Acorn Open, Monday 28th May 2018

I needed to be home at a reasonable time, so this was the closest match, with a reasonable finish time and after Thursday nights result, I booked in.

15 fishing so plenty of room to spread the pegs out, into the drawbag and ping pong ball 6 was my reward..... although the peg hasn't got much recent form. I was disappointed to see peg 40 in as well, everyone else on the lake had 1,2 or 3 peg gaps, whereas myself and the guy on 40 would be feeding an area only separated by the width of the bridge.  As peg 5 wasn't in. I would have put 7, not 6 in.

I have drawn this peg before and whilst the RH margin looks inviting, it is shallow and silty, I have never managed to catch from it, so decided not to waste my time with it.  The LH margin is short, due to a small rush bed that divides peg 6 from 7 and again, I haven't had much success from here in the past, but set up a rig to fish it.

The main catching areas would be, I suspected, across at 14m right by the bridge and again at 14m to a small area between the tall grasses on the island, so rigs to fish up on the shelf and another for the deeper shelf, which extends out several feet in front of the bridge.  I also set a rig to fish pellet short, hoping that would come good at some stage,  I had some paste, so set up a rig to fish that over the short line as a target bait.  Apart from that the bait tray was pretty simple, 4, 6 & 8mm pellets and worms, with some GB to go down the edge.

As there was so much time to set up, I did set up a 9' feeder rod, with a method feeder attached, as I could cast down to the boards at the other end of the island and was hopeful that there would be a few from this line.

Given the low weights from the venue recently, I started off fairly negatively, just pinging half a dozen 4mm pellets across, the guy on peg 40 was feeding a bit more positively with a big pot, so I was fairly sure that wouldn't do me any favours. It was a tough first hour with just 3 fish in the net and not many indications.  I had tried to get the line by the bridge to work for an hour, before I fed the other 14m line, this was tricky, as the bank has collapsed in here a bit and made a very shallow shelf, which the fish come in on, but seem very spooky and won't settle.  I was also struggling to present properly, as the wind was just enough to prevent me holding the pole still, typically the wind was L to R through my peg, meaning nearly everyone else either had it behind or straight on, so not affecting presentation.

After about 90 minutes and very little happening, Martin McMahon was having a walk and reporting that Joe was admitting to 40lb on peg 12, I picked up the method rod and dropped it down to the end of the island, with GB on the feeder and a 6mm pellet wafter on the hook, it didn't take long for the tip to go round and then another shortly after, but it was typical of the day, that I struggled to catch two fish off the same line, before having to swap, the method did produce 2 more fish during the day, but each time it was after resting it and then getting one on the first cast after the rest.  The LH margin produced one carp and a perch, it was as in my previous times drawing this peg, pretty much a non starter.  The short line didn't produce anything, not even a liner on pellet or paste.

In the last hour I did start to get a few on 6mm pellet getting it as tight to the bridge as I could, in the slightly deeper water (second shelf), but it was far from hectic.  I was trying out a new pattern of float I'd made, with the tungsten wire and was pleased with the way it performed.

In the end, I weighed a hard won 62.10.08 (yep, the electronic scales registered half ounces!!) which was 5th on the day, the weigh sheet below had 3 more to weigh which didn't have 60lb, so I know I ended up 5th, I can't be too disappointed with that as myself and peg 40 suffered with us both fishing to the end of the bridge.

Acorn Evening Match, Thursday 24th May 2018

I enjoyed the evening matches that I managed to get to last year at Acorn, it's a reasonable pick up if you win and a 3 hour match makes you pick one or two lines/baits and you have to make them work.

17 fishing and some tough competition, as well as the weather forecast of rain and more rain, into the drawbag and out comes 35, I can't recall ever having drawn it before and it was commented that it's not usually in.  We all had a fair bit of room and with 34 and 1 not in I had the point of the island and the point between 34/35 to fish to.

Two rigs, one to fish over to the island - nice and easy as its only 11m, two lines, one to the point and one to a bush along the LH side, the other rig was for the point in my margin towards 34, this is a foot or so deeper than the LH margin which is about 10" deep and slopes quite slowly away until it drops off steeply to full depth.

Rigs were both on 0.20, the one for across a yellow tipped Drennan Carp float, with a 0.14 hooklength and a 18 LWG and a band.  Margin rig was a Hillbilly AK47 again on 0.20, this time with a 0.18 hooklength and a 14 B960, again with a band.

I'd left my side tray in the garage, luckily Tony Rixon had a spare one, (Judith's coffee table) so I borrowed that and it was just big enough to get my bait and bander on, simple bait table of pellets, 4, 6 and 8mm.  I was planning to feed 4mm across, with 6mm in the band and 8mm down the edge.

On the all in I fed 4mm across with a catapult and it wasn't long before I had indications and then a fish in the net.  The first hour wasn't exactly manic but I was putting fish in the net, an assortment of carp and F1's, I couldn't see anyone else except Tony catching much.  At the end of the first hour, I had 18lb on my clicker and it had slowed to nearly a standstill.  I found that initially, I had to feed regularly to get fish in the peg, but that then resulted in a couple of foul hookers, which I lost, one trashing the rig.

The second hour was very slow, doubt I added 3 or 4 fish to my total, that was trying both lines across and pellet down the edge, at 20:00 with an hour to go I tried a worm over and did get a couple on that but it was not helping me keep pace with Tony who I could see catching fairly regularly now.  At 20:10 I mixed up some GB and potted that down the edge and with double hair rigged worm on the margin rig, I went straight in over it.

That saw me catching at a much better rate and bigger fish than across, I got to 50lb on the clicker and did wonder if I'd under clicked by about 8lb, so the last two fish went into another net, I had one about 5lb that I landed after the all out.

Tony had weighed 71.04 after telling me he had 63lb on his clicker and had over clicked, so probably had less.... He wandered round to see me weigh in and when I lifted my first net out I knew I had definitely misjudged the weight of these fish, I was fairly sure that it wouldn't be over the 70lb net limit (strict here, no leeway at all, 70.01 sees the whole net disqualified) the net went 67lb, so a bit of a nervy moment, the other net was weighed and it gave me 75.13, enough to win on the night and a wake up call to how those fish that look 2lb are probably 3lb, it would have been somewhat frustrating to lose the win by going over, although Tony wouldn't have been too upset!!

Viaduct Spring League R3, 20th May 2018

Round 3 this week, travelled down with Tony and I urged him to park near Lodge as we wouldn't mind the walk to Campbell, not sure if it was a omen, but there wasn't a space near Lodge, so parking near Cary was a compromise.

Usual bit of banter and conversation before the draw and I got somewhere near the front, but I must be slipping, as there are few now who seem to be expert at getting to the front of the queue, first time for a while I have pulled out just one ticket, not two wedged together, a peek inside and 109 was my home for the day.

109 can be a bit of a feast or famine peg, it used to have lots of tree cover, as well as brambles and other assorted foliage, but over the winter Steve and Matt had a bit of a chainsaw massacre of the LH bank, resulting in a major arboreal reduction.  This has opened the peg up a lot and it will be interesting to see if it changes it much this summer.  It has, probably justifiably, a reputation of being feast or famine, being a corner/end of lake peg that has seen some good anglers struggling, while other days it throws up big weights.

I was expecting to mug a few and maybe catch short, with a bigger expectation of catching up the edge. As its such a short walk to the peg, I wasn't surprised not to see any fish showing themselves, there is always a bit of commotion in the car park at the start with everyone unloading their vans and giving some stick about draws.  A waggler set up, with the smallest Middy fatboy waggler, a lead rod - not expecting to use it and more topkits than usual, as I had brought some paste.

Topkits were a mugging rig, two paste rigs - one for straight in front out by the tree, one for the edge, another margin rig for 16m up the LH edge, a neat rig for 5m and a pellet rig for full depth.  Starting on the meat short saw one roach to show for my efforts, its certainly not been as effective as previous years, so far at least.  Clint on 74 was catching by mugging, but I couldn't see any fish, so that was ruled out for me.  I did try a bit of random long lining to the tree, but to no avail.

After an hour and 20 minutes, my one roach was all I had to show for my efforts, having tried several lines and I was beginning to think it was going to one of those days.  There's not a great waggler cast on this peg, but I picked it up and with a bit of an awkward left handed cast (tree avoidance) I landed the float in the open water in front of the tree and I was a tad surprised when it buried and I had my first fish which was just about double figures.  I kept at this and saw a swirl and cast to it, shortly after another fish circa 10lb was landed, that was the end the waggler caught fish.

One frustrating part of the day, was the amount of twigs and branches that lie on the bottom or under the water along the edges and I spent a fair bit of time being an involuntary swim clearer in the first 2 hours....  You can just see the top of the float in the picture as I clear yet another sunken snag!

I'd been feeding the RH edge, but its a bit shallow and never produced a bite, the short meat line remained devoid of fish, as did the long line out to the tree.  Thankfully the LH edge did come to life, I was fishing 16m to a tiny divot in the bank, pinging 8mm pellets, with a banded 8mm pellet on the hook. It started off slowly with a small tench, then a skimmer, before the first carp took an interest, it shot into a snag and I had to pull for break, the 0.18 hooklength parted.  Next drop in another not far of double figures , then not long after another.  The next bite I lifted into resulted in a much more savage response, the fish charged off as if it was foul hooked, but I didn't think it was, the rig held strong and a fish around 17lb joined the other in the net.

I caught in the same manner, pinging the 8mm pellets at 16m, just pulling the hookbait up the shelf, intermittently until the all out and I was admitting to 115-120lb.  The scales gave me 126.13, so not too far out, as my tench roach, skimmer and 3 stockies went 7lb odd.  Thankfully that was enough for the section win, it was never going to trouble the top weights on Campbell, but at least I'm not out of it with 2 rounds to go, although there is some stiff competition!!

Stopped in the Farrington Inn for a welcome cold beer on the way home - nearly like the old days -except we didn't stay until closing time.......

Viaduct Spring League R2, Sunday 6th May 2018

Travelled down to this one with Tony (and Judith) Rixon, with the promise of good weather I was expecting to see the fish up on the top, although when we got to the fishery it was a bit misty, but that didn't last too long before the sun burnt through.

I was mentally wishing a decent draw into my hand and can't say I was overjoyed to see peg 60 - even fishery owner Steve Long asked with a wry, ironic smile how I manage to draw so consistently....  Still, whilst I think that there are better pegs in the section, I still needed a section win to get my series back on track.  Two more negatives about the peg - firstly its the wrong side of the lake for mugging, too much silver water to see the fish and secondly, for an unsociable sod like me, its on a public footpath and at the point where the path takes anglers round to Match, Middle and Spring lakes, on a nice day there is a fair bit of footfall behind........

Tony had parked the van down by Campbell, so off he went to bring it back up this end, as he had drawn 59, so each others company for the day, I did keep reiterating to him how much better 59 was than 60, although he isn't one to be 'got at' mentally before a match, in all fairness, the margin is probably better than 60, but as I had 61 not in, I was hoping that would work in my favour.

I had Andy Power virtually opposite on 69, not in my section thankfully, as he is a skilled mugger of fish and he had the added advantage of being the right side of the lake.  I did wonder if skimmers might play some part in the match for some of us on Lodge today, so I did set up a rig to fish for them with banded pellet, a LWG 20 on 0.12.  A similar rig, but with a 0.16 and a 16 LWG in case it got good and the carp moved in.  The usual Malman Roob for meat short, a shallow rig, a mugging rig and a margin rig.  I decided to leave all the rods in the bag.

I didn't give the usual starting method of meat short, more than 10 minutes, as it didn't work during last weeks festival and it didn't work again today.  So out to 14m and a 6mm pellet in the band after feeding some 4's and a bit of corn.  No indications on this and by now Andy Power had a couple of fish, mugging with a light waggler.  I did have a skimmer on corn, but now Phil Hardwick on 57 on my section had a carp, so I had to catch one.

By the way Andy was fishing, he could see the fish and was picking them off, as previously mentioned, the water was silver for most of my peg and the fish were not visible.  But, I had to do something, so out of the bag with a waggler rod and I could finally see a fish just this side of the middle, using meat on the hook to get a slow fall, I managed to hook and land the fish I saw, then not too long after another, when I had my third, I knew I had 3 fish for over 40lb.

It was a long wait between fish, even to see them coming my was difficult, whereas Andy was catching one a chuck, by picking them off.  The fish that did venture this side of the lake were very wary, I could see them spooking away as soon as Tony brought his pole within2 or 3m of them.

I did try the RH margin, it was pretty much a non starter, with nothing caught from there, I don't think foot traffic to and from the other lakes was a help, a downside of the sunny weather. I managed  pick off 7 fish in the end all on the waggler and weighed 70.02, which was enough for second in the section, typically for me, the lowest weight section and the only one not to have a ton weight.  Not surprisingly, a long way off the top weights on the venue, which were awesome, just awesome.

Guru Festival, Viaduct, May 2018

Three day festival at Viaduct, which was popular and sold out, 54 anglers over 3 lakes, when I booked in back in the winter, I assumed we'd be basking in sun and mugging fish, as it turns out, I was still wearing thermals on the first day of the festival.  The drive down to Viaduct was in miserable weather, heavy rain and very misty, especially by Shepton Mallet.

Plenty of familiar faces at the draw, which was a free draw first day and then a lake rotation on the subsequent days, so plenty of banter flying about and everyone hoping for a good draw to start the festival, I was actually first in the tub and all the flyers were in there...... safe to say, I didn't pull one out, 25 on Spring for me and who pulls out the next peg (26) but Trigger, so no pressure then.

I was given a bit of advice by Steve Tucker, so decided that would be one approach, a feeder to the aerator , the peg has no margins to speak of, a tree on the RH side does look inviting for a topkit line, but plumbs up so snaggy, I stayed well clear, the other margin, given the clarity of the water and the proximity of peg 26 was discarded as not practical.

So, waggler, to fish for whatever turned up, a straight lead and a feeder, a rig to fish meat in front of the tree to my right, two rigs to fish pellet on the deck, one with a solid 10 elastic and 0.16/0.14 to a 18 LWG and another with 0.20/0.16 to a 16 B960, just in case it got good...... ever the optimist!!

A chat with Trigger and a nose at his rigs before the start and on the all-in I started on the lead with 8mm pellet out to the aerator.  Not so much as a liner, so it only lasted 20 minutes as over on peg 1 Joe McMahon was catching skimmers on the pole, on pellets.  I had a look on this line and it was quite slow, while Joe was getting one a bung, neither myself or Trigger could match his catch rate.

Then Trigger hooked a carp on his skimmer rig and seconds later, so did I, bit of tussle getting it in  as it was nudging double figures, Trig had another on this line, but I didn't hook another all day!!  I gave the feeder a good 3/4 of an hour with just 1 skimmer on corn to show for it, I spent the rest of the match fishing corn on the waggler picking up odd good skimmers. Ending up with 32.06 and 4 points, so a disappointing start, but beaten by 3 corner pegs and 50lb+ more needed for another point - really not sure where that could have come from

Onto day 2 and the rotation put us on Campbell, early into the tub again and not overjoyed with the draw which saw me going to 113, it can be good if the waggler works or if the fish come short, but as most were predicting a shallow fishing day (no thermals today....) it's not the best to compete with the pegs further out in the lake.

Sam Powell, Mark Wynne and Jamie Parkhouse on 130,129 and 112 got off to a flying start fishing shallow, whilst I had two on the waggler then nothing, I did try shallow on the pole, but as predicted, sat too far back to reach the fish.  I then had one on the lead, but as it was so slow and I was so far behind I had to try the edges, earlier than I would have liked, I had one fish down the RH edge, but it wasn't very encouraging.  I went down the LH edge and between 1500-1600 hooked and lost 8 fish, the first went into a snag, 2 snapped 0.18 as I was holding on, trying to stop them getting to the snag (the Daiwa Multi Margin is one strong bit of kit!!) and another was lost as the rig loop burst open - my fault for not retying it after changing two hooklengths that had put extreme pressure on it - the others the hook just pulled out.

Torrid day and I was sure I'd be last on lake, as it was my meagre 85lb was worth 6 points, so 6th in section and that was it festival over, another day I am struggling to see where more fish could have come from.

Day three, Cary and all there was left to fish for was pride and the lake win.  Sticking with the early into the draw and I pulled three stuck together, the last two days I'd pulled two stuck together and dropped them back in, today I took the outer one and dropped the others back in.  Hopefully a good move as peg 90 was to be my home for the day.  It can be an awesome peg in the right conditions, but even on its average days there are always a few resident fish to target.

It had won the section yesterday, so hopefully I could repeat that.  I set up two wagglers and a lead rod, and topkits to cover the RH margin and this was the same depth as going 16m up the end bank, so same rig for that.  LH edge was shallower, so a lighter, shorter float for that, a rig for meat at 5m, a pellet rig for on the deck and one shallow.

The bog standard start, meat short, the same result as the last two days - nothing!  A switch to the lead up to the end bank brought a double figure fish and then 2 stockies, before that went dead.  Shallow on the pole proved fruitless and I did have one on worm over the pellet line at depth, but it was loner by the look of it.

I was hoping to get away with not going 16m up the end bank, but needs must and I had 2 carp and a couple of stockies straight away, before that also went slow, but by persevering I topped up the feed with 10-12 pellets and 6 pieces of meat and had odd fish through the match, including a couple of commons that tested every bit of kit to the limit, but my usual set up of Orange Vespe, Stroft line and Guru XS hooks made sure I landed everyone, including one not too far off 20lb.

3 carp for a bit over 40lb...

I felt I fished a fairly tidy match, a relief after yesterdays nightmare of losing 8 fish on the trot..... and the scales gave me 134.08, enough to win the section and pick up the last Superpool money, buy getting 3rd on the lake - beaten into third by Ben Hagg, who weighed 134.09 - couldn't be closer!!!

Well done to the winners and framers, it was a decent festival, thanks to Ben & Guru for running it and to Steve, Helen & Matt at Viaduct.

Top Ten.
1. Phil Cannings - 3 points
2. Craig Edmunds - 5 points
3. Lee Pisticcio - 6 points
4. Steve Hutter - 7 points / 419lb 2oz
5. Dan White - 7 points / 415lb 15oz
6. Carl Williams - 8 points
7. Sam Powell - 9 points / 417lb 11oz
8. Grant Albutt - 9 points / 379lb 11oz
9. Dave Romain - 9 points / 376lb 9oz
10. Pete Upperton - 9 points / 326lb 13oz