Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over four years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff so if you are new to fly fishing or spinning these are the ones for you).

29 November 2007.

Fishing at last.

I've been away for the last two weekends. The first trip was to Littlehampton to pick up my grandson Matthew, he stayed with us for a couple of days. On the first day we went to Marwell Zoo and had an excellent time - despite the drizzle. I know it's not very PC but I do like zoos. On Sunday the heavens opened so the proposed trip to Monkey World plus a fishing session were cancelled in favour of the Cinema. Last weekend we went first to Oxford and then on to Nottingham to visit first Richard+Ana and then Daniel+Dee - so no fishing then either.

After all that travelling I needed a 'fix'. The weather being mild when we got back (and no rain for a few days) I went over to the river for an hour. In the absence of baits I had decided to fish a J11 Rapala. When I got to the riverbank the water was just right with a tinge of colour. There were a couple of people fishing. One had already caught a roach on legered maggot and the other was spinning. When I saw them later (as I packed in) neither of them had caught anything else.

My first bite was an out-of-season trout which took in the tail of a pool. Then I had a small pike that was lurking in reeds near the bank. Lastly I landed another trout, slightly smaller than the first one. I felt better after my freshwater session even though the fish were of no great size and with the weather forecast for next weekend being awful I think I did the right thing.

Matthew.

A trout.

The pike.

Another trout.