I firmly believe that the more I fish, the better I fish, so the lack of fishing lately due to working nearly all the time is impacting on my results, just can't get my head into the right place to be competitive. That, and pellets, I bloody hate fishing with soft pellets.......
I wasn't disappointed with my draw, peg 86, not likely to pester the frame places from it, but should be an OK section peg, I intended to keep things simple, but with so much time to set up I did set up an extra rig to fish a 'throwaway' line fed with micro's and softened 4mm's. I set up a waggler as the conditions were so still, two rigs to fish caster at 13m, one with a bulk and two droppers and a double bulk rig, I set up a 0.1g rig to fish under the bush to my RH side, hoping for perch or hybrids. The rig to fish soft pellet had a 4" hooklength and I altered the shotting about from double bulk to spread, and back again during the day.
Glenn Calvert was on 85, so the spare time after setting up was passed chatting to him and Nick Chedzoy who was on 88 came down for a chat, we were all expecting a reasonable days fishing given how mild it had been and the foggy overcast weather this morning. On the all-in I fed 3 balls of GB with caster and a few dead maggots in at 13m, one ball at 6m, this had a pinch of chopped worm in and 1/4 cup of micros and softened 4mm's at 10 o'clock. Starting on the 6m line I was a little concerned not to get a bite, even on a single maggot, I gave that 20 minutes before going out to the 13m line.
The 13m line was not a great deal more productive, a small skimmer came to a worm head, a little roach to a live maggot and nothing at all to dead maggot, looks like I had misjudged the way it was going to fish. I switched to the waggler and had a couple of small skimmers and roach, but this wasn't at all consistent, even though it was absolutely perfect conditions for it, the 2.5lb Maxima line was sinking with a small flick of the tip, the 0.10 hooklength wasn't kinking up as I had a tiny swivel joining it to the reel line, it all seemed perfect, but the fish didn't think so.
What I couldn't ignore any longer was the pin prick bubbles coming up from the pellet line, I hadn't been able to pump my pellets as my Ringers pellet pump had 'thrown' the o ring in the pump, so they were soaked and I had to give them a little squeeze to get them to sink. I immediately got bites, but it was from tiny 'razor blades', skimmers that could only just get a 4mm pellet in there mouths. I could see Nick on 88 was catching regularly, but his fish were small, Glenn had a few smaller fish but i had heard the splash of a bigger skimmer going into his net.
I was getting frustrated by the size of the fish and by the amount of bites I was missing, this led me to come off feeding fish and go looking for a better stamp of fish on caster, but it was a fruitless exercise, the fish only wanted to eat pellet. I went back on the pellet line and tried a hard pellet, banded, but this didn't produce a bite at all - how do they know the difference between a hard and soft pellet without putting it in their mouths??
I was convinced by now that Nick was well ahead and Glenn said he had two better skimmers, whilst the biggest fish I had was a 8oz tench taken on the waggler, if I had my head in the right place i would have stayed fishing pellet, but I still tried to make 'proper' baits work. The edge rig under the bush hadn't moved, in the 3 times I tried it during the match, so back onto the pellet line and more 'blades' and frustration at missed bites. I hadn't hooked a carp on the pole, yet Glenn was being pestered by them, it seems that you need to have carp in the peg to catch the bigger skimmers, as Nick didn't get pestered by carp either and he was catching the same stamp of fish as me.
With 15 minutes to go, I had one last, desperate look under the bush and the float buried, suspecting a perch I was surprised to see a 6oz roach pop up, even more surprised next put in to get one nearer 1lb and two more 6ozers after that. I also bumped two fish there as well.
I was expecting to be well beaten in the section, but was pretty pissed off with myself after the scales went round, Leon won the section on 78, with 12.12, Glenn had 12.09, Nick had just over 11lb and I had just over 10lb, the section win was well within my grasp, my poor decision to not stick at the pellet line had cost me valuable points and an envelope. Nick and Glenn also both caught on pellet, the fish just didn't want anything else it seemed. I do wonder if it would have been better to put the Cary sections of this silvers league onto Spring, giving more anglers the opportunity to catch the bonus big skimmers.
Unless I can sort out soft pellet fishing, I may as well go back on the river, I just get so frustrated at a bait that comes of the bloody hook so often, not so bad if fishing short, but a pain when fishing it at 12m+.
Next up is the Ivy House individual winter league, which starts next Sunday, I have been been warned to expect hard fishing. I don't mind that, I'm looking forward to a pint from Mark Poppleton - he is going to buy me one if I don't blank in at least two of the matches........
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