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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 & topics
Species
Archive

Block Fen (12)

Venue: Block Fen
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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)

Venue: Fields End
Tench 3lb 10oz

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

Fields End (57)

Venue: Fields End
Leather 12lb

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.00
Weather: Clear blue sky with little or no wind through morning. Cloud cover increased during afternoon although wind remained light SW until about 19.00, when it freshened.
Swim: Reed-corner swim
Tackle: 11½ft Hardy Avon Marksman, waggler, 6/8lb line, 12 hook.
10ft compact float 6lb line, pellet waggler, 16hook.
Baits: Bread flake, luncheon meat and floating biscuit.
Fish: Six carp, best 12lbs, two tench, best 3½lbs, a crucian and an ide.

After being outgunned on my 13ft multi-float rod on the last visit I had set up my new Hardy Avon Specimen rod that I bought last year at an offer price. It was its first outing. I had paired it with my Rapidex centre pin and 6lb line. First cast, using bread flake, resulted in a firm bite five minutes later and a fish rushed into the reeds, breaking me easily. The tackle upgrade obviously hadn’t worked. I then lost another fish that slipped the hook as I was trying to stop it getting into the reeds. Not a good start!

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Species: Carp 10lb+, Carp, Tench, Crucian, Rudd

Fields End (55)

Venue: Fields End
Leather 10lb 2oz

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.00
Weather: Clear blue sky and no wind
Swim: Reed-corner swim
Tackle: 13ft multi-float, waggler, 4lb line, 12 hook.
10ft compact float, free-line/controller float, 8lb line, 12/16 hook.
Baits: Luncheon meat and floating pellet.
Fish: 15 carp, best 12lb 13oz (5 lost), 4 tench, best 3lb 12oz, roach to 1lb 7oz, a 2lbs 2oz crucian and a 3lbs 14oz barbel.

The total weight of carp was just under 135lbs and including the other fish the catch was nearly 158lbs.

Another nice day. Again the lake was calm throughout the morning and although a light SW breeze blew up later, it was on and off and didn't cause too many problems. For the first two hours I was the only one on the lake and when people did arrive they stayed on the west and south banks, leaving me virtually undisturbed in the reed corner.

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Species: Carp, Tench, Crucian, Roach

Fields End (54)

Venue: Fields End
Leather 14lb 8oz

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.00
Weather: Clear blue sky and no wind
Swim: Reed-corner swim
Tackle: 13ft multi-float, waggler, 4lb line, 12 hook.
10ft compact float rod, free-line/controller float, 8lb line, 12 hook.
Baits: Bread flake/crust, luncheon meat and floating biscuit.
Fish: Ten carp, best 14½lbs, two tench, best 3lbs 14oz, a 2lbs crucian and a 1lb roach

A really nice day. There wasn't a ripple throughout the morning and with only two other swims occupied it was very quiet. If only all fishing days could be like this.

I started with the 13ft float rod and luncheon meat, and at 07.40 landed a nice tench of 2lb 6oz. I had missed a couple of bites previously that I suspect were also tench. Soon after I had a close-up view of a reed bunting. I had to check the bird book to see what it was; a first sighting for me.

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Species: Carp 10lb+, Carp, Tench, Crucian, Barbel (lake)

Fields End (53)

Venue: Fields End
Crucian 2lb 0oz

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.00
Weather: Bright but with a cold northerly wind
Swim: Reed-corner swim
Tackle: 13ft multi-float, waggler, 4lb line, 12 hook.
Baits: Luncheon meat
Fish: Four carp, best 6½lbs and two 2lb crucians.

Back after last Thursday's success. The day started well with three carp before 09.00. These were all on luncheon meat and were not big fish. A 3lb common, 5½lb common and a 4¾ mirror. The last one was in fact foul-hooked in the pectoral fin.

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Species: Carp, Crucian

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