Early birds on the River

[Twiddler]

Mike and myself met up with Banana Steve stupid o'clock (5.30am) this morning to have a dabble at the River Avon in Britford.
I had a date with my friend Peter at mid morning to trott a maggot or two, so I left the guys to fish the sluice, whilst I walked a few hundred yard to a swim Mike and I fished before.

My cunning plan was to feed the swim up with mixed size halibut pellets to tempt some barbel we saw there last time.
I then was going to return tomorrow morning trying my luck to catch my first barb.

Misty morning, my swim to the right


to the left


Around 7am I saw some movements in my swim and after a little investigation I saw three carp of good size cruising in the margin.
One full scaled mirror of about 12-114lb, one ghost carp .....huge one around the 15-17lb and a common around the 10-12lb mark.

I just couldn't resist...quickly I set up my Avon quiver rod 1.75TC with a baitrunner 8lb mainline, running ledger, 5lb hook link, "10 hook on a hair, bait was a 14mm halibut pellet.

Soon I had the line in the water but that's where the problem started.....I didn't have heavy enough weights with me and loose weed kept knocking my line giving false indication.
Mind you, to be fair, i didn't think I'd catch any of the carp and I didn't exactly try very hard neither.

I was just sitting there, letting the world go by, listening and watching the wild life and had no care in the world.

Beautiful sunrise
.....


About 10pm I had a big knock on my rod, too big to have been some weed knocking on my line....I quickly struck but didn't connect to any fish.

Oh well,must have been one of those carp playing with my bait....I put a fresh pellet on and re-cast slightly away from the last spot.

I sat back and just chilled out, in fact I nearly dozed off lol

I gave Mike a a call to see how Steve and him were getting on.....and was told that Stuart the bailiff had just been around to see them. Not sure how many fish the guys have caught by then.

I carried on watching the carp who kept cruising in a circle, always sticking close to each other, bizarre behaviour I think.

Another hour went past and nothing exciting happen, by then I heard the news from Mike (another phone call) that Stuart the bailiff has been to see them and that Peter just arrived.
I was just about to call Peter to let him know where I am, when suddenly I saw a couple a very big knocks on my rod....now I wasn't sure if it was a bite, as no line where taken of the baitrunner and surely big knocks like that means big fish.
I picked my rod up struck and connected...get in there, one of the carp couldn't resist my halibut pellet.

I never caught a river carp before so I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to the fight...I was quite surprised as I thought river carp put harder fights up...still, he fought well....weird thing was, the ghost carp (never been caught according to the bailiff) stayed right by the common side during the battle and didn't even spooked when I finally landed this beauty
A 12lb 9oz common


Ok, it wasn't the barbel I was after but at least my first river carp.

After I released the fish I packed up and joined Peter further down the river where he set up.

After a while watching Peter, he was wondering why he couldn't tempt any fish but some minnows....5 mins later he got his answer.....after he changed from maggots to casters he hooked and landed a Jack around the 2-3lb scale, which had a lucky escape because as peter just got him out of the water, a mahoooosive pike well a 20lber was just about to grab the jack for an early lunch.
All that happen whilst Stuart the bailiff was stood with us....he was going to kill the jack until he realized it was a male Pike so he released him again.

Around 1-1.30pm Mike and Steve came over, they have finished for a day....as the weather was unbearable hot...too hot to carry on.
I was going to carry on fishing but gave up too, too hot, no roach or Dace in the swim, just a monster Pike.

And this little fella

[perch_king]

well done twiddler nice morning pics and a whpper carp there

[mithrandir]

My little bit of the day!

Met up with Banana Steve at the Hampshire Avon to fish the sluice pool again this morning. We had an early start as it was going to be a blazing hot day. We were in our swims for 6 am, here you can see the sun rising as we fished.



The fishing was quite hard as the flow from the sluice was still very strong. Trying to hold bottom needed a 1 1/2 oz feeder.

I struggled to get anything to take the bait and spent a fruitless couple of hours trying different areas around my swim, I finally switched to maggots on a size 16 hook and started to catch some small fish, a few minnows and some chublets, here are some close ups of the small chub, I was not sure if they were chub but the convex fins make it certain ( they can look like dace but dace have convex fins )







The day was blisteringly hot and even me wading out to knee deep in the river in a quest for the large Chub I had seen lurking under a marginal tree did not cool me down.
By 1-30 we had both had enough of the heat and left for some shade and the lure of ice cream at home.

Was a nice venue and good company making it a great way to while away a few hours on a sunny Saturday morning.

here is the hot air balloon that gave us a flyby this morning rising above the sluice house by Steve's swim.



I will leave the full reports to Steve and Claudia as they have far more to report than me, I was just happy to be fishing again after a couple of weekends with no fishing trips.

a tree full of sun

[Vagabond]

Nice river carp - well done, and some excellent early mist pictures.

I too was up early to yomp/fish the Upper Medway. Different swims to last time, but the same old story - chub, dace, roach and perch, but no grayling yet.

PS and some nice photos Mike, posted a split second before my reply!

[Twiddler]

Originally Posted by Vagabond

Nice river carp - well done, and some excellent early mist pictures.

I too was up early to yomp/fish the Upper Medway. Different swims to last time, but the same old story - chub, dace, roach and perch, but no grayling yet.

PS and some nice photos Mike, posted a split second before my reply!

Aww bless, those Grayling giving you a headache???......I can make you a deal...you get my a roach 1lb+ and I'll get you a Grayling...out of the chalk stream round the corner from us

[fishypaul]

lovely pics from both of you,well done claudia,thats a lovely carp

[Rob M]

Brilliant stuff guys.


Beautiful carp!

[maghouse]

Originally Posted by Twiddler

...quickly I set up my Avon quiver rod 1.75TC with a baitrunner 8lb mainline, running ledger, 5lb hook link, "10 hook on a hair, bait was a 14mm halibut pellet.

Thats where you went wrong - Tip Tornado Beachcaster 25lb mainline, 20lb snoods size 1/0 Pennel - Luncheon meat =

[Twiddler]

Originally Posted by maghouse

Thats where you went wrong - Tip Tornado Beachcaster 25lb mainline, 20lb snoods size 1/0 Pennel - Luncheon meat =

lmao not to forget the 8oz gripper lead

[maghouse]

Only kidding ..... well done on the 'WILD carp !

Great report & some lovely photos .....