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Diary of an average angler

Who favours traditional methods & baits

fisherman

This diary dates back to a holiday in 2003 when I think the urge to get back into fishing took off. From around 2007 the trips became more frequent with 2010/11 probably being the peak of activity.
Things again pick up in 2020 - a sort of rebirth!

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Venues
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Species
Archive
Venues & topics
Species
Archive

Fields End (97)

Venue: Fields End
Leather 10lb 3oz

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 13.00 (started to fish at 13.20)
Weather: Bright and very warm with only a breathe of a breeze, but some cloud cover.
Swim: Reed corner and reed end.
Tackle: 10ft Fishtec Compact Float, Shimano bait caster, 8lb line, 8 hook.
14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel with 5lb line, 14 hook. Insert waggler.
Baits: Bread flake and luncheon meat.
Fish: Six carp and some small roach.

Last week there were quite a few spare pitches so I chanced arriving in the afternoon so I could fish into the evening. Of course, with the sun shining all the spots I favour were already occupied. I settled in what I call the reed corner, the first spot I fished on the lake many years ago and once my clear favourite. However, I lost so many fish in the dense reeds that I stopped fishing there.

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Species: Carp 10lb+, Carp, Roach

Fields End (96)

Venue: Fields End
Crucian 1lb 9oz

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.50 (started to fish at 08.15)
Weather: Overcast with a southerly breeze, brightening later.
Swim: Tree corner
Tackle: 10ft Fishtec Compact Float, Shimano bait caster, 8lb line, 8 hook.
14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel with 5lb line, 14 hook. Insert waggler.
Baits: Bread flake and luncheon meat.
Fish: One carp and lots of small roach and rudd. A couple of crucians at the end.

After last week's reasonably successful outing I returned to the same spot, but today was entirely different.

Hoping for a repeat of last week's success with the carp close in, I went to the same spot. The overcast sky and a sheltered bay seemed to offer ideal conditions. I started by trying bread flake down each margin on a free line with the hope of a quick carp, but not a touch.

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Species: Carp, Crucian, Roach, Rudd

Fields End (95)

Venue: Fields End
Common 7lb

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.35 (started to fish at 07.45)
Weather: Sunny day with white fluffy clouds.
Swim: Tree corner
Tackle: 10ft Fishtec Compact Float, Shimano bait caster, 8lb line, 8 hook.
14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel with 5lb line, 14 hook. Insert waggler.
Baits: Bread flake and luncheon meat. All carp taken on flake/crust.
Fish: Four carp and some small roach and rudd.

With sciatica ruling out golf, my first trip to Fields End in 2019. Interesting experience with the carp.

Having consulted the weather forecast I made for what I call the tree corner, the spot in the SW corner where you sit with trees and shrubs behind you, and where there's a reed bank either side offering a degree of seclusion. It's not a renowned carp swim but it's where I actually caught my biggest carp, a 19lb fish.

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Species: Carp 10lb+, Carp, Roach, Rudd

Fields End (94)

Venue: Fields End
Barbel 7lb 1oz

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.30
Weather: A bright day that started quite calm with little wind, but light clouds came over in the afternoon with a freshening SW breeze..
Swim: Reed End
Tackle: 14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel with 5lb line and 12 hook.
10ft Fishtec Compact Float, Shimano bait caster, 8lb line, 8 hook.
Bait: Tulip Bacon Grill, bread and bread crust.
Fish: A barbel, two carp and a few small roach.

Not a very auspicious start and quite a wait before I caught anything worthwhile. But a surprise barbel made up for earlier disappointment.

The pleasant surprise when I arrived was the absence of anglers. When I first started fishing this lake in 2006 there was one small field for touring caravans. Now it's a complex, with multiple caravan fields and more recently lodges.

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Species: Barbel (lake), Roach, Carp

Fields End (93)

Venue: Fields End
Common 6lb

Only one photo today.
Larger light-box version in the full report

Arrival time: 07.30
Weather: A cloudy bright day that alternated between a fresh breeze and calm humid conditions.
Swim: Reed End
Tackle: 14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel with 5lb line and 10 hook.
10ft Fishtec Compact Float, Shimano bait caster, 8lb line, 10 hook.
Bait: All fish taken on chopped pork & ham.
Fish: Two carp, two crucians, eleven roach and a couple of tiddler perch.

It was over a year ago that I was last at Fields End Pit. The place doesn't change much, although I noted that steps had been added to access many of the platforms, which sit at the bottom of sloping banks. The caravan park seems to have grown, and I wasn't surprised to find tackle in many of the swims when I arrived, but no sign of anglers.

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Species: Carp, Crucian, Roach, Perch

Fields End (92)

Venue: Fields End
Crucian 2lb 3oz

Only one photo today.
Larger light-box version in the full report

Arrival time: 07.30
Weather: A bright day that warmed up a bit as the sun got higher in the sky, but the northerly wind was always there.
Swim: Reed Corner
Tackle: 14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel with 5lb line and 14 hook.
10ft Fishtec Compact Float, Shimano bait caster, 8lb line, 10 hook.
Bait: All fish taken on bread flake.
Fish: Two carp, three crucians and a roach.

The last time I was at Fields End was, unbelievably, in May 2012. The Pit hasn't changed, although there are apparently now more swims on the Pool. The owner, Charlie, was in the shop and was surprised to see me. He thought his wooden platforms (which I dislike because of the noise they can generate) had scared me off, but I assured him that this wasn't the case, and that my interests had expanded, with golf and French now taking a lot of my time.

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Species: Carp, Crucian, Roach

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