Fishing Tales And Stories

I arrived at the lake a lot later than planned, my youngest was off school due to the teacher’s strike. Only to find that I was only really left with one option for a swim unless I fancy setting up and moving the next morning or going home and coming back again. This option wasn’t very practical, alternatively setting up in a swim which didn’t feel right. The choice was made and for the first time...

I headed off, at about 07.30 hours this morning, to the Airfield Lake and spent an hour looking about. I even set up my bivvy in one of the swims, but it just didn’t feel right to me. It wasn’t looking carpy at all. With the bivvy down and back in the car, I was soon at Meadow Lake. It’s no more than a couple of miles away by road. I was shocked to find myself only the second person there. This di...

After last week’s heavy rain, the Avon Valley is in full flood. With so much going in the lake, it’s going to be another hard few nights of fishing. Along with the fact that the night temperatures dropped to -5c and all the standing water froze and made driving conditions horrendous for the past 4 days. I struggled to get to the lake, avoiding flooded roads and closures, along with road works for...

After a non-fishing weekend last week, which ended up with a monster loft clear-out and a full car of stuff for the tip. It was absolutely stuffed full, including 4 old TV sets! It’s amazing really how much rubbish you accumulated over the years. I also feel a few bits of fishing tackle going on ebay soon.

I’m back out after spending a week at home on 3 x 500mgs of antibiotics each day! Hopefully, this has finally kicked into touch my never end bouts of illness, I’m not 100%, but I feel 80% better than I was on my last trip. I checked in with Ian on Tuesday about the weather and where would be a favorable area. With the wind blowing from the Northerly direction and the lack of sunshine, which would,...

Finally, back out on the bank, I’m still not 100%, and a day later than planned! I just need to blow those cobwebs away (as my granny would say) and shake off this thing that’s been going around once and for all. I’ve had a minefield of problems with my health, since catching covid for the first time, last October, along with my youngest daughter. We just can’t completely get rid of it and that’s...

Things were certainly all coming together as they sometimes do with fishing, the momentum just keeps building. We both couldn’t make the second to last weekend, due to family stuff and weren’t sure if both of us could make the last weekend at the end of October. So, we just treated each trip as our last one. I wasn’t due to arrive until Friday morning, but with the carp coming out mostly at night,...

The wife and kids are in Ireland to visit family, so I have the opportunity for a few nights fishing. Unfortunately, the ever lasting cough has reared its ugly head again since my last trip out. My youngest was also starting to show signs of her having it before I headed off last week. I was hoping to avoid it, but alas, it’s back, I’m still planning to come this week. I’m hoping it’s on its way o...

I’ve been asked a lot of times about hook sharpening and the pros and cons of it. As I don’t like spending money on numerous packs of hooks, I find it the best place to save and use the best of both options without taking it too far.

I didn’t ever think I was getting out again this year. What with covid, a sick child, who gave the illness to me (which is still hanging around), and now an extremely cold snap. It was now or never as the Christmas holidays are just around the corner. I’d planned a social with a few syndicate members, however, a couple were not as crazy as me and Steve. I just had to get out as I think I would hav...

I’m getting back into the swing of things again. A few motivational issues this week, and lots going on in my head as well. As there’s a heavy band of rain pushing by today, and you are never really sure when it will arrive these days, the weatherman isn’t that accurate anymore. I was up early and down the lake by 8am. I already knew how many were here fishing last night, so it was going to be dow...

I’ve finally made it back down the lake, certainly a few weeks later than I hoped for. I completely missed the end of the session on Airfield Lake. All thanks to the dreaded Covid. Covid, put me out of action for a good few weeks, mucking up my plans for the build-up to my winter campaign on Meadow Lake. It’s now Thursday the 17th November and with a minor issue with having to collect a sick child...

This session, I’m in Suffolk fishing at West Stow County park, it’s a social with my oldest friend Mr Rob Nunn. It’s been a year since our last trip, around the same time it is half term week. The drive up was pretty shocking due to the bad weather – heavy rain, and thunderstorms all the way. I left home earlier than I had planned, as I was woken up by the thunderstorm. This did help in a way, I s...

With the end of the Airfield Lake season and our baiting campaign, we were well pleased to get back into the double gravel swim. We had a long discussion about our other options last week and spoke about it yesterday.

I wasn’t due to arrive until Friday morning, but with the carp coming out mostly at night, it was worth setting up in the dark on Thursday evening. I couldn’t arrive any earlier due to family stuff going on this afternoon. Ian had called earlier this morning and take the choice of the swim and after last week’s success, we felt it was worth another go in that area.

Yesterday, I managed to do the only job of today that I was due to do, which in turn meant I was able to get down the lake for a few hours today on my local club lake. Make hay when the sunshines they say! There were just 3 cars in the car park when I arrived at about 9am. I wasn’t in a rush, I like to let the day anglers set up first, which then gives me the choice of where to fish and position m...

I wasn’t working today and next week I can’t get down the lake until Friday morning. So I was up and down the lake by first light and looking about. However, the wind is picking up to gusts of around 50mph, so I was mindful of the wind direction. To complicate matters, the wind was swinging around a lot over the next 48hrs. The water levels are still very low, so the swim option was still quite li...

After the success of my last trip, I was hoping to get back to that area. As the lake had been pretty quiet over the last few months, I was feeling very hopeful, until I had a phone call from Ian saying there were two people set up along the area we were heading for. At this point, I’d finished my gardening job and was just pulling up to the gate. I met Ian in the car park and went for a walkabout...

I’m out for a single night social with Ian, I have a few family things on this weekend. All I’ve done is pitch up in the nearest swim that I feel will give me a chance at a fish.

I’m out on the club lake again this week, the weather has been playing havoc with my gardening work, but we do need this rain. A few days’ break from it at the right time would certainly help! Not wishing to waste another day at home, like yesterday, I organized my day kit again and headed to the School Lake. This time, hoping for a change in fortune from my last trip here, the conditions are so m...

With a few hours spare after gardening today, it had been some time since I thought I would take a drive and look at the School Lake. It’s Monday and generally, the lake is empty, so I put the gear on the car. When I arrived to my surprise, there were 4 cars in the car park, I decided to take a lap of the lake. The day was heating up and the carp were on the top in various areas. I still had yet t...

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://richardhandel.com/2023/02/26/trip-4-carp-fishing-2023/

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://richardhandel.com/2023/02/25/autumn-on-the-airfield-lake-part-2/

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://richardhandel.com/2023/02/18/trip-3-carp-fishing-2023/

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://richardhandel.com/2023/02/01/autumn-on-the-airfield-lake-part-1/