The TFF Board Meeting 2015...

Things were certainly warming up, but as you’ll be well aware, warm spring weather usually means the obligatory showers will also bless us with their presence. I had two days back to back planned, our annual TFF Board Meeting to be held at Fernhill Farm near Oxford, and a day off work on the Monday to fish locally. I just hoped they wouldn’t end up being a washout.

I was the first to arrive at Fernhill, it was just under two hours in the car so it felt good to stretch my legs and have a walk around the lake. We were obviously much earlier than in previous years, the backdrop showing bleak winter colours and foliage. The water on the middle pond was fairly clear and there was weed present in some parts, this was a boost for me, I just knew the carp would be here if the sun shone later.



The banks had been chopped back somewhat, which seems to be a trend for fisheries these days. A real shame for the mobile/stalking type of angler, but I guess we can’t have it all ways. The top pool was coloured up and already had a few anglers on who’d done the night, so we left them to it. The smaller back pool was also very coloured, but with rumours of big perch it was where we set up once everyone had arrived.

The TFF Board Meeting was the first thing to take place, which was the usual. “Forum’s busy”, followed by “Aye”. With the meeting out of the way we could get down to some angling. We fished in a line near some dead reeds. J.T. was first into a fish, not a perch but a lovely looking linear mirror of around 5lbs. It was a great start and fuelled the optimism of the rest of us. The fish was returned and we all shook Jeff’s hand and congratulated him.

I tried both sides of the pool; I’m a very fidgety angler who just can’t keep still too long. I did have one chance among the reeds to Mark’s left, but the fish broke my hook-link. We fished on and chatted until almost lunchtime. This was when I decided to take a stroll back to the car to fetch my nibbles. I walked back round the middle pool peering into its depths hoping to spot something.

My prayers were answered when I got to a bay behind the big island sheltered from the wind. In the jade water I spotted shapes, some dark, some quite big, around twenty of them in all. I tiptoed past them, grabbed my grub and took the long way round back to the others. I told the guys what I’d seen and that after a bite to eat I’d be popping round with a rod to see if I could tempt one of them into feeding. Well that must have been the fastest pasty ever eaten.

I approached the spot very gingerly, with a Mark IV, reel loaded with 8lb line, a net, a mat and a slice of bread. I poked my head above the reeds to see if they were still there, and they were, some were quite close too and I could see that there was a mixture of long commons and beautiful dark mirrors. The plan was to squeeze a piece of bread flake on the hook shank, to cast and let it fall through the water slowly. I made my cast causing only the gentlest plop as the bread hit the surface, I watched it flutter down then lost sight of it but watched the point the line entered the water. There was a sudden jerk, then another followed by a steady pull. I struck and felt a very satisfying lunge.

The other fish bolted, and the one I was attached to tried its best to follow suit, but after getting momentarily stuck in a weed bed everything slowed down. I kept the pressure and swung the rod from side to side, then I felt movement and the fish was off again; I could once again breathe. The rest of the battle was played out just in front of me. I had to be careful as there were some sunken branches directly under me, but I managed to avoid any mishap and slipped the net under a wonderful carp. I rang Mark, who kindly came to the rescue and helped with some photos.



It wasn’t the largest carp in the pool, but I reckon it was having a pretty good go and being one of the best looking. It was showing off tremendous winter colours, chestnut flanks, a dark back, random scale pattern, just the way I like them. I thanked Mark for helping with the photos and released the great fish just around the corner just in case there was another chance from the bay.

I sat quiet for a time; I always do after a good capture, and usually with a great silly grin across my face. I watched the bay and noticed a few fish drifting back in. Within ten minutes it was almost as it was when I discovered it. One Particular group of three fish circled close to my position, far too close for me not to cast a piece of crust to them. It landed a few feet past and as I gradually teased it back they turned and headed straight for it.

I thought it was going to be instant, but instead they all took turns to nudge it and turn away. It was here I realised there were two typed of carp in the pool, the nudgers who just aren’t interested in feeding, the inquisitive ones, and then there were the ‘throw all caution to the wind and snaffle it’ kind, which happen to be my favourite ones. With a few more fruitless casts, both with floating and slow sinking bread, the carp seemed to move off.

I stood to the right of the bay looking out towards the island, there was some disturbance among the weed, a sure sign that they’d not vanished, simply taken up residence elsewhere. The worst thing I could have done was follow them and start flinging lumps of crust at them. If any more were to be caught they’d have to have time to settle, to feel safe and confident among their new surroundings.

I turned to pick up my things and go meet the others when I looked into the bay and clocked two fish, a small common and a larger mirror. I had nothing to lose so attached a crust to the hook, dipped it in the edge and cast a few metres past the two fish. I slowly inched it back, heart in mouth, and when it was a foot or so in front of them I stopped. They looked at the bait, hung mid water with their fins working all the while. The small common slowly overtook the mirror, just my luck, and hovered inches from the hook-bait sniffing. Then, just as I thought it was going to take it the mirror shot forward and without hesitation sucked in the bread and turned.

As I struck the Mark IV arched beautifully, twisting and turning it was obvious from the start that this was one angry carp. Funny enough the common followed the mirror around for most of the battle, a characteristic I’ve noticed before. I was weeded twice, but not heavily so avoided too much drama. The marginal snags caused me one or two missed heartbeats too, but thankfully I finally slid my prize into the waiting net. This one was larger than the last, and was one of those carp that just makes you say “Wow”!!



Mark did the honours once more and we marvelled at the incredible fish before us. It’ll be a long while till I catch a carp that pretty, that’s for sure. With the fish released and the bay now devoid of life I returned to the chaps just in time for Nigel to light the Kelly Kettle. J.T. had caught another two carp taking his tally to three. Mark was having fun teaching his worms to swim and Nigel was hell bent on missing bits. We did have some laughs though; we always do when we get together.

After tea and a dip into Nigel’s Army Rations Packs, I decided to spend the last hour or so at the back of the island (near my previous captures) as it looked rather perchy. Nigel joined me, J.T. went off for a stalk and Mark bade us farewell and headed off home. I think I sat in position watching my perch float for all of ten minutes; I had itchy feet and just had to wind in and see if those carp were still amongst the weed around the other side of the island.



I crept up behind a bush and peered out across the pool, there was a channel in the weed at around three quarters of the way to the island, I’d guess roughly twenty five yards or so. As I watched a group of three carp cruised through this channel, came towards me then swam through the weed a rod length out, I froze solid not daring to move an inch. As they moved off my gazed was drawn back to the channel, a group of four carp coming down left to right and another four coming right to right meeting in the middle.

I went back to fetch my stalking rod and told Nigel where I was headed. Once in position I waited till the coast was clear and made my cast without the possibility of spooking anything. On the edge of the channel was a stick, obviously a small branch that had fallen from the tree, but it stuck up in the air around eight inches and was perfect for my plan. I cast beyond this stick, would back till the bread was on the far side of the channel, then as the wind caught the crust it carried it around trailing from the stick and stopped it dead, which avoided letting it just drift into the weed and out of sight. Cunning eh?

Three separate groups of carp cruised through, but they were just nudgers, then two good fish a metre apart came through but they were deeper and moving quite quickly. Then I spotted a group out to the left circling and snapping at leaves and debris on the surface, this was the group I was waiting for, I knew one of these would slip up. I could actually hear my heart beating as the fish approached, the first one reached the bait but swam past, my heart rate increased further. The second fish raced the third fish to the bait, but neither fish managed to swallow it. The fourth fish pushed the others aside and engulfed the crust in one go, the battle was on.

As the previous two, the fish found refuge with the weed, but it was no real issue, the weed was old and posed no real problem for eight pound line. As always, as long as you keep them moving, you’ll be fine. I was just glad there was some weed present. There was what looked like the remains of an old jetty to the right of me close to the bank, I noticed it when the fish tried to get behind it, a scary moment but with side strain I kept it free from danger. I netted the fish along with a big wodge of weed, peeled the weed back and there in the bottom of the net was yet another lovely dark carp.



Nigel helped with the photos, it just started to rain as we posed for the camera and the downpour got quite heavy. With the fish safely back in the water I weighed up my options. It was about half an hour before I had to leave, the sky was growing darker by the minute and so to avoid getting a soaking I shook Nigel’s hand and thanked him for his wonderful company. AQll the way home I thought about where to head tomorrow....

The TFF Board Meeting 2014

It was time for the Annual TFF Board Meeting, which is about as far removed from a board meeting as you could possibly imagine. The only discussion about the forum is usually something along these lines….

“Forum’s doing well….”
“Aye….”

And then the tea is poured, the cake is sliced and the fishing commences.

As always it was held at Fernhill Farm in deepest Oxfordshire, a venue central to all of us, with three of us all around 2 hours away it is the fairest way of choosing a location, it just so happens that Nigel is 3 miles away….lucky git.

TFF Annual Board Meeting - Fernhill Farm

The annual TFF board meeting was due and we were busy looking for a suitable venue finally settling upon the linear complex in Oxfordshire. I’d fished there the year before and had some good sport during mild conditions at Hardwick Lake when I spent a pleasant day’s floater fishing with Chris Ball.

A few days before the event the weather looked to be unseasonably cold but with the chance of some sunshine, so my plan of teasing those Hardwick carp with surface tactics was looking to be a good one. The day before the meeting (Saturday) the spring sunshine made an appearance and was forecast to continue into the following day, so I was rubbing my hands together at the prospect and readying the tackle for a day spent stalking them off the top.

When we arrived, however, and assessed the situation, all was far from ideal. Some of the lake had patches of ice where seagulls stood. We took a quick tour looking for signs of cruising fish but it looked to have been a wasted journey. Those who were there for the duration, with bivvies and multiple rods were struggling, so things didn’t bode well for the piscators in tweed sporting wooden rods and little floats.

We decided to have a look at the pond on site. Hunts Corner Pond, as I was lead to believe, was stocked with smaller fish and I thought we could probably have a decent day there catching silvers and small carp. We drove across to the other side of the complex, left the cars in the car park and headed for what we hoped would be a little tucked away paradise where we could spend the day having fun. But when we got there we were far from inspired. It didn’t look fishy at all, didn’t look very accommodating and with this we all agreed that a half an hour drive to Fernhill Farm would be a much better option.

We followed Nigel to the lake and parked our cars full of optimism. Set up camp in the point we pitched up in last time we were there and whilst Mark and JT tackled up I set off towards the match lake to see if I could find something that wanted to feed. “I’ll just go catch a carp and then we can have tea”, I said confidently. Opposite the first swim there was a gap between the islands, here I spotted a couple of fish cruising, small carp, and with Mark IV, Delmatic, net and bucket of mixers I fought my way through the veritable jungle until I was opposite my previous observation point and on top of the fish I’d seen.

I deposited a few free baits close to a weed bed and tackled up the rod. This coincided with the sun appearing and all of a sudden things felt more spring like, which, in turn, made the enthusiasm levels raise considerably. Soon enough a small mirror carp started to trough the free baits and after gently lowering a single soft pellet in its path it was only a few seconds until the fish was hooked and the battle commenced.

A mirror carp of around 3lbs was landed and returned to the pond. Happy that my craving for carp was satisfied for now, I returned to the others and proceeded to light the Kelly Kettle and make a pot of tea. We all had the cups mark gave us before Christmas, branded with the forum logo and our usernames so once tea was made and poured I saw a lovely photo opportunity.



After tea and a bite to eat (it was close to lunchtime by now what with all the kerfuffle) we all wandered off with rod in hand, sun on head and a watchful eye for anything that moved beneath the surface. Things were always going to be tricky with a colony of Canada Geese to deal with, following our ever move, plus a few mallard just for good measure, but with constantly moving I was sure we could get to see something pretty on the bank.

Mark was first into a middle pond fish, a gorgeous scaly mirror carp he landed very close to the bank after seeing a group cruising along the margins, creeping up on them and gently lowering a crust in their path. As great feat of angling and the benchmark was set.







Next up was my turn, and just opposite the island I spotted a good number of fish of all shapes and sizes milling around the weed and decaying pads looking as though they were waiting for me. The bread I pinched from mark was fresh, too fresh to cast any distance, so while I waited for it to stale up a tad I started fishing with my lunch, Tiger Rolls, who doesn’t like Tiger Rolls!?

A crust cast into a gap in the weed soon got the attention of a group of small carp that were weaving through the dark green candy floss and at the third attempt one of the little critters managed to get the bait in its mouth and a common carp of about 4lbs was landed and returned. Soon after I was into a bigger fish and a mirror carp was swiftly netted, laid on the soft ground and photographed. Just then Trevor arrived for a look around and was surprised to see us there.



Another small common was caught before Nigel arrived to angle to my right. After pleasantries were out of the way we both resumed angling just as a group of better, darker fish came into view. I watched them for a while, worked out that they liked to swim through the large gap in front of me and as soon as they’d moved on I placed my crust into position.

A few minutes passed (whilst watching a scaly mirror of high double figures just basking half way to the island) until they came back towards the gap, paused for a second and continued towards the trap I’d laid. The first two fish ignored it but the third one tilted upwards, opened its mouth, swallowed the crust and turned away. I struck and immediately had to give line. Although the weed was old and practically dead, I was still mindful that it could still pose a problem, along with the old pad stems, so pressure was applied with a view to keeping the fish on the move.

Nigel came across to me just in time to slip the net under an old character, the kind of carp that really gives me the buzz these days. Not big, size is irrelevant these days, but it was weathered, dark and scaly. Nigel did the honours with a few snaps and as she swam away I felt that if I didn’t catch another fish for the rest of the afternoon it wouldn’t matter at all.



The scaly mirror I’d kept seeing and trying to catch appeared further out. It sat high up in the water and its big plated scales were very highly visible in the bright sunshine. A few times I cast a crust just beyond it and teased it back only for the fish to totally ignore it. I was beginning to think it was either on a wind up or on its last legs. I made a new cast across the weed bed a metre or so in front of the beast, only this time instead of ignoring it, the fish bolted towards it and swallowed the crust in one gulp. For a split second I just watched in amazement, then just as soon as I’d realised what had just happened I struck and pulled the hook from its mouth. The chance had gone begging and I was rather cross with myself I must say.

As it happened I did catch more carp, and two superb looking common carp came in quick succession. The first was a real scrapper, twisting and turning and giving me the fight of something twice its size, it wasn’t a long fish, built was very deep and built for power. It didn’t much like being on the bank either so we were as quick as we could be with the snaps and she was soon back with her friends.



The second of the two was a pearler. Commons don’t hold as much appeal to me as mirrors, mainly due to fishing ponds in my early days with nothing but commons, but this one was special. Again, not a big fish, but the scales were like polished coins shining in the early spring sunshine. Yet another glorious fish was photographed and released, the day was just getting better and better.



Soon after the capture of that last common the swim went quiet, geese moved in and mallards followed soon after. Nigel caught a superb looking linear mirror though, again a very pretty fish regardless of its size.



I decided to leave the swim and head opposite and to the corner of the island where it seemed the fish had moved off to. I stood in position for a few minutes scanning the surface and watching the movements of the wild fowl and then suddenly the carp appeared. A group of mirrors, all touching double figures were swimming along the back of the island and circling the entrance of the weed bed. I made a cast as close to the weed as possible and was pestered at first by a group of smaller fish that couldn’t quite get the crust in their little mouths.

Then a much larger pair of lips surfaced and encompassed the bait, a swift strike and a long, lean mirror was chugging around doing a great impression of a twenty pounder. It took what seemed like an age to land that fish, even to get it under some kind of control. In the net it looked tiny considering the scrap I’d just had with it. I’d guess it was somewhere around 8lbs, but boy did it had attitude. I slipped it straight back whilst still in the net and cast another crust back out to the same spot.

Mark came into view just as my hook bait disappeared and came around to help with netting and photographs. Another long mirror carp with bags of energy, perhaps it was the sunshine that had given them so much oomph, but it was almost as if they been at the tins of spinach.



By now the geese had twigged that every time I made a cast there was a little meal in it for them. So another spot was overrun by winged hooligans. Back at base I called the others and another pot of tea was made and helped nicely with washing down more of Mark’s fruit cake. I bumbled off to the match make again for one last cast and caught a small mirror of a couple of pounds before winding down camp and having one last natter before heading for the cars.

Yet another TFF Board Meeting was over, and again not much was discussed. Our time together was spent fishing, drinking tea, eating cake and talking about all of the above. Perhaps now the sun has woken up we can set about planning some gatherings…..

Fernhill Farm 17th August 2012 (TFF Board Meeting)

We suggested it was time for a board meeting, the Traditional Fisherman’s Forum was approaching its first birthday and after an extremely successful year it was time to get together, bounce a few new ideas around and reflect upon what had been a surprisingly good first term. We could have met in a pub or at one of our houses but the idea of wetting a line appealed more so a trip to Fernhill Farm for a day’s angling was arranged and eagerly anticipated.

We arrived at Nigel’s house around 8am and were greeted with tea and pain au chocolate. Our light breakfast was consumed and we headed off for the three mile journey to the lake. The lake was beautiful, unspoilt, overgrown, pretty and very quiet. Carp were to be the main target, along with a chat about the forum and various stops to ignite the Kelly Kettle. We found a nice area to set up base camp, a brolly sheltered the things from the early morning showers and with the rods tackled up we all set off to find a carp or two. I opted for the B James Mark IV and my newest acquisition, a Penn Ultralight Spin Fisher.

Nigel

The first action came to yours truly, a mirror carp was tempted to a floating bait but a hook pull occurred and it took another hour before another was tricked and landed. A glorious looking mirror was photographed, not a large fish but an extremely pretty example.

A Nice Start

We fished on for a while longer but it seemed the carp would be tricky to hook even though they were starting to show an interest in the surface baits we were introducing. We broke for tea and a chat and as we did the showers subsided and the sun began to break through intermittently.

Jeff waiting for tea.......

Soon after our break I headed to a new spot, just past where Mark was fishing. The island came close to the bank and overhanging trees looked very inviting. I fired out some mixers in various places and waited for some action. After a few minutes fish appeared and started to feed. It took a while to tempt on into taking the hook-bait but I eventually had a small common charging around trying to free itself and Mark was on hand to snap away with his camera.

Fish on...

Very welcome....

I tried a few other spots but returned to where I’d caught the common as there was still evidence of fish in the area. Using the same tactics which tempted the common I hooked another fish, this time a mirror and another very good looking fish was brought to the bank. Jeff did the honours with the camera and it was time for a change of scenery, I left Jeff and headed to another of the three ponds to try my luck.

Beautiful...

On the adjacent pond there were already two anglers other enjoying their day out. One particular bank was receiving the brunt of the wind, a perfect area to try to temp a carp to the surface. I introduced a few handfuls of mixers along the near margin and stood back waiting for a sign. That sign came quickly enough in the shape of half a dozen carp feeding on the bait I’d scattered around, it was just a case of selecting the biggest one to cast to. One mirror feeding just under the outflow pipe look decent enough so I gently lowered my hook-bait into the water and watched it disappear into its mouth. The battle was a long one with the fish not going far but hugging the bottom swimming round and round making my arms ache. I netted the fish after a lengthy fight and Mark came along to photograph it for me.

Powerful...

It just so happened that soon after Mark hooked his first fish of the day, and a very pretty one too.

Smiles all round..

Mark’s fish came from the third pond, the old match lake. I fed where I’d caught the mirror but it was evident that I’d spooked the shoal so wondered if I might be so bold as to try on the match lake and catch one from each pond. A brief look around and a biteless ten minutes to Mark’s left resulted in me spotting some disturbance just opposite near some pads. I quickly made my way around to where I’d seen the activity, lowered a hook-bait next to the pads and soon had a small mirror carp on the bank. Misson accomplished.

Returning to camp...

Another break was had and more tea was consumed along with sausages and cake. After our “meeting” was over I re-visited the area on the end of the wind to see if the carp were back in the area an hour after the previous commotion. They were and I soon had them rising for mixers once again. Another mirror carp was hooked and landed and slipped back without too much fuss.

Yet more tea...

I found some carp cruising around another part of the main lake and one looked to be a good one, much bigger than anything else I’d seen all day. I fished for it and its friends for a good hour but it was as if they’d wised up of were content with just following each-other around and not feeding. It was time for me to head back, a two hour drive and a hungry wife meant I couldn’t see out the rest of the day. But it was a great time spent with friends at a wonderful place. It was 5pm anyway and I’d had a successful time so leaving wasn’t too much of an issue. Mark left at the same time as me but Nigel and Jeff remained at the pool for a few more hours and enjoyed some sport as the day began to get cooler.

Two of Nigel's early evening captures