More is best!

After Friday's Bream Pb success, it was a short drive to Ellis's house for the weekend. It promised so much, football, beer, parmos, paint, dust and pain - who could say no?

Friday night was planning. This involved drinking beers, wine and whiskey and deciding what to do in the Morning!!

An early start meant we were at the marina, fuelled from Ronald and ready to go. Big elbow lay before us, shaking in her land based cage. She need not be scared, 2 red men came to ease her appearance.

Basically, we had to sand, dust off, prime, anti foul and mark the boot top line. This would mean she would be willing to take us fishing again.

Sanding the boat soon turned us into looking like Smurfs, (no pics taken) but this didn't stop us. We carried on. All the sanding done, we masking taped her up and set to the painting.

Laying under a boat in a paper onsie with breathing mask and goggles certainly separates the men from the boys. I am proud to call myself a boy. But a boy that doesn't give up. We worked hard and after light headedness from fumes, a quick trip to the shops looking like papa Smurf and Gargamel (Google it) we finished day 1.

The drive home was non eventful, apart from the sander spontaneously starting up in the boot and trying to sand a hole in the car!

Getting back to Ellis's house for beers, football and Caroles home made parmo. It was a perfect evening end to a hard working day.

Of course Liverpool won, and not even chipping a tooth could dampen my spirits. Oh yeah, the game was awful and that dampened everything!!

Another early start and the second day started. We quickly got back to the painting, and perfected the go faster stripes.
Having read my previous blog, less is more was the regular phrase used. We soon decided that for painting fumes more is less! Finally deciding that when putting the paint on, more is best!! More on  our arms, more on the hull and more in our hair!!

We left Big Elbow looking ship shape and ready for June 16th. It's fair to say we may be the smartest boat blankers on the Tees, but maybe just maybe a big Pike will come join us on Big Elbow.

Less is more, Bream Pb!

Date fished 31/5/19
8am till 16.30

Today I got a new Pb and a target! "Weighable bream" was the target, and at 3lb 8oz I consider I did this. It was huge.

6am on a Friday, the alarm went off. I was not working today though. I was off fishing. I headed for Moulton Lane Pond, the forecast said warm, dry and cloudy. Arriving, there were 2 anglers fishing where I had seen I may fish, so I walked a bit further round. There was plenty of fish topping, features and promise in peg 18 so I set up there.

I decided on 2 rods. Float fishing with one and pellet hybrid feeder on the other. This was the first lesson of less is more! With being quite well stocked, the ledger is not a "sleeper" rod. Constant taps on the tip whilst dips on the float meant that in reality I concentrated on neither and I missed bites on both!

The baillif came to collect brass, he commented that this was the shallow part of the lake, but fish were still caught from here. Less is more on the water front, I thought!

Eventually I was watching the right rod at the right time and I hit the bite. A good sized skimmer on the ledger. On heavy ish tackle though, it didn't have much fight. Less is more on the finesse front in future!

Then it started to spit, drizzle and full on rain. This continued for about 3 hours. I fished through it, missing bites on both set ups, hooking and loosing fish. Not quite sure how less is more on the brolley front, but I have 2 fishing umbrellas at home and was soaked to the bone with none here!

Eventually the rain stopped and I moved swims. Just round the corner, peg 17 but it's less that 18 so there was more chance!
This time the float rod was getting the action, another skimmer, a Tench in quick succession. Then I hooked a fish that stripped line. Diving in the tree roots, I played it out. Several times I got it into open water, but sadly the hook came out and I was left with Less not more!

Noticing the 2 anglers had moved from the area I had wanted to fish, it was time for my next move.
Casting the ledger towards the aerator, I fed a spot in front for the float. I started getting bites, the float dipped, I struck. I was in. This was no skimmer, and a battle on light tackle started. Soon the carp was sat in the net, perfect!

After some pics, and as the carp swam away, my ledger rod tore off. I always thought when that happened on YouTube fishing videos, it was fake. I guess not!?
A strong spirited Barbel was my reward.

Recasting the ledger, I sat down and it was off again. A Tench now.
Chuckling to myself that I had 3 species in about 5 mins, I cast again. A few minutes was all it took, and the rod was off again.
4 species in 15 mins my thought as it was now a bream being landed, this must be a world record!?

The next few hours were busy. Alternating between bream and tench, I had to stop with the float rod when I had a double take, fortunately small skimmers. I ended with half a dozen each of skimmer and tench, 1 each of Carp and  Barbel.

It was in these busy crazy few hours that I had the chunk. 3lb 8oz does not sound alot, but bream are such a big bodied fish it did look huge. I was buzzing with the new pb and target reached.
Maybe it's just cos my Pb's are low at the moment they seem easy to beat. Maybe they will remain like this for a while. Either way, I am proud of my achievements as after all, they may be low weights but we all ready know that less is more, but never with pb pictures!!

Excuses excuses!

Date fished 19/5/19
7am till 4pm

Today was one of those days. It started as one of them, continued as one of them, and as I write this on the bank at 15.53 is still being one of them!! I am at Lonsdale Park today. After the net full of Carp at the Oaks a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would come back West to target the Tench and Roach.

As the alarm sounded, I did not feel 100%, but this was a fishing alarm, so I jumped up. Making the flask, sandwiches and packing the car had a good effect, but as I pulled away pre 6am I was not feeling it.

Arriving at the lake, "my" Tench swim was occupied, this really was going down hill. I chatted to another angler and settled for a swim opposite mine. (15.58 now and no fish - spoiler!)

I set up the hybrid feeder and another ledger rod and cast them to likely looking spots. Oh I forgot to say, it was raining! So I sat in the rain and waited. ( Is 16.00, so stick a fork in me, I am done! Always like to finish earlier on a sunday, being a school night and all. Will finish this later)

This section of the lake is weedy, but I managed to cast close to the other anglers baited area, so there was a chance. Eventually the rain stopped, so I switched baits. I used corn, floating plastic corn, pellets of various sizes, boilies and secret pellets! But nothing happened.

After a chat with my fellow blanker, and whilst his mate ( in my swim) landed a carp, it was time to move lakes.

The main lake was heaving, covered in bivvys. 2 were in 'my' Roach swim so I headed for another area. I switched to ledger for carp, and lighter ledger for roach. As I set up the roach rod, my carp rod bleeped and the spool turned. I picked the rod up and a carp between me and the hook surfaced, rolled and bolted. The fish had just caught my line, but no where near the hook.
Suddenly a loud splash and a pike jumped out 2 feet from the bank, did a roll and sploshed back in. I scored him a 9.8!

Nothing happened here, well nothing in a catching sense. I changed baits, areas, and feeding but nothing. Then I saw an otter swim on the far bank, it was time for a move.

Back to the first lake for a late Tench. There was bubbles, I saw 2 large carp swimming in front, I actually scared one as I stood up and didn't see it. I dropped the feeder a few feet from the bank. Sat waiting. Suddenly a bleep and the spool spun slowly. I picked up the rod. Nothing, seems another line bite between me and the hook, with only 6 foot of line!! This was when I started to write this blog, and the title popped into my head.

So here goes, I will end this one with the excuses as I see it.

A week of sun, then rain yesterday
I saw one magpie
I did not feel 100%
Someone was in my swim, twice
The sweet corn was not yellow enough
I hoovered my car on Friday night
The rod rest was not level
Too many anglers
Not enough anglers!
The Tench were off the feed
The Roach had been up late watching Eurovision
I used the left hand cash machine at Tesco
The Otter
The sun was too bright after the rain
Too much frog spawn
The pike jumped right to left
The pellets hole was off centre

And the main reason, because we all know it does come down to something.
Earlier in the week, I washed my lucky Finygo cap. I did mention it at the time, it seems it is lucky after all!!

Any Method as long as it catches

Date fished 6/5/2019
8.45am till 5.30 pm



Today was a trip with an old friend, although it's been that long since I have seen him, I asked him to bring i.d so I knew it was him!!



We decided to fish a new water called Moulton lane pond. Ellis was running late, his alarm clock must be covered in builders sheets, so I arrived on my own to the fishery. It looked good. Dips for nets, an area for parking and a big sign saying " booked for a match"
Great!!



Plan B was needed, so I called the big man, Ellis not God, and we decided on Sessay to fish The Oaks fishery.

Arriving to 10 lakes, it was time for another decision. I decided not to include Ellis in this, and plumped for Poplars.

I started with the Guru Hybrid feeder, I had bought some elastic attachments and shorter hooklinks so was keen to try it all out. I baited up and cast to the far bank. As I sat keeping an eye on the late ones arrival, my rod hooped over, I was in. I was playing the fish, whilst I waved to Ellis driving in - this had all the signs of a good day!
A lovely carp was my prize, and Ellis arrived just in time to take a pic.

The second arrived whilst Ellis was getting the rest of his kit. We were on for a bumper session!



I still had not set up the float rod. As Ellis set up, I got him sorted with a Hybrid feeder, it had been so long since he fished, he was tying loops in things and not attaching things - it was going to be interesting!
Soon we were both fishing and catching fish. You are allowed to use a keep net up till 4pm, so minus the 2 I had already caught, we were going to see what we could accumulate over the day.

We both started to catch on the float too, a few small perch, Ellis with some bream, it was non-stop action. The fish were like rockets, screaming away so powerfully. Several times we thought we had a British record Carp, only for 1 lb bullet to pop up on the line. They did not give up either, fighting till the end and nearly pulling rods in. Ellis decided to use both on the feeder as it was too difficult to concentrate on a float and catch a rod being pulled in!

It was clear that the pellet feeder was working really well. There were times when it landed in the water and was away before the rod was on the rests, there were times we were both in at once, there were times Ellis had 2 on at once!

This carried on all day. I swapped and changed with the float rod and caught steadily on that too, well nearly steadily there were times that rod was nearly pulled in too! I caught on worm, sweetcorn and maggot. We had been feeding a tight area, and the fish were definitely feeding there.

Ellis had been throwing some bread in on the surface and nothing had happened to it all day, soon a slurp noise was heard. The carp had found the bread.

Ellis switched to a surface bait set up and was soon stalking carp under a bush. After about a minute, his line tightened and he was playing a nice carp from the surface. The net was getting full and we guessed 30 fish by now were in it.

As we approached 4pm, our arms were aching and we had done well. Pulling up the net, it was a struggle to lift. 50 fish in total, the weight unknown! Answers on a postcard.

The rain then came, but it didn’t dampen our spirits, we were both now stalking carp on the top, and soon had both caught a couple like this. The rain got heavier and still the carp took bread off the top.


Some of Ellis's video footage of me floating bread fishing.

It was a great session, about 60 fish between us. It definitely gives you a boost to catch all day long, on different baits and methods. We will be sure to keep you all updated on the Guru Hybrid Feeders when we use them for Chub on the Swale, SHHHH! That’s a secret!!