The Magical 16th – Or Not????

[TF_Paddy]

Personally, I could not wait for the 16th to arrive, as there is nothing better than a few hours on the river, or taking a day off and waiting for one minute past midnight to put a bait in the water.
I just cannot believe that there has not been a single post about the start of the season on here!
A sad indictment of current fishing trends?

[TF_kev34]

I always night fished on the 16th and must admit is was the highlight of my year,since commercial fishing this had died as we don`t have many bream/tench lakes around my area….

[TF_geepsterParticipant]

Pretty special cooped up here in Camden… not.
Actually I was supposed to be carp fishing on the Warks Avon with Andy Hart, but had to cancel due to work.
I know Ian Chapman was on the Dane for Angler’s Mail for opening day – it was low, clear, impossible and for the first time ever he got no catch pictures at all.
So not so glorious.

[TF_robjpp]

couldn’t agree more. i have checked in several times to see who has had what from where. if i wasn’t 7 days into a new job, having already taken a week off, i would be out there right now…

[TF_Kevin W]

On the Yare near Norwich at 4.30am for a feature for Total Coarse Fishing. Six big bream later, feature done and dusted, and in the car for home at 8.30.

So yes, June 16th was certainly magical for me!

[TF_Paddy]

Geeps, that could of happened to Ian at any point in the season? At least he can get on there on the 16th after the (in my opinion) out of date closed season laws.
I have been drooling for this day to come and will be out later for the last few hours on the Severn, whilst also taking in a bit of walking with a view to Saturdays fishing.
Remember, a bad days fishing is better than a day at work……….???

[TF_caster robParticipant]

Think you mean a good day at work Pad.

Anyway, the 16th June has lost its magic, selfishness saw to that.

[TF_MICK THE BOOKIE]

I will be out on the Father tomoz.Took a stroll along it by Walton today,and i just cant wait to be sitting on my box and waiting for the old tip to bounce.
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN.. ~clap ~clap ~clap

[porky]

Plenty of skimmers and small bream, roach, perch along with the odd eel come out of Oulton Broad today.

[TF_Paddy]

Only for the synical Robert!!
Not for me, 45 this year and i can honestly say that i feel the same about it now as when i was 7!
Selfishness has had the opposite effect on me then, as i generally dont fish commercials, due to them being reminiscent of big holes in the ground, full of carp.
Anyway, i actually like the way the masses have been brain washed by huge bags of carp, as most good river pegs are available most of the time due to the commercial scene.
I have noticed an upsurge in commy anglers coming to the Severn stretches that i fish over the past couple of years.

[TF_simon pavey]

fished the Colne this afternoon. 4 sections of pole , red mag over hemp. 7 species , roach, perch, chub, bream, dace, gudgeon, and a fair sized bleak.
bit of a Crabtree moment…..

[TF_caster robParticipant]

@Paddy wrote:

Only for the synical Robert!!
Not for me, 45 this year and i can honestly say that i feel the same about it now as when i was 7!
Selfishness has had the opposite effect on me then, as i generally dont fish commercials, due to them being reminiscent of big holes in the ground, full of carp.
Anyway, i actually like the way the masses have been brain washed by huge bags of carp, as most good river pegs are available most of the time due to the commercial scene.
I have noticed an upsurge in commy anglers coming to the Severn stretches that i fish over the past couple of years.

Like you,I feel the same way about it as I’ve always done, the fact that we’re in an incredibly tiny minority means that it cannot help but have lost some of the magic.

Imagine what Christmas would be like if about 98% of the population were oblivious to it.

The selfish ones are those who couldn’t abstain for three months and had to go every week.

Agreed it’s a good thing keeping them away from the river pegs.

Trent for me on Saturday, hope I catch a few because I think we’ll be praying for rain in another weeks time.

[TF_Waveney One]

Fished the Opening Day match on the R.Yare at Beauchamp Arms. May well have posted earlier but fell asleep watching the TV!

I had a good day, peg 56, and defaulted my section with 20lb 4oz, 2 big bream 3 skimmers and some big roach – biggest guestimated @ 1lb 4oz, all on the feeder. Malcolm (Runnyknickers) Runacres, peg 55, framed (4th) from the next peg with 26lb of mostly pole feeder caught roach to a similar size and one bream. The winner had over 40lb from the downstream end peg, 144, which on a flood tide becomes the uptide peg. Lots of double figure figure weights and the most sections were won with 20lb+. Looks like we are in for another brilliant year on the river, especially with the size of the roach that showed today.

Flooded all day on a big tide and the river was clear to start with and coloured up as the tide rose. Most of the fish were caught in the first couple of hours with a multitude of bootlace eels as the water rose. In fact I had to change my feeder line as I was getting real problems with tiny eels ripping the bait off the hook, giving great bites but reeling in a bare hook! I think I landed 6 but must have had 20+ bites! Absolutely tiny ones, about 2 ounces or less that I haven’t seen on the river in numbers for a couple of years at least. My biggest eel may have been 6 ounces.

Where did you fish Kevin?

[TF_jonah]

I’d get excited about it if my local rivers didn’t keep getting wiped out by pollution~naughty ~naughty ~naughty

[TF_Cutnut]

Had a couple of pleasant hours fishing from the deck at the bottom of my Mum’s garden. Had about 20 chub and chublets on the waggler. Had to pack up as I was welling up with memories as it was one of my Dad’s favourite spots…

I agree bring back a full close season…like that’s now going to happen, shame. I honestly don’t care about the history of why we had a closed season on all waters, I just know that it made for a more meaningful start and finish to my fishing year, but then I grew up in the days when the only commis in the world were kept behind a concrete and barbed wire wall.

[tunnel topper]

it was after tea that i asked what the date was.
my eldest said that it was the 16th unknowing the significence of the day.
gloom covered the house, so sad that i had not even realised that opening day was this week, how things have changed.~sick

[TF_kwadej]

Fancy bream fishing on the River Welland??
Yes they are still there in numbers, hot pegs around the Four Mile Bar bridge, a local rod had a cracking first days action on the feeder with no one else in site!
You will have to walk 35 yards to the river though!!!
Ken

[Smee Gurn]

I think June the 16th should be kept special for anglers who feel a sense of nostalgia about the close season being abolished. As long as these clampets keep off the commercials then that suits me fine. After all, the rivers are for people who cant catch fish anywhere else so the 3 month lay off gives them a real chance of catching something then bragging in their local tackle shop about how good they are.

[TF_Paddy]

Fantastic Smee ~clap ~clap That made me laugh

[TF_moto46]

It was magic for me alright absolutely chuffed to bits to be back on the rivers. 17 x big bream and loads of quality Roach and Perch what more could you want? I suppose we are spoilt in Norfolk with loads of great stretches available and cheap NDAA day ticket rivers. But I am really getting fed up with Commercials. I know its wrong as they serve a purpose and have helped Angling survive but personally for me I would be on a river anytime.

[TF_Katarino]

See my Thames post, we had a lovely little knock up at Wallingford. Rest of river is not fishing well yet, hardly any Roach feeding at all hence we’re back at Wallingford tomorrow (we were supposed to be at Child Beale).

As an aside on the commies v natural venues though, on Weds I had 8-13-0 of hand sized skimmers on the wag from a very shallow Thames peg. The lad above was waving a pole over a gin clear river with barely 5 foot at 13 metres and finished with 3lb odd. Let’s all remember the basics on natural waters eh?

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