In reply to Post #30
Completely agree, I've enjoyed a bit of time on Stillwater too, but I've been lucky previously with it being midweek and Stillwater is a little quieter. Lodge has been fun when I'm desperate for a bend 😂😂 Once I can manoeuvre a little more time I'd love to try Frensham little or Mill Lane but I need the time to dedicate to them, which at the moment I just don't have.
I'm yet to try Badshot as I don't think it's my type of fishing but I would like to try for the cats at some point.
Completely agree, I've enjoyed a bit of time on Stillwater too, but I've been lucky previously with it being midweek and Stillwater is a little quieter. Lodge has been fun when I'm desperate for a bend 😂😂 Once I can manoeuvre a little more time I'd love to try Frensham little or Mill Lane but I need the time to dedicate to them, which at the moment I just don't have.
I'm yet to try Badshot as I don't think it's my type of fishing but I would like to try for the cats at some point.
In reply to Post #14
I hear your pain - and am lucky enough to fish some quiet waters but I think the first night camping could be a winner.
Firstly you have a swim, also you can ensure that any fish that push in there are left alone for the first night - I wouldn't bait heavily just a few washed out baits in water that nobody else can get to. The other advantage (in my head) is that you are changing the game mentally- you go from the guy that turns up last, goes in the rubbish swim and blanks to the guy that uses the unfortunate circumstances to his advantage. If you blank - you probably would have anyway, if you catch, the hordes will probably understand that it's not where you fish, bait, rigs, wraps etc but how you fish, meaning swim jumping will be futile. You could become that annoying guy, that can fish any swim and somehow winkle one out.
It also frees up time, to have a chat with others - drink tea and be sleep, getting up at 3-4am fully refreshed is a better feeling than waking up after another ‘enforced” confidence sapping night.
I hear your pain - and am lucky enough to fish some quiet waters but I think the first night camping could be a winner.
Firstly you have a swim, also you can ensure that any fish that push in there are left alone for the first night - I wouldn't bait heavily just a few washed out baits in water that nobody else can get to. The other advantage (in my head) is that you are changing the game mentally- you go from the guy that turns up last, goes in the rubbish swim and blanks to the guy that uses the unfortunate circumstances to his advantage. If you blank - you probably would have anyway, if you catch, the hordes will probably understand that it's not where you fish, bait, rigs, wraps etc but how you fish, meaning swim jumping will be futile. You could become that annoying guy, that can fish any swim and somehow winkle one out.
It also frees up time, to have a chat with others - drink tea and be sleep, getting up at 3-4am fully refreshed is a better feeling than waking up after another ‘enforced” confidence sapping night.
Busy small lakes - slot quietly in to areas with no lines and fish singles/ do something different
Busy big lakes - slot quietly in to areas with no lines and watch them show out of range
Busy big lakes - slot quietly in to areas with no lines and watch them show out of range
I once turned up on Christchurch to find it rammed and there was just one peg almost free in a unfancied corner, but swims either side cut it off.
I checked with the guys left and right and I could squeeze in, but options were severely limited.
Only about five fish had been out in the previous week so things weren't looking good.
One cast with a marker to find the back of the bank of weed that ended about 25 yards out, and I plopped two small solid bags either side of it about five yards apart.
It looked too much of a squeeze to put a third rod out so I just left it as it was, and no spods and no freebies.
It was going to be dark in an hour so I started putting the evo up and one of my rods was off.
Into my chesties and as I'm playing the fish I can hear mutterings along the bank, I can see lads watching and calling to their mates on the opposite bank, all calling me a spawny ****.
I get the fish in and a few lads have drifted over to see what's going on. It's a repeat capture of small scaley, a fish I have had a couple of times before at around 28 and most recently about a month before. I unhook it in the net, lift it to show the lads who have come for a nose, the slip her straight back with no fuss. This made the natives restless!
While I'm redoing the bag on that first rod, the second rod rips off and I'm soon playing another fish that is a mid 20 and a new fish for me, so a quick picture and returned.
By this time the murmurs are turning to grumbles
I had one more fish over the next couple of days.
So it kind of proves the theory of fish moving into the less disturbed areas on smaller pressured waters.
I checked with the guys left and right and I could squeeze in, but options were severely limited.
Only about five fish had been out in the previous week so things weren't looking good.
One cast with a marker to find the back of the bank of weed that ended about 25 yards out, and I plopped two small solid bags either side of it about five yards apart.
It looked too much of a squeeze to put a third rod out so I just left it as it was, and no spods and no freebies.
It was going to be dark in an hour so I started putting the evo up and one of my rods was off.
Into my chesties and as I'm playing the fish I can hear mutterings along the bank, I can see lads watching and calling to their mates on the opposite bank, all calling me a spawny ****.
I get the fish in and a few lads have drifted over to see what's going on. It's a repeat capture of small scaley, a fish I have had a couple of times before at around 28 and most recently about a month before. I unhook it in the net, lift it to show the lads who have come for a nose, the slip her straight back with no fuss. This made the natives restless!
While I'm redoing the bag on that first rod, the second rod rips off and I'm soon playing another fish that is a mid 20 and a new fish for me, so a quick picture and returned.
By this time the murmurs are turning to grumbles
I had one more fish over the next couple of days.
So it kind of proves the theory of fish moving into the less disturbed areas on smaller pressured waters.
In reply to Post #34
It definitely happens buddy. Like I say for me it's massively that mindset I suppose, I've been so lucky previously to fish quieter waters or days, it's certainly a completely different skillset you need to fish those busier venues / days.
It definitely happens buddy. Like I say for me it's massively that mindset I suppose, I've been so lucky previously to fish quieter waters or days, it's certainly a completely different skillset you need to fish those busier venues / days.