Search results

You are generalising a bit here Damian. The Windrush was full of small young barbel, it was not uncommon to catch them under a pound, and I'm sure many rivers were the same. In fact, fish population apart, the Windrush still is a healthy river. Some rivers, e.g. the WA have admittedly been...

For all those commenting on the otters being pre-occupied with big fish, use a bit of common sense! Obviously, a big barbel is not going to have the speed and agility of a smaller barbel and is therefore much easier to catch. The biggest of barbel are not going to present a problem size wise to...

I used to fish the Windrush regularly around Ducklington area. The barbel and chub weren't big in that stretch but they were plentiful. As were trout, both stockies and a very healthy population of good sized wild brownies. Spinning for trout often resulted in a two pound chub every other cast...

Yes Mike, black slugs were definitely the best for chub.

Slugs are one of the best chub baits for sure. I remember a day on the Cherwell at Northbrook many years ago when a friend came chubbing. We had slugs as the main bait and I said to him that all he would catch would be chub, nothing else eats slugs. His first fish was a perch... :(

It's quite rare on this forum to hear of people using natural baits for barbel. I had a video years ago that showed a well known angler catching a big double on a slug, I think it was on the Ouse. I have caught a fair few on lobworm over the years, even freelining on the Windrush for trout with...

I never fished below the bridge. Above the bridge was excellent for barbel and chub about 30 years ago.

I didn't know you can now park behind your swim at Tadpole Bridge Edward. It used to be the car park only except for the bailiff who would drive and park anywhere from the road to the weir. That used to be a great stretch of river; is it still put the money in the envelope and put in the "postbox"?

I have to disagree with this outlook I'm afraid. If you've paid your ticket and the swims are obvious swims, it's up to you where you fish. The problems arise when pegs are too close together but it's not on to assume your neighbouring peg shouldn't be fished because you prefer to be alone. If...

Dead right Bob, it always amuses me how they stress the need for old baits yet a lot of the time anglers go to the trouble of making their bait appear as if it's been lying on the river bed for ages! Fish are not people and like all wild creatures will eat whatever they can get hold of when...

I bought a bulk 10kg tub of the original Activ8 base mix and it lasted years. It was kept sealed and dry and was equally effective when I finished it as when I started. Just wish it was still available, best bait ever

I almost got a place in Anglers Mail back in the 80s. I was fishing Farnborough Pool for carp when a guy came up and started chatting. It was a nice summers evening and just after he started to chat my rod was away. It was before baitrunners and the method was to fish an open spool and clip up...

Interesting analogy as I spent the first 30 years of my working life laying bricks! I wrote an article for the old Specialist Angler magazine back in the 80s for which I was paid £45. I was pleasantly surprised as I had neither requested nor expected payment. I was doing a writing course and...

CAT became an absolute joke and it was a good magazine before all the product placers. It didn't last long in the new advert dominated format anyway. The problem seemed to be that the authors who were sponsored were very poor writers compared to the original regulars, and took product placement...

In my own personal experience I would say that barbel are the only fish that I consider to be more catchable at night. I've never found it much good at all for tench, ok for carp and about the same as daylight fishing for chub. That said, I much prefer to night fish for barbel in the summer, as...

There is a big difference to night fishing and simply fishing in the dark when it comes to the time people are on the bank. Night fishing in summer would usually be considered after 11 pm, but in winter you could be considered to be night fishing by 5.00 pm. It is why set times would make far...

Almost certainly the same fish. I have had it happen with a friend on the Cherwell many years ago when he landed a 10.12. He didn't fish nights very often and that was a known swim so later in the night I dropped in and caught a 10.12. Big fish like that were not very common on the Cherwell in...

He is Neil, but by constantly having such a negative attitude to how so many anglers wish to fish he is inviting condemnation.

Good last point Terry, I am guilty of not attending those meetings either. But I have had a few phone conversations that strongly suggest such an effort would be a complete waste of time. Might be worth considering though. I tend to fish Leamington waters more now and they also operate a night...

I know it allows night fishing on some stretches which sort of contradicts many of your points Terry. If bailiffing is a problem, then why is it allowed on some stretches and not others? A reason I was once given is that the committee did not feel they could guarantee anglers safety while night...