If you are ever up in Scotland give me a shout mate and I’ll take you out on Lake of Menteith and you can watch the Ospreys fishing. For me nature is a big big part of fishing, the surroundings are as important as the sport.I like reading your fishing posts mate, I get your enthusiasm. I had the same enthusiasm for many years, especially as a lad. I'd go every spare hour I could. And you're bang on about about buying tackle and looking for waters to fish. I have lost the bug nowadays. I'm hoping I'll get it back and go more often. I have more tackle than I'll ever need or ever use. I still have poles whips and pole floats so fine tipped, I'd struggle to see a bite. I spent many an hour on a half frozen canal tying a 24s fine wire hook by hand to a trace as low as 6oz to try to eek out a few small perch roach n' gudgeon on a single bloodworm or squat.(tiny maggot) I even fell in the Rochdale canal trying to break the ice one January and was soaked to the bone almost suffering hypothermia. I asked my mate to take me home but he wouldn't as we'd only been there an hour and caught nothing.
Nowadays I wouldn't enjoy fishing sat amongst the grim industrial surroundings on a northern canal freezing my balls off. I've literally caught thousands of fish of many species and sizes, from a few drams to a PB catfish of 147lb. I don't feel the urge to catch fish on a canal pole fishing. To me, fishing(nowadays) is about peace quiet and relaxing amongs pleasant scenery and observing nature, particularly birds. I used to fish Gawsworth hall near Macc and would throw a few maggots down and sit there like a statue observing them. I had a robin and also a bullfinch sat on my rod butt. Some people only see nature happening on TV, but to me, being amongst nature is a big part of the reason I go fishing. I'm going to take a retired friend on there soon as it's easy fishing without needing to carry heavy tackle far, and he hasn't fished anywhere for several years due to ill health. I'll concentrate more on seeing he's catching fish than fishing myself though as I want to see him chuffed to bits catching fish like he/we used to together.
Fishing on the Ebro and Po and on for big cats and carp, plus a holiday fishing big lakes in Extremadura Spain has helped ruin the enthusiasm I once had for fishing in the UK. Saying that I'm off to the beautiful river Wye in pursuit of barbel and chub at the end of the month which I'm looking forward to thanks to @snorky. Can you do me another homemade king prawn Pathia please pal: )
Any particular stretch you can recommend?Great stories guys,gave me a good laugh,just came on to say if any of you are into tench fishing there is some cracking fish coming out of the old river irwell,free to fish and its better in my opinion than any of the club waters I fish for Tincas!
Any particular stretch you can recommend?
It’s the old river irwell pal,now like a pond,was the original river course before they built the ship canal I think and rerouted the river,park on boathouse pub carpark and there’s loads of pegs,lots of tench around 4/5lb mark,a few bigger and holds a good few decent carp tooAny particular stretch you can recommend?
cheers blue: )... I'm going to go on there and see if I can catch a few tench. I've not caught a tench of that size for a long time. Good free or day ticket tench waters in the northwest are almost unheard of.It’s the old river irwell pal,now like a pond,was the original river course before they built the ship canal I think and rerouted the river,park on boathouse pub carpark and there’s loads of pegs,lots of tench around 4/5lb mark,a few bigger and holds a good few decent carp too
It’s a good depth,I fished waggler,loads of lillies,I fished to end of them getting 7/8 ft about a rod length out,fished corn and fed hemp and caster in ground bait,also fished a sleeper rod on alarm to far bank on feeder and heli rig with pop up corn on,caught on both rods,biggest 5lb 2 but I know they go bigger,it fishes better early or late like most tench waters but I caught midday too palcheers blue: )... I'm going to go on there and see if I can catch a few tench. I've not caught a tench of that size for a long time. Good free or day ticket tench waters in the northwest are almost unheard of.
What's the average depth, best method and bait?
I joined Warrington as they have a couple of good tench waters but none have produced like this place and it’s nearer and free!It’s a good depth,I fished waggler,loads of lillies,I fished to end of them getting 7/8 ft about a rod length out,fished corn and fed hemp and caster in ground bait,also fished a sleeper rod on alarm to far bank on feeder and heli rig with pop up corn on,caught on both rods,biggest 5lb 2 but I know they go bigger,it fishes better early or late like most tench waters but I caught midday too pal
Nice one mate. Is it day ticket or free, and is night fishing allowed?It’s a good depth,I fished waggler,loads of lillies,I fished to end of them getting 7/8 ft about a rod length out,fished corn and fed hemp and caster in ground bait,also fished a sleeper rod on alarm to far bank on feeder and heli rig with pop up corn on,caught on both rods,biggest 5lb 2 but I know they go bigger,it fishes better early or late like most tench waters but I caught midday too pal
It’s free pal,just join Salford friendly which is a free club and takes two mins,you can overnight yeah pal,I don’t bother but I know a few do ,let me know how you get on pal!Nice one mate. Is it day ticket or free, and is night fishing allowed?