" The Last Straw "

This was a nice common Carp which I caught, on a recent visit to one of my favourite waters in Sandbach Cheshire.

This was part of a double figure net of fish which I mentioned in my previous post.

This was caught using an old fashioned Drinking straw float which I had made, with approximately a one inch length of eighth inch brass welding rod incorporated, and glued into the base .

The line is threaded through a three eighths inch piece of valve rubber. Then the float is just pushed into this, "simplicity in it's self" The top of the float is Sealed with a tiny piece of balsa wood, and then painted, these floats were used many years ago! and I believe were originally designed for fishing towards the far bank of Canals.

They don't seem to be used a great deal these day's! largely due to the development of long poles, and the introduction of loaded crystal wagglers.

But having said that they are a great float to use, and cost next to nothing to make.
The last person I can recall using one was "Angling legend", and former World Angling champion Kevin Ashurst.

It goes without saying if they were good enough for him, then they are a float well worth having amongst your collection. They are especially good when used on small still waters from two to five feet in depth I would say!

These floats are made with the majority of the weight built into the base, so that when they cock up in the water! there is about three quarters of an inch showing on the surface, this should allow for about no more than two number eight shot to be spread down the line.

This should then leave approximately an eighth of an inch showing on the surface, so you can then detect the shyest of bites.

In fact this was the float I used many years ago! to win my very first open match on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Yorkshire; with bread punch on the hook, before the introduction of long poles.

They are very simple to make! so if you have the time why not try them out? They are very sensitive, cast well! and a sheer delight to use . By the way they are also less costly and easy to replace.

so until next time bye for now and tight lines!

"THE DINGLE"

This was one of my favourite local venues a place where I used to visit many years ago! a place where the matches were mostly dominated by carp.

It certainly looks as though times have changed since those days, and the clubs restocking program has with out doubt improved the fishing.

With the introduction of some quality fish such as Tench, ide, chub, and Perch you never know what you are going to catch!

On two or three recent visits my friend and I have had mixed nets of fish, as you will see from the photo, each time we have fished it we have had similar weights just into double figures. Considering the prolonged cold weather
we have had I don't think we have done too badly!

All methods and baits can work well on here, for instance I fished on the waggler float on one occasion, and caught carp, tench, skimmer bream, chub, ide, and roach, fishing with casters on the hook.

The only draw back was that with not having fished on a waggler for many years, I lost most of them fishing towards an island. Never the less one of the clubs officials has kindly promised to retrieve them for me! having said that I have taken the precaution of making some more for next time.

I have been told that the club have also introduced barbel into Peggy's pool, which is the smaller of the two lakes.

This catch was taken on a ten mtr pole with maggots casters and the odd piece of corn on the hook, over a bed of hemp seed and casters although I am told that sweet corn is the bait to use, I didn't get many bites when I tried it. Perhaps it will work better during the summer months if we get one!!

There are plenty of crucian carp to be caught and I do know they love sweet corn, it might be a little early in the year for them to show up yet though.

One thing I have learned on this lake, is that if your swim does happen to go quiet, you can almost guarantee a predator has moved in, or even a shoal of Carp.

This seems to be a common occurrence on a lot of waters, I have fished, and to some extent it largely depends on how you feed it, how the fish respond.

This can also be the signal to try a bigger bait or change it to something else, this has worked for me each time I have been there. A good yard stick is to keep ringing the changes, and try not to be complacent you may be surprised at the results as I was!

Another scenario is that, the fish may have risen up in the water to intercept your loose offerings. This tends to happen if you start to introduce loose feed on a very regular basis, and of course when the fish are very hungry!! mostly during the warmer Months.

So as always it would make sense to have a rig set up in order to fish shallow, just in case this appears to be what has happened.

I am certainly looking forward to the new season, and my friend and I will be getting in as much practice as possible for the forth coming matches.

Hopefully we will get amongst the fish and improve our catches! "although pleasure fishing is a completely different concept to matches".
I am looking forward to getting to know more about the lake.

Will keep you posted on the results if any? tight lines.