Fishy Friday

Good Friday

11am until 1.30pm

I usually fish over the holidays. A fun night in Newcastle yesterday playing pool, shuffleboard and with a good few beers meant I was up for just sitting. A short session on Tilcon with the float rod and corn was perfect. 

The lake was fairly busy with other anglers. Pole fishing seemed to be working and they were catching a good few fish. It makes me want to get my pole out, maybe one day soon. 

One hand sized ide that slipped back in before I could snap its picture my only reward. It was nice to sit, eat my lunch and get some fresh air. The rain was a little annoying but refreshing also.

More bites this time, the fish were more awake than last week. I saw a fellow angler catch a nice bream, on pellet I think. It won't be long until its shorts weather and hopefully I can get a 5lb bream!!

Lets do science

Hypothesis 

The fish will eat any food I give them. 

Method

I fished from 7am until 12pm on Saturday 12th April at Tilcon. It was 1 degrees when I arrived and approaching 20 degrees when I left. I had a float rod and a feeder rod. I was only going to use bread flake or sweetcorn on the hook. I had breadcrumb in the feeder and for loose feed. 

Results

No fish landed, maybe a few taps and dips of the float. 

Rod rests don't need to be complicated bits of kit.

Discussion

I could of got maggots and probably caught loads. The lake is fishing well given the variable temperatures at the moment. However, soon the fish will be going mad for bread and/or corn, pellets too. I wanted to know when this could be. A cormorant was on the lake when I arrived, it flew off quickly. Plenty of fish were topping but given the chilly conditions, I saw no cruising fish. I would think their metabolism is still slow and digesting a sweetcorn sandwich is not preferred over wiggling grubs of differing colours. 

Conclusion

The fish did not want my bread or corn today!! 

Slop (slip, slap)

Date fished 5/4/2025

9.30am until 1pm

Given the lovely weather we are currently experiencing, Rupe and decided to head to Tilcon for the morning. Not quite slopping on the sun cream, slapping on a hat and slipping into a shirt, it was actually beanies, snoods and coats weather!! 

The wind was cold and the clouds tried to stop the sun, but when it came out it was lovely. We even had lunch sat in the car, that was toastie (warm not a toasted sandwich!).

The first spring session is always tough, Tilcon is not a commercial, but a wild lake. The fish are there and feeding but they are also just 'waking up' from a cold Northern winter. We hoped to get them going with what we called slop. Dead maggots, casters, breadcrumb and some corn, in a very wet mix.

There was more than this, this was post our lunch  

A float rod and a feeder rod between us, we opted for a swim together. For 90 minutes nothing happened on either rod. Then I got caught on a snag and snapped the hooklink. A change of that and some dead maggots on the hook did the trick. An ide each on the float in about 90 seconds and we were all smiles.

I had one more, I had to beat the boy at something. 

Great to be out with Rupe, seems the other child is too lazy!