Sunday 31 October 2010

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

Monday 25 October 2010

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

Wednesday 13 October 2010

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.