From January through to March, I was mainly sea fishing around the coast of North Wales and Anglesey. As the weather started to warm in April, I bought a new coarse fishing/waggler rod, and headed for the local fisheries and streams in Cheshire, for the first time in over 20 years.
Warming to fresh water fishing, I tried my hand, unsuccessfully, at pike fishing on the local rivers and canals. Finally, with Autumn arriving, I bought a carp rod and reel, and went in search of some local specimens.
Here is what I have been up to.
Coarse Fishing:
Coarse Fishing is how I originally got into angling, over twenty years ago.
As an 11 year old, I would wander down onto the Leeds and Liverpool canal, and fish for Perch, Roach and on occasion a surprise species such as a small Bream or Rudd.
Now as a 30-something, I'm not really content with sitting on a canal, fishing for small fry. Instead, I opted to try out a local fishery.
Partridge Lakes Fisheries, based in Culcheth, Cheshire, is just over a mile from my front door, so it's pretty handy to say the least.
Stocked with Carp, Chub, Bream, Roach, Perch, Rudd, Barbel, Tench, Ide and Golden Tench, this was the perfect place to take up coarse fishing again!!!
I decided to fish one of the canal sections, which was beautifully landscaped, maintained and stocked with Roach, Rudd, Bream, Barbel, and a few species of Carp. Originally, I found setting to be difficult. Tiny hooks, thin line, small baits and flexible rods, I had to discipline myself, not to cast like I was on a beach.
After a couple of practice casts, a couple of which landed in the reeds on the opposite bank, I finally started to land the float and hook in the same area. Sitting back, with the hook baited and in the margins, I sat and watched what fellow anglers techniques, trying to pick up the basics again. Instead, I should have been watching the float!
Bites came thick and fast and it wasn't long before I had landed countless Perch and Roach. Talking with other anglers, they informed me, increasing the size of the hook and bait would result in bigger fish. Trying this, it wasn't long before I landed a decent sized Bream.
Having really enjoyed my first coarse fishing trip in over 20 years, I couldn't wait to go again.
Reading up on techniques in magazines and blogs, it wasn't long before I was reading the water, looking for features and landing good sized fish. This is an invaluable skill to have, and can be applied to every discipline in fishing.
Fishing in some of the larger pools, I started to catch Carp. This is now my second love in angling, after sea fishing.
Starting off with some smaller specimens, F1's, Common and the odd Mirror, building up to fish of a decent size, whilst learning about the different techniques, rigs and baits, was a surprising, yet fantastic time.
Carp Fishing
Having spent a couple of months coarse fishing and landing the odd Carp, I decided to take the plunge, buy a Carp rod, big-pit reel, and head off to some specimen waters, in early August.
Having practiced tying Carp specific rigs, and now having a good Carp fishing set up, I went in search of a few good sized fish.
Heading to the other side of Cheshire, I found a well hidden fishery. Mainly coarse fishing, again, but with a specimen pool, with Carp up to 40lb +.
Having set off early in the morning, to avoid commuters, I arrived at the pools just as the sun was coming up. After selecting a peg, near a small island in the centre of the pond, with lilies and reeds at both sides, I set up and cast 3 foot in front of the reeds, just to the left of the lily pads. I set the rod down, armed the alarm and sat back. After waiting patiently, the alarm started beeping. I rushed for the rod, adrenalin pumping, struck, FISH ON!
After safely returning the fish, to get fatter and fight another day, I re-rigged and recast to the same area as before. Sitting the rod back down, and arming the alarm, I sat and waited for the next battle.
Whilst waiting for bites, I spent most of the time practicing tying new rigs and knots, whilst experimenting with hook links. I did have one idea for a sea fishing rig, which I will post at a later date, after I have tried it out for myself.
After a 20 minute or so wait, the alarm sounded into action. I jumped out of my chair, lifted the rod to see line spooling off the reel, and struck whilst tightening the clutch.
The tip of the rod dived to the right, whilst the fish tried to run like a freight train. Trying to keep the fish from swimming around the island, where no doubt I would have lost it, I managed to bring it under control, and the battle commenced in the run between the bank and the island.
This fish was having none of it! Agin it dived, shaking it's head. After ten minutes or so, it finally broke the surface, all I managed to see was a good sized dorsal fin before the tail propelled it back under the water.
The battle continued for a further 15 - 20 minutes, until I finally managed to get the landing net below it.
After having a breather for a second or two, and allowing blood to flow back into my arms, I popped the boille out of her mouth and put her in the weighing sling.
She tipped the scales at 10lb 2oz, my biggest Carp yet!
Although not a monster by some peoples standards, I was so proud to have taught myself how to present bait to this fish, fight with it, for what seemed like an eternity, and to land such a stunning fish, all on my own!
It's days like those that you realise exactly why you spend your time, money and effort, pursuing specimen fish, whether it be shore Bass or Cod, freshwater Tench or Barbel, predatory Perch or Pike, big fat lumps like Carp or streamlined rockets like Trout and Salmon.
I do it, because I love it, and I don't think there's anything else I'd rather be doing!
So, for 2012, I'm really looking forward to applying what I have learned from all the disciplines I have fished in the last 12 months, into my fishing techniques and tactics no matter where I am, or what I am fishing for. There are still lots of things to learn in each sector of the sport, and I will be experimenting with some rigs I have thought of, but all in all, 2011 was good, 2012 looks great!
Tight lines to all those fishing in 2012!
I would also like to thank the following people and companies, for making 2011 a year to remember:
Partridge Lakes Fisheries
Partridge Lakes Fishery is set over 50 acres of Cheshire Countryside with 14 waters, all individually and uniquely landscaped with a terrace cafe, to offer superb coarse fishing and facilities throughout the year.
Sonik Sports
A dynamic company which aims to provide anglers all over the world with superbly designed fishing tackle that sets new standards for quality, performance and value for money.
FishTec - Online Suppliers of Quality Sea Fishing Tackle
We have a fantastic selection of products for all types of anglers, from fly fishing tackle to a range of fishing gear for coarse angling.