Tuesday 12 December 2017

FISHING FOR PIKE ON DEADBAITS: BAZS FIRST RIVER PIKE

https://youtu.be/I-9jggk7mwU

Tuesday 5 December 2017

Pike Fishing: Estate Lake Magic....



A week of heavy rain and at times hail stone had brought a brunt and definite end to the River and Canal campaign that had been going so well.  The river running high and chocolate was a no go and would be a needle in a haystack effort of landing near a pike where as the canal had that horrible grey sheen that screamed cold and dirty run off water form the local roads, both not good.  It meant a day booked off work with my mate Ste Daley saw us looking towards the still waters.

A large old English Estate Lake was the destination of choice and a venue we make a point of visiting once or twice a year for pike.  A venue that, for me, holds that sense of magic and mystery and a day where the saying “A Fish is a bonus” does really ring true!

The morning of the session and I stood in the kitchen brimming with excitement, a kid on Christmas eve like, I peered out of the window at the houses across the way with their roof tops glistening as the moons light shone though their icy crystals, a proper winter morning.  A quick coffee and it was time to delve into the bait freezer to pick out some baits for the day, smelt and lamprey had always done me well on there so  they went in and then I threw in a few change baits in the form of sardines and herrings and I swiftly closed the door on the freezer. I would be in the cold long enough today and I wanted to make the most of the warmth, even if it was only for a few minutes.

The car loaded and jack frost melted from the wind screen it was time to meet up with Ste and move all the gear into the van.  We began out journey to the bank down the winding narrow creeping country roads of the North West the head lights illuminating the path ahead with the occasional bunny hop as the van made contact with the uneven surface below.  The farmers fields either side studded with pools of white while the horizon glowed with that light blue haze that consumed the night stars as its feint rays reached their stubborn station in the night sky signalling the arrival of day break was not too far away.

We arrived at the cast iron gates held firm with their sandstone pillars that I guess have been there for as long as the old stately home situated within the grounds they protected.  The gates opened and unlike the black Friday chaos that was no doubt about to begin around the country this was a far more sedate and relaxed affair as we passed through the gates and down the dark path to the lake.  The track was flanked either side with all manner of variations of deer that stood alert and to attention, a guard of honour like as we passed through their wooded domain.

In the dark I made my way to the lake passing through the herds of deer that rested by its banks during nigh time.  The lake, huge and daunting, lay in front of me. A lake that offers the angler a huge challenge with its gin clear water, sandy and weedy bottom and bottomless depths off the shelf.  A place where your bait truly is a needle in 20 haystacks in comparison.



A gentle breeze blowing over my shoulder onto the lake had left a huge amount of calm flat water on my bank and in the dark pre sunrise light an opera of fish topped, first one, then another and another before the water almost danced with their activity.  On a water this huge location is huge and we knew being on these bait fist was key so we set our stall out to cover the whole area they where topping. 

Your imagination just goes wild and you can almost imagine a hungry old pike stalking those shoals  meandering slowly though the weed as it does so almost lioness like with its belly hard on the bottom moving slowly as it keeps in touch with the herd only this herd was probably silver and roach shaped.
A three rod rule and in possession of a EA three rod licence it was time to take full advantage of it so out went a running ledger rig with a Lamprey offering and another running ledger rig with a smelt
and then a float ledger rig with a smelt on also.  A set up mirrored by Ste but with bigger baits on stes rods as we worked together to find out what they wanted on the day.  Normally one bait does well so we all move over to that although more than one run between us on the day would signal a good session.

All rods cast out the far bank trees caught fire as the suns inferno rose from behind the tree line, its orange wintery glow mottled through the trunks and entwined branches.



We sat back and made a brew and awaited the pike to take up their invitation to dine and true to form they stubbornly turned their noses up at our offerings.  A hole in my thermal wellingtons did little to brighten the mood and in an attempt get the blood going in my toes I went for a walk with the wobbling rod.  A few casts by the float rod and it must have awoken a pike deep down in the depths as my smelt bait moved away. A countdown and a hard sure strike to set the hooks was met with a violent volatile headshakes from the pike below its distaste for its predicament prompting it to go on long hard runs as it was coaxed up the shelf.  In a last ditch attempt to shed the hooks it surprised us all as it took to the air to try and spit free the trebles to which it was attached. 



A sure hook hold and a beautiful olive dark green plump esox was on the bank, a little under 8lb her size was irrelevant as he flanks glowed in the winter sunlight.  A proper gem of a pike and as always any pike from this venue is a prize.

A pat on the back form Ste and we got the kettle on to make that all important celebratory brew.  A recast was in order on all our rods and we settled back in and had a good old fishing chat, setting the world to rights.  It was a good 2 hours later while recasting one of my rods the next bite came.  A screaming take on the ledgered lamprey section and boy did it go off taking line from the spool in an almost carp like run.

Feeling the line for those plucks I could tell the pike was well on its way, a short wind down and a hard strike to set to hook and my 2.75lb test curve rod arched over, a sign of a good fish.  In 20 foot of water it’s a fantastic fight and this pike was no different.  It kept deep and went on a series of long hard runs peeling braid from the spool as it did so.  Side strain applied I attempted to prevent it connecting with stes lines come 20 yards up the bank such was the hard run it went on.

Eventually she came up the shelf and in the gin clear water I could see she was a nice double figure pike, short, green and like a barrel she was a fit healthy pike.  On the scales she went 11lb9oz and I was beaming from ear to ear, my first ever double form the venue and it had been a day to remember!!



The rest of the session passed by without incident from the pike but for me the icing on the session was a group of stags we passed on the way back.  A session where I got to stand among some of Englands greatest wildlife and got to hold in my hands of  the UK’s apex underwater predators in them two pike. 



The Estate lake truly is natures theatre of dreams where special moments happen in a split second and create memories that will last a life time.
Till next time

Tight lines

Danny

Monday 13 November 2017

Pike Fishing: A Session of Memories, A Session where Rumours of Monsters become reality....



Saturday, a day of the week I would normally be setting out on another river adventure with my uncle chasing the elusive shoals of dace, roach and chub that reside in the north west corner of England.  A phone call the night before and my uncle sounded like death warmed up.  Fishing was off the agenda and for my uncle Saturday morning, this week at least, the heady smell of lemon from his lemsip’s would be replacing the usual fermented unmistakable smell of the hempseed that lay beside his fishing box.

The past few weeks my uncles lad Harry had been on the bank with me learning to pike fish so we agreed to another session chasing the mysterious esox Luscious. To this point he had done fantastic in learning to handle pike on the bank and what it involved in catching them.  This learning curve had seen him bag a 3lb and a 7lb pike in his last two trips.

5am and as I made my way downstairs for a strong brew to wake me from my pre fishing trip restless slumber I could hear the rain tapping onto the windowsill from a hole in the gutter, its repetitive rhythm of drips alerting me to damp conditions awaiting my venture outside.  The kettle groaning as if bemoaning my request for a warm beverage i glanced out of the kitchen window at the pitch black darkness in which only the outline of a large fern tree could be seen arching in the breeze.

If possession is 9 tenths of the law then preparation is certainly 9 tenths of the art of fishing and rightly so I had little to do with the mornings prep bar choosing which fish to offer Mrs Esox from my bait freezer.  A session earlier on that week had left me with a few open packets of smelts and herring jacks so I loaded the bottom of the bait cooler with some fresh unopened smelts and sardines and placed the old opened smelts and herrings on top. 

The old fish mobile loaded I began to make my journey to pick up our Harry, my windows misted up I wound down my drivers side to allow me to safely leave the street.  Blob...Blob.Blob as I pulled off could only mean on thing that overnight drop in temperatures has seen the pressure in one of my tyres drop.  Like a  dog that has just stood on a thorn I ambled and plodded my way to the garage pleading with the fishing gods the Air Machine was still alive, to my delight she was and then tyre was given a quenching boost! Such fine lines can see sessions called off, only at the end of this fisherman’s tale will this become important.

The journey to the venue with our Baz in tow the radio politely alerted all normal people in the world to probably stay in doors as storm Brian was due to hit the North West.  Like all fisherman the urge to keep going is much stronger than worrying about such things as storms and further into the dark we plodded, the headlamps on the car almost Hansel and Gretel like illuminating the bread crumbs to the water.




The session was all about continuing our Harrys development, I had shown him the basics of piking, it was now time for him to make decisions himself and learn from decisions he would make.  A float ledger rod had been set up for him and on this session he would be baiting it up and deciding the placement of his bait in the swim.  I was in super lazy mode so out went a ledger rig on a bite alarm with a fox back bite arm, bait wise it was a whole herring from one of the opened packs.  Yellow, shriveled and still possessing the hook marks from a previous session where it had been out for a few hours.  My other rod was on a pencil float fished float ledger style and on this I would be presenting the humble smelt.

The baits out and the dark angry skies over head we awaited the arrival of a pike at the dinner table.  An early few knocks on Harrys float alerted us to a pike in the area and two dropped runs only went to confirm a pike was in the area.  A cast over the area and jagging the smelt around the swim would either entice the pike to confidently take the bait or spook it completely.




Thankfully the latter was not the case and a few minutes later his float confidently sailed away.  A huge lesson in how cruel piking can be was played out as the pike spat the bait after a few moments playing the fish.  We replaced the bait and an air of that float being the epicentre of all our focus did follow as we eagerly anticipated the hungry pike return.  The vigil was soon broken by the piercing sound of a delkim alarm and a pike that had come across my herring dead bait.

A countdown and a hard strike and I was connected with a pike that was not happy at its meal being disturbed.  Aggressive head shakes it was a relief to slide the net under the first pike of the session, a nice upper single with a full set of gnashers.




The pike blogged and released we sat back and put a brew on, an act that was surly to entice a pike to dine.  The steam rising from a whistling kettle was like music to my ears on a damp windy morning. The calmness that comes with a pike on the bank is quite surreal as the excitement and sense of anticipation before its capture almost lifts.  A calmness that was soon broke by baz running to his rod as his float trundled confidently across the surface before disappearing into the gloomy depths. 
Learning from the mistakes on the previous take he set the hooks and played the fish, a fish that angrily kept deep.  I knew inside he was into a PB and a potential double figure pike and talking him through the fight we slipped the net under a double figure pike.  The question now was just how big his new PB would be. 



13lb on the scales and a beaming smile looking at them he was proper made up, if a little cold.  We places the pike I the net to rest and so we could get prepared for a few pictures for him to remember the day by.  Our celebrations where short lived as my delkim alarm broke up out chatter, a screaming run so violent the rod tip was bouncing away. 

With a fish in the keep net I decided there and then I would have to hand in the pike.  A hard strike and my 2.75lb test curve rod hooped over solid as a decent fish stayed deep.  Plenty of head shaking I knew I had a fragile hook hold at best, a thought that sent shivers down my spine the longer the rod stayed bent over and the fish kept deep.  Long hard runs as the fish realised the predicament it was in.  I loosened the drag and tried to coax the fish closer in and it worked as the fish glided in under my feet.  In the semi clear water I caught a glimpse of her, a big fish she was long with a huge head!

I knew there and then I was in a bit of a predicament, I had a fish in the net that under normal circumstance I would have just released to land this one but that fish I knew held a special value, Harrys first double and a fish I knew we had no pictures of for him to remember the day by.  A long hard battle was played out with the fish going on long hard powerful runs that just ate line from the spool I eventually got her up to the top and quickly I took my chance, sliding my hand under her chin I had a solid grip and lifted out a huge fish.  Lightly hooked she was soon unhooked and placed in the net to rest before a quick weigh, 19lb on the nose!! A fish of a lifetime from the venue I was on and braving storm Brian had paid off with over 30lb of pike in the net resting.



On the mat they looked amazing, both in fantastic condition and been feeding well.  The 19 had a huge head and was certainly a fish that in February will be over 20lb mark.  A quick photo and video for the blog and she was returned back.  I had heard many rumours of these fish, many claiming to have caught them but no pictures to back them up.  I knew there and then I had returned one of the true ghostly monsters, a true fish of a lifetime.



The session was not over there with a first for me late on with me getting a run on the wobble rod, a good 2 hours later and our harry’s 13 had recovered and was back on the feed!! Madness and a first for me as I have never caught the same pike twice in the same session, crazy.



The session coming to and end it was a pleasure to share this session with our Harry, a session we will talk about for years to come no doubt.  It showed everything that is so magical about fishing for pike, that float goes or that alarm starts ringing you just never know what monster could be on the other end,  a session of memories a session where stories and rumours of monster fish became reality.....

till next time

tight lines

Danny






Tuesday 24 October 2017

Dead Bait Fishing for pike: The Rough With The Smooth

After an amazing start to the season where the float would not keep still i hit session number 3 and with it came the first lost fish and dropped runs. Rain banging down i was sat fish less and reminiscing on the past sessions captures. 

A simple but effective method of sink and draw or wobbling saves the day, watch the session unfold below:


Thank yuou very much for watching,

till next time

tight lines

Danny

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Deadbait fishing for Pike - Double runs and a Double!!

So the second session of the season and i headed out with my trusty float ledger rig i showed in the last video.  In this one i cover my simple float ledger rig in more detail and its versatility.  How to construct this simple pike rig and how to fish it effectively for pike.

A manic session with double runs and and plenty of run!!



Till next time,

Tight lines 

Danny

Wednesday 11 October 2017

Deadbait Fishing For Pike - Simple Float Rig

The first session of the season, tough conditions but could not have gone better..In this video i go over my simple but very versatile float set up for catching pike


Sunday 24 September 2017

Making Your Own Wire Traces Guide - Pike Season Prep

So we now sit on the cusp of my third full pike season and i have to admit i feel more like i do before the start of the closed season with the rivers as in the piking has lost that new feel it had in previous seasons, not to confuse that with a loss of passion or excitement for the forthcoming season, just a feel of wanting to enjoy that magical feeling of that first day of the new season come October 1st.

Subtle changes in approach for 2017 Season...


The past few weeks have brought with them all manner of preparation for the new season ahead and some changes in my set up.  I have upped my main line to 60lb braid this year and this is purely down to safety reasons as i am planning on doing a lot of river fishing this season and with the rivers i feel you need that extra strength in the set up to be as responsible as possible in doing the up most not to leave any tackle in the river that a pike could pick up.




New reels have come in and i have upgraded form 4000 size reels to 6000 size reels just to give me that extra casting ability when i tackle the bigger reservoirs and lakes on our socials.  These reels are also the same size as my carp reels and as they come with extra spools it gives me the option, as i own a EA 3 rod licence, to load a spare spool with braid and attach it to my carp reels should the rules allow me to fish three rods.  This season is all about giving myself more options.

The Bait order...

As in the past years we have again all chipped together to put in a big pike order of dead baits, if you know you are going to have a full season of dedicated trips then i highly recommend bulk ordering your dead baits as you really do save a fortune.



In past years i have experimented with all manner of dead boats ands i feel experience built up over the past two and half seasons has put me in the place i am now where i have confidence in a small number of baits that i know work on the venues i fish.  The bait order this year reflects that with my purchases being spread over just a few species of dead baits.

Venues

This season i feel will see me diversifying more in my pike fishing and although there will be no naming of venues in the pike fishing, for obvious reasons, i do feel this season will see me move more away from still waters and more towards running water.  I have targets this year on rivers that the guys you see me fishing with on socials do not really fish so i can see times this year where i am spending sessions finding my way on rivers i have never pike fished on my own in search of truly wild river pike.

That is not to say there wont be socials sessions as there will and there are already a number planned in for October but as the season moves on i feel our own journeys and goals may take us all onto venues the others do not have either licences to fish or the inclination to fish.

These adventures will not involve dead baits all the time as the river i have in mind is a river where dead baits just do not work and this is sheerly down to the amount of prey in the area the pike live. These pike  have no need to rely on dead fish so the magnitude of my dead bait pike order also takes this into account.

Wire traces...

The month before the start of the pike season is a time where evenings are spent in front of the TV putting together my wire traces.  There is no doubt about it making your own traces haves a huge amount of bonuses over shop bought.  The number one is of course cost, you save a fortune making your own and secondly is the amount of customization making your own allows, fishing a mackerel then you can space the hooks accordingly as you can if you want a rig for a smaller bait like a smelt.  You then have that massive feeling of achievement when you land that fish of the season on a rig you have tied yourself. 



To make sure there is not a huge weak link in my set up this year i have upped my wire strength to 40lb wire.

Below is the first video i ever made on my youtube blog channel and it goes into detail on how to make your own wire traces.




Looking ahead...

So the prep is done i have a weekend ahead of me chasing carp and then i feel it will be time to make that change over set ups on my carp rods and put them into pike mode for the coming season.  Its a season i cannot wait to start and get out on that first morning.  I hope we get some proper pike winter weather and a full season of settled low temperatures that make these pike sessions so memorable.

Its a season where achievements will not be measure on size of pike but on how well i put lessons learnt into practise as i tackle new waters on my own.  Tight lines if you are also heading on the same pike journey come October 1st and thank you for reading

Danny









Tuesday 22 August 2017

The Reservoir Diary Part 1 - A New Challenge...

One of the aspects of fishing i love more than anything is the diversity of the adventures that can be created under the umbrella of the word "fishing".  A man or lady mentions they are an avid angler and from that one sentence all manner of species, methods and locations can begin to sprout in all directions.

My journey, until around 2 years ago, never really involved the pursuit of carp but in the past two years i have slowly started to dip my tentative toes into the world of carp fishing.  A few sessions on a small local water chasing carp on floating crust and on the method feeder allowed we to gain some confidence in catching carp to high upper doubles and allowed we to gain confidence and an identity within carp fishing of how i would want to approach this branch of the sport.

I soon discovered i was never going to be an angler who would be bivvied up for over night sessions, i found enjoyment in short morning and evening sessions adopting and developing the mentality of a little bit of bait in the right spot over sitting over a lot of bait and waiting for the carp to find me approach.  I will never rule out the possibility of this journey winding with me delving deeper into carp fishing and the longer sessions but these short sessions on the small and intimate water and the lovely captures like the common below served the purpose of gaining confidence in my approach wetting the appetite for greater challenges.



Sometimes we set our sights on a venue and others we arrive on them by chance, this adventure began with the latter.  Myself and my mate Garry where talking about new venues and we decided that we had nothing to lose in trying a local reservoir.  Knowing the venue was quite a large one i scaled my gear right back for the trip taking only the bare essentials.  A rod bag with two rods, a bucket containing rig bits bait and my licence and a large unhooking mat with a landing net.



We arrived at the venue around 4pm and we decided to give the more well worn pegs a miss and opted for the more uncomfortable, quieter and ultimately less fished peg.  A steep slippery bank down to a flat bank of around a foot or so provided just enough room to get bank sticks in. The green untouched banks testament to the lack of occupation in the swim and i instantly liked the look of the place.

Its weird with fishing how you can instantly like or dislike a venue just by the feel and ambiance of the place and i instantly liked the look of this water.  It of course had plenty of nice pegs with features galore where you could lay out a bed of bait and wait for the carp but it also had plenty of those uncomfortable out of the way quiet pegs where i knew the carp would be found at times of high pressure.

My tactics for the session was my trust method feeder filled with a mix of dampened micro and 2mm pellets with the added attraction of Cheshire Particle Hemp Oil.  The hook bait the ever reliable Bait-Tech The juice dumbells, a combination that had done we well all spring and summer and i am know that confident in it i leave the rig out there knowing the only factor in getting a run is if a fish comes across the trap.  I know if they do then they will eat the bait its that simple ion my head now such the results its produced.



Casting around to find the gaps in the weed i soon found a clear patch out in front of me and another to my right, you could tell instantly when you had hit the spot as taps on the feeder from the roach would be instant.  I didn't mind these at all as a crowd attracts a crowd as such and i knew if the roach could find the bait then so could Mr carp.

After hooking into a few roach i began to feel the pellets where not hanging round long and this trap does reply on the carp fishing the pellets dispersed from the feeder and you bait and more importantly your line being covered by the pellets so regular and accurate casts where the order of the day.



The taps stopped and i remember watching the tip fall silent, a large line bite gave away the presence of a larger visitor to the swim, another long pluck and half way through the tip resetting it wrapped round and the delkim alarm screamed into life.  Lifting into the fish it was all heavy as the fish dived straight for the nearest weed bank.  A sustained pressure on the fish saw it come free and a wallowing almost bream like fight ensued until the fish was coming up the shelf and as it did panic stations began to kick in and the fish went on a number on long deep runs.  It was a fantastic fight.

Thankfully it was a fight that went in my favour and with an aching and relieved arm the fish slip over the mesh, a lovely dark mirror carp of 16lb 10oz1!



Whilst playing the first fish the other rod screamed off and for some time both me and Carry where playing carp.  Unfortunately a hook pull on Gary's fish put pay to a fantastic double fish brace shot that would have really set off the session.  The rods back out the taps from the roach continued and the rod tips danced almost as to the beat of the lapping waves as they washed over the rod tips.

The clouds moved in and with them so did the light rain but this did not deter the carp as again the right hand rod pulled round as the fish was hooked and bolted for the nearest reed bed.  Strong tackle and gentle pressure the fish was back on the move and it soon became apparent that these carp where fine wallowing in 10ft of water until you started to bring them up the shelf.  That part of the fight the carp where going mad and making long hard runs pulling line from the reel but soon a nice upper single figure carp was gracing the net.  Two fish on the first session i was made up.



The next hour or two passed by with nothing of any note on the carp front, roach still continued to come in spells , but it was not until right on last light that my rod again sparked into life.  I am always a great believer that when on a social its always more enjoyable when you all catch and my mate Garry had sat through the rain and the roach with me for the passed few hours so i allowed him to take the last run of the evening.

It turned out to be another fantastic low double figure fish.  The clear water giving the fish a lovely dark back that gave way to yellows as you scanned down its flank.  They where lovely looking fish to catch and this one certainly put Garry through the mill as it came up the shelf with some long hard runs.



The gear packed away it was time to reflect on the session and what a first session it had been with 4 runs and 3 fish on the bank.  We had arrived on the venue not really having any expectations but had left with the grit between our teeth for more.  This venue certainly captured me and i could feel the start of another adventure taking hold.

The full session is available in video format the blogs you tube channel here: 








Tuesday 20 June 2017

Top Stick Float Tips, River Season Hopes and Reflections..

A warm welcome to this weeks blog update i hope i find you well and your nets wet.  Planning for the written blog is going well, i find myself on my dinner hour again putting together this written blog and so far so good, i am half way through the first paragraph and writers block has not set in yet. There is time.

So i thought it would be good in this blog update to have a look at my hopes and ambitions for the upcoming river season and at the same time a bit of reflection on the 3 month closed season.  What went well and what i could have maybe done better.  The blog update finishes with a session in search of tench, a species its been far too long since it featured on my blog.

Top 5 Stick Float Tips...

So this week the second video in the midweek vlog series went live on the youtube channel.  I had received a question in around my tips for stick float fishing for someone new to the rivers and as its my main type of fishing i thought i would devote on midweek blog to some basic river tips.  Stick float, rod and line choices feature as does some tips on plumming up the depth and some basic watercraft at the end.

If you read this blog and like the river fishing but are a bit daunted by the thought of fishing a river then give this midweek vlog a watch and get yourself out on the bank, you will not regret it.


A Closed Season With Cheshire Particle Hemp Oil..

So here we are at the end of our three month exile from running waters and the freedom and tranquillity they bring.  I am far from anti social but at the same time i can only take so much shouting and "banter" when i am fishing and i have to say thet my listening to "banter with mates on the bank" from the anglers around me is just teetering on the edge of madness.  That said though i have had to endure far worse closed seasons with regards dealing with idiots on the bank and this season they do only seem to have arose on the commercial scene.

"Cheshire Particle Hemp Oil The Find Of The Summer"

With the closing of the river season I normally move over to the canals for my fishing but as you have all read and witnessed on the youtube blogs fising has led me down a different path this closed season.  The finding of my Drennan Puddle Chucker and my unexpected thirst for wanting to get to grips with commercial fishing has seen my canal fishing plans fall by the side.

This diversion onto commercials and method feeder fishing has seen my use of hemp seed in my fishing go with it too but what this change did do is highlight to me the fantastic Cheshire Particle Product that is Cheshire Particle Hemp Oil.  When this oil is added to their fantastic hemp seed before a session it can be hard to judge how much impact the hemp oil is having, this last 3 months has shown me just how much fish pulling power this oil has.

Added the oil to my pellets after they have been prepared ready for the method feeder has provided me with a pungent heady hemp based pellet mix that when tested in the margins leaked for well over 50 minutes off one small nugget of pellet.  This fantastic addition to the pellets along with watercraft in placing the bait in the right place has seen me cross paths with some fantastic fish this spring and early summer.

Below just a handful of fish i have had the joy in sharing a few special moments on the bank side with..




In short this summer has shown me how good this hemp oil is on its own so when the season arrives for the rivers and its added to the fresh hemp seed Cheshire Particle are famous for it will be done with 100% confidence.  A little goes a long way and at just over 4 quid a bottle it will last you ages.

Grab a bottle here:https://cheshireparticle.com/collections/liquid-range/products/hemp-oil-250ml

The Season To Come...

The season is now literally days away and the reels are loaded with new line and the tackle box has been given a nice tidy up and organised.  The bag of hemp seed has been split down into pint session bags and i am all set for the season to come.

Early season will be all about getting back into the groove of river fishing with a few stick float sessions on the smaller rivers but this year i am alos going to try my best to devote time on the bank to targeting the barbel.  The barbel is a fish that has featured very sparsely on the blog and i have tried on one or two occasions to change that but not being really close to a barbel holding river it can make finding time very hard.

So barbel are certainly on the agenda for sure and i am also hoping as the season goes on to also delve deeper into a bait that i have never fished before in tares.  A lot of rivers i fish are abundant in roach so it would make sense for me to try and expand into this area to try and get the best from  the river i fish.

Fishing for me is all about learning and trying the develop my knowledge of all aspects of fishing so i can try and be the best anger i can be and along the way share that learning journey with yourselves through the blog.  This year has plenty of promise and i am excited to see what adventures lie along the way.



Summer is far from finished and i am hoping to also get out on the bank still for the tench and carp as i have really loved the adventures so far this year.  On that front a 20lb carp would be a lovely milestone to achieve and is at least a possibility now with the waters i am fishing, so that might happen any time which is exciting.

With regards content on the blog i don't think the blog has ever been so diversified with regards species and content as well as formats to follow it on.  I am hoping to introduce more live streaming on the blog on facebook so that's something else to look out for.

A Tench Session On The Tip....

All spring and summer i had spent time on the bank targeting carp on method feeder tactics and over that time i had began to notice a few things that worked with regards my baiting approach.  The hook bait aside for now and talking about the mix of pellets i had noticed that the micro pellets along brought bites but the addition of  4 mil pellets into this mix certainly brought the better carp onto the method.

Additives to the mix over this period have been stinky stuff sprays and Cheshire particle hemp seed oil and i have found both to be beneficial in attracting fish into the swim and are additives i certainly have confidence in when i cast them out.



The main feed sorted i now look to hook baits and one bait has been doing the business for me this season and it has been Bait Techs's the Juice dumbells.  What can i say about this bait other than it has caught me so many fish it is untrue.  It has caught me fish on commercials and natural waters.  So in these two paragraphs lays the trap i have been setting up till about two weeks ago for all my carp fishing.

A new card and a chance to try new waters and early on Saturday morning i found myself on the banks of a new club water.  Out went a method feeder and with it out went an approach i have so much confidence in.  The bait presented in an area i seen as a patrol route for fish and where they would feed confident in feeding i was out to play the waiting game and leave the feeder there until the tip pulled round on my drennan puddle chucker.

The sun creeping over the horizon to my right and its rays just starting to illuminate the bank behind me i sat listening to the early morning bird song.  A heron circling above out looking for its breakfast soon landed a few yards down the bank, good enough for him good enough for me.  A tap on the feeder alerted me to something in the area and over excited i went to grab the rod.  It can be hard to sit on your hands with this but you really have to wait for that wrap round.

Eventually it came and lifting the rod i was instantly locked into a battle of wills as a fish made hard for the reeds.  Persistent pressure soon turned the fish that by now knew it was in trouble and made for the lillies.  At a fair distance it was a tough battle but soon the power in the puddle chucker brought the fish into open water and then i knew, baring a hook pull, a fish would soon be on the bank.

Played out nicely a lovely tench was soon posing for the camera.




The fish returned i was straight back out and knowing how fast the bite had come i was optimistic of more.  A passer by stopped by for a chat and he was lovely to speak to and was intrigued by how the method feeder works.  The mechanics explained the wrap round on the tip soon showed him the results and what a fish to show someone how good a method feeder can be as though us both laughing at the battle this fish gave me as it went hard for any dark snags it could find.

A had said moments earlier if i hit a carp it would be interesting and so it proved as one hell of a tussle was played out in front of us both.  A lovely dark common carp of 9lb was my prize.



It was a fantastic start to my first session on here and i was pleased my confidence in my set up had come through.  Confidence in angling is huge i feel, it means you leave the bait longer in the good spots you find and you know that time is the only deciding factor in getting a bite.  The time it takes a fish to find your trap.

Over the next few hours a few more tench and bream fell for the trap set, check out the video below for the full story and the end of this adventure.



Till next time,

Tight lines

Danny