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In reply to Post #634
As i said we went again to our syndicate lake on Thursday on arriving i really thought we would do very well and may catch a few But how wrong can you be. we had a lovely south westerly blowing into our swims all day really ideal conditions we only saw two fish showing all day and it was not till 5-30 in the evening graham got the first take it turned out to be a little fat common of 16 pounds five oz followed by one of twenty one pounds plus. i had to wait a little longer but eventually did catch another fish of twenty plus and that was that no more takes i cant believe that we had no more as conditions were spot on . Its really funny when i look back to Tuesday it was very hot with a south westerly and we caught never mind we will try again next Tuesday as i have said we are going barbel fishing next week and will be fishing mainly evenings im certainly looking forward to having a go at them as they are a very hard fighting fish and we have always done very well in the past i will write a little about our forays latter on. A local farmer has rang me up this week asking if i could get rid of a fox that is causing him some considerable damage at his farm well i went to have a look and found the vixen hold up underneath an ivy tree she has cubs not quite big enough to fend for themselves. so with all the will in the world i just cant leave them to fend for themselves the dog will feed them but there is a chance he may not so i moved them on by leaving as much of my scent as possible on the earth. and it seems to have worked they have moved. the farmers happy im happy i may have some trouble on our syndicate shoot latter on but we will deal with that if it happens at a latter date. I do like to see one or two foxes around and would not like to see them all annihilated they are such a beautiful animal the woods still abound with wild flowers the common fig wort is now in flower and the blue speed well the bugle is also flowering well so there is always some thing else to see our resident buzzards have done well and reared four chicks i watched them all soaring on the wind together a lovely sight well more latter
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In reply to Post #633
What a day i said yesterday we may not catch due to the weather how wrong i was although i am home early due to personal reasons we have had a great day. When we arrived there was a nice south westerly blowing into our swims putting one rod onto the plato and the other two further out i did not have to wait long the first fish came within half an hour of casting out a lovely fat common not huge but in wonderful nick 21 pounds shortly followed by a lovely marked mirror of seventeen pounds the other three were commons all going between 18 and 19 pounds all in very good nick graham managed another two both commons all hight doubles i was rather pleased as the others fishing the lake really struggled i think the bit of bait i have been putting in has done the trick i would have liked to of stayed still dark as there was some big fish showing on the baited area i am now feeling very confident that we may catch something very special in the coming weeks. we are going again on thursday and we will start fishing for the barbel in the evenings. the little wren must be really worn out she was back and forth all day she is still feeding her young. we have found where the foxes have their cubs there are two separate families both having five cubs apiece . the geese are really doing well, all greylags and have produced some really big broods we counted around one hundred so they have realy done well the flowers in the woods are a spectacular sight with the blue navewort and fox gloves and the lovely honeysuckle all putting on a good show. the farmer came down and said they had spotted two otters on the lake but he said they seem to have moved on i do hope so well im rather tired so a little more latter
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In reply to Post #632
Its really hot here in shropshire and my self and graham are finding the fishing hard there are some barbel being caught but not many the biggest i have heard about was a double of 10 pounds plus so we are going to give it ago in the evenings when it cools down a bit. We are off carp fishing again tomorrow but i am wandering if it will be worth it with the temperature as it is but its not just the fishing its the wild life two i love to relax and listen to the bird song and watch the different birds nature is really wonderful. Talking about wild life i see another fox has bitten some youngster on the hand if he goes and pulls its tail no wander they are wild animals and will retaliate if harmed. I can understand how the two young babies were attacked and their crying could have been taken for a young animal in distress and the fox or young cub went to investigate thinking it had found an easy meal terrible for the family and i hope they soon get better. fox's very rarely attack humans and keep well away i know its very different in the towns as they forage for food where it can be found and can become very tame but lots have the dreaded mange which will eventually kill them, there really is no answer only to catch them and humanly put them to sleep but that would be a major job . so in the mean time keep the doors shut to keep the animal out and don't feed them. i am very lucky really i have a pair of gold finches nesting in my garden lovely pretty little bird especially the male i think they have youngsters and have thier nest up one of the fir trees i have in my garden. well thats it for now little bit more latter
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In reply to Post #631
I went on wednesday to have a look how the barbel fishing was going in the shrewsbury area it was not very good at all infact i never saw a fish caught. I will put this down to the very hot weather although it had a bit of colour no one caught there were so many anglers and i suspect they kept the bailiffs quite busy all day selling tickets and checking permits. the environment agency were down pulling a big tree out of the river which had been there for many years what a day to do it on opening day i think it might well have put a few backs up. but it really wanted doing as it was there when i was baliffing quite a few years ago and many angler got snagged on it.. I will give it a miss this first week and let the rush go maybe having a go next week a few evening sessions we will see. I did see a pair of otters playing on an island further down stream they were up and down the river then back onto the island but i never saw them actually catch a fish. i was talking to a fellow angler who was fishing near the island and he said they had a Holt on the island and had reared young the previous year. There is quite a lot of weed present in some of the best barbel swims and one or two anglers were not amused by it. but i would fish between the weed into the channels well that's the way i will fish i have always done okay fishing this way in the past. i have been asked if i would like to give the ballifing a go again i may just do that although they have a good set of lads doing it at the moment with a good head bailiff but they are always on the look out for more. bit more latter
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In reply to Post #630
What a struggle the fishing is this year it was really to hot yesterday. They certainly were not on the munch. And we did not see many fish showing either we tried zigs with no success pop ups and standard bottom baits. i must admit its one of the hardest starts we have ever had but with a bit of luck things should pick up latter. i did see one chap catch a couple on the far side but most anglers on the lake blanked me included. The little wren was back and forth all day still feeding her young they must be nearly ready to leave the nest. the woods are full of red camp ion a lovely pinky red flower and the Rhododendron is in flower every where you look the blues and pinks and reds a lovely flower, but it has now become a real pest it soon takes over the woods and block's the light out and stops every thing else growing a lot of estates are now taking action and are now dealing with the plants by injecting the stems with poison, and waiting for them to die off before they cut them down. I think we will be having a few sessions after the barbel this week or next although the rivers have been terribly low and really need a flush the severn did carry a bit of colour caused by the heavy rain that was experienced in parts of wales so with a bit of luck we may come up trumps. We will still fish for the carp but i think the pressure is far to high i mean the weather and we could do with some low with maybe a bit of wind on our lake which would help things out. I did notice we had a number of cormorants on the lake yesterday and they really want dealing with . the ravens are still about with their very deep call they certainly have a nest in the area maybe deep in the woods . we had the wood pecker banging away behind our swim most of the day she was looking for insects for her young we did catch a glimpse of her and it was the green variety. We packed up early yesterday somthing we rarly do i came home to watch the footie we were realy not catching and we felt we were not in with a chance. well there you go another, blank. so a little bit more latter
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In reply to Post #629
Well i am back from a two week break in wales the weather was really quite good we did experience some rain but on the whole it was very good. What i did notice was the hedge rows ,they were spectacular ablaze with wild flowers the Red campion was every where a most beautiful flower, the dog rose white and the pink variety the wood scabious and the devil's bit scabious in its pinks and blues were also present the bulbous butter cup and the meadow butter cup put on a lovely show of yellow. The hog weed was also in flower and the cow parsley and of course the common dandelion. And the still flowering blue bell and the yellow iris was every where you looked on the marshy ground the fox glove in all its glory the pink and yellow The gorse and broom were out in flower i could go on for ever but don't want to bore you all to much but it was a great show which i never tire of. Right behind our caravan is an old stone wall and a blue tit had built her nest in one of the many holes she kept us quite entertained watching her feed the youngsters she certainly never got much rest she was on the go from early morning till dark. We got a visit from the local fox which got into the awning and made a real mess with the rubbish bag ripping it open and scoffing any morsels it could find. there is also an abundance of wild cats i mean moggies i was talking to the farmer and he said they were becoming quite a problem in the area and that some had been trapped and put to sleep as they had really done lots of damage to the local wild life. Well its back to fishing this week and i am going latter to put a bit of bait onto the plato and try to get the bigger fish interested i hope to have a couple of days this week and also have a couple of sessions after the barbel on the river severn i usually fish the evenings from five till about midnight we will have to see how it goes the river really needs a good flush as it is very low and i do love a bit of color in the water. my resident fox cubs seem to be still in my garden and have really made quite a mess but they have as much rights to be there as myself so i will leave them in piece. well a little bit more latter
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In reply to Post #628
As from today i will be away for a while family commitments. more stories at a latter date thanks pete
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In reply to Post #627
What a day its been very sad for myself and my family my grandson who we love very much has come home from the army to say good bye he goes to afghanistan on wednesday he has been very close to me and i have taught him everything about the countryside. he would come with me down the woods when he was only three years old and would sit with me for hours, i taught him to shoot the first time he used a gun was the age of eight i will miss him terrible as he is not only my grandson but also a friend its funny really but he never got the fishing bug but has a great understanding about animals and bird life. Well the fox cubs i found are doing very well and are growing very fast i watched them the other day playing with a hedge hog it was like watching a game of football they would toss it up, in the air then between them fight over it. I have been asked to take a couple out to watch them in the evening when they are out playing, but i am a bit hesitant about doing it as i don't wont them to go on there own without me as they could disturb the earth and the vixen would then move the cubs to a different location. I notice there has been a big hatch of hawthorn fly and while watching the cubs they were everywhere in my hair and on my clothing but they are harmless and don't bite i have also noticed that there are lots of bumble bees around this year which is really good to see. and lots of those pesky wasps also but they all have a reason to be here and help the country side in different ways. I still have the cubs in the garden and they are very active at night turning on the security lighting you can watch them walking down the drive and as far as i can see there are five in total i have not looked in the corner where i think they are lying up as i don't want to disturb them the badgers have also been visiting and have dug a few holes looking for worms i will have to put some peanut butter on some bread out for them and maybe get a few photos of them feeding or some peanuts they can not resist them. the badger cull has started in parts of wales and is due to commence in shropshire in the coming months i am not sure if this is the way forward and would not want them inilated, although there is far to many of them. well thats it for now more to come at a latter date
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In reply to Post #626
another day after the carp it was still very hard. but we did manage a couple not very big only hight doubles but better than nothing. I also lost one and by the feel it was a good fish . Graham lost one big fish it straightened his hook either the hook had a fault being very weak i don't know but it certainly opened up The one i lost was down to a hook pull. two of the syndicate had a good nights fishing catching five fish the biggest 23 pounds plus and losing a big fish at the net due to a hook pull, so its really given us a bit more hope to carry on our quest. We may do a few nights in the next few weeks if my health holds up. I had a bit of a walk around and spotted some real biggies but they were still spawning but after seeing them we know they are there and are catch able. i put a bit more bait onto the plato to keep them interested but i wont be able to fish next week owing to family commitments so roll on the following week. The one brood of ducks has lost another two youngsters i am putting this down to mink and i have spotted signs that they are present they certainly want dealing with as they will devastate the wild life. I had a wood pecker banging away most of the day behind my swim wrap wrap it must of been looking for insects or grubs for its young i did catch a glimpse of the bird and it was a green wood pecker. the little wren was back and forth all day she is being kept quite busy feeding her chicks. we have also got a pair of ravens where they are nesting im not sure but it must be somewhere deep in the woods nice to see they are much bigger then the carrion crow, and really stand out ,and their call is much deeper and guttural than crows or rooks. The woods are full of grey squirrels and they don't seem to be afraid of anyone i really don't know what the forestry commission or the keepers are doing about them they certainly want sorting out as they can really damage the young trees and saplings. well a bit more latter
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In reply to Post #625
thanks taffi life soon goes by i cant believe i am 68 years old When i was younger i thought i had all the time in the world but you have not it goes so quickly but one thing i can honestly say is i have had a marvelous life and met some great friend along the way and i hope it continues for some time yet. Well back to fishing graham and i had another blank i cant believe im saying that but its true not one fish they are still spawning it was follow the leader all day they were all in the weed beds splashing around quite a sight really and we did see some very big fish. We should be going again tomorrow but i don't know if to change the venue for a short time until its all over but friends have told me its like it on most lakes around my area and they are struggling also The lake was covered in pollen it was yellow which had come off the trees quite a sight really but there was plenty of wild life around to watch the cuckoo was present most of the day and there was a big mayfly hatch they were every where two hours of frolicking and their dead but what a way to go but seriously it was a real show and there was hundreds of them. The little wren well the male sang behind my swim most of the day and the poor little female was kept busy feeding her young, i think the male did help her at times. There seems to be more and more young broods of duck every time i go so it seems to be a good year for the mallard. i wont be fishing next week as i have a few commitments. hospital appointments and such i think every day is taken. with something so my fishing will have to wait health is more important. Another bird that had a big brood was the moorhen she had eight youngsters nice to see. the dab chick still has all hers there just like little bumble bees. I heard the vixen in the woods calling her cubs. the flowers, of the woods are out every where you look a most beautiful sight and they smell gorgous well thats it for now more latter
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In reply to Post #624
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PETE.
Have a wonderful day Pete. 
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In reply to Post #623
Its very hot here not really fishing weather but we will be giving it a go tomorrow . It is supposed to be a bit cooler so with a bit of luck we may catch we will fish right through until dark. but not all night until i feel i can once again do it. i must admit over the years i have caught as many in the day as i have at night and if i fish in the week i dont see any other anglers i think this is due to their work commitments so gray and myself mostly have the fishing all to our selves. i have noticed while i have been fishing that there are plenty of sand martins and swallows plus swifts. last year we did not have the numbers around why i dont know. i saw a pair of water voles the other day and watched them for some time quite rare now not like when i was a young boy. they were every where. but since the release of the mink they have been killed off. i went down to the bridge on the river Rea to have a look to see if i could spot the kingfishers as they have nested under the bridge for years but there was no sign so whether they have moved on it really looks as if they have and found another spot to there liking. another bird that i used to see was the dipper but seems to be quite rare in this area where they have gone is anyone's guess. I am going to have a look along the banks of the Rea to look for signs of otters as some of the locals have spotted them playing while they walked there dogs in the evening i know that there are at least eight pairs in the Rea up to its source at marton far to many and some sort of control will have to come at some stage. the foxs cubs i found are now playing out and my daughter spotted them while walking there dog the other evening and appear quite tame ,and not frightened one little bit i suppose its because its a right of way belonging to the council and english nature and they are used to people and noise. well ill write a bit more latter on when i have been fishing
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In reply to Post #622
It was so hot fishing yesterday we all blanked it was follow the leader the carp had started to spawn and had got their mind on other things but not to worry, it will be back to normal next week i hope i did put a bit of bait out on the plato so it will keep them on the bait. i told you all about the fox cubs in my garden. well my next door neighbour has seen the vixen in his garden and it has killed and eaten a white cat all that is left is the tail so the cubs are feeding well and by the looks quite healthy. by all the signs in my garden they are quite big as i said they have flattened the grass from their playing. The security lighting keeps coming on all night so they are quite active. Yesterday gave us the opportunity to do a bit of stalking not to catch but just to observe the fish and believe me there was some real biggies present so it has given us a lot of hope for the future. There are now three broods of greylag on the lake and what a noise they make falling out between themselves . It was quite nice to see a dap chic with a brood of young just like little bumble bees i do hope they survive. one thing we did see was some creature try to take a duck off the surface now there are no predators in the place or so the farmer says i made a point of asking him and he said no pike or cats but i think he could be wrong. the wren continued to feed her young for such a small bird she was kept busy all day. the cuckoo was active most of the day a lovely sound when you are deep in the woods. the smell of the blue bells was absolutely beautiful and it is one flower i never tire of. one thing i have noticed there are lots of leaches and not small in the lake drop in a bolie by the staging and they instantly wrap thier selves arround it i presume they like them a few hours latter it was all gone. well a bit more latter
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In reply to Post #621
while having a look around the garden this morning i spotted the grass had been rolled flat in the one corner that i leave to grow wild. on a closer inspection i realized fox cubs have been playing the vixen must of brought them down from the fields its not the first time as i said earlier on i have had them before and used to feed them on chicken legs and wings, she knows were she is safe and i welcome her and will probably start to leave a few chicken bits out for them at night. she may just be lying up under the branches and thick undergrowth for a while but i wont be having a look as that will disturb them. while fishing yesterday i was amazed at the number of tree creepers i saw usually you see one but i saw at least four funny little birds but lovely to watch. i also saw a pair of nut hatches running up and down the tree where i was sat obviously looking for food for her young the countryside is coming a live at last and the birds are well into their breeding season. just behind where i sit a tawny owl was also making a few nosies so she must have young to i went to have a look and found her staring down at me with those big eyes and really was not frightened at all. i have also heard the vixen call to her young so there is an earth some where in the woods which i will investigate some other time. i cant wait to get out again tomorrow with the rods and try and catch a few but its not just the fishing its being out and about and living with nature i suppose i have been lucky when i was young and my parents would let me wander the woods and fields i learned such a lot about animal behavior and its habitat and about the birds as well. Which i think is sadley missing for some of our youngsters today as you can not roam arround like i did its just not safe to do so. i am still called upon to dispose of the odd fox that been causing damage althought i love them you have to control to some extent. just look at the otters no control they will thrive, but at some stage , somthing will have to be done about them well more latter
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In reply to Post #618
As i have already said we are fishing a new water and i had mapped it out and found a small Plato at about sixty yards. Well we went again today and the Plato came up trumps i used a plain running rig with slack line the takes were absolutely storming and the fish all well hooked i was using 20ml spiced tuna boilies with small bags and they did the trick. funny really i had the fish all on the rod that was fished to the Plato the other two produced nothing although i was using the same bait. My mate graham really struggled as he blanked but as i said to him he caught the other day and i blanked. The fish were not huge i had four the biggest a mirror of sixteen eight oz and three commons between fifteen and sixteen pounds but very welcome there are some biggies in the place top thirties so i do hope its a matter of time before we catch one. at the moment we are not night fishing and not doing any long sessions this is mainly to do with my health and having a major operation a few weeks ago the specialist told me to take thing easy and don't go over the top so its a matter of pacing myself. I did a bit of wild life photography while i was there and took a few shots of the wrens nest i really think she has youngsters as she was back and fourth all day. One funny thing i watched to day was a crow mobbing a peregrine falcon i have watched them taking pigeon. but it struck out at the crow and hit it hard the crow tumbled over and over and just managed to recover before it hit the ground the falcon flew on i think it was fed up with being mobbed. and not after a meal. i was plagued with the young mallard all day i had two broods on my staging and i was kept busy all day feeding them but as i have said there is room for all and its their world more than mine its all part of nature witch
i love i had a black bird singing all day what a lovely sound i could fall asleep listening to it. well we are going again on Thursday so i will let you know how we get on well that's it for now more latter
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