Thursday Costcutter, Viaduct, Thursday 28th January 2016

A rare day off, the forecast said no rain, so a match was the favoured way to spend the day, Viaduct was the best option, as it would give me the chance of fishing for carp or silvers depending where I drew.  As I thought the chance of winning the silvers was restricted to a couple of pegs (at the time I thought the match was Campbell and Cary, it ended up Campbell and Lodge) I didn't bother to take any caster.......... typical that I should then draw 126, a good silvers peg on Campbell.

I believe Tony described Adrian Jeffery as genial, let me add generous to that, as Adrian kindly offered me 1/2 his casters, which I accepted gratefully, thanks Adrian.

I set up a lead rod, this was with the intention of having 20 minutes looking round the peg for bites or liners, also a waggler - this remained unused because as the all-in was shouted, the wind picked up and started blowing straight down the lake towards the river, it did slightly move round to blowing from 110 into 123, but given the bright sunlight I was glad for the ripple it offered. 4 topkits, one for skimmers with a 0.3g wire stemmed float, 0.10 hooklength and a 18 6313.  A double bulk rig with the same line and hook, rig for corn with a 0.2g wire stemmed float with a 0.12 hooklength and finally a margin rig that didn't get used.

Starting as planned with popped up bread on the lead brought no bites or liners, nor did anyone around me or opposite catch on the lead, so up the bank with it, where it stayed until it went back in it's tube. With the bright sunlight limiting my options I had plumbed up off to my left at about 11 o'clock, at 11m and 14m, both lines I sparsely fed with dead maggots and caster, with a couple of grains of corn. I wasn't confident about the 11m line, given the bright sun and remnants of the frost still in the shaded areas, so started on the 14m line.  Double dead maggot tempted a 4oz skimmer first drop in, before the roach, small ones, moved in.

A swap to corn was fruitless and I only had one bite on caster, so back to double dead maggot and I had to endure a few small roach before I got a skimmer, I tried a segment of worm and that was on a par with the corn for a motionless float.  I tried the 11m line and that was just small roach, without the odd skimmer.  As the roach were feeding I tried a short line - topkit to hand - the roach were obliging, but small, although I did hook and lose a decent perch, before landing one about 10oz and a hybrid about 8oz.  Just as I had the fish going, the angler on peg 128 walked down for the third time to tell me how crap it was and the bites dried up......

I decided to try 6mm meat on the 14m line and fed 4 bits in with some caster and dead maggot, the float buried as soon as it settled and a spirited little tench just over 1lb was netted, I stayed on the meat until the end, having one more 8oz tench and a few skimmers up to 2lb.

I was hopeful that I had done enough to win the silvers and qualify for the all-winners final, but that was dashed by Andy Power who pipped me from Lodge lake.  A hard day for many, but I enjoyed having to work at it, maybe I should have gone on the meat 30 minutes or an hour earlier.

Ivy House Winter League, Fifth Round, Sunday 24th January 2016

First mistake of the day was not really paying too much attention to the weather forecast, the thermals I put on were unnecessary, it’s been a strange winter so far, but I wasn’t being lulled into thinking the water would have warmed up much yet.  That said, I did think that the fish wouldn’t be sat on the bottom, with a warm breeze blowing across the lakes.

Into the draw tin after a chat with Leon – conversation wasn’t really possible with Clint, he was busily not eating his breakfast and looking pretty rough, self inflicted I believe – Not sure on the odds of drawing in A section for the third time, whatever they are I managed it. Peg 20, a decent draw with plenty of room, but would the fish be there, or would they have gone with the breeze?

Determined to confuse myself, I set up two lead rods, one with a straight lead for popped up bread and one with small pellet feeder on.  Next, out of the bag came the trusty Normark Microlight, this would be used to fish a waggler out towards the post that marks the limit of your cast on this peg.  A 2AAA Drennan Glowtip waggler would suffice, given the sheltered nature of the peg. This was on 2 1/2lb Maxima, with a 0.12 hooklength and a 18LWG – no point fishing too light, some big fish in these lakes and they all need to be landed.

4 topkits, a rig that was aimed at getting a fish in the net if it proved a struggle, this was a 0.4g Jean Desque on 0.14, 0.08 hooklength and a 20 6313. Same shotting and depth for the next rig, but this time a 0.4 NG Gimp on 0.16 with a 0.12 hooklength and a 18 LWG, this would be fished over the same 14m lines as the light rig, one at 11 o'clock and one at 2 o'clock.

A margin rig, set up to fish about a metre away from the bank, as I wasn't at all convinced the fish would venture right into the margins and finally a rig to fish at 14m to the left and right hand sides about 6m from the bank in 31/2’ of water, this was on 0.20, with a 0.16 hooklength with a 16LWG.

On the all-in I fed a negative line at 2 o'clock with a few micro’s and 4 4mm pellets, the 11 o'clock line was fed with maggot and the two 14m lines 6m from the bank fed with maggot.  I started on the waggler and corn, that was totally unproductive, so a switch to the bomb and bread didn't take long, but with no liners or indications on that, I felt it was a waste of time, so onto the pole.  Firstly onto the negative pellet line with a 4mm expander, this was also totally non-productive, no sign of a fish, so a switch to maggot which I tried on the 11 o'clock and 2 o'clock lines, these too remained seemingly devoid of fish.

An hour and a quarter in and I hadn't had a bite, peg 17 had landed a carp on the lead and one from down towards peg 18, back onto the waggler, this time with a single maggot on the hook and feeding a few maggots via a catapult, to try and draw something into the peg.  It worked, two small roach, at least the blank was avoided, next cast a small carp, then a skimmer about 14oz, but it was a bit of a false dawn and the bites dried up again.

Time to look in on the two lines 6m from the bank, no indications on the LH side, but a bite soon after dropping into the RH line, frustratingly there was carp on and after a few seconds, carp off, not idea if it was fouled or not. Back onto the LH side and this produced a bite and a carp about 4lb.  Back to the RH side, another bite, another fish on, this time I got it down to the topkit before it came off – arrghhh, two lost fish could be costly!!

Thankfully, the RH line had a some fish on it and I managed to get 2 more from there that went in the 5lb and under net and 5 that went into the 5lb+ net.  All taken on triple maggot over maggot loose fed.  I was confident that I had the section won and was also pleased to take the match win, with 73.12, also qualifying for the All-Winners final in September.  With two more matches to go in the league, another couple of section wins might see me sneak in the lower framing positions, but the two matches where I couldn't find a big carp have cost me.

1: Chris Fox 73.12 peg 20

2: Val 64.10 peg 37

3: Clint 45.04 peg 38

4: Steve Hutter 26.10 peg 21

5: Jamie D 26.06 peg 30

6: Dave 24.00 peg 5

Viaduct Teams of Five Winter League - Sunday 17th January 2016

I had been thinking that the teams of 5 winter league might be a bit different this year, given the mild weather, but those thoughts were dashed by the cold snap leading into it, I guessed it would be pretty tough in some areas, as the fish have started to shoal up as the colour drops out of the lakes.

Same team as last year, although as we have no real connection with MFS, a name change was required, so  “2^nd Time Lucky” was the only thing I could come up with on the spur of the moment.  I drew for the team this round and pulled out peg 17 and then the sections which saw me on peg 69, Mike Walker on peg 50, Paul Faiers on peg 19, Genn Calvert on 130 and Fred Roberts on 99.

On paper it wasn’t a disastrous draw,  my peg, 69 has a lot of previous form for skimmers, but they haven’t shown there quite so much lately and in all the sections you need a couple of carp to get reasonable points.  I had spent a couple of hours on Friday evening,  tying hooklengths for the lead, which would stay in the box unused, as on this league, Lodge lake is float only. 

Two waggler rods set up, Normark Microlite II with a Drennan Glowtop waggler on 2 1/2lb Maxima, 0.10 hooklength and a 20LWG. In case it got good…. (hopeful as ever!!) I also set up a Normark Titan 2000 with 4lb reel line, a middy straight waggler and a 16LWG on 0.14.

4 Topkits, a margin rig – really didn’t expect anything on that as with 68 and 70 in, you don’t really have a margin to fish on 69 – the non-expectations were well founded, as I never had a bite on it. I set up two similar rigs for the open water, but on had 0.12 and a 18LWG hook, the other 0.10 and a 20LWG.  Final rig was a double bulk, just in case those big skimmers fed and they wanted it laid on the bottom.

On the all-in I cupped two tangerine sized ball of GB with caster and dead maggot in at 14m, in the deepest part of the swim, then went out on the waggler with a grain of corn. I started getting indication and the odd bite, all of which I missed, before finally connecting with one, it turned out to be a 4oz skimmer. After 40 minutes and another skimmer on the corn, I had a look over the GB, this produced bites, but it was small skimmers and the bites were too spaced out to achieve anything with 2-4oz fish.  I did drop down to a No6 elastic and a 0.08 hooklength with a 20 808 hook on the double bulk rig – first drop in with that I hooked a carp, no idea if it was hooked fair and square or fouled, as it charged off and kept running until the 0.08 parted.

By now, Tony Rixon who was opposite had a carp on the waggler and had lost a couple, so back out on the waggler and after a couple more missed bites, I hit into a carp, took a while to land on the 0.10, just couldn’t put the pressure on to get its head up, just over double figures, so most welcome.  Next cast, float buried again and a decent skimmer was netted, I then hooked and lost a fouler, before the waggler got tangled.   I switched to the heavier waggler rig and this saw the number of indications and liners drop, I shallowed it up, so the corn was 6” off bottom and had another  carp very similar in size to the first, I thought that was the answer, but I didn’t get anymore bites off bottom. 

After a quick and fruitless look in both margins, I went back on the pole line, again the skimmers were small and few and far between, I did think that the bigger skimmers might switch on in the last half an hour, but gambled on going back on the waggler and getting another carp.  With 10 minutes to go, I hooked another on the light waggler gear and all seemed well, but after a short while, just as I thought I had it under control it came off…… I didn’t swear too much!!  I think it cost me three points, which just shows how tight this league is.  My two carp and meagre collection of skimmers going 21.02 and 5.10 respectively for a total of 26.12. Had I fished that last ½ hour for skimmers I am sure I would have had at least 1 more point, maybe more – but that’s hindsight and not much use on the bank in the freezing cold and wet conditions that we endured.

On the team front, we were pleased to have done enough to come 5^th on the day:

I had 11 points, Glenn had 13 points, Paul and Mike had 11 and Fred topped the team score with 14 points.  Fingers crossed for a decent draw next round.

Viaduct Costcutter, Thursday 14th January 2016

Nice coincidence that my first Thursday of the year off work, was the one before the Teams of Five start at Viaduct, so a chance to fish a match and have a practice.

Not so good was the end of the mild weather and a chill wind blowing across Campbell, 20 fishing so Campbell and a few 'wind off your back' pegs in on Cary.  116 stuck to my hand as I dipped into the draw tin, so cold wind in my face and the opposite end to where the fish have been - but would the cold weather have them heading for their winter haunts??

I had bread, meat, maggot and corn in the bait bag and I did have a bit of GB - as it is a costcutter, I'd rather get a few bites than sit on the lead.  So, waggler rod set up - just in case the wind dropped, which it didn't, so one chuck with that and it was towing through,  so no more about that.

Lead rod set up, to start on bread, as the water is quite clear and two pole rigs, one for down the edge towards 117 and one for 14m to fish for whatever comes along.  Starting on the bread, I was hopeful, seeing Adrian Jeffery on 114 get one first chuck. It took the best part of 20 minutes before my tip moved and a double figure fish graced the net after a very spirited tussle given the water temperature.  It was a false dawn, Adrian had a couple more and was getting liners and indications, my tip was mind numbing still, not so much a liner to give hope.  No one else my side of Adrian was catching, so it looked as if they were all in front of the spit.

A look (much more in hope than expectation) down the edge was just as uneventful, so out onto the long pole, where I had been loose feeding a few maggots. The wind had now slightly switched L-R and this made holding 14m a struggle, but I wasn't at all convinced I'd catch closer. Nothing on this, so I fed a bit of GB and went back on the lead, trying meat, various colours, on the deck, popped up and even trying a GB cone with a bit of mushed meat & GB in - this was all fruitless.

An enforced bank walk, to use the facilities and back on the pole over the GB, this produced a 2lb skimmer, another false dawn, as this line then only produced 3 micro roach after this. At 14.20 (15.30 finish) I decided to fish seriously until 15.00 and then chuck the lead and start packing up. At 14.30, I had another look down the edge towards 117, after a couple of minutes the float shot under and an angry double gave the knots a good test as it fully stretched the 12 solid elastic. All held and it was safely netted, dropping back in, a short wait and another one was safely inside the net.

Another one, followed, each time I topped up with a few maggots, a slightly longer wait then three in quick succession, one landed at 15.25 and one hooked seconds before the all-out. If only the match was until 16.00, I am sure I would have overtaken Adrian who had 11 fish, but mine were consistently bigger. My 6 went 62.07 and the skimmer took the total to 64.12, only good enough for 3rd on a tough day for many, Adrian clinched it with...

1: Adrian Jeffery 76.09 peg 114
2: Scott Puddy 70.13 peg 74
3: Chris Fox 64.12 peg 116
4: Kieran Guppy 55.09 peg 128
5: Terry Lenny 38.11 peg 112
6: Steve Kedge 32.09 peg 129

Silvers
1; Rich Coles 10.01 peg 125

Ivy House Winter League Round 4, Ivy House, Sunday 10th January 2016

First match after nearly a month of work enforced lay off, although I admit the first week of the lay off was down to not wanting to drive after an Xmas piss up.

Looking at the forecast, my enthusiasm was somewhat tempered, I had done just enough prep and really didn't fancy sitting in a deluge and thunder, which is what the BBC weather was predicting, thankfully they were wrong, a few showers that came to nothing.

I got chatting to Leon and Clint and missed my usual place near the front of the draw, not such a disaster when I pulled out peg 17, which has been either 1st or 2nd in the section every round so far. I had a plan in my mind, fish a negative pole line, a positive one, the draw gave me decent edge, down in front of peg 18 and a long line pinging a single 6mm pellet every 5-10 minutes.

I set up a margin rig and plumbed about 1-2m in front of peg 18 to get 2 1/2' of water - never had a bite here so no more about it.  The long line pinging the occasional pellet, likewise..... not a bite on either a tiny pellet feeder or the waggler.

I started on the bomb and popped up bread, not even a liner after 20 minutes and that saw the end of my patience with that and I had a look on the 14m line off to 10 o'clock that I had fed with about 8 micros and 6 dead maggots (feeding like this kills me) after a 10 minute wait, lifting and dropping a soft pellet the float dipped and once again I was attached to a small carp, surely it wasn't going to be another day where I catch stockies and others catch lumps......

I refed and went back in, float slowly slid under and the lift of the pole resulted in a small perch hooked 'fairly and squarely' in the anal fin. That was the end of the bites from here, a look over the line I had fed positively with maggot brought nothing.  Time to have a look on the waggler and maggot, fishing this over he negative line a little dip of the float brought a 3lb F1 to the net. Another long wait swapping between lines and methods before a look back on the negative line saw a tiny dip of the bristle, this for the first time in the series brought a double figure fish to the net, double maggot on a 18 tricking it.  Next put in a 8oz perch, then a 6lb carp - off and running......... Not quite, that was it for over two hours, I started a new line at 2 o'clock and manged one more carp from that with about 10 minutes to go.

Tricky day, but thankfully my 30.08 was enough for the section win and 3rd on the day. Just need 2 more section wins, hope the drawbag is kind!!