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.