Pendle View Fishery - The Build Up

The next venue we have booked in to fish is Pendle View Fishery in Barrow just outside Clitheroe. Me and Ryan have been up today and had a good walk about and have settled for pegs 87/88 which is a double peg in the corner of the Specimen Lake. We have read and heard mixed reports about the place but these mean nothing to us as we are after the fish and will make our own judgement of the venue once we have fished it.

The staff there where very friendly and the place was very busy today so we have opted to fish it mid week at the end of August for 48 hours. Food is available to order up until 8.30pm and can be dropped off at your peg for you. Toilets and shower facilities are also available. We are really looking forward to fishing this place and I hope Ryan gets his UK 20 pounder that he has been chasing for over a decade. I have set my sights on something a little different which goes by the name of Tango. When it was last caught it weighed around 17lb and it would make my trip if I got it on my unhooking mat.

I think we are going to hit this place with natural baits including corn, mussels, hemp and prawn. Wish us luck and hopefully in the results post we will be smiling holding some very nice fish.

Pendle View Fishery Website

Danny & Ryan

Random Times With Ryan

Just a few photos that made me laugh of Ryan prating around as per.

More Bargain Hunting - July 2011

Well I have been at it again on my mission for bargains. Added to the collection this time is a lovely large ESP stiff rig wallet. This thing is like brand new and the seller even let me keep what was inside. 20 bought pre-made rigs all labelled up in sealer bags haha. The only problem is me and Ryan run a rule that is "Only Trust Rigs Your Own Hands Have Tied!" Not bad for £5 though.

The next thing I am over the moon with is the Trakker Big Snooze + I have just got my hands on it immaculate condition. The smell test confirms it has probably only been used once haha. Lovely bit of kit and I managed to get it for just £30.

No doubt I will be back soon with more bargains ha, Danny

Money Saving Tips - July 2011

Keeping the cost down is a main priority for me and I find nothing better than working out a way to save money.

I have been after some rod straps for a while now but there is a slight problem. I need 3 sets and when ever I pick them up in the shop and see the price of  around £5 each I just can not bring myself to buy them.

After a search of ebay I found a 1 metre strip of velcro 50mm wide for only £3.

I managed to get all three rods done and there was enough spare to give Ryan to do one of his rods. If I had used a lot less per rod I reckon I could of easily done 6-8 rods out of the 1 metre roll.

They don't look as pretty as branded rod straps but they do just the same job at a fraction of the price.

Danny

Bargain Hunting - July 2011

I am a great believer in what's the point in buying new when you can pick up perfect condition used equipment at a fraction of the price due to people upgrading or falling out of love with the art of carping (shame on you!!!)

This month I have been on the hunt for some new (new to me but used condition ha) stuff.

The first thing I have acquired this month is a Fox Easy Dome. These things are bullet proof and are perfect for what I want from a bivvy. The average new bivvy cost is well over £200 and I managed to pick mine up for £40.

A short trip to Southport was all it took and now me and Ryan have matching bivvies (I don't think he is too happy haha.) The bivvy is quite old but you would never tell. It is water tight and has zero rips or tares. To say I am over the moon is an understatement.

The next bargain I picked up so far this month is a JRC Stealth 6-Leg Bedchair. Brand new these things are over £100. I have got mine for £30. The only wear is a little bit of paint has come off the frame but the material and bed section is split mint. This proves what bargains you can get if you do abit of digging. My advice is try and stay clear of ebay as there is far to much competition, just browse your local forums and sooner of later what you want will appear for sale.

I will keep you posted on any other bargains I find and if I don't buy them myself I will post them on the blog so hopefully someone else can grab something cheap.

Chow For Now, Danny

Belmont Fishery - The Result

We arrived at Belmont Fishery on Tuesday morning at about 7.30am. Me and Ryan had a good hard scope around the lodge but could see no movement so settled for pegs 1 and 2. We unloaded the van and set up the bivvies and the heavens looked like they where ready to open any minute. Straight away Ryan started to bait up a little bay just to his left about 10ft away in the margins. Next came the marker float, fired out and dragged revealing the bottom was silt (and very deep silt indeed) so light leads where a must. Bait wise we had, boilies, pop ups, particle mix and sweetcorn. Our plan was to fish one rod each on the pop up and real corn and one on the pop up boilie. The marker float was also showing us that the lodge was only 2-3ft deep (not the 6ft in claims on the website.) We agreed we would have a free rod each and both have a rod on a pile of bait in the middle. We spodded out a good few kilos of bait into the middle but this was soon removed by the ducks who made light work of clearing it all up (Again shows how shallow the place is if the ducks can dive for the bait.) We spent most of Tuesday getting very annoyed at ducks taking our bait and setting the alarms off but hey what can you do. The fun began at night after we got settled and tucked away in our bivvies.

Catch 1

Just before the darkness hit Ryan put his left had rod on the bait he had put out to his left that morning. At 12.15am I was woken by Ryan shouting "DANNY DANNY DANNY." I came flying out of my bivvy to see ryan with both rods in his hands. Both alarms had gone at the same time so he had to strike both rods. The left rod was the one with the monster on the end and 20 minutes later Ryan banked a lovely mirror at 18lb 8oz.

Catch 2

Wednesday morning and after having no luck myself I decided to go and do a lap on the lodge and see what was about. I got to the far end of the lodge (peg 5) and in the shallows  I could see a good 5-6 big carp. I flew back to the bivvy and set up the waggler rod and went marching back with a bag of corn. I cast in with the single corn on a size 12 method hook and bang I was in on the drop. I was shouting Ryan for the net but he thought I was joking until he saw the tip of my Greys 1.75tc Barbel rod bent round touching my forehead. A nice fight and a beautiful 15lb common on the bank.

Catch 3

Thursday morning came far too quickly so I decided to have a play about and reeled my left hand rod in and added 2 pop up pink corn and 2 real corn in the formation we like to call the rhubarb and custard.

The rod went back into the water about 20ft out. Then at 10am BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP it was off. A very hard fight later (as I am weak) and a 19lb mirror is snuggled on the unhooking mat.

Catch Map

The Verdict

Belmont Fishery is a beautiful place and Swan Lodge is a beautiful lodge. The bailiff on site was brilliant and offered great advice on how to fish the place for the best results. Here are some tips me and Ryan think you will find useful:

• Laying down bait - Don't bother laying down bait as the ducks will eat it and drive you mad.
• Mozzies - Take lots of spray and candles or these guys will drive you nuts.
• Bait - We fished boilies and corn and only caught fish on corn.
• Silt - The bottom of the lodge is deep silt and even the lightest of  leads will get plugged so best to feather your casts.
• PVA Nuggets - These are a must to stop you hook getting covered deep in the silt with your lead.

Oh and on the website it says Swan Lodge only holds double figure carp. Well Ryan thinks different.

PS. This last picture looks proper carpy :) Danny & Ryan

Belmont Fishery - The Build Up

Me and Ryan have booked ourselves onto Belmont Fishery for 48 hours fishing to bag ourselves a fat one.

We are going Tuesday 19th July - 20th July 2011. We went up last night to check this place out and have a chat with anyone on there. When we got there we got a warm welcome from the chap sat in the shed who said there was no issue us going having a walk round the lake. Called Swan lake and having 5 bivvy pegs the water is a nice size and packed with double figure fish only. (You need to book 48hrs in advance). The bottom is very silty so tactics need to be discussed. Our next entry will be the results of our carp adventure with details of rigs, tactics, lodge catch maps and plenty of photos. Please find below a map of where we are fishing and the web address from Belmont Fishery.

Bye for now, Danny & Ryan

Belmont Fishery Website