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).

Seatrout conditions.

It was a bit cooler and cloudier than recently so I thought that it might be worth another go for a seatrout. My previous session had been a minor disaster with several follows, including one big salmon, but not a single take as I spun in the blazing sun and tropical temperatures.

Anyway, I decided to give it another go. I walked the mile-and-a-half to the bottom of the stretch with the intention of fishing my way back upstream. Things did not start too well and for perhaps half-an-hour I saw nothing at all. I was sweating in my 'anti-thistle' waders and had nettled my hand as I fought through the bankside vegetation. Then, in the next ten minutes, in a deeper, tree-lined section I saw a couple of nice fish following the Rapala without managing to grab it. 'Buns!' Was it going to be another one of those days?

I pressed on and suddenly I had a pull, I was in! The tug, tug on the line suggested immediately that it wasn't a seatrout and sure enough I was soon able to swing a small perch ashore. 'Better than nothing!' I thought. Amazingly my catch gave me some encouragement and I fished with renewed concentration. Then I had another bite. This time the splashing and wriggling indicated that I'd contacted a seatrout and sure enough I was able to beach a smallish specimen. My catch was a bit on the slim side but at least it was what I was after. I took a picture before returning the fish to the river.

Now I was nearing the top of the stretch. There was a fast flowing channel then upstream of it the final pool. Last time I'd tried the place there was nothing doing. I stood well downstream and flicked the plug as far as I could up into the pool - quite a long way with the fine Nanofil braid. I began to turn the handle and wallop! I was into a better fish. Another seatrout but bigger and in much better condition than the previous catch. After a spirited battle with several strong runs and a couple of jumps I slid the fish ashore and took its picture before unhooking and returning it. Two kilos of silver plated muscle, a fantastic way to finish.

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

Little perch.

Smaller seatrout.

More like it.