Lost pb

Date fished 8/8/2026

11.30am until 2.30pm

I am too annoyed to:

Tell you about the new 11ft Map Generation Pro float rod I bought and wanted to try out today.

Tell you how I float fished sweetcorn under a pellet waggler, probably not correctly but it was Davey's float and I wanted to use it.

Mention that  a carp grabbed my single corn on a size 14 and sped across the lake, under an island and I lost the hook and the float. All the weights were still on the line. Odd.

Show you the seven small roach that did christen the rod.

I will tell you what annoyed me though.

My float dipped, I struck and it stayed low. Pulling back. Carp, I thought. Then it popped to the surface like a bream. It didn't know it was hooked. It had stripes though and red fins. A massive perch had fancied my corn. It was hooked square in the lip. 

I played it carefully as now it realised and dived under the weeds. The new rod did well, lunges and runs absorbed. I got the net ready and started to bring the two together. I wondered what it would weigh!?

Disaster, the hook hold gave way. No line break, no rubbish knot. A good old fashioned hook pull. I was gutted, I actually swore. 

As my daughter has just pointed out, how did I know it was a pb? I have seen many big perch and this was well over two, if not three pounds. 

It was a bream sized perch.

Actually annoyed typing. Bye. 😃 

Am not after carp

Date fished 2/8/2026

6.30am until 10am 

The best decisions are made at silly o'clock. 4.48am and I decided I would go fishing. 

Float rod, sweetcorn, Tilcon.

In truth, I was after carp. Well, crucian carp. I have wanted to catch one for ages as I have never caught one. 

I set up in a swim I have never fished before. I fed some bait and cast out the float. It wasn't long and it sailed away. Striking into what I thought would be an ide. It was not. It headed for the far bank! A proper carp had picked up my single grain of corn on a size 18 and was heading out of Gateshead. I played it around in the open water, fortunately I was not fishing close up to the bushes and soon it was in the net.

7lb 1oz

More feed and it was a bite a chuck. Have caught many bream from the lake but not many smaller, skimmer sized bream. 

Mostly roach followed and a few ide and tench. Playing one fish, I saw a flash of gold. Was this it? 

My first ever crucian. I was buzzing.

I stopped the clicker on 24 as my wrist was sore and I needed to rest. I am sure I would of caught a good few more fish, but sometimes you have to settle with what you have! 

A perfect morning. 

Clickbait

Date fished 22/07/2026

13.30 until 16.30

Flexi in the bank, I decided to take some and go to the bank. 

I drove to Tilcon as it's less than 10 mins from the office. Quickly chatted to another member, then set up the feeder and cast in, soft robin red hooker on the hair. Fourth cast and the tip spun around. An ide.

Plenty of taps and knocks, but I was getting bored of the feeder. I switched to float fishing sweetcorn and feeding my corn and hemp mix.

It worked and was a wonder bait. For the next two hours it was great fishing. The lake really is fishing well at the moment. 

I caught at least 15 ide, maybe 20. I wish I had my clicker as I lost count. A tench, a bream and several good roach.

A double figure mirror carp with a distinctive scale pattern swam right in front of me. I hoped he didn't show an interest in my sweetcorn. 

I was fishing fairly close in, one rod, sweetcorn. It could not be simpler. It really was a great few hours. 

Eventually the promise of fish and chips for tea was too much and I headed home. 

Always time for one more ide though.

I really was glad my bait mixture worked, but I was annoyed I forgot my clicker. 

Feeding frenzy

May

My second work party of the month, this time it was hot and sunny, very different from the torrential rain of the last one. 

It was good to give back, meet fellow members and have a laugh. 

After today's work party, I fished for 70 mins exactly. I could of done with the counter as I had either 12 or 14 ide. I actually forgot! 

I did what I should, I shallowed up. I fed maggots continuously with the catapult and fished over the top. The ide were going crazy, swirling at every pouch full, it really was great fun. I probably missed double the number of bites.

I even allowed my swim to be shared, two young anglers fishing on the lake. I helped them catch some ide, and they had a good few from my swim. 

I left them my maggots and off I went. Two good deeds done!

RoboAngler

Date fished 4/5/2026

9am until 12.30pm

An unexplained but very painful wrist, thumb and forearm injury had me sporting specialist equipment. Would it impact my fishing?

After a leisurely morning, I headed to Tilcon. It had been red hot earlier in the week, but much cooler and wet yesterday. 

I just brought the waggler rod and a few different baits. I wanted to catch on 'summery' baits like sweetcorn in the hope it would make me forget about the bad winter fishing I had. I also wanted to try a new bait. 

I have been watching lots of YouTube recently and not just fishing either! And whilst I tell the kids to stop watching such nonsense, I am totally addicted to Geowizard and Jetlag the game. Check them out! 

Now, they do some cool things and challenges. I wasn't going to go so far, but decided that I could only use tackle from my dad's old box. I brought mine too, but left it in the car, I'm not crazy!! 

I tackled up and was soon fishing. The wrist was doing OK and bites started. I missed a few but with regular feeding, I could see the ide cruising just under the surface. They are not hard to catch and soon I had a few to corn and maggot. 

As long as my non injured forearm! 

I had another toy with me, inspired by watching Snagged bro on YouTube. I told you I am addicted!!

It actually ended on three but I missed a fair few bites, bumped off some fish and even lost a good bream at the net due to wrist failure! 

It was a good few hours on the lake, which was packed. Most anglers I have seen fishing on it, which is great to see. I didn't manage to catch on the new bait  but am sure it won't be long and I will have the bream eating out of my 'splint less' hand!! 

End of river season poem

14/3/2026

8am until 12pm

The rivers may or may not of been fishable. I didn't take the risk, I went to Tilcon. 

Worms as bait. Cold overnight. Was not in the mood. 

Say no more. 

So I asked chatGTP to write me a poem.

The wind came first, sharp and thin,
Whispering winter across the skin.
A grey sky hung where hope should be,
While waters kept sighing endlessly.

The rod stayed still. The float did too.
No silver flash, no sudden pull through.
Just drifting hours, slow and long,
And the distant cry of a lonely song.

I wasn’t sure why I came that day,
When warmth and rest felt worlds away.
My heart was heavy, my mood was low,
Like winter caught in the undertow.

The bucket empty, the daylight thin,
Only the cold kept settling in.
No fish, no triumph, nothing to claim—
Just numb fingers and a quiet shame.

So I packed my line as the dusk drew near,
Breath like smoke in the brittle air.
The lake kept secrets I couldn’t keep—
And carried my sadness back to the deep.  

Crazy how much it knows. Gets me every time!!

Same but different

Date fished 2/2/2026

8.50am until 1.15pm

I had booked some days off work to fish the river. Looking at the weather, I decided to just stay local again. I was not in the mood for a long trip in tough conditions. 

First fish of 2026! Not quite the size I was after  but the correct species. 

I was armed with fresh, alive maggots and worms this time. I left the dead maggots in the freezer. A float rod and a ledger rod was taken, however I was lazy and took the trotting float rod. It was already set up with a closed faced reel and trotting float, am sure it would be fine. 

The lake was deeper than last trip, full to brimming! I fished the deep end which was flat calm. Out of the wind, it was pleasant. I nearly lost my bowels when the bird scarer positioned behind me went bang! Not put off though, but the cormorant circling over head and not settling on the lake was! 

Worm on the hook and maggots in the feeder in one and maggots all the way on the float and I was fishing. 

The little perch was caught on the ledger. A bite whilst I was chatting with a potential new member, I missed. As he left, another bite. This time I got the culprit and in he came. 

A nice few hours on the bank, restful really. I just watched the rods and World go by in equal measures. Now I am sat thinking of warm sunshine and fishing in shorts. Roll on summer!! 

Long shot

Date fished 23/1/2026

9.45am until 1pm

Cold, wet and flooded was my evaluation of the rivers at present. So, I avoided those and decided on a trip to Tilcon. I knew it was going to be tough but needed to just sit and try. After a bacon buttie, I headed to the lake.

Sit and try, I did. I float fished dead maggots about a rod length out or just under a bush to my right. I had thought about ledgering prawns and firing maggots over the top in the hope of hitting a target, 2lb perch. In hindsight, I should have but could not be arsed to go buy prawns. 

I fired maggots regularly around the float and huddled for warmth. The wind was cold but when it dropped, it was like something out of 'The day after tomorrow' and bitterly cold. My feet soon felt like ice blocks.

I chatted to another member who was out doing some avian pest control. It was a blank all round. 

I did a thing

Date fished 27/09/2025

10am until 1.15pm

The kids had plans and didn't need me, so I decided to go to Tilcon for a few hours. The minimal amount of kit. Rod, reel, chair, net, unhooking mat and some terminal tackle was all I took. 

Bait was simple.

Worms ( I have had since July 5th) for the hook and breadcrumb for loose feed.

Fishing about a rod length out behind a bush is idyllic float fishing. It took a while of feeding but eventually a bite. A small perch was landed, a little birdie tells me there are some big ones in here! 

I then got no more bites, even though I was sure fish were in the swim. I decided to change the shoting. The olivette that was six inches from the hook was taking the bait down quickly. I fixed this much higher up the line so the worm could sink down slowly. 

This seemed to work, as it was soon a bite a chuck. Constant action, it was fun and soon I had well over a dozen perch. I had lost just as many. The float sailed away and this time something pulled back. An ide proving much better sport.

I ran out of worms so had to pack up. It was a great few hours on the lake, amazing to catch a few and the highlight was, that I made a change that worked.  (I THINK)

 

Workies

Date fished 24/05/2025

7am until 10am

Work party 10.30am until 3.45pm

The fishing was tough, sweetcorn and pellet on float or feeder. Nothing happened, I blanked! I was upbeat when Mark, a much better angler than me said he had one bit in 3.5 hours last night. The fish must be having a break or maybe they are down at Wembley. 

I stayed to partake in the work party, what could go wrong!? 

Work parties are an integral part of a volunteer based club of any persuasion. It is also a great way to meet new people. I chatted, joked and enjoyed the company of my fellow club members today. 

Branches were cut, areas cleared, pegs swept and silt removed. It was a hive of activity by less than 10 members. Then a new swim was built. Tiered, lawned and ready for any member (up to 35 stone). 

I am actually contemplating going tomorrow just to use it, but I think I will wait until Monday. If anyone is fishing it, I will pull ownership rights and politely ask them to move!! (Joke)

It was rhetorical, but I will answer anyway. Nothing went wrong! HR and health and safety can stand down.....