Anyone get out and put a bend in their rod today?

[Bob Watson]

Heading off shortly to the syndicate armed with a few pints of reds and a gallon of caster and hemp mixed.

Spombs away!!

Now I've publicised it, there probably won't be pics to follow

[Mattjb]

Had this nice crucian this afternoon.Always nice to catch one.Tucked up in the bivvy with eel rods out now.

That’s a cracking pic Matt matey
Did you have any luck with the eels ?

No eel action during the night . Woke to a cold misty dawn and got the float rod back out. Had this tench and a smaller one before it got too bright

[Antony]

Another fine tench though matey.Well done Matt

[Mattjb]

Another fine tench though matey.Well done Matt

Cheers mucker

[Bob Watson]

Three Tench landed, two lost and a new pb of 6-2

6-2.jpg

5-3.jpg

4-9.jpg

[suffolk si]

Great result Bob can’t knock a pbI’ve had a few more small bass but going tinca hunting tomorrow

[davelumb]

Three Tench landed, two lost and a new pb of 6-2

6-2.jpg

5-3.jpg

4-9.jpg

[Bob Watson]

The chap that runs the syndicate turned up just as I was about to return the 6-2 and got a couple of pics which was perfect timing as I can't usually be arsed with self takes.

[Antony]

Well done Bob mate!!

[Iain Gillies]

I have been out the last couple of days and it has been a bit of a struggle as the fish are clearly in spawning mode up here with the settled warm weather. I've had a day at a commercial fishery with my lad fishing the pole and method feeder and had to resort to fishing for ide, roach and skimmers as the carp barely fed. I've then fished a more traditional fishery yesterday and managed 9 carp between 4 - 15lb off the top on bread and mixers. Great days fishing but might as well of gone home for the large part of the day as only caught for a couple of hours in the morning before 9 and in the evening from 6-8. I did try stalking in the margins but when the sun was up they were just all cruising on the top.

[John Milford]

I have been out the last couple of days and it has been a bit of a struggle as the fish are clearly in spawning mode up here with the settled warm weather. I've had a day at a commercial fishery with my lad fishing the pole and method feeder and had to resort to fishing for ide, roach and skimmers as the carp barely fed. I've then fished a more traditional fishery yesterday and managed 9 carp between 4 - 15lb off the top on bread and mixers. Great days fishing but might as well of gone home for the large part of the day as only caught for a couple of hours in the morning before 9 and in the evening from 6-8. I did try stalking in the margins but when the sun was up they were just all cruising on the top.

It's been the same where I'm fishing Ian. A solitary bite late afternoon Thursday on a bottom bait it the margin - the fish came off after about two minutes!

Then six carp to just under ten pounds on floaters in a final frenzied hour!

I've been using Baker's 'Meaty Meals' (small dog size) for the last few years. They're a chewy kind of buiscit, tough, but soft enough to hair rig without any pre soaking. They stay on the hook really well and carp absolutely love them!

(I thought I'd share my little floater bait secret on here, as I know I can trust everyone to keep it 'just between ourselves'. ).

[Iain Gillies]

Cheers John, I will definitely give them a go in future. I was just using regular dog biscuits direct to the hook with a John Robert's bait band. They seemed to prefer the bread but I only had a cheap white pre-cut loaf and it was difficult to keep on the hooks. I missed a few takes where they seemed to slurp it off without the hook hitting home. It's a great form of visual fishing and provides a few heart stopping moments!

[Jason Skilton]

Headed out Friday for some crucians......had four 1lb+ fish. All caught on the pin too.

Tactics were fish the margins using a 13ft float rod, 1BB float, 4lb main line straight though, and switched between size 16s for casters and 14s for the corn.

All came to the corn oddly mid afternoon.

Great fight on the rod and pin which over the years has proven to be a balanced setup for margin float fishing and trotting a float down the river.

[Andytheammer]

Headed out Friday for some crucians......had four 1lb+ fish. All caught on the pin too.

Tactics were fish the margins using a 13ft float rod, 1BB float, 4lb main line straight though, and switched between size 16s for casters and 14s for the corn.

All came to the corn oddly mid afternoon.

Great fight on the rod and pin which over the years has proven to be a balanced setup for margin float fishing and trotting a float down the river.

[Iain Gillies]

After blanking yesterday I took the little lad out again to a local commercial fishery today. He had a great time catching well over 100 fish including roach, perch, ide, skimmers, tench, barbel, carp and a crucian. All on the short pole on maggots, corn and pellet. I had a few better carp on the method feeder and snook a few off the top while he was eating lunch.

[Mattjb]

After blanking yesterday I took the little lad out again to a local commercial fishery today. He had a great time catching well over 100 fish including roach, perch, ide, skimmers, tench, barbel, carp and a crucian. All on the short pole on maggots, corn and pellet. I had a few better carp on the method feeder and snook a few off the top while he was eating lunch.

Nice one,looks the ideal place to take a young un with that much action and variety.
I took my 8 year old last Friday evening,I turned my back and she'd fed nearly a whole tin of sweetcorn to some Canada goslings! She had them feeding out of her hand despite the parents hissing at her.
She caught some Rudd and perch but we ended up missing the best hour of the day as she was too tired.It was a bit late really!

[Iain Gillies]

It's a really nice place to be fair and they dont charge for kids. You can park behind every peg, theres good safe concrete stagings, rubbish bins and it has an on site tackle and bait shop and a cafe. When I was a kid learning there wasnt commercial fisheries and local ponds weren't as safe or well stocked. It is absolutely stuffed with fish and you will catch all day long which is ideal as my boy is only 5 and gets bored if he isn't catching one every put in. He easily had well over 100 fish and he missed millions of bites and would regularly ask me to take over so he could play or get a snack. The best bit of the day for me was naming fish which cracked me up. We had Ronny roach, Percy perch, Ian ide, Tommy tench, Barry bream and Charlie carp! Its great to get out there and build a bond with him, hopefully he will stick with it for life.

I have a lot more pictures (he refused to let me take any last time) but seem to be having trouble uploading due to file size.

[Will Smith]

Very nice Iain, lets hope he gets bitten by the bug and you can both spend many more sessions together.
5 years old already, it seems like it was only yesterday he was born.

Will.

[Iain Gillies]

Very nice Iain, lets hope he gets bitten by the bug and you can both spend many more sessions together.
5 years old already, it seems like it was only yesterday he was born.

Will.

I know, the time absolutely flies by Will! He has been going with me a couple of years now but is just starting to be able to fish a little bit more independently, hitting his bites and playing fish. I still have to bait hooks and feed and unhook fish etc. He refuses to touch perch incase they spike him!

He is desperate to come pike fishing with me but the places I go aren't suitable until he is older. Some of the Lochs or big lakes are OK but in winter I worry he will get cold and bored. I think 8 or 9 might be about the right age for that.

His younger brother keeps saying he wants to go too, but you need eyes in the back of your head with that one!

[John Milford]

Finally! - a tench managed to beat the carp to my bait.

Not a big one, but a welcome change as there aren't many in the place I fished.

20200609_172924.jpg

[Antony]

Well done John mate

[Bob Watson]

Finally! - a tench managed to beat the carp to my bait.

Not a big one, but a welcome change as there aren't many in the place I fished.

20200609_172924.jpg

Since I had a few a couple of weeks ago, it's been more like piking weather locally.

Fished a 60 acre reservoir last night, my mate had perch and roach, I was sat 3-4 mts from him fishing the same baits, at the same distance/depth etc and only had perch
It was bloody freezing!

[Mattjb]

Finally! - a tench managed to beat the carp to my bait.

Not a big one, but a welcome change as there aren't many in the place I fished.

20200609_172924.jpg

Nice one John.i managed a few last weekend but 2 were only hand sized.ive mainly been using corn and worm but the two biggest in the last couple of sessions have fell to a small prawn.I lost a perch on worm last weekend when the hook pulled when it's head was over the net cord.Was a cracker,much cursing followed but I'll be back for the b*****d!

[MScustomflies]

One of a few chunky wild browns from the other day

[Old Mate]

Rain overnight with a clear calm dawn and a rising barometer - happy days! What's more no one else fishing within cooee. The plan was to troll two small, deep diving hard bodies in a particular area until I found a school and then cast lures back. A double hookup gave away the school and 5 good bass to a tail spinner cast well away from the boat. When the bites stopped troll again and repeat. The increasing wind limited trolling to downwind only but the fish kept biting. Seventeen good bass all put a bend in the rods, particularly the one pictured.

51cm Bass.JPG

In fact the top half of the rod was underwater several times. Only my fifth over 50cm long.

[Mattjb]

Rain overnight with a clear calm dawn and a rising barometer - happy days! What's more no one else fishing within cooee. The plan was to troll two small, deep diving hard bodies in a particular area until I found a school and then cast lures back. A double hookup gave away the school and 5 good bass to a tail spinner cast well away from the boat. When the bites stopped troll again and repeat. The increasing wind limited trolling to downwind only but the fish kept biting. Seventeen good bass all put a bend in the rods, particularly the one pictured.
51cm Bass.JPG
In fact the top half of the rod was underwater several times. Only my fifth over 50cm long.

That's a chunky looking fish!
I went Saturday evening through to Sunday morning.Bit of mixed species fishing . Tench on trad gear, perch on float pat lives and eels at night. The eels didn't show up again! Had a few mostly small tench, a perch just under 2 and a 15.04 common that gave me an epic battle on a chapman 500 Avon and rapidex with 5lb line !

[John Milford]

Rain overnight with a clear calm dawn and a rising barometer - happy days! What's more no one else fishing within cooee. The plan was to troll two small, deep diving hard bodies in a particular area until I found a school and then cast lures back. A double hookup gave away the school and 5 good bass to a tail spinner cast well away from the boat. When the bites stopped troll again and repeat. The increasing wind limited trolling to downwind only but the fish kept biting. Seventeen good bass all put a bend in the rods, particularly the one pictured.
51cm Bass.JPG
In fact the top half of the rod was underwater several times. Only my fifth over 50cm long.

That sounds like an epic session Old Mate! I've just looked up Australian bass and 50cms is an absolute belter!

[John Milford]

Rain overnight with a clear calm dawn and a rising barometer - happy days! What's more no one else fishing within cooee. The plan was to troll two small, deep diving hard bodies in a particular area until I found a school and then cast lures back. A double hookup gave away the school and 5 good bass to a tail spinner cast well away from the boat. When the bites stopped troll again and repeat. The increasing wind limited trolling to downwind only but the fish kept biting. Seventeen good bass all put a bend in the rods, particularly the one pictured.
51cm Bass.JPG
In fact the top half of the rod was underwater several times. Only my fifth over 50cm long.

That's a chunky looking fish!
I went Saturday evening through to Sunday morning.Bit of mixed species fishing . Tench on trad gear, perch on float pat lives and eels at night. The eels didn't show up again! Had a few mostly small tench, a perch just under 2 and a 15.04 common that gave me an epic battle on a chapman 500 Avon and rapidex with 5lb line !

Proper 'mixed bag' that Matt.

I can just imagine the runaround that carp must have given you on 5lb line - great fish!

If you get a chance anytime, can you please put up a picture of the ferrule section of your assembled Chapman 500?

I've had one for years, but I've never used it because I feel it needs a bit of attention. It looked superficially OK when I got it, but I don't feel the sections quite go together properly.

[Mattjb]

Rain overnight with a clear calm dawn and a rising barometer - happy days! What's more no one else fishing within cooee. The plan was to troll two small, deep diving hard bodies in a particular area until I found a school and then cast lures back. A double hookup gave away the school and 5 good bass to a tail spinner cast well away from the boat. When the bites stopped troll again and repeat. The increasing wind limited trolling to downwind only but the fish kept biting. Seventeen good bass all put a bend in the rods, particularly the one pictured.
51cm Bass.JPG
In fact the top half of the rod was underwater several times. Only my fifth over 50cm long.

That's a chunky looking fish!
I went Saturday evening through to Sunday morning.Bit of mixed species fishing . Tench on trad gear, perch on float pat lives and eels at night. The eels didn't show up again! Had a few mostly small tench, a perch just under 2 and a 15.04 common that gave me an epic battle on a chapman 500 Avon and rapidex with 5lb line !

Proper 'mixed bag' that Matt.

I can just imagine the runaround that carp must have given you on 5lb line - great fish!

If you get a chance anytime, can you please put up a picture of the ferrule section of your assembled Chapman 500?

I've had one for years, but I've never used it because I feel it needs a bit of attention. It looked superficially OK when I got it, but I don't feel the sections quite go together properly.

I remember you asked me the same question a couple of years ago in the thread I started about the 500 in the collectors section! I'm sure I posted a pic of mine on there and mine was the same as yours with same of the brass male ferrule still showing when it's assembled.Have a look and if not I'll take another pic.I'm pretty sure Keith the piker said that's how 500's often are.

[John Milford]

Rain overnight with a clear calm dawn and a rising barometer - happy days! What's more no one else fishing within cooee. The plan was to troll two small, deep diving hard bodies in a particular area until I found a school and then cast lures back. A double hookup gave away the school and 5 good bass to a tail spinner cast well away from the boat. When the bites stopped troll again and repeat. The increasing wind limited trolling to downwind only but the fish kept biting. Seventeen good bass all put a bend in the rods, particularly the one pictured.
51cm Bass.JPG
In fact the top half of the rod was underwater several times. Only my fifth over 50cm long.

That's a chunky looking fish!
I went Saturday evening through to Sunday morning.Bit of mixed species fishing . Tench on trad gear, perch on float pat lives and eels at night. The eels didn't show up again! Had a few mostly small tench, a perch just under 2 and a 15.04 common that gave me an epic battle on a chapman 500 Avon and rapidex with 5lb line !

Proper 'mixed bag' that Matt.

I can just imagine the runaround that carp must have given you on 5lb line - great fish!

If you get a chance anytime, can you please put up a picture of the ferrule section of your assembled Chapman 500?

I've had one for years, but I've never used it because I feel it needs a bit of attention. It looked superficially OK when I got it, but I don't feel the sections quite go together properly.

I remember you asked me the same question a couple of years ago in the thread I started about the 500 in the collectors section! I'm sure I posted a pic of mine on there and mine was the same as yours with same of the brass male ferrule still showing when it's assembled.Have a look and if not I'll take another pic.I'm pretty sure Keith the piker said that's how 500's often are.

Thanks Matt. Now you mention it, I do vaguely recall asking before somewhere (sorry, i didn't remember it was you! ) - a couple of years ago might well be right! I certainly remember Keith the piker being the cane rod 'expert'.

The tip section male ferrule on mine only fits just over half way into the female ferrule - and 'knocks' slightly when the rod is waggled. I thought there might even have been a bit broken off from a ferrule stopper down it, but it seems to be the cane of the bottom section, as far as I can make out.

I have an unnamed MkIV split cane rod I enjoy using occasionally, and the fit on that is perfect.

Perhaps I'm just expecting old cane rods to be more perfectly 'tight' than they typically are?