The Zander....

Hi guys, well, first addition from me. Had to add this one. Out fishing on May 31st from about 7.30 am at kyrkaviken in Lidingö. A beautiful sunny day, well over 20 degree's. Fishing on the float for smaller fish and two livebaits out for pike (had 6.5kg pike here before) Around 9.30am the livebait float went under and I struck into a very solid fish. Felt very strange from the start as the fish went straight out for open water and very deep!! After about 10 minutes fight I finally caught a glimpse of the monster and was shocked to see a very angry zander (my first ever).  On my very poor scales it weighed in at around 3.8kg, a beautiful fish. I'll be going back again to try for more...

 

Tyresö Nyfors; 17th June 2008

4lb 2oz. Tench

4lb 2oz. Tench

Rudd

A night fishing trip this time for a change with Zander very much in mind. Things got of to a quick start for me with a cracking Tench of 4lb. 2oz. taken at the start of the session at 21.05 on a legered worm, a 5 point fish and a fin perfect specimen. Was not aware the species was present in the lake and this one really fought all the way to the bank.

We fished until 0300am., unfortunatly the results were not good. At least four Zander baits registered no takes at all, with the legered worm taking only one good fish, a Rudd of about 12oz. or so. A frustrating result with regard to a species that has eluded us for two years or more now....

Malaren; 5th June 2008

9lb. 2oz. Pike

Simon with his first Pike of the day...

My first Pike of the day...

Lovely trip out in the boat with Jamie and Simon after Pike. The weather was incredible, an absolute scorcher, which affected the fishing no doubt, nevertheless got a few fish. I hooked up first to a fish of somewher in the 4-5lb class on a big bandit jerkbait, though did not weigh this one. Things were quiet for a bit after that fish, changed lures and I again hit a fish, this time a fine, really well conditioned Pike of 9lb. 2oz. which fought well. This one fell to a large jointed Rapala Rap-Shad.

Simon then began to catch, with three Pike coming to him in quick succession, all under the 5lb. mark. Jamie had a desperatly unlucky day, with several strikes and no fish landed, culminating with a very good fish that took a shallow running jerkbait. Unfortunatly the trace parted after a clutch failure on the reel he was using. Headed back in a short while later, a really enoyable session and great to get a few fish on lures. The outing earns three points for both Simon and I.

Trehorningen; 3rd June 2008

2lb 9oz. Tench

2lb 9oz. Tench

1lb 15oz. Tench

Male Tench; 8oz.

Trehörningen Lake


Went after Tench today on my birthday, to a new venue, Trehörningen. Arrived to find a stunning lake, very picturesque, full of water lilies and it just screams Tench. Despite the later morning start and the very bright, sunny conditions I was hopeful of a fish due to the New Moon today and the fact that the moon low point was at 12.10pm.

Started fishing at 09.15am. and things were initially rather quiet. Fished just one rod, a 12 foot quivertip with a free running rig and worm as bait. A large Tench rolled on the surface in front of me early on. Several frustrating bites followed, each time the worms were stripped from the hook with only the tiniest movement of the rod. I then hooked and lost a good fish, presumably a Tench at 12.00 nooon. At 12.40 I banked my first Tench of the year, also my smallest ever, an 8oz. male that put up an amazing fight considering its size and had me wondering if I had hooked one of the lakes Crucian Carp! At 13.20 I banked a much better fish od 2lb 9oz., a really pleasing result. This was follow by another at 1.35pm., this one weighed 1lb. 15oz. and was a beautiful pale fish, just lovely to look at. Rudd were a constant nuisance and grabbed most of the baits before they could even hit the bottom, in the future will use sweetcorn or mini boilies to avoid them. Two Perch were caught, Bream too were in evidence, along with a single Roach.

No sign of Crucian Carp today, though some bubbling may have been by this species. Hopefully will get one on a future session at this lovely lake.

Dreviken; 1st June 2008

1lb. 7oz. Rudd

1lb. 7oz. Rudd

A sweltering hot morning developed into a scorching day, bright blue skies and strong sun killed the fishing. Started fishing at 08.45am and struggled to tempt a bite, had to set up a float rig on the bait rod to secure a couple of small Perch livebaits, both of which would eventually be released after the session, with no interest at all from predators of any kind. Just four bites on the leger rig for the whole session, a paltry result! Only managed to hit one of these bites at 10.40am, was really suprised by the resistance I met upon striking. A really nice Rudd of 1lb. 7oz. was gratefully landed, the fish is worth 4pts. and made the days efforts worthwhile...

Trigger Times; Moon South at 10.10am.

Varmdö; 29th May 2008

3lb. 9oz. Bream

2lb 8oz. Bream

Jack Pike

Perch

A new location today out on Varmdö, and considering the weather it went really, really well. Fished from 1pm until 5.00pm in blazing sunshine in a dificult strong wind, far from ideal conditions. The worm turned up the goods today, with 95% of fish falling to one legered rig. Lots of Perch to around 8oz. caught, which is always nice, these came throughout the day. The only trigger period of note was a Moon Set at 1.30pm and sure enough at 1.25pm my rod was taken from the rest by a good Bream of 3lb 9oz., this fish fighting really well and had me thinking it was a good Perch before it appeared on the surface. This was followed ten minutes later by a 2lb 8oz. fish that didn't fight at all! It was back to Perch then, alang with a couple of Roach and skimmer Bream before my livebait slid off at the death, though just a small jack Pike turned out to be the culprit. A great few hours angling which gave me a total of 5 points in all. Really impressed by the fishing and was told of very big Perch in the area, as well as very big Pike and Zander too. The Bream fishing could be exceptional too if done properly. The whole general area is well worth some attention and has huge potential, with a huge amount of water that could be covered, all of this close to the city....

Also today Tom Summers had a jack Pike from the lake by his land to claim a single point.

Weather; Sunny, 24 Degress, Gusty. f4-5 Wind, South Westerly.

Dreviken; 28th May 2008

The same Pike again! 14lb. 9oz. today!

2lb. 7oz. Pike

Out to the same swim in Dreviken today for a few hours in the evening. Started fishing at 17.30 after a bus breakdowm delayed me, fishing very slow at first and I could not even catch small baitfish at first. Eventually got some skimmer Bream, Roach and Rudd and got some baits out for Pike. First run came at 19.15, a good fish which spat the bait and hooks out at the bank after a four minute tussle, a good fish of not far off ten pounds. This was quickly followed by a second run, a small fish this time of 2lb. 7oz., a single point fish. Things then went quiet for a while until 21.10 when another run came, this time a long on. A great fight followed before a very familiar looking fish was landed! Comparing the two later on the photos taken it is certainly the same fish I landed just two days ago, this time 5oz. lighter at 14lb. 9oz. Have decided that I should not take points for this guy as he is probably territorial and catching the same fish repeatedly seems somehow wrong. It does go to show that they certainly get back to normal life soon after being caught and perhaps are not the brightest! Will be difficult to keep fishing at the site if this guy keeps coming out!

Weather; Fine, Sunny. Westerly Wind F3-4. 20 Degrees Celsius.

Trigger Times,; 19.20, 21.20

Dreviken; 26th May 2008

14lb 14oz. Pike

14lb 14oz. Pike

0.78lb Rudd

Bream

A great days fishing today at Dreviken. Started fishing at 2pm., immediatly began to catch Rudd, Roach and particularily skimmer Bream. Thing continued on like that for some hours while the worm baits were constantly taken, two livebaits remaining untouched for a while. At 5.50pm a ledgered Bream was finally taken right on cue, though I lost this fish at the bank, a Pike of around 5lb. or so. I rebaited another bream and recasted. As I was setting up the bobbin indicator line was taken from my hands, I assumed it was the fresh livebait and reset the bobbin and bite alarm, stood up and watched as line started to tear of the reel again, the alarm sounding off. I struck into a solid Pike, which gave me a fantastic fight on the light rod, taking about ten minutes to get to the bank where I gratefully managed to land the fish by hand! The scale swung to just under 15lb, a cracking fish and new personal best, after a few quick pictures with the camera timer I released it, the fish swimming away strongly. The fish is worth 6 points on the league table.

At 6.45pm. I managed a good Rudd of .78lb, which gave me another point, before some better Bream appeared in the swim, all over a pound. Another moon trigger approached and I could not believe how on cue two runs were at 7.55pm and 8.05pm. These were somewhat unuasual though in that both were dropped after very positive takes, with perhaps three metres of line quickly stripped off the reel. Both were on the roach live bait, which on inspection the first time bore the tell tale puncture marks of a Zander, I can only assume the rigs offered too much resistance and spooked the fish. Good to know they are in the area all the same, something to have a go for in the coming weeks...

Weather; Westerly wind F2-3, Cloudy from 1700, Sunny previous to that. 20 degrees falling in evening.

Trigger Times; 16.10; High Point at 18.10; 20.10

Tom's first of the season!

Yes Tom, you sure do......

A novel entry on to the points board, Tom Summers first two Pike of the season came today and this one was duly entered by photo text, the first and not the last inbox specimen no doubt! If Tom could lift it, it could not of been more than 5lbs! Both fish taken from the boat and give Tom a total of 2 points for the league table!

In addition Simon had four Pike yesterday, all under 5lbs, giving him a total of 4 points for the table which puts him on the board for the year also...

Aspö, Furusund; 4th-6th May 2008

3lb 8oz. Pike (Apologies for the frightening backdrop...)
Arrived on the island at around 13.00 with Rafal and Souso, as well as Karl after a short drive north from Stockholm. Aspö is a small island in the Norrtalje archipelago and after a short walk to the summer house there we started to fish immedediatly in the bay in front of the house, a really beautiful area it is too. Sun shone strongly as Karl hooked his first Pike of the trip, a 3lb. 8oz. fish that took a Mepps spinner, a single point for the league table. Karl then had another point when he took a small jack Pike on the mepps a short distance away, also had another fish follow his lure and turn away. Rafal then hooked a fish of about 6lb and was really unlucky to have a hook snap off on his mepps to allow the fish to slip away at the last minute before it could be banked and weighed.
We fished on for the rest of the day, catching Rudd, Bream, Rudd/Bream hybrids and Perch, though some nice fish were taken, none were big enough to gain any further points.

9lb. 13oz. Pike

9lb 13oz. Pike

Day two began in a similar fashion, with plenty of fish coming to the worm, among them Bleak and Loi, adding to the species tally. Then Karl twitched his Perch livebait at 13.30 and all hell broke lose. A really good scrap ensued as the Pike made run after run, peeling line off the reel time and time again. After about ten minutes or so I managed to land the fish for him, a really fabulous Pike that went to 9lb 13oz and gave us all a great deal of enthusiasm and Karl 2 more points. This fish fell right on the Moon Low Point trigger time, with another trigger due at 15.30 and the area in front of the house going quiet we decided to move to another section of the bay ...

11lb. 13oz. Pike

11lb. 13oz. Pike

11lb 13oz. Pike

After moving to the bay we cast out some livebaits and waited. Karl immediatly had a take on the Mepps, a fish that escaped... Then he had a small Pike take a large Bream bait, refusing to let go as he brought it back towards him. We watched this fish below us at it sulked around, gripping the Bream, before it turned it and moved awayas we looked on. The fish was not hooked however, so still we waited. At 15.30, right on the trigger time, the water exploded aroung my float as a Pike launched itself at my bait. It gave a great account of itself before I landed it, a long, lean fish weighing 11lb 130z., a 6 point fish on the league table. This fish had just spawned and would be considerably heavier in good condition...

12lb. Pike

12lb. Pike

12lb. Pike

Just moments after recasting a new bait in, my float slid away! I struck, amazed by yet another solid fish that fought me all the way to the bank. It earned me 6 points more, just minutes after the last fish I now found myself holding a really nicely marked 12lb Pike, simply amazing fishing! After a few photos it was returned safely to the water...

9lb 8oz. Pike

9lb 8oz. Pike

Twenty minutes passed, my small roach bait was taken and another good fish was landed. At 9lb 8oz. still a very good Pike, 2 points for the league, and completing a really memorable half an hour! This feeding spell was brief, coinciding with another trigger time, afterwards the water went rather quiet. I was so happy I fell into the water soon afterwards and soaked myself right up to the waist!

1lb. 4oz. Ide

1lb. 4oz. Ide

At 1530, a final surprise. After a lot of Bream, Hybrids and Rudd I struck a powerful fish on the legered worm, my first Ide ever was duly landed and weighed at 1lb 4oz., a 4 point fish. Delighted to catch this species, really wrapped up a wonderful day. Headed back to the house a short while later to enjoy a BBQ in stunning sunny weather...

Aspö, Furusund; 4th-6th May 2008; Continued....

1lb. 4oz. Eel

1 lb. 4oz. Eel

1lb. 4oz. Eel

After a great days angling it was time to relax, so out came the BBQ and on went the food. Marinated pork steaks, homemade burgers, sausages, sweet and sour cabbage, potatoes, fish, peppers and onoins were soon being devoured at the lakeside as the sun dropped. Afterwards we tucked into a few cold beers and kicked back, Karl deciding to lob a worm bait out into the lake. Some time later he was fighting a strong fish which turned out to be a major surprise, a fabulous 1lb. 4oz. Eel, a really good fish that is not often caught these days as it gets increasingly scarcer. It gave Karl 2 points for the table. Got a few flash photos of it before we slipped it back, Karl rightly delighted with his catch, out came the Jack Daniels as we talked into the early hours of the morning as a Tengmalm's Owl called in the trees nearby....

8oz. Ide

8oz. Ide

Slept rather late after the late night previous, decided to gather a bit of bait in front of the house from the jetty. The suprises continued when Karl hooked and landed his first Ide, a tidy little fish that weighed 8oz., nonetheless this rare catch gives him 4 points...

6lb 14oz. Pike

6lb 14 oz. Pike

After moving down to the top end of the bay, we didn't have to wait long for some action, my livebait float soon dissapearing. I struck into a lively Pike that fought well before I landed it, just about on a single treble hook. It tipped the scales at 6lb. 14oz., a fish that gave me another 2 points for the table. Shortly after this a series of incidents took place. Karl had a small Bleak snatched by a small Pike whilst he was reeling it in on the leger rod, then lost another small fish on the spinner. All this before the most bizzarre event of the lot...

At the waters edge at our feet a movement attracted our attention, a small Bream had washed into the shore after being deep hooked and was now the center of some unwanted attention. As we watched a Pike of perhaps four pounds materialized from the depths and launched itself into the shallows after the Bream, almost beaching itself in the process in just a couple of inches of water. It then seized the fish in a flash across its side amid a spray of water, turned with some difficulty and powered off into the depths with it's prize! One of the most amazing things I have ever seen, both of us were left gobsmacked by the sight. I then missed a run on a Bream bait a few seconds later. Finally decided to call it a day just after 16.30 and eventually made our way back to Stockholm after a wonderful few days, a thoroughly enjoyable trip in every way...

Suso in Aspö!

Video diary of the trip here of Suso in Aspö put together by Rafal...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnRaclo-ezs

Tom's Lake; 2nd May 2008

1lb 2oz. Perch

3lb 8oz. Pike

3lb 8oz. Pike

Kev and Jack Pike

Al and Jack Pike


A lovely evening fishing with Tom and Kevin at Tom's Lake, a lot of action in 3 hours betwenn 16.30 and 19.30. All fish taken on small livebaits on roving float rigs with a 1lb 2oz. Perch the highest scoring fish at two points. Kevin and I both had 3lb 80z. Pike and another smaller jack each, giving each of us an additional two points for the table. Interestingly feeding spells corelated remarkably closely to the trigger times connected to the moon setting. I had a further two runs to small fish, on biting through the line and another getting off at the bank. In addition Tom had two Pike come off while spinning, a lot of fish in the area and well worth another trip for the presumably bigger fish that must be present in the lake...

Weather; Overcast,6/8 Cloud Cover. High Pressure dropping, Temp.14 degrees celsius.

Moon trigger Times; 16,58;17.58