Pallatrax Stonze Review, Chub fishing and some Pike Fishing
A warm welcome to this weeks blog update i hope i find you well and your nets wet. I am now firmly back in the regimental confines of my 9-5 so as such i am now in a place where i can find a nice half hour slot each day for not only consuming food to keep my productivity levels for the cause up into the afternoon but also it gives me a set amount of time each day to write my blog and catch up with other commitments in the angling world. One of those commitments is to Pondip and they are the first subject in this weeks blog introduction. The next part is a little but of fun with a product review of my own and we round up the introduction by talking a little about my thoughts on some of the images and the responses on social media the images of carp being sold for food in our supermarkets.
The fishing this week includes a short write up of the session i did using the Stonze for Pondip, a short chub session and also a few very short trips for pike which proved very productive in the consistency of the fishing and there is a good reason behind it which i will cover at the end of the pike season.
On with the update...
Pallatrax Pondip Blog....
We are fast approaching 5 months now that i have been writing Blogs for Pondip Tackle Box and i do now feel i have settled into the style of blog writing that they are looking for, i know i am certainly finding them easier to write. The time with Pondip so far has been very enjoyable and i have loved the freedom it has give me to explore a different style of writing that is more aimed around how i fish rather than the experience and my thoughts on fishing.
This months box contained a item of tackle i have been meaning to try out for a long time but with stick float fishing and maggot feeders being the main methods of attack if late its just an item of tackle i have not got round to using yet and as such was really excited when it featured in Decembers Box.
My thoughts on the item of tackle and to see how it fared on a session please take a second to read my Pondip blog on the link below.
link: pallatrax-inline-stonze-review
Also if you are on social media and facebook give it a quick share ;-)
Best Rod On Market...
Keeping on the theme of product reviews it was with great enthusiasm me and my daughter field tested the latest item to hit the shelves in what is the best revolution in angling technology to hit the market in decades.
It was an item of tackle that was bought for my daughter a few years ago but knowing the quality of this delicate item i felt it just to save it till she was at an age where she could appreciate it for the fantastic piece of kit it is. Its delicate action offers the angler a cloud like cushion to play fish on and its plastic ergonomic blank giving an even action through its length. The magnetic tip allows this rod to be used both for fish but also as a fantastic recovery tool for anglers, How many times have you dropped your metal disgorger in the edge or cried as your mobile phone fell in then this is the perfect tool to recover them items. A must for any angler and come on just look at the picture its design is unmatched on the market.
Travel light for Piking...
Recent trips i have talked a bit about how little gear you need to take with you for piking with only two rods, a rucksack and a landing net but i have not really talked about the contents of the rucksack. Again it is made up of only a few essential elements and they include a nice cheap cool bag for my dead baits, my tackle box, a unhooking matt and also a Fox rig container for my wire traces. The top of my holdall also contains a weigh sling in case i should need to hold a fish for a bit of time or in case of a special capture than may need a larger weigh device.
As you can see in the picture it is simplicity itself and means you can keep light and cover a fair bit of water in a day. It is in stark contrast to my river fishing where we tend to fish the one swim all day and that is one aspect of the fishing for pike i am loving. A small part of my pike fishing but one that i think is worth a mention in these times where i see anglers taking everything but the kitchen sink.
And with that its onto this weeks fishing....
Pondip Stonze BlogTrip
So there i was sat in my living room with my pondip box in hand thinking about how to go about writing a piece on the Pallatrax inline stonze. A review on such a piece of tackle is quite hard when you think about it, just take a second and think what you would write about a stone with a inline hollow through it, it does take some thinking about.
Like with all my blogs they start with a blank piece of A4 paper upon which a brainstorm ideas for blogs over a few days. Many people in work have commented on my habit of pulling out a random piece of crumpled paper during conversations to quickly get down an idea, so rude but so necessary.
I think when you are writing in an informative way like my blogs are for Pondip it is important to stay true to yourself and the angling you do so as such these items of tackle where never going to see the waters of the local carp runs water and where destined for running water and it was there an then i decided on the review being wrote around a chub session.
It took a few days for the river to be right to give this item a decent test and it was an item i was happily surprised by and i was even more happy the chub played ball and i could get the review wrapped up for dinner and get home to my family. Of course the full write up of the session is on the Pondip blog
here: http://blog.pondiptacklebox.com/guest-post/pallatrax-inline-stonze-review/
So to read about my thoughts on the stonze and the chub session head over to pondip and check it out.
Two short Pike sessions...
During the beginning of January it was a case if making the best of any opportunity to wet a line no matter how small the window to fish was. Little windows would open up where i would say have from 1pm till 4pm to nip piking and the beauty of this arm of our sport is sometimes that is all you need.
The first session covered here was a short session on a Friday afternoon where with all the jobs done an opportunity to nip pike was on offer from 12 till 4 and after a few days without wetting a line for pike and the last session being a long hard blank on a huge still water i was dying to see that float sliding away with a pike on the other end. I rushed out of the house only to find the rain bombing down with a torrential down pour. Not one who really bothers about the rain but this was really bucketing down but with chances thin on the ground there was no stopping me today.
The swim i was fishing did offer some cover from the elements and with the two rods cast in it was a case of waiting for my traps to be sprung. The pike where there i was sure of that but would they feed?
Thankfully not long after setting up the right hand float produced a run and a solid one to boot this fish wanted a free meal. I cant say it gave me much displeasure in denying him a free lunch and i was pleased to have the fish on the bank.
Only a jack but as always the first fish on the bank the pressure is lifted and you can then relax into the session. It took another hour and half before i got more interest on the same rod but sadly despite twitching the bait and a recast the initial interest never developed and in-keeping with recent short session i left with just the one fish.
The next session out for pike came a day or two later when a morning session saw me arriving on the bank at first light and getting a run on my smelt rod almost instantly. If i remember rightly i cast the rod in and turned round and in the time i had baited up the other rod and about to cast it in i noticed my float was over the other side of the waterway.
Not seeing the run i had nothing to work on, sometimes you can tell from how fast or erratic the float moves if it is a jack pike or not, but with the float already lying flat on the shallow far bank i was clueless. With no information to work on and the worry that the rod could have gone instantly i turned round i had no option but to strike. Instantly on the strike up came a tiny jack pike with my bait in its chops so it had not been on the bait long and with that it spat the bait, not a great start.
Time passed by and as it was the anniversary of my mum passing away so did my thoughts on this session as i spent some time alone with them to remember the good times. My thoughts interrupted by a group of ramblers coming through and i decided to change one of my baits from a herring tail to a roach dead bait. Within seconds the roach dead bait was snaffled and was away at a rate of knots along the water.
There is no way that pike just happened to come along as i cast the roach in i do think that pike was there looking at the Herring and just didn't fancy it but the roach was then taken by it as the bite was so quick and shows just how much a change of bait can make a difference. Striking into the run the pike felt a nice fish for the seconds it was one before again the hooks came back, "come on mum have a word" was my thoughts at this moment.
The roach dead bait back in position it was seconds before it was again on its way! roach was certainly on the menu today for the pike. There was to be no mistakes this time i grabbed the net and was ready for a short sweet battle. The run was right along the inside bank so i wound in slowly till i was above the run knowing striking up i had the best chance of setting the hooks. The pike came right up to the top and as it rolled i scooped it up! As i said not prisoners with this one.
This capture was tarnished a but by the fact it was a recapture of the thin pike from a few days earlier so i knowing it was 6lb i did not weigh it and quickly took a picture before returning it to its home. This capped of a eventful but morning and although i left the bank cursing missed opportunities i left all the better for being alone with my thoughts and looked forward to lovely meal and playtime with the family in the afternoon.
Chub Fishing On the Stick Float...
A few days later presented the opportunity of a short morning session and having spent the last two mornings watching the pike floats i craved the freshness of a river session and flowing water. All the rivers where carrying a little extra water but crucially they where just on the drop. I knew that on this drop the fish would come on the feed and if the clarity of the river was ok i would be in for some sport.
I decided on this session to leave my 17ft float rod at home and take my 13ft rod for a run out. I always use my 17ft if i can get away with it no matter what the size of river as it gives you so much control and even if the river is only as wide as the rod i will still use it for this reason. The river i was travelling to for this session was more adept for my 17ft rod but i do love the lightness and action of the 13ft one so it was this one i loaded my holdall with.
Walking the field to the river i passed the farm house and was greeted with my first glimpse of this lovely river and she looked mint. A slight tinge of colour so she had the look of weak tea and the pace was not too bad, all in all i knew there and then i was about to get my rod pulled in. I could not set up fast enough and threading the line through the eyes i had to take a second to compose my excitement. During setting up i fed the swim with hemp and maggot and eventually the time had come to make the first trot down.
The float was shotted down to a mere pimple and with not a breath of wind it was a stick float anglers dream. The float held back just before the hemp then i released the finger on the line and in that moment to float buried and over the rod hooped as the defiant solid resistance of a chub was registered. There really is nothing like a chub bit for that heart stopping moment and i love the act of defiance these fish have in the way at first the don't run and just fight there and then. Eventually as you get on top of them they do head for the snags and inside bank cover but i was well prepared for this and the fish was played into the landing net and the first chub of the session was in the keep net waiting for the rest of his shoal to visit.
I only had from 07.30am till 11am for the session and looking at my phone this bite came on my first run through at 7.55am right on day break. The very next trot down and again the float went and i was into another chub, normally the fish spook after the first fish so i was shocked, again the fish was handled well by the rod and was great fun and this chub joined his mate in the net, two in two casts.
The fish on the feed for sure i made sure i kept the food going in and more importantly the hemp as they were certainly on that today. In the next hour i put together 5 more chub giving me 7 in the net in a hours fishing and i was over the moon. The next two hours did see things slow down and the chub move in and out of the swim. This saw me catching two more chub in that time but during the lulls in activity the odd dace showed up which was great to see. The fish are obviously there but being out competed by the bigger chub.
11 am and the session at an end i had 9 chub and a few dace for a total net of 21lb. It really was one of those session where you have to pack in but it kills you! I can only imagine what could have been on this session had i had the whole day at this as i am sure the fish would have gained confidence and come back on. I guess we will never know but i left a happy angler.
Well that's it for another weeks fishing, no where near up to day so look out for more pike sessions and stick float fishing to come.
Till then
tight lines
Danny
The fishing this week includes a short write up of the session i did using the Stonze for Pondip, a short chub session and also a few very short trips for pike which proved very productive in the consistency of the fishing and there is a good reason behind it which i will cover at the end of the pike season.
On with the update...
Pallatrax Pondip Blog....
We are fast approaching 5 months now that i have been writing Blogs for Pondip Tackle Box and i do now feel i have settled into the style of blog writing that they are looking for, i know i am certainly finding them easier to write. The time with Pondip so far has been very enjoyable and i have loved the freedom it has give me to explore a different style of writing that is more aimed around how i fish rather than the experience and my thoughts on fishing.
This months box contained a item of tackle i have been meaning to try out for a long time but with stick float fishing and maggot feeders being the main methods of attack if late its just an item of tackle i have not got round to using yet and as such was really excited when it featured in Decembers Box.
My thoughts on the item of tackle and to see how it fared on a session please take a second to read my Pondip blog on the link below.
link: pallatrax-inline-stonze-review
Also if you are on social media and facebook give it a quick share ;-)
Best Rod On Market...
Keeping on the theme of product reviews it was with great enthusiasm me and my daughter field tested the latest item to hit the shelves in what is the best revolution in angling technology to hit the market in decades.
It was an item of tackle that was bought for my daughter a few years ago but knowing the quality of this delicate item i felt it just to save it till she was at an age where she could appreciate it for the fantastic piece of kit it is. Its delicate action offers the angler a cloud like cushion to play fish on and its plastic ergonomic blank giving an even action through its length. The magnetic tip allows this rod to be used both for fish but also as a fantastic recovery tool for anglers, How many times have you dropped your metal disgorger in the edge or cried as your mobile phone fell in then this is the perfect tool to recover them items. A must for any angler and come on just look at the picture its design is unmatched on the market.
Travel light for Piking...
Recent trips i have talked a bit about how little gear you need to take with you for piking with only two rods, a rucksack and a landing net but i have not really talked about the contents of the rucksack. Again it is made up of only a few essential elements and they include a nice cheap cool bag for my dead baits, my tackle box, a unhooking matt and also a Fox rig container for my wire traces. The top of my holdall also contains a weigh sling in case i should need to hold a fish for a bit of time or in case of a special capture than may need a larger weigh device.
As you can see in the picture it is simplicity itself and means you can keep light and cover a fair bit of water in a day. It is in stark contrast to my river fishing where we tend to fish the one swim all day and that is one aspect of the fishing for pike i am loving. A small part of my pike fishing but one that i think is worth a mention in these times where i see anglers taking everything but the kitchen sink.
And with that its onto this weeks fishing....
Pondip Stonze BlogTrip
So there i was sat in my living room with my pondip box in hand thinking about how to go about writing a piece on the Pallatrax inline stonze. A review on such a piece of tackle is quite hard when you think about it, just take a second and think what you would write about a stone with a inline hollow through it, it does take some thinking about.
Like with all my blogs they start with a blank piece of A4 paper upon which a brainstorm ideas for blogs over a few days. Many people in work have commented on my habit of pulling out a random piece of crumpled paper during conversations to quickly get down an idea, so rude but so necessary.
I think when you are writing in an informative way like my blogs are for Pondip it is important to stay true to yourself and the angling you do so as such these items of tackle where never going to see the waters of the local carp runs water and where destined for running water and it was there an then i decided on the review being wrote around a chub session.
It took a few days for the river to be right to give this item a decent test and it was an item i was happily surprised by and i was even more happy the chub played ball and i could get the review wrapped up for dinner and get home to my family. Of course the full write up of the session is on the Pondip blog
here: http://blog.pondiptacklebox.com/guest-post/pallatrax-inline-stonze-review/
So to read about my thoughts on the stonze and the chub session head over to pondip and check it out.
Two short Pike sessions...
During the beginning of January it was a case if making the best of any opportunity to wet a line no matter how small the window to fish was. Little windows would open up where i would say have from 1pm till 4pm to nip piking and the beauty of this arm of our sport is sometimes that is all you need.
The first session covered here was a short session on a Friday afternoon where with all the jobs done an opportunity to nip pike was on offer from 12 till 4 and after a few days without wetting a line for pike and the last session being a long hard blank on a huge still water i was dying to see that float sliding away with a pike on the other end. I rushed out of the house only to find the rain bombing down with a torrential down pour. Not one who really bothers about the rain but this was really bucketing down but with chances thin on the ground there was no stopping me today.
The swim i was fishing did offer some cover from the elements and with the two rods cast in it was a case of waiting for my traps to be sprung. The pike where there i was sure of that but would they feed?
Thankfully not long after setting up the right hand float produced a run and a solid one to boot this fish wanted a free meal. I cant say it gave me much displeasure in denying him a free lunch and i was pleased to have the fish on the bank.
Only a jack but as always the first fish on the bank the pressure is lifted and you can then relax into the session. It took another hour and half before i got more interest on the same rod but sadly despite twitching the bait and a recast the initial interest never developed and in-keeping with recent short session i left with just the one fish.
The next session out for pike came a day or two later when a morning session saw me arriving on the bank at first light and getting a run on my smelt rod almost instantly. If i remember rightly i cast the rod in and turned round and in the time i had baited up the other rod and about to cast it in i noticed my float was over the other side of the waterway.
Not seeing the run i had nothing to work on, sometimes you can tell from how fast or erratic the float moves if it is a jack pike or not, but with the float already lying flat on the shallow far bank i was clueless. With no information to work on and the worry that the rod could have gone instantly i turned round i had no option but to strike. Instantly on the strike up came a tiny jack pike with my bait in its chops so it had not been on the bait long and with that it spat the bait, not a great start.
Time passed by and as it was the anniversary of my mum passing away so did my thoughts on this session as i spent some time alone with them to remember the good times. My thoughts interrupted by a group of ramblers coming through and i decided to change one of my baits from a herring tail to a roach dead bait. Within seconds the roach dead bait was snaffled and was away at a rate of knots along the water.
There is no way that pike just happened to come along as i cast the roach in i do think that pike was there looking at the Herring and just didn't fancy it but the roach was then taken by it as the bite was so quick and shows just how much a change of bait can make a difference. Striking into the run the pike felt a nice fish for the seconds it was one before again the hooks came back, "come on mum have a word" was my thoughts at this moment.
The roach dead bait back in position it was seconds before it was again on its way! roach was certainly on the menu today for the pike. There was to be no mistakes this time i grabbed the net and was ready for a short sweet battle. The run was right along the inside bank so i wound in slowly till i was above the run knowing striking up i had the best chance of setting the hooks. The pike came right up to the top and as it rolled i scooped it up! As i said not prisoners with this one.
This capture was tarnished a but by the fact it was a recapture of the thin pike from a few days earlier so i knowing it was 6lb i did not weigh it and quickly took a picture before returning it to its home. This capped of a eventful but morning and although i left the bank cursing missed opportunities i left all the better for being alone with my thoughts and looked forward to lovely meal and playtime with the family in the afternoon.
Chub Fishing On the Stick Float...
A few days later presented the opportunity of a short morning session and having spent the last two mornings watching the pike floats i craved the freshness of a river session and flowing water. All the rivers where carrying a little extra water but crucially they where just on the drop. I knew that on this drop the fish would come on the feed and if the clarity of the river was ok i would be in for some sport.
I decided on this session to leave my 17ft float rod at home and take my 13ft rod for a run out. I always use my 17ft if i can get away with it no matter what the size of river as it gives you so much control and even if the river is only as wide as the rod i will still use it for this reason. The river i was travelling to for this session was more adept for my 17ft rod but i do love the lightness and action of the 13ft one so it was this one i loaded my holdall with.
Walking the field to the river i passed the farm house and was greeted with my first glimpse of this lovely river and she looked mint. A slight tinge of colour so she had the look of weak tea and the pace was not too bad, all in all i knew there and then i was about to get my rod pulled in. I could not set up fast enough and threading the line through the eyes i had to take a second to compose my excitement. During setting up i fed the swim with hemp and maggot and eventually the time had come to make the first trot down.
The float was shotted down to a mere pimple and with not a breath of wind it was a stick float anglers dream. The float held back just before the hemp then i released the finger on the line and in that moment to float buried and over the rod hooped as the defiant solid resistance of a chub was registered. There really is nothing like a chub bit for that heart stopping moment and i love the act of defiance these fish have in the way at first the don't run and just fight there and then. Eventually as you get on top of them they do head for the snags and inside bank cover but i was well prepared for this and the fish was played into the landing net and the first chub of the session was in the keep net waiting for the rest of his shoal to visit.
I only had from 07.30am till 11am for the session and looking at my phone this bite came on my first run through at 7.55am right on day break. The very next trot down and again the float went and i was into another chub, normally the fish spook after the first fish so i was shocked, again the fish was handled well by the rod and was great fun and this chub joined his mate in the net, two in two casts.
The fish on the feed for sure i made sure i kept the food going in and more importantly the hemp as they were certainly on that today. In the next hour i put together 5 more chub giving me 7 in the net in a hours fishing and i was over the moon. The next two hours did see things slow down and the chub move in and out of the swim. This saw me catching two more chub in that time but during the lulls in activity the odd dace showed up which was great to see. The fish are obviously there but being out competed by the bigger chub.
11 am and the session at an end i had 9 chub and a few dace for a total net of 21lb. It really was one of those session where you have to pack in but it kills you! I can only imagine what could have been on this session had i had the whole day at this as i am sure the fish would have gained confidence and come back on. I guess we will never know but i left a happy angler.
Well that's it for another weeks fishing, no where near up to day so look out for more pike sessions and stick float fishing to come.
Till then
tight lines
Danny
0 Response to "Pallatrax Stonze Review, Chub fishing and some Pike Fishing"
Post a Comment