This was a session full of surprises, and not least, the fabulous fish at the end of the video.
Sorry about the wind sound, I’ve tried everything, including some background music. I’m learning and now know I need a windbreak for the video recorder as well as my microphone.
Alton Water – Suffolk
Air Temp – 15 c high, low 9c
Air Pressure 1012 falling
Wind 19mph, dropping to 4mph.
Birchwood bay right.
Water Depth 24 feet.
Target species, bream, ideally during daylight. Tench close in.
After a few years away, I rejoined the London Anglers Association. So many venues for the price of a couple of day tickets, check it out by searching LAA.
Anyways, as soon as my ticket came through, I headed over to Bures Lake in sleepy Suffolk.
Hold your breath, what an unbelievable session.
Venue: Arlesford Gravel Pit, North Essex 25-27 March 2024 So, having just back from a two-night session over the gravel pit in Alresford (22nd 23rd March) where although I had a couple of fish, I knew I had gotten my attack all wrong. Too many basic mistakes, such as too much weed raking at the wrong times, bad judgement with hook bait choice, and incorrect feeding patterns. I spent all day Sunday thinking about it and decided to head back Monday for another two nights. I chose a new swim and spent longer marking up for features. With two chosen spots, I baited in a way I hoped might work better. I also completely altered my hooks baits. One additional swim I changed was how often I re-cast. On Alton, recasting works brilliantly. On this pit, definitely not. It’s a case of casting accurately, trusting your presentation and sitting on your hands. Boy, was I glad I did.
Dont forget, please like and subscribe if you’re enjoyed my video. Thanks, Steve
This week’s video finds me at Paxman’s Lake in Alresford on a beautiful 65-year-old North Essex gravel pit. I was introduced to this stunning venue by my neighbour, Mark Ost, an old match-fishing adversary from back in the day.
As soon as he mentioned the big tench, I was very interested. Frustratingly, they alluded me this time. However, I like a challenge. This lake isn’t easy, and that’s how I like it. I will be back chasing those big Tinkas and the 30lb plus carp. Overall, I loved the place, tranquil, stunning scenery, and comfortable swims.
More than happy with the results of my first session here.
Here’s a link to Paxmans Angling Club. www. https://paxmansac.co.uk/
Don’t forget, subscribe and like, if inclined.
Cheers, SteveD
Hit this “Watch on Youtube” to ask any questions, like and or subscribe
March 1st 2024 – overnight
Air Pressure 1001, dropping, air temp 5c day, 0c night, water temp 7.4c. Wind SW 40mph gusts.
Back for another session on Grassy Bank, 2nd swim, Alton Water. What a change in the weather from 2 weeks ago, from 14c daytime 8c nights, to 5c day, 0c nights. Add in 40mph hour gusts with sideways rain one minute, to flat calm and sunny. Boy-o-boy, that made for difficult fishing. I had intended on doing 2 nights, but these ol’ bones couldn’t take anymore. Still, I managed 11 bream, with the best two fish at 9lb 1oz and 9lb 3oz. No doubles, but considering the tow on the water was so strong from left to right, I had to up the weights on my indicators, and even then, it was far from ideal. It made for difficult bite indication, and in the depths of winter, that’s the last thing you want. Still, I can’t grumble with 11 fish, albeit no sleep as the bites started at 7 pm and continued until 3 am. (no sleep… again)
One last thing, if you’re reading this on WordPress please head over to my YouTube page to watch the videos and hopefully like and subscribe. Here’s the link and a screen-shot of my page:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO1fX62xTKY_ippJtwh-2fg
In this video, I’ll look at my rigs for Winter Bream and Tench and talk about what I use them. I also chat about how I believe the fish react to certain rigs and why.
I hope you enjoy and please feel free to ask any questions, also, hopefully, you’ll subscribe to my channel.
More to follow…
Amazon Link for Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fish-Know-Two-Things-Black/dp/B08MWRFQNL
Facebook Angling Page: https://www.facebook.com/NoLimitsAngling
At the start of my Alton campaign 8 years ago, I set myself a couple of targets. One of them was to catch a 10lb Tench. With Covid, sadly we lost several months fishing due to lockdown. This put all my early season thoughts on hold, as it did with many of us.
When the UK government gave us the green light, I was on the bank day one. Normally, I like to start my tench campaign in the middle of March. For sure, a lot of people will say this is too early. To some degree, it is. My thoughts are to get the tench used to my feeding approach and hopefully nick the odd early fish. This has proved successful in the past many times. I recall catching 9 tench from Birchwood Bay in March, around 6-years ago. Much to the surprise of many.
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Finally, the proofs are back and my angling book, “Fish Know Two Things” is now available via Amazon.
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Something came up in conversation the other evening while chatting to a couple of new Alton members. It started when I mentioned what the carp see as normal on a water this size. I suggested for the last 50-years, the resident carp have learnt to associate the sound of groundbait balls and swim-feeders hitting the water with food. If you think, the majority of anglers on Alton, even now are either pleasure anglers or match style fishermen. To that point, they invariably do one of two things, cast out a feeder, or throw in balls of groundbait. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that the carp now have that sound in their psyche and associate it, rightly so, with grub. Back in the day of 200-peg plus matches, mostly if not all match-men were both firing out balls of groundbait and following this up fishing the feeder.
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Many years ago, in my match days, I was fortunate enough to meet one of angling’s greats, Sir Ivan Marks, World Champion. He said to me something that has stayed with me through the years, “if everyone else is struggling, try something different. If the fish were there last week, they are still there now, so catch them.” That comment resonated with me, and to this day, I am always looking to step out of the box and go left. By this, I mean, I listen to what the other anglers are doing, how they are getting on and then try to find an alternative approach.
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So, after a few months away, 4 of those in Spain in the motorhome, which lead to lockdown in February, I’m back on Alton.
I have learnt – very quickly – with a venue the size of Alton, to expect the unexpected, and so it proved. I was back on Sunday for a 36-hour – two-night session, in the swim I mentioned last week. As I was setting up, I was convinced I was in a perfect Tench swim, and boy was I wrong haha.
Having marked up, I had two chosen areas. The first one and main line of attack, was down the middle on a nice soft sandy bottom, with a depth of 6 ½ foot, sloping away to 7 ½ foot a rod length further out. The second area was to my left, right into the bay near a small reed bed and the roots of a fallen tree. I increased my initial feed from last week and put ten spods in the middle and 6 by the reeds. I had my rods out by 4pm, sat back, kettle on. Soon after Steve and Graham turned up for a coffee and chat – Graham said it’s nice having a cafe on the bank haha.
Many DVDs, books, articles, and individuals will have you believe there is only one way to fish for carp. That concept runs from the rods you use, through to the way you bait up for them. This often includes ludicrously expensive rods, and shed-loads of boilies. Now, I am not saying they are wrong, far from it, if it works for you, then happy days. However, I would suggest there is no go-to rig, method, rod, or baiting campaign that works best for any species. I want to offer up an alternative way of thinking.
One thing I do know is that on any venue, the fish really don’t care how much you paid for your gear. Before we had the all singing carbon rods, we were using fibre-glass, cane, split cane and so on. We still caught big fish. Izaak Walton wrote 350-years-ago of catching 50lb Italian Commons. He was using bread-paste mixed with latex and honey and spending days and nights in their pursuit. We are just reshaping the wheel.
No-Limits Angling Blog 