THE TWO VWs - VERY WET AND VERY WINDY (Daytime carp fishing) (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 10)

 

Click video to play. Includes: Don't allow the weather to stop you fishing - bait revealed - carp on the bank

 

I've really enjoyed my chub angling so far this year but this week I fancied tackling a different species, and in particular, carp. Although I take conditions into account, of course, that's pretty much how I determine what I'm fishing for, it's basically whatever takes my fancy. I'm serious about my angling in one sense, but the basket everything sits in is the one called enjoyment.

Dudmaston's Seggy Pool

The featured venue is Kinver Freeliners' Seggy Pool, which is on the Dudmaston estate. Not as popular as the Big Pool, but certainly as far as winter day-time carp fishing is concerned, it's one of my favourites. Pleasant surroundings, great wildlife and general nature, and above all from an angling perspective, always a chance of banking a carp even in the colder months.

The first fish of the day

The video features the session and what a day it was weather-wise. The title says it all, so no need to elaborate there. But I'm a great believer in just getting on with it and not allowing the conditions to affect us, other than in venue or species choice. It was a couple of hours in before I had my opening fish, a common on lobworm boilie pop-up. It's always great to bank that first one.

A beautiful looking mirror

Exactly an hour later and the other rod went off on a screamer. Another pop-up, this time it was M1 that did the business. This was followed by a third run, that unfortunately resulted in the dreaded hook-pull. So not a case of 'third time lucky there, but as I'd already netted two, it wasn't exactly a blow. In fact, even if I hadn't, it still wouldn't have been. This is just fishing, and must always take its proper place in our lives.

On the mat ready for unhooking  

 

I added another couple of carp, pretty much towards the end of the session, which was a dawn through dusk one. I've been doing a lot of short outings so far this year, hitting the canal for a few hours, so it was nice to actually have a full day's fishing. It was also different in that I was sitting behind the rods for the first time, waiting for the alarm to kick me into action, as opposed to watching a quiver tip.

 

A common on the bank

 

I've already mentioned the wildlife, and that was topped by a muntjac that I spotted grazing right by the car park. In a split-second it was gone and that's why we need to be switched on and alert to the natural world around us if we are to make the most of it. On the flower front, as well as snowdrops in bloom I noticed a number of species in leaf, such as lesser celandine, cow parsley and broad-leaved dock. The evidence of an extremely mild winter. (Published February 8 2014)

 

My blog is published every Saturday. This is week number 552.

WE SHOULD ALL BE PLEASURE ANGLERS - Pike on a Shropshire lake (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 5)



Click play to watch video. Includes: Getting to know your venue - Tips on starting pike fishing - Advice on when to strike - Temperature relevant to the venue

 

 

The big thing as far as my fishing is concerned is that I have to enjoy it. I often get requests such as 'Could you do a video on this species?' or 'Could you do one on that venue? Although I appreciate the interest very much, the bottom line is that, in the truest sense of the meaning, I'm a pleasure angler. My fishing is based on what I fancy doing at that time, and following on from targeting pike last week, it was more of the same this time round.

 

Mute swans on the lake

 

I don't know about a kid on Christmas Eve, I often struggle to get to sleep the night before a fishing trip - and I'm in my 50s. So it was this time round, with the alarm set for 6.30am it was the early hours before I dozed off, and even then I was just cat-napping. Heading for a club lake in the neighbouring county of Shropshire, I was fishing by first-light. I was using my favourite method for pike - float-fished deadbaits.

 

 



 

The first fish on the bank

 

It's always good to net the first fish of any session and I did that an hour and a half in. It was a decent enough fish for the venue and that's important for all anglers to bear in mind; you can only catch what's in there. Although I always try to catch big fish whenever I go fishing, 'big' is relative to the venue. Within an hour of my opening pike I had another two runs, resulting in one fish and one where I 'pulled out'.

 

 

The second pike of the session

 

As you can see from the video, I ended the session with four runs resulting in two fish on the bank. On the nature front I managed to capture a few seconds footage of a common buzzard in flight, which a few moments earlier had been mobbed briefly by a carrion crow. I also saw - and heard - a pair of ravens, which is pretty common for the area. On arrival I also heard a muntjac in the woods surrounding the lake. 

Winter sunshine on the lake

 

Happy with my two pike, I decided to see the week out with a couple of early-morning sessions on the Staffs/Worcs Canal after the elusive pike there. I covered that in last week's blog entry and highlighted just what a challenge it is to even catch one, regardless of size. So it was, as both outings resulted in a blank. But at least I had a chance as my baits were in the water.

Always keep your tools at hand

 

Both canal sessions were in atrocious conditions, with gale force winds and heavy rain. In fact on the second, which was the most severe, I couldn't put the umbrella up as it was so windy, so I just sat it out in the rain. There's always a positive though and at least, with it being from the SW, it was 'warm' rain. As this is the first blog entry of 2013, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a great, fish-filled year ahead. (Published January 4 2013)

 

 

(Blog entry 547)

Visit my angling website HERE updated every Saturday since 2003

 

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION - Carp overnighter on a commercial (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 3)

 

Click play to watch video. Includes: The importance of confidence - Getting your baits in the right place - A look at my baits and dips.

 



I'm an ordained minister and it surprises quite a few people that I fish - it certainly creates a lot of curiosity. This time round it was the turn of a TV company to show interest. So, with a day's filming coming up with a fellow piscatorial pastor, I decided to pay a visit to the venue first. It's been a while since I've fished there, and with it being down a series of lanes, I wanted to get the directions right.

 

The venue I fished

 

 

Of course, I first got permission to do the filming, and so would like to thank the Kinver Freeliners committee for that. Although the venue is a typical commercial (dug and stocked), it isn't run as a day-ticket, instead it is just for club members. It's not going to turn up monsters, but at this time of the year any fish is welcome. And commercial-type venues often oblige when others don't.

 

The first carp on the bank

 

 

My pre-TV session is the one on the video, so you can check out all the details there. With strong northerly winds coming in, a falling temperature meant it was always going to be a challenge. So it was great to get the first one on the bank just as dusk was thinking about putting in an appearance. I ended up with a few more fish, but the sleet in the early hours was the kiss of death.

 

Small, but stunning colours

 

The return visit was with Ben Cooper, the cameraman, and Rev Jon Barrett, the vicar from Leicestershire. We fished with contrasting methods, Jon with maggots on the float after anything that came along and me on an all-or-nothing mission after a decent carp.

 

Lights, camera, action

 

 

Jon had gudgeon, perch and a small common. I had one run that unfortunately ended up with a hook-pull. As the filming was just to produce a short trailer though it wasn't an issue. The plan is that once Ben produces it, the production company will try and get a commission. My attitude is that if it does come off, great. But if not, it won't be a problem at all, it was still an enjoyable experience.

 

The one that got away

 

 

As well as the fishing, we also filmed at a local church. The parish of Great Witley has a fantastic building for the local community. And the churchwarden, Dr Rick Warner, who showed us around, works for the Angling Trust, so we had a few things in common. It was a very enjoyable day, made longer (in the nicest way) by the fact that Jon had stayed over at my house the evening before and we chatted until the early hours. Not to mention the early start. But all good. (Published December 21 2013)

 

Visit my angling website HERE 

 

(Blog entry 545)

 

YOU CAN ONLY CATCH WHAT'S IN THERE - Early winter day-time carp fishing (Winter fishing. Series 1: Episode 1)



 

 

 Click play to watch video. Includes: The advantages of early winter fishing - Thinking through your bait approach - The importance of confidence within the framework of realism.

 

 

I can't believe it's December already, although actually I can, as whoever coined the phrase 'time flies' wasn't joking. As far as my angling is concerned we're now into winter, as I divide the twelve months into four seasons, with December through February the one that says goodbye to autumn and leads into spring.

 

The pool I fished this week

 

The opening session of the blog is the one that you can see in this week's video. Therefore I won't go into the details of the outing as it's all there to watch. I did enjoy it though, and considering the water temperature was as its lowest since last April, I was happy to catch three fish.

 

A carp from the opening session

 



They weren't monsters, but it's not a big fish venue, and you can only catch what's in there. Sometimes, when the going is slow, it's a result to just bank anything. If you watch the video I hope you enjoy it, it's the first in a series of winter fishing sessions. Why not subscribe to the channel and don't forget to use the social media 'share' button on the video. Thanks if you do.

 

 

Another fish from the pool



 

In fact, from this week my weekly blog undergoes a bit of a remodel. I've switched from Wordpress as the host to Blogger, mainly because it's part of the Google family and therefore works more fluently with YouTube. And with a video forming the main thrust of the blog it's easier to link that in, so each week there will be 'words and pictures', but also a video that you can view. I'm often playing around with format, the most important thing though is that the blog is always there, and has been every week for over ten years.

 

Watching and waiting

 

I intended to start a brand-new channel for the new series of videos, but a few 'technical' problems meant it was difficult to tie everything in. So after a while I just deleted it and went back to the original one. It wasn't an issue, anyway it was a shame to lose my million plus views and four-figure subscribers and start all over again. So if you were one of the people that viewed/subscribed to the new channel, that's why it's not there.

 

On the bank and on the mat

 

Back to the fishing, I did another return visit to the venue featured in the video. With the temperature still on the fall, I was again happy to catch carp. The place in question is a good winter pool and that's important, certainly when the water begins to cool. Some places do fish better than others in winter and it's good to have that knowledge, even if it's just somewhere to go and catch when the going gets tough. I also had an outing on the local canal, catching a chub and a small common, so overall not too bad. (Published December 6 2013)

 

Visit my angling website HERE - Updated every Saturday since 2003.

(Blog entry 543)