Gone fishing. 2023 season.

[friedaweed]

It's a new season ahead so have you got the itch yet?

Winter is always a great part of my fishing year because it's when I fill my boxes with flies for the year ahead.

Last year I had a real baptism of fire and moved from Loch fishing to small river fishing. Basically most of my kit and almost all of my fly boxes were useless but I had a ticket on a river with lots of old timers who run a forum and have member days on the river to help noobs out. It's a trout and grayling stretch and it cost me £55 for the season including membership for me and the wife. I'll fish it till I die or can't get in my waders anymore because it's on the doorstep. I had a cracking season on dry fly, something that a lot of the locals said I was wasting my time doing, and even got a couple of the old giffers trying some of my flies. I also learnt a bit more about sub surface fishing on nymphs and klink and dink.

This year I'm planing on having a go at fly fishing on the sea with streamers and I'm also considering a bit of night sea fishing, any advice gratefully received. I've got a fair bit of kit for sea but generally I've just chanced my luck and occasionally found fish. I'm keen to learn a bit more about rigs for beach casting. You-tube's great but there's so much stuff on there some times it gets a bit mind boggling so if there's any of you that have a go share your secrets please.

I still loch/Llyn fish and generally fish for the pan but catch and release with good measure once tea is sorted or size is considered.

Anyway I know a few of you lot are course fishermen. What do you do in winter? Polish your poles, make boilies, change the batteries in your bite indicators, clean yer airbeds?

Tight lines for 2023 folks.

pogofish BigMoaner Mumbles274 dessiato Mr.Bishie bellaozzydog

 

[friedaweed]

 

[dessiato]

I inherited my f-i-l fly fishing gear. There's so much, and some very expensive, even some custom made. I'll need to learn how to use it.

Because of the circumstances through which we've been living we haven't been fishing at all since we arrived in Scotland.

New times though...

 

[BigMoaner]

It's a new season ahead so have you got the itch yet?

Winter is always a great part of my fishing year because it's when I fill my boxes with flies for the year ahead.

Last year I had a real baptism of fire and moved from Loch fishing to small river fishing. Basically most of my kit and almost all of my fly boxes were useless but I had a ticket on a river with lots of old timers who run a forum and have member days on the river to help noobs out. It's a trout and grayling stretch and it cost me £55 for the season including membership for me and the wife. I'll fish it till I die or can't get in my waders anymore because it's on the doorstep. I had a cracking season on dry fly, something that a lot of the locals said I was wasting my time doing, and even got a couple of the old giffers trying some of my flies. I also learnt a bit more about sub surface fishing on nymphs and klink and dink.

This year I'm planing on having a go at fly fishing on the sea with streamers and I'm also considering a bit of night sea fishing, any advice gratefully received. I've got a fair bit of kit for sea but generally I've just chanced my luck and occasionally found fish. I'm keen to learn a bit more about rigs for beach casting. You-tube's great but there's so much stuff on there some times it gets a bit mind boggling so if there's any of you that have a go share your secrets please.

I still loch/Llyn fish and generally fish for the pan but catch and release with good measure once tea is sorted or size is considered.

Anyway I know a few of you lot are course fishermen. What do you do in winter? Polish your poles, make boilies, change the batteries in your bite indicators, clean yer airbeds?

Tight lines for 2023 folks.

pogofish BigMoaner Mumbles274 dessiato Mr.Bishie bellaozzydog

thoguhts slowly turning toward it. I normally get the bug around febuary.

I love fishing so much. It's really is heavenly. fishing old wooded carp lakes wich havent been stocked for years to me is just pure bliss. major part of my life.

 

[Mumbles274]

I need to get out fishing soon... It's been too long

 

[Humberto]

Crabbing is more fun and you can bring your dinner.

 

[friedaweed]

Crabbing is more fun and you can bring your dinner.

Was that hou on Otterspool prom with your bucket on Sunday our kid?

 

[Athos]

Supposed to be going pike fishing tomorrow, but not sure - weather looks shit.

 

[bellaozzydog]

I’m rigging up some scratch rigs to have a pop at the high tide arrivals this afternoon

Simple ledger with an artificial scented worm

 

[friedaweed]

I’m rigging up some scratch rigs to have a pop at the high tide arrivals this afternoon

Simple ledger with an artificial scented worm

Do those scented worms do the trick then? I got a pack of the sandeels last rime I was in Cornwall but haven't used them yet.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Do those scented worms do the trick then? I got a pack of the sandeels last rime I was in Cornwall but haven't used them yet.

I’m trying them where I know real worms and tiny whitebait are pulling out a fish a cast so should be a reasonable indication if they work

I fucked up when I packed, most my decent lures, surface poppers and distance lures got left in my car. There a fish aggressively chasing surface fry everywhere, would have been amazing chucking surface poppers at them

My rods an orvis spin/fly travel rod and I’ve got some surface fly poppers (frogs) so might have a flick at dusk. Problem with fly fishing is it lacks distance

 

[friedaweed]

I’m trying them where I know real worms and tiny whitebait are pulling out a fish a cast so should be a reasonable indication if they work

I fucked up when I packed, most my decent lures, surface poppers and distance lures got left in my car. There a fish aggressively chasing surface fry everywhere, would have been amazing chucking surface poppers at them

My rods an orvis spin/fly travel rod and I’ve got some surface fly poppers (frogs) so might have a flick at dusk. Problem with fly fishing is it lacks distance

Nice little rod those. I was tempted by one of those but I'm told 6 fly rods and 8 sea rods should be enough. Not sure what she'll think when my mate drops of all his recently deceased FIL's Spey rods next week.

I'm after a 6' 3 weight and a 3# reel next. I bet the Orvis is good on the fly with a decent predator on it. What weight line does it handle?

 

[friedaweed]

I inherited my f-i-l fly fishing gear. There's so much, and some very expensive, even some custom made. I'll need to learn how to use it.

Because of the circumstances through which we've been living we haven't been fishing at all since we arrived in Scotland.

New times though...

Plenty of time if you're settling there. Scotland was pretty much the reason I started fishing. Fishing hill lochs on your own for a day in places like Assynt is what I hope heaven is like when I die.

 

[Athos]

Supposed to be going pike fishing tomorrow, but not sure - weather looks shit.

Fuck it. Gonna bite the bullet. It'll be lashing down, but we can dress for it. Me, my Dad, and a couple of mates. Eight rods between us ought to turn up a few pike.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Nice little rod those. I was tempted by one of those but I'm told 6 fly rods and 8 sea rods should be enough. Not sure what she'll think when my mate drops of all his recently deceased FIL's Spey rods next week.

I'm after a 6' 3 weight and a 3# reel next. I bet the Orvis is good on the fly with a decent predator on it. What weight line does it handle?

It’s a 5# but it doesn’t cast line that well. It’s better as a spinning rod and it has reeled in some very lively 5-6 pound queen fish before no bother

 

[friedaweed]

It’s a 5# but it doesn’t cast line that well. It’s better as a spinning rod and it has reeled in some very lively 5-6 pound queen fish before no bother

That's pretty weighty for a travel rod. I looked at them when I was off to Cuba about 6 years ago as I had 200 quids worth of vouchers for Orvis as a gift. I went for reels in the end in one of their daft sales. I ended up with 4 reels and a shit load of fly tying kit. They seem to have gone a bit back to basics now. I see they've moved out of the UK completely which is a bit of a shame.

Must admit I find spinning easier when I'm away though.

Pics if you nab something please

 

[Athos]

Didn't go. Dad ended up locking himself out at 0600; was gone 1100 by the time locksmith got him back in. Too late to go. So went on the piss in Luton instead.

 

[bellaozzydog]

That's pretty weighty for a travel rod. I looked at them when I was off to Cuba about 6 years ago as I had 200 quids worth of vouchers for Orvis as a gift. I went for reels in the end in one of their daft sales. I ended up with 4 reels and a shit load of fly tying kit. They seem to have gone a bit back to basics now. I see they've moved out of the UK completely which is a bit of a shame.

Must admit I find spinning easier when I'm away though.

Pics if you nab something please

Same rod different country



A colleague with a decent one with same rod


If it’s lined right the rod will take some hard work. I have varying braid strengths on different spools. Mainly so I can go super light with tiddly lures and keep some semblance of casting distance

 

[friedaweed]

Same rod different country



A colleague with a decent one with same rod


If it’s lined right the rod will take some hard work. I have varying braid strengths on different spools. Mainly so I can go super light with tiddly lures and keep some semblance of casting distance

You just broke my dream. I was tarpan fishing last night. Must be the meds.

Nice fish. Good for the pan that one.

Have you tried the tazmanian devel lures? I get a few trout on those from the canoe.

 

[friedaweed]

These are the Tassies



I use a 7 gm one like this for the canoe when we're canoeing or Kayaking into a bothy. A Scotish lad put me onto them. Work great on the sea and the lochs.

I use the 13.5 gram on the sea.



Be interested to hear what you guys use for spinning.

 

[BigMoaner]

revisting Chris Yates. It's because tehre's a faint suggestion of spring in the air (probably short lived). He's a bit whimsical but i do love his discription of sussex/surrey/redmire and the wooded carp pools etc.

 

[friedaweed]

Anglers despair as trapped seal eats Essex lake’s stocks like it’s ‘in Waitrose’

Animal has been evading capture from Rochford fishing lake since mid-December

www.theguardian.com

Interesting dilemma here for the fishery. Can't be much incentive for the seal to fuck off when all those lovely double figure, slow swimming carp are there for the taking.

Rochford Reservoir — Carpfeed

Here's our lake and swim map, plus tactics guide, to Rochford Reservoir in Essex...

www.carpfeed.com

 

[Mr.Bishie]

I’ve knocked some cheesy bread paste up, liquidised some bread & have half a loaf for flake hook bait - off out on a club stretch of the Adur tomorra in search of big Chub or Roach!

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Just throw this out here too:

 

[AverageJoe]

How do you keep bread on a hook? I can never do it. It either flies off when I cast, or lands on the water and floats away from the hook.

 

[BigMoaner]

How do you keep bread on a hook? I can never do it. It either flies off when I cast, or lands on the water and floats away from the hook.

never stays on for long, but i mold it with the finger tips, over and over until it;s a hard ball with the point sticking out. probably get 15-20 mins out of it on a good day. less on a river. love it when they take on false bread - great for floater fishign. but i have foudn some lakes it doesn't work. have to get them feeding on loose stuff

 

[friedaweed]

I was always a fan of the floating crust when I course fished as a kid. It's what always had me heading towards fly fishing. Seeing the fish take the bait.

Season starts on my river today but there's no chance I'm wading in the fucker yet.

Back to the vice.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

How do you keep bread on a hook? I can never do it. It either flies off when I cast, or lands on the water and floats away from the hook.

Use thick sliced white bread, whether fishing punched or bigger golf ball diameter disc sized pieces using bigger hooks on the lead. Two pinches at the shank is enough. It’ll stay on for a good 10 mins.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

never stays on for long, but i mold it with the finger tips, over and over until it;s a hard ball with the point sticking out. probably get 15-20 mins out of it

Don’t need to keep moulding it over & over. Two pinches on the shank of the hook is suffice. Always use a thick sliced white bread too.

 

[friedaweed]

Back in the water in my waders for the first time this year just. Wasn't the best of ideas considering it snowed all night here last night. The water was fucking freezing. Once the frostbite kicked in on my nether regions I got out and just sat on the bank and had a smoke. Nice to be back at it.