Avalon Xmas Match, Sunday 18th December 2011

There was a good turnout for todays match, shame the cold rain/snow of a couple of days ago and the overnight frost were likely to effect the fishing. I walked up the pub last night for a beer or two, on the way I bought a lottery ticket and a loaf of bread for bait. The lottery ticket only had one number matching the winning line and I got chatting, had a couple more beers than I intended and left the bread in the pub..........

Into the draw tin and I managed to get an end peg, 48. No island chuck and I guessed the replacement loaf I bought on the way to the match, would go unused, at least the ducks would get a meal at the end. No need to load up the trolley for such a short walk, so a couple of trips to the peg saw me settled in on the nice new pallet that Vic has put in. Vic walked round and offered some advice and information on the peg, always good to get some assistance. I set up a waggler to fish maggot, a straight lead, just because it was set up in the bag (I might as well put all my lead rods on ebay for the use they get) and two pole rigs. Rig one was a 0.4g MW diamond, because the wind was blowing into my face and I wanted a stable float, this was on 0.14 with a 0.12 hooklength and a 16 6313. The othe rig was for the margin, on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength and a 16 B911.

I started on the waggler towards the aerator, with a 6mm pellet banded on, no feed, just to see if there was a fish willing to pick up a lone pellet. I had a search round the peg with this and then switched to single flouro maggot. The first fish fell to this, a small skimmer,  I'd fed a couple of lines, off to the left between the 10 & 11 o'clock position, as far as I could catapult casters in the head wind and a pole line, which I lined up with a tree to the left of peg 2 at 14m, this was fed with micro's via a cup. I also fed the end bank at a comfortable 14.5m, this was with micro and maggot.

I had a couple of skimmers and roach, then a 6oz perch, by swapping between the waggler line and the pole line, all falling to the single flouro, soft pellet proved to be a non starter, as did caster. As I started to get a few bites, I picked up the catapult with my usual exuberance and even though I did my best to limit the bait, I think the half a dozen or so maggots was too much, as the bites tailed off. Then the waggler buried and a better fish was putting a curve into the Titan, a 3lb or so carp was duly netted. The waggler line then really dried up, so a look down to the end bank, where there was a nice flat shelf, with nearly 5' of water. No bites here, so I refed it and out onto the 14m pole line and a decent skimmer joined his small cousins in the keepnet.

Both open water lines went really quiet in the last hour or so, that left me concentrating on the end bank, hoping a couple of carp would come up onto the shelf, first put in the float buried and a 1oz roach had taken the double maggot, next put in, the float buried again, this time a small, but angry carp was the culprit, no more carp, but a couple more roach made the net before the all out.

A nice touch at the end as Vic and Mrs Vic had organised soup, crusty bread and hot mince pies, just the job after a cold day, thanks. The usual Xmas match hampers and booze was lined up and I won my section and a 12 year old Malt for my fifth place over all. My silvers went 6lb odd and the 2 carp 5lb odd for a 11.11 total, apart from the winner, it was a nice close match, a lost carp (probably fouled) cost me second place, but that was the only fish I lost.

1.      Vince Brown 48-04-0 peg 19

2.      Andy Gurd 15-08-0 peg 27

3.      Darren North 14-10 peg 10

4.      Shane Caswell 13-04-0 peg 24

5.      Chris Fox 11-11-0 peg 48

6.      John Bradford 11-08-0 peg 9

Silvers:

1.      Tony Rixon 9-0-0 peg 28

2.      Alan Oram 7-14-0 peg 12

Viaduct Xmas Match, Saturday 10th December 2011

A draw and breakfast at the Globe, in Somerton, meant an easy start to the day. Three lakes in the drawbag today and no doubt, the draw would be important, with the fish settling into their winter quarters and the overnight frost. (Down to -3°C on the van temp. gauge).

The numbers banded about before the draw as being desirable, were the usual suspects, 110, 130, 85 and the island pegs on spring,  bookies wouldn't have lost much had they offered odds based on the general consensus. My ever unreliable drawing arm gave me 119, although somewhat heartend by the fact it threw up a weight on last weeks Carps match. I had tried to keep things simple on the bait tray, meat, bread, caster & maggot, with a kilo of worms in the bait bag ( that has accompanied me, unopened, for several weeks now!!). I set up a waggler and a straight lead, both to fish meat, a MW diamond to fish at 16m and a Carpa Chimp to fish caster at 13m. A margin rig joined the set up, to fish 16m down to the end bank.

I started pretty negatively, searching the peg with the waggler, lead and margin rig, without feeding, trying to find a bite, all to no avail. The 13m caster line didn't produce a single bite, to caster or maggot, even dropping down to a 22 on 0.08. By midday and still biteless, I decided to switch to fishing maggot down into the corner and across to the pallet of 120, The only place in the peg I could get a bite, was next to the sunken tree in the corner. Of course, the closer to the tree, the more likely a bite, but also more likely a lost fish. It still didn't go mad, I had 5 carp for 13.15 and 2 perch/3 roach for 2lb, a total of 15.15, this was 7th on the lake, with, as expected the weights improving towards the opposite end. 3 fish managed to escape into the tree, 2 of a similar stamp to those I landed and 1 decent fish, but they wouldn't have made a difference on the day.

Spring lake produced the goods, with Simon Jones having a great days fishing and the old favourite, peg 85 gave Dick Bull some cash and the second place hamper.

1) Simon Jones 183.08 peg 3
2) Dick Bull 80.03 peg 85
3) Steve Mayo 77.01 peg 4
4) Colin Dyer 66.15 peg 5
5) Fred Roberts 66.14 peg 129
6) Terry Lenny 65.05 peg 110

Silvers

1) Ray Hayward 17.02 peg 78
2) Geoff Barnett 14.14 peg 18

Plantation, Carps AC Wednesday, Match 7th December 2011

I reckon I must be suffering from early onset senility, I managed to book into two matches today, a few weeks back I booked into this one and last week into Tony's match on Avalon - I went with my conscience and let Tony down as I'd booked in last with him. With hindsight that was the wrong decision, as todays match cost £22, broken down as a £6 peg fee, £5 for breakfast and £1 for Carps AC. That left £10 for the pools and with 16 fishing, £50 / £ 30 breakdown for the match and silvers winners/second. I'd have rather seen the £5 breakfast money paid out on sections.

Once the breakfast was done, I'd got well wrapped up against the windy conditions and then drew peg 4 - for the last 3 months, this bank and row of pegs has been the one to draw, winning every match, today with the wind in our faces, with the occasional gust from left to right and then an equal and opposite reaction back the other way, ensured that long time form, was blown away.

I had venue expert and Plantations Booking Agent, Darren 'Noddy' Vowles on peg 5 for company, so I was expecting a lesson in plastic thing chucking and to be well beaten off the next Peg at least in the overall. The strength of the wind saw me set up a rod and plastic thing (lobotomy impending at this rate), a waggler and two topkits, although 11m was going to be the comfortable limit, due to the swirling wind. One Carpa Chimp on 0.14 to a 0.12 hooklength and a MW Diamond with the same line.

Given the choice, I'd have taken 33, its a good silvers peg and given the equal payout in this match, I fancied it for roach and perch on the caster - Colin Golding drew and I'm sure he would have fished his soft pellet over soft pellet feed approach.

It was a slow start and 3 /4 hour passed before I had a bite on 4mm devils spawn, which saw a carp grace the net, I'd been feeding a close line with caster expecting to, if not plunder, eke out a few silvers. This didn't happen, not any where in the peg, all match, a total silvers blank. The wind made things tricky and swapping between the pole line and (after I'd ripped the plastic thing off and thrown it a long way away) straight lead
saw me land 5 carp in total, on devils spawn, maggot and bread. I managed to lose 5 fish, two on the lead and three on the pole.

I'm happy that the two lead fish were fouled and so be it, but on the pole, I hooked a real big fish, it just kept swimming (no real speed), initially it came in like a skimmer, the once I'd got it close enough to break down to the topkit, it woke up. Still slow, but it swam off and kept going until the 0.12 hooklength parted. I put a new hooklength on and the next drop in hooked a fish, which took the hook and left me with a curly bit of line - I've had a couple of instances of this now, since I started using the pyroti hooktyer. That seemed to kill the poleline.


Now onto my near neighbour on peg 5, venue expert, Darren 'Noddy' Vowles, we had some good banter during the match, but this obviously affected Noddy as his lesson to me failed to materialise, in fact it was an anti-lesson as he failed to weigh in (He did claim one carp, but slipped it back on the all out whistle, so was a dismal DNW). Can't wait to have a wasted peg next to me again

I told 'Noddy' that we (me and my missus) were off to the local curryhouse on Xmas day - he fancied that, but I got a text from him saying Mrs Noddy wasn't imprressed. He also asked me to point out he holds the lake record - but surely the only peg on the stock pond doesn't count'

The real venue expert won, with all the weights coming from different pegs to those that have been dominating  the last few weeks, about time those fish started moving - just a shame it was today.


1) Rod Wotton 85.06 (peg 25)
2) John Smith 48.09 (peg 28)
3) John Dursley 37.04 (peg 31)
4) Mike Nicholls 31.15 (peg 38)
5) Chris Fox 31.00 (peg 4)
6) John Bennett 23.00 (peg 29)

Silvers

1) A Gard 9.06 peg 18
2  J Dursley 8.13

Trinity Xmas match, Sunday 4th December 2011

The post title is Sunday 4th, there is a post missing for Sat 3rd, the Plantations match, on which, I drew peg 11, probably, if not definitely the least form peg on the lake, I was minded not to even bothering to walk to it, but I did eventually gather enought fortitude. I knew my gut feeling was right and 2pm packed up and went off to see the incompetent ref hand Middlesborough the game at Ashton Gate - what a shit day!!

So back to today, a long overdue visit to my favourite venue, John has been busy again and the lakes now lack much of the foliage they once possessed - I like it, but there is a balancing act to be had, between barren hole in the ground and fishable fishery. he also expressed his desire to get Wildmarsh up to a similar standard of weight averages that Woodlands achieves - I've no doubt he'll succeed.

I've previously managed a 3rd and 2nd in this match, in fact in 2006, it was my first match back after my long layoff, so a win was the aim, I felt this necessitated a draw on the far bank. Thankfuly a far bank draw, No 8, stuck to my mitt, from Misha's bucket. I had purposely left the rods at home, so set up a couple of top kits with 1g & 1.5g rigs respectively and another with a 0.8 for hard pellet. Finally a 2x10 rig for the margin, although, as much as I plumbed the margin, a decent shelf was conspicuous by it absence. The best flat area was under the platform of the vacant peg 9.

I started at 13.5m, with micros and Devils Spawn, as this is often  a good bet to catch decent skimmers and carp, not today as a couple of hand sized skimmers made the net in the first half an hour or so. I was obvious looking round the lake that no one was catching well, and a switch to maggot caster brought the odd small roach and skimmer. By the time Misah stared the first of her rounds with the gratis soup, mince pies and sausage rolls, I had approx 1lb.

I looked in the margins earlier than I wanted too, and had three carp in three put ins under the pallet of peg 9, that seemed to be the residents caught as I failed to get another bite from the margin, one more carp from the 13.5m swim and another couple of roach was too be my lot, but I wasn't far away with that, as the carp had not fed, the scales swung in my favour, with 17.10 of carp and 3.02 silvers, making my 20.12 enough to win by 2oz. It was nice to win this match, with my previous 2nd and 3rd and I must congratulate and thank John, Sue and Misha on the hampers for my self, 2nd and 3rd, as well as the silvers winner.

Wine, Cheese, Beef, Pork and a variety of other goodies which won't last long.... so much for the diet!!

1) Chris Fox 20.12 peg 8
2) Paul berry 20.10 peg 10
3) Mark 'pastehead' Walsh 18.00 peg 2
4) Brian Cearl 15.04 peg 33
5) Kev Perry 9.14 peg 4 (most of which was an 8lb+ carp on the last put in at 17.5m)

Silvers

Brian Slipper 15.00 peg 16 (Roach on caster)

Avon Angling Open, Avalon, Wednesday 23rd November 2011

I typed this out on my ipad, then either touched or pressed a screen command that promptly wiped the page clean, bloody technology.......... So back to the trusty keyboard and Windows.

I thought I'd have a change of scenery and book into this one at Avalon, where I've had varying success and failure. Into the draw bowl and out comes 29, so a quick drive up to the top car park and I found Nigel Bartlett on 27 for company and Martin Lengahan on the form 24 corner peg.

I was determind to keep it simple, so set up the trusty waggler rod to fish caster at the bottom of the island shelf, a lead rod - just in case it kept going round..... It didn't even twitch, so no more to say about that one!! And three topkits, two with pink Vespe 0.14 / 0.12 for skimmers, one with a MW Diamond and a 16 63.13 for Devils spawn and the other had a Carpa Chimp and a 18 Carp Maggot. The white Hydro kit had a rig on 0.16 to a B960 for banded pellet. At the all in, I cupped in a few micros at 14m and fired a couple of 8mm's to the island, finally some caster to the bottom of the island shelf.

I started on the lead rod, just in case there was a queue of hungry carp wanting the 8mm pellet - there weren't. The caster was as unproductive today, as it has been far too often in the last few matches, so it was time to drop in over the micro's with a 4mm Devils Spawn. This resulted in a couple of skimmers, but nowhere near as quick as Nigel was catching on 27. I switched back to and persevered with the waggler, but wasted too much time on it, as caster yielded only two fish and single or double maggot invariably saw a 1/2 oz rudd snaffling the bait.

A breeze got up and thinking the ripple would improve the skimmer fishing, I reverted back to the soft pellet, the ripple seemed to have totaly the opposite effect than expected and I struggled to catch whilst it affected my peg.  Once the wind dropped and the lake regained its flat calm surface, I had a reasonable last hour, although my failure to drop down from the pink vespe, cost me some lost skimmers.

Soft pellet really seems to be the bait to catch skimmers on this lake, if only I was any good at it or could get the feeding sussed.  At one stage I lost a cople of big skimmers that I 'd foul hooked, they seemed to be sitting 2'-3' above the feed, I fed a few 4mm's and stopped feeding micros's, that stopped me fouling the big skilmmers, but reduced the size of the ones I did catch.

Tricky stuff this Devils spawn fishing, although it seems Shepton Mallet Socialite, Tom Thick has it sussed, as he's used it to take top silvers and second spot overall, behind Trigger who put together a very creditable 90.06 to win. Nigel Bartlett's persistance with the soft pellet saw him take the silvers coin by default and I took second silvers coin by default, third in the silvers seems to be a regular spot for me now - must try harder, as my school reports always used to say.

1) Craig Edmunds 90.06 peg 19
2) Tom Thick 69.02 peg 9
3) Kev Molton 53.04 peg 13
4) Tony Rixon 52.07 peg 11
5) J Thompson 32..12 peg 3
6) Martin Lenaghan 24.09 peg 24

Silvers

1) Tom Thick 39.15 peg 9
2) Nigel Bartlett 24.04 peg 27
3) Chris Fox 14.06 peg 29


One last thought for this blog entry, has Tony Rixon got a feminine alter ego? Or is Toni just his Tranny name.....
http://www.avalonfisheries.co.uk/moors.html 

There's no place to hide on the interweb...

Plantation Lake, Saturday Series, 19th November 2011

My second of this series, although its the third match. I had a decent fry up at home before setting off, no traffic, not one dawdling old bugger to hold me up, meant I was first there. I had a look round the lake, then saw match organiser and plastic thing aficionado Darren 'Noddy' Vowles pulled up. He advised me that all the fish were in one quarter of the lake and a draw of 38,39 and 1 - 8 would be necessary to do well. Great!! How likely given my cursed drawing arm, was I to draw one of the coveted pegs. And so it proved, my usual lack of prowess at the drawbag continued, peg 25, diagonally the opposite quarter of the lake, than the one that 'Noddy' the venue expert, prophesised all the fish to be in. Perhaps they'd moved.... unlikely given my luck, but you have to have some thread of optimisim before tackling up, or why bother?

I felt that with the mild, but autumnal weather, the carp would respond to maggot and caster, which should also ensure I caught silvers. I did have the partial lobotomy and set up a plastic thing, trying to remember what I've been read and told about fishing it. This had a 3" hooklength and a 18 with a micro band on a hair for 6mm pellet.

I then set up a 12' Normark Titan 2000, I can't find a better modern rod, with 3lb reel line, a 0.12 hooklength and a 18 Drennan Carp Maggot hook. This was to be my main line of attack, caster at 2/3 the way to the island, I dreamt of a steady run of skimmers, big roach and large stripeys, with an occasional carp. I also set up a couple of pole rigs, one to fish at 14m and another for the margin, which thankfully plumbed up within an 1" both left, right short and right long in front of peg 24.

I fed some groundbait and micro pellet at 14m on the all-in and caster at 20m+, with maggot in the LH margin and caster in the RH margin. I then tried the plastic thing, I had carefully clipped up with a 1oz bomb, the first cast was perfect - how easy is this plastic thing fishing..... Not that easy, next cast the plastic thing landed spot on, the micros that had been moulded to it, landed about 10 metres out. Try again, another perfect cast, next cast, straight into the island foliage. Then a cast that didn't hit the clip, another that saw the micros land yards away from the plastic thing again and finally two more perfect casts, without a bite. Enough was enough, that was put up the bank and thats where it stayed, how is that enjoyable?

I had brought some devils spawn and dropped a 4mm specimen of it over the gbait and micro, I had 2 skimmers in four put ins and that was the end of the action on that bait. The dream of a nice mixed bag on the waggler didn't take long to turn into a nightmare, as I could not, no matter how I altered, depth, shotting, single or double on the hook, elicit a bite on caster. Maggot on the hook brought the odd roach, one decent skimmer and not much else.

The margins produced one decent perch and some quality roach, again to maggot, as the caster was no more productive than fishing with a bare hook. I even tried going down to 0.06 and a 24, single pinkie, to no avail, that brought no more bites than double maggot on a 18 b911 on 0.16. I alternated between the waggler and the 3 margin lines, short left, 5m and 11m to my right, to take the occasional fish. I didn't manage to hook a carp, there was very little sign of fish life in the peg. It seems that even the silvers have vacated this end of the lake. Although unexpectedly, my slim 8.08 was enough to take last in the silvers coin and hard work it was too!!

Venue expert and plastic thing fanatic 'Noddy' was on peg 26 to my left, gave up and packed up well before the end. Glenn (weekend & internet name - 'Faitheeey') Calvert also struggled on peg 19, it seems that the prophesy of 'Noddy' was correct and we were well and truly at the wrong end of the lake.

A word for Mark Bromsgrove, he took some advice about the plastic things fron 'Noddy' and in spite of claims that he'd only ever used them once before, managed to take the last framing place from peg 27 -worst of all, was he was quite excited by it and announced it a good and fun way to fish. I fear Weston General has been undertaking some secret lobotomys and electo-therapy on unsuspecting locals.

I didn't get a chance to ask Rod Wootton how he caught, but I'd be shocked if it wasn't pole and pellet, as he won from fancied peg 5. In fact, the peg numbers that framed were virtually as predicted by 'Mystic Noddy' - how about picking me some lottery numbers? I reckon we could do with a frost, failing that dynamite, to get the buggers to spread out round the lake.

1) Rod Wootton 75.10 peg 5
=2) Andy Hembrow 53.00 peg 7
=2) Mike Owens 53.00 peg 39
4) Craig Tucker 44.08 peg 4
5) Rich Lovering 37.10 peg 8
6) Mark Bromsgrove 32.08 peg 27

Silvers

1) Brian Slipper 29.06 peg 18
2) Paul ("I've never fished for silvers, its easy isn't it, I'm going to do it again") Nicholls 12.04 peg 28
3) Chris Fox 8.08 peg 25

Viaduct Match & Lodge Lakes, 16th November 2011

My mum told me never to accept lifts from strange men, I went against her advice today and took up Tony Rixon's offer of a lift. His passenger has to buy the breakfast and we stopped at the most expensive place on the way down...... Well, I guess I would have if I was driving!! It actually made a nice change not to drive, feel free to offer again Tony.

I was looking forward to a draw on Match Lake, having seen the weigh in from last Sundays match on there, as seems usual with my luck lately, I drew on the clear and cold looking Lodge, peg 60. I didn't think that the fish would come too close in, given the clarity and I had Fabio (who is known to curse and chat to himself, like Gollum). We thought we had an empty peg opposite, but Steve Kedge turned up and filled the vacant peg.

Two waggler rods set up, one with 3lb mainline and a 0.12 hooklength with a size 20 808, second rod with 4lb to a 0.14 hooklength and a 18 63.13. A skimmer lead rod with 3lb reel ine and a 0.10 hooklength with a 20 808 completed the rod & reel set up. I was inclined not to set up a pole, but as I was ready with 40 minutes to go, I set up two rigs to try and catch skimmers over groundbait at 14m. One soft ball of groundbait with caster & dead maggot went in at 14m on the all in, I then started on the waggler and caster, this produced very little, and what it did produce was very little in size, micro roach. After 25 minutes I dropped in over the groundbait, this was obviously what the little roach wanted, as every put in resulted in one of them taking either single or John Green on 62 started to catch decent silvers on the waggler and caster, but I just couldn't get them to move the two pegs and take my caster. I could see Kedgie opposite struggling, as was Fabio on peg 60. Shepton Mallet wannabe Gigolo, Tom Thick was also struggling on 55.

In desperation I started on the feeder, to try and get the skimmers, second chuck I had a 10lb+ carp, safely landed on the 0.10. The feeder also produced micro roach, I tried corn to get away from them, that meant no bites at all!! Back on the feeder and double maggot and at last a decent skimmer, but by now it was too little to late. Fabio had started to catch carp from under the tree to his left, landing 6 and losing 6. This was enough to win him the section, as my travelling partner for the day managed 19lb from peg 64. My one carp and meagre silvers went 15lb odd.

1) Lee Werritt 92.03 peg 53
2) Andy Lloyd 57.07 peg 52
3) Phil Harding 55.06 peg 60
4) S Scribbled Name 50.10 peg 50
5) Mike West 46.13 peg 52
6) Clint W 45.05 peg 48

Silvers

1) Rich Coles 41.14 peg 47
2) John Green 36.06 peg 62
3) S Scribbled Name 27.00 peg 50

Most fancied the match lake and with 5 weights over 40lb, it proved the best for a days fishing. Biggest shock of the day, seeing Mike Nicholls in the Bear Hotel, where the breakfast is a wallet emptying £6.95, although, it is a decent, help yourself set up. There must have been a half price voucher in the Saga magazine...... Also where does he get this ability to pre pick his pegs? I asked him before which peg on Lodge he'd fancy, he said, 53, or 66 as the wind blowing into 53 might not be good, being Easterly - yep, he drew 66......

Carps AC, Campbell, Viaduct, Sunday 13/11/11

After last weeks dismal day at Landsend, I passed up the opportunity to contribute to Tony Rixon's pension fund and fish there again. (A right decision looking at the result - see Tony's blog).

Carps AC had their silvers league at Viaduct, but also an open on Campbell, so this was my choice for Sundays match. Carps have this rule that pays equal money to the match winner and silvers winner (and places), so once I saw 128 on my swimcard, I decided that as the peg has some carp & silvers form, I'd stick to maggot & caster as my main line of attack.

I set up two waggler rods, although it seemed wildly optimistic given the strong wind that was in face, with the occasional gust from left to right. One with 3lb Preston reel line and a 0.12 hooklength under a 3AAA insert peacock float, this ahd a 16 Drennan Carp hook on for maggot/caster. The other had 4lb sensor to a 0.14 hooklength with a 16 Drennan hair rig hook with a quick stop - for meat corn etc. This resulted in nothing, not even a liner, so no more about it.

A lead rod completed the rod & reel set up, I had a couple of chucks with it, to no avail, I had one bite, the hooked fish felt fouled and snapped the 0.16 hooklength at the loop knot, as usual it went up the bank and wasn't used again - not sure why I take it!!

Pole rigs were simple, two No4 MW diamonds, one on 0.16 to a 0.14 hooklength and one on 0.14 to a 0.12 hooklength, a Preston float that I rescued from a snag at Viaduct (it had no owners details on it, honest guv) on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength made up the margin rig.

I started on the waggler / caster, to no avail, maggot only produced micro roach, switching to caster meant the float remained motionless. A look on the lead with meat, not even a liner, a switch to 8mm punched bread brought the one 'bite' that resulted in the previously mentioned broken hooklength, the fish felt fouled, but still no reason for the snap off.

I then dropped in on the 11m line that I'd fed caster on, another micro roach took the maggot hookbait, a switch to double caster produced a 5lb+ carp first drop in, disappointingly no more followed. I decided that it was time to look at the line I'd been feeding along the spit, this resulted in three carp in three put ins, then the fourth one, which felt like a decent double, picked up a branch that was on the bottom and managed to get into the brambles and snap the hooklength  - whatever signal that sent to his mates, it was enough to ensure that I didn't catch another carp from that edge.

I swapped from the 11m line and the waggler, with caster (although that was a waste of time) to keep the odd skimmer and  a couple of small tench coming. With hindsight I'd wouldn't have attacked the peg as I did.
 Carps AC payout saw me pick up some coin (£45), with my meagre silvers of 7.14 gettting second in silvers, so I can't complain. My 5 carp went 26.15 for a total of 34.12.

1) Paul Hurn 83.07 peg 129 (why wouldn't they come my side of the spit??)
2) G Radford 79.10 peg 119
3) Steve Long 59.14 peg 110
4) K Fisher 57.01 peg 125
5) Unreadable hand writing 46.07 peg 114
6) Lewis Geenwood-King 43.02 peg 129

Silvers

1) Steve Long 22.13 peg 110
2) Chris Fox 7.14 peg 128
3) Tom Mangall 7.05 peg 126
4) Andy Lloyd 6.11 peg 116

Teams of Four, Landsend, 6th November 2011

Why write a blog? I suppose I started it and found it helped my thought process in assessing what I did right and wrong in a match, some kind folk passed comment that they enjoyed reading it so it made it worthwhile. I seem to have got in a bit of a rut lately, struggling to put together any sort of decent results, so how can that be made into thought provoking (for me) and entertaining (for the reader) reading? I'm not sure but I'll try, as I'm a determind bloke and am keen to get some modicum of success back into my results.

Landsend really is my bête noire, I just cannot seem to compete on this venue when fishing for carp and seem to always draw the wrong lake for silvers. This match was no exception, guesting for Westerleigh, I was keen to do well for myself and the team, peg 68 on John's Water (Lake 3) was a decent draw, yet I failed dismally again, to give a decent account of myself, coming last but one on the lake. Some consolation, Steve Kedge beat me on the next peg, but only by virtue of two foul hooked carp. I also topped the silvers on the lake with 9.03, but as expected Match & Speci lakes took the top silvers weights. It seemed that all the pegs adjacent to the aereator struggled, had it dispersed cold water around that end of the lake pushing the carp towards the other end?

I tried to keep it simple, a MW slim power on 0.16 with a 18B960 for 6mm pellet tight across to the island, two open water rigs, a Sensas Auchy pencil and a Carpa Chimp, with 0.14 and 0.10 hooklengths and a rig to fish the near margin, under the little tree to my left. The pellet approach produced nothing, not even a liner, so no more mention of that. Swapping between the open water rigs, brought me some hand sized skimmers and hybrids on maggot, I couldn't get a bite on caster or pieces of worm, I lost one foul hooked carp after 20 minutes on the 13m line (towards the aereator), but apart from that there was little sign of carp in the area until the last hour or so.

Bela Bakos was on 41 opposite and had resorted to fishing shallow in the open water, as one or two cap had swirled across by him in the last hour or so, I tried the same and did foul hook one that I flicked the float towards after it had swirled on the top, it went 5lb exactly to give me a dismal 14.03 total.

So, not sure what to do about Landsend, give up on it? - but thats not my style, or persevere and try and work out why and where I'm going wrong, not sure I'll be putting in a concerted effort, but I guess I'll be back.

For the results, see Tony's blog.

Plantation Saturday Series, 5th November 2011

I decided  a few weeks back, that my season ticket for City, was a waste of money, I was bored stiff watching them lose every week, so I signed up to the Saturday Plantation Series - bad move after todays experience.

I missed the first match due to the Viaduct Sivers Final, my vermin induced woes at this match have previously been documented, so today was my first match in the series. Once I dipped into the groundbait bowl that held the swim cards, I was pretty confident that the peg which revealed its self, wouldn't give me any pressue. Peg 11, I nearly put my gear back in the van and went to the football. I reckon I will next match if I draw 11 again.....

To cut a long story short. I hooked 5 carp & landed 4, nothing spectacular, as 2 were 3oz with the other 2 4lb between them,so for the second time in three matches on Plantation, I was a spectator, watching peg 8 win the match. The draw had made up my mind before I left the car park and a phone call to Faiersy (Paul faiers) confirmed my decicion to fish for silvers was the best option.

I fed a couple of lines close in, and a 13m line with CW&C, the usual run of fish on caster didn't materialise, in fact I only had one bite on caster, a carp, who played with me for nearly 10 minutes before taking the hook off the 0.10 hooklength. Pieces of worm also resulted in a motionless float, single magggot being the only bait I could induce anything to take. The LH topkit to hand line produced 2 perch around 1lb each, a skimmer of similar stamp and a crucian slightly bigger. The roach wouldn't come in on that line, nor a new line tried further out. I had to continually rotate lines taking an odd fish here and there, I kept tryimg caster, as it usually works well here, not today!!

I fed 2 lines in the RH margin of peg 10, one with caster, one with meat, nothing to suggest there was a fish anywhere near, as the float remained perfectly motionless each time I had a look in.

I had a waggler set up and tried that past the 13m line and over the 13m line, this produced a carp and a few roach, a difficult and frustrating day, but I was pleasantly surprised when my 15.09 for third in the silvers picked up some coin, as top three and top three silvers were paid out. A look at the overall result shows that the draw was important today, with the top four in a line.

1) Rich Heatley 84.09 peg 8
2) Andy France 70.08 peg 5
3) Mark Bromsgrove 58.12 peg 7
4) Craig Tucker 56.02 peg 4
5) Andy Hembrow 54.04 peg 26
6) Pete Sivell 45.02 peg 38

Silvers
1) Lance Tucker 23.08 peg 23 (Lance managed to find some of the big perch)
2) Brian Slipper 18.02 peg 18
3) Chris Fox 15.09 peg 11

Shiplate Farm, Sunday 30th October 2011

A full house today at this obviously popular venue, the two canal style lakes were in and I fancied drawing Westpool again, after winning the silvers in the last two matches. I'd prepared a couple of rigs and a skimmer mix groundbait, so wasn't too upset when Westpool 10 stuck to my hand. It does have carp form, rather than skimmers, but at least I should catch a few fish. So glad I spent the time blending the groundbait, as when I got to the peg I realised it was still on the garage floor. The fishery owners kindly brought a choice of groundbait over to my peg when I enquired if they sold it, what service!!

I had maggots, casters and worms, with a tin of corn as a swap bait, I set up 4 rigs, a sensas pencil on 0.14 to 0.12 and a 18 for topkit to hand, a Carpa Chimp to fish the deepest part of the peg (11m) on the same lines and hook. A MW slim power on 0.16 with 0.13 and a 18B911 for over and down to the end bank, but as the depth was so variable, I had to set up another, to be able to fish several lines. I also set up a waggler, but that didn't produce a bite either.

At the all-in, I cupped 3 small balls of g/bait at 11m and 1 small ball on the topkit to hand line - no more mention of this, I had 80lb of skimmers over the last two matches on this - not a bite today. I fed the far bank and the end bank with maggot via a catapult, this proved an initial waste of time, as the carper on the main lake who was on my far bank, proceeded to pack away his bivvy and walk around skylining my far bank.

I caught from 2 lines, one to the far bank (a couple of hours after the carper had gone) and one to a ridge on the end bank, it was a bit of a grind, taking a fish or two, then having to swap lines, single maggot being the only bait I could get bites on, 4 skimmers and 12 carp went 47.12 for second on the lake, fourth overall and a section win. The match was won by Dean Malin on Westpool peg 1 with a new venue record of 141.14, well done Dean.

1) Dean Malin 141.14 Westpool 1
2) Andy France 87.08 Hawthorn 1
3) Tony Rixon 53.04 Hawthorn 13
4) Chris Fox 47.12 Westpool 10
5) Pete Sivell 44.14 Westpool 7
6) John Dursley 40.10 Hawthorn 10

Silvers

1) John Bradford  14.07 Westpool 6

Viaduct/Street Angling Open. Sunday 23rd October 2011

I'd booked into an open on Match Lake, it turned out that Street Angling could muster 9 names for their match on Cary, so the 9 booked into Viaduct were merged into one match on Cary. I knew this on Saturday after the silvers final, but decided to have a day on Cary, perhaps with hindsight, I should have stayed in bed!!

My Viaduct drawbag luck seems to have deserted me, its the one venue I seem to draw some decent pegs, although that fact is currently under threat. Peg 76 thrust it self into my left handed draw - gawd knows why I did a left handed draw,  I can never recall doing it before - bugger, the last time I drew it, I didn't have a fish for 4 hours!!

I decided to try 4 lines, a straight lead line at 25-30m, a pole line at 14,5m for 6 or 8mm pellet, a 7m line for caster over groundbait and a margin line for perch. I fed the 7m line with groudbait CW&C at the start, then chucked the lead (unfortunately the wind was making this one of the only serious options - the other being the very short pole). I had a carp after 8 mins on the lead and had hopes that it was my turn to be the one who says at the end of the match "it just kept going round", alas it wasn't to be, that was the only bite I had from a carp all day.

I had a serious attempt to win some money by fishing for silvers and that was a dismal failure - I struggled for bites, although knowing that only 6.14 came off the peg yesterday in the silvers final, I wasn't brimming with confidence. The skimmers just didn't feed, it was hard work to put together 8.07 for second in the silvers, one out of the money!! Looks like the fish are moving to their winter quarters.......

1) Mark Wynne 212.03 peg 86
2)Mark leahy 124.11 peg 85
3) Dave Romain 144.08 peg 97
4) Dick Bull 104.12 peg 78
5) S Denmead 97.12 peg 99
6) R Walters 95.06 peg 103

1) S Denmead 10.05 peg 99
2) Chris Fox 8.07 peg 76
3) Dave White 6.14 peg 88

Viaduct Silvers All Winners Final, Sat 22nd Oct 20111

I was pleased to qualify for this All Winners Final and was looking forward to a decent days fishing, I know that my commercial carp fishing skills need honing (I'm also a master of understatement) but I'm reasonably confident that I can catch a few silvers if they are there.

The draw saw me sat on 116, with (Cursing) Chris Davies on 115 and Garbolino backed silvers ace and caravan rental specialist, Bob Gullick on 118, with 117 not in. Peg 119 saw genial host and all round piss taker of Avon Angling, Tony Rixon wishing he'd drawn it a couple of Saturdays ago.....

I had plenty of caster, worm & maggot, I even had some devils spawn and a tin of corn. I guessed it would all be to no avail, as I was surely getting a lesson in silver bashing from Bob Gullick, but I remained optimistic. That was sadly misguided as the match panned out.

I set up an insert waggler, on the trusty Normark Microlight, this had a 0.10 hooklength and a 20 hook, 4 pole rigs, a jolly with a 0.008 hooklength and a 20 gamma black hook to fish top four to hand, a KC carpa chimp with a 0.12 hooklength and a 20 hook and a Sensas pencil with 0.10 and a 20.

The rest of it is pretty irrelevant, as I fed some groundbait at 16m and 11m, fed caster at 6m and 2m, as well as in the margins and that was the signal for the carp to come in, at one stage I didn't have a hooklength on any of the rigs or waggler, all gone on carp.....

I stuck it out, joining in the swearing with Cursing Chris, who also suffered with the hungry water pigs, my persistence gaining me 9.07 of silvers, in amongst hooking well over 100lb of carp. I didn't get my silvers lesson from Bob, infact he took a very minor lesson from me, as I took the next peg glory by 4oz.

It was a shame the skimmers didn't feed on Campbell, but then again neither did the tench or perch, it was entertaining seeing so many carp hooked (and landed), especially towards the end when Trigger and Anton on the opposite bank were catching a carp a chuck on worm and having a countdown competition - they both cupped in worm, with worm on the hook and the longest count either of them got to was 54 secs before a greedy water pig grabbed ½ a dendra.

Back to the serious stuff, Nicky Collier trousered the seven hundred and fifty quid, with the top three weights coming from Cary.

1) Nicky Collier 34.07 peg 94
2) Andy Power 28.13 peg100
3) Gary O'Shea 28.04 peg103
4) Vince Brown 27.03 peg 130
5) Matt Tomes 26.15 peg 123
6) S Hutter 26.12 peg 97

Viaduct Open, Saturday 15th October 2011

23 booked in for this one, with a fair few either having a last attempt to qualify for the silvers final next week or practising for it, I decided that it would be a carp only day. Campbell had two sections with one section on Cary, into the coffee tin and out comes 111. Before the draw, Paul Greenwood said too many people are now going over the 70lb net limit, so they are considering bringing the 90lb disqualification weight down to 80lb - that could be costly.

Quite simple today on the bait tray, 4, 6 & 8mm pellets and 8mm meat. Pole rigs were a shallow rig, a couple of full depth rigs, one with a bulk, one with shot strung out and a meat rig. I also set up a full depth waggler and a lead rod. I fed 3 lines at the start, a short line (5m) for meat, 11m & 16m with pellet. the first 40 minutes were spent on the 16m line, with a look over the 11m line, to no avail, not even a bite. Campbell is not a lake you want to get too far behind, so a switch to the waggler brought 3 quick fish, then the line died. Several anglers had taken fish on the lead, so I tried that, waste of time, so up the bank it went.

Back on the waggler I hooked a fish and it went straight through the aerator, snagging up. By now there were signs of fish up in the water, so I grabbed the made up shallow waggler from the bag, all this seemed to do was push the fish across towards pegs 129 & 130, both of which had anglers fishing short for silvers.

The rest of the match panned out in a similar vein, take two fish and then have to swap lines and wait to get another. I ended up swapping between the waggler, the 16m pole line and the short meat line - which only produced a couple of fish. The fish that moved into the space created by the silvers anglers on the opposite bank stayed put and wouldn't come back over.

I'm not sure what I could have done to make the fish settle on on line, I don't think more feed was the answer, so possible it might have paid to feed Mike Nicholls style, but I just cant do it.....

My one skimmer probably weighed an ounce, but it went straight back, the carp went 88.11 and I knew that would be well short of what was needed.

Qualifying for next years all winners final, for the second time, was Lewis Greenwood-King, with 176.06, caught on a mixture of pole, waggler and lead chucking. Lee Werrit qualified for next weeks Silvers final with 41.11 of skimmers.

1) Lewis Greenwood-King 176.06 peg 132
2) Dick Bull 136.01 peg 78
3) Keith Masheder 131.04 peg 119
4) Roland  ? 128.06 peg 131
5) Martin Preston 120.06 peg 114
6) P Cardwell 119.10 peg 128

Silvers
1) Lee Werrit 41.11 peg 118
2) D Squiggly unreadable surname 39.09 peg 130
3) Tim Pallant 36.10 peg 74
4) Charlie Barnes 33.14 peg 129

Viaduct Match Lake, Friday 7th Oct 2011

Well, the last day of my fortnight off work, so what better way to spend it than fishing. Charlie Barnes has instigated a knock up on Fridays on Viaduct Match Lake, so with 8 others I dipped into the draw tin and pulled out peg 40. Disappointing, as it isn't a peg I'd run to and with the North Westerly wind, it was going to be tough today. Lots of space as the next anglers were Steve Long on 52 and Terry Nibblet on 42.

The weather (or to be more precise) the wind had me setting up a small groundbait feeder on my favourite skimmer lead rod, a Drennan Matchpro Quiver and a waggler on the trusty MK 1 Normark Microlite. Three top kits, a margin rig on 0.16 and No12 elastic, a Carpa Chimp on 0.14 to 0.10 and a 20 Drennan red carp hook and a MW diamond on 0.16 to 0.14 with a 16 808 for soft pellet.

I optimistically fed a line with micro and softend 4mm pellet at 12m, the wind was making it difficult to present here, a line at 5m with caster and tried in vain to get some caster to the 20m line where I wanted to fish the waggler. I started at 12m and had a few small fish on the devils spawn, carp & skimmers, but then started to get roach - 30 to the pound roach - on it.

A switch to the ground bait feeder, I clipped up and managed to get it landing reasonaly accurately, but the tip didn't move, I tried it a couple of other occasions, all to no avail. Trying the waggler was nearly as fruitless, even with 12" of line and a string of No10's on the bottom, it was still dragging through, the bites were coming to a still bait.

Halfway through I dropped into the margins, left and right alternatively at 8m and had a few fish on corn, a varied selection, a couple of perfect little tench (3 or 4 oz), a couple of 10oz roach & rudd and a few F1's and some small carp. Then a fish whose reactions were considerably quicker than mine took me into the rushes, losing the whole rig. Stepping up to 17H elastic and 0.18 line ensured I didn't lose anymore fish, but the margin line did die off - as did Steve Long's.

I had 3 decent size skimmers from the 5m line and then Les 'Chubhead' Williams walked round, that killed that line. I fed a couple of balls of groundbait/caster on the 12m line and fished the waggler over it, taking a couple more skimmers and with 20 minutes to go, the wind relented and I had a run of skimmers up to the whistle, all on double red maggot.

Shame that the wind had spoiled the last day of my holiday, I'm sure if I had been able to present a bait long on the pole, I would have had a decent weight of skimmers. My silvers went 15.09 & carp 16.04, putting my 31.13 near the bottom of the result sheet. Its frustrating when you see other anglers sheltered by the trees, islands etc. able to fish 14m with ease and not a hint of wind - still thats match fishing.

Tom Thick won, fair play, he looked pretty rough when he got out of Charlies van, after a session in a Bath nightclub - I think the days when I could do that are long gone.... Tom certainly has this pellet fishing sussed, I'm going to have to spend some time and effort into improving my understanding of it.

1) Tom Thick 80.13 peg 44
2) Will Bohne 64.12 peg 50
3) John Green 64.01 peg 45
4) Terry Nibblet 50.10 peg 42
5) Colin Dyer 43.10 peg 49
6) Steve Long 38.14 peg 52

Silvers

1) Dan White 25.10 peg 47
2) Tom Thick 24.10 peg 44
3) Will Bohne 21.03 peg 50
4) Chris Fox 15.09 peg 40

Costcutter, Viaduct, Thurs 6th Oct 2011

With the All Winners Final (Silvers) coming up soon, I decided to use this as a practise match, going for silvers no matter where I drew. That said, I couldn't help taking some 8mm pellet and a waggler & lead rod to my peg, which was 127. I didn't touch the carp baits or rods, determind to find a away to get past them, especially as my first 2 put ins, resulted in 2 new hook lengths (along with the one I lost fouling a big carp shotting up a float!!) as carp took the caster intended for silvers,

So with Tom (I've discovered women & beer) Thick next to me on 126 and Rich Coles on 128 and either side again on 129 & 124 were Mike Nicholls & John Green, I expected a battle for silvers. I had caster, worm, dead maggot, a handful of live maggot, meat & pellets.

I set up three rigs one on  0.16, with an 0.14 hooklength on the rig to plunder tench from the margin, I also set up two MW diamonds, one 3 No8 and one 6 No8 to cope with the windy conditions, these had 16 63.13 on 0.14 & 0.12. I toyed with the idea of setting up a cage feeder for skimmers, but didn't, I think on reflection, I should have. Thankfully the wind was off my back, it got pretty windy during the match. I mixed up some groundbait, but didn't overdo it at the start, feeding 3 lines, meat on top two +1 to the left, some groundbait with CW&C at 11m and caster at 5m.

First two put ins, as mentioned, carp made off with the hooks, some groundbait introduced on the 5m line put an end to the carp problem and I caught skimmers on caster over the groundbait, it wasn't going mad, so I had a look over the 11m line, I may have well not have bothered, not so much as a bite - likewise with all my attempts to catch tench, short on meat.

Back onto the 5m line and a switch to double maggot brought a burst of decent skimmers and a couple of small perch. Tom had been catching carp, but a switch to a line at around 8m or so, saw him net a run of skimmers, decent ones, he was now overtaking me, the skimmers coming to his pellet approach. I stuck it out with the caster & maggot, earning myself a perch that wasn't far off 2lb. Tom's run of decent skimmers continueed and I walked down to sneak a look at his bait tray and rig.

I decided to try the pellet approach with 40 mins to go, so started a new line at 8m, it worked, I caught skimmers, but inevitably, carp as well - although I can't complain, apart from the two that took hooks at the start, I only hooked (and landed) two more throughout the day, they went back at the end without troubling the scales.

The scales gave me 34.11, but I knew Tom's pellet approach had beaten me on silvers, as well as giving him a decent carp weight, his silvers went 50.10 and caro 121.02. Would I risk emulating Tom in the silvers final? In honesty I'm not sure, I'd be concerned the pellet would attract and hold carp.

Temperature was 10°C on the way down in the car, same on the way back, with a dip to 8.5°C around Shepton Mallet. Looks like autumn is coming with a vengance.

1) Josh Garrett 215.07 peg 130 (On the lead)
2) Tom Thick 171.12 peg 126
3) Charlie Barnes 141.01 peg 132
4) Tica Williams 137.04 peg 118
5) John Green 120.13 peg 124
6) Dan Pither 117.01 peg 80

Silvers
1) Tom Thick 50.10 peg 126
2) John Bradford 34.12 peg 96
3) Chris Fox 34.11 peg 127

4)

Viaduct Open, Weds 5th Oct 2011

Choice of Viaduct or contribute to Tony Rixon's pension fund at Landsend, given my dismal failures at Landsend, Viaduct was the obvious choice. With the All Winners Silvers final coming up, I did consider fishing for silvers, but decided to leave that for the Thursday costcutter. So an all out carp attack was planned for today, I drew 110, a good draw, but today I thought that the lack of ripple (which most of the rest of the lake had) might make it tricky.

I set up a waggler rod, I also set up a lead rod both with 0.17 hooklengths and 16 PR36 hooks. The pole rigs were one for meat short on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength and a 18 TXR7 hook. A MW pea for shallow and a MW slim power for full depth. I also set up a MW dinky for the margin, which remained unused, so no more to say about it.

I started on the waggler, feeding towards the middle of the lake and towards peg 135, I also fed meat at 6m and some 6mm pellet at 12m. I had a couple of fish on the waggler straight in front, but it was slow going and the fish that usually show in front of 135, weren't. I had a look over the 6mm pellet and had one fish and a few liners, that saw the shallow rig put to use, but to no avail, not a bite. An early look over the meat line at 6m produced one 8oz skimmer and one carp.

Back on the waggler and a sideways flick was required to get the float to the brambles next to 135 (because the tree to the left of 110 is now overhanging the natural line to get straight cast ) a run of a few fish showed that the cast needed to be tight to the bank, but the wind was frustratingly pulling the float away from the bank. This slowed down the catch rate, so with an hour or so to go, I dropped back in on the meat line and had 3 fish in 3 put ins - sussed it, well no, that was the end of that action. Back on the waggler and a couple more fish in the net. I'm pretty sure the lack of ripple, combined with the skim pulling the waggler cast me, as I didn't think my 23 fish would be enough - so it proved, missed out on a pick up (section money) by one (yet again). The lack of silvers didn't help, one 8oz skimmer, most others had 8 or 10lb at least to go with their carp. At least it was a good days fishing and some food for thought  - did I not swap between lines soon enough, should I have fed more? Many questions to ponder.

1) Will Bohne 163.15 peg 123
2) Keith Masheder 154.10 peg 125
3) Andy Neal 148.13 peg 129
4) Charlie Barnes 145.11 peg 116 (Not a silver in sight)
5) Jamie Dyte 139.13 peg 131
6) Chris Fox 136.01 peg 110

Silvers

1) Jim Baines 40.01 peg 127
2) Tim Pallant 37.07 peg 118
3) Keith Masheder 30.13 peg 125

Two Day Festival, Plantation Lakes. 1st & 2nd Oct 2011

Firstly, thanks to Glenn Calvert for pointing out in the comment section of my last blog entry, that I'd draw in a bay - as expected I did, but then after a good result on Saturday Glenn drew the same bay on Sunday - what goes round, comes round, eh Faitheeey. And theres me thinking you were a real man, hard drinking egg chasing fan, but your blogger ID is some sort of weekend and evening  femmine alter ego....

Anyway onto the fishing, the festival was depeletd in numbers due to the clash with the winter league and the Teams of Four, so Darren 'Noddy' Vowles original plan of 20 on each lake and rotate, was abandoned and 30 different plans from a rover, to island chucks and non island chucks were discussed and ripped to shreds by various participants. It was quite simply, an open draw both days, with the overall result based on weight.

'Noddy' asked for an orderly queue at the draw, it was like sale day at Lidil's in Hartcliffe, a free for all, I came out unscathed and with a disappointing peg 18 to show for it. I had brought waggler & lead rods, they were to remain unused, as 10 & 12 opposite me in the bay. Practising on Thursday had seen some decent skimmers come to the meat, so my approach was to be pellet and meat. I set up a shallow and depth rig for pellet and meat, a caster rig and a margin rig. There isn't too much to say about the match, it was a struggle to get a bite, even on single caster on 0.10 and a 20. At 3pm, with an hour and a half to go, I started to catch roach and the odd bonus perch, at least it was something after watching Glenn 'Faitheeey'Calvert catching on peg 8 and John Wolvenscroft doing likewise on peg 7. I ended Saturdays match with 4 carp for 10lb and 14lb 12oz of hard won caster fish.

1) John Wolvenscroft 91.06 peg 7
2) Darren 'Noddy' Vowles 81.02 peg 38
3) Paul Faiers 78.00 peg 27
4) Glen 'Faitheeey' Calvert 68.04 peg 8
5) Rod Wootten 61.00 peg ?

Silvers

1) Paul Faiers 18.06 peg 27
2) Craig Tucker 15.06 peg 3
3) Chris Fox 14.12 peg 18


With no chance (barring some miracle) of framing in the overall, Sunday had to be a silvers day, so I joined the darkside and took some micro pellet and devils spawn, to complement the caster and meat that was to be my main attack. the draw bag once again wasn't kind and I managed 29, which is set back further than all the other pegs on that bank, which doesn't favour any of my fishing short plans. Silvers were also going to be competed for by Paul and Craig, Paul drew peg4, a decent draw and Craig peg 1 - but with peg 3 having been left out due to a no show on the day - Craig had plenty of room.

I planned to feed micros and fish expander at 13m, caster short to the left and meat at 7m, I also added a short micro fed line at 6m to the right, as Simon Carvello on peg 28 was method lobbing into the island gap.
I fed the lines at the all in and then had a couple of half hearted chucks at the island with a pellet waggler, had it gone under and kept going under, I might have stayed with it, but it didn't and whilst there was very little wind, there was a right to left skim which made presentation tight to the island impossible.

Once again, the meat was totally unsuccessful, not a bite on it - yet I caught on it two days practising and Paul Faiers caught on it both days, after seeing me do it on Monday and a phone conversation Thursday- I think you needed the big skimmers in the peg for it to work. I caught a few on devils spawn, but they were only a 1/3 the size of the meat fish, but my usual frustration with devils spawn of it coming off the hook or being taken by tiny roach continued.

I could see some big roach and rudd flashing for the caster, so set up a greased loop rig, this produced a 12oz rudd and a 8oz roach, along with a few 3-4oz roach, before they backed off, this seemed to be the pattern for the day, take a fish or 2, then having to change to another line to catch again. Rod Wootten was steadily catching on 31, fishing towards a tree he spent nearly an hour pruning before the match, I reckon if you look on ebay, he'll have some brushwood and kindling for sale......


Without any bonus big skimmers, crucians or fantails, I thought I'd be struggling to beat my weight of Saturday,  I did but only just. 16lb of silvers and 4 water pigs for 12lb odds. Not enough.

1) Paul Nicholls 95.01 peg 7
2) Rod 'Tree Surgeon' Wootten 89.04 peg 31
3) Paul Faiers 71.15 peg 4
4) Andy France 67.00 peg 38
5) Simon Carvello 60.00 peg 28

Silvers

1) Paul Faiers 24.04 peg 4
2) Craig Tucker 21.08 peg 1
3) Chris Fox 16.00 peg 29

Overall

1) Rod Wootten 150.04
2) Paul Faiers 149.15
3) Paul Nicholls 144.01
4) John Wolvenscroft 140.07
5) Darren 'Noddy' Vowles 131.03

Overall silvers

1) Paul Faiers 42.10
2) Craig Tucker 36.14
3) Chris Fox 30.12

Thanks to 'Noddy' and Paul Nicholls for running the match, thanks to Plantation for hosting the match and the pork rolls afterwards - very nice and a few bob was raised for a charity. Thanks to Paul Faiers for the beer, he had so many brown envelopes that he needed a trolley to carry them!!

Thanks to Cadbury Angling, who donated a Shimano Aerotech waggler rod, this was a prize in a raffle drawn from Sundays swimcards, Faierzy won it, now he'll have to buy a reel and some wagglers!!

Special mention for Andy Hembrow, he drew the same peg both days, 12 in the top bay which fished poorly both days, he must have upset the same drawing gods as me, but whatever Andy did was obviously worse....

Right, I'm off to buy some micro pellets, devils spawn and 4mm pellets and get my head round winter style fishing in the summer!!

Costcutter @ Landsend, 25th Sept 2011

This blog entry is little more than a tale, nay, admission that I'm a stubborn idiot.

My record at Landsend is by anybodys evaluation, poor, I've pretty much made up my mind to only fish for silvers when I go to Landsend. This match was no exception, so what peg did I draw, bloody 19, the best carp peg on the venue. Plenty of good advice from anglers who I would normally listen to and trust, today, my stubborn streak chose to totally ignore advice from the likes of Trigger and Alan Oram -"you'll struggle to get through the carp". Of course I'd find a way to catch quality silvers, why wouldn't I?

So, I started short on the caster, this produced a couple of tench and a few small roach, before the carp moved in, so out to the 10m devils spawn line, more bloody vermin, infact in the first hour I foul hooked and lost 7 or 8. The next two hours saw a similar tale of foul hooked carp and I was at the point of trying to find an old gypsy peg seller to put a KHV curse on them.

The last three hours I gave up and fished the paste (which I had to try and make up from some pellet), I still fouled some, but I landed 12, that gave me 60lb and a pretty poor 6lb of silvers. If I hadn't been so stubborn and determind to 'beat' the carp, I could and should have won the match, but Landsend seems to be my bête noir.
Although I readily admit to fish for silvers for half the match today was a shite decision. Not much more to say, except to all those that said "I told you so", you were right.

1) Craig 'Trigger' Edmunds 101.02. peg 24
2) Paul Elmes 90.15 peg 9
3) Dave Westcott 84.00 peg 33
4) Scott Puddy 75.02 peg 40
5) D Pither 67.02 peg 21
6) Chris Fox 66.06 peg 19

Silvers

1) Tom Thick  30.00 peg 15
2) Matt Tomes 21.08 peg 1

I went to Plantation today (Monday 26th) to try a few things out in readiness for next weekends two day festival. I was told that the method would be deadly, as I have never done this I took the couple of method feeders that I've got free via the angling press to try, I managed 45 minutes before throwing it up the bank, not to touch it again - I won't be taking it the weekend. After this I started trying for silvers, but got carp'd out again, settled on fishing for them and had 150lb without trying. Its amazing how the 'proper carp fishermen' keep on saying - "he's got another" "everytime he goes out he gets one", but they can see that I'm catching shallow, but they still sit, biteless, on their lead rods.

One more practise session this week to squeeze in before the festival on Saturday, next time I'll take some waggler rods, which I purposefully left at home today. If I get a carp peg in the festival, I certainly won't be fishing for silvers........

Viaduct Open, Wednesday 21st Sept 2011

Back to Viaduct today, with just Campbell lake in, at least I couldn't draw the worst lake........

Nice steady drive down, so I went into Somerton and bought ½ a loaf of bread, just in case, whilst I was there I saw a couple of Chelsea Buns, so bought them as a little treat, they were in fact pretty stale and for most of the day I had the company of the tame goose - she ate the stale buns!!

 I drew 115, I'd brought the  tackle and bait to fish for silvers or carp and the sight of carp moving about in the middle, made my mind up to leave the silvers gear in the bag. Four topkits were set up, a margin rig on 0.20 with a 0.18 hooklength and a Xedion TXR7 hook, exactly the same lines and hook for a 6m rig to fish meat, finally a shallow and depth rig to fish banded pellet on 0.16.


I set up three rods, two wagglers, one at full depth and one shallow, as well as a lead rod - hopefully the lead rod wouldn't see much use. I started with the shallow rig and within 5 mins had elastic streaming from the pole, but just landed a big scale, another lost fouler a couple of minutes later and that seemed to be the end of the action shallow, I tried the waggler at depth, just out past the 14.5m line, but this proved fruitless (and fishless), by now an hour was gone and I was still blanking. There were fish on the 14.5m line, so out with the full depth rig and at least I had a couple of fish in the net by an hour and 10 mins, but then the foulers started. Back out with the shallow rig and apart from a few more foulers, very little to show.

I tied up a 2' hooklength of 0.18, with a 14 Guru QM1 and a quickstop, this went on the lead rod and I opened the bread - two chucks, two 7lb+ fish, thinking I'd sussed it, I was rudely reminded this wasn't a day for sussing anything, as I then lost 3 foulers on the popped up bread. The fish were up in the water, moving about, but seemingly, not feeding ravenously on masse. Back on the shallow rig and I started putting a few decent fish together, but it was a case of catch a couple then wait. It seemed as if they were backing away from the pole.

Heading into the last couple of hours, I had 13 carp and the shallow line appeared to be getting stronger, but it just died and I could see other pegs increasing their catch rates whilst mine was stalling. I had fed a line at 5m with meat & hemp and had a look over this, a couple of fish, then again, it appeared to die, I'd also fed a margin line, this produced one fish and no other bites. Back on the 5m meat line, i hooked a big fish, I'm guessing fouled, that ran, then ran some more and then bottomed out 17H elastic and snapped 0.18.

Back on the shallow rig and another fish, I'd tried upping the feed, decreasing the feed, 8mm & 6mm pellets, all to no avail, its just as if they spooked away from the pole or catch area. Last 10 minutes on the meat line and two more carp taking the total to 22, I knew it wouldn't be enough as whilst my peg seemed to get more 'fussy' as the last couple of hours drew to a close, several others got stronger.

The scales confirmed my observations, my 127.03 putting me one off a pick up for the second match running. Miles Levy won, fishing meat shallow and paste in the margins. Eight ton+ weights on the day, so Campbell once again fished well in the end, even though it wasn't easy pickings.

1) Miles Levy 186.12  Peg 126
2) Lee Werrett 156.1 Peg 129
3) Will Bohne 144.03 Peg 112
4) Chris Fox 127.03 Peg 115
5) Steve Hutter 125.01 Peg 125
6) Dan White 121.07 Peg 114

Silvers

1) Tim Pallant 32.10 Peg 130
2) John Green 22.10 Peg 123

Teams of Four, Landsend. Sunday 18th Sept. 2011

Today I guested in Charlie Barnes' team, Charlies Angels, in place of Rich Coles. The match consisted of 11 anglers on each of the four lakes, obviously, one from each team. As it was a team match, I had spent some time tying up new rigs and preparing bait, its only fair to the other members of the team to make an effort.

Out of the four lakes, I didn't fancy number four, as it houses the least silvers and smallest carp, it really suits the 'hard pellet tight to the island' experts, of which, I'm certainly not. Absolutely no surprise then, when I was told, "you're on No 4, peg 72". I headed straight off, as I really didn't want to listen to all the differing advice, or the "thats a flyer" comments.

Peg 72 has the end of an island at approx 13m, but it might as well have been 30m away, because the wind was whistling down the lake, I could see then that it would be difficult to present a bait and I'd only brought a pole. To add pressure on me, vacant corner peg 71 didn't stay long, England International Des Shipp arrived, so no pressure to try and beat him off the next peg.

I had tried to cover all bases with the baits I'd brought, caster, dead maggot, live maggot, worm, hemp, devils spawn in various sizes, micro pellet, 4, 6 & 8mm hard pellet and 6 & 8mm meat. I decided that I'd fish a line with the micro pellet, this was at 6m, devils spawn & dead maggot to be the hook bait. The obvious line accross to the island and large bush protruding from it, I set up a depth and shallow rig for this line, with a 20 B960 and hair rig band for 6mm pellet. I also set up a MW dinky D to fish the margin, this had a 18 Xedion TXR7 on 0.16, just in case a bonus fish fancied the meat I intended to fish late in the margins.

As I thought, the wind was affecting presentation and the ability to hold much more than 6m, without it waving around like a magic wand on speed. I had bites from the off accross, but it was a couple of small skimmers that graced the net, rather than the weight building pasty carp. With one hour gone, I had the two skimmers and one small carp, not good, I was also getting a lesson in angling by Des, as he was catching fish quite steadily, although they weren't big.

Hour two saw a slight improvement, with a few small carp, although the annoying growth of small branches, both above and below the waterline, cost me a few fish, a disintegrated float and if Mike had a swear box, it would have been full, just with the four anglers I could see and hear. Hour three was difficult and Des had now dropped to only taking an occasional fish, although opposite, Rod Wootten started taking a fish every put in and Mike West broke his pole, so some entertainment.

With two hours to go, I had virtually given up on the long line to the island, also the 6m line, no bites on hard pellet and bitted out on dead maggot and devils spawn. Time to start feeding the margin a bit more heavily with caster and a few cubes of 6mm meat, the last hour and a half produced a few fish, including a 5lber, all falling to meat over caster. This was enough to give me third on the lake, behind Rod Wootten who weigh approx 45lb and Des who weighed 39lb, my efforts went 33.04. The team result wasn't fantastic, with Mike Nicholls matching my third on lake, but sadly, Steve Seager and Captain Charlie came back with 3rd from last & last on their lakes.


I didn't get the results, but I'm sure they will appear on Mike Nicholl's and Tony Rixon's blogs, needless to say, lake four won't be appearing in the overall placings........

Trinity Waters, Avon Angling Open Sunday 11th sept. 2011

Woodland Lake was the venue for todays match, with 20 in the draw bag. I managed to pull out 27, I'm sure that I'll be paying concil tax on that section of bank soon, as I seem to draw it in every match. I intended to fish for skimmers and then switch, if the carp came along, but I did set up a pellet waggler to start on, just in case thecarp were up in the water and hungry.

I also set up a cage feeder to fish for skimmers if the wind got too bad, as well as two 1.5g modified jolly floats, to fish at 12m on the deck, one on 0.17 with a B960 on 0.16 for banded pellet another on 0.16 with a 16 63.13 for worm, dead maggot or 4mm devils spawn. I also set up a .4g sensas pencil float on 0.14 / 0.12 with a 18 carp maggot to fish caster short. Lastly I set up a margin rig, in case the carp moved in, as they can do on the lodge lake bank.

On the all-in, I cupped in some groundbait CW&C and left it for ½ an hour, having a look on the pellet waggler, to no avail. I dropped a worm segment over the 12m line and had one small skimmer, they didn't seem to be feeding. I tried dead maggot and had another skimmer, but the bites weren't forthcoming. A quick look on the short  line produced some very small roach, but al least it was bites. I wondered if the presentation was poor on the pole, as it was very windy, with a heavy tow, so the groundbait feeder was reluctantly put into action, just groundbait and dead maggot in the feeder and dead maggot on the hook. Second put in the tip twitched and steadily pulled round, initially I thought the heavy weight and steady thumps on the rod was a decent bream, but then it came to life and morphed into a 6lb carp.

Several more chucks with the feeder brought a couple of skimmers, but they were small, not worth the wait. I came back on the short line and started feeding hemp along with the caster, this increased the size of the roach, but also attracted the carp, which put the roach off. I kept chasing the roach, varying the depth from 6" to full depth at 6' to keep them coming, a 7lb carp took a liking to the single caster and ploughed up the near line.

Paul Elmes on 25 had a cracking time, a number 5 & 6 section both biting the dust in the windy conditions, I guess the overnight rain and the wind put the fish off feeding as the weights weren't huge, but it was a close & fair match, my persistence on the roach - much to Tony Rixon's disgust - paid off, giving me first in the silvers, with half the weight I expected to need.

1) Craig Edmunds 72.08 peg 7
2) Tony Rixon 66.00 peg 26
3) Chris Davis 59.07 peg 32
4) Dean Malin 57.05 peg 29
5) Rich Coles 57.03 peg 19
6) P Elmes 45.08 peg 25

Silvers

1) Chris Fox 11.15 peg 27
2) Dean Malin 8.00 peg 29

Plantation Carp Lake Open, Sun 4th Sept 2011

As there were two team matches on this weekend, Tony's teams of four and the Commercial House league on the river, there wasn't too much else on. I can't commit to fish any series or leagues, without using up loads of holiday and there was no vacant spots to fill in any of the teams.

So a chance conversation with Paul(Faiers) and I'm booked into one of Darren 'Noddy' Vowles matches, this was to be an exercise to catch as many small carp and silvers from Plantations Carp lake and after the match, transfer them to Horseshoe lake. 'Noddy' had promised us bites a plenty, he'd been down there and they were crawling up the rod....... These small carp are the offspring of the fish put into the lake 3 or 4 years ago, when it was netted and only fish 8lb or bigger were put back in.

To ensure that everyone stuck to the spirit of the match, all fish over 3lb, were counted as 3lb. I drew peg 1 (which was actually permanent peg 2) and had an island I could reach at 16m and a channel which was nearly 5' deep at 7m. I intended to keep it simple and had a couple of pints of dead reds and a pint of wriggly ones. I also mixed up a bit of swim stim groundbait and started with 3 small balls at 7m on the all in.

The first two hours passed pleasntly enough, with carp from 4oz to 1lb or so falling to the double maggot hookbait, presnted under a KC Carpa Chimp on 0.14 and a 18 808 hook. 24 of them in the net with 2 hours gone and then they just switched off. From the pegs I could see and the banter and conversation, I could tell that this was pretty much the case for everyone - although, in all fairness, for some it didn't really ever switch on. I then went out to the island and started catching again, but a lot slower. Scaling down to a 20 63.13 and 0.12 didn't increase the bite ratio, so I just kept plugging away, taking the occasional fish.

The fish I caught from the island, would not take a stationary bait, I had to very slowly drag it up the shelf, this would eventually result in a bite. Andy France on the next peg had taken a couple of better fish down his margin, so with a couple of hours to go, I got out the weed cutter, trimmed the bankside vegetation and fed some 6mm meat and dead reds into the margin.

With an hour to go, Dave Baker had hooked a big fish in his margin, but for some reason was fishing pink hydro and 0.10, there was rather a lot of unkind laughter when he lost it after about 10 minutes... Shortly after I saw a dorsal fin, then a tail over my margin and it wasn't too long before a 14lb or so fish had taken the 8mm meat and was netted.

With half an hour to go I refed some swim stim on the 7m line and took a couple more small carp - all of which were in excellent condidtion and I'm sure, never caught before - the all out was called and I had 41 carp, 2 roach and 4 perch, they went 36.06 enough for first on the day, has the "Holdall of Doom" redeemed its self?

That was 33.06 of small carp and 3lb for the 14lber.

1) Chris Fox 36.06
2) Mike Owens 27.02
3) Andy France 22.14
4) Glen Calvert 21.10
5) Andy Hembrow 19.02
6) Dave Baker 16.10

Not quite the promised 'crawling up the rod' scenario, but I enjoyed it, as I didn't put anything on the hook other than maggot and one cube of meat in the margin.

I nearly forgot, at one stage there was a great deal of splashing and commotion from Andy France's peg, I couldn't see him, but I didn't hink he'd fallen in... It turns out his landing net had ripped as he was lifting a 12lber, the fish went back into the lake, still attached to his rig, now playing it through his landing net. He had another attempt to scoop it out, this time it fell through and broke the line. Luckily, as it only counted a 3lb, it only cost him a new landing net head.

The Holdall of Doom... Viaduct Open Sat 3rd Sept 2011

With the County Champs final taking place on Campbell, there was 17 of us in the regular Saturday open, all on Cary. All the omens were good, nice breakfast, decent drive down (hardly any dawdling old gits) and second in the draw queue. I drew 76, I certainly wasn't disappointed, as Anton Page had managed 190lb+ from this area last weekend.

I set up a waggler and a lead rod, tops kits for a shallow rig, a paste rig and a full depth rig with a hair rigged band. Also a rig that would suffice for worm/corn etc, this would cover the margin and open water, as there wasn't more than a couple of inches of difference.

I started on the waggler and stuck with it for the best part of an hour, to no avail, not even a liner. The story was pretty much the same on the shallow rig at 15m, which I'd been feeding, the depth rig was the same, as was the paste line. The margin also seemed devoid of fish.

3½ hours in and I'm still fishless, when the waggler dips and its 'fish on' - disappointing it turns out to be an 8oz skimmer. I decide to up the feed to see if this will attract some fish into the peg, as by now I'm fed up of seeing yellow elastic streaming from Nigel's(surname unknown, green Sensas T shirt, bait delivery man)pole on 105, as he caught regularly down the edge. It rubbed it in even more when he had to go and borrow an extra net fron John Green.....

With an hour and 10 mins to go, I chucked the lead over the waggler line and kept feeding, the tip went round and the first carp was netted, a 12lber. Next chuck another, but after fighting all the way to the net, the hook straightend - don't try out new hooks in matches, for the record it was a size 14 Guru QM1. Next chuck the tip went round before I had put the rod down and a foul hooked 8lber was netted.

And that was it, not another bite, or even liner, I packed up with half an hour to go, something I rarely do, but this must rank as one of my worst days at Viaduct, I had 4 bites, I've had more after breaking the ice.....

Its obvious where the blame must go, my new rod holdall, Bob Gullick was kind enough to get me a Garbolino rod holdall, as I'd been admiring the one he uses, today was its first outing, it has obviously destroyed the good karma of my new Avon Angling cap, its now known as the "Holdall of Doom".

I didn't hang around for the results, I'd have been surprised if Nigel hadn't won from 105, down the margin.

Tony Rixon's Float Only Series. Viaduct, Sunday 28th August 2011

Three lakes in todays match, in which I am took a 'guest' spot. I was pretty convinced that Campbell was the place to draw, so wasn't at all surprised when unfancied 100 (Cary) stuck to my incompetent drawing hand.

I got to the peg, totally determind to be positive and fish for a win, this meant lots of feed, so no difficulty for me, its the days that measured, meagre feeding do my head in. I set up two waggler rods, both on 6lb sensor, with 0.18 hooklengths and 18 B960 hooks.

I set up several topkits, the main ones being 0.17 line, with a MW slim power for banded pellet, a MW paste float on 0.19 with a 14 Mustad paste hook. As I had time I also set up a shallow rig, a margin rig and another that would do for worm or meat.

The shout of all-in, saw me start on the waggler, as there were plenty of blows and swirls out near the middle of the lake, I hooked a fish in the first cople of casts and despite being fairly hooked, it wouldn't get it head up, before shedding the hook and seeing the float, hook etc end up 30' up a tree.

I'd love to be able to write a tale of how I sussed out how to keep fish coming at short intervals, it would be lies!! The pegs around me weren't setting any fires, so it was a case of getting down to business and trying to keep bites and fish coming. I persevered with the waggler, with a couple of looks over my pole lines - to no avail in the first 3 hours.

I ended up alternating between paste and waggler, taking 7 fish on waggler and 6 on the paste rig at 13m. I lost plenty of fish, most of which were foul hookers and as the all out sounded, I had 13 carp - shame they weren't of the 'normal stamp'.

At the weigh in, my 2 skimmers (accidental) weighed 2lb odd, the 13 carp went 107 odds for a total of 109.11. I was reasonably happy with that weight from the peg, although it was a long way short of framing - although it was enough for a section win and I think, 3rd on the lake.

No results today,please see Tony's blog

Avon Angling Open, Sunday 21st August 2011. Shiplate Farm.

After the last match on this venue, I was hoping to draw on Westpool again, as this lake has a bigger head of silvers. I wasn’t disappointed as peg 9 on Westpool stuck to my hand when I delved through the tangle of arms in the draw tin.

I had an idea that maggot would be the best method of attack, so had brought 4 pints, this was to be my main plan for silvers or carp. I also had caster and worm, as well as plenty of groundbait. As a back up, I had a couple of tins of corn and some 6 & 8mm pellet.

I set up 4 topkits, a 4x12 Carpa Chimp on 0.14/0.12 to a Drennan Carp Match 18 hook. This was on middy purple elastic and the line set at full length of topkit to fish, topkit to hand. A 4x14 Carpa Chimp on 0.16/0.14 with a 16 63.13, to fish at the bottom of the far shelf. A MW F1 float to fish down the middle with worm, that was on 0.16/0.14 and a 16 Drennan Carp Match hook. Lastly was a MW mini diamond, again on 0.16/0.14 to a 18B911, to fish up the shelf.

I also took along a trusty Normark Titan set up with a 2½AAA waggler, mainly because I enjoy waggler fishing, rather than me thinking it would be a successful method. I did catch one skimmer on this, but the overhanging willows and drooping far bank grasses made casting difficult and after catching them twice, gave it up as a bad job.

On the all-in, I cupped in 4 jaffa’s down the middle, this contained chopped worm, caster & a couple of red maggots. Maggots were loose fed by hand at 2m and by catty to the far shelf. I also fed a couple of small balls of groundbait at 2m. Starting on the far shelf rig, just to give the groundbaited swims a rest, didn’t result in any bites, so I soon switched to the short line, topkit to hand and started to catch decent skimmers.

This died off and I had a look down the middle and had just one lightening quick bite – that I missed – on the worm, no more to say about the middle line, I didn’t catch a single fish from it. The far shelf was as unproductive, I tried it several times during the day and had a solitary 1oz roach from it.

Back on the near line and the bites had slowed, the bright sun and total lack of ripple didn’t help, that doesn’t make for ideal skimmer/bream fishing conditions. I started to up the amount of groundbait and stopped feeding everything, except maggot, this and the sun going behind a cloud for a spell seemed to spark the skimmers and a couple of proper 6lb’ers into feeding, all caught on the topkit. I did have a look back over the far side, at the bottom of the shelf, to rest the near line, this produced a couple of fish, but wasn’t as productive in numbers or size, as the near line.

Peg 10 had been catching carp on paste and I thought that he’d beaten me, but it seems that my decent spell and the couple of big black boys gave me enough to win the silvers, the lake and take 3rd overall. 52lb 04 oz (all silvers) was the result of a nice days fishing, not a carp in sight, I even caught 3 gudgeon, which was nice, it seems a long time since I’ve caught one.

Obviously I drew on a few fish, I think the groundbait and maggot approach was the right one, but perhaps the real reason for a bit of good luck was my new Avon Angling baseball cap, a free gift from Tony, first time I'd worn it - I reckon I’ll wear it again. I really enjoyed today, it was nice to catch skimmers without carp coming in and wrecking the peg.

I had to shoot off before the results were announced, so hopefully Tony has my ebay tokens stashed safely and I've plaigerised the results from Mike Nicholl's blog, so I hope he wrote them down properly.

1. Tony Rixon 99-12-0 peg 15 Hawthorn
2. Bela Bakos 53-08-0 peg 4 Hawthorn
3. Chris Fox 52-04-0 peg 9 Westpool
4. Dean Malin 44-04-0 peg 14 Hawthorn
5. Richard Heatley 42-10-0 peg 10 Westpool
6. Andy Bryant 41-04-0 peg 13 Hawthorn

Top Silvers:
(All Westpool)
1. Chris Fox 52-04-0 peg 9
2. Chris Davis 27-0-0 peg 2
3. Adrian Jefferies 25-04-0 peg 5

Viaduct Open, Wednesday 17th August 2011

Last Wednesday I fished the Avon Angling Open at Landsend, I was pretty pissed off afterwards and couldn't find the motivation to write about it and it wouldn't have been an interesting read if I had. I drew peg 10 and struggled to catch, even on caster or maggot.

A weekend away from fishing last weekend, spent at Cropredy (Fairport Convention's Festival), it was great, good beer, good food and decent music.

So back to the fishing and I couldn't believe what presented itself when I opened the swimcard, peg 81 for the 3rd time this summer. With what wind there was blowing the wrong way and the water being pretty flat calm at the river end of the lake, I wasn't too chuffed. I hadn't really brought anything to fish for silvers, so it was to be an all out carp day.

I set up two wagglers, one shallow and one at depth (although with the lakes being at a low level, the depth rig is only around 3'). A lead rod and four topkits, one with a paste rig on 0.19, one with a MW mini diamond on 0.17 for down the margin, a MW diamond on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength for soft pellet, meat or worm and a MW slim power on 0.17 straight through to a 16B960 and a hair rigged band.

Charlie Barnes was impatient on 85 and shouted the all-in a minute before the official hooter, I started on the lead towards the point of the spit and after 10 minutes without an indication, my brain had turned to mush, so up the bank it went. I had fed a line at 14m straight in front and a waggler line about 35m out pointing to peg 88.

It took an hour to get my first fish on the waggler, I did have one more chuck of the lead and had a fish on that, but that was the last use of it. I had one at 14m on paste and then a couple more on the waggler. It was difficult to get more than one bite from any line, I then had a run of bites on the waggler and put 3 more fish in the net before it dried up. I tried the pole line again, and had two skimmers, one on double worm and one on banded 8mm pellet, no sign of a carp.

The last hour and a half saw me persevere with the waggler rods, although I only took one fish on the shallow waggler, even though the fish were up in the water.I added several more, I dropped down to a 18 hook and seemed to get a few more bites, one of which was a unseen, but big fish, that I played for nearly 20 minutes before the hook straightend. I ended the match with 10 carp and 2 skimmers for 88.13, I think that was top weight on my bank, but nowhere near enough for a pick up.

I think the match should have been won from 118, but the guy on there had two nets in and both were over the 70lb limit, one was ounces from being over the 90lb disqualification weight. You'll have to look at Tony's blog for the results (he suffered being on the same bank as me and had a high 70lb) as I got away sharpish, I'm up early in the morning and off to the Oval, to see the first day of the fourth test - although the weather forecast points to a day in the bar......

Avon Angling Open, Wednesday 3rd August 2011. Viaduct.

Off topic to start with, The Dundry Inn has got some new owners and we went up there the other night, the menu looks good and the food that we ordered was excellent, with good service. I had venison with dauphinoise potates, 'er indoors had a bouillabaisse, served with a rouille and crusty bread. To start we had a Charcuterie of wild boar and desert was cheese board for me and chocolate tort for Caroline. (I've nothing to do with the business, just a satisfied customer and I know most anglers like their grub....).

Now onto the fishing, this was to be a topset + 2 match, which as I often fish short, I fancied a go at. Into the tin and out comes 127, not a peg I would have chosen, but 125 surprised me a couple of weeks ago, so anthings possible. I set up four topkits, all on orange bazookarp, a paste rig on 0.18, a MW diamond to fish devils spawn, or worm,on 0.16 with a 16 63-13, a MW slim power to fish hard pellet, 0.16 and a B960 and a sensas float whose name eludes me, to fish meat, 0.17 straight through to a 16 Xedion TXR7.

At the all in I had a go at mugging a couple of the cruisers, to no avail, I fed two lines, 10 & 2 o'clock, 10 with meat & 2 with pellet. The meat line I didn't expect to produce until the end. Introducing the pellet initiated the dreaded fizz, obviously fish there, probably skimmers, but impossible to catch. By swapping between soft pellet, paste and worm, I kept an odd fish coming to the net, but had a lesson in posiive feed fron Dean Malin on 126, as he kept cupping in bucket sized cups of pellet.

With an hour or so to go, I had the first indication that there were fish on the meat line, I managed a couple from here, and lost a fish that most likely cost me money, it wouldn't get its head up and in the end managed to break me by diving through the keepnets. I had a couple of foulers over the meat, so they weren't really getting their heads down on it.

My 72.12 was only good enough for seventh place and it also saw me join the chip shop sausage club........ (If only I hadn't lost that big double....)

1) Mike Nicholls 140.11 peg 132
2) Dean (Abacus) Malin 133.05 peg 126 (If only he hadn't gone 8lb over the net limit......)
3) Tom Thick 128.14 peg 112
4) Bela (Net 'em from anywhere) Bakos 100.01 peg 111
5) Alan Oram 83.06 peg 128
6) Tony Rixon 80.01 peg 130
7) Chris Fox 72.12 peg 127

Silvers

1) Tom Thick 25.08
2) Mike Nicholls 21.00

Avon Angling Open, Landsend, Wednesday 27th July 2011

A silvers day today, well that was the plan, perhaps with hindsight (there we are again, that hindsight gene I appear to be missing) I shouldn't make decisions like that until drawing.

Two lakes in, Match & Specimen, once again, I was on the wrong lake, peg 17 on Match. with venue silvers stalwart, John Bradford on 15. I set up a pencil float on 0.14 to a 0.10 hooklength and a 18 Drennan Carp Match, to fish caster. A Carpa Chimp on 0.14 to 0.12 and a 18 808 to fish worm or devils spawn and a MW slim power on 0.18 to 0.16 and a 18 B960 for banded pellet. I also set up a paste rig to try and catch some better skimmers or bream.

It was a struggle, my initial entertainment was seeing Trigger on peg 19 hook a lively carp on his new Sensas 774, I couldn't see Trig, but I could tell his arse was twitching by the liveliness of the fish and the way the pole followed it round the peg.

I struggled to keep the fish coming, switching baits and lines constantly to keep bites coming, John was finding the going equally tough. I tried paste and had two skimmers on it, before the carp moved in and I had 4 on it. I weighed 18lb odd of silvers and the 4 carp went 32lb. I had a 4oz roach jump out of the net at the weigh in and it flew 6-8' back into the lake - all to no avail as Speci lake produced a low 50lb and a 39lb of silvers.

I had carp moving around the far shelf all day and it was difficult to resist, but I did - as said, with hindsight, I should have fished for them and fed the casters to the birds.

See Tony's blog for the result, I had to get away as the draw had been delayed by latecomers. Trigger won, so the new pole stood up to the test and brought some luck.

I hate matches spread over more than one lake..........

Avon Angling open, Shiplate Farm, Sunday 24th July 2011

First time at this venue, I was told that two lakes were in, both canal types, Hawthorn, which apparently houses plenty of small carp and Westpool which is home to carp and plenty of bream. I must admit I fancied a draw on Westpool, big bream and skimmers sounded just the job.

First into the draw container and I had Westpool, No1 aim achieved, sadly it wasn't an end peg which I assumed would be best. A walk around the main lake to Westpool was then the only way to get to peg 4. Tony was paying sections of 5, overall and one in the silvers, surely some coin was available?

I set up three rigs, a MW cane topped diamond on 0.16 to a 0.14 hooklength with a 16 63-13, to fish the deepest channel at approx 6-7m. A MW slim power on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength, finished off with a 18 B960 for 15m, up the far shelf. Completing the set up was a Sensas Pencil on 0.12, with a 0.08 hooklength and a 22 63-13.
b
If I was to believe Tony's blog, groundbait might be the way to go, so on the all in, I put 4 big jaffas of GB packed with CW & caster and a few dead maggots into the deepest part of the peg. I fired a few maggots to the far shelf and flicked a few casters in at topkit range.

3 Skimmers from the deep channel, nothing from the far shelf and a conceren that this was going to be a poor day was the result of the first hour, I wasn't alone, but John Bradford was making the most of his end peg by filling his net with carp ( yep, carp, no typo!!).

On the hour mark, I retopped the middle line with GB, but it was slow going. I had a look into the near line (topkit) and started to catch small skimmers, roach & rudd
before a decent skimmer (nearly a bream!!) was netted. Everytime I looked to my left I could see John Bradofrds elastic streaming out, so i decided to stick with silvers. Alternating between the topkit and a line at 6.5m, kept skimmers and the odd roach and rudd ( + a 0.3 oz perch) coming. On peg 5 , Sensas Thyers team mate Nick Harvey started to fish short and he also had some decent skimmers, + one of them big old black boys - I'm glad he didn't folow suite earlier. as he manmaged 2nd in silvers.

With just over half an hour to go the skimmer bites had dried up, so I went over to the far shelf and had a carp a chuck for 5 put ins.

The scales arrived from Hawthorn Lake with 61.13 to beat, I knew I couldn't match that, but was quietly confident that I had the silvers in the bag, for my hatrick of silvers wins. 32.08 was enough to do that and 17.00 of carp taken in the last half hour gave me my 5 peg section as well ( Although with the default, I only took the silvers money).

An interesting venue, tidily kept, not too far from home and it will surely mature as time goes by.

1) John Bradford 70.04 peg 10(W)
2) Tim Ford 61.13 peg 1 (H) How does he keep drawing corner/end pegs??
3) Adrian Jeffery 61.11 peg 9 (W)
4) Rod Wootton 49.11 peg 3 (H)
5) Dean Malin 49.09 Peg 2 (H)
6) Chris Fox 49.08 peg 4 (W)


Silvers

1) Chris Fox 32.08 peg 4 (W)
2) Nick Harvey 21.14 peg 5 (W)
3) Adrian Jeffery 21.04 peg 9 (W)