UKCF Anglers.

[Simon Bolivar]

Wow, that cat would eat my best pike this season as a snack before it's main course of 10lb+carp! Good luck & enjoy the rest of your fishy hols.

[Simon Bolivar]

I always go fishing Boxing Day, 2yrs ago catching a 20lb 1oz beast from the Avon.
Last yr on the rig, this year & retired, I fully expected to be out there today. However, mother asked that we stay overnight so she wouldn't be alone.

Just got home in time for lunch & my fishing buddy sent me this pic, a 20lb'er that he caught this morning. Of course if h ad been with him as initially planned, he'd still probably been the one to catch it but at least I could have witnessed it & taken a decentbpic!

Oh well, at least it's another know 20, gives me confidence I still might get one this season, so far still struggling to get my first dble.

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[Simon Bolivar]

Finally, finally I had a red letter day o n the riverbank. My session session since my Op & recent back pain.

Had to visit the tackle shop first to get a new seasonal ticket for Ringwood A.C. now I am a Senior, had to provide proof I had received the State pension & pay £40 joining fee, even though I a member but had 3wks between my ticket expiring & being eligible for the seniors. Bug*ers would budge, even though tge rules state you can join within 4wks of expiring & not paying joining fees.

Anyway, headed straight for the Old Weir, hoping to be the first & get the best swim. Well getting the ticket delayed my arrival, having to wait for the shop to open. I was the forth vehicle to arrive, 2 guys jumped in my intended swim, 2 mins before I dragged all my kit there. I took the second best swim, which is next door, with the intention if they moved on.

I pulled out the net that my mate Steve, had left previous evening with a dozen LB. 09:00, I caught the first fish of the day, a 10lber on a Rudd DB, my first on DB from the weir, where they massively prefer lives.

Second fish was mine too, a 6lb jack on Roach LB.

Steve arrived around 11:00 & set up in the corner swim.

Those in the No1 swim did indeed have the biggest fish of the day, a 21lb 13oz on Roach LB. He had waited until '96 to catch his first twenty so I could hardly begrudge him, what would have been my 4th.

I celebrated my brace with a Monte Open Master, my first Open. One of the cigars I was given at the Partagas Festival. Matched with a 0% lager. Not bad at all.

13:30 I hooked into a lump, felt good, netted on the second attempt, went 16lb 02, my best since a twenty Boxing Dsy 2023.

We stayed until until dark but despite plenty of crashing & fry jumping, we didn't catch any more.

Will celebrate more tomorrow!




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[Simon Bolivar]

My fourth session this year & finally a fish! I smoked this excellent SLR ER Alemaina '23 (actually released 2025), my last from my S.S. in the morning, as rain expected later.

I was surprised by it's strength, I wouldn't age these, just smoke'm whilst their this good! Thanks again to my generous benefactor.

Had a run at 09:30, felt the fish for a few seconds & then it slipped the hooks. Always tough to miss one after a series of blanks. So recast & hoped it was really hungry it would be back.

Had to wait until 15:00 & same rod away again, this time set the hook well & after a brief scrap, a 12lb 10 was landed.

17:00 saw a 7lb 08 landed to make the brace. Despite keeping all our gear dry, in my mates shelter all day, throughout the persistent showers, we hoped to get it packed away dry but as we packed up another shower, of course the heaviest of the day & had the drag of drying everything at home but of course that didn't take the shine off my day.. 😊

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