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An individual, of no great importance, who is unable to see the natural world as a place for competition. I catch fish, watch birds, derive immense pleasure from simply looking at butterflies, moths, bumble-bees, etc - without the need for rules! I am Dylan and this is my blog - if my opinions offend? Don't bother logging on again - simple!

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Tuesday 10 October 2017

A promising start

Out at 04.45 hrs headed for a short session at the larger club fishery. Perch were my target species, although I did take the carp kit along as a back-up. As it turned out I shouldn't have bothered; not a twitch in three hours. The perch gear consisted of my 1 lb 2 oz t/c Tring Tench Rod, an ABU 44X reel loaded with 4 lbs b.s. line, a small link ledger and a 3 lbs hook link finished with a, prawn baited, size 8 "Widegape". An Optonic alarm and a light swinger provided my bite indication which, after missing three sitters, obviously needs some fine tuning. However, I did manage to land one Perch of 1 lb 12 oz, so happy enough with my first attempt at a morning session.  Back home by 09.15 hrs in order to grab a couple of hours kip before getting ready for a late shift - what joy!

Plenty to think about before I am able to get back for another early morning session.
Happy enough with the Optonics, it's my home-made swingers which need some tweaking.
Bait wise, I'd be a fool not to stick with prawns but, surely worms must be worth a go?
Plenty of bird life to keep me entertained whilst I awaited the attentions of my quarry. Two Ring Ouzels were feeding on the berry laden Hawthorns of the southern bank, accompanied by a Redwing, several Song Thrush and good numbers of Blackbirds. A Raven croaked its' way overhead, flying towards Richborough and Pegwell beyond. Lots of Chiffchaffs actively feeding, in the surrounding shrubs and hedgerows, with a decent charm of Goldfinches dropping into the Alders which grow on the islands in the pond. All in all, a very pleasant session with much to reward the effort of that silly o'clock start!


7 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. BB - it certainly was and I've just spent the entire late shift trying to think of ways to improve my bite registration without resorting to a float (my eyes couldn't cope plus my attention span is very limited!) Old fashioned hair clips and some type of small, fluorescent coloured, balsa(?) sight bobbin attached to the alarm using a length of braid could be the way forward - watch this space! I'll be off down the corner shop, first thing tomorrow, in order to get some hair clips to start my experimenting - Dyl

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  2. Ahhh.... The Perch... "The Biggest Fish of All"

    Hi Dyl... long time no see... hope you and the boys are keeping well

    Much like yourself, I enjoy a challenge, and setting "realistically achievable" seasonal goals to focus my angling attention.. Amongst other species targets this season, including a double figure Tench.. (KAPOW!! JOB DONE!!) I've set myself a Perch target of 100 "twos" by this Xmas from a syndicate gravel pit... currently standing at #80 with a handful of "threes" to boot. All in absolutely stunning condition/markings due to the crystal clear water and very little angling pressure... I'd go as far as stating, it's angling paradise!.. The wildlife is simply amazing!.... hardly a soul to be seen, and usually the only sound you hear is birdsong... BLISS!

    Without wishing in any way shape or form teaching you to suck eggs mate, by solely ledgering bottom baits you're missing out on an awful lot of potential Perch sport!... As you'll already know, Perch hunt/feed along patrol routes, and can be found at various depth throughout the day (just like our old friend, Esox). The key to maximising our efforts for rewards, is to ascertain at which depths they are feeding at any given time. Static bottom baits can go completely ignored for hours; shallow-up to mid-water and... BOOM! Giving baits a regular "twitch" whether they be bottom baits or suspended, also often results in an immediate take.. This is where THE FLOAT IS KING!.... as is the lobworm! (loosefeed broken lobs).. All said and done, I get greatest pleasure lure fishing on ultra-lite gear, actively hunting-down the Perch, keeping on me toes.. Happy days indeed!

    Good luck Dyl – wishing you a beautiful big'ol stripy!

    Andy

    (not in Denmark, but my server is)

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  3. if you insist on just ledgering Dyl, drop-off and open bale-arm is the way forward mate - Andy

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    Replies
    1. Andy,
      many thanks for taking the time to offer this advice. Worms are an avenue which I will definitely be exploring, but floats, lures and/or drop-shotting don't figure in my angling - period! There is far too much other stuff for me to be distracted by and, if I am honest, catching fish is only a part of why I now spend my time at the waterside.
      Hoping all is well with you and the guys at the PAC - take care & tight lines - Dyl

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  4. Replies
    1. Hi Monty,
      For as long as I can remember, lures have always been a method that others used and I steered clear of. Mepps and Ondex spinners were as far as my effort got before I discovered the use of live bait. Gord Burton used to travel to Lomond armed with a rod and a box full of assorted plastic gizmos and return with pike stories to die for. The best pike any of us caught, a 38.10 from Llandegfedd, fell to a huge metal spoon that we'd got from Canada. Despite all of this evidence to support the effectiveness of these artificial contraptions, I still can't bring myself to use them. I've long since stopped using live bait, but that's for other reasons.
      Hoping all is well in your little corner of this Green & Pleasant - Dylan

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