Trinty Waters, 31st December 2010

As I have been working all over Christmas, I was hopeful that a few others would fancy a day at Trinity, especially as the ice breakers could stay in the van. As it was there were six of us, so a decent little knock up, with £40 & £25 to fish for in the overall and a silver payout of £25.

I was pacing round my garage before I left, convinced I'd forgotten to put something in the van, but I walked round it half a dozen or more times and couldn't think what it could be...... until I got to Bridgwater, my dead maggots. So that was the plan down the pan before I started.

We had pegs 9-15 and peg 12 left out, I took the last card from the hat and opened it to reveal 15, not a bad draw, but on such a cold day, I'm not convinced the draw was crucial, all the pegs in can produce fish. Water temp was 2.5°C at the start and didn't vary all day.

I set up two rigs to fish at 12m, both Jean Desque wire stemmed floats, one standard, one with a hollow tip added to it. 0.9g and 0.13 to 0.11 and a 18 808 for the one with hollow tip and 0.75g 0.11 and a .08 flourocarbon hooklength and a 22 B611 on the standrd float rig. A margin rig on 0.15 and a 18B911 completed th pole set up. I did set up a straight lead, but it stayed on the bank and was put back into the holdall unused at the end.

I fed some softend 4mm, caster and micro at 12m on the whistle and waited half an hour for a bite, which was a small roach. Not much to tell about the day, it was hard work to keep the bites coming, alternating between soft pellet (couldn't catch on 4mm, but had some skimmers on 6mm) and maggot at 12m. The margins didn't produce, the peg died for 10 or 15 minutes after every bait top up, except when I just fed maggot, then I was plagued with microscopic Rudd.

I did chop a few worms and tried worm on the hook, but that was just a waste of time and worms, as the float didn't offer any indications of hungry fish when a worm was on the hook.

I could see Mike West on peg 13 and knew he had a couple of carp and a few silvers, I didn't have any carp, nor any sign of them, Andy Hembrow had also caught carp, to go with his silvers, along with Darren 'Noddy' 'Nuddy' Vowles who had two carp and a skimmer on the brain dead lead.

1) Andy Hembrow 21.14 peg 10
2) Mike West 12.14 peg 13
3) Chris Fox 9.07 peg 15
4) Darren Vowles 4.14 peg 9
5) Glen Calvert 4.01 peg 14
6) Dave Baker DNW peg 11

Silvers

1) Andy Hembrow 14.04
2) Chris Fox 9.07
3) Mike West 5.10

Happy New Year

Well, the snow and ice have really hit the match calender, I've been fortunate enough to have spent some of December in Goa, basking in the sun (34°C), drinking Kingfisher and cocktails and filling my face with Goan seafood and curry. We even had three extra days holiday at Thomsons expense, as Gatwick was closed.

Anyway, Happy New Year to those of you that follow my inane ramblings, lets hope for plenty of success stories in 2011, I'm looking forwrd to April/May and the warmer weather already!!

Just a reminder, if anyone is interested, there is an open at Trinity Waters (Woodland Lake) on Friday 31st Dec 2010, 08.45 draw, fish 10-3, so plenty early enough to get home and start the New Year piss up. Ring me on 07973 790719 if you want to fish. (The forecast looks like we'll have had three days warmer weather by then)

Lunacy at Landsend, Wednesday 8th December 2010

Eight hardy souls (or bloody lunatics) braved the icy conditions to fish Landsend today. I arrived and there was already an advance ice breaking party, Dean was throwing a 30lb dumbell in to break the ice, which was over 2" thick in places. Some pegs were thicker than this and left alone, it would probably take Mike to get down there with the slew machine to break some of it.

Three corners in, as 11/12 were in the corner which was thick to break, but I managed to pull peg 3, not my favourite peg on the lake, but if we'd catch at all was more relevent than what would be a decent peg in normal conditions. It's thanks to Tim Clark that I got there at all, the alternator packed up on my van last week and Tim came out in the ice and snow last Friday to fit a new one - thanks Tim.

I managed to finish off Dean & Tony's good work, breaking myself a LH margin and a channel in front. Tony had peg 5 drawn for him and was soon into a small hybrid, I followed this with a roach on pinkie and thought that I'd get a few bites, that was the only one for a long time. About 11.30 I got my thermometer out and put it about 15" deep into the water, the water temp was probably the coldest I've ever fished, at 0.5°. Tony was catching odd perch by swapping from in front to his margin, whilst a few others were blanking.

The cat ice kept forming over the clear area, meaning constant clearing, all the while I still could not get a bite, at around 1pm, Mike Duckett appeared, bearing gifts of hot coffee and twix bars, very much appreciated, thanks Mike. I managed two small perch from the margin, as by just after 2pm the channel in front was unfishable. The general consensus was that the 4pm finish was overly optimstic, as the lake would be frozen over again by then, the air temp was -2°.

So with everyone agreeing, well nearly everyone, Dean was sitting it out for a carp - thats real optimisim - the match was shortend to a 3.30pm finish, at 20 past I landed fish No4 and my best perch, but I was a long way behind Tony, John Bradford on peg 1 who foul hooked a chub (not that I'm bitter...)and Matt Tomes on peg 7. I was determind to weigh in, as I'd sat there, but I knew there'd be no beer tokens for tonight.

I do wonder as to the sanity of going fishing in these conditions, but its better than working.

1) Tony Rixon 5.12 peg 5
2) Matt Tomes 3.12 peg 7
3) Alan Oram 2.13 peg 21
4) John Bradford 1.10 peg 1 (Did I mention that was a foul hooked chub and 1 2oz perch!!)
5) Chris Fox 13oz peg 3
6) DNW

Shivering Silvers @ Landsend, Sunday 28th November 2010

I left it late to book into this one, waiting to see what the weather would do, as it was just going to be cold (very cold) with no snow, I weighed up if fishing or staying at home/pub and sky footie would be best - fishing won.

Supposedly 15 today, but a couple of no shows knocked the numbers back, that saw both match & speci lakes used, I once again drew the match lake, peg 11. The ice breaker made its first appearance of the season, although the ice was that annoying thickness, you know, the one that shatters when you chuck the ice breaker in. Nice thick ice you can cut into sections, the thinner stuff shatters into loads of pieces. The thermometer in the water didn't change from 2°C all day and the air temp didn't get above 0°C, it was -5.5°C getting out of the car and -3.0°C getting back in.

I had a nice area cleared, that gave me a 9m line toward my right and similar length lie to my left, by the time the all-in was shouted, most of it had frozen back over.

I also cleared the RH margin up to the next pallet and to save posting loads of waffle, thats where my fish came from, 8 of them all perch, taken mostly on caster, but one or two on maggot. Frustratingly I lost 8 fish, all perch, they seemed to be only just hooked.

By 13.30 the margin had refrozen to the point of making it necessary to rebreak the ice, I went for a stroll round the lake after and came back to add three more perch (and the biggest ones) to my net.

The lost perch probably cost me, not sure if it was the hook (couldn't see anything wrong and it was sharp), the fact that the elastic was freezing in the pole couldn't have helped. I managed 5lb 2oz for fourth place and enough money back to have a couple of beers on the way home.

1) Dean (Chub Slayer) Malin 8.14 peg 40 (6 chub)
2) Tony (corner peg) Rixon 8.11 peg 24
3) John Bradford 5.11 peg 19
4) Chris Fox 5.02 peg 11
5) Martin Lengahan 4.02 peg 3
6) Martin Pettifer 1.12 peg 15

Going to try an open on New Years Eve this year and see if its worthwhile, so if anyone fancies it it give me a ring or let Misha at Trinity know and she'll ring me. Trinty Waters, Woodland Lake draw 08.45, fish 10.00-15.00, usual format, overall + silvers payout.

Viaduct Costcutter. 18th November 2010

13, unlucky for some was the number for todays Viaduct Costcutter Open, all pegged on Campbell, which like many other venues has seen the colour drop out over the last week or so - although Cary appeared to be holding a bit more colour.

Todays dip into the hat, (not exactly a hat, Paul Greenwood, pleading poverty as its a Costcutter, put the unstapled swimcards face down on the counter)peg 126 was my reward. I wasn't disappointed, as Saturday before last, Ray Hayward won from this peg, trebling my weight from 115 which is nearly opposite, so an opportunity to see if I was that far behind, or did the peg have some influence on the result.

I had brought some 8mm cubed meat and if I hadn't had 3 pints of caster left over from yesterday that would have been all. The caster tempted me to set up a rig to fish it and mix some groundbait - I might as well not have bothered, a quick look on this line saw some micro roach which bumped off the doubled 8 elastic.

I fancied the waggler and meat to produce a few fish, I didn't think that they'd come close due to the water clarity and that proved to be the case, the 14.5m line I tried with meat on the pole, to no avail, not so much as a liner. The wind and subsequent surface skim put paid to decent presentation on the waggler for all but the first and last hour. 6 fish falling to the lead and 5 to the waggler,

The straight lead was on 6lb Daiwa TDR reel line and a 0.17 hooklength with a 16 PR36 hair rigged, the waggler had 4lb sensor reel line, a 0.15 hooklength and a 18 B911 buried in the meat - although this changed to a 0.15 and a PR36 18 hair rig after a duck took the meat on the 18 B911 and at full flight towards Somerton Town Centre managed to snap the hooklength.

Before and after the match I tried to draw some info on feeding at this time of the year, but all I spoke to were very cagey or claimed to be as clueless as myself - not sure about that!!. I started on the lead, not feeding at all, just a tiny liner or two to show for that, three cubes of meat fed and the waggler produced 6 or 7 consecutive bites resulting in 3 fish in the net. I upped the feed and had two more, then endured a quiet spell - too much feed??

Switching between the lead and the waggler for the rest of the match (as the wind and surface skim allowed) I managed 11 Carp and 1 Brown Goldfish, I guess I used about 1/3 of a tin of meat.

I could see that 111 had a few fish, John Green on 115 had take a few on the lead - no silvers for John today!! and Colyn Dyer had a few on 112, I thought my fish were of a better stamp and so they proved to be, 60lb 10oz being enough to take topspot.

1) Chris Fox 60.10 peg 126
2) John Green 50.02 peg 115
3) D White 46.12 peg 128
4) P Homewood 44.10 peg 111
5) Colin Dyer 43.10 peg 112
6) J Williams 30.13 peg 123

Silvers

1) John Bradford 14.00 peg 110
2) C Pinker 10.04 peg 125
3) J Williams 9.06 peg 123

Landsend, Wednesday 17th November 2010

The BBC weather forecast wasn't too good, heavy rain and high winds, so I plumped for Landsend today, as the trees would hopefully give some shelter. As usual. the BBC forecast was over dramatic, light rain and some breeze was all we experienced (or was that the trees doing their job??).

Match and Speci lakes in today, my dip into the swimcards brought me peg 21, I was surprised by the clarity of the water, the frosts of the last few days have obviously done their worse.

I set up two rigs, both Malman winter wires, a 4x14 on 0.13/0.11 and a 16 6313 for soft pellet/double caster and a 4x12 on 0.11/0.09 and a 20 6313 for single caster or maggot, these were matched to double 6 and double 5 elastic respectively.

I fully intended to fish really tight and sensible for silvers...... but got a bit waylaid. I started fishing at ¾ the way across, straight in front, feeding caster, I also fed a line at 2 o'clock with micro and a couple of expanders. A roach a chuck for the first four chucks on caster then it slowed down, an odd fish after that, then after 45 mins I had a look over the micro, the float shot under and I lifted into a large leaf - how do they give such positive bites??

Back onto the caster line, but I was getting lured by the large shapes, several of them ghosties, that were swimming along the far shelf, to be accurate they were swimming just off the shelf about 12" deep. I stuck at the caster line and was rewarded with a carp, but then it went dead. I put another couple of sections on and pushed across to the bottom of the shelf, this resulted in two carp in two put-in's, happy days. Then two foul hookers in the next two put-in's, both of which came off.

This resulted in the peg going very quiet, I had looked up the shelf to where the carp had been showing themselves, but everytime I went near the shallow water with the pole, they disappeared - I'm not surprised, the water was very clear. Its then I had the soup disaster, I poured a full cup of tomato soup and then managed to knock it between the side tray and my box. The result made the side of my box, the pallet and a few bit and pieces under the box, look like a scene from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre - what a waste of Heinz's finest.

I had a walk up to Tony Rixon, he was catching silvers, the lake was fishing pretty hard, so after a decent time to rest my peg after the two lost foulers, I returned and carried on, adding a couple more perch and roach to the silvers net, but not a sign of another carp, apart from one lone ghostie who was patrolling the far shelf, but didn't seem to be feeding.

I didn't have anothe bite on soft pellet, so the leaf was my only end product for that, my silvers went 4lb+ and the three carp went 17lb+ for a weight of 21lb+, not enough on the day to frame.

The Speci lake provided four of the top six, but even that was a struggle.

1) Chris Davis 48.04 peg 31
2) A Clark 35.14 peg 32
3) Kev Molton 30.02 peg 24
4) A Jones 29.00 peg 33
5) Martin Lengahan 26.05 peg 19
6) Tim Ford 25.12 peg 35

Silvers

1) Tim Ford 25.12 peg 35
2) Tony Rixon 21.00 peg 17

Plantation Main Lake

I nearly thought about the poppy match for Sundays outing, but the prospect of drawing 'one of those walks' saw me heading towards a easy walk on Plantation and hopefully a few fish. It was a 21 pegger today and the cafe was open for the draw and I had a coffee whilst chatting to a few faces I haven't see for a while. Bridgwater raider Andy Hembrow was looking worse for wear and muttered something about vast quantities of vodka the previous evening.

I had actually stayed in on a Saturday night to prepare my gear for this match, as soon as I drew, I knew that I would have been better going out for a few beers, peg 33 in the bay, the wagglers and lead rods I'd set up might as well stay in the van along with the pellets, meat & corn.

I did have some worm and caster and a couple of pints of maggot, so I set up two silvers rigs and one rig for the margin, just in case there was a lost carp or two in the bay. The margin only got looked at for 10 minutes and the float remained motionless. I had a MW pellet float to fish worm/double maggot/soft pellet at 11m over groundbait, CW&C. A slim Mosella pattern to fish caster a whatever depth the roach were feeding at and that was it, nice and simple.

I cupped in some GB loaded with CW&C at the start and went over it with ½ a worm, nothing, so a switch to double red maggot saw a few skimmers in the net, until I lost a decent bream. This killed the peg for 20 minutes or so, I refed groundbait, but this time with no worm, just dead maggot, they didn't seem to want the worm. This brought a couple more skimmers, but they wouldn't keep coming with any great regularity.

I switched to the caster line I'd been drip feeding, just topkit to hand and this produced a nice run of roach to 12oz and a couple of perch, one which was 1½lb. Switching between this and the 11m line, I kept fish coming until the end, not exactly one a bung, but a pleasurable day, a nice bonus was a roach at least a 1lb from the 11m line.

I only hooked one carp, a foul hooker at mid water over the 11m line and that snapped the 0.12 hooklength, the decision to fish for silvers was justified, when the scales got to me, the top silvers weight was Kev Perry, 10lb 4oz, he caught skimmers on pellet, my mixed bag went 18lb 14oz and took the silver coin.

1) Andy Hembrow 104.13 peg 7 ( The hangover wasn't too bad then, Andy) Pole/pellet
2) Lewis Jones 80.10 peg 4
3) Rich lovering 80.06 peg 28
4} Rich Healy 59.08 peg 38

Silvers

1) Chris Fox 18.14 peg 33
2) Kev Perry 10.04 peg 25

Oh, I nearly forgot, the pre match entertainment was Mark Walsh testing the water temperature in his peg (39) by falling in, he also lost a couple of trays from his box, full of winders. The peg are in a bit of a state, the pleasure anglers banksticks causing loads of erosion. He didn't see the funny side at the time, but he went home and changed and could at least smile at the banter by the end of the match.

Viaduct Open. Saturday13th November 2010

The fine winter run of getting spanked, which all started since I had the op on my hand(thats my excuse), continues.

Peg 115 for me today, I've not drawn it before, but it does have some form, so I expected a few fish. I did myself no favours by taking worm & caster, corn & meat and maggot. I had some half baked plan where I'd fish for silvers initially and then carp, as other venues I've fished recently haven't been producing carp from the start.

Once I saw John Green on 116, I started to change my mind and confused myself, doing myself no favours with either silvers or carp. I fed a line at 7m with groundbait and caster, one at 14.5m with caster & corn and some corn via the catty at lead/waggler range towards the middle.

I set up a straight lead, 6lb Daiwa TDR to a 0.17 hooklength and a 16PR36 with a quickstop. A waggler with 4lb sensor, a 0.13 hooklength and a 18 6313 and three pole rigs, a Mosella slim float (model unknown) to fish caster on the 7m line, with a 18 6313 on .011, a MW diamond to fish corn, double caster or maggot on the 14mm line, with a 18 808 on 0.13 and a Durafloat to fish meat/corn at either distance on 0.17/0.15 and a 18 Xedion hook.

I started on the waggler with meat, over ½ a dozen grains of corn, that produced nothing for 25 minutes, the 7m line with double caster yielded a fish a chuck, but it was roach of an identical stamp, lucky if they went ¾oz each. Some carp were being caught on the waggler and at least its easy to see when others are catching on meat. So out with the lead and a 6lb fish first put in, then 2 fish lost, one definite foulhooker. A quiet spell and then another 6lb fish followed by an 8lber, the bites followed the same pattern, no indications, then a liner or two, before a rip round. It seemed as if there were just individual fish coming in to the peg and finding the bait.

The middle of the match saw a very quiet spell, I set up a margin rig as 114 was taking fish from his LH margin (the pallet of 113) and Dick Bull on 112 was catching in the margin fishing back towards 113. I may have well as saved the effort, as I didn't have a bite or any indication in either LH or RH margin. There were still carp being caught on the waggler, I didn't manage to get one single bite on it in 6 hours, apart from one foolish cast with double maggot (another pea in the pod ¾oz roach).

In the last hour I had a few more fish on the lead/meat, I'm pretty sure the fish were shoaled up, in certain pegs, but not to the extent that other pegs were virtually barren, I just couldn't work out how to feed/how much to feed. In the last hour and a half, I upped the feed to ½ a dozen or ten cubes of meat every cast/bite and I caught more, but was that just last hour syndrome?

This was my first experince of an open on Viaduct where the pellet is banned (apart from a Carps AC Xmas match where the lake was frozen over at least 1" thick) and I've got a lot to learn about how to fish it during the winter, I reckon its back to the Thursday costcutters for a bit of experimentation and learning curve, at least it cheaper to be pools fodder in these matches.

I managed a lowly 56.03 (not a bad winter weight in my book, but not good on the day). The middle 3-3½ hours were where I fell by the wayside and the answer lies in the feeding (I think!! although I had no liners or indications during this time).

1) Ray Hayward 156.09 peg 126 waggler/meat
2) Roland ? 123.03 peg 123
3) M Wright 111.01 peg 114 waggler/meat, LH margin/meat
4) Trev Huth (??) 94.04 peg 110
5) D Cockayne 93.11 peg 118
6) Dick Bull 73.15 peg 112

Silvers

1) Steve Hutter 21.03 peg 131 (including 4 perch for 10lb)
2) John Green 16.06 peg 116
3) S Denner(??) 10.10 peg 129

Acorn Little Lake, Wednesday 10th November

I was looking forward to this 12 peg knock up, as this lake usually produces a few fish even in the coldest weather. Once I'd drawn, I knew that I wasn't going to see any return on my pools money today (maybe a different story in the summer). I drew peg 7 which today was next to the bridge (RH side of the bridge looking towards the Carp lake). On my RH side I had Pete Sivell for company, his peg is slightly narrower than mine, but at least he had an empty peg to his RH side.

It was a cold day and the water temperature just about pushed the mercury to 6°C, I'd decided on an maggot approach, to the far bank, up to the bridge and in the LH margin. I also fed a line ½ way across with a little micro and a couple of 3mm expanders - as I suspected this didn't produce a single bite.

I had a couple of fish from the bridge, and couple from the far bank, it was fishing hard for everyone, although I could see some action towards the end of the lake (motorway end). Pete Sivell went down to th empty peg and a weed bed and had a few fish, before Dave Blakemore on the peg the other side potted in a big pot of feed, that pretty much stopped Pete, who had been getting a fish a chuck.

I did have a short spell where I lost a couple of foul hookers, I shallowed up and had another fish, but I pretty sure the fish were just passing through the peg, as the liners stopped as soon as they started. I was losing interest, I couldn't tempt any silvers (apart from a small chub and 1 roach), where have all the Perch gone? They were prolific in this lake.

At half three, with half an hour to go, the sun had gone, I was freezing cold and knew that I had no chance of sneaking into the money, so I packed up neatly and tidily (unusual for me!!) so I'd be ready for Viaduct on Thursday. Quite bizarely, the silvers were won with 1lb 9oz, most of which was a big fat goldfish.

As I sit typing this on Thursday lunchtime, I should be at Viaduct fishing, but our dog manged to lose an arguement with a barbed wire fence this morning, whilst out on his walk and I'm waiting for the phone call from Langford Veterinary College, where he is being operated on to clean up his wounds and stitch him up. So the 4 pints of pristine caster in the fridge will hopefully keep until Saturday.

1) Martin Lenaghan peg 1 with 89.03
2) Tim Ford peg 11 with 80.06
3) Phil Harding peg 2 55.00
4) Tony Rixon peg 3 44.12
5) Pete Sivell peg 8 40.10 Also top silvers with 1.09
6) John Bradford 33.12 peg 12

As the results prove, you wanted to be at either end in the 'bowls' or have an empty peg to one side.

Bullock Farm, Sunday 31st October 2010

I took my nephew who is just getting started fishing and mad keen down to Bullock Farm on Thursday, it fished pretty hard then, so I was sure today wouldn't be a red letter day - in fact most of the words uttered around the lake today were of the turn the air blue variety.

A hearty breakfast curtesy of Karen's cafe at Bullock's, then the draw which put me on peg 15, a peg with lots of options, but not much history of success. I have caught carp across to the back of peg 27 in the warmer weather, but wasn't hopeful today with the water being pretty clear and Pete Sivell's pole pushing back over their heads. Not that Pete had much option other than to break down three times, although he could tone down the bright red stripes on the butt section.

I started about 2/3 across towards the boards (which are mostly covered by a tree now)with a meagre feeding regime of very sloppy swim stim and pinkie. I also fed a caster line at 5m to my right. I had a couple of crucians (the new, small stockies, not the big old boys) and a goldfish, before a carp around the 1lb mark took the pinkie. A decent roach followed and then a carp around the 5lb mark, gently coaxed in on the 0.10 and size 20 6313. I was getting the odd bubble and indication on the float, another crucian and small hybrid were netted.

It all seemed to be going to plan, it was fishing hard and I was getting bites, when I lifted into a carp that the double 5 wasn't going to stop from reaching the tree and debris in front of the boards. That signalled the end of my match, as I pulled for a break, instead of the 0.10 or 0.11 mainline breaking, it seemed that the carp had snagged the elastic, which broke and disappeared at a rate of knots towards the tree, taking the PTFE bush with it.

I set up a new rig on 0.13 with an .011 hooklength matched with doubled 8 elastic and never had a bite on it, I also lost a fish from the margin adjacent to the pallet of 14,in another snag, that was my last action, either of the lost fish would have given me the section. 9lb odd was my sum total, which was all caught in the first half of the match.

The temperatures are forecast to hold up, with a little rain this week, which might give some hope to those on the Teams of Four next week, the lake definitely needs a bit of colour from somewhere.

1) P Elmes 35.01 peg 17
2) G Bedford 24.02 peg 8
3) G Calvert 22.07 peg 30
4) D Roper 21.14 peg 25
5) R Wooten 19.01 peg 31
=6) J Gray 12.02 peg 2
=6) T (lucky tench) Rixon 12.02 peg 12

Viaduct Open. Saturday 30th October 2010

This was advertised as a silvers match, good job I rang to book in before buying the caster, as it reverted to a proper match where all fish count. Last weekend before the winter pellet ban at Viaduct and as it had been mild all week, I just took 6 & 8mm pellet and 8mm cubed meat.

Peg 111 was to be my home for the 6 hours, I set up a depth waggler, one at 2/3 depth, a straight lead and two pole rigs, one for hair rigged pellet at 14.5m and one for meat at 6m. I could have saved the effort!!

I started on the waggler at depth towards the aerator, I'd also fed some 6mm via a cup at 14.5m, it took a while to get a bite and I was a couple of fish behind Lewis Greenwood on 112 before I landed my first one. In fact the day was a bit of a groundhog day, hearing Lweis cast, strike and his clutch sing as another foul hooker sped off, there certainly seemed to be a ball of fish opposite the end of the spit.

Around 10 to 2 the phone rang and during the call (a bizarre question from Tony Rixon about fishing rights on the drain that flows into the Kenn at the crosswaters of the old Kenn & the Tickenham Boundary Rhine - one I couldn't answer) I hooked and landed my seventh fish. Then a blank two hours, I'd had one skimmer on the pole, no other bites. Pellet, meat, all seemingly a waste of time.

I managed to lose two wagglers as I snagged the ropes of the areator, I was surprised how the numbness in my palm (caused by the operation scar) affected my casting and feeding accuracy, which was pretty crap today.

I resorted to meat on the lead, unless I got tight to the aerator I couldn't get a bite - not sure if that was me being drawn to it at the start and feeding there initially - or that the fish were content to sit where they felt happy, I lean towards the latter.

Finishing just over halfway down th field was not the intended outcome, but the fish seemed to be content to stay towards the middle pegs of the lake, an enjoyable day anyway, 11 carp for 67.13 and a lone skimmer at 1.06 for a total of 69.03.

1) A Palmer 161.13 peg 128
2) K Masheder 129.12 peg 114
3) M Preston(? the Viaduct hand writing curse strikes again)120.14 peg 116
4) Roland 116.02 peg 124
5) D Roper 110.06 peg 126
6) L Greenwood 105.12 peg 112

Silvers

1) J Green 25.03 peg 125
2) G OShea 19.06 peg 115
3) N Bartlett 18.13 peg 118

Carps AC Wednesday Qualifiers Final. Sunday 24/10/10

Only my second visit to Sedges and it ended as the first time, a mediocre also ran! I had some information, but that didn't help me as I struggled to put a run of fish together.
Peg 36 came out of the bag and I found myself next to Rich Coles, who proclaimed it as a crap draw.... Nothing new there then, but as I didn't know wat was good or bad, I remained optimistic as I tackled up a feeder rod with a cage feeder to fish groundbait & maggot and three pole rigs, one Malman winter wire to fish maggot/caster, one MW pellet to fish worm/pellet and a Maver model unknown to fish hair rigged worm or hard pellet.

There was a slightly deeper area straight in front at 11m and after the cold night, I decided to target that as my main CW& C line, I fed a line with micros at about 8m 10'oclock and to let them rest had a chuck or three with the feeder to get some bait out to the gap in the islands. The day got off to a good start (not) when second cast I hooked a big fish on the feeder and it swam straight into a snag, fish 1 me 0.

Dropping back on the CW&C I had a couple of roach, then a skimmer, before hooking a skimmer around the 3lb mark, which rolled on the surface and shed the hook, the red maggot hookbait had gone over the point, fish 2 me 0. I had a few small skimmers and they seemed to be responding to the feed going in, so I upped it slightly - then spent the rest of the day thinking it wasn't the wisest thing I've ever done, as the fish backed off the bait and probably, by the lack of bites, the peg!!  Bloody winter fishing, I hate all this meagre feeding.

Another look on the feeder and apart from  small roach and th odd liner, it was also quiet, I did try a banded pellet, nothing doing. Back on the pole and the micro & pellet line saw another small skimmer in the net, by now my hand was hurting, a combination of the cold wind and the pole pressing into it.

I'd never fished a method feeder, but I had bought a couple, just to try, with a guilty feeling, like being caught in a married womans bedroom by her husband, I slipped the method onto the line and launched it to the gap in the islands, it gave my hand some respite, thats my excuse. I actually had three carp and a goldfish on it, nothing of any size, although it has left me traumatised, I think I need to donate them to a worthwhile cause, just in case I'm ever tempted to put one on the line again.

So well and truly battered, although not by 'venue expert' Rich Coles, who managed 10lb odd from 37, my weight boosted by the carp caught when I lost my principles, still only went 11lb odd. If you read Mike Nicholls blog, you'll see he thinks Terry Bruton was on 36, that means Mike must have been on 32 they say the first thing that goes is your mind...... I still have my swimcard with a big blue 36 on it.

It seems there were plenty of fish caught on soft pellet, I wish I could get on with it, probably my least favourite bait and one I may as well not take to matches, as I can't recall ever having done any good with it.

1. John Thompson 68-15-0 peg 19
2. Terry Bruton 44-01-0 peg 34
3. Vince Brown 35-09-0 peg 40
4. Dave Bacon 32-03-0 peg 20
5. Mike Nicholls 26-11-0 peg 32
6. Mike Owens 26-10-0 peg 18

 Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 20-07-0 peg 32
2. Mike Snudden 19-0-0 peg 39
3. Terry Bruton 15-08-0 peg 34

Kev Perry Series 2011

Kev Perry Series 2011
Bullock Farm, Kingston Seymour , Somerset.

Match Dates: (All Sundays)

13th March 2011
10th April 2011
24th April 2011
08th May 2011
15th May 2011
22nd May 2011

Draw: 08.45 (Breakfast available on site)

Fishing: 10.00 - 16.00

Pole Only

All matches will be held on the Match Lake maximum of 21 anglers, fishing 3 sections of seven. Open draw on first and fourth matches, rotate sections on second, third, fifth and sixth matches.

The series will be decided on section points; best five results from the six matches, in the event of a tie, total weight will decide the final positions.

Entry to the series is £75, first 21 to pay will secure their place. (peg fees have increased this year to £5 per angler per match) There will be a compulsory £10 pool each match, as well as optional super pool and optional silverfish pool. It will also be necessary to pay the £10 pool for the last match, with your series entry fee.

Match Day Payout: 1st £70, 2nd £50, 3rd £30 & three section winners £20 (by default). + Superpool payout, to be announced on the day.

Series Payout Overall: 1st £250, 2nd £175, 3rd £125
Series Payout Silvers: 1st £175, 2nd £125, 3rd £95
Phil has once again, kindly provided a Bullock Farm season ticket for the overall winner and we will endeavour to secure any other sponsorship we can.

To enter or for more details, contact:

Paul Faiers: 01275 858984
Or
Chris Fox 01275 544397

Ramblings driven by boredom.

The operation on my wrist seems to have been a success, its still healing, but I did manage a few hours at Bullock Farm today - more of that later.

Wednesday 6th saw me able to drive, but with the stitches still in, not ready to fish, so I went and walked the match at Landsend, just to try and see what I'm doing wrong there. I learnt a few things watching Tony (Rixon) and Dean (Malin), but also saw others struggling as I have in the past - still not sure what the answer is, except to draw on a peg full of fish.

I have cleaned all my gear up, checked and changed as necessary all my topkit elastic, stripped all my rigs off and will retie some fresh ones, hooks are tied, tackle box has been emptied, cleaned and all items cleaned and returned to box. (Or binned, if I haven't used them in a coulpe of years.)

I use powerline and decided to get the micrometer out, its quite a revelation, the actual dia is way over the stated, I intend to try out some other lines for silvers/winter carp hook lengths, so mic'd up all the lines I had in the garage. This is how they came out.

Powerline:
Stated.....Actual.....Stated BS(lbs)

0.05.......0.0584.....10oz
0.06.......0.0685.....12oz
0.07.......0.0889.....1.0
0.08.......0.106.....1.12
0.09.......0.116.....2.02
0.10.......0.127.....2.10
0.11.......0.142.....3.06
0.13.......0.162.....4.12
0.15.......0.180.....5.14
0.17.......0.205.....6.12
0.19.......0.231.....7.06
0.21.......0.256.....8.15

Ultima Silk
Stated.....Actual.....Stated BS(lbs)
0.10.......0.104.....2.01
0.12.......0.127.....2.08
0.14.......0.152.....3.08

Middy Lo-viz
Stated.....Actual.....Stated BS(lbs)
0.12.....0.132....3.2
0.14.....0.157....4.4

Browning Cenex
Stated.....Actual.....Stated BS(lbs)
0.14.....0.139.....4.0

Daiwa Sensor
Stated.....Actual.....Stated BS(lbs)
0.205.....0.205.....4.0
0.235.....0.231......6.0

Shimano Technium
Stated.....Actual.....Stated BS(lbs)
0.26.....0.279.....8.0

Maxima
Stated.....Actual.....Stated BS(lbs)
0.15.....0.157.....3.0
0.17.....0.203.....4.0

Told you I was bored.........

I've bought one of those Preston Monster Carryalls, that fold out and hold all rollers etc, it's certainly cut down on all the loose luggage, although it hasn't a side pocket for trays etc. Time will tell if it's a good buy. I've also ordered a set of Halkon Hunt Goretex waterproofs after getting wet at Viaduct a few weeks ago, thay won;t be with me until November, as they have pretty full order books.

Sunday saw me at Trinity Waters, Woodland lake, walking the Clevedon club match, It's painful to watch the method feeders going in, even more painful to see the fish being caught on them..... The Northerly wind made things tricky, that and a monster hangover for Paul Faiers. Dave Baker won with 98lb odd from peg 10ish, Kev Perry second from peg 23 with 60lb+ and a couple of high 50's made up the frame. At least the fish were caught up in the water and the margins later in the match, with the method chuckers failing to keep the fish coming.

Stitches came out Tuesday, so I thought it maybe best to pleasure fish Wednesday, I ventured to Bullock Farm today, it was pretty busy, but a new platform was just being finished on peg 24, so I jumped on that. Keeping it simple I had soft pellet, maggot and a tin of corn, I set up one rig, a MW slim on 0.13 powerline to a 0.12 Middy Lo-Viz hooklength and a 6313 size 18. (Thats my first time with the Lo-Viz and it seems OK, but I was using light elastic (doubled No5) so we'll see how it stands up on a couple more trips).

Fishing at a comfortable 11m, I had a double figure carp on the first put in with 4mm pellet - much to the annoyance of the rest of the anglers on the lake, who hadn't caught whilst I was tackling up....

What was nice to see, was the 25lb net of silvers I had was made up of 50% skimmers, up to 2½lb, these fell to red maggot, whilst the crucians and fantails would only take the 4mm pellet, a 6oz roach and a couple of goldfish completed the species.

I had several other carp up to 8lb and ended the day with around 65lb, not bad in 5 hours, stopping to rest my wrist and to rescue the No5 section of my pole, which fell off behind me. (For those that know peg 24, you ship back over the lake behind you.)

Worst bit is back to work Saturday, what with the operation and holidays, I have only worked one day since Sept 9th, its going to be a bit of a shock!!

Lastly, Paul and myself have decided to run the Kev Perry series again in 2011, see seperate post for details.

Avalon. Wednesday 29th September 2010

The 11 o'clock draw and the desire to try and suss out how to actually land the damn fish in this venue persauded me to end up in this secluded part of Somerset for the second match running. Back to school for Mr Rixon, as we needed a redraw, when it was discovered that there was one peg missing from the drawbag.

Draw bag being a loose term for the soggy floor where the swimcards ended up, mine revealing 7 when I opened it, Dean (Malin) had 70lb odd from this peg Sunday on the feeder, so there should have been some fish there.

As usual when there is an hour to set up, I wasn't quite ready, hurrying had made me less observant than I should have been, the rods I had carefully clipped up not half an hour before, now landed in the troublesome reeds and tangle of twigs, because the wind had dropped.

I must learn not to praise any of my tackle, I'd be extolling the virtues of my Maver pole roller to Mike West, only days before and the bloody leg snapped off whilst I was setting it up. I slipped on the very slippery platform and thought I'd broken the brand new waggler rod rod I had in my hand, luckily not, just knocked most of my bait off the side tray. The No2 quiver tip on my feeder rod split between the tip ring and the second ring, this after a couple of years of good service (well, OK, it doesn't get used much....) What else could go wrong....

I'd decided to fish a line at 13m with micro and 4mm pellet, as I did Sunday, to try and learn how to avoid the foul hookers and to fish across as tight as I could get to the island, which proved not to be tight enough because of the reeds. Peg 7 is also quite a narrow peg, perhaps another reason not to have fished to the island.

I should have stuck to my plan and fished paste over the 13m line for the rest of the day, but on several occasions I wasted time fishing the waggler (and resetting it up a few times, because Fabio was catching well on it to my right. Although I was totally wrong in my estimation of his weight, Pete Sivell walked down and said Fabio had about 20, I assumed that was 100lb.

The buggering about with the waggler cost me the chance to push the top places, as I managed 12 fish in total, 2 which fell to the first two casts on the feeder (and that was the sum total of my action on it) and one which came on the waggler, when the wind parted the reeds perfectly, for me to get close enough to the island. The other 9 all came on the 13m line on the paste, I'd tried hard pellet, no bites, first put in on soft pellet ended up with Sunday syndrome, bite, fish on, fish running, fish off!!

Nick Davidson on peg 9 had seen me catching on paste and started chucking his lead rod with a conker on, in at 13 or 14m and started to catch, so those better fish do come close.

For me, it was a match plagued with poor decision making, being convinced that Fabio was battering me and not sticking to my plan of fishing paste. My 12 fish went 73.01 and seventh place, with some commitment to my beliefs, I should have been looking at a pick up.

Thats it for a couple of weeks, as I am having a small operation on my wrist tomorrow (Friday) not sure how long it will stop me fishing for, not too long hopefully. Although as soon as I can drive, I'm sure the stir craziness of being stuck at home, will see me walking a bank or two.

1) Dean Malin 131.04 peg 11
2) Tony Rixon 122.14 peg 13
3) Jamie Dyte 104.09 peg 1
4) Phil 'Fabio' Harding 96.03 peg 5
5) Tim Clark 94.13 peg 20
6) Nick Davidson 78.14 peg 9

Silvers

1) Kevin Davis 26.00 peg 19

Avalon, Sunday 26th September

If yesterday was bad, today was not much of an improvement, I think I'll give coarse fishing a miss tomorrow and take the floppy rods and woolly hooks out, to try and catch tea - well maybe.... it's my birthday on Monday, so the pub and a curry seems more likely, the trout might have to wait until Tuesday.

The drawing arm let me down again today, as all the top weights came from the LH bank, whilst those of us on the RH side, struggled. I had pulled peg 32, with no one on 33, I couldn't complain about the space. As we were tackling up, the wind started and it was apparent that the waggler wasn't much of an option as the surface was towing to the car park end at a great rate of knots.

I set the wagglers up anyway (full depth and shallow) and a straight lead, as the end of the island looked like it should be home to hordes of hungry carp. I also set up 3 pole rigs, a 1g preston green with an olivette to fish maggot on the deck and two MW diamonds, one for soft pellet, corn or meat and another the same with a hair rigged band for hard pellet.

I started on the lead and had a carp within the first 7 minutes, I then had a small carp (into the silvers net, but it's so wrong, should have a separate net for small carp!!), then a skimmer and the last action of the first hour was a wrap round bite, and a fish trying to get to the snag on the end of the island, I held on and the 0.17 hooklength snapped!! That was the end of any bites or liners on the lead.

I'd fed some softened micro and 6mil pellets at 14.5m and dropped in over that with 6mm soft pellet, this resulted in a couple of skimmers, ringing the changes to maggot or 6mm hard pellet saw a couple more skimmers into the net. I then had a spell where I hooked and lost 13 carp, some were foul hookers, some probably not, by 1.30 I had to walk down to Tony Rixon, before I lost the plot (or my temper). I returned after 10 minutes and immediately lost two more, I set up another rig, with only 2 No9 stotz down the line at 2/3 depth, but I couldn't get a bite on this. Back in with the on the deck rig and another fouler hooked and lost..... I tried altering the way I fed, what I fed, the amount and so on, all to no avail,

I picked up the shallow waggler and third chuck hooked a decent fish, which turned and ran, I held it and then it was gone, the PR36 (16) snapped clean in half (on a 0.17 hooklength), I wasn't sure which rod or pole to jump on first!!

A couple more skimmers near the end and a carp hooked and landed finished the day off, with a chance of sneaking into the silvers money by default - according to Tony's dodgy reckoning. Even that was scuppered by Tom Magnol, who beat me by 5oz and half his silvers were carp!! How does that work?

A frustrating day, the fish were there in enough numbers to have picked up money, but I just couldn't work out how to get them to take the hookbait. Feeding? Hookbait? Presentation - I wish I knew.

1) P Wild 105.07 peg 20
2) D Malin 78.12 peg 7
3) C Hudson 75.11 peg 1
4) P Elmes 73.08 peg 12
5) B Hagg 62.02 peg 13
6) M Lenaghon 61.00 peg 24

Silvers

1) S Seager 16.12 peg 19
2) D Malin 14.08 peg7
3) T Magnol 11.15 peg 21(Boo, half of the 'silvers' were carp less than 1lb)
4) C Fox 11.10 peg 32

Viaduct Open. Saturday 25th September 2010

Today turned into one of those days that would have been better spent in the pub....

I drew Campbell 114, not what I'd have picked, but still well worth a go, I took my lead rod out of the case and found the tip ring snapped off the quivertip, no worries, I'll just reuse it as it had snapped right next to the ring. Thats until I dropped the ring in the grass and couldn't find it. That's a new No2 quiver to order now!! I made up the rod with the No3 tip in and also set up two wagglers, although given the temperature, I thought the shallow wag was unlikely to get used.

I set up a shallow rig on the pole, a full depth pellet rig and two meat rigs, one for the margin back into the vacant 113 and another for a line about 7m. Plumbing up showed there is a deeper channel straight in front, about 6" or 8" deeper than the same distance out at 11 & 1 o'clock. Paul Greenwood had announced 11.30-17.30 fishing times and then blew the hooter at 11, so I had been leisurely setting up, chatting and making new rigs and as usual wasn't ready.

I started on the lead, as the majority of fish were caught from the middle pegs on Thursday, by those fishing it. In less than 10 minutes I had a vicious wrap round and a 4lb fish in the net. As the temperature had dropped I decided to try the pellet cone, seemingly it worked, although only for that fish as a lost foul hooker was the only other action for the rest of the first hour. There were signs of fish moving and I was already 4 or 5 fish behind Jamie Cooper on 115, who was catching on the lead.

Second hour saw me on the waggler and that resulted in one fish, I then tried the line at 14.5m which I'd fed 6mm pellet over and lost a foul hooker and had a skimmer, then nothing. Back on the lead and I was now at least 12 fish behind 115 and I couldn't even get a liner. I tried the 7m meat line, nothing, I had a Tench fishing down to the pallet of 113 and a small carp. I managed to end up with 9 carp by switching between the lead and the two meat lines, also losing half a dozen or so. My meagre net of carp went 43.07 and 4.09 was the weight of my tench and two skimmers. Absolutely battered off the next peg, 115, by 3:1 ratio.

Afterwards Alan Oram suggested that I was probably wasting my time going down the margin, I must give him my mobile number....if he'd had it, he could have rang me and told me with two hours to go....... Still thats all part of the learning curve, as the summer gives way to autumn, I guess I'll have to adapt quickly compete. (Although whilst I was sat next to the winner, Alan had the dubious honour of being sat next to the second placed man!1)

1) Jamie Cooper 154.15 peg 115
2) Roy ?? 117.12 peg 130
3) Andy N 111.05 peg 85
4) M ??? 108.04 peg 132
5) P Cardwell 102.12 peg 80
6) P Tidball 84.07 peg 123

Silvers

1) M Prestin (??) 33.09 peg 112
2) Steve Jackson 25.10 peg 126
3) John Green 24.10 peg 131

Viaduct Costcutter. 23rd September 2010

21 booked in today for the Costcutter, so 7 pegs on Cary and 14 on Campbell, I fancied a peg on Campbell, second to draw and John Bradford asked me to pick his peg out, I managed to get him 132, although he did roll his eyes and mutter about "another bloody corner". Dipping back into the tin and I pulled myself 119, the opposite corner, its usually worth a few fish, so I wasn't disappointed. (Not sure why my drawing arm only works on Thursdays....)

I had intended to keep things simple and set up a MW slimpower to fish pellet at depth, this on 0.19 to a 0.17 hooklength with a B960. A shallow rig with the same line and hook, for an up in the water rig,with a J range dibber being the indicator. A MW slim power set up to fish to the rushes on the end bank (to my RH side) and a rig for meat if I needed to try it. As it's so easy nowadays to set up rods with the holdalls to keep them made up, I set up two wagglers, one full depth, one shallow and a straight lead.

On peg 118 I had the musical Bank Manager(retired)and he gave us a good afternoons entertainment, as he managed to break both his No4 sections and at least one topkit, both times the No4 broke he lost the topkit to a fish and luckily managed to get them back - landing one fish in someone else's peg!! I bet you can't guess the make of his pole.....

I decided to feed three lines and started feeding 8mm pellet, 14.5m at 1 o'clock, at 16m down to the end bank and in front of the pallet of peg 120. I had three carp and 1 skimmer in the first hour, all on the 14.5m line, 8mm pellet on the deck.(I decided against feeding anything smaller, as the 8mm was getting nobbled by nuisance silvers).

I had a look across to the pallet of 120 with the shallow waggler and took a couple of fish, before they spooked. I then went to the third line and all I could muster from there was a carp and a skimmer that went about 1½lb between them. I could still see fish moving over by 120, so decided to join the ranks of the lead chuckers and that netted me a couple more fish, fishing tight to the pallet.

The 14.5m line had a steady drip of pellet going in and there was some fizzing, so coming up to the halfway point I went back in over this with the full depth rig and started to catch, putting 6 fish in the net, before switching to the shallow rig and taking another. The fish were gradually coming up and competing, I was optimistic about them coming stronger and catching well in the second half of the match. What I didn't bank on was the 15 minute storm, the wind got up, the rain came down torrentially and the thunder rumbled overhead. That was enough for poor old Jim on 118, he packed up and buggered off (no doubt to order new Maver sections).

The rain eased off and lasted another 10 minutes or so before the sun came back out and the lake surface went flat calm, that was the end of my 14.5m line, not a touch up in the water and one more fish in the last 90 minutes on the full depth rig. Another 4 fish on the lead took my total to 19 and as I had a bit of a mixture from less than 1lb to 8lb, I guessed I had around the ton. Perhaps I should have tried the meat after the storm, but as I hadn't fed any, I left it in the bag and stuck with pellet, not sure if it cost me or not. I did think that paste might go, but didn't set it up, as I was confident that pellet would keep catching until the end, which it did, but slowly after the rain. The scales gave me 1.15 for my two skimmers and 109.02 for the 19 carp, I'd like to think I'd weigh more than that if I could fish the match again.

As the results show, today was the day to draw on Campbell where it was a close fought match, with only a fish or two seperating many weights, top weight on Cary was S.Crowford with 83.05 from peg 86.

1) Gary Ethridge 138.05 peg 111
2) Chris Fox 111.01 peg 119
3) Andy Gard 95.12 peg 115
4) Brian Chilvers 94.02 peg 130
5) John Green 92.04 peg 114
6) Dave White 86.02 peg 128

Silvers

1) John Green 66.09 peg 114
2) Barry Fitchew 48.08 peg 129
3) John Bradford 21.08 peg 132

Landsend, Wednesday 22nd September 2010

I haven't been to Landsend since July, its a venue that I seem to end up a long way behind the winner, without a clear understanding of why. So was the case today,(being a long way behind the winner) although I know why today, the peg I drew was virtually a carp free zone!!

The match was split over Match and Specimen lake, I drew on the Specimen lake, peg 29, once again nowhere near one of the coveted corner pegs. Tony Rixon's toys came out of the pram when he was drawn peg 3 by Andy France and the last peg in the hat was for last to arrive (again) John Bradford - peg 32.

Peg 29 had a bit of form and most of the advice was to fish short of the island shelf for at least a couple of hours, picking up odd fish and then go over and plunder the shelf for the second half the match. ("You'll know when they are there, you'll see the tails") I'd taken some caster and soft pellet as a back up, to get some bites if my usual troubles in hooking a carp at this venue persisted.

I set up a shallow dibber rig for the island shelf, a MW slimpower on 0.17 for a rig to fish down the shelf on the drop, another slim power rig on 0.15 with a 0.14 hooklength and a 16 808 to fish soft pellet, corn or caster at 7m. I also rather optimistically set up a paste rig, as the water was 16°C.

I started by potting some caster 4mm and micropellet in at 7m, then kept a steady feed of 6mm pellet, with the odd 8mm going across to the island. The 7m line produced 3 or 4 skimmers and 2 F1's, but Jason Radford on 31 had already had 3 carp, so I had a look at the bottom of the far shelf, just twitches on the float as silvers pestered the 8mm pellet. Out with the dibber rig and I had a carp that would struggle to pull the scales round to 2lb. Back out and nothing.

I dropped in on the 7m line again, with double caster and a flying bream of 3lb+ was in the net, then the aerator started up and that was the end of the skimmers, it also stopped Jason catching. I had one more carp from the bottom of the shelf on 8mm pellet, this one was smaller than the first, so 2 carp from the Specimen lake that together went less than 4lb......

Once the aerator went off, Jason started catching again, peg 27 had caught 3 or 4 ccarp on the straight lead and 25 was catching lumps. I knew I was very unlikely to catch up, as there was still no sign of a waving tail or tell tale swirl on the island. I had a look over anyway and once again the float bobbed and twitched as small silvers tried to gorge themselves on a 8mm pellet (and it was worse with a 6mm), it was apparent that there were no carp over there. I did have a dabble on paste, which resulted in zero bites, must be nearly time to put the Big H floats away until next year.

I didn't have a decent caster shallow rig set up, but using my soft pellet/caster rig, I had a look shallow fishing to hand and had a bite from a roach every put in until the end (only hooking one in four, as the rig was not the most sensitive....)

I did drop back on the 7m line hoping for another skimmer or F1, but even though it was fizzing, I couldn't get a bite. So back to the roach and the casters had run out, I'd tried to bulk them out with corn & 4mm pellet, it didn't put the roach off and they kept coming until the all out, proving to be the right decision as I took first in the silvers and at least put some cash back into the wallet.

1) Dave Westcott 122.10 peg 25
2) Jason Radford 89.07 peg 31
3) Martin Lenaghan 79.15
4) J Dyte 75.09
5) Tony Rixon 52.07 peg 3
6) N Davidson 51.10

Silvers

1) Chris Fox 17.14 peg 29
2) Leighton Palmer 17.01

South West Teams of Four, Cider Farm 19/09/10

An opportunity arose to stand in for an absent Gary Bedford in his team, so as it was a decent size match, I took the opportunity. It's been a couple of years since I've been to Cider Farm and I was amazed by the triffids , reeds that have sprung up in that time. Everything else was as I remember, a friendly welcome and some words of advice from Mark as he walked round.

I was handed peg 32 on Yarlington, a poisoned chalice, as Des Shipp had won the County Champs from this peg the day before, I’m not too keen on getting a peg that performed well the day before, as the fish can tend to move off or switch off if they’ve been hammered. I had various advice given to me about fishing to the bare bank, into the reeds and down the margins. I set up two shallow rigs, to fish up in the water and on the far shelf, a paste rig –just in case – and a rig to fish at full depth.

It was hard work, I started over by the reeds as there was some fish activity, they didn’t stay there long once the pole and some 6mm pellet went over there, I ended up switching between the bare bank across to my left and the full depth line at 13m, I had 21 fish, I could get a couple up on the shelf and then they’d disappear, no liners or any indication at all that they were there. I would switch to the 13m line and take an odd fish on corn, as well as one on paste, but I went 30 minutes on a couple of occasions without a bite. I tried a long line to keep the pole away from the fish, but with the overhanging vegetation, this was a non starter, I dropped down to 0.11 and a size 20 B960, this did seem to improve the bites missed to hit ratio, but didn’t stop the fish vacating the shelf after 1 or 2 of their mates had been caught.

I guess I spent too long on the paste, as had one fish on it and had an indication virtually every put in, although I think it was small skimmers, even though the blows over the line were ‘proper carp jaccuzzi’s’, My 21 fish went 46.12 and I lost out on picking up some coin by about 4lb, maybe persisting shallow would have seen that weight added to my net. Also I guess that this will be one of the last days this year I go fishing without maggots or casters.

It made a nice change to go to Cider Farm and I think I’ll be back in less than two years this time, although I do fear that the reeds could spoil the venue if they carry on growing unabated.

Results blatantly copied and pasted from Mike Nicholl's blog....

Full Result:

1. Des Shipp 103-15-0 peg 41 Yar
2. Rod Wotton 98-01-0 peg 1 Dab
3. Dean Mallin 89-04-0 peg 7 Dab
4. Paul Elmes 77-13-0 peg 16 Dab
5. Tony Rixon 70-14-0 peg 20 Dab
6. Mark Broomsgrove 69-0-0 peg 6 Dab

Top Silvers:

1. Steve Seagar 21-06-0 peg 15 Shep
2. Mike Nicholls 21-0-0 peg 21 Dab
3. Kev Perry 19-0-0 peg 3 Shep

County Champs, Somerset Final

I just knew drawing 110 and winning on Thursday would be a bad omen for today.....

At least I haven't got to travel 'oop north, to an unknown venue. Peg 124 stuck to my hand from the draw tin, with Jacko on 125 for company, neither of us were confident and so it proved to be with three of us in a row (Nick Duckett on 126) struggling for bites and DNW.

It took 50 minutes to get a fish and that was by resorting to chucking the lead, I had two decent fish on meat short on the pole, one shallow on the waggler and four on the lead, seven fish that probably went 45lb. At the start I would have agreed to making it 6 hours, by 4 o'clock I was glad it was 5 hours.....

As for the results, I'd love to put names to the weights, but it seems that many of the competitors at Viaduct are inacapable of writing, perhaps its an 'in' Viaduct joke to fill your name in with the left hand (or RH for the kack handers), either that or they are all Doctors.... I'll try and decipher the weigh sheet, but don't take the names as gospel.

1) P Cauoulin (I bet thats not right...) 114.08 peg 131
2) Fred Roberts 106.06 peg 132
3) Tom Magnall 99.03 peg 119
4) Andy Power 91.04 peg 130
5) Dick Bull 90.12 peg 127
6) Roiand (???) 82.12 peg 113

Perhaps Paul and Steve could insist on block capitals being used on the weigh sheet.....

Viaduct Costcutter. 16th September 2010

It seems a long time since I last got the tackle out of the garage and stuck my hand into a draw bucket, work and a short holiday in France were the cause of the two and a bit week break. I was half intending to get to Viaduct on Wednesday (yesterday)but on the day I was due to go to France, the Citroen that were going in, decided to spew all its power steering fluid out. I came home from work and spent a while ringing insurances company, RAC and Eurotunnel on line to swap all the details over to my van.

I spent yesterday renewing the power steering pump and drive belt (a serpentine belt which had shredded one rib off and into the seal of the pump, thus knackering it)- I wasn't a happy bunny, I'd rather have been fishing. France was OK, 'Er indoors and the dog enjoyed it and the van was well loaded up with paté, garlic sausage and many bottles of vin rouge, as we came back across the channel.

So, with one eye on Saturdays County Final and the opportunity to get back on the bank, I booked into Viaduct for the costcutter on Campbell. The draw wasn't important, I wanted to catch a few fish and get some ideas for Saturday, once again using the costcutter to boost my knowlege of the venue. 110 was the peg that revealed its self once I opened the card, having had a ton+ and third in the superleague from this peg earlier in the year, I wasn't too disapppointed and when I got there and found that the North Westerly wind was pushing across towards me, I hoped that the fish were following it.

I tackled up covering all options, a straight lead, a waggler at depth and a shallow waggler. Pole rigs consisted of a shallow rig, a pellet at depth rig which was a MW slim power on 0.17, to a 0.15 hooklength and a 16 B960, a paste rig and two rigs for the margin, on with a 16 B960 for banded pellet and one with a 14 B911 for meat, both on 0.17.

At the all in, I cupped in some softened and hard pellet at 14.5m up the LH margin, I fed some corn & meat by the 'stump' and fed a line by catapult at 14.5m 11 o'clock and another at 35m 10 o'clock with pellet.

It took an hour to get my first fish, nothing on the 14.5m pole line, two lost foulers on the waggler and a lost fouler by the stump was the sum of my first hour, a couple of minutes past 12 and I took two fish in two put ins on meat by the stump, one around the 8lb mark. A look at the 14.5m margin saw two more fish in the net, the smallest two of the day. Looking around the lake it was obvious that it wasn't fishing brilliantly, so a change to the straight lead with 8mm pellet brought three more fish and then it went quiet again. It seemed that it was a day to take a couple of fish from one area, then swap lines and take a couple more.

I had a several fish on the waggler casting towards the empty end bank and with just over an hour to go had another look in on my 14.5m line which had only yielded a couple of missed bites up to now. the full depth rig produced two fish in two put ins, then two lost foulers, back out with the shallow rig and a run of fish up to the final whistle saw me with a total of 22 fish, a few of which were a decent size, so I knew I had just over a ton. Paul Greenwood had been for a little walk and when he got back he proceded to empty his peg (128) for the last couple of hours, catching at the end of the spit. George Perkins had had a fair few skimmers on 112, then caught carp on the same line giving him a decent weight, but it looked like no one had run away with it.

The scales went round from 132, so I was the last to weigh, 138.00 and 102.11 to beat, I was pretty confident of beating the 102.11, not so sure about the 138.00. My two nets, four weighs, pulled the scales round to 143.08 and first place. A nice way to get back after a couple of weeks off, although it will probably be a bad omen for Saturday.....

1) Chris Fox 143.08 peg 110
2) Paul Greenwood 138.00 peg 128
3) George Perkins 102.11 peg 112
4) Stu Foale 96.13 peg 118
5) Matt King 88.13 peg 131
6) Dave Roper 79.09 peg 115

Silvers

1) George Perkins 44.07 peg 112
2) John Green 21.10 peg 114
3) Charlie Barnes 21.06 peg 125
4) Dave Roper 4.15 peg 115
5) Matt King 4.06 peg 131
6) Stu Foale 3.06 peg 118

Viaduct Open. Saturday 28th August 2010

I'd booked into this match and last Thursday's last week, but had already cancelled last Thursday, as I've been laid up at home in agony, for a few days, the Dr's seem to think I may have a stomach ulcer - if so I didn't realise how painful it is. Its kept me awake for two nights, but I've got some pills and they seem to be working.

I woke up and felt a bit tender, but decided to go and get some fresh air and hopefully the fishing would take my mind off it and I could always come home if I felt bad.

Still thats enough of my meagre troubles, I'd like to send my best wishes to Tim Ford - nice to see you're in good spirits.

28 booked in, Cary and Lodge lakes being used, divided into three sections. Out of the draw tin came 87, I just can't get away from that area!! I wasn't convinced that it would produce enough to get me any coin, but after all the rain, I'm sure it wouldn't fish brilliantly, the water temp must have dropped, also it was a cold clear night overnight.

I got to my peg and was determined to keep things simple, so set up a straight lead, a peacock waggler to fish at depth, a paste rig, a rig to fish hard pellet and a rig to fish corn - I thought I'd try and catch a few skimmers, Charlie Barnes divulged some of his tactics to me last Sunday.

At the all in I cupped some groudbait and corn in at 10m, 45° to my left and catapulted some 8mm pellet about 30m straight in front. First put in I had two liners on the tip, then nothing for 20 minutes, Dave Roper on 86 had exactly the same, although he stuck it out on the tip whilst I swapped to the pole and the skimmer rig. This was a Maver float (model unknown) with a 14 808 to 0.13 hooklength, it took a while for the first bite, but an hour and 10 minutes in, I landed a flying skimmer which was near the 3lb mark.

A couple more skimmers on this line, but I bumped a couple and then they went quiet, I thought a carp or two may have moved in and dropped the paste rig in, to no avail, not a bite. The wind had got up by now, so back on the lead whilst I made up a new rig to fish the skimmer line, a MW diamond on 0.13, to a 0.11 hooklength and a size 20 B911, this on a topkit with double No6.

I could see Tom Magnol on 94 catching on the lead, I'd kept feeding the line and had another look in, still nothing, so back on the skimmers and a couple more in the net, although bites were hard to come by.

With a couple of hours to go the wind dropped slightly and I could see some blows over my lead line, so in with the lead and two fish in two chuck and some liners had me thinking they'd arrived and settled on the bait. Not to be it went quiet again, but there were signs of fish up in the water now and just before I picked up my waggler rod, Dave Roper had cast his out, he'd noticed the same and he had a fish on his second cast.

All I did on the waggler was foul hook and lose fish, so back to the skimmer line, one more skimmer and then the blows got bigger, it had to be carp, so back in with the paste and three fish in the last ¾ of an hour, just a shame they didn't show up earlier on that line.

I was convinced Dave Roper had me beaten, although I had decent sized fish, definitely peg 85 had us both well beaten. As the scales came round Roy (surname unknown) on 85 weighed 128.13 the next best weight in the section was 57.06, we guessed that Roy would frame, so it seemed that Dave would take the section, unless peg 90 had secretly amassed a bigger weight.

Dave weighed 64.08 of carp and 1 tench for 3.04, giving him, 67.12, my 6 carp went 58.07 and my skimmers went 10.03, my 68.10 taking the section by default, a nice, unexpected £50 pick up.

1) Ray Hayward 161.04 peg 70
2) Roy ??? 128.03 peg 85
3) Chris Davies 111.07 peg 101
4) Tom Magnol 86.02 peg 94
5) Stu Foale 81.00 peg 98
6) ???? 76.15 peg 100
7) Chris Fox 68.10 peg 87

Silvers

1) Marc ?? 43.02 peg 68
2) Paul Greenwood 21.09 peg 80
3) Lewis Greenwood 18.08 peg 78

Viaduct Open Sunday 22nd August 2010

After a nerve wracking 90 minutes at Ashton Gate Saturday and one (or two...) too many beers after, it was a groggy drive down to Viaduct for an 18 pegger on Cary. Third into the draw bag and I had two peg cards stuck together, I flicked one back and when I opened the one I'd kept, 85 was again staring back at me. Three times this summer I've drawn this peg, I can't ever recall drawing any peg three times in one season before.

I wasn't unhappy with the draw, as 81 was empty and I could see Charlie Barnes coming round, I was hoping for a silvers basher on 86, but it turned out to be Jacko (Steve Jackson), so no chance of having the carp to myself. Standing up on the bank, I realised that 86 was going to be tough to beat, there was an area approx 15yds x 10yds in front of Jacko at 30 or 40 metres, that was black with fish.

I set up an array of gear, not quite knowing what would work, a lead rod, two wagglers, one shallow, one at depth, and a paste rig (big H float on 0.19 and a 12 Mustad paste hook). I also set up pellet rigs for shallow and full depth, as well as two rigs for the margin, one was a blob on 0.19 for paste, another on 0.19 with a 14 B960 for pellet/meat.

I started on the full depth waggler and had 3 fish in the first 40 mins, Jacko was catching on the lead, I was only getting liners on the lead, I tried past the feed and short of it, to no avail, then I was bored of it. At around 2½ hours gone, Jacko had 9 fish to my 3, the pole line had just started to fizz, so I dropped in and had two carp quite quickly on paste, I then lost two, both mouth hooked, one right at the net, not sure why, I was using tried and tested hooks and elastic (Mustad paste and orange Bazookarp). This seemed to move the carp aff the paste line as I had a 1.11 skimmer and then it went quiet.

I'd fed pellet and meat at two points along the RH margin, I had two bites, one I'm certain was a skimmer nicking the meat off the hair, another was the first carp I've hooked in that margin, but I think it was a fouler as it charged off and came off.

Whilst all this was going on, Charlie Barnes was mimicing Jacko's oohs and ahhs as Jacko's back gave him gyp, although it sounded like Charlie had the centrefold of Silverfishers Monthly open in front of him and was knocking one out over a scantily clad skimmer.

With an hour and a half to go, Jacko was battering me and I could see Stu Foale catching well on 103, I got up to have a sneaky look at Jacko's lead rig, to see if it was significantly different to mine - it wasn't. I went back and picked up the lead rod agin, two in two chucks inspired me that here comes a grandstand finish, but no, that was it, the only two bites on the lead.

I had one on the full depth pellet rig at the end, landing it after the whistle, but I knew I was well beaten, by this time the black mass in front of Jacko was even darker, he certainly had plenty of fish in front of him. I really would struggle to chuck a lead for 6 hours..... although he did get 2 or 3 on the waggler towards the end.

I weighed in just in case I could sneak some county points and I think I may have just snuck in with 3 more.

1) M Fisher 173.10 Peg 80
2) Steve Jackson 173.02 peg 85
3) Stu Foale 141.03 peg 103
4) Ray Hayward 126.05 peg 74
5) Chris Davis 94.09 peg 90
6) Chris Fox 81.00 peg 85

Silvers

1) K Masheder 31.00 peg 78
2) Marc ? 30.14 peg 97
3) Chris Davis 6.03 peg 90
4) Ray Hayward 4.03 peg 74

Thatchers very own sex god, Tom Thick has actually sold his pole now, he was fishing a match on Campbell, not sure how he got on, but I reckon the local massage parlours have seen the proceeds, all seven or eight quid!!. His Dad was also fishing and Tom told him "you won't need a pole" - he then drew 115.....

Viaduct Open. Wednesday 11th August 2010

Viaduct was the venue of choice today, given my matches /money pick up ratio, it looks like I need to keep coming back. Today was a new challenge, Lodge lake, I've never fished it before, but it seems that its a smaller version of Cary, with some lumps in and plenty of skimmers. With the usual silvers specialists in attendance, I decided to target the carp regardless of where I drew and when peg 55 presented its self, I was informed that it wasn't a good silvers peg - so no concerns there.

A bit uncertain what to do for the best, so I set up a bomb rod, two wagglers, one shallow, one full depth and a range of topkits. A paste rig for the open water, a simple Big H float on 0.19 line to a mustad paste hook, no shot on the line. A blob on the same line and hook for paste in the margin. A MW slim power to fish pellet in open water and a Malman Thicko for pellet/meat in the margin. As there were so many fish cruising around before the start, I also set up a shallow rig in case I could mug one or two.

I started on the full depth waggler, without feeding initially, then only lightly, as all the cruising fish had gone from within pole reach by the all-in, it took half an hour or so before I had a carp 4 or 5lb. I had one other bite on the waggler, before giving up and dropping onto the pole line at 15m, that I'd fed with groundbait and 8mm pellets. This gave me a 6lb carp and a skimmer around the 2½lb mark, before going quiet. Jacko was on peg 69, he'd struggled to get out of his van, bad back plaguing him, he 'd had a couple of fish on the lead (as well as providing a diverse range of ow's and moans each time he had to net a fish - somewhat similar to Dean's adult education video, I assume - see Tony's blog).

So I tried the lead, I had a fish on it fairly quickly, but then nothing, so quickly got bored of it and chucked it up the bank, a quick look down the margin saw meat being stripped from the hook by tiny fish and likewise paste. Meat saw a similar fate on the long line, so tried banded pellet, nothing. It was now halfway through and I stretched my legs visiting the loo and the shop for a sausage roll (bad news being pegged that close to the shop when the fishing gets boring).

With two hours to go I had my one and only bite from the margin, within 30 seconds of dropping the paste in, the blob buried and another 6lb fish was in the net, nothing else from the margin, even though I tried it frequently until the end.

I managed a couple of double figure fish from the 15m line on paste in the penultimate hour and knew a good run could see me pick up money, as the lake was fishing hard, unfortunately, nothing would coax the carp to get their heads down. We'd had Charlie Barnes, the speaking clock, reporting regularly how long since his last bite, with Paul Greenwood knocking 5 minutes off each time (in between mocking Jacko, with echo's of Jacko's cries of pain).

I was hopeful of a section pick up, as peg 59 had been catching and was odds on to frame, my main rival was Lewis Greenwood, who had 5 fish to my 6, I'm a crap judge of fish size and thought I had 35-40lb, Lewis thought he might have had me, as his 5 were a decent size. As it turned out, my 6lb or 7lb fish were more like 12lb and I had a welcome pick up of section money by default, as the winner was peg 59, with 136-11. A few DNW's and the silver bashers were treated to a day remeniscent of a winter league. I blame Charlie Barnes, when ever he's at a match I fish, it seems to fish hard, I reckon he was at Avalon last Sunday in disguise.........

1) M Prenks (I reckon thats totally wrong, but I can't read his writing on the weigh sheet) 136-11 peg 59
2) M Levy 75.05 peg 64
3) S Jackson (lead chucker...) 67-14 peg 69 (section winner)
4) C Fox 50.01 peg 55 (section winner)
5) G Powell 39.12 peg 68
6) L Greenwood 37.04 peg 53 (beat his old man by 32.13......)

Silvers

1) C Barnes 9.09 peg 70
2) J Green 8.02 peg 60
3) G Powell 5.09 peg 68
4) P Greenwood 4.07 peg 71
5) C Fox 2.07 peg 55

Finally, the Thatchers rent boy has discovered girls and sex on a recent trip to Ibiza, his tackle is reputed to be up for sale as he now intends to spend his time wooing the young ladies of Shepton Mallet and surrounding area's, before seducing them. This was compounded by his DNW today, Jacko pleaded with him not to sell his tackle as a complete kit to someone....... as it would set them back 5 years.

Apparently he's going to spend the money he saves on match entries, on prostitutes..... I'm no expert but I guess they'd be ropey old hags for 25 quid!!

Float Only, Avalon. 8th August 2010

What a weekend, first game of the season Saturday and it was shocking, I'd rather have been fishing, turned over 3-0 by Millwall. Never mind, Sunday to look forward to, another guest appearance in Tony Rixon's float only series. Avalon had thrown up some good weights in the last couple of matches, I wasn't convinced that it would do so with the pressure of 50+, but I still thought we'd get a days fishing.

Peg 8 on the top lake stuck to my mitt and it looked OK when I got to it, a clear patch across to chuck the waggler in and as peg 7 wasn't drawn, plenty of open water for the pole. I set up a shallow waggler and one at full depth, a paste rig, a MW pellet float to fish banded pellet at 7 & 16m and a rig to fish meat in the margin.

I had a pretty little ghostie mirror in the first 20mins, when I hooked it I thought it had snagged me, but it came free. I soon found what it had gone into, two seperate lots of line, one that was caught in the bushes and stretched back towards me, it stopped about 13' short of the bank meaning I was unable to get rid of it. The worse one was a big loop of ridiculously heavy line that looped from the RH side of the peg to the LH, both ends snagged up one on the island, one in the reeds.

By the time I had lost 3 shalllow wagglers and one full depth float, I was ready to pack up, but it was fishing hard so I switched to a new line further along the bank, the only problem with this, was it was devoid of fish. I could see the reeds moving where I was losing tackle at a rate to bring a big smile to Tony Rixon's face (Kerrching, goes the tackle shop till), but none where I had to cast. I'll have to spend Monday tying hooks, my hook boxes are virtually empty, with the snagged line accounting for most of them. Why haven't some anglers got the decency to tell Leigh or Vic that they've snapped off at the reel and left yards and yards of line snagged on the island, it's happened to all of us at some time or another, but at least if the fishery owners know about it, they can remove it.

The pole line was totally dead, I tried potting in bait, I tried catapulting it, I tried 8mm & 4mm pellet, I tried meat and even found an old pepperami in the bottom of my bait bag and tried this in the margin, on the pole, as well as shallow and full depth on the waggler. I didn't see a single bubble, no change in colour of the water, no movement, in fact nothing to suggest that there was any fish on either of the pole lines. I didn't have a bite, not even a liner.

Thye sum total of the days efforts were 3 carp for 12lb odd, all on the shallow waggler(from 5 bites!!), I'd walked down to Tim Ford at the beginning and there were fish moving, rolling and blowing at that end of the lake, it was like a jaccuzzi in front of Tim Clark and that was ¾ of an hour before the start, no surprise that the top three weights on the lake were pegs 10,11 & 12, with the rest of the lake struggling for bites.

I didn't stay for the results, it had been a long enough day as it was, so see Tony's blog for the results: http://tonyrixon.blogspot.com/

Avalon Sunday 1st August 2010

Didn't fancy the Huntspill, so I managed to squeeze into this sell out on Avalon. The draw bag gave me peg 19, one away from my last visit. I could see plenty of carp moving across by the island when I got to the peg, I set up a waggler to fish shallow and another at depth, first chuck with the at depth waggler to clip up, saw me hook a 5lb+ fish that took the pellet band - shame it was an hour too early.....

I set up a paste rig and a lead rod as well. First put in after the whistle and I had a fish on the shallow waggler, that was it, no more, they backed off so tight to the island, they were only feeding on the pellets within an inch or so of the waterline. I had one fish at full depth, two on the lead to give me four fish in the first hour. I would have been hppy to keep that rate up, as 24 fish would certainly frame, just a shame I couldn't.

The line I'd fed with pellet to fish paste over was bubbling and I had a hybrid, a bream and a decent skimmer after a carp on the first put in, then it went dead, no liners, no indications at all. I set up a rig to fish soft pellet, I had one skimmer, then my usual with this bait, missed bite, after missed bite.

I was determined to catch on the waggler and spent too long trying to get the float to land within a couple of mm of the island, not that it probably cost me anything, except maybe a section win. By swapping between the pole and the straight lead I had a few more fish, ending with about 47lb. I assume that I am feeding it wrong, as others caught OK on the paste.

For the results see Tony's blog, as I had to shoot off at the end to get to work - deep joy!!

Viaduct Match Lake Sunday 25th July 2010

It seemed like a good idea to have a bash at this lake, an opportunity to give the carp bashing a rest, it was either that, the Huntspill or Cider Farm. I drew peg 39, Steve Long told me that pleasure anglers were catching skimmers on paste the day before. I hadn't taken any paste, I knocked up some before the off. I needen't have bothered, I didn't get a bite on it.

My main approach was to be groundbait, with caster and softened pellet fed with it. I started off at 14m with a Malman winter wires 4 x 12, 0.11 mainline and a 0.10 hooklength and a 20 808. Single maggot took me four decent skimmers in the first 40 minutes, with a few smaller cousins as well, then it slowed down, the wind got up and was blowing directly from my left to right, this was making presentation difficult.

I started a new line at 12.5m at 2 0'clock as with the wind, this gave better presentation, but never had a bite on it, I put chopped worm in on this line, which they obviously didn't like...

I had a couple of small carp from the margins on double maggot and lost a decnt fish after the hook came off, leaving a curly pig tail on the end of the hooklength. This has happened a couple of times now, I've got hold of one of the Sensas Perotti hook tyers and I can only blame this. It works the same as the Drennan tyer, which I have always used with no problems.

The lake was fishing hard for everyone I could see, except Tony Rixon and Paul Elmes who were getting odd fish and thankfully I couldn't see Dean fishing the feeder. The last hour was a bit better and I added a few more skimmers to the net to give me 14.12 of silvers and a pick up, getting the silvers money by double default. My 5 carp went 7lb is for a 21.02 total.

Top three all sat next to each other

1) Dean Malin 56.07 peg 45
2) Tony Rixon 36.04 peg 44
3) Paul Elmes 25.02 peg 43
4) Leon Hubbard 24.03 peg 51
5) Jason Radford 22.03 peg 52
6) Adrian Jeffery 22.01 peg 47

Silvers

1) Tony Rixon 21.12
2) Dean Malin 15.10
3) Chris Fox 14.12

Counselling needed after Trinty nightmare..

I was looking for a match on Saturday 24th July and happened to hear that Leighton Palmer was organising one at Trinity, I got booked in and anticipated a few fish.

It seems that Mr Anonymous has put a curse on my fishing, I've struggled to catch since his kind comments. I walked the lake with Leighton and we pegged it out, the draw bag gave me peg 10, I wasn't too disappointed, although 14 or 15 would have been my preferred choice.

I set up two pellet wagglers, two identical shallow rigs on the pole, a paste rig and a margin rig. The main approach was to fish shallow, I lost a fish first put in on the waggler, then had one around 4lb, then that was it, nothing apart from the odd roach. Leighton on peg 11 had a couple of carp on paste, so I tried dropping in over the feed I'd put in at 12m. I had some fish on paste, but could hear constant splasing from the pegs to my right - some one was catching on ..... the method feeder...... Bob Sheppard was catching on pellet at depth on 13, but the noise of the feeder and the subsequent landing of fish would not go away.

I couldn't emulate what was happening, as I don't take a feeder rod to Trinity, I've never fished the method any way, this looked like being the first ever match I've fished at Trinity that was won by someone fishing the feeder.

I tipped back about 40lb, as I knew I wasn't in line for a pick up, so unusual for the fish not to have go up in the water on this venue.

The match was won with 90lb+ from peg 7 on the method, sorry I didn't get the gents name, there was an 80lb+, a couple of 50lb+ weights as well, so it didn't fish too bad, just very different to the norm.

Viaduct Costcutter. 22nd July 2010

My Viaduct roll came to an abrupt end in this match, I drew 96, with Alan Oram on 97, so I hoped to pick his brains a bit. The Thursday learning curve and experimentation just ended with me puzzled - not the idea at all.

I started on the pellet waggler, as did Alan, I was pretty quickly convinced it was a non starter, Alan quickly switched to the lead, I dropped in on my pole line and had a 10lb fish straight away on the paste rig.

I'd set up a lead rod, pellet waggler and a couple of pole rigs, one paste rig and a shallow rig, another to try the RH margin.

Theres no point in writing loads of waffle, I never had a bite on the lead, nor the waggler, either shallow or at depth. My peg was fizzing like mad on the 12m line and I did set up another rig to if I could catch on soft pellet, I could and it was skimmers that were fizzing. I wasn't really geared up or in the frame of mind to fish for skimmers, I reckon one the silvers experts would have done a good weight of them from this peg, but I wanted to catch carp.

On 97 Alan took a couple of fish on the lead, then switched to the pole and caught regularly, whilst I couldn't get a bite on paste, a battering looked likely snfd so it turned out. With 20 minutes to go, my paste line came alive and I had a fish every put in, an hour or so too late.....

I knew I couldn't get near the framers, so tipped back my tench and skimmers which went about 8lb and my carp which were close to 50lb - too little, too late.
I haven't yet worked out why Alan caught and I didn't, but the lake was patchy, with a fair few others struggling. Although not Josh Garrett on 81, he weighed 203.02 to win, but was lucky to keep one of his rods - should you leave them in whilst peeing....!!! (Thanks to Alan Oram for pointing the mad scamble from pee positon to rod rescue....)

If you took the top three results away, it would have been a close match, the fish seemed shoaled up and reluctant to move.


1) Josh Garrett 203.02 peg 80
2) Alan Oram 126.13 peg 97
3) Kevin Newman 113.11 peg 88
4) L Ware 77.12 peg 100
5) B Guvers 63.14 peg 74
6) Martin Lenaghan 62.03 peg 105

Silvers

1) Steve Long 49.02 peg 78
2) Andy Power 27.13 peg 94
3) Charlie Barnes 14.09 peg 102

Avalon. Wednesday 21st July 2010

The midday draw was the clincher in me booking into this match at Avalon, although the lure of trying to get this place sussed was a close second. Its a shame that the weather men were so wrong again, light winds forecast - a hoolie blowing down the lake the actual scenario.

Peg 20 presented itself when I opened the card, I had various advice "the fish will go through the gap and you'll lose them" and "its a decent margin peg" are two that spring to mind.

Tackling up I set up two wagglers, one to fish shallow and one at depth, a lead rod and a pole, to fish 12.5m (the most I could hold in the wind) and the margins.

The waggler was a waste of time, as usual it needed to be tight and the wind was pulling awayfrom the island far too quickly, I had a couple of fish on it, but it was never going to produce a winning weight.

The lead produced a couple of fish, but it was slow, the only way I could get a bite was to fish a 4' hooklength. The pole at 12.5m produced nothing on the paste all match. I had fed pellets in the RH margin and meat in the LH, the LH produced nothing onpellet, one fish on paste and that was the sum toatal of bites or indications. The RH margin produced a couple of fish late on, on meat, but it was struggle to get bites.

My 53lb odd was never going to frame, as there were 3 ton plus weights from the earlier pegs and Craig Tucker, who should have been on a flight back to Afghanistan (he's a Marine), had 88lb+ from 24. Craig went back Friday morning to complete his 6 month tour, stay safe and see you back on the bank in a couple of months.

For the results, see Mr Rixon's blog. http://tonyrixon.blogspot.com/

Landsend Sunday 11th July 2010

Last Monday Tony Rixon text me that there was a space in his float only series today, if I wanted it, it took a little thought after my last time and the dross that is peg 54. But it is a 50+ peg match and useful County points if framing, so positive thoughts all week should see me draw on Match or Specimen Lake. The power of thought obviously doesn't work.......

I wasn't too happy with 58 when it came out of the bucket, right opposite 54, I toyed with the idea of not bothering to go to the peg, but decided to go and see what I could catch. No sign of fish moving when I got there, apart from the odd cruiser, with the level down, there was no shelf across to the island - well there was but it was out of the water.

I set up my standard paste rig, a shallow rig and rigs for banded pellet and soft pellet/meat/corn. Shallow rig was a Drake peacock dibber on 0.15 with a 18PR36. The banded pellet and soft pellet rigs were th same, MW slim powers on 0.17 to a 0.15 hooklength, with a 16B960 for the band and a B911 16 for the soft baits.

I started cupping in some softened micros, 4 & 6mm pellets at 14m 2 o'clock for the paste line, catapulting some pellet at the island and potting some meat & pellet in at 12.5m just short of the island tip. After 20 minutes of inactivity on the deck on the island lines, there were some blows over the softend pellet feed and I dropped th paste rig in, I had three fish in the first hour, then a quiet spell when I had a couple of crucians.

After three hours I'd had another couple of fish on the paste and had fed another line at 10 o'clock, this was shallower so I set up another paste rig and had a carp on that immediately, followed by a bream that should have weighed 4½ or 5lb, but looked a bit skinny. By switching between the 10 & 2 o'clock lines I kept the odd bite coming and ended the match with 10 carp, 2 crucians, and F1, a bream and a skimmer. The silvers went 6lb odd, the carp 53lb something, for a total of 61.02, enough to win the section and second on the lake as there was a 62lb weight in the other section.

The lake fished hard again, with many good anglers struggling, absolutely no chance of competing with with the weights from the speci and match lakes. I doubt that I'll be back at Landsend anytime soon when all the lakes are in the hat, unless I'm in a series.


1. Tony Rixon 156-02-0 peg 29
2. Nick Duckett 145-14-0 peg 1
3. Dean Mallin 119-09-0 peg 31
4. John Dursley 108-0-0 peg 11
5. Fred Roberts 106-08-0 peg 19
6. Craig Edmonds 71-0-0 peg 13

Silvers:

1. Craig Edmonds 38-0-0 peg 13
2. Nick Collins 15-12-0 peg 21
3. Mike Baber 15-10-0 peg 3
4. Mike Nicholls 12-04-0 peg 5

Viaduct Thursday Costcutter. 8th July 2010

Back to Viaduct today for the £10 all in cost cutter, again my plan was to have a chop and change, trying out a few things. The moment I opened my peg card, all that went out the window, peg 85 - the same peg as the last cost cutter I fished and felt that had I not been trying rigs baits and lines out, I should have won it. 20 pegs in today and all of them drawn.

After yesterdays match (and reading Tony's blog)I made up a big tub of paste, as I knew we were on Cary and that seemed to be the bait yesterday. I walked round to the peg and set up two waggler rods, both with 6lb sensor to 0.17 hooklengths and PR36 size 16 hooks, on shallow, one with a loaded Drake peacock for full depth. I also set up a straight lead, Shimano Technium 8lb main line and 0.19 with a 14 B960 for hair rigged pellet.

The pole rigs were straight forward, a very simple paste rig, Big H float on 0.19 to a size 12 mustad paste hook, a margin rig (the same one as yesterday), yesterdays up in the water rig and I also set up a MW 2.5 slim power on 0.19 to a 0.17 hooklength with a 16 B960 and a hair rigged band for pellet on the deck.

Plenty of fish moving had me optimistic that I'd catch on the waggler, the fish had other ideas, it took me about half an hour or so to get my first bite, this was on the shallow wag and a fish around 5lb was netted. I persisted and around the hour mark had another fish of similar size, both took the pellet immediately it hit the water, they certainly weren't fooled by a pellet suspended under a float!!

I had a look in the RH margin and that followed the pattern of the previous match, meat being taken of the hook by nuisance silvers and a hard pellet enduring the same treatment, although they couldn't get it out of the band. I abandoned the margin and never went back.

I had fed a line at 14m with some softened pellet and dropped in over it with paste, two fouler hookers that tore off and came off was the net result of that. A look into the open water on the lead produced nothing, John Bradford was on 81 and he'd given me the OK to go to the point of the spit. This produced one fish on the lead, around the 4 or 5lb mark (I took a carpers rig out of it's mouth that looked more appropriate for Chesil beach!! A huge hook, braid hooklength, swivel, rubber covers etc and about 3" of curly monofilament that must have been 15lb - why the need for all that? And how did a 5lb at most, fish snap it??)

With just over half the match gone, I still had 3 fish, I could see some activity on the 14m line which I'd kept feeding with a catapult, I tried shallow over the feed, but apart from a couple of 'takes' (just like trout fishing) that didn't result in a hooked fish, that seemed a no hoper as well. I knew it wasn't fishing brilliantly, I could see Alan Oram getting the odd fish on the lead and Jim Baines nicking one or two on the waggler. Steve Long walked round confirming that only odd fish had been caught , Paul Lock with 5 was the best any one was admitting to.

As the fish were moving and fizzing over the 14m line I went back in with the paste and had 11 fish in the last 2 and a bit hours, some proper lumps, one which was 18lb and a couple around the 15lb mark. I am pretty crap a judging the size of these fish, so decided on 6 to a net, when I got to 12, I tipped back my silvers (two foul hooked skimmers for about 10oz - I'd have felt guilty weighing them in any way......)

I could hear a fair bit of splashing to my left in the last couple of hours and it turned out George Perkins had them going up in the water, but his 10 were not enough to trouble my 14. The scales said my 14 fish went 132.12 which was enough on the day to take top spot.

1) Chris Fox 132.12 peg 85
2) Paul Lock 96.10 peg 78
3) George Perkins 94.12 peg 86
4) Miles Levy 91.06 peg 80
5) Gary Wall 84.13 peg 77
6) Jim Baines 81.13 peg 97

Silvers

1) John Green 36.06 peg 88
2) John Bradford 35.03 peg 81
3) Paul Lock 22.09 peg 78

Viaduct Open Wednesday 7th July 2010

I had planned to get a few of the Thursday cost cutter matches at Viaduct under my belt, before taking on the big boys in the mid week and weekend opens. But as there was nothing else I fancied, I decided to bite the bullet and be fleeced of my £25 by the venue experts in this pole only match.

No cafe for me this morning, a healthy breakfast at home to start the day and then the 50 minute trip to Viaduct, although it was nearly made an hour and 50 minutes by a dodery old pensioner driving at 28MPH in a 60 limit, luckily I managed to get past before my blood pressure got to an unhealthy level.

Tony Rixon drew the golden peg out before the draw, 119, I was about quarter of the way back in the draw queue and plucked out 119, the first time I've ever drawn a golden peg!! Apparently the peg had won a match held the day before, not a good thing in my opinion, how often do the fish move or back off if they've been hammered the day before.

I set up more rigs than I would use, just because I had the time, a paste rig, a rig for pellet on the deck which consisted a MW slim power on 0.17 and a PR36 18, a rig for pellet or meat down to the right, a MW power margin on 0.19 and a 14 B960 on 0.17 for meat or pellet. Two shallow rigs, both 0.17 with PR36 18 on one and a B960 16 on the other, for hair rigged pellet. As it happened, these were the only rigs I needed to set up.

I started at 14.5m shallow and after 20 minutes without a bite, I switched to 16m to my right, I had two small carp on this line, one on meat, one on 8mm hard pellet, meat was a waste of time, being taken from the hook with unhitable bites.

After an hour I was still on two fish, I could see Andy Power on 115 catching well, shallow, so I had a look back on the shallow rig at 14.5m, I started catching on this and caught until the whistle, I had to go to 16M to keep the fish coming, towards the end of the match the size of the fish got bigger, shame they didn't show up earlier. I could see that Andy Power on 115 had caught steadily all match and in all honesty, I doubt even if I had got it right from the off that I could have matched his 66 fish for 294.03. My 39 fish went 192.10 a new personal best match weight and enough to take 2nd place. Andy had ripple in front of him most of the day, I only had it for a couple of short periods and this was when I caught best, so I'll have to start packing a wind machine in my bag.

An enjoyable day, I'll be back at Viaduct tomorrow for the Thursday costcutter.

1) Andy Power 294.03 peg 115
2) Chris Fox 192.10 peg 119
3) Mash Massheder 179.14 peg 97
4) Alan Oram 161.01 peg 132
5) Ray Hayward 140.02 peg 129
6) Glen Bailey 133.03 peg 78

Silvers
1) Bendan Currie 48.14 peg 111
2) Paul Blake 38.03 peg 118
3) Rich Coles 36.09 peg 96

* I had a bollocking from Rich Coles today, apparently I put Dave Roper down as Joint silvers winner on the Sunday in my blog for the Trinity festival, when in fact it was Rich. At least some one reads it!! (I've changed it now Rich)