Blogs

Spring is in the air - everywhere I look around

Yes, spring is in the air, everywhere I look around, but winter doesn’t seem to want to let go just yet. I took some days off over Easter, my birthday fell on the eve of Good Friday, so, beings as I try and catch myself a birthday present on my birthday I ventured to my favourite venue, hopefully for ‘a special one’. I caught but failed to catch on my actual birthday. Some of you may want to take note that April 6^th is usually a day that the carp really can be stubborn. In all the years I have tried to catch a birthday carp, I only remember twice having a ‘special catch’. One of those was last year which I put down to my father watching over and ‘having a word’ for me. He had passed away just two days before.

November 2022 Diary Catch Up

October 2022 moved into November and my first weekend of the month I only had the one night to fish as work party duties were calling. I attend a lot of work parties because I’m a member of quite a few waters, some of which it is compulsory to do them, others it is voluntary, but I try and do them whenever possible. Sadly, as always though, it is usually the same old faces and rarely those who do the most moaning about what should or should not be done ever turn up to do their bit.

Anyway, that single night was kind to me with a couple of carp slipping up to my methods which I start tweaking a little more as the water cools and the visibility becomes clearer, but more of which later.

Autumn Baiting

I have said so often before how much I absolutely love this time of the year, my favourite season by a country mile. The cooling weather for me makes me feel much more comfortable. It suits my grabbed moments of outdoor life between my mostly indoor working life. The fresh feel and smell of the often-damp early morning air, the biting insects are almost none-existent, and my pre-work walks more comfortable with an extra layer on that can be removed if required. As for the fishing, well, so long as I can get on them, I know I can really catch them.  

Winter bait rambling 2022/23

A question I am asked every year is what bait will I be using this winter?

Although still rather mild out there, I thought I would tap these words out to hopefully get you thinking as well as potentially saving a few more from asking.

Water quality, dissolved oxygen, dying carp,

With the weather how it is, I urge you all to read this. But, before you start reading this, I must stress that the following are not my words. All credit goes to Bernice Brewster who posted this on a Fishery Management page. The information is so important and accurate, I urge you to spread it around anyone with an interest in the well being of their fish.

Shaun Harrison's June 2022 Diary Blog

Well, I just seem to have carried on from where I left off in May. Both April and May had been particularly kind to me with some great carp slipping up to my methods.

My Post Spawning Method's

Back in the 90's I found a way of catching some difficult carp which were pre-occupied on fish spawn. To this day I have continued to turn back to it at this time of the year simply because it still works and works well.

Shaun Harrison's May 2021 Diary

Bits from my May 2021 diary. Carp, work party's and the Carp Society's 40th Anniversary celebration weekend.

April had been kind to me carp wise, despite the weather being far from ideal with often bright days then frosty nights. I had alternated my angling between 3 different venues which all required a differing type of approach. I had caught from each and ended the month on the ‘Paradise Pit’ where I intended to start May off on.

Shaun Harrison's March 2021 Diary

After finally getting myself back on the bank and having a great result the last day in February, I was all fired up for another go.

More Moon Talk

Once more the rain pounds my window and leaves flutter by on their journey to the ground whilst I tap these words out. I have written a fair bit about moon phases as well as talking about the effect of moon phases on carp on two separate pod casts. In fact I was even flown over to Hungary to talk about it as well. This has all come from many years of studying its effect on my own personal catches. Because I have always kept a detailed angling log/journal/diary, call it what you will, I have been able to trace back the moon phases on all of my captures to over 40 years ago.