Dad Knows Best! River Wye, Courtfield, Lower Lydbrook 11/03/2014

New personal best - 6lb 2oz!

First post on here this year for me, so I guess I should start by saying a very belated Happy New Year to all who read my blogs. I hope it's a good one for us all! I've done very little fishing during the wet winter we've just endured and whilst the times I have been out have produced a few bites I've not felt the need to write about it. This weeks trip to the Wye though, is well worth tapping at the keyboard for. Due to the weather, this river like most has been unfishable since late last year and at its peak was carrying record levels of flood water. The village of Lower Lydbrook was under water and it is only now that the river has returned to a more normal state for the time of year. On Tuesday Dan, Steve, my dad and I found an extra couple of foot or so, a bit of colour and a strong current. Things looked good for a fish or two and so we settled in to our swims and quickly set up. Dad landed a barbel of 5lb straight away which got us all excited and eagerly awaiting more. A 7lb barbel was next, again to dad. Two further bites resulted in hooked fish but both were lost, again it was dad getting all the action. No one was surprised when dad hooked his fifth of the day, a barbel of about 4lb. Dan, Steve and I kept at it, trying a few different swims and chucking everything at the fish, including all sorts of different pellets, boilies and groundbaits, as well as maggots and caster. It was no good though and it was dad who was next in to a fish, again! A large chub surfaced and I was waiting with the net. As I lifted it up I realised just how large, it looked massive and on the scales it swung the needle round to over 6lb, settling on 6lb 2oz! A personal best for dad and the biggest chub any of us had ever seen. It truly was a monster and the pictures really don't do it justice. Bites dried up for dad after this but I don't think he minded too much after the day he had enjoyed. Don, the fishery owner paid a visit and whilst we were nattering about all things fishing my rod bounced in the rest and I hooked a powerful fish, after a fantastic fight I netted my first barbel of 2014, a fish of about 7lb. That was all the action for this trip, Dan and Steve unfortunately had to settle for a blank. I'm already booked again on this stretch in both June and July, so looking forward to that. For up to date information on the River Wye visit www.wyeuskfoundation.org and for more about the river at Courtfield, Lower Lydbrook take a look at www.facebook.com/lowerwyefishing

Spring is in the Air and Tench go on the Feed

After enjoying a day on the river last week and with a trip to the Wye booked for next Tuesday, I thought I'd try my luck on a stillwater this week and see what I could tempt on maggot fished on both the waggler and feeder. After arriving at 11.00am I soon baited a couple of swims with a bit of groundbait and a few casters. Conditions looked good, a very slight breeze, an overcast sky and the temperature remained mild throughout the day. Very spring-like! I fished the waggler at about twelve meters and dropped an inline maggot feeder a few feet beyond this. Bites were instant and some nice roach were the first fish to wet the net. Things went quiet for a bit before the quivertip of my feeder rod twitched and a hard scrapping fish was soon taking line off the reel. A surprise tench of about 2lb 8oz was the culprit and just added to the spring-like feel of the day. Next bite on the float produced another decent tench! Great sport on the light gear! Four nice perch followed, the biggest must have been about a 1lb. Bites did slow up after this flurry of activity and so I packed up, but with a smile on my face having enjoyed a great day.
    Next week sees Jon, Jon's dad, friend and customer Steve and myself all fishing the Wye at Courtfield, Lower Lydbrook. This part of the river has been unfishable all winter due to very heavy rain and high water levels, but as I write this the river is fining down nicely and we're all hoping that the barbel and chub will be hungry after not seeing a bait now for over three months. Mild March's in the past have produced excellent sport here, so our fingers are crossed for a good day. Check back next week for a full report.
  

First tench of the year

Making the Most of the Last Weeks of the River Season. Chub, Dace, Roach and Trout on the Bristol Avon

Kenny with a cheese paste caught chub

Like many of you I have been dying to get back on the river this winter. Bad weather has prevented anyone from doing much for months. So with an improvement in the weather forecasted I packed the car on Tuesday and was off to the Bristol Avon with friend and fishing guide, Kenny Parsons.

Upon arrival Kenny reported that even the half inch of rain on Monday night had pushed the river up! (If only we had been here yesterday). But we were here now so best give it our best shot.

We both set up trotting rods and fished with maggot. The river was coloured more than either of us would have liked but it was not long before we had a couple of chub to 2lb and a decent brown trout which fought very well in the fast current.

After lunch we decided to try feeder fishing in the slower section up stream. Focusing our attack with maggot, caster, bread and Kenny's famous cheese paste, we trekked to above the weirs to give it a go. The river here is around ten feet deep and much slower. Kenny started with bread and I tackled up with a groundbait feeder and caster. This produced a couple more brown trout, four small dace, a roach and star of the day - a silver sea trout. So not a bad day at all and well worth the trip. I'm off to the Wye in a couple of weeks so fingers crossed for a successful day then too.

A welcome sea trout of around 1lb 8oz 

Sensas South West Commercial House Winter League Round 6 K&A Canal

Here are the results from Sunday 5th January 2014, which was round 5 of the Sensas South West Commercial House Winter League, held on the Kennet and Avon Canal, from The George to Dundas.

At the start of the day, 3 teams in at the top of the B division were separated by on half a point!! So we needed a good result on the day and to beat the anglers in teams around us in the league to be sure of winning the league.


1st. Nathanial Johnson (Preston Innovations Thatchers B) 14-12-0, 15 skimmers, 5m pole and bread, three pegs past Dundas Aqueduct
2nd. Richard Whitmarsh (Sensas Wiltshire Angling) 14-4-0
3rd. Craig Pinker (D & W Builders) 8-2-0
4th. Rich Lacey (Maver Bathampton Invincible) 7-1-0
5th. Martin Rayet (Premier Angling Keynsham) 6-12-8
6th. Tim Ford (Preston Innovations Thatchers A) 6-12-0

Teams Division A:
1st. Preston Innovations Thatchers A 30.5
2nd. Maver Bathampton Elite 27
3rd. M & N Electrical 25.

Teams Division B:
Maver Cadbury Angling 24
D & W Builders 23.5
Frys 23.

Final League Division A:
1st. Preston Innovations Thatchers A 38
2nd. Preston Innovations Thatchers B 33.5
3rd. Maver Bathampton Elite 31.

Final League Division B:
1st.Maver Cadbury Angling 27.5
2nd. Frys 26
3rd. D & W Builders 25

Individuals:
Tim Ford 70
Liam Braddell 66
Mark Harper 64.5



So with a tense wait for all the results to come in and be counted up, it emerged we have won on the day again, which put us in an unbeatable position at the top of the B division and were crowned champions, what a fantastic result in our first year as a team and our first year competing in the Commercial House League. Roll on for new autumn when it all starts again!!!


Ivan, again wrote an excellent blog on his match:

http://ivansangle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/sunday-15th-january-commercial-house.html


Individual league winner, Tim Ford put his match report on his ever informative blog 'Cluckers Peg':

http://cluckerspeg.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/commercial-house-final-round-k-canal.html

Sensas South West Commercial House Winter League Round 5 K&A Canal

Here are the results from Sunday 5th January 2014, which was round 5 of the Sensas South West Commercial House Winter League, held on the Kennet and Avon Canal, from The George to Diggers.

As a team we fished a brilliant team match, with 3 sections winners, 2 2nd in sections and a 4th in section (I think) to win our division on the day and put us back at the top of the B division.

Results on the day are as follows:

1st. Neil Mercer (Maver Bathampton Elite) 13-2-0, 8lb of roach on pole with punch and bloodworm plus 5lb of skimmers on bloodworm from end peg at Diggers;
2nd. Vince Lunn (M & N Electrical) 8-9-0
3rd. Mike Withy (Sensas Wilts Angling) 7-14-0
4th. Rob Randall (M & N Electrical) 7-8-0
5th. Shaun Townsend (Maver Bathampton Invincible) 7-4-0
6th. Sam Johnson (Maver Cadbury Angling) 6-12-0

Division A Teams:
1st. Preston Innovations Thatchers B 32
2nd. Preston Innovations Thatchers A 28
3rd. Sensas Wilts Angling 26.5.
A League:
1st. Preston Innovations Thatchers A 32
2nd. Preston Innovations Thatchers B 29.5
3rd. Maver Bathampton Elite 25

Division B Teams:
1st. Maver Cadbury Angling 32
2nd. D & W Builders 23
3rd. Premier Angling Chippenham 22

B League:
1st. Maver Cadbury Angling 21.5
2= Frys and D & W Builders both 21.

Our team member Ivan Currie wrote a top blog for the day:

http://ivansangle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/sunday-5th-january-commercial-house.html

As did Tim Ford from Preston Innovations Thatchers:

http://cluckerspeg.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/commercial-house-round-5-k-canal.html

Trout Fishing to Beat Those Winter Blues

With Christmas upon us, time to go fishing can be limited, add to that the very short days and a few hours is all most people can manage. Fly fishing on my club lake is a quick fix for me at this time of year, travelling light with one rod, tactics are a slow intermediate line, an 8lb fluorocarbon leader and a single lure.

I had tied some 3’’ snakes which I was keen to use, these lures seemed to be doing the business on other small lakes, tied with olive rabbits fur, the brilliant action of these flies would surely be irresistible to any hungry trout.

I arrived at the water around 11am, the day being one of those rare winter days with no wind and a bright sky. After only two casts a trout hit my lure, playing these winter trout on a light 5# rod is very enjoyable and the fish was netted and returned to the water in tip top condition. Moving around the lake produced another six rainbows plus a small brown trout. Great quick fix fishing!

Below is a list of good trout fishing venues that are open this winter. Get out there and give it a go! 

Cameley Trout Lakes BS39 5QA, Burton Springs Fishery TA51QB, Jacklands Fishing Lakes BS21 6SG, Avon Springs SP4 8HH, Mill Farm Trout Lakes SN10 5UW, Lechlade Fishery GL7 3QQ and Farmoor Reservoir OX2 9NS

A very colourful winter rainbow

 

2013 - A Great Year for Fishing!

I've managed a few days out since my last post and have caught perch to 2lb 3oz, a few small whiting and a decent sized silver eel. Last week I enjoyed a few hours on the River Chew and tempted some nice dace, roach and a grayling. With the year coming to an end I've found myself looking back through the photographs and have concluded that 2013 has been a very good year! One of my best in fact! River Wye barbel to over 9lb, a waggler caught chub of nearly 5lb and some big dace were all very welcome, during a dry summer in which water levels were dangerously low and the fishing pretty tricky. The hot weather also allowed me to spend time targeting surface feeding carp on the lake and I was lucky enough to catch my first ever 20lb plus fish off the top, a 20lb 1oz mirror and smash my grass carp personal best twice, with fish of 19lb 4oz and a monster weighing 27lb 13oz. I've had success sea fishing too. Personal best wrasse, pollock and my first ever bass were all caught this year. My trip to Norway produced some cracking cod and new species in the shape of ling, coalfish, torsk and a 10lb halibut. January of this year also saw me catch my first ever fly caught fish, a brown trout, on my first time of trying. All very pleasing. It's been great to see friends and family enjoy good catches too. Friends like Dave, Corin and Baz have caught personal bests that include cod, catfish, barbel and carp, to name but four. Dad has had a good year and I've been there to watch him land barbel to nearly 10lb, 5lb plus chub, large carp and tench, as well as a 10lb 8oz bass, a 12lb pollock and his biggest ever fish, a 110lb catfish, during our trip to Spain. It's been a good year in the shop with things now picking up after a slower couple of years and both Dan and Toby have found time to get out fishing, enjoying success of their own which you can read all about on this blog. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what 2014 holds in store. Until next time Cadbury Angling wishes all who support us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.