PHOTO ALBUM1

Conditions were the same as on the 3rd; again I started at 22.00ish, fish started at aproximatley 23.30hrs, 8lb 14oz, 00.35 Hrs 10lb 11oz and 02.30hrs 7lb 7oz; again it then died as if a switch were thrown, killer bait again Pearce and Duff chocolate flavoured meat! Sport was slower than the previous night. The following night I returned taking a further 3 to 10lb3oz at 01.30. The next night a friend and I could not get a touch in the same ideal conditions. We were past the peak days! NOTE HOW THE PERIODS CREEP FORWARD

THIS WAS MY WYE P.B AT THE TIME, IT CAME AROUND 18.50 ALONG WITH 3 OTHERS OF 8.12, 8.9, AND 8.7. THIS LAST ONE SMACK ON H.P. THE FIRST AT 17.00ISH. THEN IT DIED. PRIOR, FROM ABOUT 12.00HRS UNTIL APPROX 14.20HRS I HAD FISH OF 5.5, 7.1, 7.8 AND 8.3. IN THE MOONRISE PERIOD. THIS WAS FOLLOWED WITH TWO 4LB+ NUISANCE CHUB IN THE DEAD SPELL.
GOING BY THE "TEXTBOOKS" I SHOULD HAVE STRUGGLED. IT WAS MUCH COLDER THAN ON THE 8TH, AND A GALE FORCE COLD N/W TO GO WITH IT.
FISH WERE ACTIVE AT DUSK ON THIS OCCASION, USUALLY THEY ONLY ARE WHEN THE MOON PERIODS COINCIDE WITH SUNSET, AS WAS THE CASE THIS TIME. THE OTHER DUSKS YOU CAN SIT IN BEWILDERMENT IN IDEAL "LOOKING" CONDIDIONS WONDERING WHY THEY ARE NOT HAVING IT!

HEREFORDS RIVER LUGG. THIS ONE CAME AT 20.20 HRS, ON A KEY DAY, WHICH ARE DEPICTED AS "EXCELLENT/AVERAGE" ON THE "PROSPECTS" PAGE, WATCH FOR FISH AT THE POINT WHEN WE GO FROM DIRECT SUNLIGHT TO REFLECTED LIGHT, AT THIS STAGE IT HAS NOT YET BECOME MUCH DARKER. LIGHTING UP TIME I SUPPOSE. THEREFORE IT IS A COMBINATION OF A FEW THINGS WHICH ARE TRIGGERING FISH AT THIS STAGE, THE POSITION OF THE MOON BEING THE FIRST, IT IT MOST UNUSUAL FOR FISH TO BE ACTIVE AT THIS POINT ON DODGY DAYS. YOU USUALLY HAVE TIME TO LAND, PHOTOGRAPH, PUT THE FISH BACK, PACK UP AND GET TO THE MOTOR BEFORE IT IS DARK, IF YOU ARE LUCKY!

THIS ONE CAME AT 16.30, I HAD WORKED OUT 16.25 AS A PEAK SO IT WAS NOT FAR OUT! THE TRANSIT PERIOD AROUND NEW MOON WILL AT BEST LAST 4 HOURS WITH POSSIBLE PEAKS OF BIG FISH ACTIVITY AT POINTS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS EITHER SIDE, HENCE 16.25, AND CLOSE TO THE TRANSIT TIME(14.25 THIS DAY). LIKE USUAL I MISSED THAT AND DID NOT START TILL ABOUT 14.30, THE SWIM I CHOSE WAS PUSHING THROUGH JUST TOO MUCH FOR ME TO EMPLOY A LIGHT BOBBING ON THE MEAT ROD, AND I WAS NOT HAPPY WHERE I WAS, THE SLACKER WATER IN THE CAR PARK SWIM SEEMED TO BECKON.
SO AT 15.45 I MOVED INTO IT, AT 16.25 "THAT WIND" GOT UP AND AT 16.30 THE MAGGOT FEEDER ROD BANGED OVER, THE SHORT AND INTENSE FIGHT ENDED WITH ME NETTING THE SHORTEST FATTEST DOUBLE I HAVE EVER SEEN!
THE WIND THEN WENT TOTALLY FLAT, AND RIGHT ON CUE THE BOOTLACES STARTED, IN THE DEAD SPELL EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD NOT BEEN ACTIVE THE COUPLE OF HOURS PRIOR, IT WAS STILL VERY BRIGHT.
ONE HEARS A LOT OF ANGLERS WHO MOAN ABOUT EELS MAKING MAGGOT FISHING USELESS FOR BARBEL ON THE LOWER SEVERN, IT IS NOT A PROBLEM, ONE JUST NEEDS TO KNOW WHEN THE EELS ARE LEAST LIKELY TO BE ACTIVE

Being that I worked the time out without looking through my data, I felt chuffed to only to be 20mins out. If you read through the photo albums carefully you will see this fish came EXACTLY when it should for nm+1 in october. The fish took half a tin of meat. The river was its lowest since 1976 and it was still bright daylight. The swim had a big sunken willow immediately on my left the fish tried its hardest to snag me under it, on my gear it wer'nt going anywhere! size 1 raptor, 20lb braid to 15lb carpsilk, a s/u mk1v glass avon (2.25 t/c), and christened the new avon royal c/pin(double wise). Without a doubt the best big fish pin one can get. Methinks.

I Had predicted a possible corker on Fishing Magic site. Predicted moon set period would be 19.00hrs - 22.00hrs. L.O. period 23.50hrs - 02.30hrs. Met with angler off site (SEDGE) we started fishing at 17.30ish. He had a 7.9 at 18.58hrs, I had a 7.9 and 9.4 at 20.15 and 22.00hrs, at end of period 22.10hrs, ten minutes after my prediction he dropped a very big fish! At about 23.oohrs, Sedge and his mate went. I said to them "it will happen, as it felt right". At 00.15hrs I had the 10.3, followed with a 9.5 at 00.40, then again they switched off.

THIS ONE (10lb 120z)CAME AT 18.13HRS. THE PREVIOUS DAY I HAD FISHED THE WYE AND HAD MY SECOND BEST PIKE OF 21LB AT 17.27HRS.
I ARRIVED AT THE LOWER SEVERN AT ABOUT 15.45. LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE PEAK TIME AROUND 18.10 (THIS TIME ARRIVED AT BY ADDING ABOUT 40 MINUTES TO THE TIME OF THE PIKE CAPTURE TIME, THAT SAID STILL BE AWARE OF POSSIBILITIES APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS BEFORE THE H.P TIME AROUND THE FIRST QUARTER MOONS, SO THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A PEAK AROUND 16.51-17.00 MORE ON MOVEMENT OF TIMES IN THE LUNAR CYCLES PAGE) SEVERAL ANGLERS WERE PRESENT AND I WAS ASKED IF I WAS THE "MOONMAN"! "YES AND THERE IS A PEAK TIME AROUND 18.10, IF IT HAS NOT HAPPENED BY SHORTLY AFTER THAT IAM OFF" WAS MY REPLY. ( NOT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MORE PEAK TIMES THAT NIGHT, BUT WHY SIT IN UNCOMFORTABLE CONDITIONS WHEN ONE DOES NOT NEED TO?) I BAITED UP WITH HALF A TIN OF MEAT(HOOKBAIT) AND LOWERED THAT TIGHT TO THE BANK AND SLIGHTLY DOWNSTREAM, AND HUNG A BOBBING ABOUT 4FT BELOW THE ROD. I THEN FISHED A SECOND FEEDER ROD WITH MAGGOTS UPSTREAM. THE FIRST POSSIBLE PEAK SAW A DISTINCT PICK UP IN WIND AT 17.00, DESPITE THIS NO FISH WERE FORTHCOMMING AT THIS POINT. HOWEVER COME 18.13 A STRONG BREEZE PICKED UP, THE BOBBING THEN STARTED UP TO THE ROD AND JUST BEFORE IT HIT I STRUCK INTO A VERY POWERFUL FISH, IT FOUGHT VARY HARD IN THE STRONG CURRENT AND DEEP WATER, AND AFTER ABOUT 10MINUTES I NETTED HER, MY SECOND DOUBLE IN AS MANY SHORT VISITS TO THE "LOWER". AND ONLY A COUPLE OF MINUTES OFF MY PREDICTED TIME.

On saturday Keith Arthur read my forecast out on his excellent Fishermans Blues show (TALKSPORT 1053 and 1089 mw, weekends 06.00 - 08.00). I had taken account of all weather factors.

Monday the Wye was too high with copious amounts of rubbish coming down so gave it a miss, praying that it would drop for the next two peak days, my prayers were answered tuesday my chosen peg was just fishable, moon H.P was at 12.26 set 17.01. As I walked to the peg at 11.10 a strong breeze came from nowhere and covered the river in leaves! I was now in a rush to get a bait in, out went the maggot feeder, 11.15 the first fish took a 7.9, second at 12.37 a 6.11, third at 12.52 an 8.6, fourth and best of 9.3 at what I deemed the end of period peak at 13.15, there was again a distinct pick up in wind at that time.

Wednesday: I got a gut feeling to try a swim that I have had my eyes on for a few years, for a double. The river had dropped enough to make this swim fishable. Moon H.P 13.26, set 17.30. I was looking at advanced points (from yesterdays fish that happened on definite peaks, i.e, ones that were caught when the biggest pick up in wind occured) at 12.10 ish, 14.10 ish and 16.30 ish. Started about 09.30 in a dead spell. About 11.30 it clouded over (this often happens at the transit times) 12.08 the wind picked up and the feeder rod went, the fish was 9.9. not the anticipated double but I was well pleased. Plenty of big dace followed some being nicked by pike, these on lesser wind pick ups and were on advanced peaks of fish that fed within yesterdays H.P period. Around 13.30 the sky cleared, at 14.08 or 14.12 there was again a distinct pick up in wind, when I got a proper bite on the feeder rod, from the 11.3. The fish put up one hell of a scrap in the fast deep water and after about 10minutes I was getting worried something would give, several times it grated the braid mainline against, boulders, shopping trolleys and old farm machinery. Soon after it graced the net which duly collapsed as I lifted it! Again not a touch on the second meat rod!

Regretfully I had to pack in shortly before the start of set peak around 16.30

The water temperature was a tad below 12oc for the two days so that did nothing to trigger fish, bar the fact it was warm enough for feeding to take place.

Gear was an 11ft mk1v glass, 20lb braid on the avon royal pin, 12lb carpsilk hooklink with 4 maggots on a size 10 animal spade. Feeder a 4oz homemade effort. Total of bait used (2 sessions), 2 pints of maggots and the same of hemp, for 10 barbel and untold big dace. You do not need gallons of bait for feeder fishing!

Tuesday the river was quite coloured with untold leaves coming down, many barbel anglers ignore maggots in these conditions, favouring a big smelly bait. Meat on the second rod was completely ignored over the two days, good job that I nearly always fish, maggots on one, meat on the other. Many times I have found the fish will only be on one bait and not the other! I have caught many doubles only because of using two rods. One rod and changing the bait/rig is not a good option, as on a key point, which usually only lasts a few moments we don't know what the fish will favour.

I was now looking at the start of set peak around 16.20, however, this started early with a pick up in wind and an 8.8 at 15.49, followed in the period with a 5.3 at 16.09, an 8.2 at 16.40, and again an 8.2 with a pick up in wind at 17.55. I figured that signified the end peak but gave it till 18.49 three hours after the start. Previous documentation tells me there would have been another peak around 20.40 but having had a good day I did not stay for that. THERE WAS,NT A TOUCH ON THE SECOND MEAT ROD ALL DAY.