Saturday 22 March 2014

The Codling came in two by two. Rockingham 22-03-14

Back to the grass bank again
as I only had the morning free.
Using up the left over
worms and some Squid,
I again used the same style of rigs.
This time the fish came in
doubled up on the wishbone rig.
 These little Codling
were also trying to
take whole Squid on
4/0 hooks.
Again 17 Codling were caught
and returned.
Rubbish, grass and other muck
caused problems with winding in.
The washing on the line
caused the shock leader knot to
catch on the top eye.
So I was forced to
cut the line,
remove the rubbish
and retie the the shocky.
The wind was also a pain but all in all
another good session.

Friday 21 March 2014

Rockingham 21-03-14

07.30 at Rockingham
and ready to cast.
 With a bit of a breeze blowing
I set up on my usual spot with a pennell pulley 
 and wishbone rigs loaded with
1/0 to 4/0 hooks
and Lug and Rag worm baits.
I also put out my
specimen rod with 
1/0 flowing trace for close in work.
First cast was at 07.50.
 From the off
it was little fish.
They all took Lug except 2.
All were Codling except one 
Flounder,
which decided Rag was the bait.
All three rods
were kept busy on the flood.
Only 2 were caught on the ebb.
17 Codling and the flounder
was the end result.
None of the Codling
were over 9 inches.
Nice if breezy mornings fishing
I packed up at 11.00.

Thursday 20 March 2014

What next?

Tomorrow morning (friday)
I'm heading down to
Rockingham,
between Avonmouth and Severn Beach.
Sea fishing.

High water at 09.51
12.6 mtrs.

Thursday 13 March 2014

Closed season and Licence

Please remember that the
Closed Season on RIVERS
and Some private lakes
starts at midnight on 14-03-14,
this Saturday.

The 2014 / 2015 season
starts on June 16 2014.

Also for any fresh water fishing
in the U.K.
An Environment Agency
Rod Licence is required.
The new Licences start
on 01 April 2014.

The Non Migratory Trout and Coarse licence
costs £27.
It allows you to use 2 rods.

If you use three or four rods
then a second licence is also required.

Licences can be 
bought from local Post Offices,
or
online at www.postoffice.co.uk,


Last bash on the Bristol Frome. 13-03-14

As hoped, I had a final fling 
down the Frome today.
Fished 11am till 2pm.

First swim was full of snags,
so with three lost hook lengths,
I moved to the next swim,
again it was full of snags.
So onto swim three,
on the second trot
through, I had this 2lb 2 1/2oz Chub.
 Shortly after I caught this
Rudd.
It looked as if it was a juvenile
just changing to its adult colours
 The photo does not do it justice,
it was really bright coloured.
 Next was an equally hansom
Roach of the same size, but thanks to
a number dogs trying to get my bread
bait, I had to release it before
I could take a photo.
Now came around 20 Minnows,
and the dog problem was getting worse,
so on to swim four.

This one is usually a banker for Chub
but this Tout of around 6oz was first on the hook,
followed by a 2oz (ish) Trout.
That was it in an hour of
trotting Maggot or bread flake.
Well it was time to head home
and a good end to a quite good
2013 / 2014 river season.

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Chub score at Lacock.

As the 2013 / 2014
closes I have had
25 Chub over 1lb
at Lacock.


I can't forget my first ever and only
Barbel at 4lb 1oz.

Roll on 2014 / 2015
season

Good last day up Lacock 10-03-14

I had a later start today
11.30.
It was good to have a lie in,
also to get a few jobs done.

I went to some of my summer swims
 which were snag city in
the floods.

First swim, first fish, Chub 2lb 6 1/4oz, caught in 10 minutes.
That was the same swim I had the same result
during the summer.
Well 20 minutes later I
had a second Chub, 1lb 6oz.
Wow what a great start.


So off to my second swim,
again caught there as well.
A longer wait this time.
It took an hour for the shyest
of nibbles, then a really good
pull and another Chub, 
3lb 15 3/4oz.

Again a bit of a wait then
another Chub, 2lb 2oz.

So on to swim 3,
I had not fished this one before
so was surprised to
catch quickly.
Another just over 2lb Chub in the net.
BUT!
It was also a tackle
grave yard.

Went back to my first swim
and this time it took another hour
before another Chub was caught,
this time it snagged me and
I lost it at my feet,

On to my last swim,
and by now the wind was
easterly and very cold.
From the off,
very shy knocks and taps
proved the weather was starting
take its toll.
As can be seen I was sat
low down and casting to
the tree on the near bank.
My other rod
was cast to near the the fallen
branches on the far bank.
I had hoped the near bank 
rod would catch, no chance.
However the other rod
eventually started to
pull round and drop back.
Another Chub of 2lb 15oz
in the net.


So with dark getting closer
I was thinking of packing up.
When to same rod rattled and pulled round
Chub number 7 was in the net
and again 2lb 14oz.

Well darkness was there and it was time
to go.
Having not taken my winter boots
or leggings, I was by now frozen.
What a plonker, that
cloud had kept the temperature
right down.

Sunday 9 March 2014

Out tomorrow 10-03-14

Off to Lacock tomorrow
for possibly the last time before
the season closes.
Weather forecast
is good.

Got some spare time on Wednesday
as well this week,
so possibly
trotting
the Frome.

Wednesday 5 March 2014

Fish, dogs,dog owners and ducks. 05-03-14

6.30 and I was walking down the hill
to the Frome.
I set up at a swim I used to
fish in the 90's with my then young sons.
There used to be a large fallen tree
which was a great fish magnet.
Now its only 2' deep!
So I decided to move to a deeper swim.
Ground bait was put in, with some maggot, caster,
 worm and hemp freebies.
Then I set up a
1grm float with a size 20 hook.
I tried hard on the bottom and
and trotting the swim.
Trotting was best.
First put-in produced
the largest and fattest Minnow I've ever seen.
This was followed by a good Dace. 
 This carried on for another
hour or so,
by which time I had about
2lb of Roach, Dace and Minnows.
Red and white maggot was best.

Then the nutty dog owners arrived,
(only a small minority nutty mind),
this person thought it would be good
to throw a stick into river about 8 meters 
down from my swim.
SPLOOOSH!
The dog was in for a swim,
that was it, only three more
Minnows were caught by 11.30.
Three more dogs also went
in for an early spring dip.
So off home I went.
 These two Mallards decided to scrounge
for some free food and boy they had a slap
up brunch.
As can be seen in the first duck photo the Frome is
clearing quickly and there was a good flow.
I think part of the problem for
the lack of fish
was
the clear water and bright sun.
Either way I did not enjoy the trip
as much as I had hoped.

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Whats on tomorrow. 05-03-14

Down the Frome tomorrow
with the pole. 
Plus Maggot, Caster and Worm.

Fingers crossed for
some nice silver fish.

Sunday 2 March 2014

Blanked again. 01-03-14

First day of spring
and the fish were sunbathing.
First cast at 10.15 and finished
as dusk.
Not a bite!
 Exiting day.
 Usual baits used and methods,
4 swims fished 
and not even a rattle..
The river was dropping nicely
all day.
It was nice seeing
Buzzards and Sparrow
Hawks out in numbers.
How ever the Kingfishers
were not out an about.

Back to the Frome this week.