Beginner - Thames in Dorney, maidenhead

[saladdodger]

While im waiting for my new rod/reel to arrive i thought i would use this very cheap rod/reel i bought many years ago, i had some tackle from when i was 15 so decided to go out yesterday keeping in mind what i had read and watched on tv by matt hayes in his shows.

I set up a simple clear float and size 18 hook using maggots, either 1 or 2 on the hook set at about 20 inches deep, i chucked in a handful of maggots and watched and waited for 10 mins, i then just cast out where i had thrown the maggots wanting to catch anything really.

I had hundreds of bites but not really taking the float under which i thought they would?

So when i thought it was right i tugged the rod and caught a number of fish, 15 in total. Not big by any means but that i wasnt bothered about.

Only thing i didnt like was when the fish had taken the barbed hook deep inside, horrible getting it out with a disgorger, ive put the barbed hooks to one side and bought barbless to use now, seems more fair to the fish as well IMO.



14 of these



Im going to read up and understand how i move up the ladder to bigger fish, what hook size/float/line/bait etc etc, if i could catch 2-4lb fish id be over the moon

Thanks for reading

Andy

[the pyromaniac]

I like to use a sinker rather than a float, letting the bait drift down to the bottom. Oftentimes, bigger fish will hang lower in the water column than their smaller cousins. Either that, or I throw lures.

[saladdodger]

you see i wanted to have a go at that but im so new to it im worried about catching a pike, a big perch etc would be cool but i dont know how to handle a pike

[Rob M]

That's a productive session mate! Using the 'match the size of your bait to your hook' theory then going up to a size 14 hook should get you bigger fish at the cost of less bites.

[the pyromaniac]

I don't know about European perch, but yellow perch can be grabbed by the lower jaw. As for pike, grab them behind the gills, and if they're hooked too deep you can always cut the line. I always carry a pair of needlenose pliers for hook removal from toothy fish.

[saladdodger]

Originally Posted by Rob M

That's a productive session mate! Using the 'match the size of your bait to your hook' theory then going up to a size 14 hook should get you bigger fish at the cost of less bites.

ah right ok, for bigger perch, roach, tench etc would you change bait to worms or still use maggots?

Originally Posted by the pyromaniac

I don't know about European perch, but yellow perch can be grabbed by the lower jaw. As for pike, grab them behind the gills, and if they're hooked too deep you can always cut the line. I always carry a pair of needlenose pliers for hook removal from toothy fish.

ive got some long hook removal pliers on order along with 2 slamo disgorgers (long and a short).

i guess when you hook a pike you deal with it according and with care at that moment, ha im scared of a fish

[Maceo]

Good luck with it Andy. Nice to hear from other people fishing the Thames.

I'm not sure if it'll work further down the river, but up here on the Oxfordshire stretch I've been finding sweetcorn on a size 16 hook fished over handfuls of hempseed to be really effective at the moment. Might be worthwhile giving that a try.

I've found maggots just get destroyed by small bleak and roach, even before they've dropped. It doesn't seem to matter how much weight you have near the hook to make it drop quickly.

You say that you were fishing at 20 inches deep, which sounds pretty shallow. How deep is the water there? Perhaps you should try going deeper and get the bait nearer the bottom?

Finally, I have to say it has to be barbless hooks every time. It makes it much easier to unhook the fish, especially when they've swallowed it down. Besides, in a certain sense, I always feel that barbless hooks are more 'fishing' and giving the fish more of a fair chance!

Well, good luck and keep us in touch with progress as the bigger fish start to arrive, which they inevitably will!

[saladdodger]

Originally Posted by Maceo

Good luck with it Andy. Nice to hear from other people fishing the Thames.

I'm not sure if it'll work further down the river, but up here on the Oxfordshire stretch I've been finding sweetcorn on a size 16 hook fished over handfuls of hempseed to be really effective at the moment. Might be worthwhile giving that a try.

I've found maggots just get destroyed by small bleak and roach, even before they've dropped. It doesn't seem to matter how much weight you have near the hook to make it drop quickly.

You say that you were fishing at 20 inches deep, which sounds pretty shallow. How deep is the water there? Perhaps you should try going deeper and get the bait nearer the bottom?

Finally, I have to say it has to be barbless hooks every time. It makes it much easier to unhook the fish, especially when they've swallowed it down. Besides, in a certain sense, I always feel that barbless hooks are more 'fishing' and giving the fish more of a fair chance!

Well, good luck and keep us in touch with progress as the bigger fish start to arrive, which they inevitably will!

Hi dude, i know what you mean about maggots, the little fish seem to rip it to bits before anything of a nice size gets a sniff.
I tried sweetcorn but no hemp, no bites either, maybe that was my problem.

Im not really fishing for a certain species but over 2lb would be nice. The dorney stretch was shallow, i was almost on the bottom with that 20inches, i tried more but just pulled up weed????
Think to be honest im gonna try the free lake up the road from me, what i would like to know if what float set up do i need to get a good distance, my rod is 10ft but i can only cast about 10ft, i think getting out further would be better as its deeper.

What float would i need for distance on 3lb line

cheers

Andy

[Maceo]

Hi Andy - well I'll let more experienced anglers comment on the right float, but in my view, the bigger the float, the more weight it'll take in shot and the more distance you can get on the cast. The downside being that the bigger the float, the less sensitive it is to bites generally.

Yes weed is a problem up here at the moment too. It makes it easy to find the right depth to fish at though. If your float is 'tripping' over and catching the weeds then you're too deep, so take it up a couple of inches until it floats down freely and then you know you're just above it.

Perhaps it's worth having a walk around and see if you can find a swim where it's deeper? The inside of bends is always a good bet and where there are reeds and/or lillies about by the edges or overhanging trees also seems to be good too.

I've not had anything out that's 2lb so far this season, but plenty of roach and fat little dace. The roach have been up to about 1lb 2oz at biggest.

I've looked up your area in this old book about Thames fishing I'm reading and not sure if you might know any of the areas he mentions?

"The usual species are present, roach and dace being most common especially from the famous 'wall' below the Sounding Arches. Perch and barbel are also caught, notably from 'the railings'. Bream are rare except down towards the Bray area."

[saladdodger]

yes yes i know the spots, 'river road', right on maidenhead bridge leads to the sounding arch, i think 'the railings' is a spot/swim there under the arch. And Bray is a nice village a bit further south, not sure i would walk from sounding arch to Bray though.

I think you need a permit for those areas too