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crays

G

Grant Harris

Member
new here so apologies if anything i ask has been done to death!wondering what the consensus is for a bait/flavour/tweak to avoid crayfish?
 
thanks for the reply and link to other answers! i should mention that i'm a kings weir regular.we have tried rubber baits,hard baits,large baits,shrink wrap and armamesh.everything is usually just a matter of time until it's destroyed or gone,which on a bait and wait water is not always possible!grant.
 
years ago at kings weir a trotted bait or a laid on bait would get a fish when the lead failed, been a long time now but at the tail of weir on far bank a bait trotted down the channel about 2-3ft from bank could get good bags of barbel while guys all around failed:)
 
thanks for the reply john.sadly,a lot has changed since those days!no longer prolific,it does however offer the chance of a 15 or THAT chub to those willing to sit days on end for a bite(if your bait is still there-hence original post)the last swim in the weir itself has overhanging trees now and all the depth in the middle.the next two swims,classed as weir,although the start of the river,do see the depth revert to the back.alas,while every effort is being made to maintain or create habitat,fish numbers have dwindled significantly,reducing recruitment and catch rate.some are 'caught' on the float by our chevin obsessed friends,but most of us will not resort to light tackle,bringing with it prolonged fights and inevitably,lost fish.wonder if anyone can make gobstoppers for barbel-size and shape only altered by sucking,not clawing!over to mr.dynamite i guess...
 
hi Grant,great to see you here!I know you have tried every trick in the book to avoid the crays,as have most of the kings weir regulars,I dont think there is a real solution now,just a matter of luck and patience if your bait will get taken by one of the dwindling head of fish there now.Not like the old days ,is it mate!As you know i am of to pastures new soon,so my trips to the weir will be very few,if any.I still hope to make it some time though,just keep up with your calls to me,as to how its going.Who knows might be your turn to have a better season this year?
 
Wooden balls worked for me.. ok never for Barbel but for Carp (sorry) glug them in your desired liquid flavour (as long as possible i would say 2 months if not more if possible).. you can make pellet shaped ones as well.. got it all from model shops.. Drill the hole in the wood before you glug

Ian
 
sounds like a good idea!ok,so lignum for bottom baits,balsa for a pop-up and a combination for neutrally balanced?and i guess we could christen a double bait a pinnochio in honour of richard?!
 
hi Raymond(getting posh the further you move from East Ham?i still remember when you were Ray Kent!haha.)yes mate,obviously the best of luck with the move and adding new rivers to your list!and another way to keep in touch-you never did work out texting did you?sure we'll bump into each other sometime soon!Grant.
 
I found it easier to catch gudgeon in the eddies when I fished as a kid many moons ago lol
 
respect your elders mate!still trying work a mobile,let alone text,plus my eyes are feeling it as well now,we cant all be thirty forever!
As you are a mate i will let you call me Ray(as do all my friends)there is at least two lol.
Still hope to drag you away,kicking and screaming from KW one day,i will keep on trying,and you might give in one day.
I remember in the long distant past when we used to go to quite few different venues,overnighters on the kennet,severn ,teme and avon come to mind,to name but a few,but we were a lot younger then,at least i was !
I still laugh about the time you and Russell put bricks in my holdall to slow me down rushing to get the end swim on upper benyons.you nearly gave me a heart attack!
Keep in touch mate,and will certainly see you somewhere next sesson.
 
you won't catch me falling for the old 'rocks in the rod holdall trick'!...you buggers!not sure how we didn't die laughing that day!i could write a book on our anecdotes-i'll send you one a week to jog your memory.coming soon-'these rods are incredible...wonder what you have to do to break one?...' :)
 
yes,some great memories mate.Its funny,i saw Fred a couple of weeks ago a mentioned about doing something on those lines for BS magazine,have plenty of time now,once move is over to do it.How about this one to start,Remember the rubber fish on the Lea?
ps evnin stanit.
 
i remember making a fish out of luncheon meat for you at padworth.never mind an article,we've got enough for a book!both playing the same fish at padworth?piano on the dashboard until our sides split,from planes,trains and automobiles?your beloved northside tape(they'll be big-sound like oasis!-bombed without trace)how many you had? always say7!you putting the heated seat on in your scorpio and me thinking i was ill!i'll save some in case someone nicks the idea...
 
oh,i can't resist!thinking i'd found isotopes on lower benyons(fireflies),fishing with odd things at rake lake.my sunglasses suntan,countless screaming centrepins or rods moving-courtesy of creeping up on each other while sleeping.maggots escaping,all our gear coming off the roof on the motorway at 4am,you should've been here last week,let me have a go in your swim,ABE tapes,your bbc film crew video camera with a 30 second battery life.
 
all right ,i give in!But the best one i had over you was when you asked "what bait are you using,bet its a Wilton special you got of Robin" and i said no its not .i am using par boiled potatoes!We were often hearing tales of a weir pool monster,that was often hooked and lost,by some very good anglers as well,and you had the last laugh on me,when you tried one out,and guess what you hooked and landed,after being taken from one side of the pool to the other,a double figure carp,with a badly mishapen mouth.
So much for a monster Barbel ,eh.
More to follow in due course.
All the best Ray,not raymond!
 
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