Viaduct Costcutter, Thursday 3rd September 2020

 I'd booked into this match months ago, just to have a look at Viaduct before my two dayer and to sort out the pegging etc.

I wasn't intending to fish for silvers and when Matt drew 112 for me, that was definitely decided, carp would be the target.  With 113 in it does tend to affect the edges of 112, so whilst I set a rig up that would do for both edges, it wasn't with a lot of expectation. 

Usual rigs for the rest of it, pellet up and down, meat short and I also had a paste rig, just to give it a try.  I did set up a waggler and lead, but didn't use either of them, as Campbell is pole only in my match, so didn't see any point in chucking a lead out.

Started on meat short and had a carp and a couple of skimmers, then another carp and that was that, went long on pellet and if I fed I got liners, if I didn't feed, no indications.  Picked up the shallow rig and gave it a good 40 minutes for one more carp.  I tried the paste on a throwaway line off to my left and had two on that before that too died off.

I had one from the LH edge, one from the RH edge and a few more short at the end for 125.15 which was just enough for 3rd.  There was some surprise, as the winner fished a cage feeder to the aerator on 115, its not a method you see often.

Acorn 2 Dayer, Saturday and Monday 29th/31st August 2020

Saturday.

 21 fishing this 2 day event, given the rain and colder temps I brought some maggots, micros and corn, to accompany the usual hard pellets, I also had some paste, as it has been working on here.  

At the draw it was announced the match would on section points and then weight, I tried that with my two dayer on Viaduct and switched it to total weight, as it still gives you something to fish for on day two if you don't score good section points.

I was drawn peg 9, not a peg you'd complain about drawing, as it's the right end and is often in or around the frame.  It's less than 13m across, so a nice easy day, the lake was full right up, so I found about 18" across, not too deep, but enough I hoped to give them a bit of confidence to feed on the shelf.

There was another shelf about 3' deep a bit off the bank and I set another rig up for there. A rig for down the track, a rig for the margin which would do for both sides and a paste rig to fish at the bottom of the near shelf.

I thought I was going to have an easy match, as whilst it took me 15 minutes to get  a bite, but I then started catching reasonably regularly across, toss potting 4mm pellets with a 6mm in the band.  I had purposely not got a catapult out, as I wanted to give the potting a go with my usual resorting to the catty.

After 3 1/2 hours it started to die off, so I did get a catty out and that seemed to revive the peg for another 30 minutes, I had about 120lb or so, I then went an hour without a fish, tried the edge, down the track and back across, all to no avail.  

I switched to paste and this brought a few better fish in the last hour, but I had to sit and wait patiently for a bite, it was far from manic.  At the all out, I knew I was behind several I had seen catching, that penultimate hour was expensive, I ended up 5th, but was beaten by 3 in the section, so that's the end of that then.......

1. Sean Wilson                                    241-10 p38

2. Martin Rayet                                   225-05 p5

3. Mark Walsh                                    199-04 p6  

4. Kevin Perry                                     166-09 p1

5. Chris Fox                                        160-06 p9

6. Craig Chalingsworth                     154-11 p34

Monday.

Only a section to fish for and when I was handed peg 13, I knew it was a waste of a day.  Still there was always the challenge of trying to beat as many of the better pegs in the section as possible and to try and better where the peg finished on the first day (last but one in the section).  Mark Broomsgrove summed it up, "you'd run to that peg......................... in the winter!"

I got it into my head that the RH edge would be good, I could draw fish from the corner.  Also that I'd catch shallow across, if I couldn't catch on the deck.

Plumbing up I found the RH and and across was deeper than I'd like and across there was no mudline, nowhere to pull a pellet up the bank.

I should have brought casters (both days) my reliance on pellets didn't help as plenty of fish were caught on caster over the two days.  I was still shaking my head at Martin Rayet, drawing peg 5 both days, how do some people draw like that????

I haven't got much to say, it was a real struggle, whilst I watched Paul Nichols on 11 catching across on the shallow shelf, I had a 2lber and a 4 ozer across, and 75lb of better fish mainly down the LH edge (it was shallower).  If it had been a normal open, I may well have been wheel spinning out of the car park well before the end.  I managed to match the first day result of the peg and limp it home last but one in the section, as peg 3 was last both days.

Well done to the framers

On the day

1. Martin Rayet                                     215-04 p5

2. Sean Wilson                                     199-14 p33

3. Mark Broomsgrove                           194-11 p6

4. Paul Nichols                                    194-00 p11

5. Lester Grant                                     149-12 p9

6. Mark Walsh                                      129-06 p21

Overall result

1 Sean Wilson 14 points  442-08

2. Martin Rayet 14 points 440-09

3. Mark Walsh  13 points 328-10

Short Pole, Viaduct, Sunday 30th August 2020

 This should have been the final round of Tony Rixon's float only league, but ended up a short pole (top two + three) match.  Travelled down with Tony and stopped in the Brewers Fayre fro breakfast, not a bad breakfast, one tip, if you go in there, get your cutlery and drinks first....

I ended up near the back of the draw queue and plucked out 126, not the best of draws and I would have my work cut out to trouble the frame from there (that's code for another iffy draw 😉 ).

I set up rigs to fish meat and pellets, I did set up an edge rig as I had time, but wasn't convinced it would be worth it, these pegs don't often produce from the margins.I also set up a rig to fish pellets for skimmers.

Started quite negatively toss potting a few 4mm pellets in just trying to catch anything, but not much was happening, I kept at this and had one carp and a couple of skimmers in the first couple of hours, no one around me was catching much and I could see carp coming out on the other bank.

I switched to a shorter line (2+2) and started feeding/fishing meat, this brought a few decent skimmers and a couple of carp, I got off my box and made up some GB, fed that with dead maggots on the 3+2 pellet line and ended up alternating between that and the meat line to keep decent skimmers coming reasonably well, and a beautifully conditioned 15lb common.

It was an enjoyable day topped off by a silvers win, with 42.03, which I think was the best I could have done from that peg, I am pretty sure the peg wasn't worth the 200lb+ needed to make the top 4.

Well done to Neil Mercer, but I would like to borrow his drawing arm!!

Ivy House Open, Sunday 23rd August 2020

 Ivy House run two matches on a Sunday, one on Heron, the newest lake on the complex and one over the two canals.  Heron is a bit of a fish race and the canals more of a sedate affair with carp and silvers featuring in the weights, so my choice is the canals.

Travelled up with Tony, who was making his first visit for a while, the cafe was open again, serving takeaway only, but the crusty breakfast baguettes went down a treat.  Onto the draw and I drew 37, end peg on the old canal (Kingfisher), never drawn down this end and was hopeful of a few fish,

3 baits for the side tray, pellets, maggots and corn, a rig to fish maggots short just up the near slope, I have been trying Des Shipp's F1 maggot floats for this and they are one of the better commercially produced floats I've used. 0.12 and 16Guru F1 hook for this.  Two rigs for down the track one for banded pellet and one for maggots or soft pellet, a Malman Roob for the banded rig and a HillBilly Chump for the maggot rig.  Two rigs for across, one 6" deep and one at 3' which was the shallowest shelf I could find - too deep really.  Finally a rig to fish the RH edge.

Fed the short line with a little ball of GB, two lines down the track with GB/maggots on one line and pellets on the other, then went across to the far side with a banded pellet, toss potting a few in, a couple of indications and then a small F1, it just didn't feel right, so I came off it and spent the next couple of hours rotating around the three lines short, 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock, with the maggot lines being better than the pellet line.  I kept the odd carp and skimmers coming, not hectic, but enough to keep concentrated on the job in hand.

As it was an end peg, I had a look down the margin earlier than I normally would, hooked and lost two foulers, one  of which was a 9lber in the wing, had him in the net once, he jumped out and shortly after the hook pulled. Had a smaller carp after but then the fish moved off again, I was getting bites I couldn't hit on corn - roach maybe?  A 8mm hard pellet was better but it did die off and I switched back to the open water, had some more skimmers, but felt they weren't coming quickly enough to trouble the silvers money.

I started feeding a line at topkit +1 down the edge and went back on my original edge line at 11m, I put a bunch of maggots on and had four better fish for 20lb in quick succession, before the line died off again, I had some swirls on the short edge line and I had a couple of fish from there, before I got all excited and overfed it.... bloody idiot.

I had been feeding 2+2 line straight in front with 6mm pellets and dropped in, I caught fairly steadily for the last 30 minutes, but it was smaller fish, 1lb-2lb.

I might have to change the name of this blog to one out of the money, as thats what I was again, 4th on the lake, 4th in the match with 110.06, beaten for the section money by 8oz and 2.08 for second.  It was a match winning peg and I should have won from it, a combination of trying to push the edge and impatience probably cost me, lesson learnt - I hope so. 

JJL Teams of 5 Invitation Match, Alders Farm. Friday 21st August 2020

 When I came back to coarse fishing after a break, it didn't take me too long to get back into match fishing, I joined a website called Maggotdrowning.com and have remained an active member ever since, somehow ending up becoming a moderator in the process.

Maggotdrowing is a fairly friendly website, whreby advice is offered freely, I will admit, at times, as with any internet based site, the information quality can sometimes vary from 100% spot to somewhat eccentric to say the least, but as long as its not downright dangerous or illegal, we tend to leave it for the members of the site to comment and make a thread go in the right direction.

This year, I threw my hat into the ring for selection to the 5 man team to fish the Joseph James Law Invitation Teams of Five match at Alders Farm, a venue I've never seen.  But with some local info and fishing commercial isn't hugely different I fancied a go.

I must admit, more than half way through the match I was starting to think it was going to be a huge mistake and the van trip computer info of 4 hours 45 minutes driving, 263 miles at an average of 54MPH using 43.3 MPG was all in vain, but thankfully, whilst I didn't cover myself in glory, I didn't have to sneak out with a blanket over me in shame.

The draw was made the night before with teams able to place anglers, I was allocated peg 7 on pines, a decent peg I was told. It has a little spit on the LH side which I was assured that if I kept feeding maggots the fish would turn up at some point.  The next bit of advice was fish maggot or pellet at 2+2 and then a line at 13m, up and down.

I was told a gallon of maggots might be necessary - long time since I fed a gallon of maggots, it would have been on a river for chub.  Keep feeding them to the spit and the fish will turn up was the local advice.

I started at 2+2, I was toss potting pellets and had a indication straight away, then a foul hooker that came off, I could see pegs 9, 10 and 11 catching straight away, they were at the end of the lake with the wind hacking in and I was told peg 10 was the peg.

I had also been told to fish GB on the short line so fed a small ball with some pellets in, to get it to the bottom, this saw the liners stop, but I don't think it was the reason, the fish seemed to move off the short line for all except the previously mentioned windward end pegs.

I was an hour and twenty minutes into the match and blanking, in an open that's frustrating, in a team match its a totally different scenario, you are letting your team down, your ability is in question and it just means redoubling efforts.  I had a couple of things to try that weren't in the team plan/locals advice handbook, method feeder, not so much as a liner, next up, a lead rod with some teabags, fished further out than the method, again, not even a liner.

I have yet to mention it, but it was windy, bloody windy and I was far from convinced that I'd be able to fish at 13m with any sensible presentation, I did venture out to 9m and had a carp that wind assisted, might go 3lb on pellet, that was the only bite.

I then got off my box and put together a ready made waggler, hoping that even though the wind was horrendous, I might get it to present well enough to catch.  One missed bite on this, so it was far from successful, I took the clip off the method rod and ventured as near to the island as I dared, without straying from my peg boundary, that saw another small carp netted, but it was looking grim and I was preparing for a last on lake, if not last in match....

I had kept feeding the edge, as per the info and the bank runners reminders, it was to no avail, I had one bite in the edge and it was a 1.12 perch, the only silver I netted. With 90 minutes to go, I decided that I had to try something else, as the local info wasn't working, the fact every peg was in and the wind was hacking down the lake may have rendered what was good info, almost useless.

I went back on the 2+2 line and started toss potting corn, with corn hair rigged onto the band of the pellet rig, this seemed to be the answer and I started catching, I was hopeful that it could see me claw back a decent section finish and I'm sure I could have had an extra point or two, as the fish I had were 6 - 8lb and I was confident ot get a few more in the last 30 minutes.

Unfortunately there was a cock-up in calling the all out, it was called 30 minutes early, then we were told that was a mistake and then just after told it was the all out, as the other lakes had stopped.  Bit gutted really as I was expecting to put a few lb in the net in that last 30 minutes, as the peg was getting stronger.

When the scales got to me, 45lb was top weight (next peg to my left) and I put 42.08 on, I am sure I had the beating of him had the match lasted the advertised time, but shit happens, it wasn't to be.  the pegs at the end of the lake weighed in 3x what I had, I really don't think my peg was worth that, but may be I should have switched to corn earlier.

The team aim was to finish in the top six, I obviously wanted to win the section (and match, but our lake [pines] came nowhere near the winning weight of 260lb), I achieved the team goal, but felt I could and should have had another point than the 5 I achieved - 12 peg sections)

It was a great day out, well done to the winners Guru, we had a couple of poor draws and finished nearer the bottom than the top, but thanks to Dave who owns/runs magggotdrowning.com, to the members of the site who chipped into to help cover the costs, the bank runners and the locals in the team whose advice would probably have been spot on 99% of the time.

If I get picked to fish again next year, I'll be there in a shot, great day out, many thanks to Joseph James Law for the  sponsorship of the event, the breakfast, the food after the event and the well run match with a great atmosphere.

If there was a downside to the day, it was my stupid bravado at pushing my trolley back up the hill, which any one who has been to Alders will now be mentally viewing with some dread, my dodgy knee is suffering and I can hardly walk, next time I'll need a Caddy......

Barston Masters, Barston, Saturday 15th August 2020

Good drive up, only one slight moment of stress, opening the restaurant door in the clubhouse to see it deserted and kitted out for a wedding - had I messed up and was going to go hungry - no, panic over, breakfast being served in the bar, so that saved me having a magnum from the ice cream fridge in the pro-shop for breakfast.

Nigel and his misses did the rolling draw and I ended up on 71, on the dam end of the lake and a first for me being that far down the lake.

I had come prepared to fish for the small skimmers should it be necessary, after my experience a couple of weeks ago, but.... there were loads of carp moving, so I managed to convince myself that I would need carp to qualify.  The peg is narrow and the footpath is right behind, so I didn't fancy shipping a pole back across the path and then be stressing about the cyclists and walkers, that meant I had the waggler as my main line of attack, with a method and a bomb to fish the same area as the 8mm pellets were landing.

I saw a couple of fish swirl close in, so I did set a margin pole up, to fish the RH edge and to fish at 6m.

Not much more to say, a big mistake, I never had a bite on the waggler, the bomb or the method, the fish disappeared after the start and never came back.  I managed a F1 and a few skimmers on 6mm pellet when I had a look on the pole, the guy to my right fished GB, squatts and maggots to win the section with 43lb, well done, I was completely turned from my plan by the sight of so many carp....

Didn't get a picture of the weighboard, I was in the van before the scales turned up......  No one to blame except myself, should have fished for skimmers from start to finish.

1st Daz Daz Staley  146.8 lb

2nd Adam Rose 115lb

3rd Rob Upex 87.2lb

sections

1 RobUpex   87.2lb

2 DanCoss and Richie Edmunds 50.14lb

3 DarrenCox 55.4lb

4 Steve Beard 62.6

5 Andy Leathers 71lb

6 Dave Boyle 43.6lb

7 Chris Vandervleit 35lb

8 Daz Stayley 146.8 lb

Tony Rixon's Float Only, Landsend, Sunday 2nd August 2020

 Another float only match, in what should have been Tony's league, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Landsend, I love the peace and quiet of it, no roads nearby, no people walking round, its idyllic as I do like some peace and quiet whilst fishing.  The hate side (and hate isn't really the word, its more frustration) is that I don't feel its managed as well as it could be, the vegetation needs cutting back, so you can fish to islands and to enable getting in close enough in the margins and the fish stocks (particularly silvers) aren't what they once were.

Maybe the new owner, Darts player Gary Anderson will get the gardening done, I hear tales of fish coming in the autumn (and its certainly not the time of year to be stocking) and hopefully it will get back to the fishery it was. 

I drew 36 on Specimen lake I though it might be hard, especially with 35 and 37 in, although, on all the lakes here having too much space can be a hindrance as the fish back off into the gaps.  I was in danger of feeling a bit wobbly on my platform, as I 'don't do heights' and the picture shows that with the water levels low, I was a fair way off the water.

Didn't have more than a couple of water anywhere in the peg, so set up to fish pellet across, expanders and micros 2/3 across and meat short.

Started on meat, but nothing, it took me nigh on three hours to get a fish over, then on the next peg the anglers pole came apart and a fish was towing his top 5 around, managed to hook his elastic and get it out for him - well it was more exciting than the fishing...

I did have 3 carp in twenty minutes across, and then the guy on 37 went home (don't blame him, the pub was tempting me!!) the fish then did what they do and backed off into the vacant peg, I never had another over, I did get 2 F1's and a carp on meat, but by the end my heart and soul wasn't in it.....

Ivy House Open, Saturday 1st August 2020

Back to Ivy house for this open on the canals,  fancied a day fishing for silvers, but it would depend on the draw.  43, I'd have preferred a lower number for skimmers, but there is always a chance of some.

My approach doesn't alter much, two lines down the track, one fed with GB/dead maggots, one with 4mm and micro pellets, a line tight across, a line at the bottom of the near shelf and an edge line.  Fed the lines down the track and the short line, before venturing across at 16m, this was as most pegs, deeper than I'd like and there wasn't much action across.

Some blows on the GB line and switching between this and the short line I managed a few skimmers, but it was slow and I was sure I wasn't catching at a rate fast enough to trouble to silvers payout.  I had been pinging a few pellets across and could see some carp moving around, now the minimum depth has been dropped from 12" to 6" I shallowed up to 6" and went across, had a several fish doing this. before hooking a root and losing the rig, set another rig up, but the moment was lost and I couldn't get the fish back.

I could see to my left that there were some fish being caught at 2+2 on paste, I didn't have any, so with an hour to go stated a line there feeding and fishing 6mm pellet, this was a good move and I should have done it 5 minutes sooner, as I ended up one out of the money and missed out on a lake win by 1.07, shame, but I was happy with the way I fished, just a slight matter of timing.

Looking forward to coming back here, its really enjoyable fishing, Andy and Karen are making Ivy House a fishery that is in my top three to want to visit.

England Ladies Fundraiser, Barston Lakes, Tuesday 28th July 2020

The annual fund raiser organised by Julie Abbott for the England Ladies team, usually a good match with a raffle and a beer after, but the current situation meant there was no raffle.

Travelled up with Tony, first time travelling since the lockdown started, bit of a palaver in the restaurant at Barston, had to download an app to order breakfast, it was easy enough once the app downloaded and a decent breakfast.

Draw saw me on 101, not many good vibes about it, I had come pretty much prepared to fish for skimmers and this just reinforced the decision.  Got a text asking what peg I was on and then promptly got a reply....

I set up a method feeder and a cage feeder and a couple of pole rigs, one to fish banded pellet and one for corn, soft pellet or worm.  The tow was pretty strong, I had a 0.5g rig on, but was going to step up too 0.8g if required.  I fed the skimmer lines at 13m, didn't go further as the wind was forecast to get heavier.  I chucked a method a bout 60 yards for 10 minutes whist the skimmer lines settled, not even a liner.

Started on the pellet line and it was worryingly inactive, switched to the corn line and had a couple of fish, but they weren't queuing up for it.  I wondered about the presentation and tried the cage feeder with corn/micros and a little bit of GB at 25m.  3 quick skimmers - not big ones and then nothing, that was  pattern emerging.....

I swapped round between the pellet line and the corn, but I was really struggling, with 90 minutes to go, I decided to try and get some bites,  I fed a line at 8m with GB and maggots, it was a like switching a switch on, I had a palm sized skimmer every put in, had I done this earlier, I may well have troubled the section, but it was the right decision, just far too late in the match.

Lets hope the matches can be back to normal next year, with a return to a bigger entry, the raffle and a beer afterwards.

Tony's 13M Limit Pole match, Trinity Waters, Sunday 26th July

This should have been one of Tony's short pole series, but as it was now an open, he decided to up the pole limit to 13m.  I was slightly sceptical about how it would fish with 26 on, but someone has to win...

I drew peg 9, I would have rather had one of the corners, but it wasn't to be, so best just get on with it.  I set up a rig to fish paste, as this can work well on this venue.  A hard pellet rig, one of the edge and a soft pellet rig, which could double up for worms, if I fished for skimmers.

Not much to say really, the skimmers weren't playing ball, we all seemed to be struggling along our bank, I stuck it out fishing for skimmers.

To be honest I wasn't overly disappointed when the match finished, 3 carp and a dozen skimmers in 6 hours isn't my idea of fun.

Monday Evening Open, Acorn, Monday 20th July 2020

These evening matches are enjoyable, you can't set too much up, so a pretty simplistic approach is either successful or not.

The draw was done and I was handed 36, its not a popular peg, but I wasn't too bothered, it can throw up a weight.  My one uncertainty was the 'flow' going through the peg from the aerator, which was staying on.

Lat week I had really struggled to catch on pellets which was all I took - apart from some putrifying worms, which I caught on.  This week, I had pellets, micros,corn, maggots and worms, as well as caster left over from the weekend.  I only had the pellets on the side tray, as it was warm and sunny so hopefully it would be better than last week, I did have the worms close to hand and some GB.

Not many signs of fish, so a cautious start, just cupping a few pellets across on a little shelf that was about 20" deep, just about perfect, not too deep to get liners, not to shallow to have the fish spooking.  It took 10 minutes to get a bite, whilst peg 1 had had two fish in that time, but I put 20lb in the net after 35 minutes and was thinking a good weight was on the cards.  The fish had other ideas and they were now out in the flow of the aerator, porpoising and rolling, with no intention of eating.

I was reluctant to feed there, as I had no idea where it would end up, so I did put some micros across into a shallower gap and went over them with a worm, this was ineffective, I hadn't fed the margins yet, so I fed to the left, but short because of rushes and the turmoil from the aerator.  I fed two RH margins one at 5m and one by the pallet of 35.  GB in short RH margin, micros and corn in the LH and 8mm pellets by the pallet of 35.

Well, it was an absolute nightmare, the fish came in over the feed, the GB first, then the micros and finally the pellet line.  I am not convinced they were all feeding, it was nigh on impossible to get a bite, yet there were fish there - this is one of the most frustrating venues for margin fishing, you think you have it sussed one week and the next you can't catch them again - I wasn't alone, everyone was saying the same at the end.  

In the end I switched the LH edge to 8mm pellets as well and I did get a couple from the pallet of 35 and a couple from the LH edge, but it was a matter of sitting there being patient - difficult to do in a 3 hour match.

Come the end I knew I hadn't done enough and so it proved, with 31 (out of sight around the corner) putting 90lb+ on the scales for the win, i was one decent fish away from second, so frustrating to end up 6th, it may well have been a case of being more patient to get one, maybe should have started both edges on 8mm pellets.

Float Only Open, Shiplate Farm, 19th July 2020

Nice to get back to this tidy fishery, this should have been one of Tony's float only league matches, but now run as opens.  I was hoping for a draw on the main lake, but sadly, I managed to pull my self out 15 on Hawthorn, apparently, so I was informed by more than one person, its a feast or famine peg.

It looks nice, I fully expected to have a days fishing, I spent ages plumbing round the peg and settled on two rigs for fishing across, both with a banded hooklength - two rigs as the depths were too different to use one.  A meat rig to fish short, a rig to fish the LH margin, but it was over 3' deep, so wasn't sure what to expect.

Bait tray was simple, pellets and 8mm meat.  Started on meat and in the first 35 minutes I had two carp for about 12lb and 5 decent skimmers and a chub for nigh on 10lb.  I thought it was going to be OK, the meat line went quiet, I went across, toss potting some 4mm pellets and fishing a 6mm in the band.  I managed one 4oz skimmer on that, it was the only bite.

I fished diligently for a couple of hours, then set up a new rig and started a micro/soft pellet line, I had a couple of small skimmers but it looked to be going nowhere.  At 13:35 I had one down the edge on 8mm pellet and I had 2 in quick succession at 14:50 on the short mat line and that was it, nothing more to say about the day, a disaster, I don't feel I did a lot wrong, there just weren't many fish in the area.

Well done to Russ Peck on taking it out from the main lake and there was an 80lb+ weight of skimmers from there as well.

Ivy House Open, Saturday 18th July 2020

Trying to keep a bit of sanity in my fishing, so back to Ivy House, I had just taken my pole, as I was expecting the match to be on the canals, but there was an overflow section onto the old match lake, so I should have put some rods in - just in case, lesson learnt for next time.  As it turned out, Andy drew me 47 on the Kingfisher, so no need for rods.

Plenty of time to set up, so I had a topkit to fish across on the shallowest shelf I could find, that was 3', which is too deep, but I left the rig set up.  A shallow rig,  a 4x14 Preston maggot float to fish worms down the track, a 4x12 version of the same float to fish short - at the bottom of the near slope, a rig for banded pellet and a margin rig.

Bait tray was caster, maggot, worms and pellets.  I expected to catch some carp across on hard pellet, skimmers short and down the track, with an odd carp mixed in and then some carp down the edge.  It turns out I was end peg, with 48 and 49 not pegged.  Not sure its always a benefit, as the fish can back off, but it does give an area to draw from.

Started across and had a couple of  small carp, but they soon moved off.  I had fed two lines for skimmers, one with GB and chopped worm, one with micros and 4mm pellets.  The worm line was best, not hectic, but a few skimmers, it needed regular topping up, I did think I may get a decent weight of them, but the sun came out and they disappeared.

I had been pinging pellets across and had some fish on the mudline, I went in tight with the shallow rig and had several fish, but with the rules (as I thought) that you had to fish at least 12" deep, I was under the fish. I gave it up and came back on the line over the micros, had a couple of small skimmers and a carp, but that was getting me nowhere,

With a couple of hours to go I fed a margin line either side, one with GB and maggots, one with pellets and corn, I expected the LH edge (maggots) to be best, as that was the side with no one pegged past me, but the RH edge was by far the best, the first of the last two hours was best and it tailed off in the last hour.  Another enjoyable day at Ivy House, I suspect the peg was worth a lake win, but I was pipped by Vince on peg 37 by 4lb.

 When Andy came to weigh in I commented that had I been able to fish 4 or 6" deep on the mudline I'd have caught a few more - he then told me he'd changed the rules last week and you could now fish 6" deep - shame I never knew before.  So my fish went 84.02, which was joint 4th and I sneaked a default section win - bout time, been a miserable run since lockdown ended.

Acorn Evening Open, Monday 13th July 2020

First evening match of the year for me, these three hour matches generally need a simple approach and one or two lines to catch on.

Peg 17 drawn for me, I did have enough time to set up 3 topkits, one for the edge, one for across and one for the bottom of the near shelf - hoping that only two would be needed at the most.  I had pellets and more pellets, that was the bait on the side tray - this proved to be a mistake tonight, but has been right in matches past.

Started across on the shelf, nothing, not even a liner - that  is unusual for this venue, I tried a line at the bottom of the first shelf and had a couple of small fish, I'd carried on pinging pellets across, but there was no signs of fish.  I started feeding the margins, just pellets one side and a nugget of GB and pellets the other.

Back across, I guess I couldn't believe that I wasn't getting any bites over there, I did get a couple of fish, but it was slow and painful going, it was fairly obvious that 4/6mm pellets weren't the bait.  I did find some nearly dead worms in the van and feed a bit more GB down the LH edge, I had one fish from the RH edge on pellet, but I did have several on the poorly worms down the LH edge, but it wasn't enough to keep up with Matt on peg 15 fishing caster shallow, I could also see Trigger on 9 catching, I'd seen him get off his box and fetch some different bait from his car, I had backed myself into a corner not having a change bait.

It was a miserable night rained most of the match, quite a few tipped back and I was one of them, knowing my 45lb wasn't troubling the frame...

Next week I will be bringing a couple of different baits!!

11st Craig Edmunds 138.9lb peg 9 2nd gabe Skarba 100.1lb peg 31 3rd Matt Culpin 85.12 lb peg 15 4th Jack Jones 62.12lb peg 3 5th Martin Rayet 56.9lb peg 34 6th Paul Lasson 52.10 peg 13

Landsend Open, Sunday 12th July 2020

Tony Rixon had put this one on and its a while since I've been and the first time since its changed hands, with Gary Anderson of Darting fame now owning the fishery.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the place, it's one of the most peaceful venues I go to and I really enjoy that side of it, personally I'd like to see some of the trees and bushes removed or at least seriously pruned and it could do wit a bit of a re-stock to freshen it up.  Apparently Gary is going to do this, so lets hope it gives a new lease of life.

I was unusually last to draw and was handed 22, it used to be a good skimmer peg, but the silvers fishing isn't what it was, so I'd come to fish for carp.  A rig for over in about 15" of water, one for down the far shelf, about 2' 6" deep.  Shallow rig, meat rig for a short line and a margin rig to fish down to the pallet of 23, where I could get close in in shallower water - the rest of the margins either side were too over grown to get in tight.

I started across, but nothing doing, so left it and hoped they come there later on, the short meat saw me hook one fish, but it came off well before I even saw it, didn't feel foul hooked, but who knows.... I went back a cross and had a carp, but the action was pretty slow, I ended up coming onto the rig that was a bit deeper and fishing down the shelf, I picked off odd fish for a couple of hours but it was slow going and that dried up and I went the best part of two hours without a fish, it never felt like there were many there.

I switched to the margin, where I'd been feeding 8mm pellets and had a double figure fish, 10 minutes later one nudging 8lb and with 40 minutes to go I thought I may have a chance of geting a decent weight, but that was it, no more fish, couldn't tempt one from anywhere and still didn't feel they were in the peg in any number.

So a nice day, in pleasant surroundings and good company, but an also ran place.

Phil's Open, Viaduct, Saturday 11th July 2020

Didn't have anything booked in for today, so when Phil Hardwick messaged, did I want to fish an open he was running at Viaduct, I booked straight in.

Got there before the draw, just to get a parking place, its manic with pleasure anglers, but I got parked up, unloaded and then went to draw - well be drawn for, Matt drew me 113, I wasn't too enamoured, but it can be OK, so off to give my best shot.

With 113 set back from the other pegs, I decided there wasn't much advantage in chasing fish out to 16m, so 14m was the limit, I expected to catch a few short and down the edges, although given the depth of the edges approaching 3', I did wonder if the barometer pressure rise would see the fish preferring shallower water.

I set two lead rods up, one with an inline lead to fish T bags and one normal straight running lead, no wagglers as the wind was blowing at me and slightly from L to R.  With that and being between the two aerators ( Campbell has an extra aerator now) I just felt the waggler wouldn't be right.

A rig to fish banded pellet at 14m, but plumbing up I found the bottom was very flat, so came back a section and settled on 13m, I wonder if the new aerator is moving the silt and flattening the bottom out.

A rig to fish meat short, a shallow pellet rig and a couple of rigs for down the edges, left and right, one with a band, one without,  Simple bait tray, 6 & 8mm pellets and a little bit of 8mm meat.

Started on meat at 5m, hooked a carp 2nd put in, it came in all docile and then decided to wake up and dive under the pallet, trying to stop it saw the hook pull and the rig end up in the tree........ great start.  Luckily the rig came out of the tree in one piece, so back in on that line and all to show for 20 minutes on it was 4 skimmers.

A switch to the 13m line, toss potting 6mm pellets saw more skimmers come to the net, but no sign of a carp, Jack on 114 was fishing the lead and had had a couple of carp, whilst I had a few skimmers.  The time had come, I picked up the lead rod and a T bag with 6mm pellets in, 6mm on the hook.  First cast the tip went round and instead of the expect and desired carp, another skimmer came to the net.  Several more casts with nothing to show for it, so up the bank it went, I have no confidence in it.

I'd been dripping a few 8mm pellets down the LH edge, so whilst it was early, I did look over them, without a bite, so back on the 13m line and a couple more skimmers, but it was over 2 hours in and I'd not had a carp.  I decided to ping a few 8mm pellets in the middle and then had my first carp on the 13m line, but it wasn't followed by any of his mates.

Onto the straight lead and 8mm pellet, I had one about 8lb first chuck and then nothing.  Back on the 13m line and finally the carp showed up, I started to put a run of fish together, not hectic, but steady, with an hour to go I lost two fish at the net, whilst people were walking about, hardly social distancing at the time, whilst I was trying to move my pole (113 is the peg with the least room behind it) this pissed me off and I let it get to me and put me off my rhythm, I messed up the feeding and started to get foulers.

I put the shallow rig over the top and only had one on it, I had to go back on the deck and sit it out waiting for bites, that resulted in a slower last hour than I was expecting, with a look in the margins and short line only producing one perch.

My 119lb was only enough for a bang average half way, but I did enjoy the challenge and I feel the negative approach enabled me to beat the two pegs to my left, bu was hammered to my immediate right, as Jack had fished the lead all day to weigh 192lb - I will have to go to a couple of Costcutters and just take lead rods to try and work it out...... or maybe not!!

Another good weight by Sam, he's unstoppable at the moment.

1. Sam Powell - 357lb 14oz - peg 135

2. Ben Hagg - 227lb 7oz - peg 116

3. Jason Hales - 198lb 10oz - peg 123

4. Jack Stamp - 192lb 3oz - peg 114

5. Dan White - 153lb 11oz - peg 129

6. Martin Rogers - 151lb 2oz - peg 125

7. Greg Welsby - 140lb - peg 119

8. Phil Hardwick - 137lb 11oz - peg 110

9. Toby Burrell - 136lb 14oz - peg 131

10. Dick Bull - 125lb 8oz - peg 116

11. Chris Fox - 119lb 13oz - peg 113

12. Tim Davies - 113lb 1oz - peg 127

13. Clive Barrow - 108lb 6oz - peg 128

14. Dave White - 102lb 1oz - peg 112

Ivy House Open, Sunday 5th July 2020

Back to Ivy House today, I hadn't realised that you could choose between a match on the canals and a match on Heron, I was booked into Heron and it was too late to change - oh well, I should at least get a few bites.

With gusts of up to 40mph forecast, I had chucked a couple of feeder rods in the van and when I drew peg 9, Allan Oram said I should get plenty of bites on the feeder into the bay....

Plenty of time to set up so I set up both feeder rods, one with a method and one with a pellet feeder partly because I've never caught a fish on a pellet feeder, so maybe time for a first!

Pole rigs were simple, a 4x12 to fish banded pellet short, a another to fish it longer (not too long, given the forecast) and  0.5g in case it was needed.  A shallow rig and one for close into the boards.

Bait tray was simple, 4 and 6mm hard pellets, I did have a few dead maggots and some caster left over from yesterday, but they would be left in the bag.  Started on the feeder and didn't have a bite in 4 casts. that was enough for me, so switched to the short pole, feeding 4mm, fishing 6mm banded pellets.

Was catching reasonably well on that, but it was small fish, so stopped feeding 4mm and switched to 6mm.  That didn't really increase the size of the fish and they would come and go, I did get the maggots out of the bag and feed them in nuggets of GB down the edge, this was not ideal as it was too deep really, as I had a few foulers, but they did settle in the end.

Decided I had to try and push things, so started fishing casters shallow, I really expected to see some fish come to this and it proved to be a waste of time, as I didn't have a bite on it.

Finished off trying to make the short pellet line work, it was odd, upping the feed would see the bites increase for a short spell and then dry up, steady feeding didn't keep them coming any faster, so a strange day.  Just can't seem to get the feeding tight in the last few matches.

Put 86lb on the scales for a resounding halfway finish.

Ivy House Open, Saturday 4th July 2020

First trip to Ivy House for a while, match on the canals today, which I enjoy as its a bit of variety and a  mixture of silvers and carp.

Andy has been busy and put up some fences that have added to the appearance of the lakes and shielded the car park from the New Canal.

Peg 43 plucked out for me, I had no up to date info, but was happy enough with the area.  With the keepnets and landing nets supplied, it was a novelty to see them already in the water and sat in a wooden bar - great idea.

Just a pole to set up, 4x12 to fish at the bottom of the near shelf, another 4x12 to fish down the track and a 0.5g in case the wind got up.  A margin rig and a rig for across the far side, which was easily in reach with 14m and the dolly butt.  Couldn't find any shallow shelf across, so had to settle for the first shelf which was nearly 3'.

Plan was to start across for carp, then two lines down the track 10 o'clock line fed with a few micros and a couple of 4mm pellets - quite a negative line and a more positive line at 2 o'clock fed with GB, dead maggots and casters.  Also a short line at the bottom of the near shelf, finally margin line to the left in about 18" of water.

Started across and was surprised not to get a bite, not even a liner, gave it 15 minutes before coming off it and feeding the positive line with GB, then dropping in on the negative line with an expander on the hook. Had a couple of small carp, but it wasn't wild, finally had a skimmer on it, but there wasn't much sign of activity.  The positive line was even slower, one skimmer on dead maggot, not a bite on a piece of worm.

The short line has always been a banker for me on this lake, but not today, maggots saw me wait ages for a bite and the reward was a micro perch, this happened several times, so I wasn't at all convinced the fish would come in on that line.

I ended up fishing the negative line for another hour or so, putting an odd fish in the net, a look back across say a few carp in the 2lb bracket come to the net, the margin remained fishless and I was never convinced there were many fish there.

I put 44lb on the scales which beat the peg to my left (just, by ounces) but I didn't stay and get the results, so unfortunately have no idea of the winning weights, suffice to say, mine wouldn't have been one of them.   Enjoyable day though.

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.