Posts Tagged ‘Red maggot’

Preparing a Tench Swim

Tuesday, May 26th, 2015

Air temperatures are warming after a late cold snap and my thoughts turn to tench. A visit to a known water reveals banks of Canadian Pondweed (Elodea canadensis) growing in the shallow areas and around the perimeter, all told at least half the pond is unfishable. Arranging to meet Thomas at the venue we begin the job of clearing a swim. Putting in about four hours over two days we open up an area of 15 x 10 meters which is more than enough space for the two of us.

Clearing Canadian pondweed from a swim.

Using a garden rake head attached to a suitable length of rope the task is both simple and tiring, chuck the rake head out, let it sink, drag it back through the weed and remove what is gathered. Initially big clumps come away releasing gases from the mud which fizz on the surface. Space appears quickly but this is deceptive as one now has to go through a process of gathering the broken off pieces which litter the area, some but not all floating on the surface. Eventually though, even allowing for the chest waders, damp and muddy the job was completed, now for Mr. Tench.

Casting the feeder for tench.

Setting up 25 gram feeder rigs we cast towards likely spots along the invasive weed edge as this signifies where the water deepens, a likely area where tench may feed. Employing a combination of red maggot and sweetcorn bites are scarce, only small perch and rudd showing an interest. It is possible the cold snap of recent weeks may have put the tench back a fortnight, if so with temperatures now rising our hard work will shortly be rewarded, of that I am certain…….

 

Feeding the Barrow

Sunday, April 19th, 2015

Last Friday 17th April while feeder fishing the River Barrow at St Mullins I had the pleasure of meeting and fishing alongside a kindred spirit, his name Thomas Cosgrave, like myself  born in England of Irish emigrants who traveled over in the 1950′s, Thomas had recently taken early retirement and decided to move lock stock and barrel back to the old sod.

Thomas Cosgrave feeder fishing the River Barrow at St Mullins.

A competent angler Thomas surprisingly stated that although he has no regrets about retiring to Ireland he does miss the coarse fishing that he enjoyed in England citing that his coarse fishing experience on the River Barrow does not match up to the Irish fisheries board marketing blurb. With historical experience of fishing the river during holiday visits he categorically states that the bream/hybrid fishing has seriously declined with one very visible cause, predation emanating from within the eastern European community.

Playing a roach on feeder gear at St Mullins, Co. Carlow, Ireland.

That said, we had a fine afternoon casting into a rising tide catching dace, a few plump roach and an odd trout tempted by four red maggot. Fishing eased over the top of the tide as is my experience and we called it a day round about six bells. The large bream and hybrids were marked absent which should not be given the time of year, the mild winter and the fact that Irish people do not eat coarse fish.

On the positive side Thomas and I exchanged numbers and we will definitely fish together again very soon, the local tench population had better watch out.

Tench from a New Water

Saturday, June 1st, 2013

Gary’s quiver tip jumped ever so slightly, a single knock, could this be the moment. A minute passed, two pairs of eyes glued to the tension induced curve of the rod, mainline taught between tip and feeder. A double knock spurs Gary into action, rod in hand he leans back reeling hard to connect with the in swimming fish. Veering left his rod heels over hard, “that’s a tench Gary”. “Certainly feels like it Ash”, and so it proved to be. Three and a half hours into our exploratory session on a new water we hit pay dirt, a plump tench running close to four pound.

A four pound Irish tench for Gary Robinson.

Homework to include web research, Google maps, visiting a few potential sites, plus asking locals the right questions resulted in Gary and I preparing coarse fishing tackle for an 03.30am wake up call. Struggling out of bed, half an hour later car packed and fortified by strong coffee we set off. At 05.30am just as the sun was rising, mist wafting off the water, our first casts broke the surface thirty meters out. Utilising a 15 gram feeder every 60 seconds a bed of particle mix was laid down. After fifteen minutes the frequency was lengthened. Combining red maggot and sweetcorn on a size twelve hook to a one meter tail, perseverence and belief eventually paid off, a great moment.

Landing a fat Irish tench.

Affectionately called “tinca” the tench has a reputation for being a hard fighting fish, a lover of still waters and weed beds. They supposedly feed best at first and last light during summer time especially if it is warm and muggy, hence our early start. Although dry and bright a brisk west wind added a chill to proceedings. An hour after Gary’s success my rod gave a double knock, lifting, a thump thump transferred through the rod as tinca number two swam up through the gears, these fish are powerful scrapping all the way to the net.

A first tench for Ashley Hayden.

My first tench, becoming two an hour later, mission accomplished. Not a red letter session but highly successful nonetheless. Gary and I had set out to fish a strange water with a view to catching a tench and netted three. Part one of my planned June bank holiday double is in the bag, now for that beach caught tope………

See also: Royal Tench.

Coarse Fishing in Ireland, Bream Bonanza

Friday, March 30th, 2012

Like a mini depth charge the stuffed feeder hits the water thirty meters out, a measured distance guaranteed by the main line locked to the reel spool and guided to its mark by the designated tree cast towards on the far bank. Crumb, casters, red maggot, corn, and various soaked grains filter through the cage settling on the muddy bottom, their scent and the rhythmic splash which preceded signaling interest  from the resident bream shoal. Vanilla scent fills the damp chill morning air as the rod tip curves to the current, a slack line followed by a purposeful wrap around bite, fish on and it’s heavy, kiting in the rivers flow, bream or large hybrid for sure and a good one.

A 60.lb haul of River Barrow bream for delighted anglers Graham Pepper and Keith Marsella.

Taking his time while letting the fish have its head there is no need to hurry, the size 14 kamazan has a firm hold in the rubbery lips and with rod straining a bronze slab is guided safely into the net. Disgorger to hand, hook deftly removed, quick photo for posterity, deep, slimy, heavy scaled bronze coloured flank, a cracking fish the first of many, then into the keep net. Whoops echo around the valley, hands are shook, congratulations offered, all the planning and effort has been worth while, a first bream for Keith Marsella and what a way to break your duck.

Keith Marsella with one of many River Barrow bream taken on a glorious spring day.

Regularly throwing balls of ground bait into the swim fish homed in, hung about, and hoovered. It needs a lot of bait to keep a bream shoal interested and Keith along with his friend Graham Pepper had plenty and used it well. Things had been slow for an hour with only a roach showing then the big boys moved in to hold station. From then on for a period of two hours things got hectic with regular bites for both anglers, dream fishing, you couldn’t make it up. Having decided to target bream, the boys hit pay dirt first time out. Being at hand with a camera was a privilege, and to share the occasion, well that’s what angling is all about.

Graham Pepper with the first of many Barrow bream.

Spring has come early to Ireland and everything is out of kilter, rivers are flowing at summer levels, and fish are one month ahead of schedule. Word had filtered up from Carlow that the bream were in situe so Gary and I made plans, we couldn’t have chosen a better morning to make our first trip. Blue skies, a chilly start, then as the sun rose shirt sleeves and wide brim hats. On arrival at our chosen venue Keith and Graham were already pitched and working away. Exchanging introductions the camaraderie of angling took over, helped no end by the fabulous fishing we experienced. Equipment shared, advice, jokes, more congratulations as fish hit the bank, you would think we had known each other all our lives.

Gary Robinson with one of three Barrow bream on a sunny spring day.

To cap it all Carlow Coarse Angling Club stalwart Gerry McStraw arrived, bream having a magnetic pull which is hard to resist. Banter flowed and as the afternoon wore on bites eased, probably due to the heat as much as anything. Calling it a day at 17.00pm  by lines up six species had been caught, bream, hybrids, roach, dace, trout, and smolts, what a prolific river the Barrow is. Graham and Keith’s bream haul bottomed out at 60.lbs which was fantastic, while Gary and I had 6 bream between us with Gary catching the largest at 5.lb 12.oz. It was a wonderful day made all the more by meeting with and sharing in the boys dream catch. Why do I fish…?

Further information, click on: Barrow Boys.

Coarse Fishing in Ireland, Royal Tench.

Saturday, May 7th, 2011

One of the first fishing books that I possessed was titled “Fishing Days” by Geoffrey Bucknall, a great read profiling the authors early angling exploits. In one chapter he fishes for tench and describes a fish that likes shallow marginal water, is a doughty fighter, and is best targeted before the sun gets too high in the sky. Gary Robinson recently fished a secret location for tench on the Royal Canal and had a spectacular session along with two friends Mark Handsley and John Herrieven.

Gary Robinson with a cracking Royal Canal tench.

Fishing the waggler and using three red maggot on a size 14 hook the trio bagged up over a weekends fishing. Sunday was the best day with fish surprisingly coming on the feed around 10.30am and continuing sporadically until 19.30pm. On arriving the lads had cleared a swim of weed a prerequisite for this hard fighting species, who like their cover and will head for sanctuary with a powerful run on the first instance of being hooked.

Playing a tench on the Royal Canal, Ireland.

At sessions end Gary and the lads had accumulated over sixty pounds of tench which is some haul for the first few days in May. The best tench fell to Gary’s rod at 4.lbs 2.ozs with the average size nudging 3.lbs. If the mild weather continues tench fishing can only improve.

A royal catch of canal tench, Royal Canal, Ireland.

I would like to thank Gary for the report and images, an all round angler with a particular passion for coarse fishing Gary writes articles for “The Irish Anglers Digest”, and delivers introductory courses in fly fishing.

Coarse Fishing in Ireland, River Barrow, Athy, Co. Kildare.

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

They are called red letter days, when all the preparation, experience, and knowledge comes together to produce a memorable fishing session. In conversation with Gary a few evenings previous we had agreed to coarse fish the River Barrow close to Athy. Arriving at the chosen venue shortly before 10.00am a change of location was agreed, primarily because the main river was in perfect condition, slightly coloured with an even flow. We took a chance that fish would have ventured out of the backwaters and decided to fish a swim close to Athy town centre, an inspired hunch? You could say so.

Casting the feeder, River Barrow, Athy, Co. Kildare.

Having fished the marina recently due to the river in flood, we learned that fish shelter out of the main current in heavy flows. Once levels drop back they venture out again to where the feeding is better. Our guess was that the vast shoals that inhabit the marina wouldn’t stray too far from the haven, our assessment proved correct. Having chosen a swim on the right hand bank we set up and proceeded to feed Gary’s particle mix at sixty second intervals until bites commenced, which they did almost immediately.

Gary Robinson with a smashing hybrid, River Barrow, Athy, Co. Kildare.

Plugging the feeder with particle mix and filling the centre with casters we lobbed to a line about a third of the way across and touch ledgered. From the get go bites occurred within one or two minutes, good heavy knocks which produced a string of hybrids. A feature were slack line bites from the larger fish which lifted the feeder causing the tip to straighten quickly. Lighter but equally purposeful knocks resulted in prime roach some reaching a pound+. Interspersed were the lightening machine gun rattle of dace, which even using a size 14 hook are hard to connect with. I would say that one in three bites resulted in a hook up, I’m no match man but then again we were pleasure fishing, the action was constant with every recast suppling extra feed to the swim.

A cracking perch, River Barrow, Athy, Co. Kildare.

Noted for its big perch one heavy slack line bite resulted in a nice perch around a pound. Beautifully striped and in great condition prior to spawning they can reach 3 pounds+ in this area, here’s hoping. Its broad dorsal fin raised in the current and never day die attitude contributed to a memorable scrap. On that note include hybrids, the larger fish in the two pound plus bracket ran a merry dance also before sliding over the net. Fishing leisurely we had an idea that at days end the keep net might hold a substantial catch.

Gary Robinson with a forty pound mixed bag, River Barrow, Athy, Co. Kildare.

As the angelus bell rang out we lifted the net. Throughout the afternoon bites had been constant with numerous shoals of fish entering our swim. Stopping every so often for photos and lunch upset the pattern of ground baiting resulting in lulls, but once the feeder (30 gram) was reintroduced bites recommenced fairly quickly afterwards. Six species made up the haul which topped forty pounds, roach, silver bream, dace, perch, roach/bream hybrid, and rudd/bream hybrid. The bait was two red maggot presented on a two foot snood incorporating a 4.lb fluorocarbon tippet. This was wild coarse fishing at its best. The River Barrow is a superb fishery, and with the sterling work and initiatives being implemented by both Athy and Carlow coarse angling clubs, can only go from strength to strength. Gary and I had a great day in the early April sunshine, we’ll be back….

Further reading: Barrow Boys.

Further reading: Coarse Fishing, Athy Marina, Co. Kildare.