Gazlaaar

The house is deathly quiet this morning, and I was just mulling over a few thoughts about the future of my fishing for this week and later on in the year. The weed is right up now, but it gives you an insight to the routes the fish may be using. There is a small island of clear water in amongst a sea of weed in the middle of the lake. I did see a fish top out on my last outing but it just seemed to difficult to get a fish in without a boat to hand so I left it alone. The weed is thick dense Canadian, I've never seen it this bad before which only really leaves clear spots in the margins to fish. Some guys are casting out hoping for a miracle, I don't feel it's worth the risk of losing or worse still leaving a tethered fish. There's only around 40 ish carp in the water, some are very old and really have been through the wars as regards to predation and angling pressure. I remember wondering what the fish I had, had been through as I opened the sling up for the first time. The crowds always tend to die off in a couple of months as the temperatures start to drop. Interestingly enough I know a couple of perch fishers who fish it all winter who have both mentioned witnessing carp being very active in the colder months. I suppose the degree of difficulty during the hotter months is enough for some but it has left me feeling that may be I should target it this year. Especially if the carp are as active as these anglers are saying. I can imagine how difficult it's going to be but I like quiet banks and the thought of having that one special carp during the cold. One fish will be enough to see me through to next spring but until then I'll make the most of what I have at the moment. Keep plugging, I've said many times before,,I'm not a naturally gifted or even a decent angler but I do have drive and the determination to make something happen. It's a long drive, I'll be packing up in the dark, probably through horrible weather but I think I'd rather blank there than catch anywhere else at the moment.

Proper made up, I've just had a fully Scaled mirror at 19lb I'll stick the piccy up tomorrow

Prep done for Wednesday

A small leap forward for yesterday, Hempseed and tigers, the coots did dive but we're coming up with very little and soon did the off. Second problem was getting a bait to out last the crays so I used an uncooked tiger. Hard as nails but it did the job

I think I've cracked it The joyful tears of a golden unicorn

Monkey Vomit The only draw back is you stink like the insides of a monkey

There are a few practical things you can do. If you have a mozzi mesh? Use it The majority of mozzi's start coming out as the sun is going down so you won't need to zip up for the majority of the day just the evening onwards. Lights Lights, any form of light is a big attractor for bugs, so keep light to a minimum, the use of phones, torches, everything will attract mozzi's at night. This includes bivvies that have vents at the back, imagine looking into a dark bivvy and seeing the vents open at the back, again, it's a light source to be attracted too. I've alway found Avon So Soft to be really good but as yonny suggests, we're all different. Take antihistamines with you incase you get bitten, this will at least take away the itching. Plus if you get bitten, cover the bite or clean the bite with antibacterial wipes or gel. My x missus got bitten years ago on her ankles, she put her feet into the water to keep cool and guess what happened. Yes the bites got infected and she had the go to hospital.

Swans are fairly easy to deal with, anything over 6ft deep is too deep, tufties are a nightmare as they can dive down very deep and coots are a major problem as their showing their young how to dive for food at the moment. Anywhere shallower than 4ft is going to be a problem for you. Like I say, fish out in open water during the day then if the margins do produce as you say I'd fish them at night.

In my experience, if tufties, swans or coots are a problem don't bait or fish until night fall, it's the only guaranteed way of not getting picked up. Coots and tufties normally drop a rig but swans are a pain. A few times I've just stuck in bait and just left the birds to feed during the day only for them to return at night to have another go. It's like they've ear marked the spot. The situation is only exaggerated close in, so, I wouldn't bait or fish until nightfall.

To be honest chilli, I just want the hookbait to last long enough for a carp to find it. It's one of the reasons I've set myself up for a bit more stalking during the daylight hours, floater fishing and the lift method. I doubt I'll feed them off but enough bait may keep them at bay for as long as I need. Without doubt the diving birds are spooking fish, I've seen a lot of it this year, so baiting has to be put in during dusk.

I got absolutely mullered by birds and crayfish fishing the margins last week so I'm now declaring war. The birds got on the bait during the day and the crayfish at night. I must admit I've not really used a lot of bait and I've now switched to solid pva bags to ensure a decent presentation. Ive decided to bait heavily in the margins just before dusk, an hour or so before I attempt to fish to try and feed some of the crays off, hopefully it'll help and I've also switched to just fishing plastics close in. The top one being my preferred rig I don't seem to be getting any problems off the crays out in the lake during the day, so I'll pick a spot and stick both rods on that spot then move one close in during the night. The margins definitely produce more fish but it's such a ball ache to fish. My mix is mainly corn and a handful of 12mm Boilies, hence the yellow plastic. Wish me luck

I'd be more inclined to stick a single out over the rolling fish than the one jumping clear. If however I saw the rolling fish early morning, I'd definitely make sure I was fishing that spot the next morning if there were no major weather changes. As for the jumping fish, Id still keep an eye on that area, to see if anymore jumped out. If more did jump, I'd be on that spot too, but rolling is a definite indicator of feeding to me.

These are just my observations When fish clearly jump out, their excited over something, not necessarily feeding. Head and shouldering, I suspect they're adjusting their swim bladder for feeding.

Just get yourself a spod rod mate, most markers are to soft and will never reach where your fishing. Think about what you've got to get out there, heavy lead and marker float. I use a spod for both and just wrap a white piece of insulation tape around the butt section a foot up from the bail arm.

I have been using Daiwa JX4 braid in 32lb. It' been great so far, it's a 4 strand braid so you get a nice round profile which helps reduce wind knots, plus it has a bit more of a rigid feel than most others, anything too supple is prone for line slap, catching your rings and not casting great. I looked at what the American lure fishermen were using and this came up with some great reviews.

Yesterday's session Well what can I say I found a group of fish after hours of looking, got everything done really quietly, so quietly the fish were milling over my 2 margin spots. Of course I was rubbing my hands together. I watched them for an hour or so when from nowhere appeared several fishermen. Right behind my bivvy, baring in mind I was the only one fishing. 3 old boys and the rest around the same age as me I suppose. They thought nothing of laughing and joking calling eachother this and that in raised voices, in full view of the very fish I was fishing for. I actually watched all of the fish slope off, and then stepped out of my bivvy. Not one for confrontation plus I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, I explained to them all that these fish were very finicky plus I was only fishing a couple of yards out, at which point they all looked very apologetic and moved on. I waited another hour but nothing returned, so I went for a walk, found a couple of fish, set up, in the usual manner and sat back with all the days events a distant memory. Then the nasty little critters moved in, all night long, bleep, bleep, bleep, I didn't get a wink of sleep. So to sum up yesterday's session, not the best but at least I was out trying and as for crayfish, hate them lol

There you are

Hindsight is a lovely thing, you can never be too sure,

It's just one of those things Jon

Cheers Cloud

I've started keeping a diary on my phone and it very quickly turned into a little account of my session, so I thought I'd share it on here. I went for a walk up and down the Green Mile, I quite fancied a swim half way along, as I had caught from the swim before and to the left lay about 50 yards of unfishable tree lined margin, but I really didn't want to fish a swim just for the sake of it, I wanted to see fish first. I did see fish up in the top corner, nothing to big and they looked like they were just sunning themselves. I know these fish weren't really up for a feed so I kept looking, but the area was noted. It wasn't until I'd gotten down into the car park swim on magoo bank that I saw a good group of fish milling around down the right hand side under the scum and floating weed that had gathered into that corner. The group were 14 strong, mainly doubles with a handful of twenties and two very big dark fish. A foot across the back, one was a heavily plated mirror the other a common. I held back any thoughts of getting a rod in place while they were there, and just kept watch. After what seemed like an eternity of watching them move in and out of the area I ceased my chance and quickly got a baited rig onto the route they were using down to my right. My left hand rod was spooned in with a good helping of chops and pellet right under a branch. Within an hour, the group were back, totally oblivious to my presence, I had set the rods right back and very low, I'd positioned my brolly and kit behind the bankside vegetation, I knew I had done everything I could and all I had to do was wait. I felt sure the right hand rod would go and waited full of anticipation. The wind had been pushing into this corner for a couple of days and it's also the area the sun first hits in the morning so even if I didn't get a fish during the day it was still game on for the morning. It was a very hot day, there was a constant breeze pushing into the corner, I couldn't feel it being set up behind the long grass. It just seemed to get hotter and hotter, I gotten through a gallon of water that day, I don't do well in the heat of the sun, I even had to take a couple of ibuprofen as the heat had just started to kick off a headache, but still I remained and waited. Nothing happened all night long apart from the constant buzzing of mosquitos that kept me awake for quite some time. Eventually I did fall asleep and awoke to a lovely calm morning, overcast but still warm, the water was still. As I gathered myself and put the stove on for the first coffee of the day I noticed something out of the corner if my eye. A movement over my left hand spot, nothing too visual but water displacement. It's difficult to explain this kind of movement, it's not a definite sign of a fish but more the aftermath of something moving water, a bit like when you get a take off a big fish close in, the water almost drops as the fish charges off. Anyway I kept watch and saw a tail, the very tip silently broke the surface. I couldn't see the fish as it was still pretty dark, my heart skipped a beat and I knew a bite was immanent. I quickly slipped on my boots and kept watch, something was definitely moving and the clock was ticking as I had to start packing up in an hour. That hour passed so quickly and I didn't receive any kind of indication, I knew something must of been wrong. It wasn't until I wound in, that I knew what had happened. The pop up was missing, damn crayfish I thought, or words to that affect, and although absolutely gutted at the thought of missing a bite, it was comforted by the fact I knew I had done everything right, it was just one of those unlucky moments.

I did my first session back down the Cotswolds on Wednesday, and despite finding a group of fish and sneaking in as quietly as possible nothing materialised. It did give me a good chance to see a number of the fish up close and personal, and boy are there some crackers to be had. Nonetheless I absolutely loved being back, the peace and quiet definitely suits me.

One night a week and I live in the heart of match fishing country. There's not a lot around unless you travel. Then you have to take cost into consideration and time travelling, I just want to fish in peace and quiet and be left alone. There's other places I'd rather be blanking

I've done the off mate, too much noise, it' like a cross in between Total Wipeout and a Rave. I can't be dealing with all the noise and disturbance. A million tufties and coots that sit there waiting for bait to go in, that's providing the 15 million gulls haven't had it first lol I've joined a quiet little syndi local with the aim of getting back onto the Cotswolds later on this year. Between August and September time.

Funnily enough chilly I'm just about to purchase a couple of Aerlex XTB''s, I did have a play around with the Ultegra''s and they felt very light and very smooth, if I had the money, Ultegras would be my choice, but budget doesn't stretch that far. I've had my mitchell's a few years now and it's time to go with something that' built to last