Winter Stunner

No bait for minnows - but I went to check they were still there - perhaps a couple of hundred of them (not thousands as we first thought) - next week monster minnows - they're only getting bigger!

Just enough time to bag a couple of barbel while I was there - including this stunner in her winter colours. I rarely take more than one photo of a fish when on my own but made an exception this time!

Minonsters

I popped down to see James barbel fishing (he was successful so expect a post soon). While I was there we stumbled across a shoal of minnows - so while James went to buy himself some lunch I borrowed his rod and filled my boots - rude not to!


A dozen or so massive minnows including the two monsters (above). Minonsters! They were huge, I need to put a weight to some of these... I will be back with a set of kitchen scales before they breed and disappear... There has to be a new PB in that shoal!

January Barbel

It's pretty cold out there and I didn't have much daylight left - but I thought I'd see if the Small River barbel were feeding.


They were! The bites were very slight (I missed the first 2 waiting for a proper pull), but two January barbel found the net - result!

Gudgeon Count

An afternoon trying to track down a new river pike passed without a run - but after catching a few bleak livebaits I fished on the bottom and caught a gudgeon. A river Bourne gudgeon to add to the list. A quick count and I think I've caught them from 16 rivers & ponds now!

Winter Wander - Itchen

An early start saw me & James head out into the frost - the plan was to wander down The Itchen from the fast flowing water in search of grayling to the slower water with the hope of a winter roach...

Travelling light (even for us) we worked our way down - stopping briefly in likely looking spots to run a float through - then moving on - we had a lot of water to cover. I'll let the photos tell my story...


Five grayling to just over a pound...


Loads of brown trout - had to get a photo of this beauty...


A very rare (for this section) bream...


But the main event was the roach in a slower section...


Fifteen roach landed, several over a pound, to 1lb 7oz...


A brilliant day's winter wandering!

Vicarious Fishing

Dylan headed back to the trout pond on Wednesday, I didn't join him but they have a live webcam so I left it on in the office. I missed Dyl catching (he tells me he did - but where's the proof? :-) but I did see a few others hooked up - vicarious fishing!


Pretty interesting & I'll probably leave it on in the background again. Made me wonder about other venues with a live feed - possibly make a feed that flicks between them or even a screensaver. If you know of any fishing webcams please pop a link in the comments - cheers.

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And if you missed it; over the Christmas break James added double barbel number 11 of 40 to his epic barbel challenge - it's probably old news now but the blog post is here.

Twenty Twenty-Two

First fish of the year - and they're Wye pike - bonus! Float fished smelt doing the trick - 11lb 12oz and 7lb 14oz. (+1.3)

Four One Two Seven

The River Wye isn't fishing well. And really not ideal conditions for pike - but if you've travelled 4,127 miles - you have to wet a line. Needn't have worried - hard work but a beautiful 19lb 4oz pike for Paulos (ledgered smelt) - was there ever a doubt?! (+1.4)

(Non) Frozen V

After missing last year it was time for the fifth annual Xmas fish-off. And to cut a long story short; although it wasn't frozen it was tough going - no fishing seems easy at the moment!


Third; me two rainbows - bugger!


Second; Steve with three - despite an early lead.


Winner; Dylan with four - nice one!!

Scorecard	16	17	18	19	20	21	--	--	--	--
Brian	1	4	1	0	--	2	--	--	--	--
Dylan	4	1	2	1	--	4	--	--	--	--
Steve	2	5	1	1	--	3	--	--	--	--

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