Walthamstow - 23/09/08 - Stormer!!!

This must have been my best afternoon session ever here!! Had 18 fish, with the biggest weighing in at 4lb 8oz, easily my best this season.

Wind was northerly and I started fishing with a single #14 red bodied CDC with teased out picric seals fur thorax. Later I added a ginked up black doobry to the middle which also fished well. The big fish took on a long distance cast, fish were moving all over the place and it was possible to cast at a fish nearly every cast.

As soon I turned up, I made my way along the railway bank and stopped halfway when I saw 3 fish moving along the bank 15m's out. Hastily set up my rod, and with in minutes was playing a nice 2 pounder. Eventualliy I started fishing the inlet and there were scores of fish. I even fetched a fellow angler to have a crack at them and he bagged up.

He spooned his fish and found that they had empty stomachs, this was also the same as the large fish I took. #4 had not been stocked for some time, and therefore these were not stockies, and it was strange that with the abundance of food the fish had not been feeding, although they took surface flies.

Towards the evening I tryed a booby on a Di7 and that took a fish on the first cast. I was trying to make it to 20!! All fish apart from big one I took were returned un-harmed. I think the fish might have been getting in to spawning mode, as it was near that time of year and they may have been attracted to the flow of water entering from the Higher Maynard reservoir.

Weighed the biggie at the office and entered it for Troutmasters 2008.. Gonna try it smoked in Marco's new smoker.

Farmoor 2 - 21/09/08

Exactly a week and a year since the 'second day of the daddies', organised by Complete Fisher Forum, myself and Marco had a great day with all sorts of tactics working well. Followed by a great steak and spaghetti meal at the Capri in Shepheards Bush....

We set of from the pontoon and the mortor cut out, so we decided to do a short drift nearby, the wind all day varied in direction, but it started of with a flat calm and warm sunshine. On my second cast with a single CDC cast to a fish near the bank by the poonton was in to my first fish.

Marco struggled for about an hour and finally caught his first fish before he got to despondant, and then a further 2 quickly followed, he was using a red and white booby.

The fish were free rising thoughout the day and we caught well all over the place. We found bigger fish towards the middle drifting towards #4 buoy. We both had violent snatches that snapped us off before you could do anything. I eventually hooked one of the fish, just over 3.5 lbs (biggest of the day) on a picric blob fished with a booby on a Di7.

We fished from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and had a great day. All the fish were stuffed full of little #16 black buzzers apart from the biggie which looked like it had been on grazing on seagull shit!

Walthamstow - 16/09/08

Lorhic performed great although all I had were a couple of switrls around drys and no pulls on that rod.

Saw a massive fish, around half the length of my arm hidding about 2 foot away from the bank feeding on something (maybe snails) hiding under a mat of algae. I could just see its dorsal fin cutting through the algae, or a little swirl when the algae was disturbed. I got carried away and spent at least hour and half I pursuit of it. The first fly I got right in front of it was a blob, and he dissapeared for 10 mins. I then managed a buzzer and ptn, but nothing tempted him. Each time I got something near it, I would not see him for a further 10 mins. Could not pull away from it, but in the end had - to give up. I know where he should be next time and will have another crack I'm sure (black & peacock spider with a touch of lead?). Would have been my best fish from Wally by a long shot!!

I continued to fish from #5 to #4, easterly wind was blowing and I was a little pessemistic. Got round to the swirl by the railway bank and tryed my floater with buzzers and dries, and managed one swirl when I was lifting off to cast to another fish. Was getting late, nearly 19:00.

Had a rod set up with the 2 boobies that had been at the start of the season on a Di7 shooting head. On my first cast within a couple of pulls I had my first fish on, that I lost by the bank. Next cast had another and managed to land it, nice 2.5 pounder, had taken the deepest fly. Had more takes and lost a fish. Realised that my point booby had straightened out. Also, had my first perch from Wally. Shame I found the fish and the method so late in the day.

Of to Farmoor 2 on sunday with marco for confidence booster!!

Walthamstow - August September

Been a bit hard, with CDC still working well for some people (not me!).

Had a blank one day and caught 6 another time on buzzers when marco was there (failed to catch). Also had one great day when the fish were lumps. I was fishing from the railway bank with the wind behind me (northerly) and not much was happening, although I could see fish maybe 70 meters away breaking the surface. I decieded to put on a sight bob with 2 buzzers and a small coral blob in between and pay the line out to get it to the fish. Fair to say this worked
brilliantly. I was getting real long line hook-ups and the fish were all near 2 pounds. On spooning they had been feeding on daphnia.

Next time I returned the wind was coming from the East and I failed to get a pull.

Halliford Mere - 15/08/08

Wow, impressed. Haven't visited for at least 15 years, was put of by the previous owners when on a freezing day, myself and Marco tryed to buy some brandy in the bar and we were turned away cos we were'nt members! Talk about arsey, so we left well alone.

No the place is immaculate and layed out really well, staff really helpful and friendly. I wanted to try my new rod out (see below).

I made my way round lake 1 and spent a couple hours with not much happening. I finnaly reached a spot opposite the club house where quite a fish ahd been thrashing around. I saw a black gold bead nymph dangling from a tree, and thought I would stick it on..... First cast with it and I was christening my rod. Nice lively fish. Had one more and lots of plucks and pulls that I coulnd't connect too.

When I get a motor I will be back.

New Lorhic Rod Build - 9' #6 3 piece

While on Paternity Leave, I needed a little project to stop me going insane. Had promised myself a Harrisons Lorhic for years and was particuarly interested in a dry fly rod to replace the 'broken again' 9' 6# XL 50 from the disastorous rod building course.




First to buy it I went straight to Harrisons and eventually got a pice for the blank, this came in at about £135. I then noticed that Sparton had one a bit cheaper so placed an order with them. Sparton ordered it from harrisons and after 6 weeks had still not recieved it. So I cancelled the order and spoke to Meadow Fisheries and they had one in stock and cheaper too!! The man there was really friendly and gave me some good advice an the order was recieved a couple of days latter, including a nice Harrisons pistachio reel seat and flor handle. The stripping guides were blue with gold inserts, and blue pac bay rings.

After the build I managed to get an afternoon at Halliford Mere to try it out (more above about the fishing). The rod took a lot of getting used to and in the end I just could not cast it, although sometimes the line really gunned out.

Next time I used it at Walthamstow, and again I struggled with it, although I had a great fight from a fish that took a blob.

I compared it to Earls 9' #6 (cant remeber the make, but it was a quality rod). And my one felt really floppy. I decided to send it back to Harrisons to see if they could check it for me. After a couple of weeks, they finnaly checked in and I was told it was as good as anything they have ever tryed. They used a range of lines from 4 to 6, and they said the rod was excellant all through them.

When I got it back, I though it must have been the line I was using, so i had a spare sixth sense #5/6 which I spooled up, and now the rod is perfect. Shoots line, great fast pick up, effortless casting and very light weight - perfect with a couple of buzzers or a CDC. Didn't catch a fish it on it though (yet!!). I blame the lack of sleep and that the line size mustn't have been correct when I bought it, should have tryed the 5/6 before I sent it back to Harrys!

New Angler joined the Family - Ronnie Paul John King 03/08/08

Born at Kingston Hospital weighing in at 6lb 6oz