Apologies for not posting recently but I have been rather busy with work and haven't really had time to sit down and write about much. A hectic work schedule that left me drained every night and then a pinched nerve in my wrist meant that I wasn't able to type very much until now. The wrist injury saw me lose nearly two weeks off work and I only managed to get back on the bankside last Sunday, but that post will have to wait for a while. The only thing wrong now is a little bit of a cold given to me by my 7 month old Grandson, Charlie.....
I usually never take any annual leave and have to be almost forced into having days off as we get close to the end of the year or risk losing them altogether. I've never really had much to do on days off except lie on the sofa and watch the drivel and dross that is daytime TV in this country. However, this year I couldn't wait to book off some time because it meant that I could get some serious fishing time in and lose myself on the bank-side.
The plan was to fish every other day, starting on the Monday, then Wednesday and Friday, however, as usual with my best laid plans, it all changed and I had to have a rethink. I'm not complaining, I got to spend the day with Edith and Charlie, my Grandkids, and any time spent with them is far more rewarding than any amount of time sat on the side of a lake.
I usually never take any annual leave and have to be almost forced into having days off as we get close to the end of the year or risk losing them altogether. I've never really had much to do on days off except lie on the sofa and watch the drivel and dross that is daytime TV in this country. However, this year I couldn't wait to book off some time because it meant that I could get some serious fishing time in and lose myself on the bank-side.
The plan was to fish every other day, starting on the Monday, then Wednesday and Friday, however, as usual with my best laid plans, it all changed and I had to have a rethink. I'm not complaining, I got to spend the day with Edith and Charlie, my Grandkids, and any time spent with them is far more rewarding than any amount of time sat on the side of a lake.
My plan was now to fish Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and I had decided that I would visit Hunnington Coarse Fishery for my first session of the week, but the skies were the colour of a battleships hull and the forecast wasn't indicating any possibility of change. Undaunted and armed with my new umbrella from Aldi, I headed out with just sweetcorn and luncheon meat as bait. I had used the same baits on my last two trips with mixed results and I had decided that if I struggled to catch like I had on my previous sessions then I would be going back to maggots and laying off the sweetcorn and luncheon meat that I had been using.
Tuesday - 25th August
Hunnington Coarse Fishery
My first session of the week was at one of my favourite fisheries where I'd caught a few nice fish on previous trips. I went along armed with the two baits mentioned about and felt quietly confident that I would do well and decided to fish the bottom Kingfisher Pool, where the bigger carp are found. The weather wasn't too great and the threat of rain was never far away, but undeterred I set up on the bank-side adjacent to the car park and got the Carp rod out and put the pellet waggler on the line. I was using the sweetcorn first and cast out as tight to the side of the island as possible where I had been told the biggest specimens could be found. Unfortunately there was a strong wind coming from an easterly direction which was coming along the length of the pool. In hindsight I realise now that I should probably moved a bit to my right and fished on the other side of the island where it was calmer due to the island and the trees and bushes providing a sort of windbreak.
I tried to compensate for the wind and cast into it so the heavy waggler float would hopefully be diverted to where I wanted it, but the line was blown into the overhanging branches and I had the float sitting just where I wanted it but the line snagged above the water. Everything went okay as I reeled the line back in, hoping that it would free itself in the process, but no such luck. The float came up and got stuck and I had to pull on the line until either the line or the branch broke. The line went first and my pellet waggler float made the usual heavy splash as it hit the water free from the line. My first thoughts were that it was another £4.00 lost to those vengeful fishing demons, but then the same wind that had caused the problem decided to work in my favour and the waves created as it blew across the surface of the water pushed the float towards the bankside. I was able to use the landing net to rescue the float but any thoughts of fishing near the island disappeared quickly.
I moved further down the lake and pitched up at the opposite end where I thought I would have more of a chance of catching something, and I was soon set up with the carp chair out underneath my new umbrella just in time to shelter from the first of many downpours through the day. The conditions were particularly nasty throughout the day and the warm weather we had enjoyed in previous weeks now seemed like a distant memory as the wind got stronger and the rain fell heavier. The owner had been round collecting the fees from the anglers who had arrived after myself, and he stopped for a chat and passed on the cheery news that the fish had been heading towards the bottom for a few days due to weather. Apparently the fish at this venue are easily spooked and the change in the weather had signalled that autumn was coming and they'd gone into deeper water before they begin to feed voraciously for the winter.
I had adopted the "feed little, but often" tactic but no matter what I tried the fish were just not interested and I couldn't get them to rise from the bottom and I was now debating on whether I should cut short the session and head home to the warmth and comfort of the sofa. I had tried changing hook size, used various baits that I had available, changed pegs and fed up the peg with copious amounts of sweetcorn. I started to wonder if my freebies had over fed the swim, but then there was some interest on the line as the float suddenly disappeared beneath the surface and then bobbed back into view; that was enough to get my interest restored and it was game on again.
I didn't strike straight away, I waited until there was more interest on the line and then I took my chance and struck the line. I have been getting into the habit of striking too early and it has been pointed out to me by Damian, but try as I might I couldn't break the habit. This time I was aware of what I was doing and I gently gave the line a flick of the wrist and I was on. It was at this point that my carp chair decided that now would be a good time to collapse and the back legs splayed upwards as the two rails that the seat part were attached to bent to almost 90 degrees. At first I lay there wondering how one minute I was watching the water and the next I was looking at the underside of my umbrella.....I still had hold of the rod and the line was still tight so at least I hadn't lost the fish and I managed to land a nice Linear Carp weighing about 2lbs. Not huge but at least I hadn't blanked.
After the disaster with the chair, the miserable weather and being cold I decided enough was enough and I started to pack away the broken chair and rest of my gear. I suppose it was just not my day and the fisheries resident goose, a big grey lump of a thing who is very friendly, topped it off when he came down while my back was turned and helped himself to my luncheon meat and sweetcorn.
Thursday - 27th August
Smethwick Junction, BCN Old Main Line Canal
For my next fishing trip I decided to go local and went down to the canal system that runs through Smethwick, and was responsible for the industrial expansion during the 18th and 19th centuries. The canals used to run past the huge factories and industrial plants that made up the northern parts of the town but are now mostly derelict, demolished or have characterless new housing estates built on the sites. The part of the system I planned on fishing is accessed through the new(ish) Galton Valley estate which used to be a big engineering factory until the business closed in the early 1980's. The towpath side is accessible from Brasshouse Lane, but parking is limited and so I decided to use the small mooring area on the opposite bank.
This stretch of the canal is known as Smethwick Junction and is where the original Old Main Line canal branches off to form what is known as The Engine Arm, which terminates about a mile or two further down at French Walls, crossing the New Main Line via an aquaduct. The Old Main Line continues down and joins the newer canal after passing through a series of locks. I've fished this stretch before and drew a blank, but then I had not plumbed the depth, used the wrong tackle and thought I knew everything. This time I went armed with red maggots, the correct waggler float and a variety of hook sizes, so I thought I had most bases covered.
The sky was lead grey in colour and the forecast had predicted that their would be heavy showers throughout the day. I would be in trouble if the rain did come because the area I was fishing from was concrete and there was no way I could put the umbrella up. I started out with the float rod, short waggler float and 4 x No.8 Shotz from the Preston Innovations range. The hook was a Size 14 wide gap just in case there were any bigger species around. I fished the middle section where the canal is deepest but after 30 minutes there was no activity there and I had been dropping two or three maggots into an area just in front of a Buddleia bush that was growing out of the concrete moorings, so I changed the hook and put on a No.16 with two maggots on. Things seemed to be looking a little better here and the float went under a few times but that was it really. There were no real takes, just a lot of line bites.
I stuck it out for a further 30 minutes but the heavens opened and I was forced to reel my hook in and sit on my box, holding the umbrella while I waited for the shower to pass. I'd been told by my mate from Stoke, the legend that is Mark Woodward, that the best time to fish was when or after it was raining so I wasn't going to pack up just yet. The shower soon passed and I was back on it, but further out this time, where I thought the shelf on the far side dropped into the central channel. There was a lot of activity around the stretch of water as the fish kept coming to the top and breaking the surface, but they ignored my hook.
I stuck it out for a further hour, swapping to the feeder rod hoping that might bring a bite but there was nothing doing and the rain had started to get really heavy as well. I decided that enough was enough and packed everything away and trudged back to the van water whacked by the Smethwick canals once again.....Stu 0 Canal 2
Friday - 28th August
Barlow Lakes, Barlow, North Derbyshire
Ever since I began fishing I have wanted to get to this venue. I used to visit the village every Summer growing up, staying with my Aunt Doreen for two weeks of absolute freedom, running around the fields, playing in hay barns, playing in Barlow Brook and just having the best time a little kid could have. The happiest memories from my childhood all come from these visits to Barlow and if I could, I would buy a house up there in a heartbeat.
I remember clearly when the fishery was first started way back in 1976, when it was just a trout fishery, but over the years it has developed into a stunning little venue with 4 coarse pools, a specimen lake and 2 trout ponds. I couldn't wait to get bankside and left home about 06.30 for the two hour drive up the A38 to Alfreton and then the A61 to Chesterfield. I got to the venue at about 08.30, and set up straight away on the first pool as you entered from the Keepers Lane and Smeltinghouse Lane entrance.
The weather promised to be sunny with the odd chance of showers and after the previous day's downpours I was ready just in case. The umbrella could be deployed at a moments notice but for now the sky was azure blue without a cloud in sight. The first few hours saw plenty of nudges and line knocks close in around the reed line and I got a fair few small perch and gudgeon taking the red maggot bait, but I was determined to get the swim feeder out into the middle and see what I could catch. I hadn't used my feeder rod yet and I was feeling confident enough to give it a go today. I had read articles in the magazines, watched the videos on YouTube and felt I had an understanding of this technique. It was game on !!!!!
After a few showers and rapid deployment of the umbrella he fishing was going great and I was catching redfins on a regular basis but I wanted that fish that would move me from what Damian calls "sticklebacks" to heftier fish in or near the 1lb+ weight. I swapped over to the feeder rod and cast out into the middle and waited. It wasn't long before the quiver tip was bouncing about as the fish investigated the free feed that had just landed in their midst. I'd watched Luke fish this method many times and wasn't sure if I should strike now or wait, but the fish decided for me when there was a clear and definitive bend on the rod and I struck.
I reeled in carefully so not to lose the fish and soon it was clear that I had a Bream on the hook and it just lay on it's side as I got it to the surface. These fish give up so easily.....
I finished my day off at around 6pm having had a quality days fishing and bagging up a total of 31fish. I would have stayed longer but I had promised my Aunt that I would pay a visit and so I happily packed everything away feeling pleased with myself that I had nailed the feeder technique at last......See you on the bank-side.......
Tuesday - 25th August
Hunnington Coarse Fishery
My first session of the week was at one of my favourite fisheries where I'd caught a few nice fish on previous trips. I went along armed with the two baits mentioned about and felt quietly confident that I would do well and decided to fish the bottom Kingfisher Pool, where the bigger carp are found. The weather wasn't too great and the threat of rain was never far away, but undeterred I set up on the bank-side adjacent to the car park and got the Carp rod out and put the pellet waggler on the line. I was using the sweetcorn first and cast out as tight to the side of the island as possible where I had been told the biggest specimens could be found. Unfortunately there was a strong wind coming from an easterly direction which was coming along the length of the pool. In hindsight I realise now that I should probably moved a bit to my right and fished on the other side of the island where it was calmer due to the island and the trees and bushes providing a sort of windbreak.
I tried to compensate for the wind and cast into it so the heavy waggler float would hopefully be diverted to where I wanted it, but the line was blown into the overhanging branches and I had the float sitting just where I wanted it but the line snagged above the water. Everything went okay as I reeled the line back in, hoping that it would free itself in the process, but no such luck. The float came up and got stuck and I had to pull on the line until either the line or the branch broke. The line went first and my pellet waggler float made the usual heavy splash as it hit the water free from the line. My first thoughts were that it was another £4.00 lost to those vengeful fishing demons, but then the same wind that had caused the problem decided to work in my favour and the waves created as it blew across the surface of the water pushed the float towards the bankside. I was able to use the landing net to rescue the float but any thoughts of fishing near the island disappeared quickly.
I moved further down the lake and pitched up at the opposite end where I thought I would have more of a chance of catching something, and I was soon set up with the carp chair out underneath my new umbrella just in time to shelter from the first of many downpours through the day. The conditions were particularly nasty throughout the day and the warm weather we had enjoyed in previous weeks now seemed like a distant memory as the wind got stronger and the rain fell heavier. The owner had been round collecting the fees from the anglers who had arrived after myself, and he stopped for a chat and passed on the cheery news that the fish had been heading towards the bottom for a few days due to weather. Apparently the fish at this venue are easily spooked and the change in the weather had signalled that autumn was coming and they'd gone into deeper water before they begin to feed voraciously for the winter.
I had adopted the "feed little, but often" tactic but no matter what I tried the fish were just not interested and I couldn't get them to rise from the bottom and I was now debating on whether I should cut short the session and head home to the warmth and comfort of the sofa. I had tried changing hook size, used various baits that I had available, changed pegs and fed up the peg with copious amounts of sweetcorn. I started to wonder if my freebies had over fed the swim, but then there was some interest on the line as the float suddenly disappeared beneath the surface and then bobbed back into view; that was enough to get my interest restored and it was game on again.
I didn't strike straight away, I waited until there was more interest on the line and then I took my chance and struck the line. I have been getting into the habit of striking too early and it has been pointed out to me by Damian, but try as I might I couldn't break the habit. This time I was aware of what I was doing and I gently gave the line a flick of the wrist and I was on. It was at this point that my carp chair decided that now would be a good time to collapse and the back legs splayed upwards as the two rails that the seat part were attached to bent to almost 90 degrees. At first I lay there wondering how one minute I was watching the water and the next I was looking at the underside of my umbrella.....I still had hold of the rod and the line was still tight so at least I hadn't lost the fish and I managed to land a nice Linear Carp weighing about 2lbs. Not huge but at least I hadn't blanked.
After the disaster with the chair, the miserable weather and being cold I decided enough was enough and I started to pack away the broken chair and rest of my gear. I suppose it was just not my day and the fisheries resident goose, a big grey lump of a thing who is very friendly, topped it off when he came down while my back was turned and helped himself to my luncheon meat and sweetcorn.
Thursday - 27th August
Smethwick Junction, BCN Old Main Line Canal
For my next fishing trip I decided to go local and went down to the canal system that runs through Smethwick, and was responsible for the industrial expansion during the 18th and 19th centuries. The canals used to run past the huge factories and industrial plants that made up the northern parts of the town but are now mostly derelict, demolished or have characterless new housing estates built on the sites. The part of the system I planned on fishing is accessed through the new(ish) Galton Valley estate which used to be a big engineering factory until the business closed in the early 1980's. The towpath side is accessible from Brasshouse Lane, but parking is limited and so I decided to use the small mooring area on the opposite bank.
This stretch of the canal is known as Smethwick Junction and is where the original Old Main Line canal branches off to form what is known as The Engine Arm, which terminates about a mile or two further down at French Walls, crossing the New Main Line via an aquaduct. The Old Main Line continues down and joins the newer canal after passing through a series of locks. I've fished this stretch before and drew a blank, but then I had not plumbed the depth, used the wrong tackle and thought I knew everything. This time I went armed with red maggots, the correct waggler float and a variety of hook sizes, so I thought I had most bases covered.
The sky was lead grey in colour and the forecast had predicted that their would be heavy showers throughout the day. I would be in trouble if the rain did come because the area I was fishing from was concrete and there was no way I could put the umbrella up. I started out with the float rod, short waggler float and 4 x No.8 Shotz from the Preston Innovations range. The hook was a Size 14 wide gap just in case there were any bigger species around. I fished the middle section where the canal is deepest but after 30 minutes there was no activity there and I had been dropping two or three maggots into an area just in front of a Buddleia bush that was growing out of the concrete moorings, so I changed the hook and put on a No.16 with two maggots on. Things seemed to be looking a little better here and the float went under a few times but that was it really. There were no real takes, just a lot of line bites.
I stuck it out for a further 30 minutes but the heavens opened and I was forced to reel my hook in and sit on my box, holding the umbrella while I waited for the shower to pass. I'd been told by my mate from Stoke, the legend that is Mark Woodward, that the best time to fish was when or after it was raining so I wasn't going to pack up just yet. The shower soon passed and I was back on it, but further out this time, where I thought the shelf on the far side dropped into the central channel. There was a lot of activity around the stretch of water as the fish kept coming to the top and breaking the surface, but they ignored my hook.
I stuck it out for a further hour, swapping to the feeder rod hoping that might bring a bite but there was nothing doing and the rain had started to get really heavy as well. I decided that enough was enough and packed everything away and trudged back to the van water whacked by the Smethwick canals once again.....Stu 0 Canal 2
Friday - 28th August
Barlow Lakes, Barlow, North Derbyshire
Ever since I began fishing I have wanted to get to this venue. I used to visit the village every Summer growing up, staying with my Aunt Doreen for two weeks of absolute freedom, running around the fields, playing in hay barns, playing in Barlow Brook and just having the best time a little kid could have. The happiest memories from my childhood all come from these visits to Barlow and if I could, I would buy a house up there in a heartbeat.
I remember clearly when the fishery was first started way back in 1976, when it was just a trout fishery, but over the years it has developed into a stunning little venue with 4 coarse pools, a specimen lake and 2 trout ponds. I couldn't wait to get bankside and left home about 06.30 for the two hour drive up the A38 to Alfreton and then the A61 to Chesterfield. I got to the venue at about 08.30, and set up straight away on the first pool as you entered from the Keepers Lane and Smeltinghouse Lane entrance.
 |
| Barlow Lakes |
The weather promised to be sunny with the odd chance of showers and after the previous day's downpours I was ready just in case. The umbrella could be deployed at a moments notice but for now the sky was azure blue without a cloud in sight. The first few hours saw plenty of nudges and line knocks close in around the reed line and I got a fair few small perch and gudgeon taking the red maggot bait, but I was determined to get the swim feeder out into the middle and see what I could catch. I hadn't used my feeder rod yet and I was feeling confident enough to give it a go today. I had read articles in the magazines, watched the videos on YouTube and felt I had an understanding of this technique. It was game on !!!!!
After a few showers and rapid deployment of the umbrella he fishing was going great and I was catching redfins on a regular basis but I wanted that fish that would move me from what Damian calls "sticklebacks" to heftier fish in or near the 1lb+ weight. I swapped over to the feeder rod and cast out into the middle and waited. It wasn't long before the quiver tip was bouncing about as the fish investigated the free feed that had just landed in their midst. I'd watched Luke fish this method many times and wasn't sure if I should strike now or wait, but the fish decided for me when there was a clear and definitive bend on the rod and I struck.
I reeled in carefully so not to lose the fish and soon it was clear that I had a Bream on the hook and it just lay on it's side as I got it to the surface. These fish give up so easily.....
 | ||
| My first feeder Bream |
I finished my day off at around 6pm having had a quality days fishing and bagging up a total of 31fish. I would have stayed longer but I had promised my Aunt that I would pay a visit and so I happily packed everything away feeling pleased with myself that I had nailed the feeder technique at last......See you on the bank-side.......
