Here is the account of my previous visit to the pool as
published in Angling Times for the benefit of those who didn't see it...
When someone mentions Redmire Pool, most will immediately think of
Richard Walker, Chris Yates and possibly, Jack Hilton. Black and white photos, a
weedy farm pond that held monsters and the glory days of carp fishing when the
path was laid for the recreation we know and love today. But it doesn’t have to
be so vague, so yesterday and so nostalgic.
Showing posts with label Redmire Pool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Redmire Pool. Show all posts
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Redmire Pool....November 2012
When Ed contacted me and asked if I wanted to accompany him to Redmire Pool for a couple of days in November due to one of his party dropping out, I jumped at the chance. I see Ed as a likeminded angler who loves the history of the sport, passionate about old tackle, pools and anglers and loves to spend quality time at his favourite pool, Redmire. Obviously it was going to be a much different trip, only two days as opposed to my usual five, and at a time of year when fishing would be tricky. But the landscape would be going through its seasonal change, so to be there and witness it with Ed and his friends was something that just had to be done.
The morning came and after much worrying about finding the time to ready my things I arrived in Ross at the meeting point we’d arranged full of expectation. The first stumbling block encountered was the pub we decided to meet at was open at midday, and we got there at ten thirty. With the cars parked and introductions done we headed into town and Weatherspoons for breakfast and some warmth. It was chilly, slightly overcast and reminiscent of early winter, which was exactly what it was and the way things would be throughout our stay. Although, I kind of hoped it wouldn’t be too cold, I was hardly geared up for arctic conditions so overcast mild nights were wished for. With warm food in our bellies we headed back to the cars and onwards to the pool.
We arrived in the car park and those butterflies returned once again. She looked amazing in her late autumn/early winter colours. The water was semi clear and weed was still visible, but not half as bad as back in July. After a walk around the guys chose their pitches for the weekend, Christian opted for Keffords, Matt set up in the Style, Ed favoured In Willow and I set up camp in The Willow Pitch (Walkers). I’d never fished this pitch before so it was nice to be spending a couple of nights in there, for nostalgic reasons and the social aspect if nothing else. I quickly set up a rod and upon casting a lead around it was apparent that there was still a lot of low lying weed around the pool so a couple of spots, just three rod lengths out, were found and baited, just to make things easy in the dark.
It was overcast whilst setting up with a stiff breeze blowing down to the shallows. On our walk around we noticed some colouring up at the head of the pool so as soon as my pitch was set up I departed for the shallows with a stalking rod and a tub of worms. I fished for an hour or so but nothing came my way, I later realised that the rain caused the feeder stream to flow fairly strongly and that was what was making the colouration. I returned to our pitches in time for Ed to strike up his Kelly Kettle (he’s quite an expert in the ways of the Kelly) and I helped out by preparing a pot of tea and supplied a few chunks of the splendid cake my Dad made for the trip.
With our light snack time over Ed and I headed for the dam for some gudgeon fishing. It was already getting dusky when we started and I had one eye on the light levels, I didn’t want to get back to my pitch too late and not be able to cast onto my primed spots. We caught a gudgeon each, and nice ones too, and I bid Ed happy hunting before returning to Walkers and out went two baits for the night. Ed fished on into darkness, caught a couple more gudgeon and hoped for an eel but they failed to make an appearance.
With my rods out (I was using a 1956 Mark IV and an 11ft Mark IV I picked up which belonged to Tom O’Reilly which I had yet to catch on, matched with Mitchell 300s) and the sky darkening by the minute I set up another rod with a float capable of taking a starlight in the tip, cast it out with a worm on the end and hoped an eel might come a-sniffing. I had yet to complete the Redmire set on any of my previous trips, so with the gudgeon caught already I was hopeful that this could be the trip. The rain came soon after I got comfortable and continued throughout the night, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above me and the candle flickered on the table. Another pot of tea was had with my evening meal and I continued to watch the float until my eyes could no longer stay open. I retired to the sleeping bag for some rest and after a brief moment listening to the owls I was soon dreaming of ten pound gudgeon.
Morning came and although the sky was still slightly overcast it was clearing up, the rain had ceased and patches of blue had started to appear. The morning brew consisted of 30% Earl Grey and 70% Ceylon, and was appreciated by Ed. We decided to concentrate our efforts on the shallows for the first half of the day and to see how things went from there. With a couple of rods each, the tea making kit and more of that wonderful cake we made our way around to Hiltons and awaited the suns warmth on our necks. There was one slight mishap on the way to the shallows, the teapot fell from my shoulder bag landing on the ground and breaking off half of the spout. It still worked, well sort of, but sadly it was to be that teapot’s last adventure with me.
We saw more fish than we thought we’d see that morning, but by lunchtime the fish we spotted had drifted away and the plan was lunch followed by more gudgeon fishing from the dam. The sun was bright and with a clear sky forecast overnight it was destined to be a very chilly one. But Ed and I decided to sit it out on the dam, fishing for gudgeon till dark and then eels and carp thereafter. Many gudgeon were landed that afternoon, well over twenty and with the light fading we cast our carp and eel rods out and prepared hot meals and a couple of mugs of coffee. The sky was beautiful, we sat in our chairs looking upwards, putting the world to rights whilst watching shooting stars, satellites and planes.
Eventually it became too cold to sit out any longer so the rods were wound in and we returned to our respective pitches to cast out for the final night of our stay. The thought of capturing a carp, or indeed and eel, seemed unlikely at that point: I’m always optimistic but the longer the session went on the more I thought we’d fail to catch. I’d fished hard for the eels, chopped worms in various spots, but it just didn’t look like it was going to happen. The same went for the carp, there were a few cruising the shallows briefly during that day, but throughout the whole weekend we never heard one fish crash out. The rods were dropped as close to the primed areas as I could get them in the dark, a few handfuls of bait was deposited around each one and I sat back to enjoy more of that starlit night until it was time to hide myself away from the cold and try to get some much needed rest before the final morning’s stalking.
The night was very cold, and the decision to leave the fleece insert from my sleeping bag at home was a poor one. However, I came through to morning unscathed and a pot of tea soon warmed things up. The rods however were just as I expected them to be, very still. The was a wonderful mist clawing its way across that pool on that final morning so both Ed and I were hard at work with the cameras trying to capture what our eyes could see, but however good that camera is, you never quite get what you’re looking at,. Ed’s camera was amazing, much better than mine and he captured some wonderful shots, a couple of which he has kindly allowed me to use in this report, thanks Ed.
The time had come to start to think about tidying things away, with everything back in the cars we could spend the last couple of hours searching the shallows for that last minute opportunity. My hands were still slightly cold so whilst Ed kept an eye on my rods I nipped back to the car for my gloves. I didn’t get far when Ed started shouting at me; I sprinted back and found him with the Tom O’Reilly rod bent double. When I took over it was weeded, but moving very slowly. I steadily brought what was obviously a huge lump of weed to the bank, whether or not there was a fish attached remained to be seen. As the dark green mass got a few yards from the bank we spotted a tail a few feet behind. Ed expertly scooped the net under what we thought was the fish and we both let out a little cheer once our prize was safely in the mesh. I bit the line, cleared some of the weed and hoisted her onto the unhooking mat. Matt and Christian heard the commotion and came to see what was happening and to congratulate me; it was the perfect end to a marvellous weekend.
It looked a good fish, a lovely dark common, certainly over twenty pounds and without a sign of damage anywhere, save for the odd scratch to its flanks. The weight was 23lbs on the nose and we carried her to the dam for some photos. Thanks fully Ed had some life left in his battery as I didn’t and he snapped away at the great fish and my massive smile. We watched the fish swim away and chatted a while about how one late fish can make a super weekend a magnificent one. A carp and some gudgeon, but no eel, someday I will complete the set.
The others packed away their things and continued to stalk for the remainder of the morning. I slowly dismantled camp and after numerous trips, without a barrow, back to the car I sat on the dam, cast out one rod and just admired the beauty of this magical place. It doesn’t matter how often I visit, whether I catch or not, whether I freeze half to death or even whether I get stuck in silt in the shallows, I will never stop loving Redmire. She has been very kind to me over the last few years, I feel we have struck up a bond and along with it I have made some very special friends.
With the arrival of the next party we wished them luck, said our own farewells and left the pool once again, hoping that the return wouldn’t be too far away.
The morning came and after much worrying about finding the time to ready my things I arrived in Ross at the meeting point we’d arranged full of expectation. The first stumbling block encountered was the pub we decided to meet at was open at midday, and we got there at ten thirty. With the cars parked and introductions done we headed into town and Weatherspoons for breakfast and some warmth. It was chilly, slightly overcast and reminiscent of early winter, which was exactly what it was and the way things would be throughout our stay. Although, I kind of hoped it wouldn’t be too cold, I was hardly geared up for arctic conditions so overcast mild nights were wished for. With warm food in our bellies we headed back to the cars and onwards to the pool.
We arrived in the car park and those butterflies returned once again. She looked amazing in her late autumn/early winter colours. The water was semi clear and weed was still visible, but not half as bad as back in July. After a walk around the guys chose their pitches for the weekend, Christian opted for Keffords, Matt set up in the Style, Ed favoured In Willow and I set up camp in The Willow Pitch (Walkers). I’d never fished this pitch before so it was nice to be spending a couple of nights in there, for nostalgic reasons and the social aspect if nothing else. I quickly set up a rod and upon casting a lead around it was apparent that there was still a lot of low lying weed around the pool so a couple of spots, just three rod lengths out, were found and baited, just to make things easy in the dark.
 |
| My Pitch... |
It was overcast whilst setting up with a stiff breeze blowing down to the shallows. On our walk around we noticed some colouring up at the head of the pool so as soon as my pitch was set up I departed for the shallows with a stalking rod and a tub of worms. I fished for an hour or so but nothing came my way, I later realised that the rain caused the feeder stream to flow fairly strongly and that was what was making the colouration. I returned to our pitches in time for Ed to strike up his Kelly Kettle (he’s quite an expert in the ways of the Kelly) and I helped out by preparing a pot of tea and supplied a few chunks of the splendid cake my Dad made for the trip.
 |
| Kelly Kettle...our hero |
With our light snack time over Ed and I headed for the dam for some gudgeon fishing. It was already getting dusky when we started and I had one eye on the light levels, I didn’t want to get back to my pitch too late and not be able to cast onto my primed spots. We caught a gudgeon each, and nice ones too, and I bid Ed happy hunting before returning to Walkers and out went two baits for the night. Ed fished on into darkness, caught a couple more gudgeon and hoped for an eel but they failed to make an appearance.
 |
| Dusk begins to fall... |
With my rods out (I was using a 1956 Mark IV and an 11ft Mark IV I picked up which belonged to Tom O’Reilly which I had yet to catch on, matched with Mitchell 300s) and the sky darkening by the minute I set up another rod with a float capable of taking a starlight in the tip, cast it out with a worm on the end and hoped an eel might come a-sniffing. I had yet to complete the Redmire set on any of my previous trips, so with the gudgeon caught already I was hopeful that this could be the trip. The rain came soon after I got comfortable and continued throughout the night, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above me and the candle flickered on the table. Another pot of tea was had with my evening meal and I continued to watch the float until my eyes could no longer stay open. I retired to the sleeping bag for some rest and after a brief moment listening to the owls I was soon dreaming of ten pound gudgeon.
 |
| The dam in autumn |
Morning came and although the sky was still slightly overcast it was clearing up, the rain had ceased and patches of blue had started to appear. The morning brew consisted of 30% Earl Grey and 70% Ceylon, and was appreciated by Ed. We decided to concentrate our efforts on the shallows for the first half of the day and to see how things went from there. With a couple of rods each, the tea making kit and more of that wonderful cake we made our way around to Hiltons and awaited the suns warmth on our necks. There was one slight mishap on the way to the shallows, the teapot fell from my shoulder bag landing on the ground and breaking off half of the spout. It still worked, well sort of, but sadly it was to be that teapot’s last adventure with me.
 |
| Stalking time.... |
 |
| Wounded pot and a gudgeon... |
We saw more fish than we thought we’d see that morning, but by lunchtime the fish we spotted had drifted away and the plan was lunch followed by more gudgeon fishing from the dam. The sun was bright and with a clear sky forecast overnight it was destined to be a very chilly one. But Ed and I decided to sit it out on the dam, fishing for gudgeon till dark and then eels and carp thereafter. Many gudgeon were landed that afternoon, well over twenty and with the light fading we cast our carp and eel rods out and prepared hot meals and a couple of mugs of coffee. The sky was beautiful, we sat in our chairs looking upwards, putting the world to rights whilst watching shooting stars, satellites and planes.
 |
| Army of vintage rods... |
Eventually it became too cold to sit out any longer so the rods were wound in and we returned to our respective pitches to cast out for the final night of our stay. The thought of capturing a carp, or indeed and eel, seemed unlikely at that point: I’m always optimistic but the longer the session went on the more I thought we’d fail to catch. I’d fished hard for the eels, chopped worms in various spots, but it just didn’t look like it was going to happen. The same went for the carp, there were a few cruising the shallows briefly during that day, but throughout the whole weekend we never heard one fish crash out. The rods were dropped as close to the primed areas as I could get them in the dark, a few handfuls of bait was deposited around each one and I sat back to enjoy more of that starlit night until it was time to hide myself away from the cold and try to get some much needed rest before the final morning’s stalking.
The night was very cold, and the decision to leave the fleece insert from my sleeping bag at home was a poor one. However, I came through to morning unscathed and a pot of tea soon warmed things up. The rods however were just as I expected them to be, very still. The was a wonderful mist clawing its way across that pool on that final morning so both Ed and I were hard at work with the cameras trying to capture what our eyes could see, but however good that camera is, you never quite get what you’re looking at,. Ed’s camera was amazing, much better than mine and he captured some wonderful shots, a couple of which he has kindly allowed me to use in this report, thanks Ed.
 |
| Ed's Pitch |
The time had come to start to think about tidying things away, with everything back in the cars we could spend the last couple of hours searching the shallows for that last minute opportunity. My hands were still slightly cold so whilst Ed kept an eye on my rods I nipped back to the car for my gloves. I didn’t get far when Ed started shouting at me; I sprinted back and found him with the Tom O’Reilly rod bent double. When I took over it was weeded, but moving very slowly. I steadily brought what was obviously a huge lump of weed to the bank, whether or not there was a fish attached remained to be seen. As the dark green mass got a few yards from the bank we spotted a tail a few feet behind. Ed expertly scooped the net under what we thought was the fish and we both let out a little cheer once our prize was safely in the mesh. I bit the line, cleared some of the weed and hoisted her onto the unhooking mat. Matt and Christian heard the commotion and came to see what was happening and to congratulate me; it was the perfect end to a marvellous weekend.
 |
| Overwhelmed |
It looked a good fish, a lovely dark common, certainly over twenty pounds and without a sign of damage anywhere, save for the odd scratch to its flanks. The weight was 23lbs on the nose and we carried her to the dam for some photos. Thanks fully Ed had some life left in his battery as I didn’t and he snapped away at the great fish and my massive smile. We watched the fish swim away and chatted a while about how one late fish can make a super weekend a magnificent one. A carp and some gudgeon, but no eel, someday I will complete the set.
The others packed away their things and continued to stalk for the remainder of the morning. I slowly dismantled camp and after numerous trips, without a barrow, back to the car I sat on the dam, cast out one rod and just admired the beauty of this magical place. It doesn’t matter how often I visit, whether I catch or not, whether I freeze half to death or even whether I get stuck in silt in the shallows, I will never stop loving Redmire. She has been very kind to me over the last few years, I feel we have struck up a bond and along with it I have made some very special friends.
With the arrival of the next party we wished them luck, said our own farewells and left the pool once again, hoping that the return wouldn’t be too far away.
 |
| Stunning... |
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
An Update.....Redmire Success
Well the trip to Redmire Pool was a flying success. All the
lads caught fish, 21 between us actually and the weather was amazing! There
were five twenties caught including both commons and mirrors and, as expected,
we all got along like a house on fire. The report being worked on but will take
a while longer to get finished, so many pictures to sort and lots of words so
it’s taking much longer than expected.
This weekend I have been invited to the Colne Valley pits
for a weekend social, perhaps my last chance for a jolly before the baby comes
so looking forward to this one. I will be given a tour of the pits including
the mighty Savay so hope to have some nice pictures for you.
Then I feel I’ll be doing more writing that actually fishing,
time will be of the essence and as the adventures become fewer the pen will get
busier and some of those projects I’ve started can finally be finished. I have
lots of ideas but have found little spare time to actually carry them through,
so in between feeds, rocking and walks I can knuckle down and start to produce
a few pieces I’ve been threatening to for a while.
Here are a couple of pictures of the trip last week as a little teaser….kind of
sneak preview for blog followers.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Easter Work Party @ Redmire
The drive from the south coast to the Welsh border was surprisingly smooth with only two tractors through Newent slowing me down a little. I arrived at the pool at a little after 9am and immediately made my way to what is the most photographed spot in Carp fishing, The Redmire Dam.
First impressions were the same as always, awesome. It’s funny but no matter how many times you look out over the pool, no matter what time of year, it still looks amazing and you cannot help but to feel a little emotional. Then my attention was fixed on the shallows, at first I though the Carp could be frolicking in the morning sunshine, but it was more than that…..they were spawning. The first time I was to witness the spawning of the Redmire Carp, I felt highly privileged that’s for sure.
First impressions were the same as always, awesome. It’s funny but no matter how many times you look out over the pool, no matter what time of year, it still looks amazing and you cannot help but to feel a little emotional. Then my attention was fixed on the shallows, at first I though the Carp could be frolicking in the morning sunshine, but it was more than that…..they were spawning. The first time I was to witness the spawning of the Redmire Carp, I felt highly privileged that’s for sure. Sunday, 17 October 2010
2nd visit to Redmire
The day of reckoning was upon me, my second trip to Redmire, this one being a summer trip, although the weather had something different to say about that. The night before I was due to set off Hereford, and indeed most of the country, had the first frost of the year. Not a particularly heavy frost but a frost none the less and a long time since the last one.
The journey was exiting, in fact, the whole getting ready thing including preparing bait and tackle and even loading the car, checking and double checking the checklists and saying farewell to my loved ones. “I shall return in 5 days time, pray that the gods of Redmire are kind to me!” I said as I left the house.
Once I got over the Severn Bridge the scenery changed, it always does. There is something special that I love about the Welsh countryside, rolling hills, valleys, old bridges, it has everything. I got to the pub at a little before 11am and was already supping a shandy when Rich entered. We introduced ourselves and sat to talk of the prospects for the week. Whilst chatting we thought it a good idea to order a meal from the bar so that we did, polished off our meals and set forth to the pool.
The journey was exiting, in fact, the whole getting ready thing including preparing bait and tackle and even loading the car, checking and double checking the checklists and saying farewell to my loved ones. “I shall return in 5 days time, pray that the gods of Redmire are kind to me!” I said as I left the house.
Once I got over the Severn Bridge the scenery changed, it always does. There is something special that I love about the Welsh countryside, rolling hills, valleys, old bridges, it has everything. I got to the pub at a little before 11am and was already supping a shandy when Rich entered. We introduced ourselves and sat to talk of the prospects for the week. Whilst chatting we thought it a good idea to order a meal from the bar so that we did, polished off our meals and set forth to the pool.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Redmire Work Party
Friday 4th June, a blinding day and at 12:30pm I left work and headed home to load the car ready for an extremely special weekend. Funnily enough there was to be no angling involved, but a weekend work party at Redmire Pool. After a few hours of stop start in the Friday rush hour, I finally arrived at Bernithan at 6:30pm. I found myself to be the only one there; I guessed the others would arrive in the morning. As soon as I parked the car I walked to the dam, looked out over the pool and took a deep sigh, the most beautiful sight in carp fishing, Redmire in her summer colours. She looked spectacular, almost untouched.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
First visit to the Mecca
I arrived at Ross on Wye at 11 am. I met up with Anton and Oz and we had a bite
to eat in Morrisons. We set off for the pool just after 12 and drove past
Bernithan Court Farm just before 12:30, half an hour too early so we nipped into
Llangrove and had a quick pint of Worthingtons in the Royal Arms. After our pint
we left for the pool and arrived, once more, at Bernithan.
The entrance…..
I drove over the cattle grid and along the track; suddenly I could see sparkling water, Redmire Pool, and as we got closer I could see the famous dam!!
Redmire Dam…..
Once the cars were parked we went for a stroll around the pool and pointed the various swims.
A view from the sluice…..
The thing that really shocked me at first was just how small the pool was, I know it’s been said countless times but just how did 3 records come from just a farm pond??
The pool from the dam….
A view from the boathouse……….
My favourite was Keffords, this swim was nicely situated on the western bank and was within close proximity of the shallows, where I was hoping to spend most of my days stalking. I made camp and whilst setting up I had mixed emotions, it felt quite awesome that I had finally made it here and at the same time taking in the fabulous atmosphere I also realised that I was also here to try to outwit one of these most prized fish. The swim was beautiful, even in its winter colours.
Keffords from the Fence Pitch….
I quickly pitched up the bivvy and got out the marker rod to see what’s in front of me. I found that around 1 third of the way across it was nice and clear with straggly weed leading up to it, the plan was to drop my hookbaits just in front of where the weed ends. The rods went out at 10, 12 and 2 o’clock and I scattered a handful of freebies over each rod.
Ready for action…….
The 4th rod was set up and fished just off the rushes to the right of my swim. To my left were the small islands including the climbing island. I was hoping the sun would be out the following day so I could have a little stalk up there and even a little shimmy up the tree. That evening started off with Blackbirds, Robins and Wrens calling in the hedgerow behind me along with Coots splashing around up in the shallows and a Water rail swam under my rods. Then, as night fell, The Jackdaws started their evening frolics and very noisy they were too!! It was surprising just how dark it was on that first night, and indeed every night, pitch black with no moon.
The night turned fairly cold with rain setting in from 10pm until 2am. At 3am I received a lift on the bobbin on my left hand rod which promptly dropped, just as I was dozing back off it lifted again this time staying up, I dived out and struck into what felt like a decent fish. I played that fish in very carefully hoping and praying it wouldn’t fall off. If I landed this it would be my first fish of the year, my first Leney and my first Redmire carp. Once it was under the rod tip it caused me a few hairy moments but soon enough safely in the net. On the mat I couldn’t believe my eyes, the most beautiful long bronze common Carp, just like the ones I’d seen in the books. I called Anton and he came round to help with the pictures, it weighed 18lb 8oz, a corker. After that I got the rods back out got my head down, buzzing!!
My first Carp of the year…..
Monday morning was grey and chilly with a gentle breeze blowing up to the dam. I went for a wander to see how the others had got on and Oz in the Evening pitch had a 3lb Common in the morning. 2 fish out on the first night, not bad going. I walked back to Keffords having a sneaky peak in various spots on the way back and also visited the islands and shallows looking for signs of fish. I saw nothing so got back to my swim and cast the rods back onto their spots. This method had produced for me already so I decided to stick with it for the day. Up in the shallows the Coots were splashing around again, a male Chaffinch visited me briefly and Robins were singing all around the pool. Bacon rolls and tea for breakfast and sleet arrived mid morning with a very cold breeze. The rods were quiet apart from the odd Dabchick swimming into the lines. Time to chill, take it all in and read through a magazine or two. I had fun with a Robin for a while that day; I gave him a few maggots in return for a few nice shots of him perched on my rods.
Robin…….
The Ducks and Coots started to move out from the shallows towards where I was fishing but they posed me no threat as I was fishing in 6 – 7 feet of water and the Swans couldn’t reach either. It tried to snow that afternoon and the swans were being a pest swimming into my lines and clearing out my margin spot. The plan was to get fresh baits on and get ready for the night session. Beef Curry on the menu for Monday night washed down with 2 cups of tea. Just before dark Anton in the Style pitch had a nice 5lb Common. Once again the Jackdaws got noisy just after dark and I could hear the faint drone from the motorway. As it turned out the night was unproductive, for all of us and very cold too.
In the morning I popped into Ross to get supplies and on my return I went up to the shallows to see if I could spot anything. I climbed a tree on the farthest island and saw a few patches of clouded up water. Then I saw a dark shape glide through, that was enough for me, I quickly got 2 rods and soon had 2 criticals with 4 bait stringers on the spot. I sat there for most of that day and read carpworld but nothing came my way, but I didn’t mind, I was fishing opposite the spot Chris Yates caught the Bishop and the sun was shining, what more could I want.
Stalking spot…….
I was back to my swim by 3pm and got the rods out. Then I had a late lunch and a couple of mugs of tea, hailstones came and I started getting a few liners, hopeful that something may slip up through the night. The sky that night was clear with the reflection of the stars on the pools surface it was very pretty indeed. All wildlife was quiet, as were the rods until a little before 10pm I had a lift on the right hand rod. I got outside but as I did the bobbin fell back to the ground, I hit it anyway but there was nothing there. An aborted take but still gave me optimism. That one was on a snowman. This came after hearing the third fish of the evening crash out, if they were jumping, they would be feeding. That was the last of the action until I awoke at 3am. I popped outside the bivvy to see the still clear sky, frost in places and a chilly morning.
Frosty……
I decided something had to be done so I changed 2 more rods onto the snowman, if I was to fool another of these wary Carp it would take a certain amount of effort on my part. I was looking forward to capturing on camera my first Redmire sunrise, the previous mornings had been overcast.
The alarm was set for 7am and I woke up just before that, the morning was again cold but the pool was still and it looked like the sun would rise in the North East. I set up the camera on my table with a bucket on top of it; I had forgotten to bring my tripod!!! I got some fairly nice shots and started to think about the shallows again and another crack at those crafty residents.
Redmire Sunrise……….
I got up there about 9:30 am and cast the rods onto the spots, this time they has the snowmen on each. I shimmied up the tree to see if anything was about but all looked quiet. On the way down I heard the spool of my reel revolving so I jumped down, picked up the rod and struck. The fish was on but there was something wrong, the freespool wouldn’t disengage. The fish was kiting towards the snags opposite I held onto the spool and steer the fish into open water, played about with the reel and got it working and then, after a spirited fight got the fish safely in the net. I could see it was a good fish, another Common and back in my swim I weighed it at 21lb 6oz. Oz and Anton came round to do the pictures and the fish was returned. Somebody up there was smiling on me!!!
Unbelievable………………..
I was made up, 2 winter Redmire Commons; it was all a blur at the time. I calmed myself down and went back for another go. At first all was quiet but then I saw another plume of mud rise from the bottom near my spot. I sat by my rods waiting for it to go off again but the Swan came in for a feed and cleared me out. I had trouble with them on and off all afternoon, they are fairly new to the pool and don’t know the rules!!!
The Swans…………..
At 2pm I returned to my swim, got the rods out and had a bite to eat. I sat back and reflected upon the week so far. That day started off bright and sunny but eventually got cloudy, windy and snowy. The night was motionless, just as couple of liners and a frost.
I woke at 7am on Thursday, quite sad that the week was almost over but optimistic at the time remaining. It was a bitter start to the day, a Blackbird visited me as he had done most mornings and was given a handful of maggots. I went up to the shallows but there were no signs of fish, they seem to drift in once the sun has risen and started to warm the water. Some men further up from the shallows were cutting down trees with chainsaws and a tractor was ploughing the field behind my swim. Later in the afternoon I noticed a few patches of bubbles on the opposite bank, I put 2 baits on the area but nothing came of it. I got back to my swim sometime after 3pm and, yet again, had the rods placed ready for the night ahead, the last night. I decided I’d like to sit out for as long as possible, read my book and have a nice cup of tea. This didn’t last too long as by dusk my toes and fingers were numb, it was a pleasant hour though.
Ready for the evening……..
The far left hand rod I managed to get near to the spot I’d seen the bubblers earlier. I threw a few baits over each rod and put the kettle on. Supper was chicken soup that evening and it was all about laying on the bed listening to all the sounds I’d got familiar with over the week, the Jackdaws, Coots, planes overhead and the distant motorway. Redmire had lived up to my expectations and then some. I felt privileged to have been there and walked the banks, fish a few swims and even to catch a couple of the descendants of legends. 15 years I’ve wanted to fish the pool, even just to visit would have been a dream come true. Fortunately I’ll be returning when she is in her wonderful autumn colours. The night was another cold one, frost on the way no doubt. The frost did come and the night extremely cold, but by morning the frost was less than the previous morning, although there was a small amount of cat ice in the margin near the rushes to my right.
It was a little cloudier on that final morning and as the birds sang it was time for me to start thinking about moving out of what has been home for the week. The rods could stay out for another few hours in the hope that something may take an interest, but as the sun began to rise in the east the sun began to set on this fabulous trip. I reflected upon how amazing it had been, Redmire still has that magic, the same magic I’d read all about so many times and the very same magic I’d just experienced for myself. My maiden voyage had been everything I’d hoped it would be, mystical, emotional and triumphant. I take away with me fond memories, jottings and pictures both in my mind and on my camera. I just wonder what she will look like on my return visit in October and whether she will be as kind to me. But let’s be honest, even a blank week isn’t blank at Redmire, there is so much to see, hear and experience. All the stories come to life and the pictures you’ve had in your mind for so long become reality. With one final salute I said in the words of Chris Yates, “Thank you redmire, and may you always be as beautiful as you are today”.
If heaven is half as wonderful as Redmire, they can come and get me!!!!
The entrance…..
I drove over the cattle grid and along the track; suddenly I could see sparkling water, Redmire Pool, and as we got closer I could see the famous dam!!
Redmire Dam…..
Once the cars were parked we went for a stroll around the pool and pointed the various swims.
A view from the sluice…..
The thing that really shocked me at first was just how small the pool was, I know it’s been said countless times but just how did 3 records come from just a farm pond??
The pool from the dam….
A view from the boathouse……….
My favourite was Keffords, this swim was nicely situated on the western bank and was within close proximity of the shallows, where I was hoping to spend most of my days stalking. I made camp and whilst setting up I had mixed emotions, it felt quite awesome that I had finally made it here and at the same time taking in the fabulous atmosphere I also realised that I was also here to try to outwit one of these most prized fish. The swim was beautiful, even in its winter colours.
Keffords from the Fence Pitch….
I quickly pitched up the bivvy and got out the marker rod to see what’s in front of me. I found that around 1 third of the way across it was nice and clear with straggly weed leading up to it, the plan was to drop my hookbaits just in front of where the weed ends. The rods went out at 10, 12 and 2 o’clock and I scattered a handful of freebies over each rod.
Ready for action…….
The 4th rod was set up and fished just off the rushes to the right of my swim. To my left were the small islands including the climbing island. I was hoping the sun would be out the following day so I could have a little stalk up there and even a little shimmy up the tree. That evening started off with Blackbirds, Robins and Wrens calling in the hedgerow behind me along with Coots splashing around up in the shallows and a Water rail swam under my rods. Then, as night fell, The Jackdaws started their evening frolics and very noisy they were too!! It was surprising just how dark it was on that first night, and indeed every night, pitch black with no moon.
The night turned fairly cold with rain setting in from 10pm until 2am. At 3am I received a lift on the bobbin on my left hand rod which promptly dropped, just as I was dozing back off it lifted again this time staying up, I dived out and struck into what felt like a decent fish. I played that fish in very carefully hoping and praying it wouldn’t fall off. If I landed this it would be my first fish of the year, my first Leney and my first Redmire carp. Once it was under the rod tip it caused me a few hairy moments but soon enough safely in the net. On the mat I couldn’t believe my eyes, the most beautiful long bronze common Carp, just like the ones I’d seen in the books. I called Anton and he came round to help with the pictures, it weighed 18lb 8oz, a corker. After that I got the rods back out got my head down, buzzing!!
My first Carp of the year…..
Monday morning was grey and chilly with a gentle breeze blowing up to the dam. I went for a wander to see how the others had got on and Oz in the Evening pitch had a 3lb Common in the morning. 2 fish out on the first night, not bad going. I walked back to Keffords having a sneaky peak in various spots on the way back and also visited the islands and shallows looking for signs of fish. I saw nothing so got back to my swim and cast the rods back onto their spots. This method had produced for me already so I decided to stick with it for the day. Up in the shallows the Coots were splashing around again, a male Chaffinch visited me briefly and Robins were singing all around the pool. Bacon rolls and tea for breakfast and sleet arrived mid morning with a very cold breeze. The rods were quiet apart from the odd Dabchick swimming into the lines. Time to chill, take it all in and read through a magazine or two. I had fun with a Robin for a while that day; I gave him a few maggots in return for a few nice shots of him perched on my rods.
Robin…….
The Ducks and Coots started to move out from the shallows towards where I was fishing but they posed me no threat as I was fishing in 6 – 7 feet of water and the Swans couldn’t reach either. It tried to snow that afternoon and the swans were being a pest swimming into my lines and clearing out my margin spot. The plan was to get fresh baits on and get ready for the night session. Beef Curry on the menu for Monday night washed down with 2 cups of tea. Just before dark Anton in the Style pitch had a nice 5lb Common. Once again the Jackdaws got noisy just after dark and I could hear the faint drone from the motorway. As it turned out the night was unproductive, for all of us and very cold too.
In the morning I popped into Ross to get supplies and on my return I went up to the shallows to see if I could spot anything. I climbed a tree on the farthest island and saw a few patches of clouded up water. Then I saw a dark shape glide through, that was enough for me, I quickly got 2 rods and soon had 2 criticals with 4 bait stringers on the spot. I sat there for most of that day and read carpworld but nothing came my way, but I didn’t mind, I was fishing opposite the spot Chris Yates caught the Bishop and the sun was shining, what more could I want.
Stalking spot…….
I was back to my swim by 3pm and got the rods out. Then I had a late lunch and a couple of mugs of tea, hailstones came and I started getting a few liners, hopeful that something may slip up through the night. The sky that night was clear with the reflection of the stars on the pools surface it was very pretty indeed. All wildlife was quiet, as were the rods until a little before 10pm I had a lift on the right hand rod. I got outside but as I did the bobbin fell back to the ground, I hit it anyway but there was nothing there. An aborted take but still gave me optimism. That one was on a snowman. This came after hearing the third fish of the evening crash out, if they were jumping, they would be feeding. That was the last of the action until I awoke at 3am. I popped outside the bivvy to see the still clear sky, frost in places and a chilly morning.
Frosty……
I decided something had to be done so I changed 2 more rods onto the snowman, if I was to fool another of these wary Carp it would take a certain amount of effort on my part. I was looking forward to capturing on camera my first Redmire sunrise, the previous mornings had been overcast.
The alarm was set for 7am and I woke up just before that, the morning was again cold but the pool was still and it looked like the sun would rise in the North East. I set up the camera on my table with a bucket on top of it; I had forgotten to bring my tripod!!! I got some fairly nice shots and started to think about the shallows again and another crack at those crafty residents.
Redmire Sunrise……….
I got up there about 9:30 am and cast the rods onto the spots, this time they has the snowmen on each. I shimmied up the tree to see if anything was about but all looked quiet. On the way down I heard the spool of my reel revolving so I jumped down, picked up the rod and struck. The fish was on but there was something wrong, the freespool wouldn’t disengage. The fish was kiting towards the snags opposite I held onto the spool and steer the fish into open water, played about with the reel and got it working and then, after a spirited fight got the fish safely in the net. I could see it was a good fish, another Common and back in my swim I weighed it at 21lb 6oz. Oz and Anton came round to do the pictures and the fish was returned. Somebody up there was smiling on me!!!
Unbelievable………………..
I was made up, 2 winter Redmire Commons; it was all a blur at the time. I calmed myself down and went back for another go. At first all was quiet but then I saw another plume of mud rise from the bottom near my spot. I sat by my rods waiting for it to go off again but the Swan came in for a feed and cleared me out. I had trouble with them on and off all afternoon, they are fairly new to the pool and don’t know the rules!!!
The Swans…………..
At 2pm I returned to my swim, got the rods out and had a bite to eat. I sat back and reflected upon the week so far. That day started off bright and sunny but eventually got cloudy, windy and snowy. The night was motionless, just as couple of liners and a frost.
I woke at 7am on Thursday, quite sad that the week was almost over but optimistic at the time remaining. It was a bitter start to the day, a Blackbird visited me as he had done most mornings and was given a handful of maggots. I went up to the shallows but there were no signs of fish, they seem to drift in once the sun has risen and started to warm the water. Some men further up from the shallows were cutting down trees with chainsaws and a tractor was ploughing the field behind my swim. Later in the afternoon I noticed a few patches of bubbles on the opposite bank, I put 2 baits on the area but nothing came of it. I got back to my swim sometime after 3pm and, yet again, had the rods placed ready for the night ahead, the last night. I decided I’d like to sit out for as long as possible, read my book and have a nice cup of tea. This didn’t last too long as by dusk my toes and fingers were numb, it was a pleasant hour though.
Ready for the evening……..
The far left hand rod I managed to get near to the spot I’d seen the bubblers earlier. I threw a few baits over each rod and put the kettle on. Supper was chicken soup that evening and it was all about laying on the bed listening to all the sounds I’d got familiar with over the week, the Jackdaws, Coots, planes overhead and the distant motorway. Redmire had lived up to my expectations and then some. I felt privileged to have been there and walked the banks, fish a few swims and even to catch a couple of the descendants of legends. 15 years I’ve wanted to fish the pool, even just to visit would have been a dream come true. Fortunately I’ll be returning when she is in her wonderful autumn colours. The night was another cold one, frost on the way no doubt. The frost did come and the night extremely cold, but by morning the frost was less than the previous morning, although there was a small amount of cat ice in the margin near the rushes to my right.
It was a little cloudier on that final morning and as the birds sang it was time for me to start thinking about moving out of what has been home for the week. The rods could stay out for another few hours in the hope that something may take an interest, but as the sun began to rise in the east the sun began to set on this fabulous trip. I reflected upon how amazing it had been, Redmire still has that magic, the same magic I’d read all about so many times and the very same magic I’d just experienced for myself. My maiden voyage had been everything I’d hoped it would be, mystical, emotional and triumphant. I take away with me fond memories, jottings and pictures both in my mind and on my camera. I just wonder what she will look like on my return visit in October and whether she will be as kind to me. But let’s be honest, even a blank week isn’t blank at Redmire, there is so much to see, hear and experience. All the stories come to life and the pictures you’ve had in your mind for so long become reality. With one final salute I said in the words of Chris Yates, “Thank you redmire, and may you always be as beautiful as you are today”.
If heaven is half as wonderful as Redmire, they can come and get me!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)