UKCF Anglers.

[tommy]

Thank you for taking the time to visit me. For the lovely smokes and company. Maybe next time we will get a fish or two hey!

[Simon Bolivar]

Well I have been out Pike fishing this week, so far without success. Learning my new waters on the Ringwood AC ticket.
This morning I drove to Reading & met up with Tommy, first time since the Mill Hill GC herf.
We had a pair ERDM DT's for breakfast (2001 & 2013), followed up with a 1990 R&J Pan for Tommy & a modest 2000 Belinda Petit Princess for me.
We thrashed Cavandish, below the lock, to no avail but a pleasent morning very misty until 10:30. EE chap on the weir reckon he had a few pike on live bait but confessed a fellow EE was caught with 7dead pike from the weir last week.

Sent from my H3113 using Tapatalk

[Simon Bolivar]

Haha that’s brilliant

TBH I normally have a cigar after I catch and was a bit premature with this one as we weren’t staying that late.

Indeed, for me the best smoke is the reward smoke & what better occasion than landing a decent specimen. I used to have a detailed list of cigars to smoke depending on the weight & number caught on any one day.... of course I am far more relaxed these days! I'd rather catch before I light up but otherwise tend to have one smaller one in the morning after breakfast & the big cigar after lunch. In Belgium, I rarely got disturbed but on the Isle of Bute, I could get 2 or 3 runs whilst smoking one cigar.

[gav_sw20]

A solution I use.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313634311...UAAOSwgxJc3mtl

Haha that’s brilliant

TBH I normally have a cigar after I catch and was a bit premature with this one as we weren’t staying that late.

[Simon Bolivar]

Ironically I’d started a Choix Supreme about 45-mins before, the bait-runner real screamed off and I ended up ditching it as couldn’t cope with rod, landing net and cigar all at once

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A solution I use.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313634311...UAAOSwgxJc3mtl

[Dorsetman]

Hahaaaaahaaaaa!

[gav_sw20]

Worthy of a fine cigar indeed! But did you?

Ironically I’d started a Choix Supreme about 45-mins before, the bait-runner real screamed off and I ended up ditching it as couldn’t cope with rod, landing net and cigar all at once

70B52BBB-FCF0-4D8D-B485-0C2735A964C7.jpeg

[Dorsetman]

Had another PB last night with an 11lb 13oz Barbel. The thing almost ripped my arm off when I struck into it.

Worthy of a fine cigar indeed! But did you?

[gav_sw20]

Had another PB last night with an 11lb 13oz Barbel. The thing almost ripped my arm off when I struck into it.

7BA81754-4482-4E1B-BBE5-9D8974251A10.jpegF262E6C7-C191-42A6-A32D-A1379FEC0100.jpeg

[Simon Bolivar]

Looks a lovely day & a grand smoke too!

[Dorsetman]

Coming to the end of the Mayfly for this season, fish are replete and not so eager to come to the fly. Still a great time of the year to be out and I was even joined by Mrs Duck and her family!

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[Simon Bolivar]

River season started on Weds June 16th so I headed out in the evening with new tactics compared to last year.

I’ve tracked down a few old Barbel books on eBay and been reading them over the last few months and the consistent message in all of them is to get the fish feeding comfortably before putting your hook-bait in.

So, I got there at 5:30pm, picked a swim and proceeded to bait-drop 1kg of hemp and 2pints of casters into x5 areas of my swim over the next two hours. My mates I was fishing with thought I was mad as they had their hook bait straight in the water, not surprising after three months of no river fishing.

I then fished from 7:30pm ~ 10pm and had two PB’s. These being a 4lb Chub and a 10lb 8oz Barbel 😀😀😀

My target for the season was to get one ‘double’ Barbel and I’ve done that within two hours of fishing !!!

42A1E6CF-B050-4531-9762-F97182980F15.jpeg8D293FF2-945A-42EA-A540-E6F78393B3AE.jpeg9E5E0915-5CAF-43C7-BE6B-B806BD94B2F5.jpeg490B5B00-848B-4893-A7CF-A8E065678067.jpeg

Many congrat's Gav, real crackers, I'll have to remember this tip when I fianlly get to barbel fish on the Hant's Avon. I once saw a friend catcha 7lb barbel, at night, on the Thames at Sonning. At the time, back circa '75 that was a big fish. I have still to catch one so first target is to catch one, then to beat the biggest one I have seen. Both realistically achievable. If & when I manage that we'll move up slowly. Now sure how I'd manage a big dble on the Avon, which has a strong flow & lots of weed.
So whattcha gonna smoke to celebrate your red letter day? And which Cohiba will you choice?

[Max A]

Looks like the patience paid off very well Great result!

[Dorsetman]

Cracking fish, well done!

[gav_sw20]

River season started on Weds June 16th so I headed out in the evening with new tactics compared to last year.

I’ve tracked down a few old Barbel books on eBay and been reading them over the last few months and the consistent message in all of them is to get the fish feeding comfortably before putting your hook-bait in.

So, I got there at 5:30pm, picked a swim and proceeded to bait-drop 1kg of hemp and 2pints of casters into x5 areas of my swim over the next two hours. My mates I was fishing with thought I was mad as they had their hook bait straight in the water, not surprising after three months of no river fishing.

I then fished from 7:30pm ~ 10pm and had two PB’s. These being a 4lb Chub and a 10lb 8oz Barbel 😀😀😀

My target for the season was to get one ‘double’ Barbel and I’ve done that within two hours of fishing !!!

42A1E6CF-B050-4531-9762-F97182980F15.jpeg8D293FF2-945A-42EA-A540-E6F78393B3AE.jpeg9E5E0915-5CAF-43C7-BE6B-B806BD94B2F5.jpeg490B5B00-848B-4893-A7CF-A8E065678067.jpeg