Kennet - quest for specimens part3

I am getting a little obsessed by this trickle section near the town centre - again i did 2 hrs Tues night / 2 weds morn - this time i fixed the last tip on my old Tricast Kevlar light feeder to give me more chance holding onto any beastie than the make-shift telescopic would - but fair to say when this was my only rod 5-7 years ago i lost big barbel on the Dane cos the rod had no backbone - it could handle 7lbers on a very good day.

Tues night - targeted the car park swim near the sports ground where i had the 3lb 6oz chub - i had lots of plucks on the bread but the fish were not having it - i then brought in a signal crayfish and that made my mind up to shallow up further to avoid them - found 30 mags at the bottom of my bait bag so put a couple on and had a big gudgeon and 2 roach in successive cast after plugging away for 40 mins with the constant plucks.
Moved onto the another swim had a couple of bites but no joy and then finished in the gravel swin where i had the 2lb+ trout - i put worm on just in case but just had 1 chublet to show for 30 mins of effort.

Weds morn - i went straight to the town centre swims - started at the railings where i had a roach first case and then lots of plucks, half bites - decided to change to the cafe swim where i had the bream/chub the week before.
second cast on bread and i was in - decent chub between 2-3lb - got it to the surface and "hook pull", i kept plugging away - lots of pulls - then i saw a few big splashes where fish attacked the bread i fed that didnt sink - i kept watching with intent - i let my float fished bread run through to the end of the swim and i was in again - this time a bream - they must pick up the collection of bait once it settles right at the end of the swim - anyway it was around the 3lb mark and i got it right to the net and on its last thrust for freedon the hook pulled again.

i then fed crust and watched chub attack it - I remember watching Matt Hayes fish this way and thought "one day" - that day was here - on went the crust and after a few runs a big splash and i was in - this felt good - i was some 20 yards downstream so thought there was enough mono to strecth and absorb any lunges - i had the reel set for my dad (left handed) so i have to swap over post strike to be able to reel - just as i did that there was one almighty lunge (it would have took the rod in if i wasnt holding tightly) - at this point the tip was in the water and snap - 5lb mainline straight through went above the float... damn, damn double damn - note to self - change over reel handle and maybe not loose a fish of a lifetime.
It could have been a pike grapping the chub or a really big chub but we will never know.

Went to the Car park swim to finish off - only had worm left so trotted one cut in half - had a few bits and ended with a perch of about 1lb.

ended up with 9 fish over the sessions and a bruised ego.

Bad weather - bad session

I thought with the weather being so bad i would sit behind alarms at Blackleach hoping for some action.

I braved the elements for over 4 hours with only a 2 bleeper on my worm rod fished just past a weed patch at 50yards.

My dad on the float had a few fast bites - he hit the last one to take 1 perch which was less than an ounce it was that tiny.

I spoke to another bloke on the way to the car and he said he had been taking a single fish every session from 6-8lb and today he was smashed on the float with 5lb hooklink.

Still a hard water i will keep trying to tame.

More Kennet fish

I did another session on the Kennet at Newbury town centre - 1.5hrs Tues night / 2 hrs Weds morning.
Tuesday night : 8.15pm to 9.45pm - fished with my dodgy telescopic rod/ 5lb line /size 14 animal and bread on the hook,
Second trot through and while I was mending the line and holding back the float a chub shot out of nowhere in 12 inches of water and nailed the bread. It ran me 20 yrds downtstream in an instant - my line wrapped around an overhanging tree - damn.. If I wanted the fish I had to free the line… so in I went nudging my way down the inside of the bank in 4inches of water and as much of mud…. I got to the tree, climbed on to it and freed the line then realised I needed the landing net!!!
I could get through via the bank so again bail arm off and a quick march meant I had the landing net… played the fish hard and got it in yesssssssssss… just soggy boots and nettle stings for my troubles.
A lovely chub of 3lb 6oz - spent 30 mins playing this fish while trying to get it out of the tree so I was relieved to see it in the net.
I managed a chublet and roach missing a few bites at other pegs - each peg definately holding some fish,
Weds morning - 5.45am to 7.45am - went to town centre swim, had loads of bites by chublets, dace and roach but my attack was for the bigger chub and as such the breadflake was too big…thus lots of plucks at the bread.
Moved to the swim next to the café… within a minute I was holding onto a decent chub and then it went slack… the hook had come off (poorly tied - one I put on at last knockings the night before), a few casts later and I was in again - this time I saw the fish turn, a definate chub of a good size… it then got me snagged in the middle of the river (how does it shed the hook onto the nearest large sunken tree I don’t know) - I had to pull for a break - damn would have been a nice one to see,
I kept going and had a few bits - then I let it trot through to the end of the run and whack I was in… bit of a dull fight thought it was a snag and then….. no it’s a bream….



Got it in and it weighed 3lb 11oz - had a few roach chublets and perch on worm in other pegs,
All in all 12 fish - they may not be the big chub and barbel of further downstream but how can you complain when it free fishing!!!!.

Little rivers dont mean little fish

I took the opportunity to try the free fishing stretch behind Newbury town centre. Armed with a bodged telescopic rod (I broke the top section so I araldited a quiver tip to it) I got to the river at 8.30pm after work.
I had to go for a run first - part of my exercise campaign with a "no pleasure unless I've had pain" attack I got the run over with asap so I could hit the river.
Freelinning a breadflake feeding mashed bread/hemp into a foot of water - first swim was inactive - the whole water looks like it doesn’t hold fish and only 6 inches deep in part - my mate rang me for 20 mins so I moved swims and baited up several times while I was on the call.
First cast - whack…… definatly a trout - it was only then I realised the drop from the bank was about 4ft and I only brought a self made cut down tele pole that goes from 1 to 2 ft.
By now the trout had me all over the place - a fish of about 2.5lb - bigger than my pb - I got it right to the waters edge and on the rim of my outstretched landing night when the hook pulled - damn….. Excellent catch and release skills but no pb or photo to show.
Now I could wait to get on the next morning……
I hit the town centre swim where I saw a 2lb+ chub the week before - I trickled in some bread flake and to my surprise 2 chub attacked it - both in the 2lb bracket - so I kept feeding bits and the dace/chublets were feeding too - then the swans moved over before I could wet a line and the fish disapeared - I managed to wait and get a dace on bread before moving 20 yeards downstream around a bend - next time I will cast a line from the offset.
After a couple of casts I was in to something stronger, stronger than my weak makeshift tip anyway (which I will have to replace) - at the same time a tramp was looking into my bag filled with bait and bits(at 6am in the morning?) - "eh mate that’s my gear get off" was the shout as I was playing this fish - I managed to stretch and slip the net under a 2lb+ chub and still keep my bait bag!!!!
I then tried another couple of swims and managed another chub of about 1lb.
All in all - small rivers do have decent fish - I cant wait until next week.

hit n miss weekend

not much to report

fished the Irwell broughton for 2hrs with my dad - same spot as last time same tactics not one bite.....

where did all the fish go!!!! assume they spawn here and move out over the course of the month

so unless reports suggest any change i may have to wait until winter to expoit the fish here.

Next session Blackleach - 2.5 hrs with my dad moving between swims fishing feeder and float between us - no tench but lots of bubbles in 2 swims and a few very quick bites - i expect these are the few crucians in the water - its difficult to hit the bites with a set up presented for tench..

next session - fishing a trickle of a river in Newbury

Does the Irwell Barbel exist??????

Look at this beastie - it does!!!

I have heard stories about fish existing and I have also spoke to an angler who told me he had taken 40 fish a season minmium for the last 4-5 seasons - this was a couple of years back - he did say it was getting harder and harder to get into them.
I do wish this is true but having fished, read about and walked the stretches I have yet to find many other people who have found them - maybe it’s the best kept secret or they are really few and far between.
The picture is from the Angling Times march edition 11lb beast reported - sorry about the picture - found it crumbled up ready to be binned by my wife.
So for die hards like Manchesterfishingfiend the search can continue for now!!!

What a difference a week makes....

I went to the Irwell again last Sunday evening for a few hours - i was going on holiday on the Monday so i didnt have a pass for anything more.

Usual tactics, one rod on float and one on feeder shared and alternated with my Dad - i always take old kit with me just in case you have to fight your way out... Not for the fainthearted!!!

Sunday fishing was great - fish every other chuck on the float upto 12oz's and the odd bite on the feeder.... we had over 30 fish but i had hoped for one of the big chub/carp to put in an appearance.

We went again on Sunday morning for 2-3 hours, same spot, same tactics - nothing...........

we did get 2 bites on bread / feeder and worm/float - but nothing to the trotting maggott tactic of the week before.

The fish were showing some 300 yards downstream but it was hard to fish these spots -especially as my dad needs firm footings.

Its the first time i have fished in a morning here so maybe its not a key feeding period?

I will be back next w/e unless i can convince my dad to have one more attack on the Blackleach tench.