Down t' mill

The river above saxon mill .Wild and full of potential....In my opinion!!!!

I ventured out today with the thought of giving the roach at Saxon mill a go.I have bought a new medium to light feeder rod and thought this coupled with a small cage feeader of liquidised bread would be a good start.

Unfortunatley when I arrived at the river it was a good 6 inches up ,brown and really pushing through and this was above the weir pool .

Luckily I had half a pint of reds and a small pot of red worms with me so clipped on a small black cap feeder and worm .

After half an hour my 20z carbon tip (which was well bent !!!!) in the aggressive flow sprang back and I connected with a chub of around the 1lb mark.

I sat it out for another hour but could not settle .I felt that I should be fishing a big smelly bait with heavier line etc and perhaps should be alot further upstream where the river has a lot more features.

Eventually I decided to end the day and decided to head to lanes for some lobworms then get home and make up some very smelly sausage meat based paste .I intend to return to the mill tommorrow and go right up on to the wilderness in pursuit of large chub .

The rod and line is now beefed up and I have cut my tackle load right back in readiness for the gorilla warfare of the barren meadows.

Last but not least

At last I am back amongst the flock and can compose a few words .

Due to computer problems I have not been able to post any of my adventures over the past 7/8 months.I have been out and about fishing and have been monitoring all of your exploits from my work pc .

It seems that you have all been fishing very well and that a community is well and truly forming which is fantastic .

Over the xmas holidays I will learn to podst up my pictures along with venues and dates and try and establish communication with you all .

I would also like to look in to giving the fishing points challenge thing you participate in a go.

All the best for now and a merry xmas to you all.

Barry Peck

It never rains it pours!!!!

After a somewhat barren time on ryton pool I eventually returned on Friday the 30th April.

I had managed a day off work and after spending the morning shoping for clothing for a wedding I was able to spend the afternoon at the pool.I set up in morris' and the the wind was really hammering down the lake in to the front of the island.There were intermitant showers but despite all this it was very mild and the air pressure was low.

My plan was to fish the method on both rods .The rods were on single bank sticks and a couple of metres apart .One was fired across to the trees along from the disabled stage and the other punched out towards the middle of the pool to a spot i'd found.

After an hour and a half the rod in the bay was away although somewhat sheepishly .I drew the rod back and leant in to a tench of araound 2lb .Within half an hour the other rod was away and yet another tench was banked this time of 4lb 12 0z.

In the next two and a half hours the fishing was manic with me banking several more tench up to 6lb 9oz....and also my first carp of the year a stunning little mirror of 5lb 6oz.

I left a happy man.

I returned on Monday 3rd of May with a slightly wooly head from spending the day at the Upton upon Severn folk festival .I fancied a short midday session and set up in the log swim again fishing the method on both rods towards the central track of the pool .

Dan turned up and we were having a good old rattle when the left hand rod burst in to life .The take was so fast that the baitrunner spool could not cope and we looked on in awe as i scrambled to the rod that was now moving forward .I swooshed the rod back and connected with a solid fish at range it kicked back and kited to the right .Suddenly the rod wrenched back and my heart sank as i knew that the fish had parted .

Undettered and somewhat fired up i recast the rod and carried on my chat with Dan.After a while Dan said his goodbyes and wandered off .Within minutes the same rod was away again and once fish was hooked .This time the fight went on somewhat longer and my heavy duty carp rod took a substancial bend i really felt that i had connected with a good carp .

I nearly screamed as yet again the hook pulled free and the fish was away in to its watery world .
Such was the devastation of the lost fish I went home to seek some sympathy from my sarcastic Mrs and cat.

I arrived at the lake to see Andy set up on Morris's. I quite fancied this peg myself as with the forecast of good weather I felt the fish would move up in to the shallows .

As the peg was taken I dropped in the fallen tree swim .The plan was to fish as far out as i could on to the track .Then I would scatter around 50 baits on to the track in a very spread out manner .Hopefully any carp moving up and down the track would pick up the baits spread out and i would get a take.

The fish were not showing well but I did see one over towards the point which gave me a lift .The other rod was going to be moved around frequently with maggots on the hair and a bag of nash maggi meshed maggots to guard the hook.

After some time there was now Andy ,Roger,Dan and myself on the pool and later Barry the fly dropped in peg one .The only fish caught was a tench by Roger from the island .Around midday Roger dropped in to a swim close by so I popped round for a quick chat and to see the carp that were scattered all around the island cruising just under the surface.There were lots of them and a couple of ghosties as well.

Towards late afternoon I even had a ghostie cruising around under my rod tips almost in a mocking fashion.I am now officially the only carp less angler on the pool and have only managed one tench this year (get the violins out).Still I shall continue in my pursuit of these wily fish.

The place has a real feel to it and i have to keep going back.

Tight lines

Baz

THE HOWL OF THE BANSHEE!!!!!!!

Well just a quick one to say that I went along to the pool today for a short four hour session.The reason I went was to try out some new rods and reels I had scrimped and saved for and practise casting with them.

I had one aborted run which when I reeled in was down to the hook point being masked by a piece of broken boilie .The lake looked really good and the carp were putting on a real show in front of Dan down in the shallows.

It was the first time I'd spoken to Dan and it was great to meet a fellow blogger .Also it was great to see him catch some fish ( he will fill you in im sure ) .I believe that his fish were of great value to him and worth several points ( keith!!!).

Any way it really feels that the pool has sprung in to life now and my fuse is well and truely alight .I feel a few evening sessions will help me along .

Also what a noise one particularly excited dog was making all around the pool you could hear its howl!!!!!!

Tight lines all .

Barry Peck

SPRIN HAS SPRUNG

Hello all just a quick one to say that i have been for a walk around the pool today and to put some food in.

The pool was alive with fish and particularly the shallows .I had my polaroids with me and saw several nic e carp .Also ghostie of around 10lb and a cracking golden orfe that looked over 2lb.The orfe was flanked by what looked like a chub of around the same size.

When stood on the top of the road bank looking out to the middle of the pool there were lots of fish moving around on the top of the shallow area that runs down the middle .
I reckon its about a ninety yard cast so will be getting out the long range gear for tommorow.

All this activity and not an angler in sight how ironic.

Any way I thought i would post this and give some motivation to you all.

Bad Good Friday

After assembling some flat pack furniture and spending the early morning on the pool with a marker rod. I decided to use a break in the cold wet weather and get back down the pool for a few hours fishing.

As it happened no one else was foolish to venture out after the morning of wind rain and low temperatures.I decided to fish the back of the wind in the peg that Roger built .The peg is lovely and comfortable and once I had the brolly up i was snug and fairly confident that I was fishing correctly.

The weather worsened and the rain and wind was squalling around the pool .I knew that i was fishing in around five feet of water and over silt .I had one rod on a chod rig with and 18mm pop up anf the other on a combi rig with a double 14mm pop up .

As the day went on the weather got better and eventually the sun came out which gave me extra promise .The day finished fish less for me and I did not see any fish move or bubble etc.

The highlight of the day though was the kingfisher that was busily in and out of a nest in th corner bank.Also as I packed away there were three buzzards nover head calling out .A sound and sight that I love .

Theres always tomorrow.

Baz

Sunday 28th March 2010

After a hectic few days at work and home I managed to get down to the pool for a few hours.

I fished on the point opposite the disabled bay as I have been introducing some bait around this and other areas.To cut a long story short it was an uneventful afternoon .However I did have a lead around a found some gravel areas and several under water obstructions which have a possibility to hold fish.

There were a few other anglers down at the pool and I was informed of fish showing this morning over the track down the middle well out of my casting range (at the moment!!!).Also it seems that every one that I speak to is putting in bait so the fish are getting well looked after .I made a choice to buy top quality fresh boilies that are very good for the carp and easily digestable all year round.

Any way all the best for now and Dan if your reading this hope you are recovering well .We haven't met yet but I read your posts.

Barry Peck

Sunday 14th March

As my mother wass away on Holiday I had a free pass to get back up the pool AGAIN!!!!.

I awoke at 4:ooam to watch the boxing and was out of the house by 6:00am .The wind was pushin g across again so i opted to fish the back of it and dropped on to the point peg to fish the water in front of the island .

Alas the day was an uneventful one and I found it hard to settle and fish well so left at 1:00pm for beef and yorkshire pudding .......who could blame me.

Saturday 13th March

I arrived at the pool to find it flat calm and with the sun rising in to a blue sky i thought it would be as good a time as any to try fishing in to the bay across to the disabled platform.

I set the rods both with chod rigs .One with an 18mm cork ball pop up which was made with the same base mix as the bait i have been trickling in over the past 2 weeks .This was cast into the area in front of the platform.The second rod was again a chod rig and was fished with a smaller bright yellow pop up.This was punched across the bay intent for the tree line .

After 2 hours the cloud began to thicken up and a strong north westerly began smahing in to my peg.The temperature began to fall so i upped sticks and moved around to the point by the island or (terrapin isalnd) as I know it hahaha.I dropped in to peg 6 and began to cast around occasionally covering the area of water in front of me .

At 3:00pm I received a slow continuous run on my right hand rod .After a spirited fight i slipped the net under a 4lb+ tench .It was most welcome on a cold day and looking at my hook hold in its bottom lip I was filled with confidence that my rig was fishing correctly.

I left around 5:00pm as the sky darkened and the wind grew ever stronger.The day was my first on the pool and i left happy to of had a run in what were adverse weather conditions.

Return to Ryton

After a some what exploratory year on Ryton pool last year .I have now fallen in love with this moody and some times unearthly piece of water .

This year I endeavour to push on with my angling exploits on the pool and am going to keep things as simple and as practical as possible.Being an avid reader and researcher of carp fishing tactics ,bait and behaviour i do some times tend to chop and change my approach too much .

Having fished ryton pool last year with some small battles won I learnt that good watercraft and basic rigs were just as effective as any state of the art rig.

The start of my season on Ryton has been some what hampered by my daughters love of horse riding and my partners love of the allotment (i just do the digging and driving!!!!).How ever I have been spending a lot of time on the pool introducing small amounts of bait to certain areas and looking for signs of fish and wild fowl activity .

Hopefully with this "ere" blog I can learn something myself or assist others with their pursuit of the species .

All the best

Barry