Me, I'm heading for Montford Bridge for a bit of barbelling.
R.K.

i think you must be refering to river/corse fishing. im not really into that but i had a small pollock on a plug yesterday, no bass being taken in my usuall spot just yet, hopefully the 1st of many non blank's this summer! tight lines all

big up montford bride.. got some nice pike there...
i live very close
perhaps we good go a good un sometime.. RK ..
peace!

Probably barbelling myself on the Great Ouse........

Although I fancy a change this summer so I might get into my tenching on some local gravel pits, new challange and all that.....

Decisions, decisions, its got to be the rivers after a 3 month lay off, hasnt it?

Still got a few weeks to make me mind up!

Is montford bridge on the Severn? I've got to get up to bridgenorth this summer to sample barbel alley

I will be out barbelling as well, on the the River Kennet, less than 3 weeks to go now, I can't wait

Yes mate its on the Severn, absolutely splendid, long gravel beds,undercut banks, sunken trees, fish everywhere all run to specimen size. I go the Old Swan, they do day and night tickets and got a mile of water. I witnessed a guy there once hit a load of chub 5's, 6's and 7's, I had a few low doubles from there, but plenty of shoal fish around the 7/8 mark. Pike go to 20, silver fish all along the stretch and plenty of good eels.
Speaking of eels, keep this to yourself, The Old Swan allow close season fishing for eels as long as you follow the severn byelaws. You 'd be surprised how many "unintended" barbel have took my ledgered worm. Put directly back into the water after it has recovered , I should add.
R.K.

The Old Swan also have a campsite as well lads. I'm a regular camper there mainly to extend my fishing trips. The Mrs is a fair angler, but with doing the barbi, passing me a beer, washing the dishes, looking after the kids,checking the tent pegs and everthing else, she dont get much chance to embarress me.
R.K.

Cheers RK.

I'll probably head up there at some stage this season.

Looks like we are going to have another summer of floods, that made it tricky last summer lets hope the fish play ball abit more

cant beat fishing the river when its dropping after a flood.

indeed, I wish the season started this week us the Kennet is well up at the moment, they will be going mental.

Less than 2 weeks to go, bring it on

My experience only counts for the Ouse, but I reckon floods at this time of year messes the sport up for the summer.

Last year the fish never got together to spawn (I recon the same will happen this year) and as such they are very thinly spread across the river. Whereas when they spawn they tend to hang around in groups, making locating them much easier.

'ark at me, Im getting my excuses ready already!

Roll on the 16th

We have a reservoir just up the road from us that charge £8 a day i'm torn between giving fishing another go here or going all out for a bit of beach casting up north or down south.

i will be up about 4am and off down the lower thames for some bream bashing.
a relaxing morning on the feeder and hopefully a few fish as well.
have not fished the thames for a good while so it will be nice to get back and it can always throw up a surprise.
good luck to all out opening day.

ukbl

I thought I'd bump this thread for those who've got their gear sorted.
My plan is 2 rods out. 1 with a hair rigged 21mm halibut with a pva bag full of 4mm halibuts)recasting every 30 mins). 2nd rod pumping the maggots out with a large drennan feeder(evvery 10 mins) and bunches of maggots on a korda clip with an enterprise hookskin up the hook shank(to help balance out the weight of the hook and disguise it) and a enterprise fake grub on the clip (to help balance out the weight of the clip). What you guys reckon, sound good to you? and whats your plan?
R.K.

Sounds like a good plan River King

Yes mate, getting very exited now, Spent yesterday getting permits and sorting out my tackle and bait etc, I joined RDAA this year as well as my local club so me and my mate have been out and about checking out the many miles of the Kennet we now have at our disposal, we are off out to look at a stretch of the Loddon that we got this afternoon.

I have to work tomorrow but I am planning an early finish then off down to my favourite stretch of the Kennet, I will probably fish static in one swim, put a small bed of hemp and pellet down, leave it an hour and fish a hair rigged pellet with an open ended feeder full of small pellets, hemp and tuna topping the swim up every 15 mins. We have been over there a few time in recent weeks and have spotted some fish so I know where I would like to fish.

I am thinling it will be busy over there tomorrow but its only 10 mins drive from my house so I will probably get over a few evenings later in the week, hopefully it will be a bit quieter and I can do a bit of roving about

Good luck to everyone is who is out on the river tomorrow, I am keeping my fingers crossed and looking forward to seeing reports of a flying start to the river season on here.

Cheers

blankety blank, blankety blank.
R.K.