River Carp Fishing

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I’ve fished for carp in lakes for just about as long as I can remember. Some sessions have brought me great memories and some fantastic fish to over 40lb. In recent years though I’ve been intrigued by river carp fishing. The fact that nobody can be sure of what’s swimming around in front of you! Fish with no names that might have travelled miles. This heightened sense of mystery has become quite addictive. My 2019 season has started well, and I’ve been lucky to get amongst some stunners from the River Lea.

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Tench Fishing in Hertfordshire

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It’s fair to say that I’m at a bit of a loss when the rivers close mid-March. Through the winter, I will have been on the river consistently chasing Perch and Chub, and suddenly all that is taken away. Having said that, I’m all for the closed season. It’s good to give them a rest, and besides, I can’t imagine life without June 16th! So, without a river, it’s the Tench that saves the day! Late March is a great time to be out on the bank. The early signs of spring are starting to appear, and everything is starting to come to life. Early spring is a classic time of year to fish for Tench and this article is about my Tench Fishing in Hertfordshire in March / April 2019.

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Big Pike on Lures – Winter 2018

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For me, lure fishing and winter go hand-in-hand. By December 2018 I’d been fishing quite hard for a few months for big Perch fishing around the Lea Valley. My target for three years had been to catch a 4lb+ Perch on a lure. In early December, I finally achieved this, and so I almost immediately switched focus to another challenge, big Pike on lures.

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Big Perch Fishing

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I can’t quite believe it’s taken me so long to get round to writing this particular blog post about my big Perch fishing through last winter. I have been on a quest for a 4lb Perch on a lure for 3 years now. Here’s a couple of links to my Perch fishing through the winter of 2016 and of winter 2017, where I caught some fantastic fish and actually came within 1 ounce of my target with a big Perch of 3 lb 15 oz. This blog post covers the winter just gone, 2018 into 2019. The third winter on the trot of really grafting for this 4lber! Will this finally be the year where I crack it!? Read on.

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common carp lavers essex

Reflecting on summer 2018 – fishing in Hertfordshire and Essex

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I am a year round angler and always have been. I love seeing the seasons change on the bank. After a long winter fishing in fairly miserable conditions it’s so nice when the shoots of spring arrive. I really love the sunshine so by the time summer arrives I’m quite desperate! It’s now September and this article sees me reflect on the summer of 2018 fishing in Hertfordshire and Essex.

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River Lea chub fishing

Chub Fishing on the River Lea

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Chub Fishing on the River Lea can be quite varied depending on where you decide to wet a line. I’ve written before about it being a ‘river of two parts’ – that being the ‘Upper Lea’ and the ‘Lower Lea’. The chub fishing on the Upper Lea can be hectic and they can be found there in numbers. In contrast, generally speaking, the ‘Lower Lea’ is much more patchy but does have a habit of throwing up the much bigger (record breaking) chub!

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fishing the river lea

First day of the season fishing the river lea

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Oh my god it’s been a looonnnng closed season! It seemed like forever before 16th June came round! The first day of the river season has become so special to me. I used to be a puddle chucker but for the last 5 years or so I’ve fallen in love with the river. Sure I still fish lakes but like many I am particularly fond of my local river, which in my case sees me fishing the River Lea. The last couple of years I’ve tried to do ‘the treble’ on the first day – that is to catch three decent specimens of three different species. Last year I managed it with a specimen Perch, a Barbel and finishing with a stunning Carp on the river in Ware. It’s always a huge challenge and typically involves me in various swims on completely different sections of the river using a range of tactics. Here’s how my opening day went on June 16th 2018 fishing the River Lea.

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Fryerning carp lake – red letter day

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So we’ve all probably had red letter days when carp fishing, and we can all agree that they don’t come along often enough! Here I recount of one such event that happened on a 12 hour overnight session on Fryerning Carp Lake – the Main Lake in May 2018.

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Surface fishing for carp

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In the warmer months one of the most affective methods is surface fishing for carp. As the water warms up carp spend much of their time in the upper layers, so presenting a bait on or near the surface can get fantastic results. For me surface fishing comes in several forms. There are various methods and approaches that you can take when catching fish off the top. Within this article write about my approach.

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