Bob Goes Fishing

Earith (2)

10 May 2022 Venue: Earith

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Arrival time: 09.15
Weather: Overcast, brightening later. Windy but swim sheltered.
Tackle: 12ft Greys Rova Specimen, Shimano 5000RE with 8lb line direct to an 8 and later 14 eyed hook. Simple bomb leger
Baits: Bread flake & maggots.
Fish: Two tench, two bream and a carp with fish lost.

On my second trip to this lake I tried a differnet approach. The previous week I had noticed activity by a central reed bed so today I legered to this spot with some success.

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Species: Tench, Bream, Carp

Stake Hill (8)

12 June 2013 Venue: Stake Hill

Nothing worth photographing today.

Arrival time: 17.00
Weather: Cloudy with rain threatening, and actually arriving, thus cutting short my stay
Swim: Far corner
Tackle: 12ft Greys’ Rova Float rod, Speedia centre pin reel with 3lb line, waggler, 14 hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn & bread flake.
Fish: A number of small bream and one small tench.

The weather forecast wasn’t great, but I took a chance and arrived at 17.00 to find an empty lake. Obviously nobody else was brave enough to chance it.

The wind was strong but, as it happened, the direction was such that the corner where I normally fish was in fact the only sheltered spot. After a short while a small bream was hooked. It leapt out of the water and proceeded to ‘skim’ across the surface. I guess this is where the term skimmers comes from.

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Species: Bream, Tench

Stake Hill (7)

10 June 2013 Venue: Stake Hill

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

Arrival time: 18.00
Weather: Bright evening clouding over towards dusk, when the temperature dropped rapidly.
Swim: Far corner
Tackle: 12ft Greys’ Rova Float rod, Speedia centre pin reel with 3lb line, waggler, 14 hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn & bread flake.
Fish: Mixed bag of small bream, tench and roach, with a carp of about 2lbs.

A week’s holiday near Ilkley provided the opportunity to re-visit Stake Hill Fishery. I first went there in 2007, which I think was the year it opened. The fish have always been quite small but on light tackle provide a good evening’s sport.

Although there were more people this time than on previous occasions, I don’t think the fish receive anywhere near the ‘feed’ that would be put into the water on a more popular commercial lake. This probably accounts for the fairly slow growth rate, plus average temperature in this ‘high’ lake is probably lower than in lowland areas.

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Species: Carp, Tench, Roach, Bream

Fields End (91)

24 May 2012 Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 13.30
Weather: Clear sunny sky and very light easterly breeze.
Swim: Reed End
Tackle: 12ft Greys’ Prodigy Rova Specimen, 5lb line, waggler, 12 hook.
Bait: All fish taken on bread flake.
Fish: Three carp, best 10lb 12oz, and a tench.

It was the end of March when I last went fishing. The weather has been somewhat wet, to say the least, but I have also been doing other things that have kept me away from the water.

It was also an opportunity to try out a newly acquired Greys’ Prodigy Rova Specimen rod. This is a six-piece 12 foot rod designed for travelling. Now in the past such rods have not come anywhere near matching the performance of two or three-piece blanks. However, this had good reviews and I wanted something I could pack in the car when going on holiday that didn’t need to be laid through the car boot and into the space between the front seats.

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

Fields End (88)

13 October 2011 Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 07.15 (started to fish at 07.45)
Weather: Overcast with some light drizzle on occasions.
Light E wind swung to SE later in the day.
Swim: Tree Corner.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Shimano Exage reel with 5lb line, 12 hook tied direct. Insert waggler.
Baits: Lunchion meat
Fish: Three carp, best fish 9¼lb, two tench and a roach.

Various things have conspired to keep me away from fishing over the past few weeks, so it was good to get back to the bank side.

It was quiet at the lake with probably only about five people there at any time during the day. I had the tree corner to myself. While the relatively mild period prevailed it wasn’t the best of days, although the overcast conditions should have helped the fishing. It was calm when I arrived but the easterly breeze proved a bit irksome later in the day.

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Species: Carp, Tench, Roach, Perch

Fields End (87)

01 September 2011 Venue: Fields End

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 10.45
Weather: Warm and bright with southerly breeze.
The breeze freshened and was a bit of a nuisance.
Swim: Reed Corner
Tackle: 13ft FishTec multi float rod, centre pin, 8lb line, 14 hook.
Bait: Luncheon meat
Fish: Five carp, best fish 8lb 6oz, and a tench.

After a bit of a down-beat trip to Fields End in June I thought I would see if things had quietened down a bit now that it’s September. Charlie, the owner, feigned not recognising me when I arrived. I explained that I liked it when things were quieter and that he would probably see a bit more of me into autumn/winter. He gave me a fridge magnet with their details on it, the reason being that he had used one of my photos as the background. A little bit of fame.

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Species: Carp, Tench, Roach, Perch

Bob Goes Fishing

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Earith (2)

Stake Hill (8)

Stake Hill (7)

Fields End (91)

Fields End (88)

Fields End (87)