Evening all,
Just a quick posting on this mornings fishing, this was the first time that we’d been course fishing for nearly eighteen months! Due to time constraints and a host of other things to do we could only fish late morning to early afternoon, not the best time of the day especially with the temperatures soaring the way they were today. We’d have had much better fortune early hours or as dusk laid its cooling mantle down, but this was not to be.
As we walked around one of the local pits known as the globe there was very little activity to be seen at all just a few common carp basking at the far end. It would have been a waste of time setting after these as they wouldn’t be interested in feeding until the cooler evening air had arrived, in any case the larger carp here are notoriously difficult to catch having been fished for many times over the years.
We chose our pegs where some over hanging trees afforded some cover. Even if we had not have caught today just being out here fishing, surrounded by dragonflies, damselflies, water nymphs, fish fry hugging the shore and a host of birds was to mean the day was not wasted. I’d forgotten just how much I enjoy this type of fishing where the whole ambiance of the day’s fishing allowed an almost meditative state to come over me and wash worries and cares away.
But surprisingly neither of us blanked with Clare landing a selection of roach, perch and Crucian carp and I a combination of roach and perch. All the fish were taken on double maggot with most of mine taken on the drop.
Although all the fish were released unharmed (apart from the barbless hook hole!) it was sort of comforting to know that if life did go arse over elbow we both have the skills to put food on the table this way if needed. Hopefully it won’t be as long until the next time we go fishing, in fact we’re already thinking of other waters both fresh and sea further afield. The best thing about the sea trips is that I will get to eat some of the catch.
Your friend,
John
24 comments:
It is a comfort indeed to know one has the ability to feed oneself if needed. Great looking fish.
Cheers
I read somewhere long ago that "fishing is a state of mind". In other words, whether you actually catch anything or not, just the experience of being out there with a line in the water is what counts.
Hi FW,
Thanks for dropping by my good man, tis indeed a comfort that you don't have to relie upon the wheels of commerce if they grind to a halt.
John
Hi Bob,
Very true, there is many a time when I've blanked when fishing but had a truly great day.
John
I think Bob is right. Fishing is a state of mind. I know that when I go, if my mind is in the "There are fish here and I'm going to catch them" mode, I catch fish. Have to always be on the positive.
Mark
Good post.
Practice is always good. As you say, you never know when you might need that skill.
Regards.
I agree with Bob. It's being out there is what counts. The sounds of the birds, dragonflies, frogs, ducks, wind in the trees...Nature's symphony. The best.
Thanks for letting us in on the fishing in your parts!
Casey
John,
You remind me that I really need to go fishing. Dare I say it has been well over a year... I am planning on a giggin' trip this summer with a few of my friends. I am super excited about it. I thoroughly enjoy it but that is another pleasure that I have suspended for a while now. Congrats on your wonderful day with a boutiful catch. Maybe next time you will have dinner. ;)
-Leigh
There is something truly therapeutic about fishing. Glad you were able to catch a few!
Nicely done, John. Enjoyed reading your fishing experience for the day and looking at pictures of the fish. I will look forward to more of your excursions to water with fishing in mind.
Hi Mark,
Yes you’re right; I know when I’ve gone out with rod n line and a foul mood they just don’t bite.
Le Loup,
Thank you my friend, the way this world is turning it may be sooner rather than later when such skills are required.
Casey,
A pleasure my friend, and your right it’s about being involved with everything ‘out there’ not just the task in hand.
Leigh,
Just get ‘out there’ and fish me dear, it does the soul the world of good.
Hi Emily,
So much so I wish I could fish all day every day, then I wouldn’t have a care in the world.
Hi Mel,
Truly pleased that you enjoyed this post, hopefully there will be more fishing exploits to tell of this year.
I admit, it took me a bit to "get" your title. I have had a recent, VERY bad experience involving maggots, so my immediate thought was "Ewwwww, gross!" Then, I realized you were talking fishing!
One of my life's goals is to find SOMEONE with the patience and ability to teach me how to FLY FISH. That is all I want to learn to do. Regular fishing bypasses me as an fun pastime. I'd rather poke hot needles in my eye than to sit there and do nothing for hours on end! However, eating the end product? I'm all over that. I LOVE fresh caught fish, especially cooked over an outdoor open fire.
Hi DHimC,
Fly fishing is certainly something that I'd love to do as well, But regular fishing does not have to be all about sitting upon your butt doing naught but count bubbles, there are so many ways to approach course fishing from the aforementioned butt sitting to the stalking of large carp with the bare minimum of tackle. you've certainly got me thinking of ways to perhaps get you to take the bait, perhaps a series of posts on other methods may well be in the pipeline. Oh you just cannot best fresh caught mackerel, cavity filled with lemon, thyme and dill wrapped in foil and cooked on the beach (with cider of course).
Best regards,
John
Sometimes just being out there is reward enough. Catching fish is icing on the cake. Good to see you had some success. Nice job on the pictures as well!
I always mean to ask - what is cider? I mean, to ME, cider is apple cider. Nonalcoholic, bought at the grocery store. Is it the same there, or is it hard cider (still apple, but fermented) or is it something different all together?
Hey Bill,
Your right of course catching the fish is just the icing upon the cake, fishing for me is just another way of being out there surrounded by mother nature. Glad you liked the pics.
DHimC,
Mmmm there’s a non alcoholic cider? dear me I nearly chocked when I read that there is such a thing, blasphemy indeed! Seriously though it be the crushed mixture of different typed of apples then fermented is the tipple that I talk about, although not a heavy drinker be any stretch of the imagination when I do drink alcoholic I’ve got to enjoy the drink and not just its accumulative affects upon my speech and dexterity. Try looking up cider here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cider#Cider_production to give you a basic idea of cider production.
Best regards,
John
John,
great post and pics - I really like the looks of Clare's Crucian carp - I hadn't heard of them before reading it here. Your spot looks peaceful and relaxing, and there are obviously a few fish there as well. Nicely done.
So nice, in fact, that it has enticed me to plan a little "Coarse Fish" morning of my own this coming Saturday with my son. We'll target the channel catfish in the local ponds and hopefully have a little fish fry around noon. I'll post it if we get out.
Hey Wolfy,
Thank you for your comments my friend, welcome as always. Best of luck those catfish Saturday, looking forward to that post and pictures.
John
Ok, I did my research and have discovered that in most places in the world, especially in the UK, "Cider" there means what we call HARD Cider here. We have it, just not what we mean when we say Cider. Fall is Apple Cider season here - with places pressing fresh apples for a juice type of cider. Everyone drinks it - children, adults, everyone. It is thicker and darker and sweeter than apple juice, but similar. If you want HARD cider, you have to let the cider sit, and ferment, or add sugar and rack it like we do if we make wine or beer. For you, you apparently BUY "Cider" like we buy beer. We currently have some hard cider and some Applejack (fermented HARD cider, so much higher alcohol content than even the hard cider) that a friend made. I don't like it. Heresy to your ears, I'm sure.
AND, none of which has ANYTHING at all to do with FISHING, which IS what your post was all about. Sorry. I just like it when I learn things. Now, maybe some day, I'll learn to fish, also.
Hey DHimC,
Now if you want 'real cider' then a trip to the South West corner of England is required where (if you know where to look) you can purchase a quantity of scrumpy, a course brew of cloudy cider made be the locals and sold by the gallon (not Er strictly under licence in our beloved nanny state over here - don't get me going on that one)on certain roadsides. It has a taste all of it's own and can drop a mule with a couple of slurps!
Back to fishing, you really ought to try it some day as it can be almost meditative and it also does get you 'out there'surrounded by nature, course you should take some chilled cider to help the day along a little :-)
All the very best,
John
All this reminds me of a fellow who used to live near here who sadly was killed by a reckless driver several years ago. He had a small apple orchard, and every fall he would make apple cider and drive around the neighborhood selling it door to door. He stopped here one year with several jugs of cider to sell, and knowing he was very religious I asked him if it was hard cider. He thought about it for a minute, then said no; then with a slight grin he said “But you can make it hard”. :)
I will make that one of my summer goals: fishing, with "cider" in hand.
I'll let you know how it goes!
Bob,
The 'harder' the better ;-), tis a pity such a life was ended by a wastrel.
DHimC,
Looking forward to the post.
Let me see, spending a sunny day beside a river shaded under the trees watching the flies and kingfishers skipping by while some nice beverages chill in the water to near perfection. Sounds like my sort of sport, was always a trouble when I caught a fish!
I never saw the point of throwing them back though, we always ate anything that came out, but then I had access to a private river conveniently downstream of a fishing club that stocked it's section of the river for its members!
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