackle.

Worth a try in my opinion

Barbelhunting blog

Interesting tales from an Austrian barbel angler, called SixPack, who fishes the River Danube.

You might be better off using Google translator, to view the site, as it's in German...

Back end of Season-part, 2.....

Decided to have a roving session yesterday (Thurs-24th,Feb), got the gear ready after dinner time and arrived at the river for 14:20pm after navigating three sludgy water logged footpaths and one village idiot later, to find the river still about half way up it's banks with coloured flood water and pushing through at jogging pace on one particular stretch I'd chosen to fish, not the best of conditions to fish but what the eck I went for it anyway, got to my swim of choice and tackled up, using the minimum of 4oz to hold bottom in this pacey swim, cast in and waited 15 minutes later, nothing, so I re baited and gave it half an hour, still nothing, and then the spot directly downstream was given a go and having not had a sniff after 20 minutes I was pondering what to do next, so the thought of moving to a different stretch was to be the next plan of attack.

Selection of leads, I use.

 Arriving at the stretch up stream from where I started out the session, I spotted what looked like the ideal flood water swim and hastily got comfortable in, I decided to try a 3oz lead in this swim has it looked not so pacey on the surface as the previous swims I'd tried and found it to have very little flow for a flooded swim, perfect you'd think! "There would be a few fish lurking in and around this area", but unfortunately that wasn't to be.
I carried on into the dark hours, plundering away to my hearts content at this perfect spot to not get one bite at all and decided to call it a day at 19:30pm, with the thought of returning to this swim next time with different tactics, which may or may not be the bait and wait approach.

Waiting for a bite

To say the river was half way up it's banks with flood water, there weren't a deal of drifting debris, only the odd bit of streamer weed clinging to the line, if I'd had a session earlier on at the beginning of the week, there would've been all sorts of crap coming through, to say the least.

Good luck to all out on the bank this weekend.

Back end of Season-part, 1.....

With the river being high and brown coloured with rain water, leaves only one of two options, either fish for barbel and chub or pray the levels drop and wait for the colour clearing and fish the stick, not much of a choice is it?....

So the barbel gear it is, the main approach for the next session, the decision to fish the flat lead and use pva mesh to put a bed of pellets down and fish a 15mm hair rigged boilie seems all but the main method to use for the resident barbel, but worms can have a devastating influence on chub and also perch if they are more obliging to feed.
Bearing in mind I prefer fishing the feeder, as you can put more bait in but in flood conditions a feeder would be more prone to getting snagged up than a flat lead would, has I know too well from my own experiences in the past, apart from that I'm looking to fish for bites and catch at least rather than feeding them and blanking.
Travelling light has it's advantages of covering more ground and increasing the chances of catching in coloured floodwater but if your feeling lazy and prefer sticking it out in one swim of choice, then the chances of blanking increase and at least then you can perch under your brolly, if it keeps raining, it's purely a decision of choice.

I've usually found the back end of a season to be a very productive time of the year "catch wise" no two back to back seasons are the same for me, some more prolific than others with the odd red letter day, others not so good and that's fishing. The only things that have changed are the fact I'm getting older, also my gear and approach has changed somewhat over the years and I now use different bait compared with what I used to use when I first started out, maybe because I've moved with the times, but what used to be consistent yesteryear is not necessarily going to produce the goods in the future. Finding out what others have been successful with has been a key to my own rewards, so being nosy has it's advantages and so will it continue to do so.

Having had a bank side recce on Monday afternoon along a few stretches of the river I'd already decided where and how I was going to fish my next session, sticking it out in a favoured swim and or moving later if nothing happens and time allows me to do so is my choice due to the changing weather conditions. For this I'm lightening the load and not carrying a burden of bulky/heavy weight tackle, taking two rods is more than enough, a chair is essential as is the landing net and handle. I won't be needing the case with the feeders and bait droppers in because I'm using the flat arlesley type leads and pva mesh netting. Shall be using the brolly and be taking the unhooking mat, scales and sling and of cause the box with the terminal tackle in. Do I take the tripod or use a bank stick with a quiver rest? sod it I'll take both just in case one or the other fails, after all this is fishing where if anything can happen then it probably will.
That just leaves the bait oh and the flask, and not forgetting the "camera". So now this gives me the opportunity of moving swims more easily if I need to!

The reason for carrying the unhooking mat is due to fishery rules, but I normally do carry one anyway, whether I sit on it if I'd not took the chair or use it for exactly what it is, I've always got one with me each time I go. Now all that's left is to get down there and see what happens. The day is planned for Wednesday or Thursday and that depends on me and I cannot wait. I've also been taking note of the daily weather forecasts, which show a rise in the temperature, since the weekend which was 4 degrees C and is now "Tuesday" 6 degrees C if this keeps up then the conditions should be favourable, but that doesn't alter anything I'll be going regardless...

Shall be away for a while, but don't worry, I'll be back....

So I've had a moment of madness which means I'll be away for a short while. I'm not goin into specific detail on the big WWW, but I've told those whom needed to know.

No I haven't converted to Islam, before anybody asks, because I cannot stand it and wish Islamism and Islamification would disappear.

See yer some time soon.

Today I've Mostly Been Listening to, this one by Katy Perry...

How would you approach this swim?

To say the least it's got plenty of features, but I'm struggling to find a way into it.

Wonder what killed this Mallard?

Dog?

Otter?

Cormorant?

Mink?

Or a fox? Nah definately not a fox, a fox would've probably carried it back to it's den.

Maybe then an angler, for dead baiting? who knows?

Me thinks by a dog, but possibly could be by a gang of it's own or even a swan!

Update of the work on the Levas stretch, near Colwick park...

Took the afternoon off yesterday and decided to have a walk down the river and Colwick park as well, the wind weren't all that bad, at least it's warmer than of late. The river is now gin clear and has only about 2ft of extra water on, so fishing into the dark hours could be the key to success, for me and a few other locals that frequent the river banks.

Another reason for having a walk down there was to see how phase one of the flood bank work along the members only Levas stretch had gone on, which I had blogged about in a previous post some short time ago last year. Basically trees had been cleared, the flood bank raised and also a foot path installed on the top of the flood bank, so that's phase one complete, phase two is expected to start around about July time this year and will begin with re turfing the sides of the flood bank.
The work should be completed by around about 2013, so until then it's not worth having membership with Levas, unless you want to fish other waters run by the club.

What is it with some folk?

The reason I ask is because some folk like to go around, thinking that they have, the star of David, shining above them! Yes I'm talking about people whom are being Jewish. I fully understand that there is a worldwide recession and mass unemployment, but when folk cannot be arsed to pay £25.00 to have a complete exhaust fitted or £30.00 to have a battery charged along with the alarm code reset and also the radio code reset, it becomes a poor tale doesn't it? Especially when all they want to pay you, is a couple of packets of fags. Now come on this is getting beyond the joke, the local charity shop is only down the road.

 That's just two ex customers, I have had. My reply to those were, when you've got the money in yer pocket and can afford to do it, come and see me and I'll sort it out, but not until. Then there is the other cheeky bastards that like to come along and ask to borrow the tools to do various jobs, for nothing. Now come on people, I don't buy thousands of pounds worth of tools and equiptment, just so you think you can become Jewish and then I may never see them again or they come back broken, then it costs me to replace 'em.

Now don't get me wrong, I've a fair few customers who don't mind paying the going rates for the service I provide, those genuine customers give good feedback, but the tight fisted tend to tar all the garages with the same brush, all because they cannot be arsed to pay for it and that's the problem. I'll admit some folk are well off than others but we've all got bills to pay, etc, etc, that don't just happen over night does it? Owt fer nowt, no not with me the fecker's ain't gerrin it.

I'm not being discriminative or racist, it's just some people are so tight fisted, I incorporated the word Jewish into the aquasion because when some folk have decided to read the bible they then think that they have the star of David shining above them and the god given right to become Jewish, as far I'm concerned they can fuck right off, FFS.

Has England really become a Communist Jewish state, I ask yer?

It's been a while, since I last posted.....

Hope you all had a good Xmas and a nice start to the new year, as for me! Well I've been busy for most of it and only managed to get down the river this last weekend, which resulted in a blank "not a good start" but nice to be out on the bank again.

The weather keeps changing everyday, it's either wet and windy one day and dry, cold and clear the next. Speaking of clear, the water authorities don't mess about with flood water nowadays they just run it straight off leaving the river low and clear, not good in freezing conditions. Anyhow rather than moan about it, me, I just crack on regardless with it, as they say, a bad workman always blames his tools, where as anglers always blame weather conditions, road salt influx + cormorants, otters, etc etc! Pah, yer just make use of the time you've got in any given condition.


Now I'd not been out on the river bank since mid October, due to my work commitments and apart from that November and December were bloody freezing and some rivers up and down the country had frozen or had drifting ice, not ideal conditions but well done to anyone brave enough to have had a bash at that.

So I see the angling forum world hasn't changed much, still the same ole, same ole names preaching the same ole, same ole what ever yer wanna call it. Isn't it time ter move on? some people, eh! Get over it FFS.

I never used to make new year resolutions, because if you don't make them, yer can't break'em, can yer? well we'll see.

Till the next time enjoy whatever ye get up too and tight lines to one and all.

Well, something else that wasn't mean't to be....

Seems like those Europeans still have it in for us when it comes to hosting the FIFA world cup, maybe that's because we won't join their Euro monopoly and why should we? The Euro is definitely to blame for a recent worldwide recession, just take a look at what's happened to Southern Ireland, it went bankrupt, never mind, however we hosted a world cup back in 66 and won it. Now the Europeans don't want that to happen again do they!

Well one things for sure it would have cost a lot of money to host the world cup, but on the other hand there would have been places like pubs, hotels and  restaurants earning plenty of income from the tournament.

Still we could always try try again next time!

By Eck it's cold...

It was minus 10 last night, here in the East Midlands and it's minus 8 this morning, the snow we had late Friday night/early hours of Saturday morning has turned nearly into rock hard ice and looks like there are sheets of glass out there in places.

The weather forecasts say there will be more snow on the way this afternoon, brrrr, it's bloody freezing, I've never felt so cold has this before, even though it was once a few years back colder than we've ever had.

I'll admit though we'll never have it as bad has Siberia, who have temperatures of minus 55, now that's cold, could you image what your gas and electric bills would be like then? I'd dread to think.

Been Extremly Busy of late....

Ok, I've had a lot on recently, with work and other things and unfortunately never got the chance to get out on the bank with an old school friend, last time I'd blogged and that's the way things are at the moment, plenty to do, just not enough hours in one day.

I see Bennetts of Sheffield as gone bust, shame, as I used to buy some of my gear from there.

Been having a browse around the big WWW. and happened upon a new barbel fishing group called The Association of Barbel Fishers Seems like every ex member of all the other groups such as BS Etc, etc, are forming their own groups with websites and different approaches to barbel fishing, good luck to them and I hope it works out.

And what about those muslim pigs that set fire to the wreathes on remembrance day, I hope they rot in hell, after all we've done for them, the ungrateful bastards, anyway back ter graftin again.

Edit: Almost forgot but not quite, England's friendly with France didn't go very well at all did it? Hmm lots of improvements to make there, if we're going to host another world cup let alone win one!

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.