predators

In Search Of Pike

21st January 2020 by Mike Duddy

I caught some lovely small roach from a local canal recently as I’d promised to “bang out” half a dozen live baits for a pike session later that afternoon with a mate.

There hadn’t been a hard frost the night before, but the weather was typical winter Manchester, cold hard and grey. Conditions that a lot of anglers struggle with (noted by their absence from the bank)

So on arrival I set up 4 sections of pole, a 2g pencil shaped float, a size 20 hook – fed an almond sized lump of sloppy liquidised bread and sat back and waited for the fish to wake up for breakfast.

It took longer than I thought as this method of fishing can often produce instant bites – and after 15 bite free minutes I was started to have a bit of a panic that my bravado of “oh don’t worry I’ll bang out a few live baits in double quick time” was going to result in me having egg on my face.

Much to my relief, my float gave a micro dip — so I lifted and brought in a lovely little roach of about half an ounce.

The session then continued as expected with a bite every put in, using my smallest size of bread punch, and within another 15 minutes the larger 3 and 4oz roach had started pushing the micro roach out of the swim. If i had continued fishing for the rest of the morning I would have added a bit of crushed hemp to the liquidised bread and usually within the first half hour or so the roach of 8 to 12oz would again move in and bully out the smaller fish. But this was not to be, I only needed a dozen fish to share between the three of us pike fishing later that day.

The roach were in superb condition – with a lovely iridescent purple/blue sheen to their flanks, a bright red eye and not a scale out of place. Check them out in the pictures below. Small – perfectly formed – absolute beauties.

Roach - a perfect fish — Roach – a perfect fish

So – I took tremendous enjoyment from catching these small roach, but it got me thinking that only through having years of experience did I catch them. Casting my mind back to when I was a youngster I would have been on a certain blank session on a cold January morning like today. The reason why I caught over a dozen fish in less than an hour was quite simple. I used a float and shotting pattern that is incredibly sensitive and a hook length and hook that were a match for a roaches eagle eyes in the gin clear water.

I see so many anglers both young and old with an inch of thick float showing, hook lengths like tow rope and a hook big enough to be fishing paste on a commercial in summer. I with tackle shops would stop selling this stuff – or at least advise the anglers buying these floats on how to set them up properly.

So back to the fishing.. I then drove the 15 minutes further up the canal to our usual haunt to meet up with Phil and his new mate Dean. A new mate ??? is this some sort of piscatorial affair – should I carry on and ignore this turn of events – or demand a fishing divorce ? maybe a period of reflection and mate/marriage guidance is necessary – we obviously need some sort of counselling – probably best done in a pub over half a dozen pints lol

Anyway back to the pike fishing. I know a lot of people think that live baiting is a cruel form of our sport, but its something that’s never really worried me. I stopped using treble hooks many years ago, and when I live bait I used a single circle hook through the top lip of the bait. If I catch I catch…. if not the live bait is released and swims off to fight another day.

I also think that live bait out catches any other pike fishing method – and I’m out to catch fish.

I met up with Phil and Dean further up the canal and set up my my usual rig – see pic below. I’ve started using these Size 2 Sakuma Circle Hooks – and again I caught a nice fish with the hook lodged perfectly in the top of the fishes mouth.

Rochdale Canal Pike — Its a pity the sun wasn’t shining as the gold flecks around a pikes gill plates reflect spectacularly in the suns rays.

My Live Bait Kit is pretty standard – a bung, a weight, a wire trace (essential) and a single size 2 circle hook

As you can see – it didn’t take too long for the canal pike to oblige – and itch had been scratched – and after spending the rest of the morning chatting it was soon time to go home to the family for the rest of the day.

My next few trips out are going to be in search of cod – as its that time of year. There are quite a few marks to try on the West Lancashire Coast – and I’m also going to book myself onto a charter boat out of Fleetwood… looking forwards to sharing a few posts with you soon

Bringing Things Up To Date

11th January 2020 by Mike Duddy

Life sometimes takes over, and I don’t have as much time or inclination to write about my fishing trips as much I used to… that doesn’t mean to say I’m not going fishing anymore… I most certainly am … just in a slightly different manner than I used to before.

Most of my fishing over the last 6 months has been with family and friends, fitting in with others plans etc… And having a lovely young family I’ve no doubts that these demands on my will continue into the future… work, family life, kids football practice and regular Saturday morning matches, running and other family stuff is limiting my time on the bank.

Anyway enough waffle/excuses – here’s what I’ve been up to since my last proper post in June

In July – I organised a little fish-in on one of my favourite sections of the River Irwell – the river fished well for those who took part – with nearly everyone catching small roach, dace and chublets, and I had a couple of nice trout too – all on trotted stick float maggot.

Wonky Swims Adelphi — The Wonky Building Swims

Duddy Fishing Irwell — A Small Irwell Brown

Towards the end of July, I joined in the celebrations of my mothers 80th Birthday at the Low Wood Hotel at Windermere in the Lake District…. again family time as in the ascendancy but i did manage to have a few casts of the lure rod off the end of the pier outside the hotel, and managed to hook into a perch nearly every other cast. Nothing huge, with the fish all in the 6 to 8oz bracket.

My next trip out was entirely different – at the start of August I had an odd day at work, a mornings meeting in Crewe followed by an evening meeting in Liverpool… so naturally I filled in the gap with a little cheeky session on the Shropshire Union Canal at Audlem… I’d never visited this bit of canal before.. I just had a look on google map and thought I’ll try there….

So i pulled up in the car park of the Bridge Inn, Audlem – payed for a few hours parking and had a nice session using hemp and corn. Sadly there was plenty of boat traffic but happily the roach were obliging – and I managed to catch a dozen or so decent fish up to about 12oz.

Shropshire Union Roach — Shropshire Union Canal Audlem

Shropshire Union Canal Roach — Plenty like this to around 12oz

I packed up after a few hours – some great roach fishing from a new spot for me.

Next up was a long weekend with the family to Holyhead in North Wales.. I only managed a single sort session at the Trearddur Bay flag pole. Using the remnants of a tub of denrobena worms, I set up a simple two hook paternoster rig and cast out into the bay. I was amazed by the results, school bass, pollack and about 3 or 4 species of little wrasse. It was a bite a chuck and I was smashed up twice!. I’d never considered using garden worms before for sea fishing but its quite obvious that the fish don’t mind

Flag Pole Steps Trearddur Bay — A Nice Little Pollack – one of many fish on dendrobenas

Alas family commitments that weekend only allowed for a single short session – I fully intend to come back to this spot next summer with a slightly beefier set up and see if I can hook into the much bigger fish that were smashing me up.

So October half term was spent on a Caravan Break to Devon Cliffs Holiday Park in Devon. As my in-laws were joining us I had free reign to do a bit more fishing. The weather was terrible for most of the time we were there but I managed a couple of good sessions. A nice afternoon on the beach at Budleigh Salterton on lures we caught some mackerel and garfish.

Kate is now 4 and she has loves her fishing with Daddy — Kate is now 4 and she has loves her fishing with Dadddy

Next up was a day trip to Brixham.. and ” I was amazed to find boats offering mackerel trips” lol.. which i suggested to my wife that the kids might like….

Just like a well baited swim and well presented bait… she took it hook line and sinker … so an afternoons mackerel bashing ensued..

I was delighted to catch my first ever pilchard ! – an added bonus

Plus then of course the mackerel arrived and we filled half a bucket full

Using the mackerel we caught – I then had a few sessions fishing into the night off the beach at Budleigh Salterton again…. Using my two 15 foot surf casters, and 2 hook flapper rigs I banged out strips of mackerel into the distance and sat back and waiting to see if anything was biting.

Beach Fishing Budleigh Salterton — A nice evening on the beach

It took about 30 seconds before my rod tips began to rattle, I thought it was crabs at first as the bites were just little rattles rather than more powerful pulls on the rod tips. I soon realised that Budleigh Salterton after dark is Pout city as I caught dozens of the cheeky little bait robbers. I soon gave up using 2 rods as the bites were just too frequent, and I was getting double hookups nearly every cast. And then eventually got fed up of catching Pout themselves, so rigged up a pulley rig with a dead pout on the end to see if could catch anything bigger

And it didnt take long to get a really positive pull on the rod tip. The culprit was of course a bloody dog fish…. not a bad one… but it signaled time to pack up and go home. That was the end of my fishing for this trip

I then managed a few sessions on the Fylde coast at Rossall with my mate Phil, but sea conditions and tides weren’t in our favour and we didn’t catch very much apart from some 3 bearded rockling and a couple of dabs and plaice.

And I finished the year by having a few sessions on Drinkwater Park Lake, but despite using a variety of lures, couldn’t get any takes,, and this despite taking my “lucky charm” with me

So the year ended with weeks of poor weather,, and I just didn’t fancy getting out fishing that much… and the year ended as a pretty damp squib.

To sumarise the year,,, I got out a lot, but mostly with the kids. I caught lots of fish, including a few brand new species (Pout and Pilchard) but other than a HUGE tench which I lost at the net, I didn’t manage any fish of note.

Imagine my delight when Mrs FishingFiend suggested we visit the Canary Islands for New Year …. 🙂

Read all about it soon!

A Little Perspective – Pike

30th December 2018 by Mike Duddy

I’ve been out today on my fishing clubs annual Christmas Pike Social.

Always good fun on the Old River Irwell (a still water created by the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal) in Irlam, which has a tremendous head of small to medium size pike max upper doubles.

I was a late arrival at 8am just as it was getting light. Others had been on since 7am but as yet no one caught any fish…. which was unusual as in previous years the most productive times had been the hour before and after dawn.

I set up a single rod, and had to wait until nearly 11.30am before I caught the first fish of the day. A small fish of no more than 2lbs

Here is is…. believe it or not…. the same fish….. firstly held by my pal Karol…. who pushed it out towards the camera lens and then by me held in towards my body.

Small Pike From The Old River Irlam — The same fish !

A startling difference – and as you can see from the second more honest photo – not really much of a Pike at all.

This year every angler caught a pike, and they were all caught between 12.30 and 1.30pm

By 2.30 we had all had enough and retired to the pub – to continue the more social element of the days “social fish in”

An Artists Palette

15th December 2018 by Mike Duddy

Look at these lovely flecks of gold….. like brush strokes from a classical artists palette.

I will never tire of being surprised by the beauty of fish…. each one a unique Faberge Egg, a priceless gift from nature. I was having a trawl through some old photos – and thought that this deserved sharing again.

A Pike from the Old River Irwell in Irlam – caught on a sunny winters day.

Old River Pike — Pike Glinting In The Sunshine

Isn’t it amazing how these golden flecks reflect the sun. Does this golden colouration serve any purpose I wonder, or is it nature showing off?

Next time you catch old Esox,, take a close look and be amazed.

Hungry Pike

10th December 2018 by Mike Duddy

Agecroft Pond is a bit of an enigma – it screams fish but it contains very few. The local angling club stocked 200 8″ carp in 2016, and as yet no one has ever caught one. I’ve fished this lake a handful of times, and never had much success other than a few small roach and the odd jack pike.

So last weekend, I thought I would give the lake a couple of hours of my attention, and because I wasn’t expecting much in the way of sport, invited two friends to join me for a fish and a chat.

I set up using the exact same rig that I’d used on recent successful roach sessions on other local ponds – a very light 0.3g pole float, a size 20 Kamasan B511, and a 0.08mm hook length. Again bait was punch bread on the hook, and liquidised bread (a very small amount) as feed. But as it was a cold day I used my pole at 13m to access the deepest water in the lake (6 feet) where I expected the fish to be lying up.

I’ve become used to my float sailing away immediately, but on this lake it was ages before I caught anything and with afternoon daylight being short at this time of the year, it was soon time to think about returning home.

To satisfy a theory about the pond I saved the 3 roach i caught in a bucket, and at the end of the afternoon set up a pike rod, and used the roach as bait..

It took less than 5 minutes before my old fashioned pike bung did the old fashioned thing……….. it slipped away – and a nice little jack graced my net.

In 3 casts…. I caught 3 jacks from different pegs……. good luck?

It made me think about a few things….. where had the carp gone ? why was it so hard to catch small silver fish? was the lake over populated with pike? or have all their prey been eaten by the black death?

I don’t have any answers but there appears to be a real imbalance in the fish population of this lake thats becoming evident over the years

Word on the street is that the angling club are currently looking at a significant restocking with roach, rudd, bream, tench and crucians and carp…. lets hope this brings the place back to life.

My Most Successful Lure This Year

25th November 2018 by Mike Duddy

As I’ve said in my last few posts….. I’ve been doing a lot more fishing than blogging this year so I thought I’d share a bit more about how I’m getting on.

Work and family commitments have put an end to the long undisturbed sessions of the past, and I’ve been having to take my kicks where I can.

I’m driving round with a 7ft light spinning rod and reel loaded with 6lb braid in the back of the car and a lure box that looks like this – and with a ready rigged rod I’m ready to fish as soon as I park my car.

The lure tackle is a perma-fixture in the back of my car and enables me to stop off at venues for half an hour now and then to let my scratch my urge to go fishing. Most successful lure has to be this perch pattern in the picture below. I liked them at first sight in a tackle shop, and bought two packets. Sadly I’ve been using them up, and only have a few left,,,,,,and like the nitwit I am… I’ve forgotten who makes them.

You can see from the picture that I also use two sizes of weight – 3 gram for canals, and 5 grams for bigger more open water.

They are absolute perch nailers…. and the takes can be savage.

I drove past a local canal marina earlier this week, and had 15 minutes to spare between meetings so out came the rod. I was fishing in an instant and was rewarded with some lovely perch from around the live-in boats where perch love to lurk.

If anyone reading this knows the manufacturer of these lures can you please let me know in the comments section. I need to stock up!!

Holiday Fishing Tenerife

5th July 2016 by Mike Duddy

I recently turned 50 – ouch

So instead of allowing my family to inflict a birthday party on me – I organised a pre-emptive strike and booked a couple of weeks away in the sun…Tenerife this time.

I usually take lots of fishing tackle away with me – but with a baby just beginning to toddle, and a 3 year old who is very time demanding I just didnt have the heart to dump the kids on my wife and sod off fishing all the time….. and anyway – why would anyone in their right mind have kids and then sod off fishing all the time when the early years are the best and just fly by..? There will be plenty of fishing time in the years to come.

However —- being a fishing nut – I spent the actual day of my birthday out fishing with my two great fishing pals – my dad and my eldest son.

We had no real plans beforehand – so just picked a boat that was advertising in the lobby of our hotel… and we stumbled by accident across a really nice fella, who runs a great boat. www.gavinglenfishing.com very keen angler, very knowledgable about local conditions.

A lovely boat – and very comfortable for the 5 people (including us 3) who had booked on. We spent the first half hour catching mackerel on feathers – then the next 4 hours trolling for Marlin/Wahoo/Barracuda – or whatever came along.

Sadly nothing came along, not a nibble, a bite, a screamer – nothing. But we weren’t bothered in the least – our expectation of catching something notable weren’t that high even before we booked – and the skipper was more than honest with us saying that June was a funny month – in between the excellent winter/spring Tuna season – and the thin Marlin season which usually started in the 2nd week of July. A marlin had been landed the week previously but they weren’t around in any sort of numbers

And to be honest – we never really had the Canaries down as a Marlin fishing destination – it was just a family holiday fishing trip with the remote chance of a fish, and a very nice day out on the sea.

We did see numerous pods of pilot whales, and dozens of dolphins – so how could we say that we had a bad day.

Once the trolling had finished – the skipper offered us the last chance of a fish with an hour or so bottom fishing – using the mackerel we had caught earlier in the day..

A couple of rods were used with whole mackerel as bait in 80metres of water, hoping to catch some rays – and while we were waiting for bites on these rods – we baited up some lighter kit with strips of mackerel and bits of prawn and cast out to see what we could catch.

Immediately we started catching small silver Boga, more mackerel, puffer fish and a small red fish whose name I can’t remember.

Nothing on the ray rods – but one did have a few clicks on the drag which i just ignored as i thought it was the bait dragging behind the boat

What an idiot I was – and missed the only bite of the day from a more substantial fish – this is what i reeled in 20 mins later – A BITE – A BIG BITE – and I missed it – duhhh

And with that – time was up – and back to the hotel for a clean up and a nice meal with my parents, wife and 3 children…

Fish or no fish – it was a great way to spend my 50th Birthday

Fishing On Christmas Day

25th December 2015 by Mike Duddy

Hi Everyone – Happy Christmas

Have you ever wondered about getting out fishing on Christmas Day?
Some people get out there every year without fail, some never

I have lucky friends who can get out on the bank every 25th December.
From cod fishing on the beach at Rossall Point, Fleetwood; to fishing a match and getting home mid afternoon to a Christmas dinner – some people seem to be able to fit it in every year.

I’ve only ever managed to do it once – during a fantastic winter break in Kenya the local charter skipper was fully booked apart from xmas day, and the hotel was preparing christmas dinner at 8pm sharp – a day that was destined to provide some amazing sport didn’t disappoint. It ended up as a great family day out on the Indian Ocean – a trip that I’ve never bettered. Take a look at these pics – or go back in time and have a read of the blog post that I wrote about it back in Jan 2010.

With a couple of small additions to my family over the last couple of years, my current chances of getting out fishing on Christmas are hovering around the zero to not a chance range…

And despite telling people when they ask me what I want for Christmas that I would be more than happy with any bit of fishing tackle that a fishing shop will sell them……. I can’t remember the last time I got someone to buy me some fishing kit for Christmas……… thinking back on it,, it was probably when my mum bought me a float rod when i was 11.

UNTIL………with me now aged 49 and my mum nearly 80 she has caved in (to doing her xmas shopping online) to buying me some fishing kit for xmas – an amazon cop out but I certainly don’t mind.

Not wanting to break her bank – this morning i unwrapped a Shakespeare Agility 7ft drop shot rod, and an Okuma Red Core reel.

Now I knew this stuff was coming, because I had to do the online ordering for her. So in anticipation of the Post Mans knock I took a trip to our new local tackle shop (****** yes!! new local tackle shops!! 2 new stores have opened in Manchester in 2015) and stocked up on some weird looking drop shot kit from Savage Gear.

And this evening I’ve been watching this – to see what its all about

So – I’ve got a few hours free tomorrow as I neatly side stepped going to the local panto with the rest of my family……… watch out fishies – here I come………