Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

Freshwater Fishing

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 several 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. As you see I also add the odd piece from my friends and correspondents if I've not been doing much. 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).

Single hooks.

The rivers are still pretty full down here in Dorset. Lots of the places that I normally wade are just too dangerous for me to venture into the water. Anyway, I had a trip recently to continue testing out the single hooks on my J9 Rapala. It was a short afternoon session and it didn't start too well. I fished for about three-quarters-of-an-hour without seeing anything and then I came to a deep glide where the water pushed on under my own bank. I cast the little plug down and across and just as it came into view about two feet under the surface I thought (I wasn't sure) I saw a big white mouth just behind it. I knew I should have changed to a lure that fished deeper before having another cast but I'd set my mind on testing the single hooks so I didn't. Sure enough, on the next cast to the same spot there was a double knock and I saw a big tail swirl away. I muttered a few curses at myself but it didn't help - the seatrout had seen enough and was no longer interested in anything.

I moved on to a small millstream where an upstream cast produced a titchy brown trout. It was well hooked on the mid-body hook so I took its picture and popped it back. Better than nothing. For the next half hour - nothing! I came to a wide concrete weir and decided to wade across the apron casting into the faster water downstream. On the left hand side was a good sized tree hanging out over the water and behind the branches, in the curve of the bank, was a slack area. my third cast dropped the plug in the slack and as I began to wind I was into quite a heavy fish. Pike, I thought. I had caught decent pike in that spot before, but a big gold flank and rounded dorsal fin said different. It was a large chub.

The problem now was how to land it without me being washed over the lip of the weir. I could see that in the far corner there was a smooth flow that might just allow me to slide the fish up to where I was standing. I slowly waded across the concrete until I was on the other side of the river, with the chub following like a dog on a lead. Once there I was able to reach down, take hold of the line and guide my fish up over the flowing water. Magic! I took a few pictures, including my usual rubbish one of myself, using the time release with the camera propped up on my bag (far too much light and contrast). Still, it gave an idea of the size of the fish which is always difficult to judge from pictures taken in the water. Altogether quite a pleasant afternoon's fishing.

If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you!' get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com

Trout.

Chub.

Better picture