Landsend Open, Sunday 29th April 2018

Tony Rixon was running this match and had 20 odd fishing, two lakes in Match (lake 2) and Lake 3, I always seem to draw lake 3 when both of these are in and today was no exception, I had waited until the end of the draw instead of getting in near the front as I usually do.  Three tickets left in and 62 was written on the middle one, which was the one I took.

Several people offered advice, unsolicited mainly, the peg has an area of rushes/stick ups down to the left and comments about losing fish were one of the main topics, I assured all those who said I would have to fish to the stick ups, that I wouldn't be doing it - I can take no pleasure in losing fish attached to rigs in stick-ups or other snags.

The peg has no RH margin and the LH margin is tricky to access, due to the bank being eroded (most likely by pleasure anglers banksticks), but the island is a nice easy 14.5m reach.

RH side - no margin due to tree in water.

LH edge, can't get too far down it.

Straight in front to the island

I was going to keep things simple, so a homemade float to fish across to the island, the shelf is only about 6" shallower than the main depth, so not ideal.  A 4x12 Malman Roob to fish meat at 5m, near the tree on the RH side of the peg, I did set up a rig to fish pellet at full depth, but it only got wet plumbing up, never used it again.  Finally a margin rig to fish topkit + 1 down the LH edge.

I started on the meat rig, looking for an instant fish, but no sign of one, so after 15 minutes it was across to the island where I had been pinging 4mm pellets, with a 6mm in the band I was soon into a fish, not the desired carp, but a smallish F1.  For the next two hours I kept the odd fish coming but it was never frantic sport and was slowing down.  I had another look on the meat line after 2 hours and it did give me a fish, but no other indications, so back across and another 40 minutes on the pellet saw another fish netted. I had another off the meat line 40 minutes later, but never felt there were many fish in the area.  Opposite Russ Peck had a couple of quick fish swinging a shallow rig on a long line into the gap in the islands, I got of my box and set one up, but had nothing on it, Russ never had another, so I guess two of us swinging a rig at them was just too much.

Just over halfway through the match things had slowed right up, I had jut shy of 50lb on my clicker,  I fed some GB and maggots down the edge and left it half an hour before topping up and going over it, I had a good hour or so, putting another 50lb in the net using 5 maggots on the hook, they wanted a top up of GB and maggots after every fish, dropping back in without feeding wasn't anywhere near as effective, With 50 minutes to go, I decided to put another net in, as I try and stop about 50-55lb in a net.  Probably a mistake, as the last 50 minutes only saw 15lb added, including one on the short meat line, which never looked like coming to life.

It was bloody cold today, looks like the summer has delayed again!!  But at least it was off my back, not into my face.

My fish went 124.13, a comfortable lake win, but that couldn't compete with the match lake, where there were 5 weights over a ton and I beat two of them to come 4th overall, but I think there was a lake payout, so hopefully some folding to come when I see Tony in the week.  Not exactly setting the world on fire, but a much better weekend than my results of late, I was beginning to wonder just how long the dire run would go on.

Next up the Guru festival at Viaduct this week, so here's hoping for 3 decent draws and getting it right on the day.

Cadbury Angling Open, Acorn, Saturday 28th April 2018

Decided to give Acorn a go today, its nice and close and at least you can put all your unused kit back in the van to keep it dry, with the behind peg parking.

Into the drawbag and out comes ping pong ball 11, the same peg I drew on the Clevedon Xmas match, but the weather was a lot colder then, so hopefully the fish will have woken up a bit.  I had pellets and maggots, so rigs based around that, maggots for down the edge, pellets for across and a 5m line.  I'd also brought a couple of 9' feeder rods in case the method or pellet feeder worked.

I could find about 15" of water across, there is a shelf that runs up to and round the point, this was to be the main attack, next were two rigs, one to fish expander, the other banded pellet at 5m.  Plumbing up the margins, there was no nice level area, it was going to be a case of pulling the bait up the slope.

Starting across to the point of the island, I was getting indications straight away, I had several carp in the first two hours, putting just over 30lb in the net, I started by feeding 4mm pellet, but the fish seemed reluctant to settle, so I upped the feed to 6mm, hoping it might pin them down, but they just got more and more spooky.  If a fish touched the line, it would bolt out of the peg, with several others following, then the indications died off and the fish had backed off,

I had a look on the 5m line, this gave up a tiny tench and a 1lb skimmer to expander, but nothing else.  The only way I could catch now was to rotate between the LH margin, the RH margin and going across to the island, it had slowed right down (although it was never hectic) and I spent a long time trying rigs, baits, shotting etc. to try and stop the spooking, I couldn't work it out at all, it may have been a bit better had the wind been giving me the ripple that other areas of the lake had.

I had 33lb on the clicker with 2 hours 15 gone and 47lb at the all out, it was a tough day, I did put 53.10 on the scales, which was beaten by two, so well done to them.  And, we stayed dry.... that was a bonus.

Viaduct Spring League Round 1, Sunday 22nd April 2018

I travelled down to this one with Tony Rixon, no particular pegs to draw or avoid came up in the conversation, the warmer weather hopefully getting the fish spreading out from their winter hidey holes.

Well, I was disappointed with my draw, 124, I (and I'm not alone) think that its the weakest peg in the section (116 round to 126), but I still felt I could get a few fish from it.   The wind was off my back, making the fishing easy, but the fish seem to be following the wind now, so the other bank looked a bit more favourable with the wind pushing into it.

Waggler rod and lead rod were set up, pole rigs were simple and positive, a margin rig, a full depth pellet rig, a shallow rig and two meat rigs, one strung out and one bulk shotted.

On the all in I was confident I would get the usual mug fish or two on meat short, but the only bite I had on meat short was from a near 3lb tench.  By the time I waited for the bite and landed the tench, Dave Romain on 119 had 5 fish....  I swapped to the pellet rig at 14m and had a 7lb carp on that. but it was a bit of a loner, as that was the only fish on the line.  I tried the lead, nothing, the waggler, I had one bite on that, a 3lb carp and it was looking like I was going to get a very embarrassing weight.

I had loads of casters left over from Whiteacres and started dump potting them down the LH edge, going over them with worm brought a succession of fish, Bream, Tench, Perch and the odd Rudd, all decent fish and I was catching well, this was only ever going to be a stop gap though, as I had to get back amongst the carp to ensure I wasn't absolutely hammered into last place in section.  Getting amongst the carp wasn't much of an option as looking round the long and short lines, was a complete waste of time.

With 50 minutes to go I had 10lb on my clicker - the original two carp and 43lb in my head or the silvers net, when finally I had a decent fish about 14lb down the LH edge, then another about 12lb, also a couple on meat short, this gave me 108lb which was last but one in the section, so a dropper already..... Some great weights on the opposite bank, well done to those who had them.

Frenzee Festival, Whiteacres, 16th - 20th April 2018

Even though its been a long tough winter, this seems to have come a round quickly again, just Paul Faiers and myself travelling down this year, our other regular lodge companion was unable to make it this year, shame, as its a good craic with Glenn along, even if I am somewhat off the pace in the bar nowadays....

The draw had put us in a rotation starting on the four small lakes, Bolingey on Tuesday, Pollawyn on Wednesday, Twin Oaks and Trelawny on Thursday and Friday saw us heading for Jennys or Trewaters.

Saturday saw us have a few hours on Trelawny, catching a few, but not really getting amongst the carp or decent F1's, then a few beers and catching up with old friends in the bar.  That led to a fairly late start on Sunday and for some inexplicable reason we decided to go to Trewaters, the weather was awful and we really struggled to catch.

Monday dawned and I did try and talk myself into Canal 19, but it wasn't to be, peg 7 for me and Paul didn't do much better in 11 Canal.  Looking at 4th in the section from here, but you have to be hopeful on the first day, that the fish have moved from their residency.

Peg 7 has no features such as the gorse bushes or trees that many of the other pegs have, I set up a meat rig for short, pellet rig to fish soft pellet over micros, a rig for the edge, which isn't nice either side and a pellet rig to fish tight across.

First two put in's on the meat I was surprised to have a near 2lb F1 and then a 1lb Carassio, but this was a short lived burst of hope, the tone for the rest of the match was set, never taking more than one or occasionally two off the same line. It was a real struggle and the day was capped off by seeing a swirl on the far bank seconds before the all out, I swung the pellet rig with a bit of meat on at the swirl and immediately hooked a small angry carp.  It tore down the bank, tangling the elastic in over hanging brambles, I managed to push the pole right across and free it, only for the carp to change direction, run down the far bank to my left and snag some more brambles.  Got free from them and played it across, about 10' out the fish found a snag and I tried all the usual tricks to get it out, but to no avail.

I had decided that I had to pull for a break, so put the elastic round a keepnet and started pulling, expecting the 0.12 to snap any second, I was surprised to see the carp come free, attached to a bit of rope.  Once I netted it I could see that the rope was tied in a hangmans noose, had I known what the week was to bring, I might have kept it and put it to use.......  The carp didn't affect the result, as predicted pegs 7-13 were the last on the lake, with my 29lb beating two and a long way from the top weight of 70lb+

Tuesday

Bolingey, where I have done OK in the past, so was hopeful of putting the festival back on track, the weather was foul, wind and rain forecast all day, into the tub and out comes peg 20, a look at the results from the day before had me concerned, Vince Brown had been on there the day before and was near the bottom of the section.  Paul was off to peg 2.

The wind was blowing R to L at my peg, so I decided that the Multi Margin would be the only pole out of the bag, as there was no way I could fish longer than its 8m. A pellet rig for 8m. a meat rig for 5m and a margin rig, but on plumbing up the margin, I was very doubtful I'd catch in it, too shallow.

A straight lead and a method, completed the set up, no point in even opening the holdall with the waggler rods in.  Bolingey will usually give up a fish or two (and sometimes more) starting on the meat short, not today, not even a carrasio.  It took me over an hour to get a fish and it was a small carp, in the first 4 hours I managed 2 carp and 4 carassio's for 12lb on the clicker, all on the method, it wasn't exciting and it wasn't frenetic......

At 16.10 with 50 minutes to go I had my first bite and fish on the short meat line, a decent fish, but it wasn't until 16.40 when I had another and then one more at 16.50, terrible, worst day I have had on Bolingey. The results on my bank went:  peg 22 - 37.00, peg 21 - 15.00, peg 20 37.04, peg 19 12.00 and peg 18 6.00, so I won my bank, but for all the value that had in the match, I may as well have blanked.....  Two days gone and festival over by two draws that I certainly couldn't get anymore out of and I am fairly sure that most on the festival would have struggled on.

Wednesday

A chance to redeem myself today, another lake I have picked up on, on several occasions, peg 17 on the high bank, which again hadn't done any good in previous days, not one I'd choose, a bit hemmed in, but I was confident I'd get some fish across and have caught well on the pole in this area before.

Loads of time to tackle up with the 09.00 draw and fishing from 12.00 -17.00, so I had two wagglers, a method and a bomb set up, along with 3 topkits, one to fish meat up the shelf, another for deep shallow and finally one meat at depth.

Once again the wind was looking to spoil the fishing for me, as the waggler was going to be nigh on impossible to fish, unless there were a huge shoal there competing, so the pellet is grabbed as it lands and that was unlikely in this peg.  So having to resort to 8mm pellets to get anywhere near the island with them, in the scare lulls in the virtually incessant wind, I started on the bomb.  This produced on solitary bite from a scruffy looking hybrid that went about a pound and a half.

Pellet and meat on the pole lines were pretty much non starters and I set up a new line and fished worm, this saw 30lb of skimmers netted, in between trying to catch a carp.  I seem to have been on carp avoidance since before Xmas and its wearing a bit thin now.....  This wasn't quite last in section, but it wasn't far off, again, I have no idea, not the foggiest what I could have done to get more from the peg - except to fish 5 hours solid for skimmers......  Just for a change, I could see someone catching steadily, as 27 was catching on the lead into the gap, where the fish had been all week.

Best bit of Wednesday was a trip to The Two Clomes with Paul, Steve Nadin, Chris Albiston, Tom from Whitemoor lakes and Pete, whose second name eludes me.  Nice food, good company and a splendid glass of red......

Thursday

I fancied A section on Twin Oaks, big carp, rather than F1's, but as usual, I couldn't be further from the lake or peg I wanted, 22 on Trelawny, a lake I have won a section on in the past, on a day the carp didn't feed.  Looking at the results from the day before, I had to be reasonably happy, 95lb and a section win from the peg.

It's too far to reach the far bank with the pole, but there was no horrendous side wind to stop me getting tight to the bank with a method, lead or even waggler, which I clipped up all three.  A line to fish expander over micros and the obligatory meat line, a margin rig and a rig to fish worm and GB right in front of my keepnets, the skimmers and bream will come right up the shelf on this lake.

Started on the method, it produced one tiny carrasio in 40 minutes, the wind had swung round since yesterday and was now blowing straight down the lake into pegs 1 and 32.  I was able to feather the waggler in perfectly and couldn't believe that I never had a bite on it, the far bank appeared devoid of fish, although I stuck it out as peg 20 was having a good run fishing the pole to the point of the island (you can reach it with less than 16m from this peg).

I came onto the micros line and fished expander over it, this was fairly slow and it was skimmers I was catching, no sign of an F1, I did get a 2lb carp, but the line was getting slower and slower.  A switch to the worm and GB on topkit, saw a decent run of skimmers and bream netted, but I was never going to compete with the pegs further up the lake, I had one F1 with 20 minutes to go, so am fairly sure that there weren't many in the area, as peg 23 similarly struggled.  The peg that wasn't 'favoured usually, easily won the section with 122lb of F1's, the wind had done for me again, this time taking the fish down the other end of the lake.

Walking up to the club in the evening we saw this on the ground......

So it wasn't me spitting the dummy out, but I was struggling to come to terms with just how badly I was doing this year, my worst ever festival result was on the cards and I didn't think I'd fished too badly, my drawing had done me no favours...

Friday

I fancied Jennys, just because I have a dismal record at Trewaters (Trewaters cost me a top ten finish last year), so fully expected to be driving the 10 miles to Trewaters, but 20 on Jennys came out of the drawbag, Paul Holland had 120lb off it the day before for a section win.

Got to the peg and found Paul's lodge match Andy Bennett on 21, so I kept an eye on what he set up, as he would have all the info from Paul as to how he caught the day before.  Although he did speculate it wouldn't be so good today, as surprise, surprise, the wind had changed......

Its a reasonable chuck to the island, so I set up a 24g Guru Hybrid feeder, a bomb and a 6g pellet waggler.  A rig to fish pellet at 14m, ond for meat at 5m and a rig for worm short.  It transpired that Paul had caught carp on the method the day before, so that had to be my starting ploy, even though its not something I would claim to have any prowess in doing, as I rarely fish it.

I hadn't had a bite and Andy Bennett had 4 or 5 fish, I then saw he was fishing two dead reds on the hook, a switch to this and GB from pellet and micros saw me start to catch, but it was small carassios rather than the proper carp I was looking for.  I switched to the pole and had some skimmers and a small carp on 6mm banded pellet at 14m, but this was slow going as well.  Back on the feeder and a few more small carassios, this was the pattern of the day, with only an odd fish on the short worm line, another small carp on the pole.

Andy Bennett was kind enough to spend some time explaining about fishing the method after the match and I knew he'd beaten, but when the scales arrived, by less than I thought.  My fish went 35lb odd, Andy weighed 47lb odd, I was sure he had a lot more but the stamp of fish were small, over a ton won the section further down and the lake was won from peg 1 with 120+.  If I was a little more practised at casting the method accurately and had some confidence in it, I may have had the couple of pounds more that I needed to be third in section behind Andy, as it was there were a couple of 37's.

So, fishing wise a bloody disaster, memories of last years 19th place finish wiped out by this years embarrassing 151st.  Faierzy managed 71st and it was a good week apart from my miserable endeavours, shame Glenn wasn't there, the service, bar food and on site chippy are all massively improved from the last few years, the lakes have had a lot of work and new fish, so things are looking up.  By the end of Thursday, I was ready to put my tackle on ebay, but now I'm determined to get back and prove to myself, if nothing else, that I'm better than this finishing place portrays.

Viaduct Open, Sunday 8th April 2018

Back to Viaduct this week for a match on Campbell, I had considered fishing for silvers, but decided to fish for carp, as they were spreading out a bit, at last....

Into the tub and out comes 115, a decent peg so not disappointed, to my left was Chris Davis on 114 and Paul Faiers who was fishing for silvers on 116.  Simple today, a lead for fishing pellet, a waggler, and 3 pole rigs, one for pellet on the deck, one for meat and one for down the edge, although I wasn't expecting that to produce.

Set back in 113 was Tony Rixon, who was into fish on the waggler right from the off, whereas it was a bit slow for me, the short meat line which often gives up a mug fish, was a non starter, probably still just too early in the year for that, given the weather we have suffered this winter.  

Paul was catching silvers on a short line and there were odd carp being caught up to my left, I did manage to put the odd fish in the net using the waggler and the long pole, all with 6mm pellet.

Not much more to write about, as it was a slow day, I guess Paul had the most bites as he put a nice 49lb of silvers on the scales, as for me 84lb for 8th on the lake.

Viaduct Open, Saturday 31st March 2018

Some demons to vanquish today, the Winter League, whilst not a disaster team wise, raised a few questions for me, 25 hours without even hooking a carp, was that something I was doing wrong, or was it just the draws?  The pegs I drew didn't exactly throw up plentiful carp weights for anyone else, so I am reasonably happy that it wasn't 25 hours of incompetence, but there is always that nagging doubt.

Driving down to the fishery, at first glance it looked like the there had been several new lakes dug since my last visit, but it was just confirmation of how much rain we've had, as the low lying fields are flooded.

I did have some casters and Devil's spawn in case I drew a skimmer peg, apart from that I had hard pellets and a few punched bits of meat for the hook, none cubed up to feed, it was to be a pellet or bust approach today.  I usually get myself positioned near the front of the draw queue, but today settled for a place at the back, something has to change!!  Ben Hagg was just in front of me and he drew himself and Scott Puddy pegs, 119 and 132 respectively, how is that possible, two corners in one dip!!

I wasn't quite last in the tub and had 97 staring back at me when I opened the draw card, given that the Met Office had forecast a 50% chance of rain and a 20mph NW wind, it was a peg I wouldn't have chosen, the wind (and potential rain) would be blowing into me from my left.  That pretty much settled that I would be fishing for carp, I didn't fancy holding 14m or so of pole for 6 hours in those conditions.  Two lead rods set up, identical except for the attachment on the band, a 0.20 hooklength with a 14 QM1 and a band, the other rod a 0.20 QM1 14 with a plastic spike on a longish hair. A waggler rod taken out of the bag, plumbed up and I was expecting with the forecast and the wind as it was, for it to stay there. This had 4lb sensor mainline, a 0.16 hooklength and a 16 PR36 with a band, my tried and trusted lines and hook for waggler fishing.

I did set up two pole rigs to fish at 11m, the depth was the same at 14m, so there was an option to push out if necessary, using the same rigs.  The rigs were the same, 4x14 floats, just the lines were different, one on 0.20 with a 0.16 hooklength, one on 0.16 with a 0.12 hooklength - just in case there were skimmers to catch.

96 was in, so not much room to my right, 98 wasn't in, so a bit of room to my left and 99 had Chris Davis on, he'd just set up one lead rod and was trying out gloves, to try and alleviate a problem with his hands. With Lodge lake being in, I had Steve Jackson immediately behind me on peg 66, but we had an amicable arrangement for pole shipping, using each other holdalls in lieu of rollers.

I started on the lead and 8mm pellet, couldn't get 6mm's far enough out in the wind and rain, 20 minutes with no indications were enough and I had a look on the pole line, that I had been pinging 4mm and the odd 6mm pellet.  Nothing there either and I could see that Phil Hardwick on 88 had a carp on the lead, so it was back on that. I had a couple of liners, but no bites, I wasn't convinced the 8mm pellet was right, so switched to a 8mm punch of orange meat, this was almost instantaneous in producing a fish, a decent one as well, nigh on 15lb.

I had three more and then Chris on 98 packed up, I am assuming the gloves didn't solve his hand problem, this left an awful lot of water to my left, as Mash on 100 was fishing the pole for silvers, I had one more, but the liners and indications had stopped.  I did try casting down to my left, but that was equally unproductive.  I had been feeding 3 lines, the 11m pole line, 6mm pellets at about 25m and 8mms at 40m or so.  I switched to the waggler over the 6mm pellets and was getting a few indications when the float disappeared, a 8ln mirror put up a spirited fight, before coming to the net.  Next cast I had a bite and missed it, that was it, I persevered for a while longer and tried the waggler again later in the match, but never had another indication or bite on it.

I did try the pole line again, 2 skimmers came from that, but it was slow going and I felt I needed to catch more carp, so back on the lead, I had one more bite on yellow meat, a common that was very reluctant to come to the net, in the way big commons often are, it was shaped more like an F1 than a common and Steve commented on this when he weighed me in.

No further bites, liners or indications, I am sure the fish dropped back into that big area of unfished water, I could see that Steve Tucker over on 81 had a few fish, but they didn't look to be of any great size and I was sure that those on the riverbank hadn't had too much, but I couldn't see what had come from further down the diagonal bank.   My 7 carp went 75.12 and the 2 skimmers 1.03, so 76.15 total, which was enough for 5th on the day and a section win, second on the lake to match winner Roland Lucas who was on 102.

So, the demons banished, I can still catch carp, even if it means resorting to the lead......!!