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- Mar 22, 2012
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After yesterday’s disappointing river blank I fancied something different today (catching some fish), so I took myself off to Newbiggin in Chapeltown for a day on the seatbox.
I arrived at 8:45 along with another chap and set up on a peg towards the far end. Giving me a cast into the far corner where I suspected most of the carp may be hiding.
Although the air was mild, the water was still pretty cold, so I started on the more cautious pellet feeder rather than the method. Micros and a 6mm banded pellet to start. Bites were regular, if not instant, and after an hour I’d got a 4lb carp and four skimmers of a 1lb or so in the hypothetical net.
The next hour was more of the same, four more similar sized skimmers and another carp. Switching to 6mm wafters bringing bites when it went quiet.
The third hour came and the bites slowed right down, whereas bites were coming within 10 mins, they were now taking 20. This did coincide with the place getting busy. There are only 12 pegs and by 11am 10 were full. Some fish were being caught on the pole but the feeder lines didn’t seem to be doing a lot. It seemed that the carp had backed off to the far corner where they could evade the feeders.
You can see on this photo where I mean, there’s a branch in the water that’s stopping the cast into that back water. I could see carp crashing beyond it, but even with a pinpoint cast right up to it, they weren’t falling for it.
Changing to a hybrid feeder and piling some bait in was my last attempt at pulling them out of their ‘safe zone’. It got me one more before I got the waggler rod out.
Unhappy with the lack of carp, the angler to the left of me got the slow sinking maggot feeder out and proceeded to catch Ide on the drop. I opted for the waggler shallow, spraying maggots as far and wide as the wind decided it wanted to take them. The Ide didn’t seem fussed about the inaccuracy, it was almost a bite a chuck. Fishing between 1 and 3ft with double or single maggot on an 18. I had about 20 or so before it was time to pack up. Some decent ones up to 2lb too, as well as a couple more skimmers and some roach.
It was an enjoyable day, with an estimated 40lb of fish. Not bad for 1st January, and a great way to see the new year in.
Happy New Year all.
I arrived at 8:45 along with another chap and set up on a peg towards the far end. Giving me a cast into the far corner where I suspected most of the carp may be hiding.
Although the air was mild, the water was still pretty cold, so I started on the more cautious pellet feeder rather than the method. Micros and a 6mm banded pellet to start. Bites were regular, if not instant, and after an hour I’d got a 4lb carp and four skimmers of a 1lb or so in the hypothetical net.
The next hour was more of the same, four more similar sized skimmers and another carp. Switching to 6mm wafters bringing bites when it went quiet.
The third hour came and the bites slowed right down, whereas bites were coming within 10 mins, they were now taking 20. This did coincide with the place getting busy. There are only 12 pegs and by 11am 10 were full. Some fish were being caught on the pole but the feeder lines didn’t seem to be doing a lot. It seemed that the carp had backed off to the far corner where they could evade the feeders.
You can see on this photo where I mean, there’s a branch in the water that’s stopping the cast into that back water. I could see carp crashing beyond it, but even with a pinpoint cast right up to it, they weren’t falling for it.
Changing to a hybrid feeder and piling some bait in was my last attempt at pulling them out of their ‘safe zone’. It got me one more before I got the waggler rod out.
Unhappy with the lack of carp, the angler to the left of me got the slow sinking maggot feeder out and proceeded to catch Ide on the drop. I opted for the waggler shallow, spraying maggots as far and wide as the wind decided it wanted to take them. The Ide didn’t seem fussed about the inaccuracy, it was almost a bite a chuck. Fishing between 1 and 3ft with double or single maggot on an 18. I had about 20 or so before it was time to pack up. Some decent ones up to 2lb too, as well as a couple more skimmers and some roach.
It was an enjoyable day, with an estimated 40lb of fish. Not bad for 1st January, and a great way to see the new year in.
Happy New Year all.
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, great day out and well angled
...Probably the tree as well!
. There was a good stock of them in 2011, but seemingly none in there at all now. My guess is they don’t breed well when stocked unnaturally, but I might be wrong.
