Bluemoon Angling Thread

doots said:
I used to fish alot in my youth pal,seriously thinking about taking it up again now I'm 50 plus.
Joined a angling club near my birds gaff a while ago but didn't chip in with the volunteer days so lost my membership.
Still got some 'novice' gear and will look around locally in the spring probably pal.
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I think there's quite a few who read this thread who have dabbled in fishing, mate. Some non anglers just like to read for curiosity. You should take it back up because it's relaxing and mind clearing and it's good to be in the countryside breathing in fresh air.

I have had a few PM's off non angling posters saying they enjoy this thread and are interested in trying fishing. A couple of years ago I put the feelers out for a Bluemoon angling meet up where myself and a few other regulars on here could help complete beginners and novices to improve their skills. But covid put an end to it happening. Maybe next year will be good to have a meet up?

This is my favourite off topic thread and a big reason for that is there's never been any silly arguements and nastiness. And it's definitely not a case is my fish is bigger than yours. Just(mostly) anglers telling their fishy tales: )
 
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Didsbury Dave said:
The funny thing is that a lot of the fish that Brits won’t eat because all they want is cod, are big delicacies abroad. Eel costs a fortune. Grayling is a delicacy in Germany and I’ve heard from a number of people that perch are delicious. I have eaten carp in Budapest and saw weld catfish on the menu. That fish you see in supermarkets called Basa, a cheaper cod substitute, is actually freshwater catfish cought in Vietnam.

I think in Britain that any fish caught in a silty green pond or murky, petrolly canal will taste worse than one caught in a chalk stream. That was until the government decided to up there sewage intake of course.
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When i first started fishing I would regularly take Grayling. They tasted better than trout to me.
 
BlueMoonRisin’ said:
My top rod screamed off about 6-15 this evening so I carefully passed it under my tripod as it was heading for the same snag as my 11 pounder I had early morning. This one didn't want to head for open water so I went toe to toe with it and yet again had to play it hard. Took about 5 minutes before I could get it anywhere near netting range and when I did my top eye jammed up with(what seemed like) a weed wrapped twig!

It was still angry wanting to take more line and the last thing I wanted was to lose it only a rod length out. I somehow managed to get half a turn on the reel whilst leaning back with the net. Get it wrong and I'd have definitely lost it. But my luck was on and I slid my net under her and she was glistening gold in my headtorch. Put her on my weigh mat in the net whilst I tried to locate my weigh sling. Couldn't find the bugger so I tared my scales and she went 11-9. Put her back on my mat and weighed the landing net head and deducted the 1lb 7oz.

Another lovely hard fought double at 10-lb 2oz. My luck is in and still a long night ahead. There's only myself and 2 others on here tonight within a quarter of a mile either side of me. Seems the bad storm this morning put quite a lot off coming on. Ah well, their loss and my gain as I don't like being surrounded by other anglers competing for the same fish...
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well done mate. You are really being rewarded for the effort and thought you are putting into your fishing. The river must be something else after all that rain.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
The funny thing is that a lot of the fish that Brits won’t eat because all they want is cod, are big delicacies abroad. Eel costs a fortune. Grayling is a delicacy in Germany and I’ve heard from a number of people that perch are delicious. I have eaten carp in Budapest and saw weld catfish on the menu. That fish you see in supermarkets called Basa, a cheaper cod substitute, is actually freshwater catfish cought in Vietnam.

I think in Britain that any fish caught in a silty green pond or murky, petrolly canal will taste worse than one caught in a chalk stream. That was until the government decided to up there sewage intake of course.
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The brits have a funny relationship with fish unless its battered and sold in newspaper. we have the most fantastic produce on our doorstep and most of it is exported to the near continent. Sad really. Our fishing industry could do with more of us eating fresh fish every week (and I don't mean farmed salmon).
 
Saddleworth2 said:
well done mate. You are really being rewarded for the effort and thought you are putting into your fishing. The river must be something else after all that rain.
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Cheers mate. Yes, I am reaping the rewards for being out in these conditions because it's cold and very blustery. I have done a lot of night fishing in the past, especially my late teens to early 20s when I was far more obsessed with fishing than women and City.

The river is swollen and the banks are steep in places and slippery so defo not the conditions for a lone angler to be out in almost total darkness. I've really got into my fishing lately and have been planning ahead for my next sessions. The right tackle and baits, enough food and drink and most importantly the right clothing, because being damp and cold waiting for bites is no fun at all.


But there's something special I think fishing under the stars tuned in to the surroundings, I absolutely buzz off it. I could probably get the chub and bream going if I wanted to but I'm quite happy waiting for a bite from a big barbel because pound for pound they fight harder than carp. And a lot of failed and frustrated carp anglers have turned to barbel fishing on rivers. I just hope it doesn't become a circus like the carp scene is because if it does I'll seek quieter and less pressurised rivers if I have to.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
The brits have a funny relationship with fish unless its battered and sold in newspaper. we have the most fantastic produce on our doorstep and most of it is exported to the near continent. Sad really. Our fishing industry could do with more of us eating fresh fish every week (and I don't mean farmed salmon).
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The problem with us Brits not eating our own fish is the bloody price of it! Good fish is now dearer than best steak. Criminal that we have allowed the rest of Europe and especially Russian trawlers/factory boats to pillage our waters! Time to get tough and fuck them off I say.
 
BlueMoonRisin’ said:
The problem with us Brits not eating our own fish is the bloody price of it! Good fish is now dearer than best steak. Criminal that we have allowed the rest of Europe and especially Russian trawlers/factory boats to pillage our waters! Time to get tough and fuck them off I say.
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That’s not the problem mate though I agree the best is expensive. We didn’t eat it when it was cheaper though.
 
No more bites as of yet but was just re-baiting my bottom rod and line got trapped on my tip eye and snapped easily. Must have damaged it when my line got when caught playing the barbel. Good job it snapped before I cast out.

When night fishing it's difficult to spot line damage on the mainline, so a good tip is to run the line from rod tip to reel spool through your index finger and thumb to check for abrasion and kinks.

Just snagged my hook(bottom rod) on that willow tree, I reckon the strong flow took it into under water roots because it jammed solid. Had to pull for a break. Can't be arsed tackling up another rig so I'm just on the top rod now. These fuckin leaves and rotten vegetation catching my line every cast is doing my head in. I've tightened my baitrunner clutch and adjusted the bite alarm sensitivity to override single bleeps but the current is so strong I'm unable to stop it.

A guy on here put me on to some really good carp/barbel hooks so I sent for some on eBay. They're called crank hooks by Av-It Angling. A nice strong forged hook of medium gauge with an inpointing eye on a curved shank. Also the hook point has a slight inpoint and they are a nice dark gunmetal matt finish, something I like as I don't like shiny hooks. @Didsbury Dave I think you'll like them mate, and they're a bargain £4-95 for 25 hooks in size 8. That size is the optimum size for big barbel I think. Get yourself some DD, they're bang on. Handled that hard fighting 10 lb barbel with ease.
 
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Just got back from the Trent and it was a hard and testing 3 night session. 2 good fish caught so I'm happy, especially as the river became impossible to fish from midnight. It had risen a further 15" in 5 hours when i woke up about 6 this morning. Lots of weed and the odd branches floating past in chocolate coloured cold rain water put an end to any further action. I wasn't holding bottom with 6oz gripper leads even though i was only about 10m out.

When it starts fining off the fish will start to feed, that's for sure but unfortunately my timing on the river wasn't quite right.
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BlueMoonRisin’ said:
Just got back from the Trent and it was a hard and testing 3 night session. 2 good fish caught so I'm happy, especially as the river became impossible to fish from midnight. It had risen a further 15" in 5 hours when i woke up about 6 this morning. Lots of weed and the odd branches floating past in chocolate coloured cold rain water put an end to any further action. I wasn't holding bottom with 6oz gripper leads even though i was only about 10m out.

When it starts fining off the fish will start to feed, that's for sure but unfortunately my timing on the river wasn't quite right.
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Monster!

Which ones the fish? ;-)
 
Didsbury Dave said:
Great stuff @BlueMoonRisin’ . You’ve really worked hard and smashed the Trent this year. Brilliant fishing mate. I’m pleased for you.
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Cheers mate. Specimen hunting is all about putting the hours in to reap ones reward. It's tough sometimes with the weather in cold damp conditions.

If i don't manage to get in Fiskerton syndicate next season I'll join Scunthorpe or Lincoln AA because they have some good tidal stretches out of the way, and been told the tidal stretches hold bigger fish albeit in lesser numbers than the non tidal stretches.

A1 pits stretch will be hammered (even more) next season because Collingham is gonna become members only.
 
A falling River Ribble and fairly mild temperatures. Having heard of an ultra-rare Amercican Belted kingfisher being spotted at Red Scar Woods I took a last minute decision during a work lull to have a final (?) go for the barbel before winter fishing takes over. I'm not a birdwatcher but I like nature so headed for that area just in case the bird was around, arriving just before 2pm.

To combat the conveyor belt of leaves I chose a swim where you can fish very close in, minimising the line in the water. 2 rods, with the 2.25lb tips, both with boilie and feeding via PVA bags on the upstream (5oz) lead. It was easy enough to present a bait but the leaves moved the rods around awkwardly on the tripod which upset my angling OCD.

It was a slow session, maybe because the river has had flood water in for a while now, but just on dark I had a take on the downstream rod. The usual floodwater tug of war resulted in a short fat barbel of 8lb. I fished on for a couple of hours but had no more action. I'll take that. Oh, and as I talked to my wife on the phone a very dark kingfisher shot past mid-river. I didn't get a proper look, and will never know properly, but I think that was the fellow. They usually hog the bank in my experience and there was no blue/red flash.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
A falling River Ribble and fairly mild temperatures. Having heard of an ultra-rare Amercican Belted kingfisher being spotted at Red Scar Woods I took a last minute decision during a work lull to have a final (?) go for the barbel before winter fishing takes over. I'm not a birdwatcher but I like nature so headed for that area just in case the bird was around, arriving just before 2pm.

To combat the conveyor belt of leaves I chose a swim where you can fish very close in, minimising the line in the water. 2 rods, with the 2.25lb tips, both with boilie and feeding via PVA bags on the upstream (5oz) lead. It was easy enough to present a bait but the leaves moved the rods around awkwardly on the tripod which upset my angling OCD.

It was a slow session, maybe because the river has had flood water in for a while now, but just on dark I had a take on the downstream rod. The usual floodwater tug of war resulted in a short fat barbel of 8lb. I fished on for a couple of hours but had no more action. I'll take that. Oh, and as I talked to my wife on the phone a very dark kingfisher shot past mid-river. I didn't get a proper look, and will never know properly, but I think that was the fellow. They usually hog the bank in my experience and there was no blue/red flash.
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I had to google it mate. Cracking looking bird and you are lucky to have seen it.

An Outstretched Belted Kingfisher | Audubon
 
Just settling down on the Trent for a 2 night sesh. Didn't get here till gone 4 so first job was to get my bivvy and bed-chair sorted. I forgot that last time here i had to pull for a break on both rods whilst in flood, so had to tie up rigs on both rods in almost total darkness.

River level is pretty much normal and clear so not the best conditions. Time for a brew and a couple of butties cos i cant be arsed cooking.

Weather forecast said clear this evening but they got it wrong as is been drizzling.

Long night ahead, just need a bit of barbel action(or çhub or carp bonus: )
 
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