Catch Reports
I was really looking forward to getting back on some of my favourite waters, chasing Tench on big pits or mega hard pits. There were three main waters I had in mind, the largest one going up to 120 acres. All three of them have their own problems, i.e restricted areas, restricted fishing times...
Welly is generally very shallow with average depths of only 4-5ft. It does drop deeper in some specific areas, but the majority is consistent in depth. This is what can make it productive in the winter if you do the classic things like stay mobile and keep eyes and ears always open.
I tend to stay up late and wake up extra early as this gives me the extra hours of listening and watching time that could nail down the location and leads to that end goal of a capture.
The Hampshire Avon has always been a magical river and I think it’s fair to say, that when it comes to barbel fishing, this river is commonly thought of as one of the most iconic waterways in the country.
Since targeting big fish became a large part of my life in the early 1980s, I have been on one long journey and have been fortunate to have landed plenty of personal bests and each one has been special.
I had landed ten of the fourteen caught between us, with Adrian catching the largest at 7lb 9oz. Only one other tench was caught between about 20 other anglers on the lake. It wasn’t a bad way to kick off a fishing diary that I keep to this day!
It was really difficult to establish any portfolio of exactly what carp were present. The biggest known mirror in the lake was named ‘Megan’ apparently. I was told that one spun the scales to just over 30lb.
During the last 7-8 seasons I’ve fell in love with a brilliant method, trotting for chub. Each winter my dad and I head down to the banks of the Dorset stour in search of its specimen chub. This river is by far my favourite for the species and I really couldn’t think of a better place to target a huge chub.
I embarked on a campaign for the biggest carp in my locality – a very big carp indeed. Some had caught it quickly, however, I knew one or two extremely tidy anglers that had been fishing for this beast for several years...
I first came across ‘The Local Lin’ when Sticky Baits posted a picture of it on their social media and I remember thinking, what a carp it was! A unique fish, jet black with a tiny mouth and a very small tail and I knew it had gone over the 40lb mark!
I was really impressed with the Noir, it was a lovely black colour and had a fluorocarbon weave in it which meant it sank superbly, but with zero stretch I knew it would help me ensure I was fishing spots with maximum accuracy, as well as a feel beyond what you can achieve with any mono.
Generally, in winters gone by I’ve either continued on my chosen venue for my target or started a new winter campaign elsewhere. With travel restricted, I was limited in my options, and the routine post-Christmas socials were postponed.
I couldn’t have chosen a more perfect week and I ended up having 9 fish that week with 5 of them being over 35lb, topped off with one of the most wanted fish on the complex known as The Upfront Common.
To be successful when fishing in the middle of winter it is essential to keep a close eye on the weather and make your plans accordingly. Dai Gribble gives us 10 top tips for catching on waters during the colder months, either on rivers or on stillwaters.
In common with my warm weather fishing I usually take a fairly freestyle approach to finding fish during the cold months. The main reason is that, if there’s one thing I’ve concluded, they are where they are and I’ve found it vital to keep an open mind with regard to the carps’ whereabouts and feeding areas.
After participating in the annual Gardner Tackle social in Autumn 2020 at Burghfield Blue Pool, I really liked what this quirky pool had to offer. An intimate 4 acre lake tucked in amongst some of the best carp lakes the Thames Valley has to offer.
I like adapting to the green stuff in my angling, I always have. Adapting presentation, thinking about rig length and materials. Adapting lead weight, for the perfect drop and to aid more stealth getting rods into position.
The start of a new challenge is always exciting and after hearing about a special big scaley mirror and then seeing some photos, it was one that I was desperate to have in my album. The venue in question was a large 60 plus acre boating lake with a relatively low stock of carp.
It was now close in, but staying deep, and it was a further 5 minutes of arm ache before I got a look at it. I saw the cluster of scales near the tail, and the distinctive round body shape, confirming what I already knew, it was the unmistakable SP. It wasn’t finished yet though, despite me praying for it to just give up, and twice having it over my outstretched net...
With Covid impacting angling being so open and closed this last year, plus restrictions in place impacting visitors on the bank when open. My family haven’t been able to nip in to say hi to Dad this last year. But at random points in the past, they have dropped by and shared my love for carp angling.
