Catch fish with Mike Ladle.

Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

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Freshwater Fishing

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over several years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. As you see I also add the odd piece from my friends and correspondents if I've not been doing much. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff).

Pike at dawn etc.

Fishing's a funny old business. Last week I decided to try the river for the first time this (coarse fishing) season. For some reason, best known to myself, I opted to give it a bash at first light. When I arrived, at 3am, it was pretty dark and being reluctant to pitch my little plug too near the opposite bank I opted to fish a wide shallow pool. If I'm honest it was a disappointment. The only life I saw for half an hour was bats, thousands of them. As it was beginning to brighten a little a fish struck at the lure under the rod tip, wasn't hooked and shot off into the pool with a big bow wave. Chub! I decided.

After that I saw a few small perch following into the shallows then I landed a couple but they both wriggled off and dropped back into the river before I could get a picture. the finale was a jack pike neatly hooked on the little tail treble of my plug. As I said disappointing.

The other things of interest this week were both at the coast. One popular spot was absolutely choked with bits of weed but, on closer inspection turned out to be heaving with Idotea woodlice. For sure the bass will be after them as soon as there's an opportunity. The sea was glassy calm when I was there and I had only two bites, both missed. One of them was a decent fish and hit the lure at the surface.

My other sortie was with my grandson Ben. He was staying with us for the night before we took him to have the plaster removed from his broken wrist. Anyway, he persuaded me to take him for an hour's fishing in the evening. The sea was calm and full of feeding mullet and school bass. I rigged Ben up with a bouncy ball for a float followed by a small Delta eel. He had a fish on his second or third cast so things looked promising but after that it was slow. I lost a couple of good mullet on the fly and landed several small bass but Ben had nothing else. He did, however, manage to fill my spare waders with dirty, smelly water and to get a thorough soaking in the process. It's grim when your grandchildren have feet big enough to fit your chesties.

If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you!' get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com

Jack.

My first from the river this season.

Small lure.

I took the mid-body hook off the plug to stop the trebles tangling (it's really annoying).

Idotea.

This is a mixture of seaweed and 'woodlice'.

Idotea 2.

the picture's fuzzy because it was poor light and they wriggle all the time but it gives you some idea just how many there are.

Ben's bass.

Only a schoolie but it was a nice evening.