Time for a catch up!

Well its been over a year since I last managed to pen something on my blog page!...Time really does go way to quick!

In reality, my Facebook page has allowed me to post quick and concise updates as and when something interesting happens.

With a new addition to the family, fishing has taken a bit of a back seat, but I am conscious this page has been a brilliant outlet in the past and I don't want to let it fade away.

In fact having a read of my past exploits often reminds me of some tips and tricks at certain venues which I may have forgotten, it is almost a sort of diary.

What has been happening:

Spring and Summer 2018 was fairly uneventful in some respects, I decided to concentrate on my club season with my Eight Bells A.C. and just try my best, whilst fishing the odd open. A fair few section wins kept things ticking over, but just the one club win meant I fell short of any title challenge finishing a disappointing 4th over the season.

Eight Bells A.C. Standings for 2018

I enjoyed my usual August trip to Lindholme lakes finishing 3rd in our little mini festival format and winning the last day with a nice weight. Visiting one or two new venues over the year too was good, but in general, with a pregnant wife to look after and very little time off to be used for fishing, it was difficult to get stuck into matches properly.

I imagine I am in the same boat as many, trying to juggle work and family life means that fishing is no longer the main priority.

Keeping it basic:

What I did find interesting and very enjoyable was getting out with  minimal tackle and really going back to basics.

It began with a trip to Australia to visit family and using my nephews rudimentary set up was really fun...a rod, reel, some weights/hooks and a bit of bait....fish a chuck!

No choice but to travel light using a kids set up in the sea.

The theme continued with a trip to Cornwall in September. I would have loved to have visited the likes of Whiteacres or Porth etc, but I didn't want to drag all my gear down there when the idea was to see some sights and relax with the wife, who was  heavily pregnant at the time.

I took a rod, reel and net with some sea bits.The plan wasp to catch some mullet in the harbour, but sea conditions did not permit this. I ended up finding a little sea fishing shop with some really basic coarse gear! A bag of  pellets, a waggler and some weights along with hooks to nylon allowed me to have a dabble on a pretty little complex near where we stayed. Four hours spent in lovely weather and catching anything that swam was as enjoyable as any recent match win.

No box...just a blanket :)

Fish on

A quick summer session on my club water for Tench one early morning gave up 4 stunning fish and all done and dusted before breakfast!

I guess the point being is... if you cant get out fishing matches regularly, get out when you can! The amount of gear you carry is irrelevant. Location and presentation are the key things.

River Revival:

The main highlight of  this winter was getting out onto a river for the first time in a long time...same theme,minimum tackle, but a full day fishing with natural baits.

Me and my mate John went up to the river ribble on three occasions in various conditions and every time we went, learnt something new. I tried both a stickfloat, waggler and whip on various occasions and each time managed plenty of silvers, catching more each time as I became familiar with flowing water.

Completely different from commercials and something I intend to do more of in the future!

Getting back onto the rivers has been a real highlight

Lovely Roach and Dace being the mainstay of my visits back on the rivers.

John even sneaked a pike in whilst trotting for Roach

Our club season has now kicked off again and after two matches I have had a 5th and a 1st, so not a bad start.

I also recently spent a great 3 days down at my favourite docklow pools and enjoyed catching 175lb+ over those days, not bad for spring, which feels like it hasn't kicked in yet.

Conclusion:

Catching fish on minimal tackle and getting out as and when I can has been very enjoyable, as has getting back on running water. With not being able to fish "as and when" I want, it means I am able to focus more when I can get out on the bank... meaning I try harder.

As spring kicks in there will be plenty to fish for and if I can, I will keep this page updated...if not check out Eastwood's angling on Facebook.

Good luck when you are out and maximise every opportunity you get to wet a line.

Some highlights from the last 12 months.