The Sessions - January 2017
The sessions Jan 2017 – January’s past.
For the first January since my Barbel obsession took hold I didn’t fish at all, work, xmas, my lovely lady, family stuff and the bug that swept through everyone I know kept me of the bank, and the few days I did get free were scuppered by the big freeze. That left me with a dilemma of what to write about this month, so I thought I would look through my diaries of January’s past……
Jan 1994
The winter of 1993/94 saw me doing a lot of Pike fishing. I’d been fishing the St Ives complex and had caught a lot of Pike to 20 plus but after catching the same twenty twice I wanted to try some where different. So on a cold sunny January morning I drove to a complex of lakes that I bailiff with a plan to fish a large gravel pit I hadn’t been on for some years. The Cormorant invasion had decimated the Roach stocks and the knock on effect was the decline in Pike numbers so I’d left the lake alone but I thought it may be worth another look.
I pulled up in the car park and before unloading the gear I walked over to the Carp Syndicate Lake and stood looking over the lake from the high bank. The margin here was deep and reed lined and imagine my surprise when a large Pike went clear of the water chasing a shoal of Roach, I almost didn’t believe my eyes as the lake had no form for big Pike when it did it again. I didn’t need a third nudge to get the gear and was soon unpacking the car.
I quickly set up two rods with pencil floats, 18 inch traces to two size 6 trebles on each and set them at seven feet deep. The bottom was still weedy so no weight was attached as I wanted the bait to settle lightly on the weed. I put a Smelt on one and a Sardine on the other and swung them out into the margin, my favourite method for Piking.
It took literally 5 minutes for the Smelt rod float to bob and slide away, a firm strike was met with heavy resistance and it was on, it fought real well and it was tricky keeping it out of the reeds but it eventually went over the net cord. What a great feeling, from seeing the fish to catching it was approx 30 mins, a total opportunist capture and for me the best way.
The fish went 22-13 and luckily there was a member on hand to do the pictures, this shot always brings a giggle as it’s me with shall we say a full head of hair.
Jan 2005 – Bungsamran, Thailand
In January 2005 I was of on my travels for another trip to Thailand, an absolutely beautiful country with lovely people. This trip I took two friends who had never been and I couldn’t wait to see their faces when they hooked their first Mekong Catfish. If you’ve never caught one you need to tick it off your list as pound for pound they have to be the best fighting freshwater fish out there without doubt, they just do not give up and are so strong.
Bungsamran is a commercial fishery just outside Bangkok and was the first one in Thailand to my knowledge. It’s quite big with huts and platforms round one side and a large platform going straight through the middle of the lake. Back then it was unkept and the platforms at best were dodgy, it was popular with local fishermen as it was cheap and a good day out. There was a tackle / bait shop and restaurant on site and if you wanted it Thai guides to help with the fishing.
Over the years it has been very popular with travelling anglers and has been modernised, cleaned up and is now much more expensive to fish but still worth a visit if you are there.
The set up was a rented six foot rod with a large baitrunner reel and 20 pound line minimum. The end tackle was a large float set at 3-4 foot deep, an inline feeder with a hook set six inches below it. The bait was mashed bread flavoured with Coconut milk and banana flavour and this had to be the perfect consistency to mould round the feeder. This was then cast out with a bare hook and the bread would slowly break of the feeder with the Mekong coming up and taking the lot and hooking themselves.
Once you got the bait consistency right it was exciting stuff as bites were regular and you had your arms pulled off.
We had a great time, my friend Mark is a non-fisherman, he caught two and then said that’s it as it took him so long to land them. Paul had the biggest at approx. 80 pound and I caught loads up to approx. 50 pound. It wasn’t difficult fishing by any means but good fun in a lovely country and with good company.
For people new to my ramblings I’ve been part of the Catmaster Tours team since it began back in 2001and was obsessed with Catfish, all my trips were to fish for Cats and Colin and I have been fortunate to catch a lot of big fish. Through the years I’d seen lots of big Carp caught and had tripped a few up on my Cat rigs and so wanted to try a winter trip for Carp. When the water is cold the Cats become less active allowing the Carp a chance to feed so the winter can be the best time to target them as long as it’s not too cold.
Colin has been my regular fishing partner since 2001 and we have many a tale to tell with some of our trips but on this occasion he had family stuff to deal with in England and so I was on my own. I know the river well and had a good idea where the Carp would be but unfortunately the weather had not been kind and it was freezing with strong winds dropping the water temp right down, but I was there and am always keen so headed off to my chosen swim.
The swim was on the outside of a huge bend, was 43 foot deep and 700 yards wide, this can be daunting when seen for the first time but ok once you know it. I’d been over it plenty of times with an echo sounder so knew the bottom well, I had far bank markers picked and the line marked to ensure I hit the same area every cast.
The set up was fairly simple and strong, 15 pound mainline, quicksilver leader, 4-5oz leads on a clip, 20 pound coated hooklink and a size 2 hook, I think back then I was using ESP Raptors. The bait was a single 22mm Halibut pellet tipped with a piece of yellow fake corn, this was blasted out to the deep water and recast every 5-6 hours unless I’d had a take. We use very little bait there as to much attracts Cats so I try to imagine a snooker table and put one bait in each pocket, that gives me six freebies and the hookbait.
When targeting Carp you can only fish an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset and the police were quite active so I didn’t try nights. To be honest Colin and I have tried fishing “late” a few times and it doesn’t pay off often, the Carp tend to be caught in day light hours, this may be because the Cats are more active as its getting dark.
There was a Dutch angler who wanted the swim so I had to sleep out as he kept coming down thinking I’d gone. I wasn’t lucky with the weather as it remained cold and windy which did affect the fishing and I was only picking up one or two a day but I was catching and from what I was being told no one else was, all the more reason to hold the swim overnight.
I did manage to trip up some nice fish with five thirties among them which made the trip. Since then I’ve had some very memorable trips catching fish to 50plus with numerous forties and can highly recommend a trip, if you fancy a go give Colin a ring to book a trip – 0121 4511891 / 00 33 620 605 113.
Jan 28/29 2017 – Brentwood show
Show season had come around again and Colin and I headed off to Brentwood for our first of the season. Over the years we have done them all and now only do three: Brentwood, Manchester and the Big One, these three give Catmaster Tours the exposure we need and we meet lots of friends old and new. This year was no different and was very busy and was a good show for all.
At Brentwood a meeting had been set up for to meet Gareth Evans of Ridgemonkey, this resulted in me becoming a Ridgemonkey consultant and adds another exciting chapter to my angling life and I look forward to using and developing their products.
January was a complete washout for my fishing as I didn’t get out, so for the first time in three years I didn’t get a double for this month but after the season I’ve had so far I’m not complaining and am looking forward to getting out on the bank in February.
Until next month tight lines.
Julian Barnes