Welcome...

Welcome to Ratty's Blog..

A place to write about my Fishing Tales, In Pursuit Of Predators..Enjoy, feel free to leave a comment, maybe it will give those who dont fish..an insight in to why we spend so much time chasing fish..only to let them go again..

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Tough..Times..

Its been a tough start to the season for me, in around 7 trips out on the banks i have yet to get a run!

this has some what disheartened me and my piking partner and our confidence has taken a right old bashing, sometimes i think i have perhaps got a little lazy in my approach to piking, i am guilty of having those 'sling' the baits out days...although they seem to be happening way to often due to getting despondent with the blanks on the banks.

i have some time off work now, so this weekend i shall be hitting the bank again and fishing with confidence, the waters i will be on are by no means 'easy', but confidence is everything and i need to find it and my mojo!!

there's also a possibility of some urban solo missions this week coming, i may visit old ground and have a nose around.

WATCH OUT ESOX!!...WE ARE NOT DONE YET!


Friday, 28 December 2012

GHETTO PIKING

Skyscrapers…sirens…dog walkers…joggers...graffiti and drunks are a few of the things you will find and see and hear when fishing an urban setting. I have a bit of a fascination with fishing within an urban environment…I suppose it’s the fact that I live within good old London. But it is also the venues themselves, places that on first glance don’t look like they could or ever would produce any kind of decent fishing, that interest me, but produce they do!
It takes a certain mindset to fish a water you know nothing about and at times are actually unsure whether they do contain any pike at all, it takes a bit of bottle too. I suppose fishing these venue’s can be tricky with no access areas, areas you really would not want to normally spend time in…especially after dark…undesirables roam around looking for an easy victim, kinda like a pike!

I find when fishing areas you not supposed to be in if you keep quiet and keep a low profile you can often get away with it, after all its fishing and I’m not thieving! Safety is priority, I will rarely undertake urban fishing without company, I can look after myself, but numbers add weight, it helps to have a 6’4 18 stone piking partner- love you Breaker!

So on to the actual fishing…many venues will be snag ridden, specially canal’s where access to the water is normally easy and open to all. Dumped scooters and shopping trolleys are a favourite. These are not places for light tackle at all, strong solid tackle, with thick braided lines are the norm as it makes the job of opening out snagged trebles so much easier. I tend to float fish baits and 95% of the time I also pop my baits up to keep them free of any bottom debris, carrier bags are everywhere in urban venues! Plus it is important- so that Esox can see them loud and clear! One thing I feel is imperative with popped up baits and floats is the use of an up trace, this adds safety to bite off and additional abrasion resistance to snags where it matters most. I do occasionally Ledger a bait, but only after I have scoped the swim out, using a lead tied to the end of the mainline and cast around and dragged along the bottom to find any nasty snags on the bottom of the swim.

There are miles of urban freshwater docks, reservoirs, canal systems and more, there is so much scope for those willing to put in the time and effort required- and this to me makes a capture even more sweeter.Not everywhere will produce fish, some may however produce a big big surprise. To me anything approaching or over mid double figures is big for any urban venue, I personally fish to catch fish these fish as they mean something to me. It's not all about numbers , more about where the fish came from, the story behind it, the weight is the last thing that really matters. It's nice to get a biggie but just being successful and catching is what its all about.

Having spent many hours searching for fish on Urban venues there is clearly no short cuts to success. Trying many areas even if they don’t look quite right is the way forward, fishing to features helps, moored boats, dumped mopeds/trolleys, bridges, marina’s (many are private) overhanging tree’s, the near side and far side shelf’s are all good spots to put a bait. When there’s minimal boat traffic in winter the centre channel can be good as its slightly deeper than the rest of the canal.

There’s also tidal/non tidal rivers to go at, some of these places you can really lose yourself and forget you’re in London. Until a siren shatters the silence. Then there’s the some of the HUGE London reservoirs to go at, there’s at least 10 of them! Most you can’t fish…imagine the possibility’s if you could get on them!
I recently got wind of a good urban fish, arriving at the venue and doing an SAS style sneaky mission to get to the swim we set up quickly and a ledgered pollan was cast to a feature in about 8ft of water. At 9.15am my drop off pinged off and I struck into something very solid which then woke up a bit! A good short scrap and I had a new PB in the net at 28.04…Three hours later the drop off pinged off again and I landed a 26.08 that fell to a ledgered Indian mackerel, from exactly the same spot as the 28.

 This brace proper blew me away, magnificent fish and a proper Urban London fish too boot! My dreams had come true, and the possibility had been proven. Plus for me to actually be able to say my PB is from my home town of London is .... The Bollox !

Inside our Towns there is some very neglected waters, not necessarily he nicest most scenic venues but take a look at them. You might be surprised, after all, as we all well know… Our Esox does thrive on neglect!

Thursday, 27 December 2012

Artic Warfare!-piking in the snow 19/12/09

Well here in the south east of england with had some snow!! well quite a bit actually..

With the snow having fallen i decided it was time i caught a pike in the snow, I arrived at the Pit with my good pal Ricky Martin, we were greeted by a stunning sight of a complete whiteout of snow.

The plan for the day was to fish 2 rods each both using float legered deadbaits, we aimed to fish in a mobile style moving from swim to swim after 30-40 mins or so dependnt on any response from esox.
I didnt have to wait long as my float fished half herring was away...striking into a solid resistance followed by a few thumps, then the fish took some line off the clutch..oh..could be a good'un!
a sleek mid-double was drawn over the net...happy days!! a mid double in the snow..fantastic! she weighed 15.08.


around 1pm after moving swims again my half herrign fished close in was taken..a brief scrap and another double was laying in the folds of the landing net, a cracking fish of 12.06.
No more action followed, Ricky went home fisheless,
tho i had previously guided him to a 16+ fish the week before!
after trying a few more spots, we called it a day at dusk as it was pretty much sub zero condtions! It was a cracking day with stunning scenery with all the snow. GOOD TIMES.

An Update..

It's been some time since i updated this blog! around nearly 3 years!!

I've caught a few in that time, including a new PB

Here's a couple of pics, more to come soon

DOUBLE FIGURE DRAIN FISH, LEGERED DEAD AGAIN IN THE MARGINS!
I THINK SHE WENT 15+?



                                   BEAUTIFULLY MARKED DOUBLE (JUST) FLOAT FISHED DEAD FISHED IN THE FAVORED MARGIN'S...
                           
  THE RESULT OF WHICH I NEVER DREAMED OF, PART OF A BRACE OF FISH THAT BOTH WENT 25+, THIS IS THE SMALLER ONE 26.08
26+ OF BEAUTY!
OPEN WIDE!
THE LEA IN HER WINTER COLORS
GRAVEL PIT DOUBLE- LEGERED HALF SARDINE- POPPED UP

Saturday, 12 December 2009

first Esox of 2009/10 season



first fish was this cracking mint 16.08 followed by another low double.

both taken on deadbaits...float feedered half herring, both takes to the same rod in the same spot.

now had a few blanks and a couple of lost fish, not been out much so far.

Sunday, 4 January 2009

Frozen Out....3/01/09


The first Piking session of 2009...

My self and Mr bowles arrived at out stillwater quite late in the morning, around 9am, we met up with another friend Matt Rand, upon speaking to the lake owner and having a walk round the lake..it was frozen solid..up to half an inch thick!! DAMN!!! the temperature was -4, overnight it had been up to -6 to -7!! As Matt said..'that's got a proper lid on it!'

We quickly had to re-think our options!..i knew a River was nearby, which was unlikely to have froze due to the flow..
Using his phones GPS Matty found a good looking spot..we set off to investigate.

We walked through a couple of fields and came to a river..it looked good, fishing as mobile as possible, we tried various spots, but could not get any takes..

Eventually we came to a spot where the river met a side part, like a canal, this came out into the river at its side, a good looking spot!!

Matt had a take but unfortunately it came off, we thought it to be small tho, So we all blanked!! but we had a laugh, hopefully it wont be long before the lake thaws out..and when it does..the pike will go on a feeding spree..it will be carnage!

Saturday, 27 December 2008