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Esso swim
this was a known Bream hotspot but was next to where the carp like to frequent
it only had 2 parking spaces on the short walk 2 mins away but it was very popular walk etc etc with everyman and his dog liking the area so getting a parking space in daylight hrs was virtulally impossible so then it was a 1200mtrs + walk from the main car park to hope you had a swim as you couldnt really park anywhere to check
thats why i only fished this swim at night when i worked for Esso if you left your car in the car park over night it was pretty obvious where you were and your car was then very vulnerable to the scallys and you would come back to your car / van on bricks or your locks done and radio missing
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In reply to Post #17
It's about money; social media just facilitates it.
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In reply to Post #17
Things will go full circle, anyone who isn't sponsored will go full secret squirrel, like the old days.
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Social media is the issue as soon as someone posts a big fish from somewhere all the others jump on it for their bit of fame
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couldn't be more right about the UK and the current state of affairs.
I do love stories like this but its gonna be many years before i ever get available time like this again
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In reply to Post #14
Its not much different for us Barbel anglers now , Thames , Hants Avon, all the sponsored anglers are sniffing about trying to get more big fish for there blogs , a short section of the Hants Avon can have 3/4 of em from G@#d@?@ decsend down and soon as they catch its on social media , all caught on there hooks , line , backleads , the list goes on , so frustrating !
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In reply to Post #9
Had a few 11lb+ Barbel from that stretch. Unfortunately, attracted a lot of unwanted people down there so i quit fishing it.
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In reply to Post #3
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In reply to Post #3
That's mega cool.
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In reply to Post #3
Don't worry about it you are obviously very passionate about it and have put the graft in over the years to achieve your results and i admire anybody who has earned there fish
i dread to think how many hrs i spent walking the banks and that was while i was at work sometimes ...being a self employed 360 excavator operator i used to try and get jobs on the river sometimes i could fish off the barge or lock i was working on and would always volunteer to lock the gates / site for them if they wanted to away early if they were travelling lads which they appreciated and would always ask for me on there next job .....or as close as possible lol so i spent alot of years near the river and spent every opportunity i could walking / spotting / fishing
even spent 2yrs @ esso research as a test fuel car driver back then it was testing unleaded petrol ...my mrs worked away from home all week so i worked the 3pm till 11pm shift i could be on the bank by midnight and fish till 9am then go home to sleep before work 5 nights a week if i wanted but in reality it was every other night in the winter ....sometimes you question your sanity on a jan night in a howling gale and pissing down rain and you just put your 10th bream back and then pack down in the rain take everything home empty out in the garage to dry before that nights adventure ....
i have been in spain now for 8yrs and now i think carping in the UK has changed forever or perhaps im looking back with rose tinted spectacles
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In reply to Post #9
What a great photo.
So what's the biggest that's come out of there? And where abouts?
Only asking as when someone says the Thames to me I just assume London.
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In reply to Post #6
I spoke to Luke about that survey as he was brought in with his mate Jordan to survey the river after the work he did guiding on the Soane in France. Must have been nearly 20 years ago now & all very hush hush at the time.
He spent a few days traveling the river in a boat clooping for them - I think he said they heard one splash that sounded like it could have been one but no 100% sightings.
Rumors were that they lived around the islands at Ravens Ait.
My first date with my wife was a boat trip along the river up to Hampton Court - felt like there were spots to fish every inch of the way. Was put off by weirdos & tales of tackle thefts so only fished it once for a night on a social & this is one of the only fishing pics I have framed on the wall of my home.
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As a norther I love hearing stories of the Thames.
Seems to capture that magic that keeps me fishing-the not knowing.
It's up there with the passion for angling that had redmire in it.
Anyone has anymore pics it stories I would love to hear.
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My Dad lived in Shepperton and my Grandad was a member of the boat club in Windsor Marina when I was a kid. Spent a lot of time fishing up and down those parts of the Thames with both. Carp didn’t exist to me then. Perch, little jack pike, roach and dace. Nice memories that I’m lucky to have.
This forum has shown a grim side to fishing in the past few weeks. Money and pride really bring the worst out in people. Sad really, fishing shouldn’t be about that.
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In reply to Post #5
The last capture I heard about was an accidental one from Canbury Gardens, around the '30' mark I think. There is/was an EA survey published online where the participants set out to look for them, my memory is sketchy but I think Luke Moffat had some involvement, anyway, it didn't produce results. Areas I looked at and fished were Kingston, Teddington and Shepperton/Chertsey. No results.
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General Carp Discussion