Splash & Faff

Another afternoon on the Small River - wandering about in the last of the summer sunshine. No rush, just scanning the river as I mooched about - ten barbel plus an ornamental koi - smashing!


7lb 3oz (top), 7lb 0oz above.


Half time...


6lb 0oz above, someone's pet koi (below)

Splashers & Dashers

Not monsters, but 10 Small River barbel - plus 2 chub. It's great to be stalking about on running water again!

Splash & Dash

It's been raining. First real rain in months. So with time against me, but the rivers refreshed, I shot down the Small River to see if the barbel were celebrating. And they were - five barbel to 7lb 10oz plus a bonus chub. Looks like Autumn is finally here!

Fully Scaled Up (FP12)

A change in the weather - finally some much needed rain! And possibly my last trip to the Farm Pond this year...


A beautiful 14lb 0oz fully scaled mirror & a common carp (ghost?) to christen my new reel - and brighten up a dull afternoon!

Carp Fishing (FP11)

I've gotten into this carp fishing. What started as floating a bit of crust about as a fishing-fix has really become my fishing summer. Pond carp have never really been my thing - but as summers get hotter and drier perhaps it's becoming a better option than the rivers.

Now I don't think I'll be sat in a bivy behind 3 rods any time soon, but I think I'll have a more serious crack at it next summer (running out of time this season). I'd like to find a fairly local water where there is a chance of a thirty - and a quick search seems to show a few options.

Ideally somewhere within an hour's drive where I can fish for 3 or 4 hours an evening. Boilies on one rod, something more traditional on the other - crust or float-fished corn. Plenty of time for more research. And a few more trips to the Farm Pond before it's time for pike...

Last Second (FP10)

Packing up the kit - leaving the rods in until the last second. Totally worth it - both away at the same time. A fully scaled mirror & a common carp in the dark - and I thought I was looking at a blank!

No Water, No Problem

I have pretty much neglected The Wye this summer - it's the lowest I've ever seen it. But I knew one fish that is always on the munch - chub!


Stick 'n' pin, half a loaf of bread & a wander about - couple of fish from each swim then move. Probably two dozen chub fell for it!


Oh, and saw a couple of skinny dippers - who seemed unfazed by my sudden appearance opposite them - the things you see when fishing!!

Reluctant Perch (FP9)

I've seen some nice perch in the Farm Pond - so had to try and bank one. Even though there were pound-plus fish in front of me I could only tempt the wasps (4 of them) - little beauties - but their big brothers didn't want to play. Perhaps a lure would sort out the bigger perch...


Nice double common carp.


Roger helped himself to a small carp.

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And he's only gone and landed double barbel number 30 of his 40 River Double Challenge - which I believe is only 2 away from the record! Sailing towards the target!! Blog post is here.

Shortening Days (FP8)

Pike time is coming, you can feel it in the air. Evenings are getting shorter and the leaves are starting to fall. But enough time for a few more trips to the Farm Pond. And three hours saw 5 carp landed (too dark to photograph the last one). Starting to get a handle on it..!

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Oh, and while we were struggling on the beach the other day I got a call from James, who'd added yet another barbel to his 40 River Challenge - fantastic! Blog post is here.

Chesil Burn

The annual trip to Chesil Beach with Steve & Dyl. A nice sunny day on the beach with some old mates from school - which was just as well because the fish didn't want to play...


If wishes were fishes...


Blank for me but Dyl managed a gurnard...


Steve had a gurnard and a little thornback smalleyed ray...


And we all got sunburnt! But we'll be back...

After Dark (FP7)

I gave up night fishing years ago - but when they're feeding in front of you - you've got to give it one more cast! The best from the Farm Pond (so far) - 16lb 1oz - is there a twenty in there?

Rain Dance

A wander along The Wye, and I rather optimistically took some perch gear with me - no chance. Good grief we need some rain! And very few fish spotted in the shallow, clear water - where have they gone?

I did eventually spot a shoal of roach about 15 minutes walk from my house - over 100 strong - and a lot of them over a pound. I'll try and track them until conditions improve. Until then, back to the ponds...

Carp Blog (FP6)

With no water in The Wye this blog really is turning into Carp Blog! But when those Farm Pond carp look like this I really don't care. Until pike time rolls around once again...

Small River Common

More mooching about on the Small River - I had to go back for a common carp that had outsmarted me a couple of days before. Not today mister carp! And seven barbel to celebrate..!

Small River Ghost

Few hours on the Small River chasing barbel with James, and six barbel each plus a few chub - before I left him to it. Packed up my kit and walked back up the river. Eyes always on the water...

I spotted a ghost in the shallow water - when I flicked in some bread and she started to munch - it was too much to resist. Kit back out the bag, net reassembled & another last cast. Can't walk past a ghost!

Small River Mirror

Back in The London for a few days. So back to the Small River...


Six barbel - all on bread (the best barbel bait there is)...


A beautiful river mirror carp - on a bit of a carp roll at the moment...


A few small chub and a customary pint of Fosters...


Job done.

Splash!

Mooching about on The Wye...


The water is so low and clear you can see everything from a kayak...


Shoals of roach, chub, dace, perch, barbel (no pike spotted though)...


Who didn't see that coming? Capsized it!

The Twelfth Hole

The water hazard on the 12th hole (par 3). There are carp and rudd in there - but unfortunately you're not allowed to fish it...


Unless you happen to be mates with the head groundskeeper - just a quick round of carp fishing with the pin and floating crust...


What stunning looking little fish - fresh off the mint. And a brilliant couple of hours catching them. Cheers Dyl.


We are both wondering what the eel potential could be - think we might be back for an evening session quite soon...


But while I was here, with some bread left, and a little bit of daylight... Just one more cast... One more carp...