Crucian Fishing at Marsh Farm.

 Over the past few years I have been wondering as to where I could fish for the Crucian Carp as they are not as wide spread as the other King Carp family, I have struggled to find somewhere to have a good chance of coming across one and for quiet a long while now been keeping an eye on Marsh Farm and it's resident Crucian's and also the Yateley complex but today it was Marsh Farm I was to tackle, with quite a lot of research done on the fishery I felt quietly confident in doing ok.

 At just over an hour from my front door to the fishery office/shop it is extremely accessible for me and relatively cheap considering the specimen fish available, on the train up I did a heads or tails as to what lake I'd fish ( Harris or Richardson ), tails it was and followed the wind to peg 23 on Richardson lake, over the years I've done very well for Crucian's nothing of epic proportions by heading to swims where the wind has blow the surface debris which with it will go the food.

 My peg was in a bay and the wind blowing down the lake into my swim everything seemed right, so I got set up and plummeted the depth so that I fished the waggler about 4 inches off the bottom as I believed the fish were probably still a little sluggish and sitting deeper than usual at this time of the year, and I would just deepen it or shallow it up depending where I'd find them, after about 10 minutes I got my first enquiry so I just sat back and waited for the bites to get more clear cut, one thing I know about Crucian Carp is that they are very shy biters and you can miss twenty takes and only hit one, trick is to get them confident, but I was to find out that I had a lot more in my swim than just Crucian's, first hittable bite and I was in to a fish, which decided to stay deep for a while but after a bit of a scrap I got it to the top, it was a Tench around the 2lb mark.

Missing almost all of it's paintbrush tail.

 It was a pleasant surprise to catch so soon on a new fishery, my confidence grew as the late morning turned into the afternoon, with a selection of fish coming to the net, 2 small Perch, 2 small Common Carp and another 5 Tench, two of which I had almost at the same time, the average being a shade under 3lb.

Chunky Common the bigger of the two.

The Tench twins, proper scrappers.

 My float barely stayed still all day which is something I wasn't expecting, most of the other anglers were struggling with two guys fishing to my left packed up early because they couldn't buy a bite, so I guess I was doing something different to everybody else, but also picked up some great tips for fishing the lakes for future reference, but I still hadn't had my target fish and by this time I was on 9 Tench to 3.11, so I changed the depth by 2 inches so I was fishing a little shallower and was met almost instantly with a quick bite which I connected with and I was locked into battle with a big fish and powered through the swim and on the centre-pin which was my choice of reel today I could barely control it and after about 30 seconds the hook pulled, unfortunately I didn't get to see what it was but my hunch was a decent size Carp or a big Tench.

 That coincidentally was the third fish I'd lost in a space of 4 hours, I put it down to striking to early and the bait wasn't taken properly, but it's hard to sit on your hands knowing if you weren't quick enough you'd miss the chance, so I left the swim to settle for a few minutes and then recast, immediately the waggler sailed under and I was in again, the fish again stayed down but it then careered up to the surface and thus showing me it's identity, it was a Crucian !, I then eased off on the pressure as I didn't want to rush it and risk losing it, but I played it cautiously and within a minute she was mine, my first Crucian for over a decade!

 Not one of the beasts that the venue is renowned for but at 1lb 13ozs it was an extremely welcome fish, I've waited years to catch one of these and it was target acquired after 5 hours of fishing and hammering through the Tench population I could rest easy and see if the tactic would bring me any more joy.

 I couldn't stay until closing because I had to get back to London for training at Crystal Palace, so as the afternoon wore on the bites started to slow down and the Perch started to move with earnest grabbing my bait on the drop with every cast so, I changed the depth again so it was an inch off the bottom and after a wait of about twenty minutes my float slid away and was latched into a better Tench which turned out to be the biggest fish of the day at 5lb 2oz, a good end to an unexpected day of quality fishing.

 My overall feeling about the fishery is that it looks very well run, but as a commercial fishery unfortunately the fish aren't in the best condition, which is a shame but I guess with the volume of people fishing it, that comes hand in hand with the pressure and the unfortunate handling of some of the fish by a very small minority, but the Tench do certainly fight well here, great sport and I'll be back in search of a resident beast of a Crucian Carp, they are here just got to find them!.

5lb 2oz Best Tench of the day.

 Daily scorecard: 17 Tench to 5lb 2oz

                           2 Common Carp to 3lb

                           1 Crucian Carp 1lb 13oz

                           4 Perch to 5ozs.

Stalking for Carp.

 Up bright and early to head out and do some Carp fishing, 5.30am my alarm hadn't even gone off I could hear dad - James Snr already getting ready downstairs so I thought it would be about time to get out of bed and join him.

 Stalking for Carp is the best and only real way to fish for this crafty species, any other way does not seem to give you the same satisfaction as this technique, well that's my opinion, each to there own though I suppose, but finding a fish and waiting to see what it's reaction is and at the same time remaining totally out of view then, picking the correct time to cast and getting the cast perfect first time, because anything less almost always ends up spooking the Carp especially in clear water, but today both my dad and I managed to successfully stalk a Carp out each.

Dad's Carp was the first to be caught when he found a large Common, that was followed in by another 3 or 4 Carp and this one that he caught was one of the other fish and after a good scrap of about 5 minutes this 17lbs 5oz Common was banked.

 Then as the early morning session drew to a close, I did also manage to get a fish in the form of a fantastic looking Mirror Carp which also did put up a great fight, but something very uncanny happened when we weighed this fish just before the photos, the weight was the same as the ol' man's Carp of 17lbs 5oz, we weighed it twice just to double check but it was true the second time as was the first, very uncanny indeed but who cares we both went home all square and an enjoyable mornings fishing and well worth getting out of bed for.

Fluff Chucking Part Four.

 On Tuesday, I popped out for a couple of hours with my fly rod again to use a couple of spare hours and spend some more time in the sun, the wind again was a pain in backside but it's becoming a constant theme with my fly fishing escapades, I started the day using a range of flies, some of which I have just purchased and had arrived in the post just before I was planning to leave, so the timing was great.

 I began my latest quest by starting at the bottom for a change in scenario, but I didn't see an awful lot in the first mile or so that I had walked when I bumped into a Kingfisher working one of the beats, flying up and down at a 100 miles an hour in typical fashion.

 I did manage to get a picture of it but as it was flying away from me, they are so hard to picture and for Mark of 'fishing for memories' to photo the one he did is amazing and I'm not a bird person at all but Kingfisher's are a nice species to see.

Peek-a-boo, I see you, noticed the chest in the branches.

 But after a long walk I did manage to find a Brown Trout and fairly large one as well and it wasn't long before I got into a casting position and had a chuck for it and on the second cast I got a slamming take as the Trout nailed my fly.

 A fight ensued for about 4 minutes after hooking up and it played around quite well in the deeper water, much to my delight and it was a good scrap as ever on the light gear.

  Another quality Brownie at 3lbs 10oz, absolutely pristine - not a mark on it, after a picture and a quick weighing she went back to join the rest that were in the swim, I then headed up where I found plenty of Trout between a few ounces and 4lbs but I couldn't manage to hook one, Stu had finally made it up to the top on his bike, a long way up for him and unfortunately he didn't get to see a fish on the bank as I did get another take but I managed to strike but not set the fly so it got away, but another day.



Operation Clean Sweep Part One.

 Over the last month or so since the season had finished, myself and a couple of my angling friends and youngest brother have been walking the banks of one of my local rivers and finding the swims that need some heavy work done to them in order for them to become fishable, not to mention make some of the less aesthetically looking swims much better to improve the flow as well.

 A few weeks ago I also did a days work on the river in another stretch where I removed a king size mattress, 2 bicycles, about 6 traffic cones, trimmed back a lot of dead branches and trees, about 15 bags of recyclable materials.

 After 5 hours of hard work on Monday, my brothers Richard and Chris and myself put in some hard work to remove a load of debris, which consisted of a large moped, a ton of mixed rubbish, plus loads of submerged electrical cable about 30 meters of it that was mostly buried under layers of gravel and silt, which we managed to extract after about half an hour of pulling and cutting, also as we were blitzing that small area Stu was keeping an eye on base camp as we toiled out in the river, most of the debris we pulled out, we believe has actually come from the allotments of the other side of the river, where it has just been easier for people to dump the stuff over the bank and into the river without any sort of consequence. (excluding the moped).

 

Just about everything you could think of was here in this swim.

Spring Tench.

 A brief catch up on an evenings fishing over one of my local lakes and after a couple of hours fishing on a float setup I managed to coax a fish into feeding and after a strong battle a lovely Tench slipped over my net.

5lbs 14oz first of the season and hopefully many more to come.

Fluff Chucking Part Three.

 Today's fishing comprised of what wasn't, all week I had a trip to Marsh Farm planned and all the bait and gear was by my parents front door last night in preparation to just wake up get showered and dressed but just after 5am, it wasn't my alarm that woke me up to get a move on but the sound of a torrential rain storm battering the windows, it was raining so hard that I could barely make the houses on the other side of the road, with that I turned my alarm off and went back to bed for a couple of hours, what a shame! I was really looking forward to going there for the first time, maybe next week.

 But I'm on holiday for a week or so I'd decided to head off out with a fly rod after Trout again, I'd seemed to hit a purple patch the last couple of sessions and I hoped I'd continue that rich vein of form, it is something I'm enjoying a lot, plus the casting is also improving with every outing.

 Fishing for these powerful fish on this light rod and reel is immense fun and could never get bored of it and today was no different because I had banked four Brown Trout to 2lbs 13oz ( 2lb 12oz, 2lb 4oz, 1lb 2oz ) and my first Chub this season on the fly, all my fish today fell to a fly that I had made a couple of years ago up in Cumbria and I still have no idea what it was I'd made, if anyone can shed light on it then let me know. The tail is made up of old Christmas tinsel and the fish seemed to adore it.

A plump 2lb + Chub on my tinsel fly.

Best of the day, again not a monster but great fun.

 The only thing that went right today was the red tinsel fly, but I'll make it out to Marsh Farm next week, I have a date with a Cruscian Carp. Also I have just purchased a Panasonic GF3 compact DSLR camera which is what took these pictures at first glance it's a great camera light and small but nearly all the main features you come to expect of from a full-size DSLR and with Full-HD recording as well so watch out for my attempt of a fishing video. (should be a laugh).



Fluff Chucking Part Two.

 After a week since my last outing with the fly gear I decided to go back out in search of Brown Trout, having not been selected for today's game I had a rare Saturday at my disposal and with the sun out and not a cloud in the sky the condition's were almost perfect, but when I'd got down to my chosen beat the wind was almost non-existent which was a far cry from last week's hairdryer gales, so the conditions were even better.

 I brought along a different selection of flies this time to try and mix it up and find out what flies get responses and which ones don't, I really fancied it today more than I did last weekend due to the fact I should be able to cast and lay my fly line in it's intended path.

 I had only been walking 5-10 minutes and I had already seen a couple of good sized Trout but they were in spots that weren't viable to cast to, so I had to watch them and move, seeing them made it hard as I couldn't fish for them because the swims I had fish from last weekend were devoid of fish this week, was just showing me how much they move around, so for the first hour or so I was faced with seeing Trout in the swims I could not fish and the swims I could cast in had nothing to fish for.

 But with perseverance I did manage to find a swim that both had a fish in it and that I could cast to it, on my first cast down and the retrieve I had a follow from a nice brownie, so not to waste anytime I quickly cast back down and as it hit the surface the Trout rose and nailed my fly, instantly leaping 3ft into the air I was in to a good fish, it charged constantly around and stripping line, just to add to it as well she ploughed through a bunch of sticks in the inside edge which nearly snapped me up, using 4lb tippet that wouldn't have been hard, but after another 4 or 5 leaps and a couple of minutes she was in the net and reviving. A lovely fish that had fantastic markings and colour.

 A pristine 3lbs 5ozs Brown Trout.

 A few of the Trout here are very silvery so it was very nice to catch a properly coloured one, but after that catching that I did manage to find more Trout but again they were in very obscure positions and casting to them wasn't possible and in amongst that shoal were 4 brown Trout to about 4lb an a few Chub to around 5lb maybe even bigger but the Trout were my only target, so I watched and waited to see if they were going to a more accessible position but after 5 minutes of hoping it became clear they weren't going to move, so I was on the move again.

 Another hour or so had elapsed with not a fish in sight, I was starting to think that was going to be action for the day, albeit a fish not a monster but a wet net and a bend in the rod is all I really came out for and to relax whilst wetting a line, the day though was to get another piece of action when I was tracking upstream I noticed a brownie sat in mid stream just off the bottom so I came away from the margins and moved 10 yrds up and when I peered over the edge slowly I noticed the Trout moved up with me, so I had to push up another 10 yrds to get in a casting position, when I did it took about 5 casts to get it to even show an ounce of interest but all that commotion of that fly passing over it's head on about the sixth cast he came up and nailed the fly with serious vigour, it's been a while since I've had a take that violent and the Trout certainly didn't like being hooked, constantly shaking it head and leaping out the water trying to break free, the light gear was being put through it's paces again, these Trout can fight and very well too.

 My first cock fish for a long time, all that I've been catching recently have been hen Trout, so it was good to see a male fish on the bank, another three pound + fish banked the head of Trout here are pretty good.

3lbs 1ozs of pure power, notice the small kype.

My capture records for 2012-13 season.

This is a record of the fish caught between 1st April 2012 and March 31st 2013.

Bream	10lbs 14oz PB
Barbel	14lbs 6oz PB
Carp Common	21lbs 7oz
Carp Mirror	31lbs 3oz PB
Carp Koi	4lbs 10oz
Chub	3lbs 1oz (fly caught), 5lbs 7oz
Crucian Carp
Gudgeon	2oz
Tench	6lbs 14oz
Roach	2lbs 7oz
Rudd	1lbs 14oz
Roach/Bream Hybrid
Ruffe	2oz
Dace	11oz
Perch	1lb 15oz
Pike	4lbs 7oz
Zander
Eel	10oz
Bleak	2oz
Silver Bream
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout	5lbs 12oz (fly caught), 3lbs 10oz

Fluff Chucking Part One.

 After a very hectic few weeks at work and the not so seasonable weather, I really wanted to get out but with a mixture of the rivers being closed and the Bream, Tench and Carp months not started yet I decided to grab a fly rod and go in search of Brown Trout in what had to have been the best weather we've seen in 6 months, so not to waste a good opportunity I headed out very light with a small selection of flies, hoping to wet a net for the first time in a month.

 The day got off to a slow start with a number of good swims worked and spotting a few Trout amongst the ranunculus but no takes on the fly, my main choices for the fly were, pheasant tail nymph, blue flash damsel and the black buzzer which have all in the past done good things, so today I stuck to what I know best and but the wind had other ideas, for the entire session it blew and I found it very hard sometimes to muster a cast without a dreaded bird's nest or the fly or line ending up in the bankside vegetation, not to be disheartened by the constant bombardment I picked swims where I had the wind either behind me or blowing downstream.

 

 

 The river looked in immaculate condition with it looking probably the best I've ever seen it and a couple of other fly anglers said the same thing as we had a conversation about the local riff raff still fishing the river for the coarse species with feeder rods and pellet rigs, between us 3 guys who were fishing the correct method, we saw another 4 that weren't and flouting the law, but where are the powers that be to put a stop to it??

 

 It took nearly an hour to register my first interest from a Trout which fell to the pheasant tail almost as it hit the surface a nice swirl was created as a brownie just under a 2lb nailed the fly.

 

 

 Just what the doctor ordered after a baron spell of a month, a fine scrap I will add as well, giving me about 5 huge leaps into the air one of which must have been 3ft or more, Olympian trout indeed. Note the wind blew off me hair as well!!! it was that strong.

 

 Next swim and I managed to stumble on to two brownies both of which were under a pound, so not to waste time I got about 15ft above them and cast the fly out and let it pass over them and on the retrieve the rear one of the two nabbed it giving me again a good account of itself.

 

 

Number two home safe, as they all do, catch and release strictly.

 

 Two for the Pheasant tail now in as many casts, all of a sudden the fish wanted to feed, for an hour before these two I had done the same thing and only got the occasional follow but I guess that's fishing eh?, when I fly fish even if I know there is more fish in the swim I'll leave them and move on to another swim not to piss them off too much, but after that second fish the session went quite again and it was probably another hour before I saw another fish, there was obviously more upstream than the lower part of the beat.

 

 I was to be greeted though by quiet a chunky Trout when I noticed a couple of Chub sat on a gravel run a short and fat spotty came up stream and very delicately took my fly off the surface barely breaking it, as soon as I saw my fly disappear into the fishes gob I struck then all hell broke loose, on a 7ft 3/4 weight fly rod and 4lb tippet I feared the worst and when it took off, it did so quickly that it spun the reel too fast and I couldn't control thus putting me in a massive tangle which wouldn't allow the fly-line through the next eye of the rod or back onto the reel so I just gained on the fish the old fashioned way and paying out line when it charged off when it got close to the net.

 

 

 

A lovely 2lb 11oz Brown Trout, back to fight another day.

 

 Just after I put that cracker back the heavens opened and in the attire I had decided to go with today, it all of a sudden didn't seem a great idea but thankfully it wasn't substantial, just another April shower, it had been a good day and seriously thought about calling it a day, I had plenty of enjoyment even if the wind was making life very hard, but I thought I'd have a cast or two on my way down to the end of the beat and I'm glad I did, a couple of blind casts and on the third retrieve an almighty bow wave came up behind my blue flash damsel and smashed it with some serious power, as soon I saw how powerful the brownie took it, I thought seriously whether my tackle would cope with such a battle but I've had bigger on this gear so I rolled with it and after a battle of about 4 minutes I slipped my net under what was the biggest of the day by quite a distance.

 

 

A true Brutus, 3lb 13ozs and what a fish too.

 

 

After the pictures, she was returned to her watery home, great sport.

 

 Once I had revived that big spotty I packed up and headed home but on route the child in me was curious about what life lurked in the margins so with a couple of scoops with my net I captured a nice fat Frog and an energetic Newt. I'd love to come back and do a part two, weather depending!.

 







Back on the banks.

 After a quiet a long absence by my standards from the waterways I had finally managed to break the monotony of work and got out on my local canal in search of a Perch or Pike, over the years I have always struggled on the grand union canal in north London but today, the sun was out and probably one of the best days of the year so far for fishing so I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

 Today I spent the day spinner and lure fishing using a range of different colours and sized ones, throughout the morning I had tried a few locks and bends on the canal trying to find some fish shoaled up but after a couple of hours and a few hundred casts, I managed to blank but somewhat unsurprisingly but it was nice to finally get out and with the sun out as it was and with Chris for company who also blanked it was a nice day out, maybe another time I might get lucky.

London's Grand Union Pike hunt.

 

 

Camden Lock, an old Bream haunt of mine, but no predators apart from the black death.

 

 

 

The weirdest thing I've ever seen aswell, a Heron eating bread!!??!! erm, aren't they carnivores, what will I see next, a canal Pike on the bank?. Tight Lines until next time.