Plantation, Winter Saturday Series 27/2/10

I've been working on a project at work and that has meant being there more often and less fishing - not good!! So this weekend it was a choice, fish Saturday or Sunday, as the teams of five at Viaduct was this Sunday, there were not too many matches locally.

Last weeks Saturday match at Plantation was won with 148lb, so when I got a phone call from organiser Paul Nicholls asking me if I wanted to fish this week, I decided that given the dreadful weather forecast for Sunday, that it would the best choice.

The weather had warmed up slightly, the water temperature was 6.5°C - the highest I've recoreded since before Xmas - and all seemed set fair to catch a few fish..... if only someone had told them!!

The drawbag wasn't too kind, peg 28, although Kev Perry drew peg 12 again (4th time in 7 or 8 matches). After last weeks woes that he'd drawn peg 4 at Trinity 4 times, a certain Mr Faiers was quiet, he drew 26, the peg that produced the 148lb weight last week. Peg 28 is an open water peg, in the gap between the two islands, it doesn't really have a fishable margin on either side, so options are limited.

A small feeder, a waggler a full depth and two pole rigs were set up, whilst setting up the feeder, I thought that I had a reprieve, no one on peg 29, 30,31,32 giving me the option to chuck to the small island on the left. I had a few casts and got clipped up for the island, feeling a little happier. The happier feeling didn't last more than 20 minutes or so, a familiar figure appeared coming round the lake with his tackle, Rod "I'm always late" Wootten. He got closer and closer and the realisation that he was stopping on peg 29 meant that was my island chuck gone.

I intended to fish soft pellet & micros at 12m, there is a slight hump in peg 28 which drops off either side, with a couple of inches more depth towards 29, the bottom of this drop was my fed area for the pole line. Two rigs set up, a 0.6g Jean Francois Desque with a 0.08 hooklength and a 18 gamma black, and a 0.5g MW pellet float with a 0.15 hooklength and a 18 B911 for when the carp moved in and I started bagging.......

The waggler was a 2 swan peacok quill with a 0.12 ultima silk hooklength and a 20 B911 / 18 PR36 hair rig as required. The feeder set up was a small cage feeder on a simple running rig, stopped by a quick change hooklength bead. A variety of hooklengths for maggot, corn and pellet.

At the all in, I fed the pole line and went straight out on the waggler, to see if there were any fish in the gap in the islands. Nothing for 15 minutes, so out with the feeder, filled with micros and corn on the hook. From 10.20 to 10.50 I had 3 carp and a skimmer and a few liners, then nothing, if I put a maggot on the waggler or pole I could get a microscopic roach, but it was a waste of time. I could see Lance catching a few opposite on peg 7, Mike Owens on peg 27 to my right had a couple, but it generally wasn't fishing well. Rod was also struggling on peg 29, although he didn't give the feeder too long.

At about 1.30 I had another carp and 3 skimmers on the feeder, then it went dead again, no joy on the straight lead, the waggler remained motionless and the pole line, to all intents and purposes, was devoid of fish. Rod had started catching a few lumps down his LH margin, so it looked like the end peg was an advantage.

I had seen some fish blowing in the gap between the islands, I hooked and lost two bream around the 3lb mark, so I guess it was skimmers and bream blowing, if I could fish the match again, I'd have varied my tactics and fished for skimmers instead of carp. Isn't hindsight great. My four carp, four skimmers and three 1/3oz roach weren't likely to trouble the scalesman, so they went straight back.


At the weigh in, whilst there were some decent weights, the fish remain shoaled up and don't seem to be actively moving around the lake looking for food, lest hope with the arrival of March tomorrow, the waters start to warm up a bit.

1) Paul Faiers 76.06 peg 26
2) Rod Wootten 59.03 peg 29
3) Lance Tucker 57.04 peg 7
4) Ivan Currie 54.00 peg 4
5) John Page 50.06 peg 38

Silvers

1) A Baker 8.08 peg 17

Here is a link to an aerial shot of the main lake at Plantation, showing the peg Numbers, perhaps Darren 'Nudd' Vowles (who DNW again today - getting a habit now Darren?) would like to study it. Paul Nicholls said "don't blame me for the pegging, it was my assistant bitch, Darren wot done it."

http://www.plantationlakes.co.uk/pegs_coarse.htm

Trinity Open. Woodland 21/02/10

So, whether to go fishing, or to football, seeing as City's game was moved to Sunday. After the last few games, I decided that the season ticket could go to waste and booked in for my first open of the year at Trinity Waters.

I arrived 3/4 of an hour early, so I could have a look round at the work John has done, in levelling the bank between Woodland and Lodge, it looks like a lot of effort has gone into it!! Obviously looking a little barren until the spring starts to cover the mud with new growth, but I like it, the sun now gets onto the water all over the lake. John has tried to create a 3' deep shelf along the margins of each peg on that bank, I had a plumb round and it looks like he has managed it - maybe nature will undo his work, but at least he's tried.

Sue was explaining about the payout to be made at the Xmas match, to the winner of the most opens and the winner of the most silverfish, another reason to get along to the opens this year and try and boost the Xmas coffers. She did tell me the amount, but it has slipped my mind. John was also explaining that in October he intends to divide Wildmarsh into two lakes, one with the big carp in and one with all the silverfish in, so that will make a 37 peg silvers match lake - I'm looking forward to it.

The overnight freeze had melted away in the wee small hours and there was very little breeze, so whilst the van thermometer read 3°C on the way down, it didn't feel too cold. Roach were topping and most thought that we'd catch a few fish, plenty had been coming out in the week. Peg 20 was the golden peg and Kev Perry drew it, although he didn't get off to the best of starts when his cupping kit snapped, lucky Misha had a new one and let him borrow it.

I drew peg 30, on the 'new' bank, I was pretty convinced that the fish wouldn't have settled into the margins just yet, so only set up rigs for 8 & 13M. I also set up a waggler to fish full depth, but with very little shot on the line, just in case there were some fish sitting off bottom.

The rig for 8M was a 1g Jolly on .10 line with a 0.08 hooklength and a 22 hook. The 13M line was a Sensas Jean-Francios Desque 1g, but with a 1.7mm hollow tip in place of the standard tip, on 0.11 line and a 0.10 hooklength and a 18 808. Just in case they went mad, I had a Preston 'Green' set up, again 1g to 0.13 and a 16 808. In the box were similar set ups but in 1.5g, in case the wind and tow got up.

I cupped some feed into the 13M line at the all in and fed the 8M and waggler line by catapult (maggot on the 8M line and corn/4mm pellet on the waggler line).

Starting on the 13M line saw a F1 about 1lb in the net second put in and for the first hour I had a few bites, missed some, but landed 2 carp and 3 or 4 skimmers. For the rest of the match, it was a struggle to keep fish coming, I'd get one or two, some bites and then they'd back off, putting another section on would see a bite or fish, then nothing. Eventually they'd come back over the 13M line and the situation would repeat its self. The 8M and waggler lines proved to be totally unproductive, so I just sat it out on the 13M line, exploing a metre or so past and to the sides of the feed area. This kept the odd carp and decent skimmer coming on pellet or dead red maggot.

I could see Glenn on peg 2 catching, Eric on 13 was getting skimmers, Vince Brown and Steve Fouracres wre getting the odd carp, apart from that, it was fishing pretty hard, so I just kept plugging away. I thought it would be tight at the end, although Glenn had a good run of fish from the RH margin and I would have needed a good final hour to beat him, perhaps if I had, had a mature margin I might, but thats not complaining, as I'm sure Johns work will improve the lake once the warmer weather gets here.

A quick word for Paul Faiers, drawn on peg 4, at least the third, if not fourth time he's drawn it, with the same result - way down the field, John's promised not to put it in next time Paul fishes. Kev couldn't tempt a winning weight from the golden peg, so it stays in Johns money box for another week.......

It fished fairly hard, but the results were pretty close, as far as I'm concerned thats how a match should be.

1) Glenn Calvert 52-06 peg 2
2) Chris Fox 32-15 peg 30
3) Steve Fouracres 30-12 peg 24
4) Vince Brown 27-06 peg 26
5) Terry Orr 20-00 peg 28

Silvers

1) Eric Fouracres 12-10 peg 13

Clevedon FWAC 14/02/10

Last week I wandered around the Clevedon match which was held on Plantation lake, in a conversation with Paul Nicholls, one of the match organisers, I did suggest that the match planned for the Kenn today might not be the best, or too well attended. The low clear conditions and the sightings of many cormorants, which seem to be feasting on the roach, didn't give any support to the argument to keep the match on the clubs home water.

I received a text in the week from Darren 'Nudd' Vowles, Pauls Nicholls assitant match organiser (or bitch), match now on Acorn, did I want to book in and also book a breakfast, standard or fat bastard. I didn't take much persauding, the Viaduct teams of five meant that there wasn't too much else on, so I booked... and yes, the FB brekkie!!


It wasn't until the Wednesday before last, that I'd ever driven through the gates of Acorn Fishery, myself, Paul Faiers and Chips (Pauls Father-in-Law)decided to have a few hours pleasure fishing. We had a reasonable day given the cold conditions.

So,onto today, met up with Paul and Glen(Calvert)at the venue, we had breakfast and then walked round to peg out. With that done, the draw was made, I pulled peg 3 (perm peg 5), Faiersy actually pulled the peg he had a few fish from the Wednesday before. There were some small silvers topping in my peg, about the only fish movement we'd seen whilst pegging out and walking to the pegs, I assumed that at least I'd get a few of them today, after Wednesdays dearth of silvers.

I had a good plumb around the peg and found a deeper hole to my left at 12.5m, this was only 3 or 4" deeper than the rest of the peg, but it was a feature in an other wise flat bottomed swim. As Paul and I had both caught carp the previous Wednesday, at the all in,I fed some micros, caster and maggot into the 'hole', caster and pinkie into the open water for my silvers line. After 15 minutes this had produced not the slightest indication on the float (a Malamn winter wires, 0.11 - 0.10 hooklength and a 20 808).

A lot earlier than I wanted, I dropped into the 'margin' swim at 12.5m, the float wouldn't stay still and I hooked and lost 4 carp - foul hookers. Coming up in the water saw me land a couple of fish that were obviously taking the maggot (on a MW slim power rig, 0.13 straight through to a 18 B911). I switched to a rod and reel, set up with a waggler, no shot down the line and stepped up my catch rate, the fish were hugging the bank and rushes, as long as I dropped the waggler in close I got a bite. I went from 6 carp to high teens resonably quickly, then the wind got up, blowing the waggler out of positon, no more bites.

I'd fed an open water line at 10m, the occasional look in at this saw me nick an odd fish, but there was no consistency or pattern to it, so I had to switch to the 16m pole. Another 7 fish fell to this method, again maggot fished with no shot down the line and then I bumped the pole off the back roller at 15.30 (half an hour to go), trashing the rig. I had a rig set up which was identical, except it was 0.15 line with a 0.13 hooklength tied on with a four turn water knot - how could it differ, same float pattern, same shotting pattern, but no more bites in the last half hour.

So at the all out, not a single silver landed, but 25 carp from 12oz to 5 or 6lb. I knew from Mike Lilly, who was not fishing, but bank walking, that Paul Faiers had caught well, but it was likely I'd be second.

The Scales came round and Paul did indeed win, with a creditable 104lb 15oz, on a day when the water temp was 4°C, in a lake 2'6" - 3'.0" deep. I did manage second, although had the wind not blown up, I feel confident thet I'd have pushed Paul closer.


1)Paul Faiers 104.15 peg 14 (pole, maggot)
2)Chris Fox 61.08 peg 5 (Pole, waggler, maggot)
3)Dave Baker 45.09 peg 17 (straight lead)
4)Lewis Walker 36.04 peg 13

Silvers

1) Simon Carvello 5.14 peg 1
2) Rich Headley 4.14 peg 3

Two special mentions, Simon Carvello will have to spend his silver winnings on a new car battery, his tired old Astra needed a jump start after the match (this after several failed push starts and some knackered anglers) and Darren 'Nudd' Vowles pleaded with me not publish on the interweb, his DNW and beaten off either side - although he forgot to buy me a beer, so I couldn't help but mention it !!

Withypool - Carps AC 10th Feb 2010

Ever have one of those days when the best laid plans go completely tits up.......

Two reasons to book into the Carps match on Withypool today:
1) I thought that a few silvers would be on the cards, even with the forecast overnight freeze.
2) Its nice and close to home so a lie in is possible.

On arrival most of the lake was frozen, apart from the pegs in the 40's behind the island, this caused discussion on whether to peg those pegs, or pegs that had the northerly wind off our backs etc etc. The end result of this was a rover, I think I was the lone dissenting voice, I really do not like rover matches. I then drew 2 from last walk off, although it didn't seem to matter, the walk off order was loosely, if at all adhered to.

My knowledge of the lake is pretty limited, so I was unsure which peg to choose, in the end I sat on 42, a peg i have had some good pleasure sessions on, but admittedly not at this time of year. My bait selection wasn't too varied, maggots, caster and pinkie were the main plan, with a handful of 4mm expanders and a few wetted micros for a line away from the maggot line. I also had some corn, don't know why, I've yet to catch a fish on it this winter!!

I started at the bottom of the island shelf, cupping in a few casters and pinkies, with pinkie on the hook - all to no avail, maggot and caster meeting with the same response. Andy Gard on peg 45 hooked and lost a carp first put in, then had a 12lb fish second put in, all the while my float remained motionless.

I had set up a waggler rod, as this tactic has caught me decent roach in the past on Withy and Bridge, switching to this brought my first bite, the microlight looped over as a big vermin made off with the single red maggot, I played the roach spoiling monster for a few minutes before the 22 90340 pulled out. Half an hour later, another bite, another vermin, this time it led me a merry dance around the peg, going up to peg 43 to see Bob Feltham and down to peg 40 to have a look at Coiln Golding. After 10 minutes it tried to get towards some vegetation and the 0.07 powerline hooklength parted.

I had a Maver Reactorlite II waggler rod made up in the hardcase, 4lb sensor and a 0.13 hooklength finished off with a B911 size 18. This saw the next two carp landed and next cast after landing No2, I hooked another, this came in like a bream, as I drew it over the landing net it suddenly woke up, dived for the bottom and I was left with an airbourne waggler rig, that had a curly pigs tail where the hook once was.

That proved to be the end of the action (1pm), I couldn't get another bite, I fed two other lines, tried corn, switched back to the pole, even fed a squatt line as I had half a pint with me. At 3.45, 15 minutes before the all out, I had a roach, the only silver fish I had all day - hardly a successful day when they were my intended species. Even less succesful were the lost carp, costing me second place and some coin.

Where, oh where, is the global warming.... bring it on I say, today was bloody freezing! Iced over lake, chill north wind, snow flurries and water that was 4.5°C.

1) Bob Price 54.00 (Vermin on the straight lead and hair rigged triple corn)
2) Andy Gard 18.12 (2 vermin and some silvers)
3) Bob Feltham 12.08 (All silvers, skimmer & bream to 3lb, roach & hybrids on pinkie)
4) Chris Fox 11.08 (2 vermin & 1 roach, red maggot)

Silvers
1) Bob Feltham 12.08
2) John Bennet 9.08