Run and gun!

This weekend saw me adopting the run and gun tactic in order to cover as much ground as possible (and new locations) and catching as many species as I could.. Moreover I wanted to finally break my blank streak in the freshwater side and more specifically catch a fish in Loch Awe!
Thus I used mainly 'searcher' lures aiming to find the most active fish fast and cover vast distances. The lures comprised mini spoons, spinners, blade baits and some soft plastics perfect for power fishing.
My plan for Saturday was to visit Loch Avich first for a crack at some trout, then go down to the northern side of Loch Awe again searching for trout, following this I wanted to try at the Taynuilt pier in Loch Etive for a chance of sea trout and finally finish the day at my mark in Bonawe aiming at the pollock.
The morning seemed promising with overcast sky and little wind. I reached Loch Avich and was looking forward to finding some trout. Not knowing the loch's features I decided to wade and fish some bays with stream mouths running in them, hoping to find some vegetation. There was no surface activity and after wading for more than a mile of the bank without a touch (and falling in the water/getting my smartphone wet) , I decided to go to Loch Awe.
Again I focused near stream mouths and steep drop offs near them but it wasn't meant to be and I got no bites. I was getting frustrated but I was hell bend to catch myself a trout and tried the pier at Taynuilt near the mouth of the River Awe. On reaching the pier I noticed the tide was out and decided to wade here as well. I was using my new rod and reel (Majorcraft Crostage CRK-T782AJI, Mitchell Mag Pro Lite 1000) and a 5cm Hansen stripper spoon. I saw some action in the water and had a couple bumps but then I realised there was an otter around and the fish weren't feeding well. After a while the otter moved away and I made some casts near some vegetation. I got a bite and then another one and hooked a small brownie that gave a good scrap on my setup. I let the little guy go and continued fishing. I then lost another one that threw the hook on a jump and finally got another small trout only this time the fish was looking more like a sea trout, silvery and with only a few red dots. There were no pics unfortunately as the phone was still drying out!

Loch Avich.

 I then moved to my final mark and was very keen to try a different approach to the pollock. I knew that the water was coming in at the natural harbour at this time and the pollock usually sit at the entrance, ambushing whatever comes in with the current. I was going to use small blade baits (metal vibration) cast 'upstream' and worked on the bottom with the flow. I was trying to mimic more of a prawn type bait then a fish with short sharp flicks and pauses to get the lure back to the bottom. I also used the Ecogear ZX 35 blades that also look like a shrimp and I was sure the pollock would oblige..
And oblige they did with many fish falling for this little blade some good ones among them as well. Again sorry about the bad pics but the phone had just dried out a bit but there was still some moisture on the lens left..

I found it was better to wait a bit on the strike for better hooksets with the ZX.

Coalies like it as well.

This one with lamprey markings?

Today I was going to visit Loch Awe again albeit on the Southern shore aiming once more at the trout and later planning to fish some shallow bays for a chance of a pike since they are now spawning.
I picked my UL gear and set on spinning with small spinners and spoons while walking along the shoreline. It was a bit later in the day than I wanted but last nights clubbing had taken its toll! Not much was happening until I found some weedy areas and even then I only got a couple follows from small fish and bumps. I had walked a long way from my starting point and was thinking of stoping and accepting defeat for one more time... I decided on a few more casts and I also changed to a slightly larger (#2) golden spinner. On the end of the retrieve I saw a big silver fish smash my little spinner and I knew this was no trout.. I had hooked and was face to face with the king of the rivers, a shiny salmon of almost a meter not three meters away from me! The fish didn't go on a run instead it moved slowly up and down the shore with me following it and being unable to do anything.. This went on for a few minutes and I got impatient and tried to coax the fish a bit closer. This seemed to wake up the fish and with a couple flicks of its tail took around 20m of line! I noticed the drag was a bit tight but didn't think of loosening it as the line held... Then the fish went on a second even more powerful run and the line parted... I was left speechless and utterly devastated .. First for loosing the fish and secondly for leaving the spinner in its mouth. I fell on my back and stayed there for a few minutes cursing my bad luck for losing the fish of a lifetime.. After that I had no more interest in continuing fishing there and decided to try in the bays for pike and hopefully get luckier there.
I got my medium gear and put on my trusted 13cm Savagear soft 4play mounted on the offset hook but with a treble attached to it. I kept only one of the tungsten weights on as I wanted the lure as light as possible since I would be fishing in very shallow and weedy water.
I waded in to get a good cast and worked the lure in a sink and draw fashion with plenty of twitches of the rod tip. The first bite didn't wait long and it was a hard one. The fish wasn't big but it put on an excellent fight with strong runs and two spectacular jumps clear off the water! Finally I hand-landed a well conditioned jack of about 2.5kg. I kept moving and saw some disturbance in the vegetation near the shore. The pike were definitely there spawning and I hoped to get a female. In another long cast and I got a solid take not long in the retrieve and this time the fish felt much better. Strong slow head shakes showed that this was the fish I was looking for.. The pike didn't run but instead kept going left and right keeping resistance by using its body, but as soon as it came near the shore it started fighting harder and did a few runs. Slowly but surely I was gaining on it though and in the end I managed to slip my hand under its chin and pull her out and on to some grass. She was an absolute stunner and possibly my PB, unfortunately I had left both the measuring tape and the scales in the car! I used the rod for a size estimate and the fish almost reached the first guide so It looks like near the magic metre mark! To be honest I didn't even bother looking closely and examining the fish as I wanted to put her back in the water as soon as possible since the long fight had tired her. After a couple minutes she was gone with a couple powerful strokes of her tail.. I was very happy with this fish but unfortunately it was not real consolation for the lost salmon..

The first jack.

A beauty!

The eye of a predator.

Shallow bays are the best spots in Spring.

Feeling full of the days fishing I decided to head home and go for a curry with my brother in Fort William. After the curry I tried some lrf on the pier wanting to see what was out there. And after a few casts the coalies started coming! I was focusing mostly near the bottom and close to the walls as I was hoping for a sea scorpion since Ive never caught this fish before. A few casts later i get a bite and after striking some resistance without the crazy coalfish dives. And I finally did it! My first scorpion fish and a very pretty one too with  an almost fluorescent yellow belly.. After this fish I couldn't ask for anything else and headed home..

Coalfish always there for some action!

My first one!

Amazing colours.

What a weekend that has been! If only I had landed that salmon I would be the happiest man on earth.. I'm sure it will haunt me for the rest of the summer...

Tight lines

Gear used.
Rod: Major Craft KG Evolution KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g, Majorcraft CRK-T782AJI
Reel:Shimano Stradic ci4 2500f, Mitchell Mag Pro Lite 1000
Mainline: Seaguar Kanzen braid 10lbs, Sunline siglon fluorocarbon, 4lbs
lure: various

A superb session!

Today I visited the canal at a spot near its middle reaches. The weather was overcast and a bit windy but I had a feeling that the fish would be active in that area, as it has a marina and good depth. In addition the previous sessions indicated that fish feed well right now and I should make the most of this.. I arrived around 14:30 and started fishing straight away with my UL dropshot gear. The water was stained but nothing to worry about.
Although I haven't targeted the perch on this stretch, I knew that it held good specimens along with a good number of decent jacks. I was expecting to have a mixed bag but nothing could prepare me for the action that followed!
I was working my little Savagear soft 4play along the moored barges and after the second or third cast, while retrieving parallel to a barge I got the characteristic sharp bite of a pike and after a typically vigorous fight I got it in the net.

First fish of the day.

I continued fishing but the bites dried up for a while. I moved towards a bridge and started casting next to the boats. Suddenly I got a bite but the fish didn't commit, I recast and this time it took it! I had a good fish on the end of the line and by the head shakes I could tell it was a good perch.. It came at the surface and straight in the net. It was a decent fish and among the bigger perch this season at around 2lbs. It also spat out a small roach that seems to be the dominant prey-fish in this canal at this time of year.

Beautiful hard fighter.

Food!

 I kept at it in this swim and got rewarded with another good fight, from a pike this time..

They keep coming.

I moved towards a marina and started fan-casting in order to find more fish. I could see baitfish jumping and scattering at times, so I was certain there was more to come!
Another cast parallel to a boat and I had a take but no fish, I recast and fish on. It was another big perch in perfect condition and bristling fins.

A beauty.

I made a cast towards some sunken tires next to the canal wall and let the lure sink to the bottom. As i tightened the line I felt weight and realised I got a fish on! This one felt heavy and fought like an 'obese' perch (!). As I got in on the surface I couldn't believe my eyes! It was a big bream clearly hooked in the mouth.. I knew that they get predatory but had never before caught one on a lure.
It seems everything feeds on these poor small roach!

Complete surprise!

Clean hook hold.

After the bream I kept working the area as there were still baitfish moving about.
I got a good bite few meters before the lure was out of the water and this time I was hooked to something powerful! It made several long runs and was unwilling to come to the surface, but after a few minutes of sustained pressure I managed to see it. A nice pike.. It kept moving away but soon I managed to slip the net under her. I estimated her at around 3kg, a considerable fish for the gear used.
I fished some more after that and got a couple bites, but the fish seemed to have wised-up to the lure. Being a modest man I decided to head to the pub and leave the fish alone!

Hard fighter.

Big mouth!

It was an exceptional haul for the standards of this canal and I was really buzzing after this session. I believe that fish go on feeding now to prepare for the spawning season. The small roach shoals seem to be the mainstay of their diet and so 8-9cm shiny/silver lures are proving most effective. There is always a chance of a big fish finding our lure, but by using good gear and being patient its usually relatively easy to land them. I think the use of fluorocarbon mainline really helps at this as it has some stretch and works really well with the rod in minimising the stress of the fight.

Tight lines all!

Gear used.
Rod: Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Mitchell Mag Pro1000
Mainline: Sunline Siglon Fluorocarbon, 4lbs
Rig: dropshot
lure: savagear soft 4play 8cm

Casting on the other side.

Today the weather was relatively mild and overcast with the heavy winds of late dying down, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity for some perch fishing. I have been getting sidetracked from them because of the pike and they have been difficult as well so far this season. But as I remember I had good results on them last year at about this time, thus I need to persevere!
I got my UL dropshotting gear and headed to the usual hotspots. On my arrival the water was slightly murky and at the first spot there was someone else fishing for pike with heavier gear. After waiting for a bit and while getting some nibbles on the lure, he moved on and I casted where he was fishing before. I was fishing a wire Knot2Kinnky dropshot rig with an 8cm Savagear soft 4play and it wasn't long before I got a strong bite and after a lovely fight landed the culprit. A small jack only but they really fight hard on this gear..

Scrappy jack!

Shortly after I got another good bite but the fish let go. I moved towards a bridge with lots of moored barges around it and again there were some other anglers fishing on my 'good' spots. I casted towards a boat and got some perch like bites but no hookups and knew the fish were there.
The perch on that stretch tend to hide under the barges and very close to the canal walls but the other anglers seemed to overlook these areas and were instead casting all the time on the opposite bank of the canal.. As soon as they moved further down I made a cast just under where they were before and got a solid take and fish on. It gave a good account of itself and I thought it was another jack but instead I saw a nice perch come to the surface. It was promptly netted and released.
Another cast on the next spot between two barges saw another one come out albeit smaller and roughed-up!

'Stollen' perch!

A little one.

Been in the rough areas..

By know it was getting late and I had to call it a day, but it was a very enjoyable short session and I hope that the perch get more active and numerous in the coming weeks. It was apparent that the fish wanted the slower, finesse presentation today and also the lighter gear. I was very surprised though that anglers still overlook the classic fish-holding areas on the canals and get stuck with the notion that the fish are on the other side and not under their feet!

Tight lines and fish close as well!


Gear used:
Rod: Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Tica Libra 2500fd
Mainline: Toray Bottom Attacker Fluorocarbon, 3lbs
Rig: dropshot
lure:savagear soft 4play 8cm

Piking in the rain...

Today I managed to go for a session on a south Cumbrian canal that I knew for a while it held a good number of pike and some decent sized ones at that. I wanted to test a slightly different presentation that I was hoping it would give me the edge and help me get more bites. I used a 13cm Savagear soft 4play mounted on the offset hooks meant for them, but with only one of the little weights on the hook and the addition of a spinner/flasher and a treble hook. Thus I was hoping that I could fish the lure relatively close to the bottom having good control due to the slow sink rate but also gain attractiveness by the flasher/spinner and a much better catch rate than just the offset hook.

Pimped out soft 4play!

The weather was cloudy with some wind and rain coming later, so I had to hurry-up.
I started fishing near some sunken trees and vegetation by flipping the lure under the branches (very easy to flip-cast this lure) and letting it sink to the bottom. I then retrieved slowly with plenty of pauses and short double jerks of the rod tip. As I paused near a branch and the lure was sinking I felt a sharp bite and I struck into a fish. After a spirited fight I landed the first pike and weigh it at 3kg.

Not big but very welcome!

 I continued walking and casting at all the features I saw, especially the ones near deeper water and after a few more casts I got the same style of take on the paused lure as before. Once more I struck hard and I had a good weight on the end of the line. This time the fish was slightly bigger and put up a better fight but again got it in rather quickly as I was using beefier tackle. I tried to weight this fish too but discovered that the wet weighing sling had gone over the cheap scales in my pocket and got it all wet and messed up! Anyway I estimated the fish about a pound or two heavier and put her back in the water quickly..

Nice plump pike.

By this time the rain started pouring and even though I continued to fish and was determined to persevere as the fish seemed very active due to the way they took the lure, I got a call from a friend regarding business and had to cut the session short. I will definitely come back to this canal as I'm sure there are better fish swimming in it. The lure presentation seemed to work well here and I need to try again for tweaks and improvements on it.
On the Lancaster canal things have slowly started to improve as the baitfish seem shoaled up in the usual areas and some decent perch have been seen. The larger pike have been shy at my usual spots but then again I haven't managed to devote as much time for them as last year.

Slightly better fish showing.

Little jack..

Baitfish-holding features..

A nice short session that could've been more productive as the fish were very active  but it was still good to be out and catching some fish! Hope the weather doesn't get any worse so that I could go fish for longer next time..

Thanks for reading!

Gear used.
Rod: Mikado Royal Edition Spin, 2.40m, 15-35g
Reel: Shimano Stradic GTM 4000
Mainline: Daiwa Tournament 8 braid, homemade Knot2Kinky 20lb trace
Lures: Savagear soft 4play

Hearing the drag after a while!

I 've been fishing on an almost daily basis the last couple weeks, trying to suss out the fish mood and locations but the results have been harder to come by than I expected. Nevertheless some patterns are starting to shape.
 I have been mainly focusing on perch with the UL gear and on the dropshot rig, incorporating a Knot2Kinky trace (6lbs) and although the fish don't seem to mind it, they are not there in numbers to give me more solid feedback. I have thus turned to normal jigging techniques with small jigheads and paddle/curly tails or swim/jerk baits, in order to cover more water faster and hopefully find more fish. Moreover I have been venturing further down the canal from my usual places, Google Earth has been very useful in letting me find new fishy-looking areas and Ive managed to get some fish from them.
On Friday I visited one such area that was only a half hour's drive from home, It was a nice basin with a small marina and seemed deep enough to hold some fish. Not knowing the bottom consistency (snags, structure etc) I rigged a 7.5cm Dragon Phantom shad on an offset hook clipped to a leadhead and started casting near the moored barges. I got a couple bites, missed a perch and then a nice pike under my feet! Following that session I decided to go at the same place today and try again. I started fishing around 14:00 and used the same lure albeit on a normal jighead as I didn't want to take any chances. I fished for hours until near dusk with only a couple subtle bites and no fish to show.. I had walked for more than a mile and I decided to make my way back for a last crack at the basin. I changed lure to a 9.5cm savagear soft 4play on a 4g jighead and as I was walking back I was making some casts only on the very likely looking spots for a fish.. As I approached a bridge with overhanging vegetation on its side (classic spot) I let a cast and worked the lure slowly back with twitches of the rod tip. I felt a take and struck on a fish. It fought well and made some good runs even though I had set the drag rather tight.. The rod was bent in a beautiful arc and after a while I managed to slip the net under a pretty pike.

Very welcome!

After that fish I reached the basin as the sunlight was fading fast. A few casts among the barges and I soon had another pike on, this one was  bigger but as it was caught close in it came up faster (and greener!). A couple photos and the fish was back.
I persisted a while longer but only got some tentative perch-bites without hooking the culprit and as it was really dark by now, I decided to call it a day..

Bad photo but beautiful pike.

Menacing look!

This was my first successful session for a while and even though the fish weren't huge, they did make my rod bend and the reel sing.. A sound I had almost forgotten!
As I mentioned above the perch have been tricky to locate and very finicky. They haven't shoaled up properly yet and I can only get individual fish here and there. Dropshot still remains the most effective method but small paddletails on a slow retrieve with plenty of pauses and twitches do well too. Barges and boats are the best 'features' to work around and most of the quality fish come at dusk and even after the light is gone especially in areas with artificial lighting. I had good results on the dropshot with white Storm Wildeye Finesse minnows and on jigging with Dragon Reno killers.

Among the barges..

Battle-scarred!

Well hopefully I will have some better sessions soon as I'm looking on trying some other areas and different presentations. The pike seem obliging though so I might target them more seriously on my next outings..

Tight lines!

Gear used.
Rod: Major Craft KG Evolution KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g and Awa Shima Qlite spin, 1-5g, 2.40m
Reel: Shimano Stradic Ci4 2500f and Mitchell Mag pro 1000
Mainline: Spiderwire Ultracast Fluorobraid 10lbs, YGK nitlon DFC fluoro leader 10lb and 35cm Knot2Kinky 6lb trace, Toray Bottom Attacker fluorocarbon 3lbs
Lures: Savagear soft 4play, Dragon Phantom, Dragon Reno Killer, Storm Wildeye Finesse minnow.