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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 (68)

Venue: Fields End
Roach 1lb 2oz

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.00 (started to fish at 07.45)
Weather: Bright, no wind and very cold.
Swim: Tree corner
Tackle: 14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, 4lb line, 14 hook. Insert waggler.
Baits: Bread flake and sweetcorn.
Fish: Roach to 1lb 2oz, and a 3¼lbs tench.

The gales of last week had passed and a brief spell of high pressure provided classic cold clear conditions with no wind. I was on my own on the lake until around midday, with just an incredibly brave little chaffinch hopping around my feet looking for some tit-bits. I think he was after maggots but I didn’t have any. It may have been cold but the conditions were otherwise idyllic.

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Species: Tench, Roach

Fields End (65)

Venue: Fields End
Leather 15lb 6oz

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.30
Weather: Chilly but bright; light to fresh south-westerly breeze.
Swim: Tree corner
Tackle: 13ft FishTec multi float, 8lb line, 12 hook. Sliding pre-loaded waggler.
Baits: Bread flake and luncheon meat with pellet feed.
Fish: Two 15lbs + carp, a 4lbs 3oz barbel, a 3lbs 6oz tench and a 2lb 2oz crucian.

After a couple of sessions fishing into a chilling wind on the east bank I decided today to take the soft option and fish with the wind behind me. The tree-corner swim is in the south western corner of the lake and the wind was south westerly. With the added protection of a bank of trees and shrubs behind, this was the most sheltered part of the lake.

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

Fields End (64)

Venue: Fields End
No photo message

Nothing worth photographing today

Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Chilly, light to fresh north-westerly breeze.
Swim: Reed-end swim
Tackle: 12ft Hardy Marksman, 8lb line, 10 hook. Sliding pre-loaded waggler and light Arsley leger rig.
Baits: Bread flake
Fish: Two smallish carp, a crucian and a 2¼lb tench.

What a difference a week can make. Last Thursday it was like spring. Today was very autumnal. Last week I caught fish regularly throughout the day. Today I slogged until 15.30 for my first fish.

Conditions seemed promising when I arrived somewhat later than usual because of a doctor’s appointment. There were about five people on the lake and I got the reed-end swim.

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Species: Carp, Tench, Crucian

Fields End (63)

Venue: Fields End
Mirror 10lb

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.30
Weather: Warm, light southerly breeze and bright
It was like a spring day.
Swim: Reed-end swim
Tackle:12ft Hardy Marksman, 8lb line, 10 hook. Sliding pre-loaded waggler.
Baits: Bread flake and luncheon meat with pellet feed.
Fish: 16 carp to 10lbs, three tench to 4lbs 3oz and four crucians to 2lbs 2oz. Lost four fish.

Back to the end of the reeds in the NE corner where I fished last week. I was the only one on the lake when I arrived and throughout the day nobody came anywhere near the corner where I was fishing. There were in fact no more than six people on the lake at any time. So, the conditions were perfect; it was quiet and I had a really good day.

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

Fields End (62)

Venue: Fields End
Mirror 11lb

More photos in the full report

Arrival time: 07.30
Weather: A quiet day after heavy rain the previous day.
Light breeze alternated from W, to NW, to SW, to S and then back to W.
Swim: Reed-end swim
Tackle: 12ft Hardy Marksman, 8lb line, 10 hook. Sliding pre-loaded waggler.
Baits: Bread flake and luncheon meat.
Fish: 12 carp to 11lbs and a 3lbs 3oz tench.

Back to Fields End on a pleasant day sandwiched between heavy rain and wind the previous day, and more of the same predicted for the following day.

Today I went to the opposite end of the reed bank to the left of my usual reed-corner swim. A chap was there last week and did well, but more importantly it seemed easier to fish than the reed-corner swim, which is now a bit awkward since a new platform has been installed.

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Species: Carp 10lb+, Carp, Tench

Docklow Pools (8)

Venue: Docklow Pools
Mirror 9lb

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

Arrival time: 16.30
Weather: A beautiful evening following earlier heavy rain.
Swim: Mickey Mouse Peg19
Tackle: 12ft Hardy Avon, 8lb line, pre-loaded waggler and 10 hook.
Baits: Luncheon meat and bread flake.
Fish: Two carp, best fish 9lbs, four small barbel and a small tench.

After a disappointing trip to the River Teme earlier in the day (see previous posting) I went down to Mickey Mouse for a couple of hours. Peg 19 was free so I slotted in there, as I knew it from previous occasions.

I cast out near the lilies and having missed one bite, the next cast I hooked what felt like a heavy fish.

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Species: Carp, Barbel (lake), Tench, Roach

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