Shiplate Open, Sunday 25th April 2021

 Ever forgotten something - well not even forgotten, just not had it when you've arrived at your peg, well today was that day, no rig roost, thought I'd gone mad a checked the peg at least 4 times.  Travelled down with Tony, so went and got his van keys to check in the van, not there, so two options, it had gone missing at Viaduct or was in my van, I sat stewing on its whereabouts all day.

Both canals in again as last week, this week a draw on Hawthorns for me peg 10 next to another blogger in the shape of Mike Nicholls.  This would give me plenty of space across, as Mike wouldn't be trouble the residents of the far bank.

I fully expected to catch on hard pellets, so s rig for them across, a mugging rig, a rig for meat short and a margin rig,  The mugging did get picked up, but it was never going to wok, the fish I could see were too deep and moving around too fast.  I just couldn't get the fish to settle across, so gave the meat short a try, never had a bite on it.  

I had found a nice shelf down to my right and fed a few maggots and a nugget of GB and some maggots, as the sun came round onto the margin I had a nice run of fish from it, before the bankside foliage cast its shadow and the fish departed.  I think I tried it to make the margin work for too long after it went quiet, as I did go back across and shallowed up, pulling a pellet up the far bank shelf.  That produced a couple more fish, pretty certain that I wouldn't have beaten Matt's 191lb to win, maybe the lack of ripple for the second day running didn't help.

Matt used 6 pints or so of caster, causing a few grumbles, not from me, its an open, if the bait is allowed then its fair game, I can recall the same years ago with bloodworm - cost being the gripes.

I ended up 5th, which isn't the worst result, but the peg was worth a bit more, when I got home the rig roost was in my van, must have fallen off the trolley and I didn't notice in the excitement of picking up an Indian on the way home Saturday.....

Viaduct Open, Saturday 24th April 2021

 Hadn't got a match booked until I heard that a club cancelled their booking at Viaduct and there was an open instead.

Was happy enough with the draw on 116 - at least before the match... fairly standard set up, a lead rod, waggler stayed in the bag as the wind looked a bit iffy. Rigs for the margin, meat short, pellets at 9m and 16m.  Didn't think they want to be down on the deck, so all rigs were spread shotting for a slow fall through the water.

I was a lot tougher than I thought it would be with over an hour gone before I put a fish in the net, that was on the long pellet line, but it was the only one from there. By now the ripple had gone as the wind had come pretty much from behind, so off the box and waggler set up to reach halfway, where there was still some ripple, but nothing.

I did chuck the lead out and had a carp and skimmer in two chucks, but they were the only two bites on it.  Whilst it was out I made up some GB and I did have a coupe, of skimmers and carp on whilst the wind did out some ripple back on my side, but it didn't last long, the ripple or the bites.

Going into the last 40 minutes I thought I was ahead of Lee on 115, he dropped into his margin and had 3 for 42lb, I dropped into mine and had 2 skimmers, roach and a small carp, just about summing the day up, I guess I knew then that it wasn't my day. Lee 'won' our bank and the section, so fair play to him.

Definitely on the wrong bank today, as all the weights came from pegs with the wind blowing into them, oh well, at least it didn't rain.  

Open, Shiplate Farm, Sunday 18th April 2021

 Todays match was an open at Shiplate, on both canal lakes with the payout being top two and silvers on each lake, given the small silvers weights that seem to come from these lakes I do wonder if it wouldn't be better just to pay overall places.

Had the luxury of a ride down with Tony today, he managed a peg on the favoured Hawthorn, whilst I had to settle for peg 6 on Westpool.  3 baits today, pellets, maggots and meat.  Rigs set up for banded pellet across, meat at 5m, margin and a rig to fish maggots or soft pellet through the water.

Started over on the banded pellet and had a liner/fouler that came off straight away and that was it for over 2 hours, the only fish I had was 3oz skimmer of a line at 13m that I fed a nugget of GB and some maggot.

I did see some carp start to move about and did manage to mug 3, but it was a case of waiting until I saw one and then trying the mugging, I think the ratio was something like 30 or more to one and after 3 they seemed to disappear again.   I did manage a brief run of fish by fishing maggots shallow against the far bank and catapulting maggots, that was one a chuck for 5 fish and then they went as soon as they came, I reverted to fishing maggot on the deck across and had a couple more in the last hour.  I was expecting to be beaten by end peg 15 and peg 10 which had the advantage of the angler on 11 going home and not going to his peg.

I was pleasantly surprised to get 2nd on the lake and maybe, I could have found a way to get the extra 3 fish needed to win the lake, there was no chance of competing with the other lake.  Tony was 2nd on his lake, so a fairly content van on the way home.

Maesknoll Open, Acorn, Saturday 17th April 2021

 I am running an open a month at Acorn and have also made it an optional series, 18 fishing the first one of which 12 entered the series.  I tried pegging it with only one peg either side of the bridges, as they haven't been the fliers they once were.

Having done that, I waited until the last ticket was left in the bucket and ended up on 34 next to one of the bridges.  Having caught on hard pellet the week before, I fully expected to catch on it again, so set out my stall to fish banded pellet over and down the shelf.   A rig for maggot down to the pallet of 32 and one for pellet against the bridge.

After an hours without a fish I was regretting the decision to fish pellet and cursing myself, as on Friday I had meant to pick up some bread and forgot, Paul Faiers on peg 31 was catching dobbing bread.  I tried white maggots dobbed over, but not so much as a liner.

I fed some micros and fished soft pellet to the middle of the bridge, this was also a waste of time, I had been feeding maggots to the bridge by hand, so set up a rig to fish maggot at the bottom of the near shelf, a strung out rig with a 20 LWG on 0.11.  This brought bites for the rest of the match and seeing as I couldn't catch anywhere else in the peg, I stuck with it, to weigh 35.02 of silvers, just getting pipped by Des Shipp who had 37.15.

Didn't get a picture of the overall winner, Martin Rayet, so will have to make do of one of me and one of Des.

Thanks to those who fished and the next one is on 22nd May.

Ivy House Open, Sunday 11th April 2021

 First trip back to Ivy House since the lockdown ended, only 10 fishing to day on the match lake, so more of a knock up.

The weather that greeted me as I set up on peg 4 was pretty horrendous, hail/freezing rain and a chill wind, so I set out to fish maggots and expanders on the pole to catch anything and everything, I did set up a waggler to fish banded pellet into the gap in the islands.

To cut out any boring waffle, I never had a bite on the waggler and had to rotate two pole lines at 14.5m and a shorter line at 7 joints, I tried soft pellet on one of these lines, with GB and maggots on the other long line and the short line.  I had one bite and one skimmer on expander and had to switch to pinkies to get bites, this gave me skimmers and a couple of roach for 8.10, which won the silvers, I did have one carp of 4.0 on the skimmer rig.  Tough day, but I do enjoy days like this when you have to work for every fish.

Acorn Winter League, Saturday 10th April 2021

 The delayed winter league started again today, the second round, it was still pretty winter like, so I was going to do my best to keep my paws out of the bait tub and off the catapult.  Only managed a section 3rd last round, so needed to improve on that.  On this league, it really is only the section that matters, as no overall money is paid out, just first and second in each section, which is a fair to do this, as the sections can be wildly different in the depths of winter.

Peg 38 was drawn for me, with three bridge pegs in the section I was wondering if I had my work cut out here to improve on the last round.  It was cold, but I still expected the fish to be in the shallower water, so a rig to fish across to the island shelf, one for the bottom of the shelf, one for down the track and one for the margins.  Bait tray was simple 4 and 6mm hard pellets, 4mm expanders and maggots.

I made sure I couldn't pick up the catapult by not getting one out, so it was a pot on the pole to start, went straight across with banded 6mm pellet and had indications and lost a fouler straight away.  Then had a fish fair and square,  I also tried a lie across with maggots and never had a bite on them... I had to feed to get the fish to come to the bait, but I wasn't convinced they were feeding properly, I swapped between the shelf and the bottom of the shelf to keep off fish coming and then I had a bit more activity on the shelf and was just going to get the catapult out, when the wind turned and the peg went flat calm.

I struggled to get a bite anywhere in the peg, so fed some maggots down to the pallet of 37, this brought 4 fish, nothing too big, but it kept something going in the net, had one more across just as the ripple started again, shortly before the all out.

Managed to put 62.15 on the scales for the much needed section win and that was third overall, with the top two weights coming from A section.

Open, Shiplate Farm, Easter Monday, 5th April 2021

 Nice to see a venue not afraid to have a sensible pool, making this match £30, all three lakes in paying top 3, one in the silvers and £70 every 6 pegs, pools definitely haven't kept up with the cost of living.

Rolling draw from 07:30, with fishing from 10:30 - wow, that's a lot of time to sit at your peg, so we didn't get there and draw until 09:00, shortish walk for me, peg 6 on the main lake, with a cold wind blowing across and at me - great.  I suspected I'd be be pushed to beat the pegs at the 'house' end of the lake and to try would mean sitting on a method or bomb and pellet most of the match.  

I did set up a method, but it went away again at the end, unused.  I decided to fish for silvers, bit of a gamble with just the one payout, I plumbed up at 13m and 6 joints, rigs with a 18 F1 hook on 0.10 fluorocarbon, one with a bulk and two droppers, one with a spread bulk.  Also a feeder rod, cage feeder and a 0.10 hooklength / 18 F1 hook.

Bait was to be GB, pinkie and maggot, with a few micros to put in if it felt right.  Started on the feeder and it was slow, 5 skimmers in the first hour, I'd fed the 6 joints pole line (wind was too strong to fish 13m) and had a look - nothing, back on the feeder and one more skimmer, but it had died right off, I took the clip off and went out seven more turns, but still nothing.

Another look on the 6 joins pole line and the skimmers started to show, I switched to feeding nuggets of GB through a toss pot, this seemed the best way, rather than larger cups,  it wasn't hectic and finding the trip against the wind was essential, as most bites came as the float was just held and the bait lifting in the tow,

Pinkies were by far the best bait, I had fed a some meat at the bottom of the shelf and did have a quick spell trying it, when the bites tailed off, cupping in a bigger ball on that 6 joints line before I  I did.  No indications on the meat, so back over the GB, odd indications and I did bump a couple, I suspect were liners, then with 15 minutes to go, the peg started fizzing, I thought it was a carp, but I had three decent skimmers in tat last 15 minutes, they had got there heads down right at the end.... typical!!

Scales came round and I put 27.04 on the scales, which proved enough to win the silvers, so the right decision, as the payout was more than a section win. it stopped a poor run over the Easter weekend and was far more enjoyable than sat on a method praying fo0r a pull from a carp.  Roll on next week!!

Open, Landsend, Easter Sunday 4th April 2021

 Landsend, polarizes my thoughts, love the tranquility of the place, hate my dismal record fishing it.  So with the new owner stamping his mark on it, I headed back, huge amount of work has been carried out, new paths, new platforms, restocking and much of the rampant foliage and arboreal incursions removed.

Was not thinking of any particular draw, so was fairly ambivalent when I saw 22 looking back at me on the swimcard, with my mate Paul on peg 24.  The venue is pole dominated, so that's all I took, a rig for across on the far shelf, two spots plumbed up at the same depth.  A rig for bottom of the shelf across, one for meat short, an edge rig and a silvers rig.

This is going to be another blog that is difficult to write anything meaningful, I started short on meat, the water was a bit clear, so it was without much conviction and I never had so much a liner there.  Had a look down the track on pellet and that was again, biteless.  Over onto the shelf, biteless and no indications, I got off my box and made up some GB and started a maggot GB/maggot line down the track, this saw a few small tench and crucians netted, but I was going nowhere fast.

The wind was horrendous, but it did drop for a short spell just before 14:00 and I had one carp across then, by now Paul on 24 was fishing for silvers, catching on pinkies, I didn't have any, so spent the last 90 minutes fishing 5 maggots down the edge for 4 more carp, 2 small F1's and 2 perch.  Didn't even bother the scales, not a great start back to match fishing.

Viaduct Open, Saturday 3rd April 2021

 Back to Viaduct today, drew 112, with 11 empty, so absolutely no complaints on that.

Same cold easterly wind as yesterday, similar set ups and had a 6lber second drop in short on meat, so was hopeful it would be a good day.  I then hooked a big fish on the short line, suspect it was in the 'wing' as it took off, jumped out like a skimmer and ran until the elastic bottomed out, I thought the 0.15 hooklength had parted when the elastic came back at a rate of knots, but the whole rig was gone - the elastic had cut through, I have been using the knot and bead method of attaching the line direct to the elastic for ages and never had a problem, I hate losing floats/rigs.

Out on the 11m line with pellets and the light rig, had a couple of skimmers and 3 carp on this in an hour or so, slow but not miles behind, then a foul hooker and to compound the earlier misery, this one took the rig as well the elastic parting, this time at the dacron..... I would have been upset, but by now I was chilled out by the amount of weed smoke I had inhaled from the carpers behind me on Cary....

I struggled for bites, trying the lead, waggler and long pole, but the aromatic herb smell was obviously keeping me mellow, I did have a a desire to get to the shop and buy half a dozen pasties to satisfy the munchies that were coming on.

With an hour and twenty to go I had 3 carp on the short meat line, along with a couple of skimmers and a roach that was at least 1lb.  I then had 40 minutes without a bite and wrapped up with 10 minutes to go, with about 12 or 13lb in the silvers net and 89lb on my clicker, so around 80lb tipped back, as I would be nearly last to weigh and I was sure I hadn't enough to pick up.

The carpers were packing up, so the free high was over, hoping I was OK to drive home, I disappeared before the results were in - wondering if I could drive past the chippy in Shepton as the weed fume induced munchies were still raging.....

Results from the Viaduct Match Fishing FB page and I'm wondering how I might get through a match tomorrow with no weed fog to chill me out....

Campbell / 21 anglers Overall 1. Mark Hayman - 153lb 4oz - peg 114 2. Dave White - 151lb 8oz - peg 135 3. Malcolm Bond - 148lb 11oz - peg 131 4. Phil Hardwick - 119lb 12oz - peg 116 5. Clive Barrow - 110lb 1oz - peg 132 Silvers 1. John Fuidge - 32lb 2oz - peg 123 2. Nigel Bartlett - 27lb 3oz - peg 126 3. Steve Denmead - 17lb 1oz - peg 128

Viaduct Open, Good Friday, 2nd April 2021

 Its a shame, but it going to be difficult to get onto Viaduct matches going forwards, as matches are being restricted to Campbell lake, so 21 peggers,  I got onto a couple over Easter, this one being the first, paid up and Matt drew me 125, I wasn't going to complain, as it can throw up some big carp on the short line and does have a decent history for silvers.

A cold easterly wind was putting a ripple on the water and was likely to make waggler fishing a non starter, so pole and bomb would be the most likely ways to catch.  I set up a rig with a light float, spread 11's (it was given to me by Dave Brittain and I have caught plenty of silvers on it) and 0.11 hooklength and a 18 LWG with a band.  A MW Steady with strung 11's to fish meat short, a Malman Roob for pellets long.

It was a match where I started well, toss potting 4mm pellets , with a 6mm in the band, at 11m, 2.5 hours in I had 5 carp and 20lb of skimmers, then the sub came out and the ripple stopped, Ben on 126 had been pinging pellets at 16m and I think he stole my fish (the carp), I should have changed from the tosspot to the catapult.  I struggled to get a bite in the sunshine and flat calm, whilst Ben had a run of fish chucking his bomb over the pole line.

I decided to sit it out on meat short, had another carp and a another 10lb of skimmers on this, but all to no avail as I ended up halfway in the match and one out of the money in the silvers, obviously a bit ring rusty, as I suspect the difference was the feeding.