Every year they hold a 'Picnic in the Park' in Warley Woods, just across the road from me, and every year people flock to the event for whatever they do over there. It has become a matter of pride for me that I have never once been over there and I have no intention to ever go over there either. It winds me up if I am brutally honest because the people who do go think it is fine to leave their cars wherever they like, often across my drive, and when I ask them to move so I can get the van out I have had to put up with whatever vitriolic outburst they feel they have a right to come out with. I have tried asking the administrators of the Woods to place cones out along one side of the road to stop their guests blocking a narrow street, but every year the same answer is trotted out that they always ask people to park their vehicles in a considerate manner. I have yet to see this considerate parking, and I have made it my self appointed duty to prevent them from parking on my side of the road. Last year I went out and cut the hedge, throwing the clippings onto the road to prevent them from parking there, another year I put cones out to make it look like there were roadworks underway and another year I sat outside on a deckchair taking photos of the cars and informing the drivers that I would be sending the photos to the Council to highlight how these drivers had more or less blocked the road and would make it almost impossible for the emergency services to get up or down. You could say that I have become a little obsessive with the issue, so this year I decided to go out for the day instead and let them park wherever they wanted to, I wasn't interested any more.
I decided to spend the day on the bank-side instead, where I knew I would be relaxed and chilled out and not get wound up by the visitors to the event in the park. I decided to give Hunnington Coarse Fishery (http://www.hunnington-coarse-fishery.co.uk) a try after hearing positive reports from loads of people about the place who had fished there. It is one of those places that seems to have always been there and I must have gone past the gate thousands of times whenever I have driven that way to or from work, but I had never even thought of stopping until now. I had a look at the website and decided that I would give the Coot Pool a try because it is one of the pleasure fishing pools and has a good mix of coarse fish in it. I had treated myself to a few new bits of kit that I was eager to try them out to see if they would improve my performance from the bank and presentation of bait to the fish. I had been getting increasingly frustrated when fishing with the waggler floats because invariably the shot would slide up and down the line and the float would move around, so I was never sure if I was too shallow or fishing over depth. I had seen people mentioning Float Stops in various articles in Anglers Mail and Improve Your Coarse Fishing, so I bought myself some of those as well as some Float Adaptors which had also been mentioned in these articles , so that was another purchase.
Now one of the most frustrating elements of fishing for me is getting the shot onto the line because the little round shot are a nightmare to sit on the line and never seem to close despite being squeezed with my fingers. As soon as I let go they fall off and I have to start again. The smaller they are, the harder there are to get on as well and when you're far sighted and struggle with anything up close and personal it is a right pain. I had seen a product by Preston Innovations called Stotz which are cylindrical shaped shot and don't roll around. I had to have them and bought the adaptor called the Shotta and a pack of Stotz, sized 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, which would be perfect for the bulk weights on the line. I couldn't wait to get started with my new kit and left my local tackle shop with my newly acquired kit and pint of mixed maggots ready for the next day.
I was planning on making an early start but felt drained after last week's adventures up and down the M6 so decided to go around mid-morning before the people for the Picnic in the Park started to take over the street and my blood pressure went through the roof, so I left around 11ish and arrived at the fishery about 11.30. As I pulled up to the gate I noticed a few sign on the gate with the usual things found in fisheries, but one stood out that said "Beware of the Dog; He bites, You have been warned"; well I am a little nervous around dogs I don't know, especially one's with a reputation for being biters. I gingerly opened the van door and started to slowly slide from my seat, just as my foot had touched the tarmac a voice from behind me said "Alright mate". I was back in the van in an instant, door slammed shut and my heart in my mouth. It turned out to be the owner coming out to get my money rather than have to come down to the lakes to collect it, and he found it very funny. I paid my £6 and had a chat with the owner, who could not have been more helpful, about what pool to try and the general rules and I was off on my way.
There was a storm forecast for the afternoon, but it was just glorious sunshine as I arrived bank-side and there was just one other person fishing in the pool, but he looked like he was fishing in the Arctic the way he was wrapped up, so I set up at the opposite end of the bank to him and decided that my best option would be to fish in the area around the only feature of the pool, the intake from the top pool. A bank about six feet high separated the two pools and water came down a pipe into the Coot Pool, and I have learned that it is areas like this where fish will gather. I set up my 10' float road with my new balsa wood float that I got free with the Angler's Times. It was supposed to be for trotting on rivers, but I just wanted to try it out so I put two float stops and a float adaptor on, with 5 x No 8 Stotz over a Size 16 hook attached to the main line with a Size 16 Snap Swivel. After plumbing the depths and setting the float accordingly, my first cast had me onto a small Perch on the drop....At least I wasn't going to blank
The afternoon passed in a wonderfully relaxed manner with one eye on the dark clouds heading my way from the West. It looked like the forecasters were right, but I had a plan, a flask of coffee and some cheese and onion sandwiches on crusty bread in the van. The rain clouds arrived after about 90 minutes and my plan sprung into action. The van had been arranged so everything could be put in the back without taking anything apart and within three minutes it was all packed away and I was pouring myself some coffee. Mr Arctic was busily packing all of his gear away and drove off, leaving the whole pool to me. Several others also decided to head home, but there were a few diehards who carried on fishing under their huge umbrellas. I was content with my coffee and sandwiches just watching the rain coming down. The rain passed and I was soon back out there fishing in the sunshine until the next round of rain.
Richard Symons told me that fish react to the change in pressure in a storm and I did notice there was a lot more activity from the Carp in the pool, but I was enjoying myself catching a nice mix of Perch, Roach, Silver Bream and Rudd. Nothing huge but at the end of the day a catch is a catch. As the afternoon progressed and I had to go through another mad dash to get gear stowed when torrential rain hit again, but I managed to bag 19 fish so it was a great day for me, except when the owner scared the life out of me for a second time when I was balanced on a very dodgy footing right near the water as I unhooked myself from reeds. I was chuntering away to myself and trying to stop myself from going in the drink, when a booming voice behind me told me that he was closing up at 6pm but I had until 6.30 if that was okay....I think it must be his hobby scaring people !!!!
As the sheep were let into the field, I packed my gear away and headed home, happy, relaxed and with another great fishery to add to my favourites.....
See you on the bank-side...............
Now one of the most frustrating elements of fishing for me is getting the shot onto the line because the little round shot are a nightmare to sit on the line and never seem to close despite being squeezed with my fingers. As soon as I let go they fall off and I have to start again. The smaller they are, the harder there are to get on as well and when you're far sighted and struggle with anything up close and personal it is a right pain. I had seen a product by Preston Innovations called Stotz which are cylindrical shaped shot and don't roll around. I had to have them and bought the adaptor called the Shotta and a pack of Stotz, sized 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, which would be perfect for the bulk weights on the line. I couldn't wait to get started with my new kit and left my local tackle shop with my newly acquired kit and pint of mixed maggots ready for the next day.
I was planning on making an early start but felt drained after last week's adventures up and down the M6 so decided to go around mid-morning before the people for the Picnic in the Park started to take over the street and my blood pressure went through the roof, so I left around 11ish and arrived at the fishery about 11.30. As I pulled up to the gate I noticed a few sign on the gate with the usual things found in fisheries, but one stood out that said "Beware of the Dog; He bites, You have been warned"; well I am a little nervous around dogs I don't know, especially one's with a reputation for being biters. I gingerly opened the van door and started to slowly slide from my seat, just as my foot had touched the tarmac a voice from behind me said "Alright mate". I was back in the van in an instant, door slammed shut and my heart in my mouth. It turned out to be the owner coming out to get my money rather than have to come down to the lakes to collect it, and he found it very funny. I paid my £6 and had a chat with the owner, who could not have been more helpful, about what pool to try and the general rules and I was off on my way.
There was a storm forecast for the afternoon, but it was just glorious sunshine as I arrived bank-side and there was just one other person fishing in the pool, but he looked like he was fishing in the Arctic the way he was wrapped up, so I set up at the opposite end of the bank to him and decided that my best option would be to fish in the area around the only feature of the pool, the intake from the top pool. A bank about six feet high separated the two pools and water came down a pipe into the Coot Pool, and I have learned that it is areas like this where fish will gather. I set up my 10' float road with my new balsa wood float that I got free with the Angler's Times. It was supposed to be for trotting on rivers, but I just wanted to try it out so I put two float stops and a float adaptor on, with 5 x No 8 Stotz over a Size 16 hook attached to the main line with a Size 16 Snap Swivel. After plumbing the depths and setting the float accordingly, my first cast had me onto a small Perch on the drop....At least I wasn't going to blank
 |
| My peg at the Coot Pool. The inlet pipe is just out of shot on the left. |
The afternoon passed in a wonderfully relaxed manner with one eye on the dark clouds heading my way from the West. It looked like the forecasters were right, but I had a plan, a flask of coffee and some cheese and onion sandwiches on crusty bread in the van. The rain clouds arrived after about 90 minutes and my plan sprung into action. The van had been arranged so everything could be put in the back without taking anything apart and within three minutes it was all packed away and I was pouring myself some coffee. Mr Arctic was busily packing all of his gear away and drove off, leaving the whole pool to me. Several others also decided to head home, but there were a few diehards who carried on fishing under their huge umbrellas. I was content with my coffee and sandwiches just watching the rain coming down. The rain passed and I was soon back out there fishing in the sunshine until the next round of rain.
Richard Symons told me that fish react to the change in pressure in a storm and I did notice there was a lot more activity from the Carp in the pool, but I was enjoying myself catching a nice mix of Perch, Roach, Silver Bream and Rudd. Nothing huge but at the end of the day a catch is a catch. As the afternoon progressed and I had to go through another mad dash to get gear stowed when torrential rain hit again, but I managed to bag 19 fish so it was a great day for me, except when the owner scared the life out of me for a second time when I was balanced on a very dodgy footing right near the water as I unhooked myself from reeds. I was chuntering away to myself and trying to stop myself from going in the drink, when a booming voice behind me told me that he was closing up at 6pm but I had until 6.30 if that was okay....I think it must be his hobby scaring people !!!!
As the sheep were let into the field, I packed my gear away and headed home, happy, relaxed and with another great fishery to add to my favourites.....
See you on the bank-side...............
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