Ivy House Open, Sunday 10th September 2017

Travelled up to this with Tony Rixon, I had booked into the canal match when I text Andy to book in, he omitted to tell me it was booked out to a club and we'd all be on the match lake.  I can't understand why some of the locals are reluctant to go on the canal, its plenty of bites, great silvers fishing and those stockies are growing fast.   As there is a chance of this happening if the numbers on the canal are low, I was prepared - or so I thought, when I got into the van with Tony, I said "I've forgotten something, but can't think what it is".  I realised what it was as we got to the fishery, the bag which contained my wagglers, feeders, 12" hooklengths and my reels for the feeder rod. 

So, waggler and pole it would be whatever peg I drew, which after a decent breakfast cooked by Karen, turned out to be peg 20, I have drawn this once before and won from it, so no complaints from me.  Opposite at the windy end of the lake on 10 was Tony.  I doubt I would have set up a lead or feeder on this peg even if I had a reel with me....  I did put up the waggler as it was ready made up, but only had a couple of chucks with it, so no more about it.

As there is a long edge both sides on this peg, I set up two rigs, one with a banded hook, one without and intended to fish pellet one side and maggot the other. A rig to fish banded pellet at 14m and another to fish corn or maggot at the same distance, but at 10 o'clock, to the pellet's 2 o'clock.  Next were two rigs to fish up the shelf in  the shallower water, this is where I caught last time I drew the peg.  Again the thought was to fish pellet one side and GB, with corn/maggot/worm the other.

It can be a slow start on this lake and today was no exception, I fed GB, caster and dead maggot at 14m to the LH side and pellet at 14m to the RH side. The pellet line was completely dead, not even a liner, the GB line did give up a couple of skimmers, but to corn, rather than worm or caster.  After an hour I fed the shorter lines and had a skimmer on 8mm pellet almost straight away, then a couple more on corn, before a carp took a piece of corn.  But as seems typical for me at the moment, that was it, the usual one or two fish and can't keep them coming.

I tried maggot over the 14m GB line and that produced a small roach and a small skimmer, so not what I was looking for.  I had left the edges alone and didn't feed them until after the halfway point, expecting them to come good in the last hour or so.  I had two bites from the edges, one each side, I had one on worm over the pellet side and one on 5 maggots over the dead maggot/GB side, with no other indication that the fish were there.

I had been feeding casters straight in front at topkit + 1 range and in the last half hour started to get bites on that, having a skimmer, a 3lb tench, a carp and a couple of perch, fishing a whole small dendra over the casters. Too little too late, my fish went 42.06 and that was 5th on the day, but not hugely impressive as the turnout was only 10.  Well done to Tony, as he made the most of the wind blowing in at him to win.

Next up, back to Todber next Saturday, hopefully get a few bites.

Viaduct Costcutter, Thursday 7th September 2017

Lodge and Match Lake in today, I fancied Lodge to win the match, but wanted to draw Match Lake as I haven't been on there for a while and it should be plenty of bites.  Simple bait tray, for whichever lake I drew 4 & 6mm pellets, 8mm meat and dead maggots.  I drew 46, an island chuck and a long LH edge, so plenty of options.  I set up a pellet waggler, a cage feeder and 4 topkits, one for meat short, one for pellet on the deck, another pellet rig for shallow and a rig to fish down the LH edge.

I did open a tin of hemp once I was set up, as I intended to start on the meat feeder, putting meat and hemp through the cage feeder and meat on the hook.  I did start on this and didn't have a bite in 15 minutes, there were a few fish evident across by the island, but they certainly weren't impressed with Plumrose....  I started pinging a few pellets over and switched to the pellet waggler, I had a couple of fish on it, but it had to land virtually touching the island to get a bite and the few fronds of willow and brambles took their toll and after I had lost 3 floats, (clipped up, the fronds weren't visible front on) I gave it up and switched back to the feeder, putting some 4mm pellets & GB through it with a 6mm in the band.

This gave a couple of fish in the first couple of casts, but it soon died off, I tried sitting and waiting for a bite, but it didn't happen. A switch to just GB in the feeder and dead maggot on the hook, brought an instant response, 3 fish in 3 chucks and then it died again.  The pegs either side of me were also struggling, but I could see Adrian Jeffery on 49 catching carp shallow, whereas I had all F1's so far.  So a switch to the pole was the next obvious choice.

I pinged a few pellets at 14m and first put in, I had an F1 on the deck, then nothing, a switch to the shallow rig saw me persevere with this for 45 minutes to try and make it work, but I only had 3 more on it, a small carp and 2 F1's. I had a skimmer by switching back to the deck rig, but it was hard work and seemed typical of my matches in the last couple of weeks, that I can't seem to string more than 2 fish together from any line.

Back on the feeder and a couple more fish on maggot, but the all too familiar pattern was repeated and after two, the tip remained motionless. I tried the edge and had nothing from there. With an hour and ten minutes to go, I saw a few bubbles appear on the short meat line and with 41lb on the clicker I dropped in and had a decent F1 straight away, it wasn't manic, but a steady last hour saw me put another 40lb in the second net I started, which included two decent carp.  It was only enough for a disappointing 5th on the lake with 89.12, being beaten by a couple who caught better carp shallow and two fishing paste, well done to Adrian & John on the shallow fishing displays to take 1st and 2nd on the lake, with the overall winner coming from Lodge. (although it was paid out as two separate matches.

Tony Rixon's Short Pole Series, Final Round Sunday 3rd September 2017

The weather forecast was for it to piss down all day, they weren't wrong!!!   I left as much stuff as I could at home, took pole roller out of bag and left it at home etc. 

I went into this match in 5th place overall and confident of getting into a framing place, its a lake I have done OK on in the past and can usually catch some on here.  A bit deflated to draw 29, I definitely fancied a draw on the far bank, but with 28 not in, it was at least one positive.

Given the rain and conditions, I thought it might fish tough, but the water temp was still well up, so it wasn't as if the rain was cold and knocking the temp back.  Set up the usual 4x14 Middy Paste float, a pellet rig to fish over it, a lighter pellet rig and a wire stemmed Gimp in case I had to fish devil spawn or maggot.  Finally an edge rig, same depth both edges, so nice and easy.

Bait tray was simple, 4,6 & 8mm pellets, paste and dead maggots.  I did have some meat left over from Viaduct and worms, but I find meat just get trashed by shit fish on this lake.

Starting on paste I had a liner and after 20 minutes or so hooked and landed a 8lb common.  I switched to pellet after 40 minutes and had a skimmer.  I had been a bit more frugal with the bait than usual, given the miserable weather. Then I hooked a fouler, big fish, it leapt of like a skimmer, but was probably about 12lb, it came off...  I switched to feeding GB and dead maggot and had a few skimmers before it went dead. 

No matter what I did, I could not get a bite.  I did finally hook a fish down the RH margin, it knew where the exposed tree roots were and snagged me solid in them.  I hooked one more, down the LH margin, it charged off, but no problem, I was using my trusty Orange Vespe, 0.20 Stroft with a 0.18 hooklength.  Can't believe what happened next, fish gone, 0.20 snapped, lost my float and that just about summed up my day and rounded off an unsuccessful weekend.

I went 4 1/2 hours in this match without landing a fish, spent an hour fishing maggot without a bite, just trying to put something in the net.  I didn't stay to see the results, but I expect my 13lb odd was last in the match.  It's days like this, that I have no answer to why I couldn't catch, that knock confidence, I've never pretended to be a superstar, but I can usually find a way to catch something and it's frustrating to be in a position where I have no idea what I did wrong.

Well done to Tony on winning the series.

Viaduct Two Dayer, Fri and Sat 1st and 2nd September 2017

21 fishing this two dayer, organised by myself.  Big thanks to those that supported it, no one moaned (well, not too much) and it was fished in a good humoured and friendly spirit.

I have booked the lakes again for next year, 21/22 September 2018 (Fri/Sat) I have booked both lakes both days so hopefully the numbers will be enough to make this work.

First day was on Campbell, pole only, I thought it best to let someone draw for me, Emma volunteered, she handed me 132, probably the least consistent corner, but it can throw up a weight, so I was hoping to day was one of those days.

Nice and simple being pole only, a shallow rig, full depth pellet rig, meat rig and a rig to fish up the edge. I was only paying sections in this match, saving the main bulk of the money for the overall framers over the two days, I had tried to make the sections as fair as I could, but carp do have a habit of moving, so it was best guess, although most thought they were as fair as they could be.

I thought the section I was in would be the lowest weight section, 132, 131, 130, 124 and 111.  I was thinking about 130lb to win it, but who knows, these fish have days when they go mad, so it's impossible to predict accurately.

First drop in short with meat and I was attached to a decent fish, didn't feel fouled, but it came off, that was that for bites short, not surprised I wasn't expecting it to do more than give up one or two fish.  Out to 14m and I had a few fish on pellet at depth, it wasn't hectic action and after an hour or so, the bites and indications dried up.  Back on the short line and that gave me two small skimmers, so no carp there either!

An early look down the edge, where I had fed 8mm pellets and some mest and I had two fish, giving me some hope it would come good, I think they may have been residents, as they weren't followed by any more.  I did feed some GB and maggots to my left and had a double from there, but that was it.  I did lose a couple of fish during the match, those odd ones, hooked in the mouth, but they come to the top and 'waddle' towards you, there is little pressure on the hookhold, but it inevitably seems to come out with these fish.

A couple did rock up short on the meat line, but I knew Mark Poppleton on 131 had beaten me, I think I spent too much time trying to make the edge work, when concentrating on the open water would have been a better use of the available time - another match where hindsight is the answer.....

I managed to put 2oz short of the ton on the scales, a poor effort really and it cost me as I was 4th in a section of 5, so that was me out of the running for the overall places.

Winner on the day was Steve Hutter, with a creditable 237.01 from peg 127.
2: Emma Drysdale 188.09 peg 116
3: Steve Nadin 184.13 peg 135
4: Martin Rogers 163.00 peg 118
5: Allan Oram 155.01 peg 115
6: John Mills 151.13 peg 114


Section Winners:
A: Steve Nadin
B: Mark Poppleton 140.10 peg 131
C: Emma Drysdale
D: Steve Hutter

Onto day two, a quick tangent to the fishing, many anglers like to frequent a café before a match, today I had my first visit to The Den at Pylle.  Not the cheapest café, but it was excellent, food, service, surroundings, toilets, all get a 5.0 (stealing the scoring system from Tony Rixon's blog).

Cary today, no restrictions other than the usual Viaduct rules.  For me all I had to fish for was a match win, today it was just section payouts again, with an added £30 for the match winner, looking at the table after day one, depending on who drew where, it was possible for anyone in the top 12 to get into the overall money.

Emma's trial as my official draw person was abruptly terminated after yesterdays poor show, Steve Nadin was the next candidate for the role and he handed me another corner, 90.  90 can throw up big weights when the wind has been pushing in there for a few days, but today, it hadn't......  

As well as similar pole rigs to yesterday, I set up a lead and two wagglers, most of which had been tried by the 90 minute mark, as I was blanking.  I had fed a line at 14m and had some indication that there were the odd fish coming over it, but couldn't catch one. I did resort to chucking a lead onto that line and by using an 8mm expander (dry) popped up I had my first fish, but it wasn't a magic solution, as I had no more doing that.

There were lots of fish swimming between me and Roland on 94, but they weren't cruisers nor looking for food, they were swimming fast and often in two's - just like in May before spawning!

At 14.20 I had one shallow over the 14m line, then two more, this was strange, as they went as soon as they came and the three in 15 minutes were all I could manage shallow.  I was hoping the short meat line would come good at the end, it did the last time I drew the peg, but before that I was hopeful the margin might give up a few fish.  I did have one, but apart from that and an eel, it was quiet.

The short meat line failed to produce a single carp, just a couple of skimmers for my trouble. The margin did come to life and I had 4 fish in the last 30 minutes, frustratingly, I hooked the big common that inhabits Cary and comes out at about 26lb, I survived several powerful runs, got it nearly to the net and the hook pulled - frustrating, but it wouldn't cost me, as my 73.04 was over 50lb short of what was needed,

Winner on the day was John Mills from 86 with 126.08
2: Andy Lloyd 124.02 peg 85
3: Martin Rogers 81 120.06 peg 80
4: James Evan 99.02 peg 74
5: Roy Worth 96.09 peg 102
6: Roland Lucas 87.04 peg 94

Section Winners:
A: John Mills
B: James Evans
C: Martin Rogers
D: Roy Worth

Well done to Steve Hutter for hanging on to the lead with 11 points and picking up £300 for the win, along with his £40 section money on Friday.
2 Overall: Martin Rogers 11 points £200 + £40 section money
3 Overall: John Mills 11 points £100 + £40 section money + £30 match win
4 Overall: Mark Poppleton 11 points £80 + £40 section money
5 Overall: Roy Worth, Roy missed out on a overall payout on weight, but had a consolation section win.

Viaduct Result Sheet
		Total points	Total Weight
1	Steve Hutter	11	297.09
2	Martin Rogers	11	283.06
3	John Mills	11	278.05		1st	Steve Hutter	300
4	Mark Poppleton	11	227.11		2nd	Martin Rogers	200
5	Roy Worth	11	211.09		3rd	John Mills	100
6	Emma Drysdale	10	273.02		4th	Mark Poppleton	80
7	Andy Lloyd	10	252.04
8	Steve Nadin	10	238.14			Fri Sections
9	James Evans	10	218.06		A	Steve Nadin	50
10	Dan White	9	231.07		B	Mark Poppleton	40
11	Allan Oram	7	195.05		C	Emma Drysdale	40
12	Adrian Jeffery	7	141.00		D	Steve Hutter	40
13	Phil Hardwick	6	207.13
14	Roland lucas	6	180.02			Sat sections
15	Chris Fox	6	173.02		A	John Mills	50+30
16	Simon Parker	6	117.14		B	James Evans	40
17	Phil Morris	5	87.12		C	Martin Rogers	40
18	Chris Davis	4	171.01		D	Roy Worth	40
19	Claire Hollis	4	94.09
20	Matt Tomes	3	84.04
21	Ian Black	3	46.02

Tony Rixon's Float Only League, Final Round. Sunday 27th August

As I hadn't fished all this league, I was nowhere near a overall place, so it was a positive out and out match win approach.  Not disappointed to see peg 74 on the card when I drew, as I have framed when I have drawn it in the past.

There were a few fish mooching round the surface, but they didn't look settled and I was far from convinced they'd still be there at 11 0'clock.

  I set up two wagglers, one at depth, one shallow, mugging rig, shallow rig, short meat rig, depth pellet rig and a rig to fish up the LH edge that I managed to clear out enough to get in near the bank.

As predicted, at 11 o'clock, the fish disappeared, they moved across into the gap between 105 and 109, I did manage a couple on the shallow wag by casting to fish I could see.  Then dropping in on pellet at 13m to the tree I had a couple more, but it was slow going, tried the depth waggler - nothing, short meat line, nothing.  Went down the edge earlier than I would have wanted to and bumped one, next drop in had one about 13lb and I thought it would be OK - that was it, never had another fish, a real struggle.  I could see the fish that had pushed across moving in threes and fours, up the lake towards the wider area,

That was it then, series over, match over and 66.12 is by far my worst weight from this peg.