I am a very infrequent angler on commercial fisheries, usually close-season or when the Nene is in flood.
Yesterday I had an enjoyable day fishing on a pool that I have always understood to contain much smaller fish than the carp lakes.

When I called in at the shop, one of the staff said that there were some much bigger fish present. I have fished this several times before but never hooked anything bigger than 2lbs.

I was float fishing with 4lb mainline, 2.5lb (0.10) hook-length with a size 14 Silverfish barbless match hook. Bait was punch and maggot.

I caught around 40 Rudd and Roach to 8ozs, 2x 2lb Mirrors, a Common of similar size, a 1lb Skimmer and then it happened!! As soon as the fish felt the hook, it took off. Pulled me all over the pool for 5 or six minutes, steadily taking line all the time. Eventually the hook-length parted, just below the loop.

I am now wondering what to do for my next visit? Could I get away with 0.13 (4lb12oz) or 0.15 (5lb14oz) Reflo as hook-lengths, perhaps with 6lb Maxima (0.22) as mainline or would that mess up the silvers? Water is well coloured. What's your thoughts please?

I've Four day's off work (by order of the missus) so no tools, no DiY, none of that can't be mentioned activity involving paint and brushes, but four days of leisure and hopefully at least one of them on the bank, Sunday or Monday possibly.

Time to polish up my act, get the tackle out, and have another go at blowing off those cobwebs

What are your plans for the bank holiday, do they include fishing?

Adapt and utilise. Forgot my sidetray so, into a nearby skip, one chair and one oven door later

For those of us who like to use, view, collect or just reminisce we have added a new forum in the Tackle and Baits section - 'Vintage and Retro'


Peter is currently moving relevant content over into it which would otherwise have been lost in the archives. Please feel free to view and add to it

Fishing a teams of 4 over 4 weekends in the next couple of months so l thought l'd fish the open today to get a bit of practice in.
Set up at 55 turns and 37 turns.
Baited up the far swim first and had a small skimmer 2nd cast.
Put some feed on the near swim and started to pull in small perch and roach, very small fish. Went back on the far line and started to catch small ouncer skimmers and perch. Stayed on the far line for the rest of the match. I had 17 skimmers, a few perch and the occasional roach to weigh in 5lb 9oz enough for the win and £70 in my back pocket.
Bust my 1.5oz tip though, braid wrap round and bang
No net photos but a couple of my peg and the ressie.

What does it mean? - Are they preparing for spawning or something? - I had a morning down at Harescombe today. I picked a couple of small carp out of the margins in the first hour. But then it just stopped. I could see carp cruising around just below the surface, and in places congregating in groups of 20 or more. But they weren't 'avin it. You could have dropped a bait on their noses and they'd avoid it.
Along with more than a couple of others I decided I could only flog a dead horse for so long before it was time to pack it in and go home. Floating baits are banned at this venue, and before anyone shouts zig rig, I'm pretty sure the fish were simply not feeding, regardless of bait and presentation.