Bashing Bishops.........
Sadly I was having a fishing trip without my fishing partner in crime Steve due to a prior engagement but as I was itching for a fish and the weather near perfect it had to be done.

I spent a while deciding where to go, the choices were between Marsh Farm in Godalming or Bishops Green near Newbury.

An old school friend of mine asked for a day out on the bank and as his style of fishing steered towards Carp it was decided we would target the Carp at Bishops Green.

With Bishops now quite a popular place to fish even with a day ticket increase I felt we needed to be there early so I picked James up at 5:45am and we headed for Bishops. And as I hoped for we had arrived first, paid in the dog house, and made our way down to the lake.

After a lap we decided the far end of the lake looked favorable as there was a few bubblers in the edge, which was where I planned on fishing.

I have fished Bishops Green a lot in the past, it's a great place to take the kids, as I have done many times, there's a lot of Roach and Gudgeon present so the kids love float fishing for them which is a great way to start, whilst I have a couple of cheeky Carp rods out on alarms, perfect.

Over the years I have chopped and changed a few different methods but have found two that I use and have never failed, and on this occasion they really done me proud.

The first and normally the most prolific starts the moment I get in the swim, where I will put two handfuls of Halibut Pellet either side of my swim right next to the bank and in this case next to some rushes either side. Method wise I use solid Pva bags, small bags stuffed with 4mm Halibut Pellet nice and tight with a 12mm halibut pellet on the hair topped with plastic corn of any colour soaked in Betalin, strong size 10 hook as I have seen the Carp in here snap hooks with their brutal fights, a short 3-4inch hook link of a supple Braid to an inline lead of 2-3oz all on a leadcore leader of a couple of foot.

The second method is simple floater fishing tactics with either a controller float held by rubbers and a size 10/12 surface style hook or straight to the hook for close in work, a couple of simple methods which really do the business.

Whilst setting up base camp with mat etc and a shelter with a possibility of rain and every few minutes I put a bit more Pellet on the spots.

With alarms in place, rods put together and one of the 20 ready made pva bag/leader setups on either rod and dropped right in the edge a few feet from the alarms.

It took all of about 20 seconds for the first run which resulted in a little Common of a around 2lb, but off the mark, before a new bag was put on the other rod was away with a similar sized common.

The bites where so frantic for the first couple of hours that it was hard to have both rods in at the same time.

There was a few anglers on but not many fish out, it seemed all the fish were in the edge with me, well all the small ones so far.

James had had a couple using similar tactics but without pva and I wasn't even putting a bag on every time anymore as they were so frantic it wasn't needed.

Whilst fishing I had my camera out doing a bit of filming for an upcoming YouTube video so decided after over 15 Carp to nearly 13lb and being about midday I would have a rest, and try to get some shots also I had caught that many fish I was getting fatigue in my right forearm causing my muscle to pop out, not something that has ever happened to me and not something I wish to ever happen again.

After a long lunch break and some really strong wind resulting in my camera on its pod to go flying and my mat to disappear into the hedge, I got back to job in hand, there was fish to be caught so I carried on, pegging the mat and pod down.

Although the wind was being a pain there was fish coming up for the odd floating dog biscuit so I set up my Barbel rod on a simple setup of just 6lb mainline straight to a 12 hook and stalking around the edges near our swims as there was no one fishing up near us.

After a few tense minutes I had a nice Ghostie on the bank of around 11lb, followed by another similar size Common.

With my arm still giving me gip we decided to call it a day and with over 20 Carp and half being doubles to my name I was happy and having comments whilst walking back to the car asking what on earth I was doing felt like I must have been doing something right, for once.

Family Fishing at Bishops Green

Today was a family fishing day, which can be a right faff.

I had a struggle deciding where to go to cater for all, we needed some small fish for my daughter Ellie as she hasn't done a lot of fishing so starting her off small, my son Liam has done a bit and was progressing through the different styles of fishing and he wanted to try some feeder fishing, and as I was going to be helping the kids most of the time I wanted a venue which catered for me having a couple of rods out on alarms.

We left home at about 8am which for me was very late, but as there was women in toe they needed more beauty sleep.

We popped into Frobury farm and it was rammed and looking very strange with recently astro turfed swims, so we decided to pop further up the road to Bishops Green where we decided to fish.

After a quick walk around the lake I decided to fish the car park end as everyone else was fishing the far end, after paying we set up, Liam on the feeder, Ellie on the float with her little bright pink Princess rod, and my rods set on alarms fishing PVA bags in the margins for Carp.

Ellie was soon in on the Gudgeon and the Carp soon sprung into life with long lean Commons soon on the mat one after the other.

The feeder was producing nothing so I switched Liam to a float so he could get a few Gudgeon and maybe a Roach which he did.

My Carp setups where producing the goods throughout the day fishing solid PVA 2ft from the bank with a handful of pellets every 30 minutes or so with fish to around 10lb, great fun.

I decided to try and catch one off the top just to finish the day off, and after feeding the ducks off I started feeding the Carp little and often with some dog biscuits, after about 15 minutes I had a small Common of about 6lb on the bank.

With that we packed up and left, a cracking day fishing and Bishops Green producing as always, not huge Carp but they go like a train due to the fairly shallow water.

Bish Bosh

As the weather was looking pretty good, and a good friend asking for a fish, I decided it was time to return to Bishops Green for a few Carp....Hopefully.

When I fish Bishops Green there are a few swims I favour so I decided on a early start and picked James up at 5:30am and was lakeside by 6am.

We grabbed a bucket and headed round the lake for a look. There was not a lot to go on so we headed to the far end of the lake where there is good marginal growth.

I started by putting a couple of handful of pellets either side of the swim in the margins then sorted the gear. I had two rods on alarms using pre-made leaders with short hook links in solid PVA bags with 12mm pellets tipped with plastic corn soaked in Betalin dropped in the edge.

It was a cold morning promising to get hotter during the day but still had a run pretty soon after casting in with a 11lb 11oz Common as my prize.

Old school friend James was soon catching and was all going well, but when the sun got up and it started to get rather hot the fishing died down with just the odd fish.

Bishops Green is normally a great place for surface fishing even when its cold but it just didn't happen today, and with 6 Carp each we headed home.

A decent day for the conditions and although the ticket price has recently doubled in cost to £10 a day for 2 rods its worth every penny.

4 Day Fish....ish.

Wednesday

Today was the first day of our 4 day fish, we had originally decided to have 3 days and 3 nights at Strokins then a day session at Bishops Green, but as usual things did not quite go to plan.

We arrived at Strokins at about 7am and had a good look around to try and find signs of fish. A couple of shows in the far corners saw us lugging our gear to the far end of the pond, each in a corner as we did the last time we fished here. Base camp was half set up but with the sun creeping up and temperatures rising we set off down the other end of the pond for a spot of surface fishing. We both missed fish then Steve cracked out the float gear and a worm and after a bit of a wait he had a Carp on, about 5lb which is small for here but a Carp none the less and in these conditions a hard one to catch.

From the moment we arrived we had been baiting the margins with pellet to fish over later in the day, and after a hearty BBQ that’s exactly what we did.

For this trip I was mirroring my method last year as it worked well then, solid PVA bag set up, short uncoated hook link, size 10 curved hook with a pellet on the hair soaked in Betalin,a leader, 10lb fluorocarbon mainline, 3lb test Carp rods to Big Pit reels, I would not normally use my big Carp gear for a pond this small, I would normally use the Barbel rods and free spools, but there are a few monsters lurking here, Carp to over 40lb, so I decided to step up.

All was quiet on the fish front, we sat there chatting and watching motionless bobbins wondering when/if it may happen.

We was both absolutely knackered and feeling a bit rough due to the hot sun, and over eating so rather than leave the rods out we wound in for a good kip.

Thursday

I had a shit nights sleep thanks to low flying helicopters, rats eating all I own outside of the bivvy, and owls, but was still up at 5:30am to try and catch one using stalking tactics, sadly just as we was setting up to head down the far end some anglers turned up, which when the pond is this small that means you stay where you are, damn it.

We rebaited the rods, put some pellets in the margins and set our traps, then it was time for the greatest part of night fishing, the bacon sarnie, or two.

We had decided to do the day here then pack up before the weather got nasty.

Fishing was really hard going, not helped by a freezing night and very warm temperatures during the day but we cracked on, Steve was in first, then at last I had one, a lovely scaly Mirror and very welcome.

It got to about 3pm Steve had had another Carp which didn’t fight in the slightest it just seemed to give up, strange, then it was my turn and the Dekims screamed into life with a lovely Common.

With the fish back I packed up the gear, bar the rods hoping for one last fish, but it didn’t happen.

Friday

I picked Steve up at 6am and headed to Bishops Green, we was happy to find an empty lake on our arrival.

We headed down to the far end of the lake as the margins can be very prolific due the the reeds.

I was using my Barbel rods for a bit more fun, solid bags set ups at the ready and lowered into the margins, then sat on the delkims ready to scream, which didn’t take long.

Around 10 minutes later it was away, and as usual for these fish it went absolutely mad.

Not a big fish for Bishops at about 6-7lb but welcome all the same.

I continued baiting margins either side whilst feeding doggies on the surface as they had already started to top.

Once the fish where feeding ravenously on the surface I brought one of the margin rods in and tried my luck on the surface, cast past the fish and brought it over them slowly. I started on bread but the fish where just knocking it off with there tails so I put a side hooked fake doggie on which after a while resulted in a Carp of a similar size to the last, as they where really hard to get of the surface I went back to the margins.

All was quiet for about an hour so I up sticks and went to a swim round the corner, which must have been some kind of Carp nursery as they all seemed about 1-2lb, but still fought like a train. I did hook a nice fish and an easy double but it came off after about 5 minutes.

We decided to call it a day, an early one at that as it was not even midday but we had pre-decided to go and visit a few old venues to check out rules etc. so we can update the site.

First on our list was a visit to a new tackle shop in Newbury called Experience Fish. It comes highly recommended from us due to its good size and stock of products.

The first lake we visited was Wylies Lake which is on the R.D.A.A ticket but available on day ticket. Although we fished here twice we had next to no luck, but it still looks very fishy and with depths of over 15ft and Tench over 10lb its hard not to want to return.

Next on the list was Court Farm, the ticket prices have sadly not changed and still far to high for this venue, but the lakes are looking very nice with willows hanging into the lake and some nice swims, really pictures s, but not worth the £9 PER ROD, as is lake 2.

Lake 3 is also looking nice, good marginal growth with some lilies, but worth £11 PER ROD.......NO.

Next we popped into Seven Lakes, we are very impressed with the progress of this venue so far, trees cut back, swims created on lake 6 and 7 and looking good, lets just hope in continues onto the other lakes and a re-stocking programme introduced.

Last on our list is an old favourite of ours Aldermaston Mill on the river Kennet, a special venue for both me and Steve as it holds both of our Barbel pb's, my Chub pb and Steve's Perch pb.

But we was very disappointed at how it looked, obviously the mill and grounds themselves look stunning, but the river not so much. The back water is very low, there is so much silt in the margins that you would need a 5m landing net to reach the fish, and there is only really a couple of swims. The lawn swims are not much better, only a couple fish able which have had special landing stages to try to get over the silt. Its a real shame so we can just hope it will improve back to its former glory as there is not many stretches of the River Kennet on a day ticket.

So a productive day, a few fish and an updated website, nice.