Landsend Open, Sunday 26th September 2021

 I say open in the title, it was a knock up really, with 13 fishing on lake 3.  I wasn't overjoyed when I drew 46, one away from the last time I was here.  For those that don't know the lake this picture sums why I guessed I'd have a fleece on, whilst those on the opposite bank would be in T shirts and sun cream.... The bank the side that says little rhyne stays in the shade all day, I don't like and I'm sure this fish don't either.  peg 46 can fish to the RH end of the middle island.

I thought maybe the island might be the best place to catch, so set up a rig for banded pellet, where ever I plumbed in the peg I was struggling to find 2' of water, the level is down.  I set up a rig to fish for silvers at 6 joints and margin rigs, also a meat rig for later in the match.

Starting across to the island was awkward, shipping back over the otter fence was hurting my thumb and I only had one small crucian to show for it,  I decided to fish for silvers and had a run of crucians, skimmers roach and perch at 6 joints on maggot over GB.  No decent size fish but at least it was bites, it wasn't manic but something to work at whilst I could see it was fishing hard.

I fed live maggots shorter, hoping to get silvers in short, but all I had initially was micro perch, then a carp.  Thought he might be a one off, but then hooked another that broke me.  Switched to a heavier rig (heavier main line and hooklength, not heavier float), as by now the silvers had disappeared, I had 4 more carp but they weren't exactly abundant.

At least it didn't rain and my silvers weight of 12.09 was enough to win the silvers, so a pick up both days of the weekend, best I could do from there i felt, as the top three all came from the far bank.

And they even let me have a crayon to fill in the weigh sheet.....

Acorn Open, Saturday 25th September 2021

 Fourth of my summer matches at Acorn, 20 fishing so everyone would have a bit of room on the lake, I like to peg it so the bridges only have one peg in, as they are close together.

I was due to fish the Landsend 3 day festival last weekend, but sadly had to pull out due to a broken thumb which happened on the previous weekends camping trip.... pulling out of matches I have booked into is not something I usually do, but had no choice, I doubt I could have got my tackle to the peg and set up, let alone fish.  The hospital said rest, pain killers and anti-inflammatory pills, so a week of that and the swelling is down and I have some movement back and fishing is restful isn't it....

Two pegs left in the bag, Martin Rayet took the penultimate ball - 23, leaving me peg 1, a rare trip over the bridge onto the island for me.  I did set up a rig to fish across at 14m, but I could feel that fishing that lengt wasn't going to be comfortable on my thumb, so concentrated on the edge and short rigs when setting up.

I was going to concentrate on 3 lines, the RH margin, which is very short and on a corner, at short line feeding maggots and a 0.1g float with a couple of 11's strung out and a line at topkit +1 where I would feed micros and fish corn or pellet over the top.

First hour was a bit slow and I only had two carp and frustratingly lost four decent perch (how come some days you land every perch and others days lose most of them....) I tried the micro and corn line, that did produce a couple of carp, but mainly nice roach were more attracted to the corn.

I wasn't finding fishing short too painful so decided to go down the margin early than I usually would, I pretty much stayed there the rest of the match, I could see activity every time I fed, so whilst I may have rested it by going long for a couple of spells, my thumb dictated otherwise and I rode out the quieter spells.  Couple of mini-disasters, I hooked one fish that dashed off round the corner and when the rig came flying back and tangled in the grass, I could see the mess that was someone else's rig, minus a float and hook all wrapped round mine, I guess the fish was trailing this and I hooked it. 

New rig on and with 40 minutes to go I hooked a decent fish, probably a double by the feel of it, the elastic snapped at the puller, I managed to wrap it round the pole tip and get hold of it, but the fish managed to snap the hooklength and the float flew back into the next and snapped the tip off - great.

Another rig on and I lost a bit of rhythm, which probably cost me a place or two, as I put 158.02 on the scales for 5th and last in the money.

 

Teams of Three, R1, Shiplate Sunday 5th September.

 I said I'd fish this a while back, wasn't sure what the set up was, I just knew I was fishing of one of the two Landsend teams entered.  Turns out I was in Landsend B with Steve Segar and Rod Wootten.

The draw gave me the longest walk on the complex, 15 on Westpool.  I left the waggler and feeder rods in the van.  Given its an end peg I was expecting to catch a few off to my left, although the wind had been pushing up the other end for a week or more, but surely there would be a few hungry residents.....

Rig for across with banded pellet, meat down the track, shallow rig, margin rig for the LH edge and a shallower one for the RH edge and end bank.  Started across and had 3 fish for just over 20lb in the first three put ins, I was starting to think this might be a good day.  The fish had other ideas, the bites dried up and I had to nick an odd fish from across, one from the RH margin, two from the LH margin and one from the end bank, it was a proper struggle, not much more to say.  My 51.05 was enough for 3rd on the lake, as a team we were joint first on points, but lost out on weight.

Foxy's Two Dayer, Viaduct, Fri/Sat 3rd/4th September 2021

 It doesn't seem long for this annual event to roll around, although this year is a smaller match than previous years given the situation at Viaduct where Cary is no longer available to book for matches.  This means that next year I have booked Shiplate Farm Fishery, so the event will revert to fishing pile only one day on one lake and any method the other on the main lake.

Thanks to Steve and Helen at Viaduct for hosting this year, the usual friendly welcome (hope Matt is feeling better, as we didn't see him, he was confined to his sickbed).

21 Fishing, the usual crowd down from Smithy's in a lodge, boosting the local pubs profits..... and still managing to fish the next day.  The match was filled by invitation only, those who had previously fished, Friday saw everyone turn up promptly and pay their dues, so we could get the draw done on time.  21 on Campbell, 3 sections of 7, only section money to fish for on the day.

I got Paul Nichols to draw my peg and he didn't endear himself to me when I opened the card and saw 130 - not the worst peg on the lake, but probably not the one you'd choose in a two day combined weight match.  Never mind, after ensuring I'd stashed the cash away safely, I went to the peg hoping to maximise the weight in readiness for a better draw on Saturday.

As it was pole only, nice and simple to set up, meat short, pellet at 11m, no skimmer rig today, as I wanted land every carp hooked, another rig for pellet at 14m, didn't think there was a need to go longer, but had the sections ready if it was necessary.  A margin rig as well, although with 129 and 131 in I wasn't at all convinced the margin would be a banker.

Started on meat short and had the usual skimmer, I also had a carp, but it was slow going, I did persevere for a bit, but eventually went out to the 11m line where I had 3 carp straight away, but then nothing.  It was a day where you had to switch lines and hope to nick a fish, before moving again, as expected the short line started to come good towards the end, leaving me with 134.10 which was 11th on the day, leaving me needing a big weight tomorrow.  Paul Faiers on 113 won on the day with 206.01.

Saturday morning saw a few hangovers and the normal pre-match banter and stating which pegs were desirable.  Today I dropped Paul Nichols from drawing for me and Mike Walker got the prestigious slot... He drew me 132, which is a peg that can be good and also has off days, I must admit it's not been a peg that I have had much success from.

A sunnier day than yesterday, I did expect the fish to be shallow, so a shallow rig and a swinging/mugging rig set up and a depth pellet rig  The usual meat line rig, margin rigs one to fish further up the edge and one to fish on the shallow shelf in the peg.

Had one carp on the meat short and one skimmer, but there was little activity to keep me on that line, I went out shallow but couldn't get a bite, the sun had come round a put most of my peg in the shade, the fish seemed to want to be out in the sun.

I did have a couple by sticking it out long on pellet on the deck, the LH edge was seemingly devoid of fish and the RH edge which was to be my banker was similarly biteless in the deeper water on pellet, tried meat and that produced one perch.  I fed some GB and maggots onto the shelf and that brought plenty of bites, but it was all perch, skimmers and hybrids, no carp.

I was now convinced I was falling well behind Phil on peg 131, as he was catching shallow, every time I looked round his elastic was out.  I went back to the previous days tactics of rotating lines and picked off an odd fish, but really couldn't put a run together.  Finally at 16:30, with 30 minutes to go, some tail patterns down the edge and I started to catch, too little too late, ending with 147.02 for second in section by 3lb.  Dan White winning from 115 with 253.03.

Dan White did enough to take the win and pocket the £350 top prize, along with the section money and superpool, with Andy Lloyd in second, after drawing the same peg both days, Paul Faiers with third place and Last in the money Alex Nadin.

Thanks to all who supported the match and I'll put full details of next years match at Shiplate on 2nd/3rd Sept 2022.

Viaduct Costcutter, Thursday 2nd September 2021

 Just getting a feel of the place again before my two dayer, tomorrow and Saturday.  Into the coffee tin early and pulled out 118, not the worst peg on the lake.

I had pellets and meat, no other baits, set up a lead rod that went away at the end, unused.  A waggler rod and topkits for the margin, meat short, pellet long up and down and a light strung out rig for skimmers if needed.

Started short on meat, bt slow a couple of skimmers and a perch.  Not many carp being caught on the pegs I could see, so went out to 9m and the strung out rig, had a couple of skimmers but more carp were evident, as I had a couple and lost a couple of foulers.

I ended up rotating between the waggler, the meat line and the margin, although that was pretty unproductive, just two carp, although they went about 19lb between them.  Couldn't get any line to really switch on and inevitably, just as I though I had, it would die off and I would have to switch.

Enjoyable day with just over 100lb of carp and 35lb of skimmers, which was enough for 3rd over all and 2nd in silvers.  lets hope I'm thereabouts at this time tomorrow night....