Andy Spreadbury's Fishing Blog

  Paddlesworth Burrows, The Stones 18th. November 2020 'The Stones' 13.19 I've just knocked over the milk inside the new bivvy and the mess is indescribable. Why do we do these things? My brand spanking new bivvy, and the floor is covered in milk! It was a gift from Chris for my seventieth birthday and I suppose you could say I have christened it. Sort of. I have two baits at four wraps in the near margin. I'm fishing just beyond the edge of the marginal slope. The bottom suddenly drops away into ten feet The object of this session is to compare these two rigs: The two rigs.  Left: 4" fluorocarbon Right: 8" coated braid One is a fluorocarbon jobby, four inches long, the other, a coated braid rig, stripped back to give a bit of movement. The fluorocarbon rig is tied German rig style. Both baits are plastic corn. So what have I been doing the past few weeks? Well I haven't been carp fishing that's for sure. I've been to the beach, sea fishi

 Sunday, 9th. August 2020 Those who have read previous posts will know I have been trialing solid bags on Pollard. There is no doubt they work. They caught several Bream on their first outing. They would have caught several more had they been feeding on the second trial. I have one big reservation about them. The Bream. These blighters will mess with them to the extent the rig - as Ali Hamidi puts it - looks like 'a bag of spanners.' The supple braid used in the solid bag is the opposite of a 're-setting' rig and can get in all sorts of strife after the dreaded 'slimies' have been at it. Thus, the search goes on for a rig I can feel confident in. Not one that catches Carp. They all do that. But one I can sling out there, sit back, and know it's giving me my best chance, and one I have complete confidence in. *** I watched one of the best carp-angling videos it's been my pleasure to see on Youtube recently. It was by Simon McCabe, entitled 'Sensai'

Tuesday, 4th. August 2020 Paddlesworth, Pollard, Peg32 11.00 Rh rod: 4.25 wraps to the right of the end of the rushes. Spod @ 4.0 wraps. 6ft. Centre rod:. 12 wraps @ The Brambles. Spod 11.25 wraps. 6 ft. LH rod: 10 wraps @ The Box. Spod 9.75 wraps. 6ft. Peg 32. Many member's favourite. Will it be successful for me? Looking down the lake to the left. The Brambles is the peg opposite and The Box, just behind the branches of the bush on the left 13.26 It was worth the session just talking to Steve M this morning on my walk. He's given me the marks in this peg. I don't think I would have put baits on them myself. I am surprised at the shallowness of this part of the lake. In peg 30 there is 18ft at 18 wraps so there is a marked change in the bottom - losing 12ft. A significant feature. All baits are out and my confidence is high. Mind you, it's been high before. I just need the fish to do the decent thing. 15.10 I'm happy with the left and centre rods. These are in the

Tuesday, 28th. July 2020 Paddlesworth, Pollard, peg 36 13.00 All it takes is one bite. Just one. You don't need two or three. Just the one. Peg 36. The 'W' on the tree-line. I'm here in 36 with all three baits on the 'W'. Three times the chances I reckon. Only put a few spombs of boilies out there. A right 'Bertie Bassett's mixture of Ryan's, Manilla, and D & A baits in various sizes and flavours. No particles at all. Seen no fish but not bothered by this. They can turn up any time on here. 3 oz. in-line rig. Size 4 hook and short hair. Bait is a Cell Wafter Solid bags on all three rods. Totally confident in this presentation. Don't have to worry about weed, silt, or anything else. I pondered much during the week. I can not believe it has taken me so long to get on the bags. My favourite method of all time, I have caught so many fish on them over the years. Given the presence of the Eelgrass, they are the most obvious way to go. Sol

Monday 20th. July 2020 Paddlesworth, Pollard, peg 26 09.30 Up at 05.00 to be at the lake before the new arrivals. Peg 29 was occupied but I preferred 27 anyway. Stopped by this my first choice but moved on when the bloke I'd just passed started spodding right in front of 27! Why do people think they've carte blanche to cast into your water? This sort of thing winds me up no end. It's pointless having an argument with the person though. You'll just get a gob full of shite. Or even worse. Peg 26 There were fish here when I arrived. No matter. I'm happy. I've just seen fish topping a short distance out. I lost no time in getting a zig out and left it to fish for itself while I put together the bottom bait rods. Two rods fished straight in front, clipped up at twelve wraps in twenty-two feet of water. The Spomb clipped at eleven and a half. Didn't go mad with it. Just enough to provide a bed of bait for the Carp to find. Left the zig out for half an hour or so a

Tuesday, 14th.July 2020 Paddlesworth, Pollard Peg 44, The Brambles Peg 44 - The Brambles It's absolutely covered in Eel Grass out there! 08.00 RH rod - 5 wraps - 13ft. Centre rod - 12.5 wraps - 20ft. LH rod - 7.5 wraps - 18ft. 09.30 All rods on the dancefloor. Did a complete circuit of the lake first thing and got soaked in the rain. Didn't see a thing. Pitched up in The Brambles for no other reason than I have caught from it before. All rods on zigs. Lots of Eel Grass inside the five wraps line. Far worse this year than last. Lake looks dead. Nothing showing. Wind blowing right to left. 10.40 Fish moving in front of P29. 10.50 Again. Fish moving in front of P29. The bloke in there should be catching. They're no more than 10 wraps out in front of him. Adjustable Zig arrangement. Really starting to get the hang of these things now and can virtually guarantee presentation. Only thing is, the Carp don't seem to appreciate this. 12.45 Recast the RH rod due to Coots picking

5th.July 2020 Braided Mainline For some time I've been unhappy with the mainlines I use, fishing for the Carp on Pollard. For a start, there are so many Zebra Mussels, I have been warned by more than one member they can result in cut-offs. Braided mainline offers some insurance against this possibility. There are also added advantages in terms of minimal stretch, bite indication, and casting ability to throw into the mix too. After a lot of research, I chose Gardener Hydro-Sink in 22lbs. BS and bought a 600m spool (£60 from eBay). I wanted to make its use as economical as possible in addition to spooling it up properly to eliminate the wind knots I suffered on previous experiences with braided mainlines. 600m theoretically enables 4 x 150m spool-ups which seems to me to be about the right amount to take account of my longest cast, a running fish, and line being taken during the fight. The aim was to load the spool with just a 2mm. gap from the line to the rim. This would help to e