Quest Baits Blog

First reward for lots of effort

After my last visit to my ‘2011 targetwater, I’ve had a very busy time so it took me a month for finding time for fishing a proper overnight session over there and I only had time for some morning and evening sessions instead. Last week was different, I kept my eyes on the forecast and in particular on the direction of the wind for the days before the session. I decided to bait up the south-west corner of the lake with 2 kgs of 15 and 20mm

Liver-B8 boilies each day, starting 3 days before the session.

The presentation was simple, a critically balanced hookbait, made of a half pop-up and a half sinking 15mm Liver-B8 boilie. The rig was pulled through a pva-bag wich was filled with chopped boilies, maximum action and mini-mix pellets.

Critically balanced - half a boilie, half a pop-up and half a Pimple Pop

The spots were 40 and 45 yards out and situated on a clear area in the weedbed. The expectations were high, cloudy skies and the wind was blowing like it was autumn, carpy situations in my eyes.

I got my First take around 24.00, sadly it was a bream, a really big one though but not the specie we’re waiting for. But then one hour later I got a screaming take, followed by a intense fight, but after 20 minutes a good mirror rolled into my landingnet. I straightly knew that it was a good fish and the scale confirmed my thought, the needle stopped at 33,9lb! Well pleased with this first thirty of this water, I consider this fish as my first reward for all the effort I’ve put into this water and it gives me confidence that I’m getting closer to catching the two big commons. To be continued…

Mario Taal.

A lovely new short film clip by Romu. Simply click the link to watch the film.

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=236973429648292

Nige fishing the delightful Bristol Avon

Well finally I made the drive down to Bristol to meet up with Nige Cobham to celebrate the first week-end of the river season. The invite had originally come five years ago and one thing and another kept seeing it pushed aside but this year we were both determined to make the trip happen and what better time than the start of the season.

So after a surprisingly clear run down the motorway system I found myself greeted on the drive by Nige who quickly beckoned me into his house before thrusting a huge glass of red wine into my hand and we started picking up where we had left off five years previously at a British Carp Study Group fish-in where we had found ourselves in adjacent swims and had a thoroughly enjoyable week-end swapping the odd story or two. It always amazes me how many friends I have in common with people when on the bank.

Obviously we had a lot of catching up to do and I’m sure some of the wine must have evaporated but before long Nige’s wife Fiona had left us to it talking the usual angler talk and before we knew it it was 2am and we really should think about sleep.

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The rather magical June 16th is finally here again. Very busy with work but I managed to get out for a few hours this morning before the office beckoned.

As usual when I am looking forward to something I was up, dressed and drinking coffee before my alarm clock sounded. Out into the silent world of the early morning I was soon walking across the fields in anticipation of what might be.

I have been feeding the barbel and chub every morning for some time now and the first hand full of bait has heralded an instant reaction from them just like ringing the dinner gong. Imagine my surprise when the first hand full of bait went in and no fish turned up? Usually the chub would hammer the boilies on the drop and I would need to feed those off to get the barbel in on the action. This morning nothing!

I can only presume they weren’t expecting me quite so early in the morning. I sat in the swim for 10 minutes but saw nothing so went ‘a wandering’. The three spots I have been baiting were all devoid of fish yet I have been seeing them every morning.

I started to wander back and spotted 2 chub and a barbel on a tiny gravel run between streamer weed in an area I don’t usually see any fish. Well, it was a start. I cast a free lined lump of Rahja Spice paste moulded around a 10mm boilie upstream of the fish and almost immediately one of the chub bolted for the bait and took it immediately. One cast and a couple of seconds and my first fish of the season was being gently un-hooked and lowered back into the river.

I struggled to find many fish until we got towards the time I had been feeding them and sure enough they turned up in their usual spots. This time I anchored a bait with a lead on a gravel strip slope dropping into the main pool I had been feeding. I watched the paste wrapped boilie flutter into place in the deeper water with my lead and main line out of the way up the slope then sat back well out of the way. Five minutes later the line plucked at my finger and I immediately struck.

Chub number 2 was soon on the bank and this heralded the time to leave as the morning dog walkers were starting to appear and not wanting to be seen fishing the stretch I have been feeding I faded away.

Well, not the hoped for opening morning barbel but thoroughly enjoyable all the same and with another 9 months of the season in front of me there is no rush at all.

Hope you all have a great season.

Best fishes

Shaun

Saturday 23^rd April 2011 (Easter week-end)

Grenville ‘3’

I was later getting here than I had anticipated but at 8.15am after driving with two feet on the accelerator for the previous hour and a half I arrived at the gates all wound up and white knuckled from the drive, but passing through the gates the pressure was off, totally off. I was finally where I really wanted to be.

The sight that greeted me was a very rare one indeed a flat calm Grenville and already it was scorching hot. Phil Calloway was packing away in ‘3’ after losing a fish and it looked a good bet for idling a couple of days away – I must admit the big tree over it offering shade was a particularly inviting prospect with Brook my ever faithful carp dog being with me. continue reading…