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...
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Sunday, 20 November 2011
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
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
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
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......
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......
Monday, 14 November 2011
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
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
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
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
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
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