2013 season review

Having a look back at what I have done through 2013 fishing wise, I realise I haven't done that much.

I started the year very positive, new blog and facebook page, the promise of regular updates and regular sessions, and yet here we are in 2014 and the year has flown by!!

I started the year replacing any used and tired bits of tackle, aswell as some newer gear to target a couple of local commercial lakes.

A few sessions at my local MBK Leisures Barons pond had me catching some fish again, a rarity as I had spent the previous year solely on the River Thames after Barbel, so to go out and have some fun and get a few bite and some fish on the bank was good.

I took the kids out maggotdrowning a couple of times, far less than the amount of times I wanted to get out with them, but weather and floods put pay to getting out more. I have found a couple of local lakes now where they can enjoy year round sport and one of them is free to fish :)

I also had ago at making my own boilies, its something I tried making years ago but they came out more like hard paste balls, rather than boilies!
I looked up some proven recipes, and joined a group on facebook called "home made boilies" its a page run by Bait-Tech sponsored Antony Wood. There are plenty of recipes and ideas to follow and after exchanging a few messages I had the basics I needed to start experimenting.
I was very pleased with the results, which produced a nice smelling bait based around Bait-Tech MeatyMix groundbait.
I have yet to catch on them, but I have only used them a couple of times.

I finally managed to get out fishing with a mate of mine who jad been bugging for ages to fish with him. I had an enjoyable day caught a few fish, more than him, although he'll dispute that coz he only counts carp :) and all at a venue I had seen once about 16 + years previous! So not a bad days fishing.

I also treated myself to a new pair for JW Youngs barbel rods. I say treated, but I sold my old rods for the money I needed for the new ones, so more of a swap really.
I am really pleased with the new rods, and these have a quiver tip section too which my old rods didnt have, aswell as a 2lb tc tip.
I have only managed to use them once so far so when I have used them a bit more, and more importantly, caught on them ill give some more feedback on them.

As I am writing this, Jan 7th, the Thames is in flood. The banks of my usual barbel swims are under 6ft of water!!! So I havent ventured out as yet.
Im waiting for the water to drop a few geet before my forst barbel sesssion of 2014. Not that the high water is stopping people tho, as barbel are still being caught on the lower Thames.

One person who is ever consistant, not just on  the Thames, just at catching barbel from anywhere is Justin Beale. Im sure he could catch barbel from a puddle at the side of the road!!!
Justin is now sponsored by bait-tech and 30Plus and has his own facebook page documenting his captures search www.facebook.com/JustinBealeBarbelFishing on facebook to keep up with his latest captures, its a page well worth liking for any barbel or river angler.

Something else I wanted to do, but just didnt get the time was targetting 1 of 3 small lakes not far from me.
The lake in question holds a small number of leaney strain carp topped by one thats high 20lb. The carp in this lake are nice dark old fish and any number of them would make cracking photos.
Its something I mean to do I just dont get the chance to fish the lakes often!

I managed to take the kids to an open day at Holme Grange fishery in Crowthorne, it was hosted by crowthorne angling and had sonubaits, korum, avid carp and preston innivations in attendance, we spent a few hours there and the kids caught plenty of roach in the edge.
We even managed to get some pics up on the preston facebook page :)

That about sums up my fishing in 2013, not a massive amount done, no barbel caughy again from the Thames. But effort most certainly equalls reward on this river and I haven't put in anywhere near enough time this year.

I have rediscovered commercial fisheries, which I have put down in the past, but now after spending a few days on them im growing to like again. They can serve a big purpose in angling. When you spend time targetting harder waters where fish are not caught regularly, commercial waters certainly help keep you from going insane by providing a day of easy fun fishing.

Im still a firm believer of younger anglers and new comers to our sport learning with the basics and float fishing maggots for anything that swims rather than the generation of instant carp anglers that seem to have influxed over the past few years. I learnt to fish by starting at the bottom and I believe its made me a better angler today by doing this, and its the way im teaching my boys to do it. They still watch dvds and want to catch 40lb carp but im teaching them from the ground up!!

Plans for 2014?

Barbel will still be very much at the top of my prority list, but maybe a bit further afield this year.
I really want to return to the Hampshire Avon, home of my first ever barbel, on my first ever trip for them, and still my personal best today many years later.

I would also like to make a trip up to the severn, trent and the wye at some point.

I will also be putting some more relaxing time in at the local lakes to me catching carp on a float rod :)

The big one fishing show is at Farnborough airfield on feb 22nd and 23rd to look forward to also.

Hope you had a good 2013 and heres to tight lines in 2014 :)