Fishing

Fished the river lea yesterday and didn't catch anything but pretty sure I hooked into a decent carp... The one that got away eh.

Problem is it snagged me up almost instantly with several friendly anglers offering advice. One person said "Give it lots of line and he'll come out". Is there any truth in this?

Depends. Sometimes you can let it go slack and they'll work their way out. Sometimes they shed the hook and manage to get you connected to the snag/weedbed etc. so all you're trying to pull on is never going to come in!

That makes sense thanks, held on for about 10 mins patiently waiting with my Avon rod at 90°. The guy in the same peg before me landed a 16lb common which was a nice surprise after just catching barbel the last few weeks.

Lesson learnt and will most likely have the clutch very firm with the rod in swiping distance.

I waded out in my grundies once a fair way to some lily pads in the middle of the night to free a snagged carp only for it to come free, take me by surprise and miss it with the net and bounce the hook out. That's awesome that is....was Summer, but still freezing bloody cold

All methods of freeing snagged fish work sometimes, the certainty is that the one I choose won't in any particular case.

I know I said there is no point fishing my syndicate pit before late April, therefore I am fishing it on Wednesday. I shall inform everyone on the brilliance of my blank, having pondered tactics for hours when I should have been working.

I never feel completely at home on a water until I have slipped or fallen into it, this rarely takes long.

Shit just got real

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Does anyone know what this is? Quite a few in the new lake I've been fishing

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Maybe dragonfly lavae casing?

I thought it was some kind of larvae but cut it open, inside it's solid like a root of some kind 🤔

I went for a walk yesterday and happened across this:

I’m guessing it’s a pike?

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A Passion for Angling back on You Tube

https://youtu.be/7bgDxSdaUPQ

It is a section of reed root that has been grubbed out, presumably someone has been clearing swims. I have cleared tons of this from my trout stream over the years.

I have now successfully blanked 3 times in a row on my syndicate carp pit. Having told everyone that it is pointless fishing there until mid-April I have failed to take my own advice. To prove my stupidity; conditions are hopeless tomorrow, with constant sun and a cold Easterly so I shall fish it again....

Heading out for the first time this year today. Going to give the upper teign a look and see if anything’s woken up yet.

Love it, you've got to be optimistic in this business haven't you. Thanks for the info on the reed root, I thought bit was something from alien vs predator.

Discovered a new lake close to my house managed by the local club, everyone on it blanked yesterday but the last carp I hooked into snagged me up instantly. Yet to get my first carp of the year.

Suppose I've got a lot of time for reading now

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That is a really good book!

Anyone remember the old 'Tel and Jacko go carp fishing' series? Kept my brother and I entertained for hours when we couldn't go out fishing due to school etc. Very different to 'A passion...' but equally as good in my eyes.

I was seriously starstruck when I wandered into The Tackle Box shop in Dartford and Lee Jackson served me a few years ago. What a day!

Is he still knocking about Lee Jackson? Tel's videos on You Tube are well worth a watch!

Lee would have been a little embarrassed by that, he has always been completely without ego. I fished Darenth in the early 80s when the Tackle Box was at Sutton at Hone and pike fished a bit with Kevin, also a top guy. Jim Davidson on the other hand was a complete twat who just threw money at the lake in the mid-80s and didn't catch much.

Tel's videos on You Tube are well worth a watch!

Agreed. Also thanks for posting the A Passion for Angling link, thoroughly enjoyed. On the off chance you have't seen it already A Fish For All Seasons has been uploaded to YouTube, part 2 was uploaded in the last hour

https://youtu.be/FN9BNKrecYA

I'm teaching a nice lady to cast tonight. All being done within government guidelines. Trouble is there's a Labrador involved that loves running after things.
Part of the local estuary has blowholes in the sand with no casts - might do some digging.

Thanks, I don't think I have even seen part 1 yet, guess what I am doing next...

Just jetwashed anything that couldn't get out of the way fast enough, including the fishing kayak. Now let's see some jobsworth explain to me how I am not social excluding 500m offshore in search of protein and exercise (only a 2km drive, nearer than the shops).

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The car is loaded up ready for tomorrow, first sesh since March so quite excited for the obligatory blank. With all my plans cancelled this year I decided I needed something to look forward to, so have joined my local angling club in St Albans. Apparently on one River Lea stretch barbel grow to 17lbs and I don't mind spending many hours to find out how in/accurate this is.

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Oh man so jealous, Scotland still maintaining lockdown for this

Enjoy! Reckon they'll bite your arm off for some bait!!

I feel for you! Just to rub it in, both my trout and coarse syndicates have opened, so it's carp on Saturday and dry fly on Sunday.

Wahhhhh....

Enjoy mate

#grittedteeth