Catch fish with Mike Ladle.

Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

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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).

07 May 2009.

Carp fishing pests.

My boyhood hero, Richard Walker, was no lover of swans. As I remember he said something to the effect that the only good swan was a dead one. Well, I wouldn't go quite as far as that but there is no doubt that birds can be a real nuisance when you are trying to do a peaceful spot of surface fishing. I've had crust baits attacked by mallards and moorhens and the blackheaded gulls are real experts at mopping up Chum Mixer. Usually it means that I have to whip the hook out of the way of the advancing avians just before the twenty pound carp (I should be so lucky) is about to suck it in.

The other day I had two new breadators to deal with. The first and not so surprising, was family of Canada geese, now well established and breeding on Dorset rivers and lakes. The parents allowed the goslings to mop up my crusts and the baby geese were so fluffy and yellow that I couldn't really get angry with them - I just moved to another spot.

The second set of crust fanciers were a bit more surprising - toadpoles - millions of the little devils. they pushed my crusts all over the place in a massed attack. In fact they were not too much of a problem because my only carp of the session shouldered (lipped) them out of the way to get the crust.

Alien invaders.

Canada geese are now established and breeding pretty well everywhere.

Taddies.

I didn't know that they liked bread.  I suppose they wouldn't qualify as 'fish' in a match!

My carp.

A nice double that nuzzled the tadpoles away to get my crust.

Closer.

Fat as butter and in nice nick.