UKCF Anglers.

[Johnny Thunder]

71 fish for the trip. That is some angling Simon. That was a cracking holiday.
Great report too. It makes me want to get the piking gear back out.

[Simon Bolivar]

Back in Belgium & Holland: Aye Johnny, to give it some perspective, I have never caught half a dozen in a day in Belgium or Holland & probably only done in once or twice in England. So to average 10 per day was quite something. The only thing missing was the big girls but to be honest just catching made the trip worth while & I really did feel that deep relaxation & felt removed from my normal worries of work & family. Bute is a beautiful place, I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Glasgow or surrounding area. A weekend on Bute would be enough to see the sights & give you a taste of life on the islands.

In the remaining 5wks of my leave I only managed a couple of trips at my local water with lures & one to Holland with my boat. Blanked every time but at least both my engines started on the boat so I won't be paying for a service on them until later in the season, as they have been used so little in the last year. Just need to get the side view fish finder fitted & spend the summer exploring slipways & marinas in Holland to prepare for this years winter piking.

After my day on the water in Holland on the River Amer, I stopped off en-route home for a coffee & a Marcella 1960's Monotube. You can see my boat parked on the road behind me.

[Johnny Thunder]

I think if I could find more time in the winter months to do more piking, I would look into purchasing a boat.
I would love to cruise up and down my local river looking for the pike. My time is already pretty much taken up
with the shooting season, and carp fishing much longer into the winter months due to our mild winters over the
last few years.

[Simon Bolivar]

What is your local river Johnny? River pike give a spectacular fight & can be fished for in freezing weather when the carp are lying dodo. Know what you mean about the mild winters, we only had a few days of ice up last year, in the past have had the waters frozen for months. Still the main problem with rivers is weed in the summer & flooding, highly coloured water in the winter.

[Johnny Thunder]

My local river is the Tees. Flooding tends not to be a problem now unless we have extreme rainfall.
A barrage was constructed on the river a few years back and pretty much takes care of river levels.
The biggest problem the river has now is the Otter. It is a serious problem too. Fish stocks have been
absolutely hammered over the last few years. A lot of the stillwaters in the area have suffered too.

[Simon Bolivar]

Not quite 30lb but 26 & 28lb from the River Tees, friend of a friend..

[Johnny Thunder]

That is very impressive. I have been told about big fish coming out of the Tees but information is very thin
on the ground so to speak. Nobody gives anything away.

[Simon Bolivar]

Indeed.Look they even do it from a boat, another 25lb'er. If I lived nearby I be putting in some serious time. He did take me along one Sept but he water level was still very low & we blanked. If you were interested best get in touch with the local PAC region. A 20lb+ river pike would put a bend in your rod & a smile on your face more than a 30lb carp from a small pit.
Teesside RA21 RO: Andy Eland
Email: andyeland@btinternet.com
Website: ra21teessidepac.blogspot.co.uk
Joint RO: Phil Dale
Email: phillip.dale2@btinternet.com
Darlington/Durham RA89

[Johnny Thunder]

Thanks Simon.

[Simon G]

Finally! I can make a post on here and hold my head up high! A 55cm, 3.5lb sea bass caught from the shore using a small light rod and surface lure! BOOM! My first ever fish in this rod, and actually a personal best ever for me...


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[Budgie Smuggler]

Nice fish and an even nicer dinner I'm sure [emoji106]


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[TonyN]

Nice sea bass simon I'm sure it will go down well.

[Simon G]

Got a bottle of white wine in the fridge as I type
would love to fire up a cigar, but throat isn't doing to well

[Simon Bolivar]

Many contrats Simon! I have never caught a Bass, but surface lures is the way to do it for sure, make sure you smoke something suitable to celebrate once back in fine fettle.

[wolfie]

Yes , congratulations Simon , a fine catch and i understand it made a lovely meal .