Float Only Open, Avalon, Sunday 21st June 2020

This should have been one of the rounds of Tony's popular float only league, so it was run as a float only open.  When I got there and found there were 46 booked on (48 peg lake), I thought it would be a hard day, that's a lot of pressure for a lake that isn't match fished at that intensity often, but hard or not, someone still has to win.

I'd brought my waggler rods, fancying a day's waggler fishing, the shallow waggler to the island being a successful method on this lake.  That went out of the window when lake owner and Mosella UK boss Vic Bush drew me peg 48, the last peg on the far bank, a corner and a short walk from the car park - but no island....

The consensus was fish down into the corner and hang on, some of the lakes bigger fish reside there, so I duly had a plumb around - Vic told me there would be a shallow ledge, it shallows up nicely into the corner and the bottom turns from soft and slightly silty to gravel - perfect.  I couldn't plumb up properly to start with, so many twigs, brambles and branches had obviously blown in there over the spring and sunk....  A good clear out and I settled on two rigs, one set at 18" and another at 2'6".

I st a rig to fish expanders for skimmers at 14m - a rig to go over that with banded pellet if they got big or the carp showed up and a paste rig to fish paste short.

Well, I am not going to try and spin this out, there is very little to say, I started on paste, wasn't convinced I'd catch when there was absolutely no blows or signs over the feed.  Had a look down into the corner - where I'd been strict with myself and had potted just a few pellets in.  Nothing to show for that.  The skimmer line next, I'd fed a nugget of GB with micros in, really negative, nothing....

It took two hours to get a bite, a 4lber on 8mm pellet on the 2'6" rig against the far bank. Ten minutes later, a 9lber graced the net, I thought the corner was going to produce, but no, that was it, another hour without so much as a liner.

Back on the skimmer rig, I did have one bite on it, a small skimmer and that was it, no more.  At 15:15 I had a 7lber on the deeper edge rig, again on pellet and that was it, 3 carp and a skimmer for 20lb in 6 hours, I won't deny at times I was bored, as nothing I tried worked.  Two bouts of rain as well, so all in all it could have been a better day.  I even put a big pot of GB in the edge and tried worms over it, I had one little unidentified fish on it that fell off.

Bit of a shit run really, but upwards and onwards, next weekend could be better - Sunday at Todber, a short pole match, so not much to focus on.

Just to round off the expensive weekend, after the pole section ended up in Barston yesterday, got home and found the boiler leaking into my float making material.... the float making materials survived, but the boiler cost a few quid to repair.....

Barston Bowl Saturday 20th June 2020

Barston today for the Barston Bowl, not fished this before and I didn't realise the format when I bought the ticket, its 3 hours on the feeder, three hours on the pole, no catapults.  So in for a penny....

Good drive up, the M42 was a joy..... and how often can you say that!!!

Pools paid and peg 13 was drawn for me, no idea if it was good or not, but a couple of locals passed on their wisdom as the trundled their laden trolleys past me and most of it was less than positive, but you never know...

Three feeders set up, one at 30 turns, one at 55 turns and another at 80 turns, all methods of varying description, setting up I dropped a brand new Guru hydrid feeder behind my box and it bounced straight into the lake, no change of getting back at the bottom in front of the peg is rocky.

Some GB and micro pellets prepared and then the pole to set up, in all my years of fishing the pole, I have never lost a section in the lake, to day was a first, the No6 section slid out, into the lake and disappeared, a prod round with my longest landing net handle and couldn't feel it, I carry a spare pole, so took the No6 out of there - an expensive day and the whistle was still best part of an hour away..... 

Three topkits, a shallow rig, one with a band and an identical rig with a plain hook for corn.

Started on the 55 turn feeder and in an hour had one liner and a skimmer, next hour out at 80 turns, with nothing to show for it, a couple of carp caught by peg 12, not on the feeder, he was fishing a bomb and T bag, the guy on 15 also had a carp on that - I couldn't follow suit, I had no T bags or PVA to make any.

Last hour I tried something different, bit the method off the short rod an set up a cage to fish GB/micros and corn on the hook to see if the skimmers were likely to com to the pole line. I had 12lb in the last hour - I should have fished it all three as 38lb won the section.

Onto the pole, 45 minutes before the pole match started I fed the 13m line ( I decided to just fish one line for the three hours) with GB/micros and corn, two rock hard balls so it wouldn't break up immediately.

On the start, I topped it up with a small ball of the same and dropped over it, I was getting indications and a couple of foulers, then I had a couple of decent skimmers and it went quiet, I topped up again and then had 5 decent skimmers in 5 put ins, whilst unhooking the last fish I saw a Crested Grebe diving over my bait, that seemed to put the skimmers off and I struggled to get them back.  I should have probably gone out to 16m, but it was getting windy and I wasn't sure I could.

I had a few small F1's and that was it, I heard there was a 20lb as the scales came up, knew I only had  about 15/16lb so tipped them back.  As it looks I would have improved on my 6th in section on the feeder, to 2nd on the pole, but it didn't matter, as the Bowl winner came from my section, so well done to Graham Wall.

A tough day, the weather treated us to extremes of a chilly wind, clouds, rain and a spell where the apricity was most welcome,  I enjoyed it - apart from the No6 sinking quicker than the titanic.

Viaduct Open Sunday 14th June 2020

Back again for the second of two days at the scenic Viaduct fishery.  I thought I'd learnt a bit from yesterday, but maybe not.....

The draw put me on 129, not a peg you'd complain about, so off I went, reasonably confident of catching a few.  With Trigger on 128 the other side of the spit, Steve Hutter opposite on 112 and Andy Power on 114, there was some stiff competition and that was just those I could see.

Another chat with the 'magic pellet' duo from yesterday... well a bit of banter really and I was setting up, simple really, a rig for the spit, where I really fancied to catch a few, long and short pellet rigs for depth, a shallow rig and I did set a rig for meat short, although it was more in hope than expectation, pellets were, I thought, going to be the bait for the day.

I did also get a waggler out of the bag and a lead rod, seeing as they'd come for the ride, I 'didn't expect to catch on the waggler, as the wind and water movement from the aerator were in the same direction.  The lead rod went away at the end unused....

Determined not to blow it at the start by being ebullient with the bait, I got some pole pots out of my bag <shakes head sadly, they should be reserved for winter> and started on meat short, cupping in 4 cubes.  This saw a couple of decent skimmers and one carp in the net, but it soon died off. I went long with pellets and had another fish, but a small one (4lb or so).  There were a few swirls, so I picked up the shallow rig and had three on that in 30 minutes, but it was hard work for little reward, they soon backed off.  I think where they are spread out a bit, they have soon realised they are being fished for again.

I had a look in the corner and the end of the spit, I had a decent mirror on meat and a tench, then a perch not far off 2lb, as well as smaller perch and roach - a sign there aren't too many carp there.  I was till confident the spit would come good and switched from nurturing my pellet lines gently, to trying to coax them a bit more - it works with Chub.....

Well, the coaxing didn't work, I didn't have a single bite from the end of the spit and I eked a few out of the corner, but nowhere near enough. I never felt there was an amount of fish in the peg.

I kept up my statement that there is at least 100lb off of every peg on Campbell in the summer, with 115lb odd,  but as time goes on, this is with fewer fish, when I first started fishing it the net limit was 80lb and that was 16 fish to a net..... put 16 in a net now and you could have nearly 200lb......

Another display by the fishing machine that is Andy Power, not sure if the fact that the angler on 113 packed up and went after 2 hours, helped out, but he probably didn't need that little bit of luck anyway.

Overall

1. Andy Power - 266lb 1oz - peg 114

2. John Gray - 245lb 13oz - peg 116

3. Martin Rogers - 227lb 14oz - peg 118

4. Dick Bull - 218lb 5oz - peg 121

5. Phil Hardwick - 197lb 12oz - peg 115

6. Paddy Curry - 193lb - peg 135

7. Craig Edmunds - 175lb 13oz - peg 128

8. Martin Preston - 169lb 11oz - peg 132

9. Steve Chant - 156lb 15oz - peg 123

10. Steve Hutter - 134lb 6oz - peg 112

11. Clive Barrow - 119lb 13oz - peg 119

Silvers

1. Nick Chedzoy - 44lb 14oz - peg 125

2. Kev Newman - 37lb 2oz - peg 124

3. Nick Ewers - 33lb 11oz - peg 127

4. Rich Studley - 32lb 14oz - peg 126

5. Steve Hutter - 31lb 2oz - peg 112

Viaduct Open, Saturday 13th June 2020

Got here just after 09:00 and most of the pegs gone, some people certainly are arriving early!!  Anyway handed over the money and was drawn 16 by Matt, 21 fishing today.  It's not had any form for a while - until the last two matches where it has framed, although the midweek matches do attract a few silvers anglers, so sometimes the results are slightly skewed as to what pegs might have done better overall.

Simple approach today, 6 and 8mm pellets, 8mm meat, a line at 5m, one at 14m and a lead rod and a waggler - just in case. Also a margin rig to fish both edges, although in this peg the RH margin is certainly the one that most often produces, there is a nice little shelf and a drop off to deeper water.  It was more consistent when the tree was in the water, but that low slung branch was removed last year.

I was interested talking to a couple of guys I haveeknown a long time, it transpired they are both using one of the pellet 'brands' that seem to be catching a lot of fish.  I'm not sure I am convinced of the effectiveness of flavourings and pellets that cost 3 times the standard pellet, but lately I have seen plenty of fish come out on them, maybe I'll have to give them a go.

Started on meat short and had two perch, a big skimmer, a roach and an rare (for Campbell) F1.  Switched to the long line to no avail, Nick Chedzoy on 115 was catching, but he is 2m further out, because of the bank/platform.  A switch to the waggler, set at dead depth brought a fish 1st and 3rd chucks, sussed it...... well not exactly, never had another bite on it.

Another go on the long pole, again not even a bite, by now I was a long way behind, I had regular looks in the margin, nothing to show for them, I'd switched the short line to pellets and did get a couple of fish from there, but it was little reward and I was expecting to be well down the pecking order.

Finally, with an hour and ten minutes to go, the margin switched on and I had a run of fish to about 16lb, too little too late, to claw my back on those who'd caught consistently and nowhere near troubling Sam who fell just 5lb short of breaking the venue record.

 Overall

1. Sam Powell - 455lb 1oz - peg 119

2. Nikki Miller - 253lb 13oz - peg 112

3. Dan White - 227lb 8oz - peg 128

4. Nick Chedzoy - 221lb 11oz - peg 115

5. Phil Hardwick - 219lb 10oz - peg 114

6. Martin Rayet - 205lb 2oz - peg 129

7. Chris Fox - 164lb 10oz - peg 116

8. Dave Bruton - 157lb 13oz - peg 132

9. Steve Denmead - 148lb 5oz - peg 127

10. Lee Massey - 143lb 13oz - peg 111

11. Ryan Morgan - 117lb 5oz - peg 126

12. Terry Leney - 102lb 2oz - peg 118

Silvers

1. Ryan Morgan - 33lb 7oz - peg 126

2. James Guy - 28lb 7oz - peg 125

3. John Fuidge - 20lb 7oz - peg 130

Acorn Open, Saturday 8th June 2020

Back to this popular fishery, I popped into Cadbury Angling and bought a couple of new keepnets before the start, two of my Drennan nets have broken rings and they are poking into the net, so no good for the fish, time for the bin....

I was surprised by how chilly it felt and was rather hopeful of a draw with the wind off my back, but no, peg 19 with it smack in the kisser, at least with Faiersy on 17 I would have someone to talk to.... or shout at with the wind and motorway noise.  Quite coincidentally, these were the two pegs we sat on two Saturdays ago when I had my first trip out after the lockdown, we both clicked 200lb that day, I wasn't convinced we'd be catching that today.

I'd spoken to Paul on the phone the afternoon before and he was watching Walshy catching plenty of fish on corn, so instead of sticking to pellets and worms, I also had corn.  I even set up a method rod in case the wind got too bad (and Fairsey had one set up, so just in case he started catching on it).

By the all in, I was feeling pretty cold and was wondering why I hadn't brought my winter clothing, but starting across, I had a fish about 5lb first put in, then a couple more, whilst many were potting bait or not going across, I can't resist the catapult, well that brought the ducks, not just one or two, as I don't mind a pair of ducks in amongst the bait, I think the fish are confident if the ducks are there.  This was 4 adults and 8 large ducklings.... 

Well I lost the plot a bit trying to get rid of them and by the time they'd gone the bites had dried up, I was cold and starting to wonder why I was sat in the tooth of that wind, not getting bites.  I tried to force the peg, across, short lines margin, all of them buggered up and I just wasn't enjoying it, I went through the motions, without any conviction. 

I could see Bob Gullick catching over on 34, I saw him swap a hooklength and I was sure he'd be down on 0.12 and a 20 hook, Fairsey got off his box and set up another rig, he started catching down the edge on 0.11, it was a day where my profligacy and pure apathy were to cost me, but I was cold, my back hurt and I wasn't fussed.

I packed up slowly and tidily with 30 minutes to go, no need to bother the scalesman, I have a got a load of 6mm Coppen pellets that were floating, I'm wondering if something has happened to them, as they never used to float!  Maybe they don't age too well.

Results below, well done Bob, a bit of finesse paid off - I must learn some restraint.  I picked up a kebab on the way home, plenty of chilli sauce and that was the best bit of the day, I was still cold and with a wind burnt face and a combination of glad it was over and pissed off to have got it so badly wrong.  

Sunday I was disappointed not to have an opportunity to fish a match, I wanted to get back down there ASAP and put things right, but that'll have to wait, not sure when I am next down there.  Viaduct Sat & Sun next weekend, so some 6mm pellets that don't float to get and lets hope the weather is more June-like!!!