high-penn

October 2025 Part 2 – a myth dispelled!

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With the up coming visit from Clive aka SidestreamBob I thought I had better return to Semington and make sure there was plenty of bank space, so I also took a pair of shears and cut a swim closer to the pump than I fished before but still close enough to Clive’s peg.

Peg duly cut I set up a single rig of a 1g homemade float to 0.14mm Tornado and 0.12mm Tornado hooklength to an 18 fishing the 2+2 line in about 6-7 feet of water. Double maggot was again the bait with two pudding consistency balls of groundbait introduced with a little maggot and chopped worm in it. This is not the typical canal approach but for this particular area it is a basic approach. First put in was 10:15 and by 12:15 I had amassed 28 roach, 28 skimmers, 5 larger skimmers, best being 1-08, 3 perch (best 0-14), 2 gudgeon and a rudd for a total of 8-08. I had lost 3 good fish to hook pulls, two were most likely big perch and one a bream judging by the slime on the line. Perch have bony mouths so a hook pull is always possible and the bream tend to have softer mouths than usual.

Anyway it looked good for Monday. Sunday I nip down to Bowood and set up on peg 10 putting the pike rod out and fishing my usual style. However I fished from 10 to 11 at which point the heavy rain got heavier and there were no signs of any pike activity, further evidenced by no slack periods on the pole – 40 rudd, 4 skimmer and a perch for 2-12.

Monday comes around and the sunny fine day of Friday at Semington is replaced by dull wet weather! Clive and I met up as arranged and I led him along the pounds to the pump and put him on the first peg I had fished as it was flatter and no vegetation in the way while I dropped in to the newly cut one from Friday. I had told Clive pole only as it was an ideal opportunity for him to get used to the pole while getting plenty of bites. To cut a long story short the day went off with intermittent rain and dry spells, Clive lost a good fish to a hook pull, possibly a big perch but did manage to get a perch of 1-04 plus a load of smaller fish for a 4lb total.I had a similar experience losing 3 good fish , landing a perch of 1-12 in a total of 8-07. The pump was active for about 30 minutes during which bites dried up significantly. However, the myth that SidestreamBob can’t catch fish is well and truly smashed after his exploits today and earlier in the season. (You will notice he is far better at taking photos than me!)

The myth breaker

Sunday is the next time I get out and this time I head for peg 10 at Bowood armed with the pike rod and 6m Chinese whip with just the haversack seat. Pike rod went out at 9 and the whip followed ten minutes later. I admit I got fed up with the small rudd, 34 of them by the time I packed up at 11:10 when the rain started again, along with 2 roach and 3 small skimmers for 1-08, not a sign of a pike or any activity.

Undeterred I returned next day to Bowood – to peg 11, yes eleven, armed with the haversack seat, pike rod and waggler. It was a very windy blowing left to right and a cold day. The peg had not been dragged at all and was weedy but I stuck at it and from 9:55 to 11:50 did not see a pike or get a run, but did get 18 rudd on the waggler for 1-10, as you can tell a better stamp than previously but still small.

Last day of the month and a dull very windy start that would turn into wet and windy later! I decided to head for High Penn as there were water mains repairs on the road to Bowood and they were working right by the entrance which made things awkward.I decided to take the haversack seat and just a waggler rod although I opted for a 15′ Filstar Premier Match that is at least 12 years old teamed up with a Kastking Sharky reel with 0.16mm line to a 0.12mm hooklength and size 18 barbless hook. Float was a homemade peacock quill taking 4AAA with 3AAA and a BB locking the float with a number 1 shot about 2 feet from the hook and a number 4 about 9 inches from the hook. Heavy set up but in reality needed in the 10’+ of water at 16m and the heavy wind creating a flow. I fished 9:40 to 11:30 when the heavens opened for a second time but fed sparingly, simply loose feeding 20 or so maggots every time bites slowed after an initial two helpings. The rod needs a bit of explaining as it is not like the ultra slim rods available today, it is noticeably thicker and heavier but has a very nice soft action in the tip which allows you to feel even the smallest fish whilst retaining a lot of backbone further down the rod. I was thinking this gave me the best of both worlds given the number of carp in High Penn.It was bites from the off with 15 perch, 16 rudd and 4 roach coming to hand, nothing bigger than 3oz, for a 2-06 total.

Taken during one of the calmer periods (there weren’t many!)

November awaits, will it bring a pike from Bowood?

September 2025 Part 2- I hate weed!

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Like a demented addict I return to peg 10 at Bowood and usual method I tried to stick on corn but after a while started alternating with maggot to no real avail. Basically it was dire with 4 bites and four fish, all rudd , three on maggot and one on corn for a miserable 3oz.

Friday sees me go to the K&A canal at Semmington, walking up to the pump area by the flyover. This was always a good bream spot before they added the new viaduct and I wanted to see what it was like now. Fishing 10-12 I set up the pole to fish at roughly 6m where the slope ended and introduced a ball of stodgy groundbait to counteract the flow and depth and a few chopped worms, loose feeding wheat and the odd maggot over the top. Starting on double maggot on a 16 below a 1g float in the approx 6ft of water with a bulk set 2ft from the hook and a single no8 dropper I immediately started catching, first 4 put ins resulted in skimmer,skimmer roach, skimmer. This carried on with small skimmers for a while until a lull was broken with a better fish that turned out to be a perch of 1-12 that stretched the no 10 elastic. (Number 10 is not usual for a canal I admit but for this area and depth of water I followed some advice given by Ian Didcot many moons ago, namely that the heavier elastic would set the hook better compared to the more usual elastics used). Swapping to a piece of worm the fish kept on coming until a boat driven by a New Zealand Captain Pugwash came straight down the inside almost running into my net while heading for the moorings at the lock. I was not pleased and suggested in future he did what other boaters do – keep out then hard turn in, drop off member to tie up front rope and pull mid-barge rope to level up and secure. To make matters worse a second barge then came and did the same but stopped to my left with its bow in touching distance of my landing net (I actually had to move it to prevent it getting hit). I struggled on while they waited for their antipodean friend in a third barge to catch up. They then managed to churn everything up while going through the lock. I gave it another ten minutes but decided to pack up, finishing with the perch plus two small ones, a gudgeon, a roach a rudd and lots of small skimmers for a 4-13 total.

Following Wednesday sees me back at peg 10 Bowood, a glutton for punishment or more like a dog that won’t give up his bone! Still heavily weeded, may be almost mid November before any piking can occur, I set up usual fashion and tried maggot, worm, corn and wheat and caught on all of them, ending the three hours with 15 rudd, 8 roach, a hybrid, 3 perch and two skimmers for a level 3lb.

Friday sees me head for High Penn for a change, fishing the middle of the East bank.

I had taken just the margin pole and plumbing up found about 10feet of water. A couple of walnuts of groundbait were introduced and a sprinkling of wheat with the odd maggot loose fed. and the couple of hours shot by with the 1g float regularly lifting or going down.The 11 roach, 9 perch and 14 rudd went 4-09 with the best fish being a roach of 0-12. Unfortunately the carp cruising around stayed out of pole reach, perhaps I’ll take a waggler next time!

My focus then moved to getting sorted for the Maggotdrowners match at the Glebe on October1st.

August 2025 Part 1 – Mainly short!

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August arrives and Monday 4th sees Gareth and I travel to Viaduct fishery to fish Cary pool, ending up on pegs 74 and 75. Gareth choose 75 and had a carp of 5-12 before I had got my pole out!

Straight in to carp- or so it seemed.

The day didn’t go quite as expected with both fishing paste and alternating with corn while feeding micros and 4mm on a 14 hook to 0.18mm line with homemade floats taking 0.6g, the carp didn’t get much of a look in as the skimmers seemed ravenous. I ended up with 3 roach, 45 skimmers and a carp of 9-14 for approx 62lb. Gareth added another carp of 10.04 a roach, 2 rudd and 57 skimmers for 75-80lb.

Gareth et al went off to Newark for a few days to visit the Antiques fair although Gareth also did a bit of fishing as seen above with a carp netted by Zachary!

At some point (time merges when they are here!) we had a short evening session on the Marden at Hazeland with Zachary having a go on the whip and landing a roach and the biggest trout yet which proved interesting as I had forgotten to put the landing net head in!!

While they were away I had a session at Bowood (11:20 -2pm). Thje weed growth had got thicker but worse still rushes were encroaching the middle and I counted 9 pegs that were unfishable with several more problematic. Anyway I persevered on peg 10 and had 8 rudd, a roach and 3 skimmers for 2-10 using the usual tactics.

Sunday 10th sees us at Hazeland for a short session 7:30-8:30 fishing the last weir saw no bites in 15minutes, not even from minnows so we moved up to the car park. I ended up with a trout and 3 minnows while Gareth had a trout and one minnow. Next evening we go to High Penn from 6:30 to 8pm fishing the last peg on the east bank. Gareth fished the method feeder that he had previously used while for a change I set up a 9ft Shimano Beast master and bait runner with a hybrid and wafter. Result was despite several small fish knocks I only had one proper “run” that i missed! Gareth managed 3 rudd and 2 roach among the constant bites, losing about 10 fish in the weed on the retrieve.

That was the last opportunity before I took them backlto Heathrow on the Thursday for their flight back to China. Normal service will now resume!

July 2025 Part 2 -pot pourri

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Gareth et al arrive and Tuesday evening sees us at the Hazeland Weir for a short session (5:45 – 7:45pm). I took the Frenzee 10ft waggler while Gareth opted for a bomb rod. I had two trout of 12oz and 10oz ion the first 15 minutes then one further missed bite between us! Not off to a good start!

Wednesday 16th and we have a couple of hours on High Penn with Zachary watching. Gareth fished a pellet waggler and I went with a hybrid feeder holding micros with a 8mm pellet. We chose what we call the beach pegs on the North bank as they are basically the one large peg. Gareth had two roach on the pellet waggler!!!!! and I blanked in terms of fish having two knocked off on a snag on the retrieve. Casting shorter I hook the “snag” which turns out to be a spool from a Daiwa Crossfire and about 100m of line that took me about 10minutes to land by carefully wrapping it up in a ball – this was passed onto the club secretary as we have only just acquired the water and this was not a good start!

Friday we head off to Witherington and fished the inner snake, Gareth bagged peg 93 (the bridge peg) and I went on 92. Gareth was into a fish from the margin before I had plumbed up. He carried on in a similar vein to land 8 carp for 47-00 (each carp weighed) whereas I struggled and ended up with several lost fish, several foul hooked but some lumps that took me around the island although I did get the biggest of the day at 10-08 in a 5 fish total for 26-00. I had to go across to 13m to get consistent bites fishing corn over 4mm pellets.

Sunday sees a short session with Zachary at Hazeland where Gareth and I both fished bomb and maggot he managed 8 rudd and a minnow, I had 3 minnows before 6 year old Zachary took over for 3 minnows also.

Monday sees a short session on the Marden at Hardens. We walked up to the pool and I managed a trout, a small chub of about 10oz and 8 minnows for roughly 2lb, Gareth had a small chub from the first downstream peg on our walk back and three minnows from the pool. We desperately need some rain in the rivers.

Thursday sees a session from 2:30 to 4:30 on section 1 of the Marden. I fished the waggler on the 10ft Frenzee rod while Gareth fished a bomb. Walking up to the end of the field we fished the “Wall” peg and I managed to sneak out a roach and a trout, Gareth had 3 minnows although to be fair we did spend most time walking and trying to find fishable areas with flow. Gareth’s minnows came from the barrage peg near the car park on our way back.

Friday and we head off for a day on the Severn, starting at Bridgnorth to get tickets for the Golf course section, only to be told that had stopped over five years ago- so much for clubs keeping their web-sites up to date! Fortunately I had identified a day ticket water at Highley – Bert’s, so we made our way there and armed with hemp and pellet and casters we found a swim where we were hopeful of a few bites.

Like most rivers the Severn was low and the area was shallower by at least a foot or so, than it should have been.Basically Gareth hooked and lost two chub on a snag on the way in but managed a dace on caster, I was snapped once and in an effort to avoid a blank changed to a light bomb and cast a single caster into the shallows, missing several bites I finally succeeded in getting a minnow! A disappointing but interesting day.

We managed to get a short session (7-8:30pm) next day at High Penn when Garth fished the hybrid and I fished the Frenzee rod with a normal waggler. Result was 1 roach and 6 perch for about 1-06 on double maggot, Gareth had some raps on the feeder but had a roach and perch on the waggler when we swapped for a bit.

Next outing was Wednesday to High Penn for a 2.15 – 4:45 session, this time fishing the last peg on the east bank.

Gareth was fishing a method feeder loaded with micros and a 6mm orange wafter cast towards the weed beds at 30m. Overhanging branches meant we both had to cast with an underarm sidewards flick. I was on my usual waggler with 16 hook and 2aa homemade reed float. To cut a long story short I had a roach fairly quickly but then struggled until a shoal of perch arrived, ending with the roach and 8 perch for approx 1-02. Gareth had a better time landing a carp of 7-12, a roach of 1-04, another of 10oz and losing a carp close in.

Last day of the month sees us travel to Harescombe fishery between Stroud and Gloucester as we had to pick Wendy (Gareth’s wife) up from just outside Gloucester as she had been visiting a friend. We ended up on Meadow lake with me on 4 and Gareth 5.

Peg 5 right
Peg 4 left
Peg 4 right

Now the tackle was kept to a minimum as we went in Gareth’s Ka and had to fit 3 adults in on the way back so Gareth used a 12 ft telescopic carbon rod that I bought from Ali some 8 years ago that packed very small (approx 18 inches) and I used a three piece match rod, both fishing a waggler with corn on a 16 hook to 0.16 hooklength – this was later upped to a 14 on 0.18mm. Feeding micros and 4mm we both fished the edge of the lilies, Gareth in the little bay seen in the picture and myself at the outer edge of the right hand side. Gareth did best getting carp of 8lb, 8lb and 7-04 while losing 4 from directly in front of his platform. I managed to hook 4 and lose 4, comprising of the first lump that I had on for a while before it managed to snap me on the pads, two were hook pulls and the fourth a foul hooker that gave me a scale. Four rudd saved the blank but it was very frustrating as there were fish coming into the right margin mopping up the pellets but very few bites- just three losses . The weather was not nice with several showers interspersed with heavier rain and the odd bright spell – typical summer weather!

8lb
7-04
8lb

More outings to come until they depart for China on 14th!

July 2025 Part 1- the hot one!

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July arrives and I manage to get out on the Friday for a couple of hours at High Penn (9:30 to 11:30), this time opting for the second swim on the west bank.

I had taken just the margin pole as previously but was surprised to find only 4foot of water whereas it was more than twice the depth on the opposite bank. Feeding loose feeding corn and wheat I had a bite after about ten minutes from a rudd and that was how it continued with regular bites from just in front resulting in 16 rudd and a solitary perch all on corn for a calculated 2-11 total.

The next Tuesday sees me brave Bowood between 9 and 12 but I was amazed at the increase in the weed growth, even peg 5 that I had previously raked was covered and unfishable without a long effort with the rake. Given the weather I whimped out and went to peg 10 where I ran the rake through several times .

It was a funny session with the sun burning on my back but a cool breeze coming right to left cooling my front! I fed three balls of groundbait with loose fed wheat and apart from one cast fished corn on the 16 hook rather than maggot, topping up the groundbait with a single ball every 45 minutes or so. The action was consistent if frustrating as the small rudd were attacking the corn en masse as they couldn’t get it into their mouths resulting in me bulk shotting the 0.6g rig to try and get past them. I ended up with 19 rudd, 4 small skimmers and two roach for a weighed total of exactly 3-00.

Friday, the last chance to go before Gareth arrives (I had pulled out of the final leg of the Summer League once I knew that a journey to Gatwick was needed!) I opted for the Pondtail, simply due to the fact that I could get back to the car easily once the heat started to build! Starting at 8:05 I managed to get to 9:35 before packing up and retreating to the car which showed a temp of 28C.

The repaired bridge and the weed growth that has spread.

I had just taken the ten foot Frenzee waggler and fished a couple of rod lengths out with a homemade peacock waggler with a 0.12 hooklength and 16 hook, loose feeding wheat with double maggot on the hook. I did bump a few more fish than usual but ended up with 8 roach and 2 perch for a weighed 1-02.

The last session Gareth had before leaving China was on the Shiqi river spinning and getting an asp.

A few joint sessions coming up!

June 20215 Part 2 – slightly longer!

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Well Tuesday and Wednesday had been ruled out for fishing as it was Col’s birthday and I had got tickets for a play at Bath on the day after. However, the best laid plans and all that Tuesday afternoon sees me prone on the bed totally shattered and Wednesday sees us missing our day out in Bath as I spent the day in bed! By Sunday I was feeling a lot better but not good enough to trek down to Bowood so I had a couple of hours at High Penn on the edge of Calne. I last fished it over 30 years ago in a South Cerney v Wooton Bassett evening inter club match but after many years of no fishing Calne had managed to acquire the lease.

Given my state I simply took a 6m margin pole with the intention of fishing corn at 5m. I settled on what I think was old peg 7 on the east bank and plumbing up found about 10ft at 5m; strange how we still use feet for depth and meters for distance!

Left margin
Right margin

I began flicking out some corn and fed micros and 4m through a tosspot, starting on the right and after an hour moving to the left. Both areas being just past the tree line although the right was home of a nuisance snag! First bite came after about 10 minutes a chunky roach about 10 oz.

In the couple of hours I was there I had 10 roach,a rudd and a baby carp of about 2oz for roughly 3-12 including another net roach of about 12oz.

The bonus being that despite it being a hot day with the carp cruising around I was in shade with a breeze in to my face (I even had my fleece on!).

So Wednesday sees me march down to Bowood peg 5 with the rake. Twenty plus minutes of raking sees a clearish area that was just about fishable.

The pile of weed I took out!I managed to start fishing eventually at 10:05 and lasted until 12:30. Fishing 0.16mm to a 14 hook and corn on a homemade float I introduced three balls of groundbait with some wheat, micros and corn. First fish was a net rudd that flipped out of my had before I could take the customary first Bowood fish picture but five minutes later I had another similar sized one that I managed to snap!

I had 16 rudd by the end for 2-04 and bumped a few also, but no sign of any bream or tench. An angler on peg 10 packed up and passed me as I finished raking and he said it had been very hard but had one bream and a small skimmer. It desperately needs some colour and fresh water – the stream that you cross was dry!

Sunday sees me on the Thames at Radcot for the penultimate round of the Summer League. I was drawn in section C as I had requested a short walk with my knee and had fortunately cut right down on the tackle taking a waggler and feeder rod only along with my Bowood box and trolley. C section was down from Grafton lock and the short walk was the longest yet as I drew C10, end peg of the section, except for some unknown reason they had not staggered the pegging as in all other rounds which would have meant I would be about 4 pegs in.

Faced with blazing sun, no shade, about 8 feet of water and little colour I set up the waggler with 3 no 6 shot spread down the line, minnows and tiny bleak had been an issue with maggot so far this season so I had left the maggots at home and based my attack on caster, hemp and wheat, we were not in the running and had a team plan of trying something different! I started by loose feeding caster, hemp and a little wheat about two rod lengths out and third put in had a small bleak, so at least I wouldn’t blank, from thereon I had a further bleak, a minnow, a chublet, a roach and a gudgeon for the princely total of 0-04, the last three hours was biteless despite trying feeder and fishing across for a hopeful chub! I stopped counting the boats, paddle boards and canoes after the twentieth went through!

One more round to go – Clanfield where at least you can park behind your peg! Surprisingly we moved up to 7th as a team!

Bowood beckons as does High Penn, plus Gareth arrives on the 12th and is looking to catch a river barbel as he has not fished for them since the late 1990s. Onward and hopefully upwards.