An evening at Barton Farm

[Greenheart]

Popped over to the Barton Farm length of the Bristol Avon with Bananna Steve yesterday evening.

My peg looking downstream


My peg looking upstream

I was targeting a Bleak for the species hunt. So I set up a 4AA Drennan crystal waggler float with a size 20 maggot baited hook 18" beneath it & caught my target species on the second cast.

I also set up a feeder rod, baited with a bit of luncheon meat & cast it under a likely looking overhanging bush to try for a Chub. Steve fished the feeder to try for Bream. After catching my Bleak, I plumbed the river depth (About 9 feet) Re-set the depth of my float & trotted it downstream to see what else was about. However nothing of any note was caught. Steve & I both had a few small Roach, Perch & Skimmer Bream. Steve also had a bite that bent his rod round double, but missed it. I had no interest in my ledgered meat. I also had an interesting few minutes watching the smallest Pike that I had ever seen (About 2") chasing the pin fry in the margins. Sadly the evening was spoilt by some of the members of the Bradford on Avon rowing club who appear to believe that they have sole right's to the use of the river. Sad to say, the majority of those who were rowing there yesterday were a bunch of ignorant A##Holes who totally ignored any requests to keep to the other side of the river & who's only response was a single raised finger in spite of the fact that I said please. I think next time a few catapults full of well aimed maggots may be in order.

[fullcreel]

Well done on the bleak, shame about the rowers, I once saw an angler jump into the river thames in order to remonstrate with some boaters, it was not till he wasa about 20yds that he realised that he was a poor swimmer.
I'm planning on popping down to Crockerton Sun pm if you're interested, or anyone else?

[Greenheart]

Originally Posted by fullcreel

Well done on the bleak, shame about the rowers, I once saw an angler jump into the river thames in order to remonstrate with some boaters, it was not till he wasa about 20yds that he realised that he was a poor swimmer.
I'm planning on popping down to Crockerton Sun pm if you're interested, or anyone else?

He He I know how he felt Matt. I once fell out with a guy who was using a speedboat to tow a water skier at about 40mph up & down the river Trent at Newark Dyke. The sod kept turning his boat in my peg about 3ft from the bank. The river there is about 200yds wide. He got quite upset when I put a 2oz ledger through the side of his speedboat. He soon backed off when about five or six local anglers backed me up though....
As for this weekend, I don't think I will be able to fish (It's the wife's weekend off ) I may pop over on Sunday to see how you are doing though...

[KABBYCHRIS]

A pouch full of maggots in the catty does the trick

[MrCat]

Haha, ohh I really shouldn't be so bad but that is a funny image... can you set the camera up for us before you launch the maggots?

[Twiddler]

Well done to your target fish Ian.....still no ruffe though?

I'm with the others on the catty and maggots, that would be worth watching

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Looks a nice place to go well done on the target fish

[fullcreel]

For dealing with boats that cause problems, how about some pike groundbait of liquidised smelly fish bits?
Another incidicent I recal, again from the Thames, (in mid winter and very cold too), well one of the 'cut', was a rower, politely going on the far bank, and he also slowed down as he approached a group of us on a club match, sadly the owner of the power boat did not use the same amount of manners, he swamped the rower who had to make an emergency grounding. We left shortly after that, match over, and saw the River Police looking for the power boat man, make you think that had the rower gone in the drink, he could have drowned.
Are there any bylaws for boaters, anglers can get in trouble for leaving rods, well being 5 or more yards away.

[Norfolkboy]

Well done on your target fish Ian

[pingu]

nice one ian

dave