Acorn Costcutter, Tuesday 6th December 2016

This will short and sweet.

Traveled down with Tony and had breakfast in the Bridge Inn, it wasn't too bad, shame about the bloody lifesize Santa Claus by the bar, that some little brat kept triggering and it then went through a repertoire of Xmas songs, thankfully my sanity was saved when a staff member switched it off.

A dozen hardy souls braving the foggy day, the air temperature had certainly risen, but the water was clear and very cold.  Peg 33 was my reward for delving into the ping pong ball bag, a bridge peg, so should hopefully produce a fish or two.  Peg 34 other side of the bridge not in as the platform has collapsed, not sure that was a good thing, as the fish had a area I couldn't get to, to back off into.

My view for the day was traveling companion Mr Rixon

4 topkits, a rig to dob bread across, another for down on the 2nd shelf about 3' deep and two rigs to fish full depth.  Started dobbing bread and that was totally fruitless, tried all along the 2nd shelf, from just touching bottom, to mid depth. Once that had proved to be a non starter, I fed a few micros and maggots by the bridge at full depth and a few up on the 2nd shelf, the a line in open water, finally a few casters short by the bridge.

Not long after dropping in on the full depth line by the bridge I had a fish on, but not for too long, I wasn't convinced it was fouled, but hard to tell.  Shortly after, another hooked and lost, this did feel foul hooked,  A look round the other lines produced nothing, back by the bridge at depth and a missed bite, I was hopeful of a few fish, as there was at least some indications.  Next drop in a 5lber fell for double maggot, next drop in a small F1 and that was it, not another bite from this line the rest of the day.  About an hour later I had a bite out of the blue on the 2nd shelf and a chunky F1 joined the other 2 fish in the net. 

Sadly the only action after that was watching the chickens eating my bait that the fish resolutely refused to touch.....

As I had no further indications, I can only assume the fish did back off under the bridge, I tried down to the pallet of 32, again nothing.  A tough day, not too surprising given the water clarity and I tipped my 3 fish back to save the scalesman a job.

Avalon Silvers, Final Round, Saturday 3rd December 2016

Last round of this enjoyable league, still possible with a decent draw to win it, or take second place from my third place going into this match, as the weights weren't more than about 6 or 7lb difference. Also had to defend the attack from Ken Rayner in 4th place and last in the money.

I couldn't believe my bad luck when I drew peg 12 again, for the second match in a row, no island gap and a peg either side, I would have my work cut out to hang onto 3rd place here, let alone make in roads into the top two, unless the big skimmers had moved into the area since the last round.

 

The wind was making a waggler pointless, but I did set one up just in case it dropped, I also set up a small cage feeder, but felt it wouldn't have a part to play,  3 topkits, a 1g AS3 with a 1.3 fluorocarbon hooklength and a 18 gamma green hook, a 0.6g version of the same float with a 0.08 hooklength and a 18 6313  and finally a homemade diamond float with a carbon stem, 0.5g this with a 1.3 fluorocarbon hooklength and a 20 gamma green - i was expecting a tough day!!

Two lines fed at 14m, one with two large balls of GB with a few dead maggots casters and squatt in, the LH line fed with one small ball of GB with just casters in.  I also fed a line at 11m with micros and a little GB.  10 minutes on the feeder at about 3/4 the way across without an indication was enough and I switched to the pole.  The rest of the day was spent rotating round the 3 lines, taking 3 or 4 fish over the micros and  it looked like that was going to be a decent line, but that was it, nothing else from there.  The RH positive fed line produced a couple of small skimmers and a few roach, the LH negative line just a few skimmers. I didn't have a fish over 4oz and the squats seemed to pull in the roach. The 1.0g rig was by far the most productive, the trip that was there was with the wind, so far from ideal skimmer fishing conditions.

At the all out I knew I hadn't been able to make up any ground on the top two when the scales got to me, Ken had weighed 3lb odd and my 4.13 ensured I kept 3rd place overall and a welcome pick up.

Thanks to Mosella boss Vic Bush for running the league and work permitting I'll fish next years, but one plea, can everyone have an empty peg to one side, as the weigh sheet shows, having a bit of space was essential today and last match in the colder conditions.

Congratulations to Vic and John for holding onto their respective 1st and 2nd places and to Ken for pushing me right to the end.

Todber Pairs, Round Three, Sunday 20th November 2016

My turn on Ash lake today, usual partner Mike couldn't make it, so had a very able stand in, in Alan Oram.

I drew 62, which had the wind blowing straight down the lake into it, hmm, didn't really fancy it because of that, but who knows, its a developing fishery, so maybe they will surprise me.  A method feeder was set up and a straight lead.  I could see most others on the lake setting up wagglers, well I wasn't as I had purposely left it at home, imagining the wind would be too bad. 3 Topkits, one to fish banded pellet at the bottom of the end bank shelf at 14m.  Another for soft pellet/corn at 14m to the right and a rig to fish about 2-3m out from the edge halfway down the slope.

By 12.30 I had 4 fish, 3 small carp and 1 skimmer, a long way behind Steve Tucker on the next peg (64) and even further behind peg 67.  I went to the shop and bought some white semi bouyant band um's to try in desperation, when I got back the wind had dropped.  The band ums did catch me a couple of fish, but the 14m line at the bottom of the shelf came to life with the wind dropping and I caught fairly steadily on 6mm banded pellet to the end, the very slow first 2 and a half hours cost me.  Stand in partner Alan won his section and second in match, well done and thanks!!

I did consider at 12.30 that I would be last in the match, thankfully my late run put me 5th, but only good enough for 3rd in section, frustrating.

1st - 90-12 - Nick White - p67 (ash)
2nd - 76- 8 - Allan Oram - p45 (hillview)
3rd - 69- 0 - Steve Tucker - p64 (ash)
4th - 64-14 - Fred Roberts - p60 (hillview)
5th - 63-12 - Chris Fox - p62 (ash)
6th - 55- 9 - Ash Tompkins - p37 (hillview)

Avalon Silvers League, Penultimate Round, Saturday 19th November 2016

Penultimate round and with it being fairly tight at the top, I needed to end the day within a couple of pounds of the others who were in and around the frame placings.  Into the bag and out comes disc 12, not so good, no gap and an angler either side, one of whom on peg 11 was league leader Vic Bush.

Mixing up the groundbait, the water didn't feel anywhere near as cold as the air temperature, that night have lulled me into a false sense of security...........

No whip today, the colder weather seems to have pushed the smaller fish out from the bank, not sure why, its certainly not because the of the depth or the clarity, as the water still retained some colour.  I set up a small cage feeder, but didn't really expect much from it, as it seems to be better in the gaps. 3 topkits, a 0.6g AS float with a 0.10 and a 18 6313, a bulk rig same hooklength and a 16 6313 and a 0.3g AS float with a 0.08 hooklength and a 20 gamma green.

Usual GB mix, two lines at 14m, one to the left with a few micros in the mix, no micros in the RH line. Also a line shorter at 10mish which I just fed micros'.

The rest of the blog will be short and sweet, rotating round the lines, got me an odd fish from the two long lines, nothing from the 10m line, I set up a waggler rod half way through just to try and get a few bites, I did but they were tiny roach and rudd, most fell off winding back in.

No matter what I did I couldn't get more than a very odd bite and roach or small skimmer, ending up with 6lb, Vic only fared slightly better on the next peg, beating me by 12oz, there really didn't seem to be many fish in the area.