Bob Goes Fishing

Docklow Pools (2)

29 August 2010 Venue: Docklow Pools

Arrival time: 16.00
Weather: Cloudy bright and very windy although the trees kept the wind off my swim.
Swim: Mickey Mouse Pool - Peg 19
Tackle: 13ft Fishtec multi-float, 6lb line, centre pin, pre-loaded waggler and 12 hook
12ft Hardy Avon, 8lb line, pre-loaded waggler and 10 hook.
Baits: Bread flake and luncheon meat
Fish: Three carp, best 5½lbs, some small barbel and roach. A story of lost fish!

I walked around all the lakes in the morning and the Mickey Mouse pool certainly attracts me the most. I went back late afternoon with the aim of perhaps fishing the spot where the chap yesterday had such good sport. There were two anglers in the spot in the morning and they were still there when I arrived. I thought they may leave early and give me a couple of hours in the spot.

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Species: Carp, Barbel (lake), Roach

Docklow Pools (1)

28 August 2010 Venue: Docklow Pools

Arrival time: 17.00
Weather: Cloudy bright with a stiff breeze although the trees kept the wind off the water.
Swim: Mickey Mouse Pool - Peg 19
Tackle: 12ft Hardy Avon, 8lb line, 14/10 hooks. Waggler and pre-loaded waggler.
Baits: Bread flake, sweetcorn and luncheon meat.
Fish: Four carp, best 6lbs, a possible carp/crucian hybrid and an ide.

I selected a pitch with reeds to the left, a fallen tree bough to the right and lilies both to the left and about 15 metres out. Plumbing showed it to be quite shallow, around a couple of feet. I put in some loose feed sweet corn and luncheon meat and started fishing the margin to the left.

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Species: Carp, Crucian, Roach, Ide

Fields End (60)

30 July 2010 Venue: Fields End

Arrival time: 10.15
Weather: Cloudy bright with a south westerly breeze. Breeze freshened in afternoon and cloud cover increased.
Swim: Reed-corner swim.
Tackle: 12ft barbel rod, 12lb line, 8/10 hooks.
Alternated between sliding pre-loaded waggler, small Arlesley bomb leger and controller float for surface fishing.
Baits: Luncheon meat and artificial 'biscuit'.
Fish: Three carp, best 5¾lbs, and a small roach.

A late night meant that I got up late and arrived at the lake later than normal. I expected the reed-corner swim to be occupied and had set my sights on the reed bed at the southern end of the lake, which is rarely fished. So much for planning; the eastern side of the lake was fully populated, including the swim I had expected to fish. Perversely, my reed-corner swim was vacant, so I went there.

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Species: Carp, Roach

Fields End (59)

19 July 2010 Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 07.00
Weather: Cloudy bright with a south westerly breeze. Brighter intervals developed and it became warm with the breeze freshening.
Swim: Reed-corner swim
Tackle: 12ft barbel rod, 12lb line, 8 hook.
Alternated between sliding pre-loaded waggler and small Arlesley bomb leger.
Baits: Bread flake (seedy bread!) and luncheon meat.
Fish: Nine carp, best 11lb 6oz and a roach. Seven lost fish!

An odd sort of day really. The night before I was in two minds whether to go because of the forecast wind. Then I didn’t sleep too well, but as I was awake at 05.30 I decided to go.

The other thing is that because of a bit of bad organisation I only had one rod with me.

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Species: Carp 10lb+, Carp, Roach

Block Fen (12)

08 July 2010 Venue: Block Fen

Arrival time: 16.30
Weather: Bright and very warm with a breeze that dropped during the late evening.
Swim: Reed corner
Tackle: 12ft Barbel specialist, 12lb line, 8 hook.
Baits: Luncheon meat
Fish: One carp of 4½lbs.

After the relative ease of catching fish at Fields End on Tuesday, Block Fen brought me back to reality. It had a been a very warm day and even at 16.30 it was very hot. The breeze hardly affected the sheltered corner I fish but there was some line drag. More annoyingly there was a family of moorhens that emerged, tiny chick in tow, every time I cast, obviously looking for titbits. Unfortunately they often snagged the line forcing a re-cast, and the whole process started again.

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Species: Carp

Fields End (58)

06 July 2010 Venue: Fields End

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.00
Weather: Hazy bright with a slight westerly breeze. Remained bright cloudy and very warm throughout day with wind freshening to south-westerly.
Swim: Reed-corner swim
Tackle:
12ft barbel rod, 12lb line, 8/10 hook
11½ft Hardy Avon Marksman, waggler, 6/8lb line, 12 hook.
10ft compact float 6lb line, pellet waggler, 16hook.
Baits: Bread flake/crust, luncheon meat and floating biscuit.
Fish: 13 carp, best 7lbs, three tench, best 3lb 10oz, two barbel, best 4lbs 2oz, a crucian and some small rudd.

Because of work on my pond and going on holiday at the end of June, I actually didn’t go fishing during June. Last outing was 27th May. To get me back into the fish I decided to go to Fields End, where catching is almost guaranteed.

The reed-corner swim was available and it now sports a new platform as the old gravel-filled base was collapsing.

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Species: Carp, Tench, Barbel (lake), Crucian, Rudd

Bob Goes Fishing

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Docklow Pools (2)

Docklow Pools (1)

Fields End (60)

Fields End (59)

Block Fen (12)

Fields End (58)