Well, the last day of my fortnight off work, so what better way to spend it than fishing. Charlie Barnes has instigated a knock up on Fridays on Viaduct Match Lake, so with 8 others I dipped into the draw tin and pulled out peg 40. Disappointing, as it isn't a peg I'd run to and with the North Westerly wind, it was going to be tough today. Lots of space as the next anglers were Steve Long on 52 and Terry Nibblet on 42.
The weather (or to be more precise) the wind had me setting up a small groundbait feeder on my favourite skimmer lead rod, a Drennan Matchpro Quiver and a waggler on the trusty MK 1 Normark Microlite. Three top kits, a margin rig on 0.16 and No12 elastic, a Carpa Chimp on 0.14 to 0.10 and a 20 Drennan red carp hook and a MW diamond on 0.16 to 0.14 with a 16 808 for soft pellet.
I optimistically fed a line with micro and softend 4mm pellet at 12m, the wind was making it difficult to present here, a line at 5m with caster and tried in vain to get some caster to the 20m line where I wanted to fish the waggler. I started at 12m and had a few small fish on the devils spawn, carp & skimmers, but then started to get roach - 30 to the pound roach - on it.
A switch to the ground bait feeder, I clipped up and managed to get it landing reasonaly accurately, but the tip didn't move, I tried it a couple of other occasions, all to no avail. Trying the waggler was nearly as fruitless, even with 12" of line and a string of No10's on the bottom, it was still dragging through, the bites were coming to a still bait.
Halfway through I dropped into the margins, left and right alternatively at 8m and had a few fish on corn, a varied selection, a couple of perfect little tench (3 or 4 oz), a couple of 10oz roach & rudd and a few F1's and some small carp. Then a fish whose reactions were considerably quicker than mine took me into the rushes, losing the whole rig. Stepping up to 17H elastic and 0.18 line ensured I didn't lose anymore fish, but the margin line did die off - as did Steve Long's.
I had 3 decent size skimmers from the 5m line and then Les 'Chubhead' Williams walked round, that killed that line. I fed a couple of balls of groundbait/caster on the 12m line and fished the waggler over it, taking a couple more skimmers and with 20 minutes to go, the wind relented and I had a run of skimmers up to the whistle, all on double red maggot.
Shame that the wind had spoiled the last day of my holiday, I'm sure if I had been able to present a bait long on the pole, I would have had a decent weight of skimmers. My silvers went 15.09 & carp 16.04, putting my 31.13 near the bottom of the result sheet. Its frustrating when you see other anglers sheltered by the trees, islands etc. able to fish 14m with ease and not a hint of wind - still thats match fishing.
Tom Thick won, fair play, he looked pretty rough when he got out of Charlies van, after a session in a Bath nightclub - I think the days when I could do that are long gone.... Tom certainly has this pellet fishing sussed, I'm going to have to spend some time and effort into improving my understanding of it.
1) Tom Thick 80.13 peg 44
2) Will Bohne 64.12 peg 50
3) John Green 64.01 peg 45
4) Terry Nibblet 50.10 peg 42
5) Colin Dyer 43.10 peg 49
6) Steve Long 38.14 peg 52
Silvers
1) Dan White 25.10 peg 47
2) Tom Thick 24.10 peg 44
3) Will Bohne 21.03 peg 50
4) Chris Fox 15.09 peg 40
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Costcutter, Viaduct, Thurs 6th Oct 2011
With the All Winners Final (Silvers) coming up soon, I decided to use this as a practise match, going for silvers no matter where I drew. That said, I couldn't help taking some 8mm pellet and a waggler & lead rod to my peg, which was 127. I didn't touch the carp baits or rods, determind to find a away to get past them, especially as my first 2 put ins, resulted in 2 new hook lengths (along with the one I lost fouling a big carp shotting up a float!!) as carp took the caster intended for silvers,
So with Tom (I've discovered women & beer) Thick next to me on 126 and Rich Coles on 128 and either side again on 129 & 124 were Mike Nicholls & John Green, I expected a battle for silvers. I had caster, worm, dead maggot, a handful of live maggot, meat & pellets.
I set up three rigs one on 0.16, with an 0.14 hooklength on the rig to plunder tench from the margin, I also set up two MW diamonds, one 3 No8 and one 6 No8 to cope with the windy conditions, these had 16 63.13 on 0.14 & 0.12. I toyed with the idea of setting up a cage feeder for skimmers, but didn't, I think on reflection, I should have. Thankfully the wind was off my back, it got pretty windy during the match. I mixed up some groundbait, but didn't overdo it at the start, feeding 3 lines, meat on top two +1 to the left, some groundbait with CW&C at 11m and caster at 5m.
First two put ins, as mentioned, carp made off with the hooks, some groundbait introduced on the 5m line put an end to the carp problem and I caught skimmers on caster over the groundbait, it wasn't going mad, so I had a look over the 11m line, I may have well not have bothered, not so much as a bite - likewise with all my attempts to catch tench, short on meat.
Back onto the 5m line and a switch to double maggot brought a burst of decent skimmers and a couple of small perch. Tom had been catching carp, but a switch to a line at around 8m or so, saw him net a run of skimmers, decent ones, he was now overtaking me, the skimmers coming to his pellet approach. I stuck it out with the caster & maggot, earning myself a perch that wasn't far off 2lb. Tom's run of decent skimmers continueed and I walked down to sneak a look at his bait tray and rig.
I decided to try the pellet approach with 40 mins to go, so started a new line at 8m, it worked, I caught skimmers, but inevitably, carp as well - although I can't complain, apart from the two that took hooks at the start, I only hooked (and landed) two more throughout the day, they went back at the end without troubling the scales.
The scales gave me 34.11, but I knew Tom's pellet approach had beaten me on silvers, as well as giving him a decent carp weight, his silvers went 50.10 and caro 121.02. Would I risk emulating Tom in the silvers final? In honesty I'm not sure, I'd be concerned the pellet would attract and hold carp.
Temperature was 10°C on the way down in the car, same on the way back, with a dip to 8.5°C around Shepton Mallet. Looks like autumn is coming with a vengance.
1) Josh Garrett 215.07 peg 130 (On the lead)
2) Tom Thick 171.12 peg 126
3) Charlie Barnes 141.01 peg 132
4) Tica Williams 137.04 peg 118
5) John Green 120.13 peg 124
6) Dan Pither 117.01 peg 80
Silvers
1) Tom Thick 50.10 peg 126
2) John Bradford 34.12 peg 96
3) Chris Fox 34.11 peg 127
4)
So with Tom (I've discovered women & beer) Thick next to me on 126 and Rich Coles on 128 and either side again on 129 & 124 were Mike Nicholls & John Green, I expected a battle for silvers. I had caster, worm, dead maggot, a handful of live maggot, meat & pellets.
I set up three rigs one on 0.16, with an 0.14 hooklength on the rig to plunder tench from the margin, I also set up two MW diamonds, one 3 No8 and one 6 No8 to cope with the windy conditions, these had 16 63.13 on 0.14 & 0.12. I toyed with the idea of setting up a cage feeder for skimmers, but didn't, I think on reflection, I should have. Thankfully the wind was off my back, it got pretty windy during the match. I mixed up some groundbait, but didn't overdo it at the start, feeding 3 lines, meat on top two +1 to the left, some groundbait with CW&C at 11m and caster at 5m.
First two put ins, as mentioned, carp made off with the hooks, some groundbait introduced on the 5m line put an end to the carp problem and I caught skimmers on caster over the groundbait, it wasn't going mad, so I had a look over the 11m line, I may have well not have bothered, not so much as a bite - likewise with all my attempts to catch tench, short on meat.
Back onto the 5m line and a switch to double maggot brought a burst of decent skimmers and a couple of small perch. Tom had been catching carp, but a switch to a line at around 8m or so, saw him net a run of skimmers, decent ones, he was now overtaking me, the skimmers coming to his pellet approach. I stuck it out with the caster & maggot, earning myself a perch that wasn't far off 2lb. Tom's run of decent skimmers continueed and I walked down to sneak a look at his bait tray and rig.
I decided to try the pellet approach with 40 mins to go, so started a new line at 8m, it worked, I caught skimmers, but inevitably, carp as well - although I can't complain, apart from the two that took hooks at the start, I only hooked (and landed) two more throughout the day, they went back at the end without troubling the scales.
The scales gave me 34.11, but I knew Tom's pellet approach had beaten me on silvers, as well as giving him a decent carp weight, his silvers went 50.10 and caro 121.02. Would I risk emulating Tom in the silvers final? In honesty I'm not sure, I'd be concerned the pellet would attract and hold carp.
Temperature was 10°C on the way down in the car, same on the way back, with a dip to 8.5°C around Shepton Mallet. Looks like autumn is coming with a vengance.
1) Josh Garrett 215.07 peg 130 (On the lead)
2) Tom Thick 171.12 peg 126
3) Charlie Barnes 141.01 peg 132
4) Tica Williams 137.04 peg 118
5) John Green 120.13 peg 124
6) Dan Pither 117.01 peg 80
Silvers
1) Tom Thick 50.10 peg 126
2) John Bradford 34.12 peg 96
3) Chris Fox 34.11 peg 127
4)
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Viaduct Open, Weds 5th Oct 2011
Choice of Viaduct or contribute to Tony Rixon's pension fund at Landsend, given my dismal failures at Landsend, Viaduct was the obvious choice. With the All Winners Silvers final coming up, I did consider fishing for silvers, but decided to leave that for the Thursday costcutter. So an all out carp attack was planned for today, I drew 110, a good draw, but today I thought that the lack of ripple (which most of the rest of the lake had) might make it tricky.
I set up a waggler rod, I also set up a lead rod both with 0.17 hooklengths and 16 PR36 hooks. The pole rigs were one for meat short on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength and a 18 TXR7 hook. A MW pea for shallow and a MW slim power for full depth. I also set up a MW dinky for the margin, which remained unused, so no more to say about it.
I started on the waggler, feeding towards the middle of the lake and towards peg 135, I also fed meat at 6m and some 6mm pellet at 12m. I had a couple of fish on the waggler straight in front, but it was slow going and the fish that usually show in front of 135, weren't. I had a look over the 6mm pellet and had one fish and a few liners, that saw the shallow rig put to use, but to no avail, not a bite. An early look over the meat line at 6m produced one 8oz skimmer and one carp.
Back on the waggler and a sideways flick was required to get the float to the brambles next to 135 (because the tree to the left of 110 is now overhanging the natural line to get straight cast ) a run of a few fish showed that the cast needed to be tight to the bank, but the wind was frustratingly pulling the float away from the bank. This slowed down the catch rate, so with an hour or so to go, I dropped back in on the meat line and had 3 fish in 3 put ins - sussed it, well no, that was the end of that action. Back on the waggler and a couple more fish in the net. I'm pretty sure the lack of ripple, combined with the skim pulling the waggler cast me, as I didn't think my 23 fish would be enough - so it proved, missed out on a pick up (section money) by one (yet again). The lack of silvers didn't help, one 8oz skimmer, most others had 8 or 10lb at least to go with their carp. At least it was a good days fishing and some food for thought - did I not swap between lines soon enough, should I have fed more? Many questions to ponder.
1) Will Bohne 163.15 peg 123
2) Keith Masheder 154.10 peg 125
3) Andy Neal 148.13 peg 129
4) Charlie Barnes 145.11 peg 116 (Not a silver in sight)
5) Jamie Dyte 139.13 peg 131
6) Chris Fox 136.01 peg 110
Silvers
1) Jim Baines 40.01 peg 127
2) Tim Pallant 37.07 peg 118
3) Keith Masheder 30.13 peg 125
I set up a waggler rod, I also set up a lead rod both with 0.17 hooklengths and 16 PR36 hooks. The pole rigs were one for meat short on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength and a 18 TXR7 hook. A MW pea for shallow and a MW slim power for full depth. I also set up a MW dinky for the margin, which remained unused, so no more to say about it.
I started on the waggler, feeding towards the middle of the lake and towards peg 135, I also fed meat at 6m and some 6mm pellet at 12m. I had a couple of fish on the waggler straight in front, but it was slow going and the fish that usually show in front of 135, weren't. I had a look over the 6mm pellet and had one fish and a few liners, that saw the shallow rig put to use, but to no avail, not a bite. An early look over the meat line at 6m produced one 8oz skimmer and one carp.
Back on the waggler and a sideways flick was required to get the float to the brambles next to 135 (because the tree to the left of 110 is now overhanging the natural line to get straight cast ) a run of a few fish showed that the cast needed to be tight to the bank, but the wind was frustratingly pulling the float away from the bank. This slowed down the catch rate, so with an hour or so to go, I dropped back in on the meat line and had 3 fish in 3 put ins - sussed it, well no, that was the end of that action. Back on the waggler and a couple more fish in the net. I'm pretty sure the lack of ripple, combined with the skim pulling the waggler cast me, as I didn't think my 23 fish would be enough - so it proved, missed out on a pick up (section money) by one (yet again). The lack of silvers didn't help, one 8oz skimmer, most others had 8 or 10lb at least to go with their carp. At least it was a good days fishing and some food for thought - did I not swap between lines soon enough, should I have fed more? Many questions to ponder.
1) Will Bohne 163.15 peg 123
2) Keith Masheder 154.10 peg 125
3) Andy Neal 148.13 peg 129
4) Charlie Barnes 145.11 peg 116 (Not a silver in sight)
5) Jamie Dyte 139.13 peg 131
6) Chris Fox 136.01 peg 110
Silvers
1) Jim Baines 40.01 peg 127
2) Tim Pallant 37.07 peg 118
3) Keith Masheder 30.13 peg 125
Monday, 3 October 2011
Two Day Festival, Plantation Lakes. 1st & 2nd Oct 2011
Firstly, thanks to Glenn Calvert for pointing out in the comment section of my last blog entry, that I'd draw in a bay - as expected I did, but then after a good result on Saturday Glenn drew the same bay on Sunday - what goes round, comes round, eh Faitheeey. And theres me thinking you were a real man, hard drinking egg chasing fan, but your blogger ID is some sort of weekend and evening femmine alter ego....
Anyway onto the fishing, the festival was depeletd in numbers due to the clash with the winter league and the Teams of Four, so Darren 'Noddy' Vowles original plan of 20 on each lake and rotate, was abandoned and 30 different plans from a rover, to island chucks and non island chucks were discussed and ripped to shreds by various participants. It was quite simply, an open draw both days, with the overall result based on weight.
'Noddy' asked for an orderly queue at the draw, it was like sale day at Lidil's in Hartcliffe, a free for all, I came out unscathed and with a disappointing peg 18 to show for it. I had brought waggler & lead rods, they were to remain unused, as 10 & 12 opposite me in the bay. Practising on Thursday had seen some decent skimmers come to the meat, so my approach was to be pellet and meat. I set up a shallow and depth rig for pellet and meat, a caster rig and a margin rig. There isn't too much to say about the match, it was a struggle to get a bite, even on single caster on 0.10 and a 20. At 3pm, with an hour and a half to go, I started to catch roach and the odd bonus perch, at least it was something after watching Glenn 'Faitheeey'Calvert catching on peg 8 and John Wolvenscroft doing likewise on peg 7. I ended Saturdays match with 4 carp for 10lb and 14lb 12oz of hard won caster fish.
1) John Wolvenscroft 91.06 peg 7
2) Darren 'Noddy' Vowles 81.02 peg 38
3) Paul Faiers 78.00 peg 27
4) Glen 'Faitheeey' Calvert 68.04 peg 8
5) Rod Wootten 61.00 peg ?
Silvers
1) Paul Faiers 18.06 peg 27
2) Craig Tucker 15.06 peg 3
3) Chris Fox 14.12 peg 18
With no chance (barring some miracle) of framing in the overall, Sunday had to be a silvers day, so I joined the darkside and took some micro pellet and devils spawn, to complement the caster and meat that was to be my main attack. the draw bag once again wasn't kind and I managed 29, which is set back further than all the other pegs on that bank, which doesn't favour any of my fishing short plans. Silvers were also going to be competed for by Paul and Craig, Paul drew peg4, a decent draw and Craig peg 1 - but with peg 3 having been left out due to a no show on the day - Craig had plenty of room.
I planned to feed micros and fish expander at 13m, caster short to the left and meat at 7m, I also added a short micro fed line at 6m to the right, as Simon Carvello on peg 28 was method lobbing into the island gap.
I fed the lines at the all in and then had a couple of half hearted chucks at the island with a pellet waggler, had it gone under and kept going under, I might have stayed with it, but it didn't and whilst there was very little wind, there was a right to left skim which made presentation tight to the island impossible.
Once again, the meat was totally unsuccessful, not a bite on it - yet I caught on it two days practising and Paul Faiers caught on it both days, after seeing me do it on Monday and a phone conversation Thursday- I think you needed the big skimmers in the peg for it to work. I caught a few on devils spawn, but they were only a 1/3 the size of the meat fish, but my usual frustration with devils spawn of it coming off the hook or being taken by tiny roach continued.
I could see some big roach and rudd flashing for the caster, so set up a greased loop rig, this produced a 12oz rudd and a 8oz roach, along with a few 3-4oz roach, before they backed off, this seemed to be the pattern for the day, take a fish or 2, then having to change to another line to catch again. Rod Wootten was steadily catching on 31, fishing towards a tree he spent nearly an hour pruning before the match, I reckon if you look on ebay, he'll have some brushwood and kindling for sale......
Without any bonus big skimmers, crucians or fantails, I thought I'd be struggling to beat my weight of Saturday, I did but only just. 16lb of silvers and 4 water pigs for 12lb odds. Not enough.
1) Paul Nicholls 95.01 peg 7
2) Rod 'Tree Surgeon' Wootten 89.04 peg 31
3) Paul Faiers 71.15 peg 4
4) Andy France 67.00 peg 38
5) Simon Carvello 60.00 peg 28
Silvers
1) Paul Faiers 24.04 peg 4
2) Craig Tucker 21.08 peg 1
3) Chris Fox 16.00 peg 29
Overall
1) Rod Wootten 150.04
2) Paul Faiers 149.15
3) Paul Nicholls 144.01
4) John Wolvenscroft 140.07
5) Darren 'Noddy' Vowles 131.03
Overall silvers
1) Paul Faiers 42.10
2) Craig Tucker 36.14
3) Chris Fox 30.12
Thanks to 'Noddy' and Paul Nicholls for running the match, thanks to Plantation for hosting the match and the pork rolls afterwards - very nice and a few bob was raised for a charity. Thanks to Paul Faiers for the beer, he had so many brown envelopes that he needed a trolley to carry them!!
Thanks to Cadbury Angling, who donated a Shimano Aerotech waggler rod, this was a prize in a raffle drawn from Sundays swimcards, Faierzy won it, now he'll have to buy a reel and some wagglers!!
Special mention for Andy Hembrow, he drew the same peg both days, 12 in the top bay which fished poorly both days, he must have upset the same drawing gods as me, but whatever Andy did was obviously worse....
Right, I'm off to buy some micro pellets, devils spawn and 4mm pellets and get my head round winter style fishing in the summer!!
Anyway onto the fishing, the festival was depeletd in numbers due to the clash with the winter league and the Teams of Four, so Darren 'Noddy' Vowles original plan of 20 on each lake and rotate, was abandoned and 30 different plans from a rover, to island chucks and non island chucks were discussed and ripped to shreds by various participants. It was quite simply, an open draw both days, with the overall result based on weight.
'Noddy' asked for an orderly queue at the draw, it was like sale day at Lidil's in Hartcliffe, a free for all, I came out unscathed and with a disappointing peg 18 to show for it. I had brought waggler & lead rods, they were to remain unused, as 10 & 12 opposite me in the bay. Practising on Thursday had seen some decent skimmers come to the meat, so my approach was to be pellet and meat. I set up a shallow and depth rig for pellet and meat, a caster rig and a margin rig. There isn't too much to say about the match, it was a struggle to get a bite, even on single caster on 0.10 and a 20. At 3pm, with an hour and a half to go, I started to catch roach and the odd bonus perch, at least it was something after watching Glenn 'Faitheeey'Calvert catching on peg 8 and John Wolvenscroft doing likewise on peg 7. I ended Saturdays match with 4 carp for 10lb and 14lb 12oz of hard won caster fish.
1) John Wolvenscroft 91.06 peg 7
2) Darren 'Noddy' Vowles 81.02 peg 38
3) Paul Faiers 78.00 peg 27
4) Glen 'Faitheeey' Calvert 68.04 peg 8
5) Rod Wootten 61.00 peg ?
Silvers
1) Paul Faiers 18.06 peg 27
2) Craig Tucker 15.06 peg 3
3) Chris Fox 14.12 peg 18
With no chance (barring some miracle) of framing in the overall, Sunday had to be a silvers day, so I joined the darkside and took some micro pellet and devils spawn, to complement the caster and meat that was to be my main attack. the draw bag once again wasn't kind and I managed 29, which is set back further than all the other pegs on that bank, which doesn't favour any of my fishing short plans. Silvers were also going to be competed for by Paul and Craig, Paul drew peg4, a decent draw and Craig peg 1 - but with peg 3 having been left out due to a no show on the day - Craig had plenty of room.
I planned to feed micros and fish expander at 13m, caster short to the left and meat at 7m, I also added a short micro fed line at 6m to the right, as Simon Carvello on peg 28 was method lobbing into the island gap.
I fed the lines at the all in and then had a couple of half hearted chucks at the island with a pellet waggler, had it gone under and kept going under, I might have stayed with it, but it didn't and whilst there was very little wind, there was a right to left skim which made presentation tight to the island impossible.
Once again, the meat was totally unsuccessful, not a bite on it - yet I caught on it two days practising and Paul Faiers caught on it both days, after seeing me do it on Monday and a phone conversation Thursday- I think you needed the big skimmers in the peg for it to work. I caught a few on devils spawn, but they were only a 1/3 the size of the meat fish, but my usual frustration with devils spawn of it coming off the hook or being taken by tiny roach continued.
I could see some big roach and rudd flashing for the caster, so set up a greased loop rig, this produced a 12oz rudd and a 8oz roach, along with a few 3-4oz roach, before they backed off, this seemed to be the pattern for the day, take a fish or 2, then having to change to another line to catch again. Rod Wootten was steadily catching on 31, fishing towards a tree he spent nearly an hour pruning before the match, I reckon if you look on ebay, he'll have some brushwood and kindling for sale......
Without any bonus big skimmers, crucians or fantails, I thought I'd be struggling to beat my weight of Saturday, I did but only just. 16lb of silvers and 4 water pigs for 12lb odds. Not enough.
1) Paul Nicholls 95.01 peg 7
2) Rod 'Tree Surgeon' Wootten 89.04 peg 31
3) Paul Faiers 71.15 peg 4
4) Andy France 67.00 peg 38
5) Simon Carvello 60.00 peg 28
Silvers
1) Paul Faiers 24.04 peg 4
2) Craig Tucker 21.08 peg 1
3) Chris Fox 16.00 peg 29
Overall
1) Rod Wootten 150.04
2) Paul Faiers 149.15
3) Paul Nicholls 144.01
4) John Wolvenscroft 140.07
5) Darren 'Noddy' Vowles 131.03
Overall silvers
1) Paul Faiers 42.10
2) Craig Tucker 36.14
3) Chris Fox 30.12
Thanks to 'Noddy' and Paul Nicholls for running the match, thanks to Plantation for hosting the match and the pork rolls afterwards - very nice and a few bob was raised for a charity. Thanks to Paul Faiers for the beer, he had so many brown envelopes that he needed a trolley to carry them!!
Thanks to Cadbury Angling, who donated a Shimano Aerotech waggler rod, this was a prize in a raffle drawn from Sundays swimcards, Faierzy won it, now he'll have to buy a reel and some wagglers!!
Special mention for Andy Hembrow, he drew the same peg both days, 12 in the top bay which fished poorly both days, he must have upset the same drawing gods as me, but whatever Andy did was obviously worse....
Right, I'm off to buy some micro pellets, devils spawn and 4mm pellets and get my head round winter style fishing in the summer!!
Monday, 26 September 2011
Costcutter @ Landsend, 25th Sept 2011
This blog entry is little more than a tale, nay, admission that I'm a stubborn idiot.
My record at Landsend is by anybodys evaluation, poor, I've pretty much made up my mind to only fish for silvers when I go to Landsend. This match was no exception, so what peg did I draw, bloody 19, the best carp peg on the venue. Plenty of good advice from anglers who I would normally listen to and trust, today, my stubborn streak chose to totally ignore advice from the likes of Trigger and Alan Oram -"you'll struggle to get through the carp". Of course I'd find a way to catch quality silvers, why wouldn't I?
So, I started short on the caster, this produced a couple of tench and a few small roach, before the carp moved in, so out to the 10m devils spawn line, more bloody vermin, infact in the first hour I foul hooked and lost 7 or 8. The next two hours saw a similar tale of foul hooked carp and I was at the point of trying to find an old gypsy peg seller to put a KHV curse on them.
The last three hours I gave up and fished the paste (which I had to try and make up from some pellet), I still fouled some, but I landed 12, that gave me 60lb and a pretty poor 6lb of silvers. If I hadn't been so stubborn and determind to 'beat' the carp, I could and should have won the match, but Landsend seems to be my bête noir.
Although I readily admit to fish for silvers for half the match today was a shite decision. Not much more to say, except to all those that said "I told you so", you were right.
1) Craig 'Trigger' Edmunds 101.02. peg 24
2) Paul Elmes 90.15 peg 9
3) Dave Westcott 84.00 peg 33
4) Scott Puddy 75.02 peg 40
5) D Pither 67.02 peg 21
6) Chris Fox 66.06 peg 19
Silvers
1) Tom Thick 30.00 peg 15
2) Matt Tomes 21.08 peg 1
I went to Plantation today (Monday 26th) to try a few things out in readiness for next weekends two day festival. I was told that the method would be deadly, as I have never done this I took the couple of method feeders that I've got free via the angling press to try, I managed 45 minutes before throwing it up the bank, not to touch it again - I won't be taking it the weekend. After this I started trying for silvers, but got carp'd out again, settled on fishing for them and had 150lb without trying. Its amazing how the 'proper carp fishermen' keep on saying - "he's got another" "everytime he goes out he gets one", but they can see that I'm catching shallow, but they still sit, biteless, on their lead rods.
One more practise session this week to squeeze in before the festival on Saturday, next time I'll take some waggler rods, which I purposefully left at home today. If I get a carp peg in the festival, I certainly won't be fishing for silvers........
My record at Landsend is by anybodys evaluation, poor, I've pretty much made up my mind to only fish for silvers when I go to Landsend. This match was no exception, so what peg did I draw, bloody 19, the best carp peg on the venue. Plenty of good advice from anglers who I would normally listen to and trust, today, my stubborn streak chose to totally ignore advice from the likes of Trigger and Alan Oram -"you'll struggle to get through the carp". Of course I'd find a way to catch quality silvers, why wouldn't I?
So, I started short on the caster, this produced a couple of tench and a few small roach, before the carp moved in, so out to the 10m devils spawn line, more bloody vermin, infact in the first hour I foul hooked and lost 7 or 8. The next two hours saw a similar tale of foul hooked carp and I was at the point of trying to find an old gypsy peg seller to put a KHV curse on them.
The last three hours I gave up and fished the paste (which I had to try and make up from some pellet), I still fouled some, but I landed 12, that gave me 60lb and a pretty poor 6lb of silvers. If I hadn't been so stubborn and determind to 'beat' the carp, I could and should have won the match, but Landsend seems to be my bête noir.
Although I readily admit to fish for silvers for half the match today was a shite decision. Not much more to say, except to all those that said "I told you so", you were right.
1) Craig 'Trigger' Edmunds 101.02. peg 24
2) Paul Elmes 90.15 peg 9
3) Dave Westcott 84.00 peg 33
4) Scott Puddy 75.02 peg 40
5) D Pither 67.02 peg 21
6) Chris Fox 66.06 peg 19
Silvers
1) Tom Thick 30.00 peg 15
2) Matt Tomes 21.08 peg 1
I went to Plantation today (Monday 26th) to try a few things out in readiness for next weekends two day festival. I was told that the method would be deadly, as I have never done this I took the couple of method feeders that I've got free via the angling press to try, I managed 45 minutes before throwing it up the bank, not to touch it again - I won't be taking it the weekend. After this I started trying for silvers, but got carp'd out again, settled on fishing for them and had 150lb without trying. Its amazing how the 'proper carp fishermen' keep on saying - "he's got another" "everytime he goes out he gets one", but they can see that I'm catching shallow, but they still sit, biteless, on their lead rods.
One more practise session this week to squeeze in before the festival on Saturday, next time I'll take some waggler rods, which I purposefully left at home today. If I get a carp peg in the festival, I certainly won't be fishing for silvers........
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Viaduct Open, Wednesday 21st Sept 2011
Back to Viaduct today, with just Campbell lake in, at least I couldn't draw the worst lake........
Nice steady drive down, so I went into Somerton and bought ½ a loaf of bread, just in case, whilst I was there I saw a couple of Chelsea Buns, so bought them as a little treat, they were in fact pretty stale and for most of the day I had the company of the tame goose - she ate the stale buns!!
I drew 115, I'd brought the tackle and bait to fish for silvers or carp and the sight of carp moving about in the middle, made my mind up to leave the silvers gear in the bag. Four topkits were set up, a margin rig on 0.20 with a 0.18 hooklength and a Xedion TXR7 hook, exactly the same lines and hook for a 6m rig to fish meat, finally a shallow and depth rig to fish banded pellet on 0.16.
I set up three rods, two wagglers, one at full depth and one shallow, as well as a lead rod - hopefully the lead rod wouldn't see much use. I started with the shallow rig and within 5 mins had elastic streaming from the pole, but just landed a big scale, another lost fouler a couple of minutes later and that seemed to be the end of the action shallow, I tried the waggler at depth, just out past the 14.5m line, but this proved fruitless (and fishless), by now an hour was gone and I was still blanking. There were fish on the 14.5m line, so out with the full depth rig and at least I had a couple of fish in the net by an hour and 10 mins, but then the foulers started. Back out with the shallow rig and apart from a few more foulers, very little to show.
I tied up a 2' hooklength of 0.18, with a 14 Guru QM1 and a quickstop, this went on the lead rod and I opened the bread - two chucks, two 7lb+ fish, thinking I'd sussed it, I was rudely reminded this wasn't a day for sussing anything, as I then lost 3 foulers on the popped up bread. The fish were up in the water, moving about, but seemingly, not feeding ravenously on masse. Back on the shallow rig and I started putting a few decent fish together, but it was a case of catch a couple then wait. It seemed as if they were backing away from the pole.
Heading into the last couple of hours, I had 13 carp and the shallow line appeared to be getting stronger, but it just died and I could see other pegs increasing their catch rates whilst mine was stalling. I had fed a line at 5m with meat & hemp and had a look over this, a couple of fish, then again, it appeared to die, I'd also fed a margin line, this produced one fish and no other bites. Back on the 5m meat line, i hooked a big fish, I'm guessing fouled, that ran, then ran some more and then bottomed out 17H elastic and snapped 0.18.
Back on the shallow rig and another fish, I'd tried upping the feed, decreasing the feed, 8mm & 6mm pellets, all to no avail, its just as if they spooked away from the pole or catch area. Last 10 minutes on the meat line and two more carp taking the total to 22, I knew it wouldn't be enough as whilst my peg seemed to get more 'fussy' as the last couple of hours drew to a close, several others got stronger.
The scales confirmed my observations, my 127.03 putting me one off a pick up for the second match running. Miles Levy won, fishing meat shallow and paste in the margins. Eight ton+ weights on the day, so Campbell once again fished well in the end, even though it wasn't easy pickings.
1) Miles Levy 186.12 Peg 126
2) Lee Werrett 156.1 Peg 129
3) Will Bohne 144.03 Peg 112
4) Chris Fox 127.03 Peg 115
5) Steve Hutter 125.01 Peg 125
6) Dan White 121.07 Peg 114
Silvers
1) Tim Pallant 32.10 Peg 130
2) John Green 22.10 Peg 123
Nice steady drive down, so I went into Somerton and bought ½ a loaf of bread, just in case, whilst I was there I saw a couple of Chelsea Buns, so bought them as a little treat, they were in fact pretty stale and for most of the day I had the company of the tame goose - she ate the stale buns!!
I drew 115, I'd brought the tackle and bait to fish for silvers or carp and the sight of carp moving about in the middle, made my mind up to leave the silvers gear in the bag. Four topkits were set up, a margin rig on 0.20 with a 0.18 hooklength and a Xedion TXR7 hook, exactly the same lines and hook for a 6m rig to fish meat, finally a shallow and depth rig to fish banded pellet on 0.16.
I set up three rods, two wagglers, one at full depth and one shallow, as well as a lead rod - hopefully the lead rod wouldn't see much use. I started with the shallow rig and within 5 mins had elastic streaming from the pole, but just landed a big scale, another lost fouler a couple of minutes later and that seemed to be the end of the action shallow, I tried the waggler at depth, just out past the 14.5m line, but this proved fruitless (and fishless), by now an hour was gone and I was still blanking. There were fish on the 14.5m line, so out with the full depth rig and at least I had a couple of fish in the net by an hour and 10 mins, but then the foulers started. Back out with the shallow rig and apart from a few more foulers, very little to show.
I tied up a 2' hooklength of 0.18, with a 14 Guru QM1 and a quickstop, this went on the lead rod and I opened the bread - two chucks, two 7lb+ fish, thinking I'd sussed it, I was rudely reminded this wasn't a day for sussing anything, as I then lost 3 foulers on the popped up bread. The fish were up in the water, moving about, but seemingly, not feeding ravenously on masse. Back on the shallow rig and I started putting a few decent fish together, but it was a case of catch a couple then wait. It seemed as if they were backing away from the pole.
Heading into the last couple of hours, I had 13 carp and the shallow line appeared to be getting stronger, but it just died and I could see other pegs increasing their catch rates whilst mine was stalling. I had fed a line at 5m with meat & hemp and had a look over this, a couple of fish, then again, it appeared to die, I'd also fed a margin line, this produced one fish and no other bites. Back on the 5m meat line, i hooked a big fish, I'm guessing fouled, that ran, then ran some more and then bottomed out 17H elastic and snapped 0.18.
Back on the shallow rig and another fish, I'd tried upping the feed, decreasing the feed, 8mm & 6mm pellets, all to no avail, its just as if they spooked away from the pole or catch area. Last 10 minutes on the meat line and two more carp taking the total to 22, I knew it wouldn't be enough as whilst my peg seemed to get more 'fussy' as the last couple of hours drew to a close, several others got stronger.
The scales confirmed my observations, my 127.03 putting me one off a pick up for the second match running. Miles Levy won, fishing meat shallow and paste in the margins. Eight ton+ weights on the day, so Campbell once again fished well in the end, even though it wasn't easy pickings.
1) Miles Levy 186.12 Peg 126
2) Lee Werrett 156.1 Peg 129
3) Will Bohne 144.03 Peg 112
4) Chris Fox 127.03 Peg 115
5) Steve Hutter 125.01 Peg 125
6) Dan White 121.07 Peg 114
Silvers
1) Tim Pallant 32.10 Peg 130
2) John Green 22.10 Peg 123
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Teams of Four, Landsend. Sunday 18th Sept. 2011
Today I guested in Charlie Barnes' team, Charlies Angels, in place of Rich Coles. The match consisted of 11 anglers on each of the four lakes, obviously, one from each team. As it was a team match, I had spent some time tying up new rigs and preparing bait, its only fair to the other members of the team to make an effort.
Out of the four lakes, I didn't fancy number four, as it houses the least silvers and smallest carp, it really suits the 'hard pellet tight to the island' experts, of which, I'm certainly not. Absolutely no surprise then, when I was told, "you're on No 4, peg 72". I headed straight off, as I really didn't want to listen to all the differing advice, or the "thats a flyer" comments.
Peg 72 has the end of an island at approx 13m, but it might as well have been 30m away, because the wind was whistling down the lake, I could see then that it would be difficult to present a bait and I'd only brought a pole. To add pressure on me, vacant corner peg 71 didn't stay long, England International Des Shipp arrived, so no pressure to try and beat him off the next peg.
I had tried to cover all bases with the baits I'd brought, caster, dead maggot, live maggot, worm, hemp, devils spawn in various sizes, micro pellet, 4, 6 & 8mm hard pellet and 6 & 8mm meat. I decided that I'd fish a line with the micro pellet, this was at 6m, devils spawn & dead maggot to be the hook bait. The obvious line accross to the island and large bush protruding from it, I set up a depth and shallow rig for this line, with a 20 B960 and hair rig band for 6mm pellet. I also set up a MW dinky D to fish the margin, this had a 18 Xedion TXR7 on 0.16, just in case a bonus fish fancied the meat I intended to fish late in the margins.
As I thought, the wind was affecting presentation and the ability to hold much more than 6m, without it waving around like a magic wand on speed. I had bites from the off accross, but it was a couple of small skimmers that graced the net, rather than the weight building pasty carp. With one hour gone, I had the two skimmers and one small carp, not good, I was also getting a lesson in angling by Des, as he was catching fish quite steadily, although they weren't big.
Hour two saw a slight improvement, with a few small carp, although the annoying growth of small branches, both above and below the waterline, cost me a few fish, a disintegrated float and if Mike had a swear box, it would have been full, just with the four anglers I could see and hear. Hour three was difficult and Des had now dropped to only taking an occasional fish, although opposite, Rod Wootten started taking a fish every put in and Mike West broke his pole, so some entertainment.
With two hours to go, I had virtually given up on the long line to the island, also the 6m line, no bites on hard pellet and bitted out on dead maggot and devils spawn. Time to start feeding the margin a bit more heavily with caster and a few cubes of 6mm meat, the last hour and a half produced a few fish, including a 5lber, all falling to meat over caster. This was enough to give me third on the lake, behind Rod Wootten who weigh approx 45lb and Des who weighed 39lb, my efforts went 33.04. The team result wasn't fantastic, with Mike Nicholls matching my third on lake, but sadly, Steve Seager and Captain Charlie came back with 3rd from last & last on their lakes.
I didn't get the results, but I'm sure they will appear on Mike Nicholl's and Tony Rixon's blogs, needless to say, lake four won't be appearing in the overall placings........
Out of the four lakes, I didn't fancy number four, as it houses the least silvers and smallest carp, it really suits the 'hard pellet tight to the island' experts, of which, I'm certainly not. Absolutely no surprise then, when I was told, "you're on No 4, peg 72". I headed straight off, as I really didn't want to listen to all the differing advice, or the "thats a flyer" comments.
Peg 72 has the end of an island at approx 13m, but it might as well have been 30m away, because the wind was whistling down the lake, I could see then that it would be difficult to present a bait and I'd only brought a pole. To add pressure on me, vacant corner peg 71 didn't stay long, England International Des Shipp arrived, so no pressure to try and beat him off the next peg.
I had tried to cover all bases with the baits I'd brought, caster, dead maggot, live maggot, worm, hemp, devils spawn in various sizes, micro pellet, 4, 6 & 8mm hard pellet and 6 & 8mm meat. I decided that I'd fish a line with the micro pellet, this was at 6m, devils spawn & dead maggot to be the hook bait. The obvious line accross to the island and large bush protruding from it, I set up a depth and shallow rig for this line, with a 20 B960 and hair rig band for 6mm pellet. I also set up a MW dinky D to fish the margin, this had a 18 Xedion TXR7 on 0.16, just in case a bonus fish fancied the meat I intended to fish late in the margins.
As I thought, the wind was affecting presentation and the ability to hold much more than 6m, without it waving around like a magic wand on speed. I had bites from the off accross, but it was a couple of small skimmers that graced the net, rather than the weight building pasty carp. With one hour gone, I had the two skimmers and one small carp, not good, I was also getting a lesson in angling by Des, as he was catching fish quite steadily, although they weren't big.
Hour two saw a slight improvement, with a few small carp, although the annoying growth of small branches, both above and below the waterline, cost me a few fish, a disintegrated float and if Mike had a swear box, it would have been full, just with the four anglers I could see and hear. Hour three was difficult and Des had now dropped to only taking an occasional fish, although opposite, Rod Wootten started taking a fish every put in and Mike West broke his pole, so some entertainment.
With two hours to go, I had virtually given up on the long line to the island, also the 6m line, no bites on hard pellet and bitted out on dead maggot and devils spawn. Time to start feeding the margin a bit more heavily with caster and a few cubes of 6mm meat, the last hour and a half produced a few fish, including a 5lber, all falling to meat over caster. This was enough to give me third on the lake, behind Rod Wootten who weigh approx 45lb and Des who weighed 39lb, my efforts went 33.04. The team result wasn't fantastic, with Mike Nicholls matching my third on lake, but sadly, Steve Seager and Captain Charlie came back with 3rd from last & last on their lakes.
I didn't get the results, but I'm sure they will appear on Mike Nicholl's and Tony Rixon's blogs, needless to say, lake four won't be appearing in the overall placings........
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Trinity Waters, Avon Angling Open Sunday 11th sept. 2011
Woodland Lake was the venue for todays match, with 20 in the draw bag. I managed to pull out 27, I'm sure that I'll be paying concil tax on that section of bank soon, as I seem to draw it in every match. I intended to fish for skimmers and then switch, if the carp came along, but I did set up a pellet waggler to start on, just in case thecarp were up in the water and hungry.
I also set up a cage feeder to fish for skimmers if the wind got too bad, as well as two 1.5g modified jolly floats, to fish at 12m on the deck, one on 0.17 with a B960 on 0.16 for banded pellet another on 0.16 with a 16 63.13 for worm, dead maggot or 4mm devils spawn. I also set up a .4g sensas pencil float on 0.14 / 0.12 with a 18 carp maggot to fish caster short. Lastly I set up a margin rig, in case the carp moved in, as they can do on the lodge lake bank.
On the all-in, I cupped in some groundbait CW&C and left it for ½ an hour, having a look on the pellet waggler, to no avail. I dropped a worm segment over the 12m line and had one small skimmer, they didn't seem to be feeding. I tried dead maggot and had another skimmer, but the bites weren't forthcoming. A quick look on the short line produced some very small roach, but al least it was bites. I wondered if the presentation was poor on the pole, as it was very windy, with a heavy tow, so the groundbait feeder was reluctantly put into action, just groundbait and dead maggot in the feeder and dead maggot on the hook. Second put in the tip twitched and steadily pulled round, initially I thought the heavy weight and steady thumps on the rod was a decent bream, but then it came to life and morphed into a 6lb carp.
Several more chucks with the feeder brought a couple of skimmers, but they were small, not worth the wait. I came back on the short line and started feeding hemp along with the caster, this increased the size of the roach, but also attracted the carp, which put the roach off. I kept chasing the roach, varying the depth from 6" to full depth at 6' to keep them coming, a 7lb carp took a liking to the single caster and ploughed up the near line.
Paul Elmes on 25 had a cracking time, a number 5 & 6 section both biting the dust in the windy conditions, I guess the overnight rain and the wind put the fish off feeding as the weights weren't huge, but it was a close & fair match, my persistence on the roach - much to Tony Rixon's disgust - paid off, giving me first in the silvers, with half the weight I expected to need.
1) Craig Edmunds 72.08 peg 7
2) Tony Rixon 66.00 peg 26
3) Chris Davis 59.07 peg 32
4) Dean Malin 57.05 peg 29
5) Rich Coles 57.03 peg 19
6) P Elmes 45.08 peg 25
Silvers
1) Chris Fox 11.15 peg 27
2) Dean Malin 8.00 peg 29
I also set up a cage feeder to fish for skimmers if the wind got too bad, as well as two 1.5g modified jolly floats, to fish at 12m on the deck, one on 0.17 with a B960 on 0.16 for banded pellet another on 0.16 with a 16 63.13 for worm, dead maggot or 4mm devils spawn. I also set up a .4g sensas pencil float on 0.14 / 0.12 with a 18 carp maggot to fish caster short. Lastly I set up a margin rig, in case the carp moved in, as they can do on the lodge lake bank.
On the all-in, I cupped in some groundbait CW&C and left it for ½ an hour, having a look on the pellet waggler, to no avail. I dropped a worm segment over the 12m line and had one small skimmer, they didn't seem to be feeding. I tried dead maggot and had another skimmer, but the bites weren't forthcoming. A quick look on the short line produced some very small roach, but al least it was bites. I wondered if the presentation was poor on the pole, as it was very windy, with a heavy tow, so the groundbait feeder was reluctantly put into action, just groundbait and dead maggot in the feeder and dead maggot on the hook. Second put in the tip twitched and steadily pulled round, initially I thought the heavy weight and steady thumps on the rod was a decent bream, but then it came to life and morphed into a 6lb carp.
Several more chucks with the feeder brought a couple of skimmers, but they were small, not worth the wait. I came back on the short line and started feeding hemp along with the caster, this increased the size of the roach, but also attracted the carp, which put the roach off. I kept chasing the roach, varying the depth from 6" to full depth at 6' to keep them coming, a 7lb carp took a liking to the single caster and ploughed up the near line.
Paul Elmes on 25 had a cracking time, a number 5 & 6 section both biting the dust in the windy conditions, I guess the overnight rain and the wind put the fish off feeding as the weights weren't huge, but it was a close & fair match, my persistence on the roach - much to Tony Rixon's disgust - paid off, giving me first in the silvers, with half the weight I expected to need.
1) Craig Edmunds 72.08 peg 7
2) Tony Rixon 66.00 peg 26
3) Chris Davis 59.07 peg 32
4) Dean Malin 57.05 peg 29
5) Rich Coles 57.03 peg 19
6) P Elmes 45.08 peg 25
Silvers
1) Chris Fox 11.15 peg 27
2) Dean Malin 8.00 peg 29
Monday, 5 September 2011
Plantation Carp Lake Open, Sun 4th Sept 2011
As there were two team matches on this weekend, Tony's teams of four and the Commercial House league on the river, there wasn't too much else on. I can't commit to fish any series or leagues, without using up loads of holiday and there was no vacant spots to fill in any of the teams.
So a chance conversation with Paul(Faiers) and I'm booked into one of Darren 'Noddy' Vowles matches, this was to be an exercise to catch as many small carp and silvers from Plantations Carp lake and after the match, transfer them to Horseshoe lake. 'Noddy' had promised us bites a plenty, he'd been down there and they were crawling up the rod....... These small carp are the offspring of the fish put into the lake 3 or 4 years ago, when it was netted and only fish 8lb or bigger were put back in.
To ensure that everyone stuck to the spirit of the match, all fish over 3lb, were counted as 3lb. I drew peg 1 (which was actually permanent peg 2) and had an island I could reach at 16m and a channel which was nearly 5' deep at 7m. I intended to keep it simple and had a couple of pints of dead reds and a pint of wriggly ones. I also mixed up a bit of swim stim groundbait and started with 3 small balls at 7m on the all in.
The first two hours passed pleasntly enough, with carp from 4oz to 1lb or so falling to the double maggot hookbait, presnted under a KC Carpa Chimp on 0.14 and a 18 808 hook. 24 of them in the net with 2 hours gone and then they just switched off. From the pegs I could see and the banter and conversation, I could tell that this was pretty much the case for everyone - although, in all fairness, for some it didn't really ever switch on. I then went out to the island and started catching again, but a lot slower. Scaling down to a 20 63.13 and 0.12 didn't increase the bite ratio, so I just kept plugging away, taking the occasional fish.
The fish I caught from the island, would not take a stationary bait, I had to very slowly drag it up the shelf, this would eventually result in a bite. Andy France on the next peg had taken a couple of better fish down his margin, so with a couple of hours to go, I got out the weed cutter, trimmed the bankside vegetation and fed some 6mm meat and dead reds into the margin.
With an hour to go, Dave Baker had hooked a big fish in his margin, but for some reason was fishing pink hydro and 0.10, there was rather a lot of unkind laughter when he lost it after about 10 minutes... Shortly after I saw a dorsal fin, then a tail over my margin and it wasn't too long before a 14lb or so fish had taken the 8mm meat and was netted.
With half an hour to go I refed some swim stim on the 7m line and took a couple more small carp - all of which were in excellent condidtion and I'm sure, never caught before - the all out was called and I had 41 carp, 2 roach and 4 perch, they went 36.06 enough for first on the day, has the "Holdall of Doom" redeemed its self?
That was 33.06 of small carp and 3lb for the 14lber.
1) Chris Fox 36.06
2) Mike Owens 27.02
3) Andy France 22.14
4) Glen Calvert 21.10
5) Andy Hembrow 19.02
6) Dave Baker 16.10
Not quite the promised 'crawling up the rod' scenario, but I enjoyed it, as I didn't put anything on the hook other than maggot and one cube of meat in the margin.
I nearly forgot, at one stage there was a great deal of splashing and commotion from Andy France's peg, I couldn't see him, but I didn't hink he'd fallen in... It turns out his landing net had ripped as he was lifting a 12lber, the fish went back into the lake, still attached to his rig, now playing it through his landing net. He had another attempt to scoop it out, this time it fell through and broke the line. Luckily, as it only counted a 3lb, it only cost him a new landing net head.
So a chance conversation with Paul(Faiers) and I'm booked into one of Darren 'Noddy' Vowles matches, this was to be an exercise to catch as many small carp and silvers from Plantations Carp lake and after the match, transfer them to Horseshoe lake. 'Noddy' had promised us bites a plenty, he'd been down there and they were crawling up the rod....... These small carp are the offspring of the fish put into the lake 3 or 4 years ago, when it was netted and only fish 8lb or bigger were put back in.
To ensure that everyone stuck to the spirit of the match, all fish over 3lb, were counted as 3lb. I drew peg 1 (which was actually permanent peg 2) and had an island I could reach at 16m and a channel which was nearly 5' deep at 7m. I intended to keep it simple and had a couple of pints of dead reds and a pint of wriggly ones. I also mixed up a bit of swim stim groundbait and started with 3 small balls at 7m on the all in.
The first two hours passed pleasntly enough, with carp from 4oz to 1lb or so falling to the double maggot hookbait, presnted under a KC Carpa Chimp on 0.14 and a 18 808 hook. 24 of them in the net with 2 hours gone and then they just switched off. From the pegs I could see and the banter and conversation, I could tell that this was pretty much the case for everyone - although, in all fairness, for some it didn't really ever switch on. I then went out to the island and started catching again, but a lot slower. Scaling down to a 20 63.13 and 0.12 didn't increase the bite ratio, so I just kept plugging away, taking the occasional fish.
The fish I caught from the island, would not take a stationary bait, I had to very slowly drag it up the shelf, this would eventually result in a bite. Andy France on the next peg had taken a couple of better fish down his margin, so with a couple of hours to go, I got out the weed cutter, trimmed the bankside vegetation and fed some 6mm meat and dead reds into the margin.
With an hour to go, Dave Baker had hooked a big fish in his margin, but for some reason was fishing pink hydro and 0.10, there was rather a lot of unkind laughter when he lost it after about 10 minutes... Shortly after I saw a dorsal fin, then a tail over my margin and it wasn't too long before a 14lb or so fish had taken the 8mm meat and was netted.
With half an hour to go I refed some swim stim on the 7m line and took a couple more small carp - all of which were in excellent condidtion and I'm sure, never caught before - the all out was called and I had 41 carp, 2 roach and 4 perch, they went 36.06 enough for first on the day, has the "Holdall of Doom" redeemed its self?
That was 33.06 of small carp and 3lb for the 14lber.
1) Chris Fox 36.06
2) Mike Owens 27.02
3) Andy France 22.14
4) Glen Calvert 21.10
5) Andy Hembrow 19.02
6) Dave Baker 16.10
Not quite the promised 'crawling up the rod' scenario, but I enjoyed it, as I didn't put anything on the hook other than maggot and one cube of meat in the margin.
I nearly forgot, at one stage there was a great deal of splashing and commotion from Andy France's peg, I couldn't see him, but I didn't hink he'd fallen in... It turns out his landing net had ripped as he was lifting a 12lber, the fish went back into the lake, still attached to his rig, now playing it through his landing net. He had another attempt to scoop it out, this time it fell through and broke the line. Luckily, as it only counted a 3lb, it only cost him a new landing net head.
The Holdall of Doom... Viaduct Open Sat 3rd Sept 2011
With the County Champs final taking place on Campbell, there was 17 of us in the regular Saturday open, all on Cary. All the omens were good, nice breakfast, decent drive down (hardly any dawdling old gits) and second in the draw queue. I drew 76, I certainly wasn't disappointed, as Anton Page had managed 190lb+ from this area last weekend.
I set up a waggler and a lead rod, tops kits for a shallow rig, a paste rig and a full depth rig with a hair rigged band. Also a rig that would suffice for worm/corn etc, this would cover the margin and open water, as there wasn't more than a couple of inches of difference.
I started on the waggler and stuck with it for the best part of an hour, to no avail, not even a liner. The story was pretty much the same on the shallow rig at 15m, which I'd been feeding, the depth rig was the same, as was the paste line. The margin also seemed devoid of fish.
3½ hours in and I'm still fishless, when the waggler dips and its 'fish on' - disappointing it turns out to be an 8oz skimmer. I decide to up the feed to see if this will attract some fish into the peg, as by now I'm fed up of seeing yellow elastic streaming from Nigel's(surname unknown, green Sensas T shirt, bait delivery man)pole on 105, as he caught regularly down the edge. It rubbed it in even more when he had to go and borrow an extra net fron John Green.....
With an hour and 10 mins to go, I chucked the lead over the waggler line and kept feeding, the tip went round and the first carp was netted, a 12lber. Next chuck another, but after fighting all the way to the net, the hook straightend - don't try out new hooks in matches, for the record it was a size 14 Guru QM1. Next chuck the tip went round before I had put the rod down and a foul hooked 8lber was netted.
And that was it, not another bite, or even liner, I packed up with half an hour to go, something I rarely do, but this must rank as one of my worst days at Viaduct, I had 4 bites, I've had more after breaking the ice.....
Its obvious where the blame must go, my new rod holdall, Bob Gullick was kind enough to get me a Garbolino rod holdall, as I'd been admiring the one he uses, today was its first outing, it has obviously destroyed the good karma of my new Avon Angling cap, its now known as the "Holdall of Doom".
I didn't hang around for the results, I'd have been surprised if Nigel hadn't won from 105, down the margin.
I set up a waggler and a lead rod, tops kits for a shallow rig, a paste rig and a full depth rig with a hair rigged band. Also a rig that would suffice for worm/corn etc, this would cover the margin and open water, as there wasn't more than a couple of inches of difference.
I started on the waggler and stuck with it for the best part of an hour, to no avail, not even a liner. The story was pretty much the same on the shallow rig at 15m, which I'd been feeding, the depth rig was the same, as was the paste line. The margin also seemed devoid of fish.
3½ hours in and I'm still fishless, when the waggler dips and its 'fish on' - disappointing it turns out to be an 8oz skimmer. I decide to up the feed to see if this will attract some fish into the peg, as by now I'm fed up of seeing yellow elastic streaming from Nigel's(surname unknown, green Sensas T shirt, bait delivery man)pole on 105, as he caught regularly down the edge. It rubbed it in even more when he had to go and borrow an extra net fron John Green.....
With an hour and 10 mins to go, I chucked the lead over the waggler line and kept feeding, the tip went round and the first carp was netted, a 12lber. Next chuck another, but after fighting all the way to the net, the hook straightend - don't try out new hooks in matches, for the record it was a size 14 Guru QM1. Next chuck the tip went round before I had put the rod down and a foul hooked 8lber was netted.
And that was it, not another bite, or even liner, I packed up with half an hour to go, something I rarely do, but this must rank as one of my worst days at Viaduct, I had 4 bites, I've had more after breaking the ice.....
Its obvious where the blame must go, my new rod holdall, Bob Gullick was kind enough to get me a Garbolino rod holdall, as I'd been admiring the one he uses, today was its first outing, it has obviously destroyed the good karma of my new Avon Angling cap, its now known as the "Holdall of Doom".
I didn't hang around for the results, I'd have been surprised if Nigel hadn't won from 105, down the margin.
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Tony Rixon's Float Only Series. Viaduct, Sunday 28th August 2011
Three lakes in todays match, in which I am took a 'guest' spot. I was pretty convinced that Campbell was the place to draw, so wasn't at all surprised when unfancied 100 (Cary) stuck to my incompetent drawing hand.
I got to the peg, totally determind to be positive and fish for a win, this meant lots of feed, so no difficulty for me, its the days that measured, meagre feeding do my head in. I set up two waggler rods, both on 6lb sensor, with 0.18 hooklengths and 18 B960 hooks.
I set up several topkits, the main ones being 0.17 line, with a MW slim power for banded pellet, a MW paste float on 0.19 with a 14 Mustad paste hook. As I had time I also set up a shallow rig, a margin rig and another that would do for worm or meat.
The shout of all-in, saw me start on the waggler, as there were plenty of blows and swirls out near the middle of the lake, I hooked a fish in the first cople of casts and despite being fairly hooked, it wouldn't get it head up, before shedding the hook and seeing the float, hook etc end up 30' up a tree.
I'd love to be able to write a tale of how I sussed out how to keep fish coming at short intervals, it would be lies!! The pegs around me weren't setting any fires, so it was a case of getting down to business and trying to keep bites and fish coming. I persevered with the waggler, with a couple of looks over my pole lines - to no avail in the first 3 hours.
I ended up alternating between paste and waggler, taking 7 fish on waggler and 6 on the paste rig at 13m. I lost plenty of fish, most of which were foul hookers and as the all out sounded, I had 13 carp - shame they weren't of the 'normal stamp'.
At the weigh in, my 2 skimmers (accidental) weighed 2lb odd, the 13 carp went 107 odds for a total of 109.11. I was reasonably happy with that weight from the peg, although it was a long way short of framing - although it was enough for a section win and I think, 3rd on the lake.
No results today,please see Tony's blog
I got to the peg, totally determind to be positive and fish for a win, this meant lots of feed, so no difficulty for me, its the days that measured, meagre feeding do my head in. I set up two waggler rods, both on 6lb sensor, with 0.18 hooklengths and 18 B960 hooks.
I set up several topkits, the main ones being 0.17 line, with a MW slim power for banded pellet, a MW paste float on 0.19 with a 14 Mustad paste hook. As I had time I also set up a shallow rig, a margin rig and another that would do for worm or meat.
The shout of all-in, saw me start on the waggler, as there were plenty of blows and swirls out near the middle of the lake, I hooked a fish in the first cople of casts and despite being fairly hooked, it wouldn't get it head up, before shedding the hook and seeing the float, hook etc end up 30' up a tree.
I'd love to be able to write a tale of how I sussed out how to keep fish coming at short intervals, it would be lies!! The pegs around me weren't setting any fires, so it was a case of getting down to business and trying to keep bites and fish coming. I persevered with the waggler, with a couple of looks over my pole lines - to no avail in the first 3 hours.
I ended up alternating between paste and waggler, taking 7 fish on waggler and 6 on the paste rig at 13m. I lost plenty of fish, most of which were foul hookers and as the all out sounded, I had 13 carp - shame they weren't of the 'normal stamp'.
At the weigh in, my 2 skimmers (accidental) weighed 2lb odd, the 13 carp went 107 odds for a total of 109.11. I was reasonably happy with that weight from the peg, although it was a long way short of framing - although it was enough for a section win and I think, 3rd on the lake.
No results today,please see Tony's blog
Monday, 22 August 2011
Avon Angling Open, Sunday 21st August 2011. Shiplate Farm.
After the last match on this venue, I was hoping to draw on Westpool again, as this lake has a bigger head of silvers. I wasn’t disappointed as peg 9 on Westpool stuck to my hand when I delved through the tangle of arms in the draw tin.
I had an idea that maggot would be the best method of attack, so had brought 4 pints, this was to be my main plan for silvers or carp. I also had caster and worm, as well as plenty of groundbait. As a back up, I had a couple of tins of corn and some 6 & 8mm pellet.
I set up 4 topkits, a 4x12 Carpa Chimp on 0.14/0.12 to a Drennan Carp Match 18 hook. This was on middy purple elastic and the line set at full length of topkit to fish, topkit to hand. A 4x14 Carpa Chimp on 0.16/0.14 with a 16 63.13, to fish at the bottom of the far shelf. A MW F1 float to fish down the middle with worm, that was on 0.16/0.14 and a 16 Drennan Carp Match hook. Lastly was a MW mini diamond, again on 0.16/0.14 to a 18B911, to fish up the shelf.
I also took along a trusty Normark Titan set up with a 2½AAA waggler, mainly because I enjoy waggler fishing, rather than me thinking it would be a successful method. I did catch one skimmer on this, but the overhanging willows and drooping far bank grasses made casting difficult and after catching them twice, gave it up as a bad job.
On the all-in, I cupped in 4 jaffa’s down the middle, this contained chopped worm, caster & a couple of red maggots. Maggots were loose fed by hand at 2m and by catty to the far shelf. I also fed a couple of small balls of groundbait at 2m. Starting on the far shelf rig, just to give the groundbaited swims a rest, didn’t result in any bites, so I soon switched to the short line, topkit to hand and started to catch decent skimmers.
This died off and I had a look down the middle and had just one lightening quick bite – that I missed – on the worm, no more to say about the middle line, I didn’t catch a single fish from it. The far shelf was as unproductive, I tried it several times during the day and had a solitary 1oz roach from it.
Back on the near line and the bites had slowed, the bright sun and total lack of ripple didn’t help, that doesn’t make for ideal skimmer/bream fishing conditions. I started to up the amount of groundbait and stopped feeding everything, except maggot, this and the sun going behind a cloud for a spell seemed to spark the skimmers and a couple of proper 6lb’ers into feeding, all caught on the topkit. I did have a look back over the far side, at the bottom of the shelf, to rest the near line, this produced a couple of fish, but wasn’t as productive in numbers or size, as the near line.
Peg 10 had been catching carp on paste and I thought that he’d beaten me, but it seems that my decent spell and the couple of big black boys gave me enough to win the silvers, the lake and take 3rd overall. 52lb 04 oz (all silvers) was the result of a nice days fishing, not a carp in sight, I even caught 3 gudgeon, which was nice, it seems a long time since I’ve caught one.
Obviously I drew on a few fish, I think the groundbait and maggot approach was the right one, but perhaps the real reason for a bit of good luck was my new Avon Angling baseball cap, a free gift from Tony, first time I'd worn it - I reckon I’ll wear it again. I really enjoyed today, it was nice to catch skimmers without carp coming in and wrecking the peg.
I had to shoot off before the results were announced, so hopefully Tony has my ebay tokens stashed safely and I've plaigerised the results from Mike Nicholl's blog, so I hope he wrote them down properly.
1. Tony Rixon 99-12-0 peg 15 Hawthorn
2. Bela Bakos 53-08-0 peg 4 Hawthorn
3. Chris Fox 52-04-0 peg 9 Westpool
4. Dean Malin 44-04-0 peg 14 Hawthorn
5. Richard Heatley 42-10-0 peg 10 Westpool
6. Andy Bryant 41-04-0 peg 13 Hawthorn
Top Silvers:
(All Westpool)
1. Chris Fox 52-04-0 peg 9
2. Chris Davis 27-0-0 peg 2
3. Adrian Jefferies 25-04-0 peg 5
I had an idea that maggot would be the best method of attack, so had brought 4 pints, this was to be my main plan for silvers or carp. I also had caster and worm, as well as plenty of groundbait. As a back up, I had a couple of tins of corn and some 6 & 8mm pellet.
I set up 4 topkits, a 4x12 Carpa Chimp on 0.14/0.12 to a Drennan Carp Match 18 hook. This was on middy purple elastic and the line set at full length of topkit to fish, topkit to hand. A 4x14 Carpa Chimp on 0.16/0.14 with a 16 63.13, to fish at the bottom of the far shelf. A MW F1 float to fish down the middle with worm, that was on 0.16/0.14 and a 16 Drennan Carp Match hook. Lastly was a MW mini diamond, again on 0.16/0.14 to a 18B911, to fish up the shelf.
I also took along a trusty Normark Titan set up with a 2½AAA waggler, mainly because I enjoy waggler fishing, rather than me thinking it would be a successful method. I did catch one skimmer on this, but the overhanging willows and drooping far bank grasses made casting difficult and after catching them twice, gave it up as a bad job.
On the all-in, I cupped in 4 jaffa’s down the middle, this contained chopped worm, caster & a couple of red maggots. Maggots were loose fed by hand at 2m and by catty to the far shelf. I also fed a couple of small balls of groundbait at 2m. Starting on the far shelf rig, just to give the groundbaited swims a rest, didn’t result in any bites, so I soon switched to the short line, topkit to hand and started to catch decent skimmers.
This died off and I had a look down the middle and had just one lightening quick bite – that I missed – on the worm, no more to say about the middle line, I didn’t catch a single fish from it. The far shelf was as unproductive, I tried it several times during the day and had a solitary 1oz roach from it.
Back on the near line and the bites had slowed, the bright sun and total lack of ripple didn’t help, that doesn’t make for ideal skimmer/bream fishing conditions. I started to up the amount of groundbait and stopped feeding everything, except maggot, this and the sun going behind a cloud for a spell seemed to spark the skimmers and a couple of proper 6lb’ers into feeding, all caught on the topkit. I did have a look back over the far side, at the bottom of the shelf, to rest the near line, this produced a couple of fish, but wasn’t as productive in numbers or size, as the near line.
Peg 10 had been catching carp on paste and I thought that he’d beaten me, but it seems that my decent spell and the couple of big black boys gave me enough to win the silvers, the lake and take 3rd overall. 52lb 04 oz (all silvers) was the result of a nice days fishing, not a carp in sight, I even caught 3 gudgeon, which was nice, it seems a long time since I’ve caught one.
Obviously I drew on a few fish, I think the groundbait and maggot approach was the right one, but perhaps the real reason for a bit of good luck was my new Avon Angling baseball cap, a free gift from Tony, first time I'd worn it - I reckon I’ll wear it again. I really enjoyed today, it was nice to catch skimmers without carp coming in and wrecking the peg.
I had to shoot off before the results were announced, so hopefully Tony has my ebay tokens stashed safely and I've plaigerised the results from Mike Nicholl's blog, so I hope he wrote them down properly.
1. Tony Rixon 99-12-0 peg 15 Hawthorn
2. Bela Bakos 53-08-0 peg 4 Hawthorn
3. Chris Fox 52-04-0 peg 9 Westpool
4. Dean Malin 44-04-0 peg 14 Hawthorn
5. Richard Heatley 42-10-0 peg 10 Westpool
6. Andy Bryant 41-04-0 peg 13 Hawthorn
Top Silvers:
(All Westpool)
1. Chris Fox 52-04-0 peg 9
2. Chris Davis 27-0-0 peg 2
3. Adrian Jefferies 25-04-0 peg 5
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Viaduct Open, Wednesday 17th August 2011
Last Wednesday I fished the Avon Angling Open at Landsend, I was pretty pissed off afterwards and couldn't find the motivation to write about it and it wouldn't have been an interesting read if I had. I drew peg 10 and struggled to catch, even on caster or maggot.
A weekend away from fishing last weekend, spent at Cropredy (Fairport Convention's Festival), it was great, good beer, good food and decent music.
So back to the fishing and I couldn't believe what presented itself when I opened the swimcard, peg 81 for the 3rd time this summer. With what wind there was blowing the wrong way and the water being pretty flat calm at the river end of the lake, I wasn't too chuffed. I hadn't really brought anything to fish for silvers, so it was to be an all out carp day.
I set up two wagglers, one shallow and one at depth (although with the lakes being at a low level, the depth rig is only around 3'). A lead rod and four topkits, one with a paste rig on 0.19, one with a MW mini diamond on 0.17 for down the margin, a MW diamond on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength for soft pellet, meat or worm and a MW slim power on 0.17 straight through to a 16B960 and a hair rigged band.
Charlie Barnes was impatient on 85 and shouted the all-in a minute before the official hooter, I started on the lead towards the point of the spit and after 10 minutes without an indication, my brain had turned to mush, so up the bank it went. I had fed a line at 14m straight in front and a waggler line about 35m out pointing to peg 88.
It took an hour to get my first fish on the waggler, I did have one more chuck of the lead and had a fish on that, but that was the last use of it. I had one at 14m on paste and then a couple more on the waggler. It was difficult to get more than one bite from any line, I then had a run of bites on the waggler and put 3 more fish in the net before it dried up. I tried the pole line again, and had two skimmers, one on double worm and one on banded 8mm pellet, no sign of a carp.
The last hour and a half saw me persevere with the waggler rods, although I only took one fish on the shallow waggler, even though the fish were up in the water.I added several more, I dropped down to a 18 hook and seemed to get a few more bites, one of which was a unseen, but big fish, that I played for nearly 20 minutes before the hook straightend. I ended the match with 10 carp and 2 skimmers for 88.13, I think that was top weight on my bank, but nowhere near enough for a pick up.
I think the match should have been won from 118, but the guy on there had two nets in and both were over the 70lb limit, one was ounces from being over the 90lb disqualification weight. You'll have to look at Tony's blog for the results (he suffered being on the same bank as me and had a high 70lb) as I got away sharpish, I'm up early in the morning and off to the Oval, to see the first day of the fourth test - although the weather forecast points to a day in the bar......
A weekend away from fishing last weekend, spent at Cropredy (Fairport Convention's Festival), it was great, good beer, good food and decent music.
So back to the fishing and I couldn't believe what presented itself when I opened the swimcard, peg 81 for the 3rd time this summer. With what wind there was blowing the wrong way and the water being pretty flat calm at the river end of the lake, I wasn't too chuffed. I hadn't really brought anything to fish for silvers, so it was to be an all out carp day.
I set up two wagglers, one shallow and one at depth (although with the lakes being at a low level, the depth rig is only around 3'). A lead rod and four topkits, one with a paste rig on 0.19, one with a MW mini diamond on 0.17 for down the margin, a MW diamond on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength for soft pellet, meat or worm and a MW slim power on 0.17 straight through to a 16B960 and a hair rigged band.
Charlie Barnes was impatient on 85 and shouted the all-in a minute before the official hooter, I started on the lead towards the point of the spit and after 10 minutes without an indication, my brain had turned to mush, so up the bank it went. I had fed a line at 14m straight in front and a waggler line about 35m out pointing to peg 88.
It took an hour to get my first fish on the waggler, I did have one more chuck of the lead and had a fish on that, but that was the last use of it. I had one at 14m on paste and then a couple more on the waggler. It was difficult to get more than one bite from any line, I then had a run of bites on the waggler and put 3 more fish in the net before it dried up. I tried the pole line again, and had two skimmers, one on double worm and one on banded 8mm pellet, no sign of a carp.
The last hour and a half saw me persevere with the waggler rods, although I only took one fish on the shallow waggler, even though the fish were up in the water.I added several more, I dropped down to a 18 hook and seemed to get a few more bites, one of which was a unseen, but big fish, that I played for nearly 20 minutes before the hook straightend. I ended the match with 10 carp and 2 skimmers for 88.13, I think that was top weight on my bank, but nowhere near enough for a pick up.
I think the match should have been won from 118, but the guy on there had two nets in and both were over the 70lb limit, one was ounces from being over the 90lb disqualification weight. You'll have to look at Tony's blog for the results (he suffered being on the same bank as me and had a high 70lb) as I got away sharpish, I'm up early in the morning and off to the Oval, to see the first day of the fourth test - although the weather forecast points to a day in the bar......
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Avon Angling Open, Wednesday 3rd August 2011. Viaduct.
Off topic to start with, The Dundry Inn has got some new owners and we went up there the other night, the menu looks good and the food that we ordered was excellent, with good service. I had venison with dauphinoise potates, 'er indoors had a bouillabaisse, served with a rouille and crusty bread. To start we had a Charcuterie of wild boar and desert was cheese board for me and chocolate tort for Caroline. (I've nothing to do with the business, just a satisfied customer and I know most anglers like their grub....).
Now onto the fishing, this was to be a topset + 2 match, which as I often fish short, I fancied a go at. Into the tin and out comes 127, not a peg I would have chosen, but 125 surprised me a couple of weeks ago, so anthings possible. I set up four topkits, all on orange bazookarp, a paste rig on 0.18, a MW diamond to fish devils spawn, or worm,on 0.16 with a 16 63-13, a MW slim power to fish hard pellet, 0.16 and a B960 and a sensas float whose name eludes me, to fish meat, 0.17 straight through to a 16 Xedion TXR7.
At the all in I had a go at mugging a couple of the cruisers, to no avail, I fed two lines, 10 & 2 o'clock, 10 with meat & 2 with pellet. The meat line I didn't expect to produce until the end. Introducing the pellet initiated the dreaded fizz, obviously fish there, probably skimmers, but impossible to catch. By swapping between soft pellet, paste and worm, I kept an odd fish coming to the net, but had a lesson in posiive feed fron Dean Malin on 126, as he kept cupping in bucket sized cups of pellet.
With an hour or so to go, I had the first indication that there were fish on the meat line, I managed a couple from here, and lost a fish that most likely cost me money, it wouldn't get its head up and in the end managed to break me by diving through the keepnets. I had a couple of foulers over the meat, so they weren't really getting their heads down on it.
My 72.12 was only good enough for seventh place and it also saw me join the chip shop sausage club........ (If only I hadn't lost that big double....)
1) Mike Nicholls 140.11 peg 132
2) Dean (Abacus) Malin 133.05 peg 126 (If only he hadn't gone 8lb over the net limit......)
3) Tom Thick 128.14 peg 112
4) Bela (Net 'em from anywhere) Bakos 100.01 peg 111
5) Alan Oram 83.06 peg 128
6) Tony Rixon 80.01 peg 130
7) Chris Fox 72.12 peg 127
Silvers
1) Tom Thick 25.08
2) Mike Nicholls 21.00
Now onto the fishing, this was to be a topset + 2 match, which as I often fish short, I fancied a go at. Into the tin and out comes 127, not a peg I would have chosen, but 125 surprised me a couple of weeks ago, so anthings possible. I set up four topkits, all on orange bazookarp, a paste rig on 0.18, a MW diamond to fish devils spawn, or worm,on 0.16 with a 16 63-13, a MW slim power to fish hard pellet, 0.16 and a B960 and a sensas float whose name eludes me, to fish meat, 0.17 straight through to a 16 Xedion TXR7.
At the all in I had a go at mugging a couple of the cruisers, to no avail, I fed two lines, 10 & 2 o'clock, 10 with meat & 2 with pellet. The meat line I didn't expect to produce until the end. Introducing the pellet initiated the dreaded fizz, obviously fish there, probably skimmers, but impossible to catch. By swapping between soft pellet, paste and worm, I kept an odd fish coming to the net, but had a lesson in posiive feed fron Dean Malin on 126, as he kept cupping in bucket sized cups of pellet.
With an hour or so to go, I had the first indication that there were fish on the meat line, I managed a couple from here, and lost a fish that most likely cost me money, it wouldn't get its head up and in the end managed to break me by diving through the keepnets. I had a couple of foulers over the meat, so they weren't really getting their heads down on it.
My 72.12 was only good enough for seventh place and it also saw me join the chip shop sausage club........ (If only I hadn't lost that big double....)
1) Mike Nicholls 140.11 peg 132
2) Dean (Abacus) Malin 133.05 peg 126 (If only he hadn't gone 8lb over the net limit......)
3) Tom Thick 128.14 peg 112
4) Bela (Net 'em from anywhere) Bakos 100.01 peg 111
5) Alan Oram 83.06 peg 128
6) Tony Rixon 80.01 peg 130
7) Chris Fox 72.12 peg 127
Silvers
1) Tom Thick 25.08
2) Mike Nicholls 21.00
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Avon Angling Open, Landsend, Wednesday 27th July 2011
A silvers day today, well that was the plan, perhaps with hindsight (there we are again, that hindsight gene I appear to be missing) I shouldn't make decisions like that until drawing.
Two lakes in, Match & Specimen, once again, I was on the wrong lake, peg 17 on Match. with venue silvers stalwart, John Bradford on 15. I set up a pencil float on 0.14 to a 0.10 hooklength and a 18 Drennan Carp Match, to fish caster. A Carpa Chimp on 0.14 to 0.12 and a 18 808 to fish worm or devils spawn and a MW slim power on 0.18 to 0.16 and a 18 B960 for banded pellet. I also set up a paste rig to try and catch some better skimmers or bream.
It was a struggle, my initial entertainment was seeing Trigger on peg 19 hook a lively carp on his new Sensas 774, I couldn't see Trig, but I could tell his arse was twitching by the liveliness of the fish and the way the pole followed it round the peg.
I struggled to keep the fish coming, switching baits and lines constantly to keep bites coming, John was finding the going equally tough. I tried paste and had two skimmers on it, before the carp moved in and I had 4 on it. I weighed 18lb odd of silvers and the 4 carp went 32lb. I had a 4oz roach jump out of the net at the weigh in and it flew 6-8' back into the lake - all to no avail as Speci lake produced a low 50lb and a 39lb of silvers.
I had carp moving around the far shelf all day and it was difficult to resist, but I did - as said, with hindsight, I should have fished for them and fed the casters to the birds.
See Tony's blog for the result, I had to get away as the draw had been delayed by latecomers. Trigger won, so the new pole stood up to the test and brought some luck.
I hate matches spread over more than one lake..........
Two lakes in, Match & Specimen, once again, I was on the wrong lake, peg 17 on Match. with venue silvers stalwart, John Bradford on 15. I set up a pencil float on 0.14 to a 0.10 hooklength and a 18 Drennan Carp Match, to fish caster. A Carpa Chimp on 0.14 to 0.12 and a 18 808 to fish worm or devils spawn and a MW slim power on 0.18 to 0.16 and a 18 B960 for banded pellet. I also set up a paste rig to try and catch some better skimmers or bream.
It was a struggle, my initial entertainment was seeing Trigger on peg 19 hook a lively carp on his new Sensas 774, I couldn't see Trig, but I could tell his arse was twitching by the liveliness of the fish and the way the pole followed it round the peg.
I struggled to keep the fish coming, switching baits and lines constantly to keep bites coming, John was finding the going equally tough. I tried paste and had two skimmers on it, before the carp moved in and I had 4 on it. I weighed 18lb odd of silvers and the 4 carp went 32lb. I had a 4oz roach jump out of the net at the weigh in and it flew 6-8' back into the lake - all to no avail as Speci lake produced a low 50lb and a 39lb of silvers.
I had carp moving around the far shelf all day and it was difficult to resist, but I did - as said, with hindsight, I should have fished for them and fed the casters to the birds.
See Tony's blog for the result, I had to get away as the draw had been delayed by latecomers. Trigger won, so the new pole stood up to the test and brought some luck.
I hate matches spread over more than one lake..........
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Avon Angling open, Shiplate Farm, Sunday 24th July 2011
First time at this venue, I was told that two lakes were in, both canal types, Hawthorn, which apparently houses plenty of small carp and Westpool which is home to carp and plenty of bream. I must admit I fancied a draw on Westpool, big bream and skimmers sounded just the job.
First into the draw container and I had Westpool, No1 aim achieved, sadly it wasn't an end peg which I assumed would be best. A walk around the main lake to Westpool was then the only way to get to peg 4. Tony was paying sections of 5, overall and one in the silvers, surely some coin was available?
I set up three rigs, a MW cane topped diamond on 0.16 to a 0.14 hooklength with a 16 63-13, to fish the deepest channel at approx 6-7m. A MW slim power on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength, finished off with a 18 B960 for 15m, up the far shelf. Completing the set up was a Sensas Pencil on 0.12, with a 0.08 hooklength and a 22 63-13.
b
If I was to believe Tony's blog, groundbait might be the way to go, so on the all in, I put 4 big jaffas of GB packed with CW & caster and a few dead maggots into the deepest part of the peg. I fired a few maggots to the far shelf and flicked a few casters in at topkit range.
3 Skimmers from the deep channel, nothing from the far shelf and a conceren that this was going to be a poor day was the result of the first hour, I wasn't alone, but John Bradford was making the most of his end peg by filling his net with carp ( yep, carp, no typo!!).
On the hour mark, I retopped the middle line with GB, but it was slow going. I had a look into the near line (topkit) and started to catch small skimmers, roach & rudd
before a decent skimmer (nearly a bream!!) was netted. Everytime I looked to my left I could see John Bradofrds elastic streaming out, so i decided to stick with silvers. Alternating between the topkit and a line at 6.5m, kept skimmers and the odd roach and rudd ( + a 0.3 oz perch) coming. On peg 5 , Sensas Thyers team mate Nick Harvey started to fish short and he also had some decent skimmers, + one of them big old black boys - I'm glad he didn't folow suite earlier. as he manmaged 2nd in silvers.
With just over half an hour to go the skimmer bites had dried up, so I went over to the far shelf and had a carp a chuck for 5 put ins.
The scales arrived from Hawthorn Lake with 61.13 to beat, I knew I couldn't match that, but was quietly confident that I had the silvers in the bag, for my hatrick of silvers wins. 32.08 was enough to do that and 17.00 of carp taken in the last half hour gave me my 5 peg section as well ( Although with the default, I only took the silvers money).
An interesting venue, tidily kept, not too far from home and it will surely mature as time goes by.
1) John Bradford 70.04 peg 10(W)
2) Tim Ford 61.13 peg 1 (H) How does he keep drawing corner/end pegs??
3) Adrian Jeffery 61.11 peg 9 (W)
4) Rod Wootton 49.11 peg 3 (H)
5) Dean Malin 49.09 Peg 2 (H)
6) Chris Fox 49.08 peg 4 (W)
Silvers
1) Chris Fox 32.08 peg 4 (W)
2) Nick Harvey 21.14 peg 5 (W)
3) Adrian Jeffery 21.04 peg 9 (W)
First into the draw container and I had Westpool, No1 aim achieved, sadly it wasn't an end peg which I assumed would be best. A walk around the main lake to Westpool was then the only way to get to peg 4. Tony was paying sections of 5, overall and one in the silvers, surely some coin was available?
I set up three rigs, a MW cane topped diamond on 0.16 to a 0.14 hooklength with a 16 63-13, to fish the deepest channel at approx 6-7m. A MW slim power on 0.18 with a 0.16 hooklength, finished off with a 18 B960 for 15m, up the far shelf. Completing the set up was a Sensas Pencil on 0.12, with a 0.08 hooklength and a 22 63-13.
b
If I was to believe Tony's blog, groundbait might be the way to go, so on the all in, I put 4 big jaffas of GB packed with CW & caster and a few dead maggots into the deepest part of the peg. I fired a few maggots to the far shelf and flicked a few casters in at topkit range.
3 Skimmers from the deep channel, nothing from the far shelf and a conceren that this was going to be a poor day was the result of the first hour, I wasn't alone, but John Bradford was making the most of his end peg by filling his net with carp ( yep, carp, no typo!!).
On the hour mark, I retopped the middle line with GB, but it was slow going. I had a look into the near line (topkit) and started to catch small skimmers, roach & rudd
before a decent skimmer (nearly a bream!!) was netted. Everytime I looked to my left I could see John Bradofrds elastic streaming out, so i decided to stick with silvers. Alternating between the topkit and a line at 6.5m, kept skimmers and the odd roach and rudd ( + a 0.3 oz perch) coming. On peg 5 , Sensas Thyers team mate Nick Harvey started to fish short and he also had some decent skimmers, + one of them big old black boys - I'm glad he didn't folow suite earlier. as he manmaged 2nd in silvers.
With just over half an hour to go the skimmer bites had dried up, so I went over to the far shelf and had a carp a chuck for 5 put ins.
The scales arrived from Hawthorn Lake with 61.13 to beat, I knew I couldn't match that, but was quietly confident that I had the silvers in the bag, for my hatrick of silvers wins. 32.08 was enough to do that and 17.00 of carp taken in the last half hour gave me my 5 peg section as well ( Although with the default, I only took the silvers money).
An interesting venue, tidily kept, not too far from home and it will surely mature as time goes by.
1) John Bradford 70.04 peg 10(W)
2) Tim Ford 61.13 peg 1 (H) How does he keep drawing corner/end pegs??
3) Adrian Jeffery 61.11 peg 9 (W)
4) Rod Wootton 49.11 peg 3 (H)
5) Dean Malin 49.09 Peg 2 (H)
6) Chris Fox 49.08 peg 4 (W)
Silvers
1) Chris Fox 32.08 peg 4 (W)
2) Nick Harvey 21.14 peg 5 (W)
3) Adrian Jeffery 21.04 peg 9 (W)
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Viaduct Open, Saturday 23rd July 2011
Cary was the venue for this 18 pegger, as Campbell was hosting the Carps AC three day festival. Out of the draw tin with 81, a peg that can produce, but also can be hard, today I had a feeling it would be tough going, as the wind was blowing towards the opposite bank.
Optimistically, I set up two wagglers and two lead rods, one waggler had a 3 swan straight peacock, the other a 3AAA insert peacock, two lead rods just to save swapping hooklengths, so I could try short/long hooklengths.
Delving back into the rod holdall, I then realised that the powerkits I took out last Sunday (not needed on Match lake), were still in the garage - duh!! Never mind, I had an idea it might turn into a silvers day, I set up a rig to fish meat for Tench in front of the concrete monk, another to fish meat at 14.5m up the spit, a MW diamond on 0.15 with a 0.13 hooklength and a 18 808 for skimmers and a MW slim power on 0.17 to fish banded pellet.
At the all in I started on the waggler just past the spit, fishing 8mm pellet, there were some fish up in the water, but they appeared uninterested in feeding, a switch to the lead also proved fruitless, trying pellet, popped up pellet and bread, all brought no bites. That was the end of trying to intentionaslly catch carp, so no further mentions of wagglers or lead chucking.
I had fed some groundbait and 4mm pellet at 13m, a look over this produced a couple of small skimmers to the devils spawn, so I refed at 5m, if I was going to get small skimmers, then at least I'd try and catch them close in.
Whilst this settled, down to the monk with 8mm meat and two tench in 25 minutes was the reward, then back in over the 5m line and a few small skimmers, a look up the spit to rest it and a small skimmer on the meat, back in and a 2oz roach on 8mm meat was the next fish.
Back on the 5m line and a pole pot was added top the topkit, a few 4mms and a couple of devils spawn going in each put in, a few more small skimmers, then back to the monk with meat, another tench netted. I could see that peg 94 was starting to catch carp steadily, so there was little point in going back for carp. I couldn't see anyone really bagging on silvers, but I knew Dave Roper on 86 was getting a few skimmers. Another look up the spit,I hit a bite and the fish had tangled itself in something traing from the brambles, I couls see a tench on the surface and luckily, it came out of the snag and styed on the hook.
Another tench from the monk and that completed my tench fishing for today, I had two more bites on meat, a 10lb mirror from the spit and a 15lb common from the monk.
To try and increase the size of the skimmers, I opened a tin of corn, first put in and a 3lb fish obliged and I thought I'd sussed it - you guessed it - no I hadn't, I didn't have another fish on corn. I finished the match on 4mm devils spawn, catching the occasional skimmer, wishing that I had some dead maggots or wroms with me, to try and revive the flagging swim.
The scales got to me, with Dave Ropers 19.04 of silvers to beat, I thought it would be close, but I didn't think I had quite enough, the scales proved me wrong and my 21.03 was enough to take first place in the silvers and ninth overall, with the 2 accidental carp weighing 25.02.
Quite a close match apart from Jamie Parkhouse's winning net.
1) J Parkhouse 152.00 peg 94
2) D White 79.03 peg 76
3) G Powell 77.02 peg 88
4) R Jordan 75.05 peg 102
5) N Brown 71.12 peg 90
6) Roy ? 70.06 peg 100
Silvers
1) Chris Fox 21.03 peg 81
2) Dave Roper 19.04 peg 86
3) Matt King 16.14 peg 99
Optimistically, I set up two wagglers and two lead rods, one waggler had a 3 swan straight peacock, the other a 3AAA insert peacock, two lead rods just to save swapping hooklengths, so I could try short/long hooklengths.
Delving back into the rod holdall, I then realised that the powerkits I took out last Sunday (not needed on Match lake), were still in the garage - duh!! Never mind, I had an idea it might turn into a silvers day, I set up a rig to fish meat for Tench in front of the concrete monk, another to fish meat at 14.5m up the spit, a MW diamond on 0.15 with a 0.13 hooklength and a 18 808 for skimmers and a MW slim power on 0.17 to fish banded pellet.
At the all in I started on the waggler just past the spit, fishing 8mm pellet, there were some fish up in the water, but they appeared uninterested in feeding, a switch to the lead also proved fruitless, trying pellet, popped up pellet and bread, all brought no bites. That was the end of trying to intentionaslly catch carp, so no further mentions of wagglers or lead chucking.
I had fed some groundbait and 4mm pellet at 13m, a look over this produced a couple of small skimmers to the devils spawn, so I refed at 5m, if I was going to get small skimmers, then at least I'd try and catch them close in.
Whilst this settled, down to the monk with 8mm meat and two tench in 25 minutes was the reward, then back in over the 5m line and a few small skimmers, a look up the spit to rest it and a small skimmer on the meat, back in and a 2oz roach on 8mm meat was the next fish.
Back on the 5m line and a pole pot was added top the topkit, a few 4mms and a couple of devils spawn going in each put in, a few more small skimmers, then back to the monk with meat, another tench netted. I could see that peg 94 was starting to catch carp steadily, so there was little point in going back for carp. I couldn't see anyone really bagging on silvers, but I knew Dave Roper on 86 was getting a few skimmers. Another look up the spit,I hit a bite and the fish had tangled itself in something traing from the brambles, I couls see a tench on the surface and luckily, it came out of the snag and styed on the hook.
Another tench from the monk and that completed my tench fishing for today, I had two more bites on meat, a 10lb mirror from the spit and a 15lb common from the monk.
To try and increase the size of the skimmers, I opened a tin of corn, first put in and a 3lb fish obliged and I thought I'd sussed it - you guessed it - no I hadn't, I didn't have another fish on corn. I finished the match on 4mm devils spawn, catching the occasional skimmer, wishing that I had some dead maggots or wroms with me, to try and revive the flagging swim.
The scales got to me, with Dave Ropers 19.04 of silvers to beat, I thought it would be close, but I didn't think I had quite enough, the scales proved me wrong and my 21.03 was enough to take first place in the silvers and ninth overall, with the 2 accidental carp weighing 25.02.
Quite a close match apart from Jamie Parkhouse's winning net.
1) J Parkhouse 152.00 peg 94
2) D White 79.03 peg 76
3) G Powell 77.02 peg 88
4) R Jordan 75.05 peg 102
5) N Brown 71.12 peg 90
6) Roy ? 70.06 peg 100
Silvers
1) Chris Fox 21.03 peg 81
2) Dave Roper 19.04 peg 86
3) Matt King 16.14 peg 99
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Avon Angling Open, Viaduct Match Lake,Sunday 17th July 2011
When Tony said he had another match booked on the Match Lake at Viaduct, I got my name down pronto. I enjoy this lake, its a real change from the big carp dominated venues that seem to make up most of the match calendar. Its possible to catch on 'proper' waggler gear and 'proper' baits like maggot, caster and worm.
I was a bit concerned that I'd miss the match, as I had to miss out on Saturdays open, I've had a re-occurrence of the stomach ulcer problem I had last year,but i felt OK when I got up this morning. Nice and early to the venue, mainly to get a decent parking place, as Carps AC had a match on Campbell & Carey.
Peg 47 was my home for the 6 hours, one to the left of 46, where I drew on the last match, on 46 today was Tim Ford and on 48, Tony Rixon, so no pressure, with quality either side and both with a reedy margin to plunder. I came with silvers and silvers only in mind, I had a Kilo of worms (not bought for this match, but unused from Trinity Festival), 2 pints of casters, a pint of dead maggots and half a pint of wriggly ones. I also made up a small bowlful of groundbait and reluctantly moistend some micros.
Tackle was an original Normark Microlight (has there ever been a better skimmer rod made? - I doubt it), this had a Daiwa TDR reel and 0.16 reel line, a 2½AAA waggler, with a 18 808 on 0.12 hooklength. One other rod set up, another great skimmer rod, Drennan MatchPro Quiver, paired with a Shimano reel, 4lb Direct Mono and a 16 808 on 0.12, this with a very small cage feeder. No more about this as I only chucked it in twice, once whilst I re-made a trashed rig, another whilst I tied up a hooklength.
Three topkits, two with double 5 preston slip elastic and one with double 8 for a big worm in the margin. The margin rig was a slim power on 0.13 straight through to a 16 808. The open water rigs were both on 0.14, one with a 4x14 carpa chimp and the other with a 0.2 MW diamond. The chimp with 0.10 hooklength and a 18 Drennan carp maggot and the diamond had a 18 808 to 0.12.
I cupped in some caster and dead maggot in groundbait at 14.5m and went over this with live maggot, it produced a couple of skimmers but the action all round the lake was slow. I did get frustrated, after Tim went down his margin and proceeded to get a run of F1's and carp, whilst I struggled for bites - Déjà vu or groundhog day from Sunday last week - of course he didn't enjoy that did he.
At the half way point, I got up to get a drink and stuck my head round the tree and spoke to Tony who was struggling, I'd kept the odd skimmer coming but not quickly enough, so back to the peg and a pot of chopped worm prepared and fed. An almost immediate reaction and 3 big skimmers in as many put ins, then nothing again, a change to 0.10 on the diamond, with a 18 Gamma black hook brought a couple more fish.
I finished the match on the waggler, the skimmers had moved up onto the shelf, I'd had a few looks earlier, to no avail, but the last hour or so saw a few more skimmers netted, 3 carp hooked, that all went off with the hook and a big fish, that may have been a decent bream, that snagged itself and left me to reel in a submerged branch.
With hindsight (I reckon I've got a 1:1 BSC Hons in hindsight)it may have paid to go on the waggler earlier and feed heavier to get the fish feeding more confidently close to the island. Disappontingly, I was pegged next to the winner for the second week running, but I had come to target skimmers and was succcessful in that, my 25.00 being enough to win the silvers by a 10lb margin. If I draw next to Tim in the next match, he might find his platform is a bit slippery......
Tims plundering of the margin for F1's and carp gave him top spot in waht was a fairly evenly contested match, I'm looking forward to the next one on here.
1) Tim Ford 35.07 peg 46
2) Dave Evans 32.00 peg 49
3) Dean Malin 27.09 peg 43
4) Clayton Hudson 26.10 peg 45
5) Chris Fox 25.00 peg 47
6) Tony (chip shop sausage)Rixon 16.06 peg 48
Silvers
1) Chris Fox 25.00 peg 47
2) Eddie Wynne 15.00 peg 542
Yep, its true, Tony battered either side......
I was a bit concerned that I'd miss the match, as I had to miss out on Saturdays open, I've had a re-occurrence of the stomach ulcer problem I had last year,but i felt OK when I got up this morning. Nice and early to the venue, mainly to get a decent parking place, as Carps AC had a match on Campbell & Carey.
Peg 47 was my home for the 6 hours, one to the left of 46, where I drew on the last match, on 46 today was Tim Ford and on 48, Tony Rixon, so no pressure, with quality either side and both with a reedy margin to plunder. I came with silvers and silvers only in mind, I had a Kilo of worms (not bought for this match, but unused from Trinity Festival), 2 pints of casters, a pint of dead maggots and half a pint of wriggly ones. I also made up a small bowlful of groundbait and reluctantly moistend some micros.
Tackle was an original Normark Microlight (has there ever been a better skimmer rod made? - I doubt it), this had a Daiwa TDR reel and 0.16 reel line, a 2½AAA waggler, with a 18 808 on 0.12 hooklength. One other rod set up, another great skimmer rod, Drennan MatchPro Quiver, paired with a Shimano reel, 4lb Direct Mono and a 16 808 on 0.12, this with a very small cage feeder. No more about this as I only chucked it in twice, once whilst I re-made a trashed rig, another whilst I tied up a hooklength.
Three topkits, two with double 5 preston slip elastic and one with double 8 for a big worm in the margin. The margin rig was a slim power on 0.13 straight through to a 16 808. The open water rigs were both on 0.14, one with a 4x14 carpa chimp and the other with a 0.2 MW diamond. The chimp with 0.10 hooklength and a 18 Drennan carp maggot and the diamond had a 18 808 to 0.12.
I cupped in some caster and dead maggot in groundbait at 14.5m and went over this with live maggot, it produced a couple of skimmers but the action all round the lake was slow. I did get frustrated, after Tim went down his margin and proceeded to get a run of F1's and carp, whilst I struggled for bites - Déjà vu or groundhog day from Sunday last week - of course he didn't enjoy that did he.
At the half way point, I got up to get a drink and stuck my head round the tree and spoke to Tony who was struggling, I'd kept the odd skimmer coming but not quickly enough, so back to the peg and a pot of chopped worm prepared and fed. An almost immediate reaction and 3 big skimmers in as many put ins, then nothing again, a change to 0.10 on the diamond, with a 18 Gamma black hook brought a couple more fish.
I finished the match on the waggler, the skimmers had moved up onto the shelf, I'd had a few looks earlier, to no avail, but the last hour or so saw a few more skimmers netted, 3 carp hooked, that all went off with the hook and a big fish, that may have been a decent bream, that snagged itself and left me to reel in a submerged branch.
With hindsight (I reckon I've got a 1:1 BSC Hons in hindsight)it may have paid to go on the waggler earlier and feed heavier to get the fish feeding more confidently close to the island. Disappontingly, I was pegged next to the winner for the second week running, but I had come to target skimmers and was succcessful in that, my 25.00 being enough to win the silvers by a 10lb margin. If I draw next to Tim in the next match, he might find his platform is a bit slippery......
Tims plundering of the margin for F1's and carp gave him top spot in waht was a fairly evenly contested match, I'm looking forward to the next one on here.
1) Tim Ford 35.07 peg 46
2) Dave Evans 32.00 peg 49
3) Dean Malin 27.09 peg 43
4) Clayton Hudson 26.10 peg 45
5) Chris Fox 25.00 peg 47
6) Tony (chip shop sausage)Rixon 16.06 peg 48
Silvers
1) Chris Fox 25.00 peg 47
2) Eddie Wynne 15.00 peg 542
Yep, its true, Tony battered either side......
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Viaduct Open, Wednesday 13th July 2011
I'd booked a days annual leave for today, as I'd agreed to fish Carps AC 'Kingston Seymour' series, which was subsequently cancelled. After two days interviewing applicants for a couple of vacancies at work, I decided to keep the holiday and fish Viaduct.
First into the tin and out came two swimcards stuck together - whichever one you put back its bound to be the wrong one, isn't it? I took one and opened it, revealing 125, I wasn't exactly overjoyed or cartwheeling around the room. I had drawn it a couple of weeks ago and managed 70lb ish, of which 24lb was skimmers. I hadn't brought anything to fish for silvers, I just had plenty of 8mm pellet, 6mm pellet and 8mm meat.
I set up two waggler rods, one to fish 8" deep as there were plenty of fish showing all over the lake on the surface and one to fish at half depth. I did set up a lead rod, although I didn't really expect to catch on it. And finally, three pole rigs, one shallow, a MW cookie on 0.17 straight through to a B960 16, a MW diamond to fish 8mm pellet at depth, same line & hook as the shallow rig and a MW float whose name eludes me (and he doesn't seem to sell it anymore)on 0.17 to 0.18 (0.17 Preston is actually 0.20) and a 16 Xedion TXR7 size 16 hook, this rig for meat.
I started at 14.5m shallow and had a couple of fish in the first 15 minutes, this didn't last and I had 2 more up to the 1 hour mark. Time to try the pellet waggler, this produced 2 fish fairly quickly, at around 15" deep and then it went quiet, just as the pole line did. I tried from 6" deep to 4' deep, to no avail, although there were plenty of blows. Into the third hour and I was now struggling for bites, so I put the straight lead over the waggler line and was rewarded with 4 fish in 6 chucks, 2 tench and 2 carp. Then as surely as the pole and waggler stopped producing bites, so did the lead.
From the halfway mark I'd been feeding meat at 5m, a look here produced nothing, so back on the 14.5m line with the full depth rig and first drop in with a 8mm banded pellet, the float settled and buried, carp number 9. A few lost foulers followed, so back on the shallow rig, but I couldn't get a bite on it. Back to the waggler for another fish, then back to the 14.5m line and another fish at depth.
So with 11 fish in the net and 1 hour 15 minutes to go, I knew I'd have to catch quickly and decent fish, to try and pick up some money. Back in on the 5m line and a 7lb carp first put in, then a 3lb+ tench, now there were bubbles from the 5m line and I caught 6 carp for nearly 60lb and 2 tench in that last 75 minutes. I thought I had 120lb of carp and 10lb of tench, and when the scales got to me, the 4 tench went 10.12 and the 17 carp 129.07, giving me 139.13, enough for second on the day. I suppose I can't be too disappointed at that, after my initial feeling that I'd struggle when I drew the peg. 17 fish for 129lb gives a fish average size of 7.08, so a few of those meat fish were doubles.
A pretty close match, with Kedgie missing out on a pick up by 3oz and some good silvers weights
1) Paul Homewood 188.13 peg 110
2) Chris Fox 139.13 peg 125
3) Howard Webb 125.05 peg 129
4) Steve Kedge 125.02 peg 115
5) Dave Roper 123.13 peg 116
6) Steve Jackson 106.04 peg 128
Silvers
1) John Green 64.12 peg 112
2) Alex ? 46.06 peg 123
3) Tim Pallant 42.08 peg 119
4) Howard Webb 34.02 peg 129
5) Steve Kedge 30.08 peg 115
Finally, something that made me smile on the way home. I went home via the Fosseway, as it is pretty deserted at 7pm on a Wednesday night, as I got into Shepton Mallet by the traffic lights, a 7 ton pick up/tipper towing an estate car switched lanes a couple of cars in front, catching my eye. It was one of those where you get a feeling somethings dodgy, fair play to the pick up, he got up some speed down the hill, into the dip by the cider factory and stated to climb the other side reasonably well. I then saw something, a piece of plastic? come out from under the estate car, for some reason the driver let the tow rope go slack.
This was half way up the hill, as the rope went tight again, there was an explosion of dust and shit at the front of the car, it slowed and the pick up accelerated up the hill with the complete front bumper moulding (a large one) attached, but no car. Luckily I managed to overtake them once the car had ground to a halt and the pick up driver realised what had happened and stopped - he got out smiling, it obviously wasn't his car......
First into the tin and out came two swimcards stuck together - whichever one you put back its bound to be the wrong one, isn't it? I took one and opened it, revealing 125, I wasn't exactly overjoyed or cartwheeling around the room. I had drawn it a couple of weeks ago and managed 70lb ish, of which 24lb was skimmers. I hadn't brought anything to fish for silvers, I just had plenty of 8mm pellet, 6mm pellet and 8mm meat.
I set up two waggler rods, one to fish 8" deep as there were plenty of fish showing all over the lake on the surface and one to fish at half depth. I did set up a lead rod, although I didn't really expect to catch on it. And finally, three pole rigs, one shallow, a MW cookie on 0.17 straight through to a B960 16, a MW diamond to fish 8mm pellet at depth, same line & hook as the shallow rig and a MW float whose name eludes me (and he doesn't seem to sell it anymore)on 0.17 to 0.18 (0.17 Preston is actually 0.20) and a 16 Xedion TXR7 size 16 hook, this rig for meat.
I started at 14.5m shallow and had a couple of fish in the first 15 minutes, this didn't last and I had 2 more up to the 1 hour mark. Time to try the pellet waggler, this produced 2 fish fairly quickly, at around 15" deep and then it went quiet, just as the pole line did. I tried from 6" deep to 4' deep, to no avail, although there were plenty of blows. Into the third hour and I was now struggling for bites, so I put the straight lead over the waggler line and was rewarded with 4 fish in 6 chucks, 2 tench and 2 carp. Then as surely as the pole and waggler stopped producing bites, so did the lead.
From the halfway mark I'd been feeding meat at 5m, a look here produced nothing, so back on the 14.5m line with the full depth rig and first drop in with a 8mm banded pellet, the float settled and buried, carp number 9. A few lost foulers followed, so back on the shallow rig, but I couldn't get a bite on it. Back to the waggler for another fish, then back to the 14.5m line and another fish at depth.
So with 11 fish in the net and 1 hour 15 minutes to go, I knew I'd have to catch quickly and decent fish, to try and pick up some money. Back in on the 5m line and a 7lb carp first put in, then a 3lb+ tench, now there were bubbles from the 5m line and I caught 6 carp for nearly 60lb and 2 tench in that last 75 minutes. I thought I had 120lb of carp and 10lb of tench, and when the scales got to me, the 4 tench went 10.12 and the 17 carp 129.07, giving me 139.13, enough for second on the day. I suppose I can't be too disappointed at that, after my initial feeling that I'd struggle when I drew the peg. 17 fish for 129lb gives a fish average size of 7.08, so a few of those meat fish were doubles.
A pretty close match, with Kedgie missing out on a pick up by 3oz and some good silvers weights
1) Paul Homewood 188.13 peg 110
2) Chris Fox 139.13 peg 125
3) Howard Webb 125.05 peg 129
4) Steve Kedge 125.02 peg 115
5) Dave Roper 123.13 peg 116
6) Steve Jackson 106.04 peg 128
Silvers
1) John Green 64.12 peg 112
2) Alex ? 46.06 peg 123
3) Tim Pallant 42.08 peg 119
4) Howard Webb 34.02 peg 129
5) Steve Kedge 30.08 peg 115
Finally, something that made me smile on the way home. I went home via the Fosseway, as it is pretty deserted at 7pm on a Wednesday night, as I got into Shepton Mallet by the traffic lights, a 7 ton pick up/tipper towing an estate car switched lanes a couple of cars in front, catching my eye. It was one of those where you get a feeling somethings dodgy, fair play to the pick up, he got up some speed down the hill, into the dip by the cider factory and stated to climb the other side reasonably well. I then saw something, a piece of plastic? come out from under the estate car, for some reason the driver let the tow rope go slack.
This was half way up the hill, as the rope went tight again, there was an explosion of dust and shit at the front of the car, it slowed and the pick up accelerated up the hill with the complete front bumper moulding (a large one) attached, but no car. Luckily I managed to overtake them once the car had ground to a halt and the pick up driver realised what had happened and stopped - he got out smiling, it obviously wasn't his car......
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Tony Rixon's Float Only League, Landsend, Sunday 10th July 2011
I secured a guest spot in this match and had it in my mind to fish for silvers, as doing this seems to be the only way I can ever pick up at Landsend. Out of the draw bucket with peg 34 - bad memories, the last time I drew 34, Matt Tomes emptied it on 33, whilst I struggled. Tim Ford on 33 today and when I stood with him in his peg, it was looking likely that history would repeat itself. There were loads of fish moving between the aerator and the end bank.
I set up a rig to fish shallow to the island at 16m, a MW cookie on 0.18 with a 16 B960, I also set up two silvers rigs, a 4x14 carpa chimp on 0.16 to 0.14 with a size 16 808 and a 4x12 carpa chimp on 0.14 with a 0.12 hooklength and a 16 Drennan carp maggot hook. I also set up a paste rig.
I started on the lighter rig, fishing caster at 7m, apart from a couple of small roach, there wasn't much to show for that. I'd fed a line at 13m with softend 4mm and caster, hoping for skimmers, as well as pinging some 8mm hard pellet to the island. Tim Ford kept saying "look at the tails coming out of the water in front of you" - he was right, but they were black, not orange. Some of the tails belonged to chub and occasionally a big skimmer waved its black, forked caudal fin at me.
I looked in on the 13m line, to no avail and by now was three or four fish behind Tim, the thought of luring some of those carp from the aerator, to my island ledge, made me abandon the silvers and over with the shallow pelet rig I went. I had several chub, before it went quiet, I then had two carp, but after them the bites dried up.
Back in on the 13m line with caster and a couple of skimmers, but the bites were few and far between, a look on the devils spawn over the 13m line brought my only fish of the day on it, a 3lb tench. I tried back over to the island, shallow, with a couple more chub to show for it.
With a couple of hours to go, I set up a shallow rig to try meat over and had three carp in three drop-ins - sussed it, no! That was the end of the carp action off the island. I went back in on the light silvers rig, with double red maggot and had a carp around the 5lb mark, next put in, a 15lb carp took the maggots and nearly gave itself up like a skimmer, before realising it was hooked and stretching the double six to its limit, before the 0.12 parted.
I finished the day on the heavier silvers rig, landing several more decent skimmers, which all took double red maggot - I knew I'd messed up, I should have stuck it out for silvers for the full 6 hours, as my 24lb was just not enough to sneak in the silvers coin. My carp went 42.14 or a total of 66.14, that was 8th overall and enough to pick up the section money by double default, with Tim Ford winning and Mike Nicholls winning the silvers with 32lb. So what appeared to be a disasterous day, from being spanked again by peg 33, to poor decision making, at least ended up with some coin.
1) Tim Ford 126.12 peg 33
2) Tony Rixon 111.13 peg 24
3) Dean Malin 99.14 peg 19
4) Mike Nicholls 94.14 peg 36
5) Paul Elmes 86.04 peg 31
6) Chris Davies 85.08 peg 32
Silvers
1) Mike Nicholls 32.00
2) John Bradford 28.15
3) John Green 27.10
Can't log off without a mention for ex Clevedon Veals team mate, Steve Seager, on peg 34, who had a nightmare, at one time he was squirrel fishing, with his rig at least 20' up one of the island trees - shame I didn't get a picture.......
I set up a rig to fish shallow to the island at 16m, a MW cookie on 0.18 with a 16 B960, I also set up two silvers rigs, a 4x14 carpa chimp on 0.16 to 0.14 with a size 16 808 and a 4x12 carpa chimp on 0.14 with a 0.12 hooklength and a 16 Drennan carp maggot hook. I also set up a paste rig.
I started on the lighter rig, fishing caster at 7m, apart from a couple of small roach, there wasn't much to show for that. I'd fed a line at 13m with softend 4mm and caster, hoping for skimmers, as well as pinging some 8mm hard pellet to the island. Tim Ford kept saying "look at the tails coming out of the water in front of you" - he was right, but they were black, not orange. Some of the tails belonged to chub and occasionally a big skimmer waved its black, forked caudal fin at me.
I looked in on the 13m line, to no avail and by now was three or four fish behind Tim, the thought of luring some of those carp from the aerator, to my island ledge, made me abandon the silvers and over with the shallow pelet rig I went. I had several chub, before it went quiet, I then had two carp, but after them the bites dried up.
Back in on the 13m line with caster and a couple of skimmers, but the bites were few and far between, a look on the devils spawn over the 13m line brought my only fish of the day on it, a 3lb tench. I tried back over to the island, shallow, with a couple more chub to show for it.
With a couple of hours to go, I set up a shallow rig to try meat over and had three carp in three drop-ins - sussed it, no! That was the end of the carp action off the island. I went back in on the light silvers rig, with double red maggot and had a carp around the 5lb mark, next put in, a 15lb carp took the maggots and nearly gave itself up like a skimmer, before realising it was hooked and stretching the double six to its limit, before the 0.12 parted.
I finished the day on the heavier silvers rig, landing several more decent skimmers, which all took double red maggot - I knew I'd messed up, I should have stuck it out for silvers for the full 6 hours, as my 24lb was just not enough to sneak in the silvers coin. My carp went 42.14 or a total of 66.14, that was 8th overall and enough to pick up the section money by double default, with Tim Ford winning and Mike Nicholls winning the silvers with 32lb. So what appeared to be a disasterous day, from being spanked again by peg 33, to poor decision making, at least ended up with some coin.
1) Tim Ford 126.12 peg 33
2) Tony Rixon 111.13 peg 24
3) Dean Malin 99.14 peg 19
4) Mike Nicholls 94.14 peg 36
5) Paul Elmes 86.04 peg 31
6) Chris Davies 85.08 peg 32
Silvers
1) Mike Nicholls 32.00
2) John Bradford 28.15
3) John Green 27.10
Can't log off without a mention for ex Clevedon Veals team mate, Steve Seager, on peg 34, who had a nightmare, at one time he was squirrel fishing, with his rig at least 20' up one of the island trees - shame I didn't get a picture.......
Viaduct Open, Saturday 9th July 2011
I'd love to write a comprehensive account of a interesting, competitive match, sadly I can't. Viaduct has been in good form this spring and summer and the top weights from this match will look good, but the weather or whatever put the fish off feeding made this one on Carey and Lodge, a grueller for many.
I drew peg 90, the wind was blowing into the corner and I hoped for a decent day, there should be fish there, following the wind in. Usual set ups, a waggler rod to fish at depth, a lead rod and pole rigs to fish the margin and pellet at 14.5m.
Suffice to say, as I've already mentioned grueller, after 2½ hours, I had one skimmer on the lead, then another on the waggler, the margin appeared devoid of fish, as did the open water in front of me. There was some fish blowing, I was convinced it was skimmers, so I opened a tin of corn and tried that at 12m, first put in resulted in a 4-5lb common, then nothing.
I kept feeding and working at all the lines, Phil Cardwell packed up on 88 and went, perhaps he had the right idea. Towards the end I managed a couple of decent Tench on meat in the margin, along with one other carp around the 4lb mark, there were three weigh in in my section (88-99) two silvers weights and only one carp weight. My two carp probably would have gone 9lb, but they went back, the silvers went 11.02, easily my worst perfomance on Viaduct during the 'pellet allowed' season.
1) Tom Mangall 144.10 peg 44
2) Steve Jackson 127.11 peg 105
3) Ray Hayward 104.15 peg 66
4) Craig Edmunds 98.03 peg 100
5) Ryan Jordan 77.04 peg 97
6) Terry Lenny 72.04 peg 69
Silvers
1) John Green 30.05 peg 85
2) Barry Fitchew 25.15 68
3) Jamie Parkhouse 23.13 peg 70
I drew peg 90, the wind was blowing into the corner and I hoped for a decent day, there should be fish there, following the wind in. Usual set ups, a waggler rod to fish at depth, a lead rod and pole rigs to fish the margin and pellet at 14.5m.
Suffice to say, as I've already mentioned grueller, after 2½ hours, I had one skimmer on the lead, then another on the waggler, the margin appeared devoid of fish, as did the open water in front of me. There was some fish blowing, I was convinced it was skimmers, so I opened a tin of corn and tried that at 12m, first put in resulted in a 4-5lb common, then nothing.
I kept feeding and working at all the lines, Phil Cardwell packed up on 88 and went, perhaps he had the right idea. Towards the end I managed a couple of decent Tench on meat in the margin, along with one other carp around the 4lb mark, there were three weigh in in my section (88-99) two silvers weights and only one carp weight. My two carp probably would have gone 9lb, but they went back, the silvers went 11.02, easily my worst perfomance on Viaduct during the 'pellet allowed' season.
1) Tom Mangall 144.10 peg 44
2) Steve Jackson 127.11 peg 105
3) Ray Hayward 104.15 peg 66
4) Craig Edmunds 98.03 peg 100
5) Ryan Jordan 77.04 peg 97
6) Terry Lenny 72.04 peg 69
Silvers
1) John Green 30.05 peg 85
2) Barry Fitchew 25.15 68
3) Jamie Parkhouse 23.13 peg 70
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Carps Viaduct Series, Sunday 3rd July 2011
I took a guest spot in this league today, so it was a positive approach, where ever I drew, no need to fish for series points. 105 came out of the tin, last time on this one I won the lake and a stupid lost fish cost me doing so again.
I set up two margin rigs, a MW 'Dinky D' for meat and a poly ball for paste. A shallow rig for pellet and a depth rig for pellet, a MW diamond and a MW Cookie respectively both on 0.17 with 16 B960 hooks. A MW paste rig completed the pole set up. I also set up a waggler rod and a lead rod, as there fish moving around towards the middle.
Virtually opposite I had Garbolino BMVG silvers ace Bob Gullick, so he wouldn't be feeding to far out to nick any carp - in fact he would be trying to avoid them.
On the all in I flicked the waggler at full depth to the middle, it settled and went under, after a 25 minute battle a 15lb fish graced the net, good start. I then had a smaller fish, but then the bites tailed off. I tried shallowing up and had another fish, great start, but that was the end of it. I tried the margins, nothing, not even an indication, or a twitch from a meat stealing nuisance fish. This was how it stayed on every look into the margins (both left & right) until the end.
I tried the paste line I''d been feeding at 8m - nothing, I tried 6 & 8mm pellet over it just in case there were some skimmers around - nothing again. In desperation I picked up the lead rod and it brought 3 fish.
In the last hour, I decided to really up the feed and fish the waggler, its a tactic that used to catch me a lot of chub on the river, its nearly like the constant rain of bait falling through the peg makes them feed. I started to get bites on the waggler and deepening up again saw me hook a big fish, initially I thought it may have been foul hooked, but it wasn't, it was just the sheer size if it. It took me all over the peg and it just wouldn't get its head off the bottom.
After 20 minutes, I had it under the rod and every time it came within 3 or 4' of the net, it powered off again, it was a angry common well over 20lb. trying to think ahead, as I had started to get bites, I thought I might get another fish if I could get back out there, so using the logic that it must be a good hook hold,as it had been on for 20 minutes+, put a bit more pressure on. Big mistake, the hook pulled and with it went a lake win and £50 quid section money......
I'd been feeding whilst playing it, but not nearly enough and the last 15 minutes remained biteless.
My 7 fish went 72lbish and Bela Bakos took the section with 76lb.
See Mike Nicholls blog for the results, as I had to disappear after the weigh in to go to work.
I set up two margin rigs, a MW 'Dinky D' for meat and a poly ball for paste. A shallow rig for pellet and a depth rig for pellet, a MW diamond and a MW Cookie respectively both on 0.17 with 16 B960 hooks. A MW paste rig completed the pole set up. I also set up a waggler rod and a lead rod, as there fish moving around towards the middle.
Virtually opposite I had Garbolino BMVG silvers ace Bob Gullick, so he wouldn't be feeding to far out to nick any carp - in fact he would be trying to avoid them.
On the all in I flicked the waggler at full depth to the middle, it settled and went under, after a 25 minute battle a 15lb fish graced the net, good start. I then had a smaller fish, but then the bites tailed off. I tried shallowing up and had another fish, great start, but that was the end of it. I tried the margins, nothing, not even an indication, or a twitch from a meat stealing nuisance fish. This was how it stayed on every look into the margins (both left & right) until the end.
I tried the paste line I''d been feeding at 8m - nothing, I tried 6 & 8mm pellet over it just in case there were some skimmers around - nothing again. In desperation I picked up the lead rod and it brought 3 fish.
In the last hour, I decided to really up the feed and fish the waggler, its a tactic that used to catch me a lot of chub on the river, its nearly like the constant rain of bait falling through the peg makes them feed. I started to get bites on the waggler and deepening up again saw me hook a big fish, initially I thought it may have been foul hooked, but it wasn't, it was just the sheer size if it. It took me all over the peg and it just wouldn't get its head off the bottom.
After 20 minutes, I had it under the rod and every time it came within 3 or 4' of the net, it powered off again, it was a angry common well over 20lb. trying to think ahead, as I had started to get bites, I thought I might get another fish if I could get back out there, so using the logic that it must be a good hook hold,as it had been on for 20 minutes+, put a bit more pressure on. Big mistake, the hook pulled and with it went a lake win and £50 quid section money......
I'd been feeding whilst playing it, but not nearly enough and the last 15 minutes remained biteless.
My 7 fish went 72lbish and Bela Bakos took the section with 76lb.
See Mike Nicholls blog for the results, as I had to disappear after the weigh in to go to work.
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Viaduct Open, Saturday 2nd July 2011
I was quite happily making my way to Viaduct, when at just before 10am the phone rang, "where are you, its a 09.30 draw". Why do they have a different time on Wednesdays and Saturdays? To confuse the simple, obviously...... Luckily Paul Greenwood had left a ticket in for me, unluckily it was 125.
I decided to keep things simple and set up a pellet waggler, as there were plenty of fish sunning themselves and cruising round in the sunshine. The water temperature was 24.3°C, no wonder they were so laid back. I also set up 4 topkits, one for paste, one for banded pellet at depth, one shallow and a margin rig for meat. This was a total waste of time, either I'm doing something drastically wrong, or every peg I get is full of tiny roach etc. which continually nibble away at the meat.
The first 20 minutes were spent trying to mug some of the cruising fish, but they weren't having it and they backed off towards the middle after having a pole waved over their heads. Out with the pellet waggler and I had a couple of indications, then a slight ripple got up and I had three fish in quick succession, the ripple went and that was pretty much the end of the waggler line. In the meantime, I was seeing Martin Preston on 123, getting a run of fish on the lead, fishing popped up bread.
I dropped into the 14m line I'd been feeding, with the paste rig and soon had a flying skimmer, next fish was a big lump well into double figures. From then on it got hard, the margin only produced 1-2oz roach on meat, so that was abandoned. I stuck at the 14m line with paste and alternating that with 8mm banded pellet, this produced a couple more skimmers. There were plenty of skimmers blowing over the feed, so with 2 and a bit hours to go I decided to set up a skimmer rig. This was dropped in and I immediately started to catch carp on the expander, another double figure fish was landed.
I reverted back to small balls of paste, without feeding, this stopped attracting carp and had a few more skimmers, with hindsight I should have fished for them all day, as I was so far adrift on the carp. I also had 2 tench on the paste, the first tench I've caught in open water at Viaduct. My 7 carp went 48.02 and the skimmers 24.00 for 72.02.
Peg 132 kept up its good form as it produced 209.10 to win
1) Roland (Lucas?) 209.10 peg 132
2) Lewis Greenwood 162.01 peg 112
3) Martin Preston 145.10 peg 123
4) Craig Edmunds 128.08 peg 110
5) Andy Wilkinson 127.10 peg 119
6) Tim Ford 100.11 peg 129
Silvers
1) Craig Edmunds 66.08
2) Dan Squire 52.02
3) Andy Wilkinson 39.07
I decided to keep things simple and set up a pellet waggler, as there were plenty of fish sunning themselves and cruising round in the sunshine. The water temperature was 24.3°C, no wonder they were so laid back. I also set up 4 topkits, one for paste, one for banded pellet at depth, one shallow and a margin rig for meat. This was a total waste of time, either I'm doing something drastically wrong, or every peg I get is full of tiny roach etc. which continually nibble away at the meat.
The first 20 minutes were spent trying to mug some of the cruising fish, but they weren't having it and they backed off towards the middle after having a pole waved over their heads. Out with the pellet waggler and I had a couple of indications, then a slight ripple got up and I had three fish in quick succession, the ripple went and that was pretty much the end of the waggler line. In the meantime, I was seeing Martin Preston on 123, getting a run of fish on the lead, fishing popped up bread.
I dropped into the 14m line I'd been feeding, with the paste rig and soon had a flying skimmer, next fish was a big lump well into double figures. From then on it got hard, the margin only produced 1-2oz roach on meat, so that was abandoned. I stuck at the 14m line with paste and alternating that with 8mm banded pellet, this produced a couple more skimmers. There were plenty of skimmers blowing over the feed, so with 2 and a bit hours to go I decided to set up a skimmer rig. This was dropped in and I immediately started to catch carp on the expander, another double figure fish was landed.
I reverted back to small balls of paste, without feeding, this stopped attracting carp and had a few more skimmers, with hindsight I should have fished for them all day, as I was so far adrift on the carp. I also had 2 tench on the paste, the first tench I've caught in open water at Viaduct. My 7 carp went 48.02 and the skimmers 24.00 for 72.02.
Peg 132 kept up its good form as it produced 209.10 to win
1) Roland (Lucas?) 209.10 peg 132
2) Lewis Greenwood 162.01 peg 112
3) Martin Preston 145.10 peg 123
4) Craig Edmunds 128.08 peg 110
5) Andy Wilkinson 127.10 peg 119
6) Tim Ford 100.11 peg 129
Silvers
1) Craig Edmunds 66.08
2) Dan Squire 52.02
3) Andy Wilkinson 39.07
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Viaduct Open, Wednesday 29th June 2011
Had a nice breakfast to start the day off today, free range eggs, venison sausages etc. had to cook it myself, you don't get that in the cafe. After the good weights that came from Campbell last weekend I was looking forward to today, it was to be carp or bust, with pellet, meat and paste in the bait bag - well it would have been if I hadn't left the carefully prepared paste in my bait fridge.
Just before the draw, we had the small matter of rescuing an unfortunate anglers car, trying to be gentlemanly and letting the very posh looking red Spyder convertible past, proved to be his downfall. The lush grass verge, was a mere illusion and the silver Peugeot estate proved a tad too heavy for the grass to support. One Transit van and a team of anglers anxious to get on with the draw, managed to extract the Peugeot, with not too much damage, except some dented pride.
I won't mention his name, no doubt someone will recognise the car.....
I drew a nice short walk, 110, with Dick Bull on 111. He'd had 180lb from 110 last weekend, shallow on the pole. There didn't seem to be too many fish out in front today, but I could see plenty of dark shapes up in front of 135.
I set up two pellet waggler rods, 11' Maver Reactorlites, with Preston Inception 4000 reels, rods I've only used a couple of times and new reels - I usually use TDR's, but the Prestons were slightly lighter. 6lb sensor main line, with 0.17 hooklength and a 18 PR36. I did take a lead rod from the hardcase, but it got put back at the end without a cast being made.
4 topkits set up, a shallow pellet rig, a inline dibber on 0.17 to a 16 B960, a full depth pellet rig, a MW diamond on 0.17 to a 0.15 hooklength and a 16 B960. A paste float on 0.17 to a 14 Mustad paste hook and a MW power for the margin, on 0.19 with a 0.17 hooklength and a 16 TXR hook. Once I'd set up the paste rig, I discovered, as mentioned, that my paste was 35 miles away, in the fridge. I hurridly made some up, but I prefer to make it the night before.
At the all in I started on the pellet waggler and was almost immediately a fish behind to Dick, as he had one straight away on the wag. I started to get bites and had two fish before the third snapped the 6lb sensor - brand new line!! I picked up the other rod and had another fish, but they weren't exactly giving themselves up, I could only catch if they took the pellet almost immediately it hit the water.
I decided to rest this line and had fed a pot of micros and expanders at 10m to my left for paste, a line at 14m straight in front and some meat down by the stump. I had a look on the meat and this produced a rudd and next put in, a 3lb bream, then a run of unhitable bites. A lookover the micros and expanders with paste, produced not so much as a liner and I never went back there. A try shallow at 14m, not a bite, but there was some fizzing, so I dropped the full depth rig in and had a carp nearly straight away. A couple of liners next, so back on the shallow rig to no avail.
I spent the rest of the match on the pellet waggler and had spells of catching, spells of frustration as I got snapped a further 5 times, once when a decent fish kited along to 136 and picked up a big branch, I managed to get the branch and fish back to the stump on my left, before the hooklength snapped. All looked OK and back out with a new hooklength, a smaller fish landed OK, then a bigger fish snapped the main line, on closer inspection, about 4' of the main line was abraded by the branch. That'll teach me to inspect line more closely after a snag.
I had a spell when The fish seemed to back away from the feed, I caught without feeding, then a spell where they wanted a pouchful everytime, so much so, they were boiling on the surface. This resulted in a spell of a couple of snapped hooklengths, some fish lost due to hook pulls and a some foulers. It seemed best to cast, then feed, this seemed to result in bigger fish, with a decent hook hold.
Interesting discussion with Steve Long afterwards, he put forward a point of view that when there are many fish competing for the pellet up in the water, the hooklengths may be breaking against other fish, I've no doubt this can happen. I also wonder if the 11' rods are forgiving enough for the 6lb+ fish, I've certainly had nowhere near as many hookpulls with my 13' Reactorlites - perhaps the 11' rods are best for venues with 2-5lb fish. Although I do like the way the fish pop up at exactly netting range with the 11' rods.
I eneded the match with 24 fish, a couple not far off double figures, so that adds weight to Steve's theory, not enough I was sure to beat Matt Tomes on 132 (see Matt, for bad karma, like cars off road, theres good karma like drawing 132) who'd caught steadily all day on the pole, although had I sussed out the feeding and not lost so many, I would have undoubtedly beaten him, I feel it should have been a 200lb peg. Once again my total ineptitude at gauging fish weights was evident as I was deducted 1.13 from my total of 161.12, leaving me with 159.15, third on the day and a section win. The net that was over by 1.13 had 12 fish in it. The average weight of my fish was over 6.08, so that only 11 per net from now on.
Winner on the day was Lee Werrett who chucked a lead at 120 all day from 119, apparently it just kept going round.....
1) Lee Werrett 232.05 peg 119
2) Matt Tomes 165.02 peg 132
3) Chris Fox 159.15 peg 110
4) Scott Russell 136.04 peg 124
5) Andy lloyd 110.05 peg 127
6) Paul Blake 103.09 peg 116
Silvers
1) Paul Blake 53.12 peg 116 (Tench on meat)
2) Howard Webb 43.03 peg 128
3) Tim Pallant 41.10 peg 123
Just before the draw, we had the small matter of rescuing an unfortunate anglers car, trying to be gentlemanly and letting the very posh looking red Spyder convertible past, proved to be his downfall. The lush grass verge, was a mere illusion and the silver Peugeot estate proved a tad too heavy for the grass to support. One Transit van and a team of anglers anxious to get on with the draw, managed to extract the Peugeot, with not too much damage, except some dented pride.
I won't mention his name, no doubt someone will recognise the car.....
I drew a nice short walk, 110, with Dick Bull on 111. He'd had 180lb from 110 last weekend, shallow on the pole. There didn't seem to be too many fish out in front today, but I could see plenty of dark shapes up in front of 135.
I set up two pellet waggler rods, 11' Maver Reactorlites, with Preston Inception 4000 reels, rods I've only used a couple of times and new reels - I usually use TDR's, but the Prestons were slightly lighter. 6lb sensor main line, with 0.17 hooklength and a 18 PR36. I did take a lead rod from the hardcase, but it got put back at the end without a cast being made.
4 topkits set up, a shallow pellet rig, a inline dibber on 0.17 to a 16 B960, a full depth pellet rig, a MW diamond on 0.17 to a 0.15 hooklength and a 16 B960. A paste float on 0.17 to a 14 Mustad paste hook and a MW power for the margin, on 0.19 with a 0.17 hooklength and a 16 TXR hook. Once I'd set up the paste rig, I discovered, as mentioned, that my paste was 35 miles away, in the fridge. I hurridly made some up, but I prefer to make it the night before.
At the all in I started on the pellet waggler and was almost immediately a fish behind to Dick, as he had one straight away on the wag. I started to get bites and had two fish before the third snapped the 6lb sensor - brand new line!! I picked up the other rod and had another fish, but they weren't exactly giving themselves up, I could only catch if they took the pellet almost immediately it hit the water.
I decided to rest this line and had fed a pot of micros and expanders at 10m to my left for paste, a line at 14m straight in front and some meat down by the stump. I had a look on the meat and this produced a rudd and next put in, a 3lb bream, then a run of unhitable bites. A lookover the micros and expanders with paste, produced not so much as a liner and I never went back there. A try shallow at 14m, not a bite, but there was some fizzing, so I dropped the full depth rig in and had a carp nearly straight away. A couple of liners next, so back on the shallow rig to no avail.
I spent the rest of the match on the pellet waggler and had spells of catching, spells of frustration as I got snapped a further 5 times, once when a decent fish kited along to 136 and picked up a big branch, I managed to get the branch and fish back to the stump on my left, before the hooklength snapped. All looked OK and back out with a new hooklength, a smaller fish landed OK, then a bigger fish snapped the main line, on closer inspection, about 4' of the main line was abraded by the branch. That'll teach me to inspect line more closely after a snag.
I had a spell when The fish seemed to back away from the feed, I caught without feeding, then a spell where they wanted a pouchful everytime, so much so, they were boiling on the surface. This resulted in a spell of a couple of snapped hooklengths, some fish lost due to hook pulls and a some foulers. It seemed best to cast, then feed, this seemed to result in bigger fish, with a decent hook hold.
Interesting discussion with Steve Long afterwards, he put forward a point of view that when there are many fish competing for the pellet up in the water, the hooklengths may be breaking against other fish, I've no doubt this can happen. I also wonder if the 11' rods are forgiving enough for the 6lb+ fish, I've certainly had nowhere near as many hookpulls with my 13' Reactorlites - perhaps the 11' rods are best for venues with 2-5lb fish. Although I do like the way the fish pop up at exactly netting range with the 11' rods.
I eneded the match with 24 fish, a couple not far off double figures, so that adds weight to Steve's theory, not enough I was sure to beat Matt Tomes on 132 (see Matt, for bad karma, like cars off road, theres good karma like drawing 132) who'd caught steadily all day on the pole, although had I sussed out the feeding and not lost so many, I would have undoubtedly beaten him, I feel it should have been a 200lb peg. Once again my total ineptitude at gauging fish weights was evident as I was deducted 1.13 from my total of 161.12, leaving me with 159.15, third on the day and a section win. The net that was over by 1.13 had 12 fish in it. The average weight of my fish was over 6.08, so that only 11 per net from now on.
Winner on the day was Lee Werrett who chucked a lead at 120 all day from 119, apparently it just kept going round.....
1) Lee Werrett 232.05 peg 119
2) Matt Tomes 165.02 peg 132
3) Chris Fox 159.15 peg 110
4) Scott Russell 136.04 peg 124
5) Andy lloyd 110.05 peg 127
6) Paul Blake 103.09 peg 116
Silvers
1) Paul Blake 53.12 peg 116 (Tench on meat)
2) Howard Webb 43.03 peg 128
3) Tim Pallant 41.10 peg 123
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Trinity Two Day Festival, Sat & Sun 25th & 26th June 2011
I was looking forward to this festival, because Trinity is a great venue and I was defending my crown of Champion last year. The weather was set to play havoc with the fish again, rain Friday night and a mini heat wave on Sunday, but dealing with the conditions is all a part of fishing.
I gave Andy (Hembrow) a hand to run it this year, although I left the collecting names and pegging up to him, we initially had the 20, we were calling a full house, but by the day before, that had dropped to 16, so the payout was slightly reduced. Its a real shame that the numbers are down, the festival used to be on both lakes (Woodland and Wildmarsh) but now with a smaller entry we had both days on Woodland.
At the draw on Saturday, I waited until everyone else had drawn and took the last swimcard, its not something I usually do and I won't be doing it again!! Peg 2, a corner peg which can produce, but I felt the wind was in the wrong direction and with peg 33 in I had no waggler chuck.
I'd decided to start fishing for skimmers and switch to carp when they came along as they inevitably do, wrecking the skimmer line, with the back up of the RH margin as this often produces carp. I set up a paste rig and a another rig with a 0.8g MW diamond to fish 8mm banded pellet/paste approx 1m infront of the point to my left, a MW diamond (1g) to fish 14m straight out, this was to be the CW&C line and a couple of margin rigs for the RH margin, as it varied in depth too much to get away with one rig.
I fed some groundbait and CW&C at 14m and some pellets in front of the point, starting on the worm, I had a couple of decent skimmers, although I had a couple more in the first hour it was slow going, during the day I had several visits to the paste/pellet line, but did not get so much as a liner there, so no more about that. The RH margin was pretty non-productive as well, 5 carp for 11.11 was the sum total from there. I had tried meat, nicked off the hook by silvers, an 8mm banded - constant 'bobbing' of the float as the bits pecked at it. An 11mm pellet reduced this, but there really seemed to be no feeding carp in the margin.
I finished the match where I started, on the CW&C, I had tried a 6mm expander over this line after introducing a few free offerings, to no avail. I had the pretty much unique experience of not hooking or even fouling a carp in open water on my skimmer line - that said I didn't exactly hook many skimmers. The ones I did hook and land went 15.08 for 3 silvers points and a total of 27.03 for a resounding last in section. That was the defence of the crown gone then... Rod Wootten on peg 4 had absolutely battered me and everyone else, to take top section points and win the match.
Day One Results:
1) Rod Wootten 102.07 peg 4
2) Mark Walsh 85.01 peg 26
3) Lewis Jones 77.07 peg 9
4) Andy Hembrow 73.03 peg 19
5) Shaun Kittridge 57.14 peg 7
6) Brian Slipper 56.11 peg 33
Silvers
1) Rod Wootten 33.00 peg 4
2) Brian Slipper 18.04 peg 33
3) Chris Fox 15.08 peg 2
Sunday dawned a bit foggy over the hills, but the sun soon burnt that off and it became the scorcher promised by the weathermen. As we had four sections, those who fished A & B yesterday, fished C & D today (and obviously, vice versa). I got Misha the fishery Manager to draw my peg, 26. I wasn't disappointed, I'd left all the meat, big pellets etc. at home, as Silvers were the only way I was going to get some cash from this affair, although it was nice when I got a payout from Kev Perry's superpool this morning, a second place, not sure who out of Rod & Brian didn't go in it.
I had brought my Drennan Match Pro quiver, a nice little rod for skimmer fishing and I did wonder if they backed off from the pole line, if I could utilise a small cage feeder with some micros and dead maggot. That was set up with 4lb direct mono reel line and 0.14 powersilk and a 18 808.
I set up the same 1g MW diamond on 0.15 to 0.11 with a 18 63-13 hook, this had an olivette around 12" from the hook, with 2 No8 stotzs 6" from the hook and 2" overdepth. I also set up a paste rig, but didn't use this. I set up a small MW slim power to fish caster shallow on a topkit to hand. Mindful that Mark Walsh had 80lb+ from the margins yesterday I nearly set a margin rig, but didn't.
This peg was around 12" deeper than peg 2 so had to remake a couple of rigs, I also felt that there was no need to go much further than 11m, especially I was going to have a feeder line at 25m. I started on CW&C, but with the addition of dead red maggot and soon stopped putting worm in as this seemed to create initial interest, but then the bites would dry up. After three or four skimmers, the line went quiet, I did try changing my ratio of micros to groundbait but this didn't increase the bites. So I had alook on the topset with the caster rig on, this was 0.11 with a 0.10 hooklength, a fish every put in on caster, but many were 30 or 40 to the pound size.
Time for a look on the feeder, whilst keeping the other lines topped up, especially the caster line, trying to feed of the micro rudd & roach. After three casts the tip plucked and gently pulled round, a classic bream bite, it felt like a bream, a dead weight, with an occasional bump. That was until it got under the rod tip, it then turned into a carp on speed. Three more chucks, resulted in two more carp and one lost, I think they were following the bloody feeder down. The last chuck, was the rod up the bank, I didn't want carp. Back on the caster and head down, the size of the fish increased, if I constantly changed depth, I sometimes had to fish in the middle of the loose feed, some times on the periphery.
With an hour to go, I could see Kev Perry starting to increase his catch rate of skimmers - on paste - back on the skimmer line with double dead maggot and two more skimmers straight away, then disaster. A carp snaffled the maggot and started plodding round the peg, it then decided to run towards peg 27, snapping the No6 elastic. So with 35 minutes to go, do I set up another rig or go back on the caster.
I went back on the caster and the fish not much bigger than the caster they were swallowing, were back, so I quickly grabbed another rig, which promptly tangled, in my haste to get it set up. I discarded that and set another up, but it was 1.5g and it just didn't seem to take the trip the same as the 1g float. So back on the caster, upping the feed for the last 15 minutes.
At the all out I had no idea what weight I had, but I guessed it was low double figures, the roach & rudd were from a couple of drams up to 4oz, with one better roach. The carp went 8.05 and the silvers were 18.14, enough for a section win (silvers), giving, bizarrely, 27.03 exactly the same weight as yesterday. A bit of totting up and it seemed I'd get second place in the silvers (by default as you couldn't win both). A welcome pick up of £100, to go with yesterdays superpool money.
On the Day:
1) Andy Hembrow 124.02 peg 7
2) Rich Lovering 102.10 peg 4
3) Lewis Jones 96.06 peg 28
4) Mark Walsh 84.03 peg 2
5) Rod Wootten 58.04 peg 21
6) Brian Slipper 50.12 peg 17
Silvers
1) Lewis Jones 31.12 peg 28
2) Brian Slipper 27.11 peg 17
3) Kev Perry 26.01 peg 15
Festival Overall:
Place.. Name.. Points.. Weight
1 Rod Wootton 8 160.11
2 Brian Slipper 8 107.07
3 Andy hembrow 7 197.05
4 Lewis Jones 7 173.13
5 Mark Walsh 6 169.08
6 Nick Harvey 6 93.13
7 Darren Vowles 6 84.02
8 Rich Lovering 5 136.00
9 Shaun Kittridge 5 107.12
10 Lance Tucker 4 68.03
11 Craig Tucker 4 53.08
12 Mark Broomsgrove 3 62.04
13 Chris Fox 3 54.06
14 Kev Perry 3 48.08
15 Dave Baker 2 46.03
16 Rich Heatley 2 35.05
Festival Silvers:
Place.. Name.. Points.. Weight
1 Brian Slipper 8 45.15
2 Kev Perry 7 40.13
3 Chris Fox 7 34.06
4 Craig Tucker 7 26.06
5 Andy Hembrow 7 20.13
6 Rod Wootton 5 39.00
7 Lewis Jones 5 36.05
8 Lance Tucker 5 21.03
9 Mark Broomsgrove 5 19.07
10 Rich Lovering 5 12.06
11 Dave Baker 5 8.15
12 Shaun Kittridge 3 13.06
13 Nick Harvey 3 6.13
14 Darren Vowles 3 1.12
15 Mark Walsh 2 4.13
16 Rich Heatley 2 1.01
I gave Andy (Hembrow) a hand to run it this year, although I left the collecting names and pegging up to him, we initially had the 20, we were calling a full house, but by the day before, that had dropped to 16, so the payout was slightly reduced. Its a real shame that the numbers are down, the festival used to be on both lakes (Woodland and Wildmarsh) but now with a smaller entry we had both days on Woodland.
At the draw on Saturday, I waited until everyone else had drawn and took the last swimcard, its not something I usually do and I won't be doing it again!! Peg 2, a corner peg which can produce, but I felt the wind was in the wrong direction and with peg 33 in I had no waggler chuck.
I'd decided to start fishing for skimmers and switch to carp when they came along as they inevitably do, wrecking the skimmer line, with the back up of the RH margin as this often produces carp. I set up a paste rig and a another rig with a 0.8g MW diamond to fish 8mm banded pellet/paste approx 1m infront of the point to my left, a MW diamond (1g) to fish 14m straight out, this was to be the CW&C line and a couple of margin rigs for the RH margin, as it varied in depth too much to get away with one rig.
I fed some groundbait and CW&C at 14m and some pellets in front of the point, starting on the worm, I had a couple of decent skimmers, although I had a couple more in the first hour it was slow going, during the day I had several visits to the paste/pellet line, but did not get so much as a liner there, so no more about that. The RH margin was pretty non-productive as well, 5 carp for 11.11 was the sum total from there. I had tried meat, nicked off the hook by silvers, an 8mm banded - constant 'bobbing' of the float as the bits pecked at it. An 11mm pellet reduced this, but there really seemed to be no feeding carp in the margin.
I finished the match where I started, on the CW&C, I had tried a 6mm expander over this line after introducing a few free offerings, to no avail. I had the pretty much unique experience of not hooking or even fouling a carp in open water on my skimmer line - that said I didn't exactly hook many skimmers. The ones I did hook and land went 15.08 for 3 silvers points and a total of 27.03 for a resounding last in section. That was the defence of the crown gone then... Rod Wootten on peg 4 had absolutely battered me and everyone else, to take top section points and win the match.
Day One Results:
1) Rod Wootten 102.07 peg 4
2) Mark Walsh 85.01 peg 26
3) Lewis Jones 77.07 peg 9
4) Andy Hembrow 73.03 peg 19
5) Shaun Kittridge 57.14 peg 7
6) Brian Slipper 56.11 peg 33
Silvers
1) Rod Wootten 33.00 peg 4
2) Brian Slipper 18.04 peg 33
3) Chris Fox 15.08 peg 2
Sunday dawned a bit foggy over the hills, but the sun soon burnt that off and it became the scorcher promised by the weathermen. As we had four sections, those who fished A & B yesterday, fished C & D today (and obviously, vice versa). I got Misha the fishery Manager to draw my peg, 26. I wasn't disappointed, I'd left all the meat, big pellets etc. at home, as Silvers were the only way I was going to get some cash from this affair, although it was nice when I got a payout from Kev Perry's superpool this morning, a second place, not sure who out of Rod & Brian didn't go in it.
I had brought my Drennan Match Pro quiver, a nice little rod for skimmer fishing and I did wonder if they backed off from the pole line, if I could utilise a small cage feeder with some micros and dead maggot. That was set up with 4lb direct mono reel line and 0.14 powersilk and a 18 808.
I set up the same 1g MW diamond on 0.15 to 0.11 with a 18 63-13 hook, this had an olivette around 12" from the hook, with 2 No8 stotzs 6" from the hook and 2" overdepth. I also set up a paste rig, but didn't use this. I set up a small MW slim power to fish caster shallow on a topkit to hand. Mindful that Mark Walsh had 80lb+ from the margins yesterday I nearly set a margin rig, but didn't.
This peg was around 12" deeper than peg 2 so had to remake a couple of rigs, I also felt that there was no need to go much further than 11m, especially I was going to have a feeder line at 25m. I started on CW&C, but with the addition of dead red maggot and soon stopped putting worm in as this seemed to create initial interest, but then the bites would dry up. After three or four skimmers, the line went quiet, I did try changing my ratio of micros to groundbait but this didn't increase the bites. So I had alook on the topset with the caster rig on, this was 0.11 with a 0.10 hooklength, a fish every put in on caster, but many were 30 or 40 to the pound size.
Time for a look on the feeder, whilst keeping the other lines topped up, especially the caster line, trying to feed of the micro rudd & roach. After three casts the tip plucked and gently pulled round, a classic bream bite, it felt like a bream, a dead weight, with an occasional bump. That was until it got under the rod tip, it then turned into a carp on speed. Three more chucks, resulted in two more carp and one lost, I think they were following the bloody feeder down. The last chuck, was the rod up the bank, I didn't want carp. Back on the caster and head down, the size of the fish increased, if I constantly changed depth, I sometimes had to fish in the middle of the loose feed, some times on the periphery.
With an hour to go, I could see Kev Perry starting to increase his catch rate of skimmers - on paste - back on the skimmer line with double dead maggot and two more skimmers straight away, then disaster. A carp snaffled the maggot and started plodding round the peg, it then decided to run towards peg 27, snapping the No6 elastic. So with 35 minutes to go, do I set up another rig or go back on the caster.
I went back on the caster and the fish not much bigger than the caster they were swallowing, were back, so I quickly grabbed another rig, which promptly tangled, in my haste to get it set up. I discarded that and set another up, but it was 1.5g and it just didn't seem to take the trip the same as the 1g float. So back on the caster, upping the feed for the last 15 minutes.
At the all out I had no idea what weight I had, but I guessed it was low double figures, the roach & rudd were from a couple of drams up to 4oz, with one better roach. The carp went 8.05 and the silvers were 18.14, enough for a section win (silvers), giving, bizarrely, 27.03 exactly the same weight as yesterday. A bit of totting up and it seemed I'd get second place in the silvers (by default as you couldn't win both). A welcome pick up of £100, to go with yesterdays superpool money.
On the Day:
1) Andy Hembrow 124.02 peg 7
2) Rich Lovering 102.10 peg 4
3) Lewis Jones 96.06 peg 28
4) Mark Walsh 84.03 peg 2
5) Rod Wootten 58.04 peg 21
6) Brian Slipper 50.12 peg 17
Silvers
1) Lewis Jones 31.12 peg 28
2) Brian Slipper 27.11 peg 17
3) Kev Perry 26.01 peg 15
Festival Overall:
Place.. Name.. Points.. Weight
1 Rod Wootton 8 160.11
2 Brian Slipper 8 107.07
3 Andy hembrow 7 197.05
4 Lewis Jones 7 173.13
5 Mark Walsh 6 169.08
6 Nick Harvey 6 93.13
7 Darren Vowles 6 84.02
8 Rich Lovering 5 136.00
9 Shaun Kittridge 5 107.12
10 Lance Tucker 4 68.03
11 Craig Tucker 4 53.08
12 Mark Broomsgrove 3 62.04
13 Chris Fox 3 54.06
14 Kev Perry 3 48.08
15 Dave Baker 2 46.03
16 Rich Heatley 2 35.05
Festival Silvers:
Place.. Name.. Points.. Weight
1 Brian Slipper 8 45.15
2 Kev Perry 7 40.13
3 Chris Fox 7 34.06
4 Craig Tucker 7 26.06
5 Andy Hembrow 7 20.13
6 Rod Wootton 5 39.00
7 Lewis Jones 5 36.05
8 Lance Tucker 5 21.03
9 Mark Broomsgrove 5 19.07
10 Rich Lovering 5 12.06
11 Dave Baker 5 8.15
12 Shaun Kittridge 3 13.06
13 Nick Harvey 3 6.13
14 Darren Vowles 3 1.12
15 Mark Walsh 2 4.13
16 Rich Heatley 2 1.01
Friday, 10 June 2011
Viaduct Costcutter Open, Thursday 9th June 2011
Campbell and Cary in again today, the traffic caused me to arrive right on the draw time of 09.30, so I missed my usual spot near the front of the queue - why do some folk drive so bloody slowly!!! - 112 was my reward (or punishment).
After yesterday, I thought paste might pick out the bigger fish and after waiting nearly an hour, I was proved right as a hard fighting 10lber graced the net. By this time I was several fish behind Mash who'd drawn 132, my peg yesterday, it appeared the fish were in front of 134 right from the start today. Also Dan Squire on 115 was catching shallow.
Rigs were pretty much as yesterday, except I set up a paste rig right from the off.
I had the fish fizzing, but very few bites, also very few liners, I shipped out the soft pellet rig and had a couple of decent skimmers, I can only assume that they were the culprits for the fizz. I alternated between hard and soft pellet, paste and a couple of spells on the pellet waggler, all for little reward.
I tried meat at 6m and had 3 or 4 missed bites, I tried meat in the LH margin and had three fish in three put ins, one a 8 or 9lber, then all I could get was the constant twtching of the float as roach and skimmers pecked at the meat hookbait.
In the last hour I had a couple of fish on paste, but I was a long way from framing today, It seemed that I had a few bigger fish in the peg, but no quantity. the carp went 49lb odd and my skimmers 12lb odd for a total of 61lb something.
I'm happy to use the costcutters as a practise, trial match, as at £11 they are only £4 more than a dayticket and its possible to try things out under match condidtions - a great idea. Although had I realised how low a weight (in Viaduct terms) was needed to get some beer money I may have not persevered with the paste for so long.
Mash plundered the end bank on the waggler and won with 178lb
1) Mash 178.00 peg 132
2) D Squire 160.10 peg 115
3) T Bruton 91.15 peg 96
4) P Furlong 85.4 peg 98
5) M Nicholls 80.05 peg 116
6) D Wride 80.00 peg 118
Silvers
1) J Green 61.13 peg 78
2) M Nicholls 54.00 peg 116
3) T Bruton 48.06 peg 96
After yesterday, I thought paste might pick out the bigger fish and after waiting nearly an hour, I was proved right as a hard fighting 10lber graced the net. By this time I was several fish behind Mash who'd drawn 132, my peg yesterday, it appeared the fish were in front of 134 right from the start today. Also Dan Squire on 115 was catching shallow.
Rigs were pretty much as yesterday, except I set up a paste rig right from the off.
I had the fish fizzing, but very few bites, also very few liners, I shipped out the soft pellet rig and had a couple of decent skimmers, I can only assume that they were the culprits for the fizz. I alternated between hard and soft pellet, paste and a couple of spells on the pellet waggler, all for little reward.
I tried meat at 6m and had 3 or 4 missed bites, I tried meat in the LH margin and had three fish in three put ins, one a 8 or 9lber, then all I could get was the constant twtching of the float as roach and skimmers pecked at the meat hookbait.
In the last hour I had a couple of fish on paste, but I was a long way from framing today, It seemed that I had a few bigger fish in the peg, but no quantity. the carp went 49lb odd and my skimmers 12lb odd for a total of 61lb something.
I'm happy to use the costcutters as a practise, trial match, as at £11 they are only £4 more than a dayticket and its possible to try things out under match condidtions - a great idea. Although had I realised how low a weight (in Viaduct terms) was needed to get some beer money I may have not persevered with the paste for so long.
Mash plundered the end bank on the waggler and won with 178lb
1) Mash 178.00 peg 132
2) D Squire 160.10 peg 115
3) T Bruton 91.15 peg 96
4) P Furlong 85.4 peg 98
5) M Nicholls 80.05 peg 116
6) D Wride 80.00 peg 118
Silvers
1) J Green 61.13 peg 78
2) M Nicholls 54.00 peg 116
3) T Bruton 48.06 peg 96
Viaduct Wednesday Open, 8th June 2011
25 lined up for the draw for this regular Wednesday open, two sections on Campbell and one on Cary - I was unconcerened which lake I drew, as lately I seem to draw the lake which comes second. Todays result bucked that trend, with both lakes being pretty even.
132 was my home for the day, a end (or corner)peg, the first time I've been on this peg, the usual comments "You'll win from there" "How do you draw those flyers" were bantered around, to those on any pegs with form. Having won money on the two times I've drawn 110 (the end peg on the opposite bank), I expected to catch in a similar fashion, i'e. towards the end bank.
I set up a lead rod - that stayed in sweet repose for 6 hours - so no further mention, a 2 swan dumpy waggler to fish shallow, a rig to fish meat to the end bank, which was a MW power on 0.17 to .015 with a 16 TXR7 hook. A shallow pellet rig which was simply a MW pea on 0.17 straight through to a B960 16, a MW diamond to fish pellet at full depth and a MW slim power on 0.11 to 0.12 power silk with a 18 808 for the devils spawn - should I get desperate!! ( The 0.12 power silk is actually thinner than the 0.11 power line).
I started on the shallow waggler , to no avail, the fish that were showing shallow, were all over by peg 136. I tried the deep pellet rig and had my first fish 35 minutes in, there were fish in the peg at 14m, but not so many that they were causing issues with fouling/false bites. I then tried the shallow pole rig and had one fish, it seemed to be slow going all round the lake, so back on the full depth pellet rig and a another fish - they were small fish though.
Time for a look up to the end bank, this produced 3 fish, which were around the 2lb mark, every 20 minutes or so I had a look towards 134 where I'd been feeding pellet, but there appeared to be no fish there. Still plenty showing between the far bank and 135, but Roger Andonio on 110 wasn't fishing to the end bank, if he was they may have pushed over toward me.
Halfway through, I had an idea that paste might sort out a bigger fish or two, so made some up, I did catch on it, bigger fish, but it was still slow going. At 17.15, with 3/4 of an hour to go, I saw a fish swirl in front of 134, at this point I had 13 fish, suffice to say 3/4 of an hour was two little, too late. The last 45 mins saw 8 fish come to the net, giving me a carp weight of 99.14 and my two skimmers edged the final tally to 101.09, enough for 5th on the day - if only those fish had moved across earlier.
1) Jason Radford 147.09 peg 119
2) Mash 139.02 peg 80
3) Matt Tomes 130.02 peg 76
4) Craig Edmunds 118.12 peg 123
5) Chris Fox 101.09 peg 132
6) Dean Malin 100.15 peg 127
Silvers
1) Craig Edmunds 47.14 peg 123
2) Steve Kedge 40.09 peg 78
132 was my home for the day, a end (or corner)peg, the first time I've been on this peg, the usual comments "You'll win from there" "How do you draw those flyers" were bantered around, to those on any pegs with form. Having won money on the two times I've drawn 110 (the end peg on the opposite bank), I expected to catch in a similar fashion, i'e. towards the end bank.
I set up a lead rod - that stayed in sweet repose for 6 hours - so no further mention, a 2 swan dumpy waggler to fish shallow, a rig to fish meat to the end bank, which was a MW power on 0.17 to .015 with a 16 TXR7 hook. A shallow pellet rig which was simply a MW pea on 0.17 straight through to a B960 16, a MW diamond to fish pellet at full depth and a MW slim power on 0.11 to 0.12 power silk with a 18 808 for the devils spawn - should I get desperate!! ( The 0.12 power silk is actually thinner than the 0.11 power line).
I started on the shallow waggler , to no avail, the fish that were showing shallow, were all over by peg 136. I tried the deep pellet rig and had my first fish 35 minutes in, there were fish in the peg at 14m, but not so many that they were causing issues with fouling/false bites. I then tried the shallow pole rig and had one fish, it seemed to be slow going all round the lake, so back on the full depth pellet rig and a another fish - they were small fish though.
Time for a look up to the end bank, this produced 3 fish, which were around the 2lb mark, every 20 minutes or so I had a look towards 134 where I'd been feeding pellet, but there appeared to be no fish there. Still plenty showing between the far bank and 135, but Roger Andonio on 110 wasn't fishing to the end bank, if he was they may have pushed over toward me.
Halfway through, I had an idea that paste might sort out a bigger fish or two, so made some up, I did catch on it, bigger fish, but it was still slow going. At 17.15, with 3/4 of an hour to go, I saw a fish swirl in front of 134, at this point I had 13 fish, suffice to say 3/4 of an hour was two little, too late. The last 45 mins saw 8 fish come to the net, giving me a carp weight of 99.14 and my two skimmers edged the final tally to 101.09, enough for 5th on the day - if only those fish had moved across earlier.
1) Jason Radford 147.09 peg 119
2) Mash 139.02 peg 80
3) Matt Tomes 130.02 peg 76
4) Craig Edmunds 118.12 peg 123
5) Chris Fox 101.09 peg 132
6) Dean Malin 100.15 peg 127
Silvers
1) Craig Edmunds 47.14 peg 123
2) Steve Kedge 40.09 peg 78
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Landsend Topkit + 1 Open, Wenesday 1st June 2011
The last match that limited everyone to a topkit + 1 seemed to produce a few fish, so I thought I'd have a go at this one. It has to be easier than waving 16 or 17m around, trying to land a pellet on a carps nose in 6" of water aginst the far bank.....
I didn't really fancy drawing one of the 4 pegs on lake 3, for no other reason than my limited experience of it has been pretty negative - but I'd never drawn at the end the 4 pegs were today. So it was obvious wasn't it - peg 42 on lake 3..... It looked ideal for the long pole to the point of the island, although there were a signs of a few silvers topping by the small weed bed to my right at 3m.
I tried to cover all bases and set up a Malman winter wire to fish caster at full depth on 0.10 with a 20 63-13, identical line & hook were used with a small Drennan stillwater blue waggler for up in the water (topkit to hand). A MW slim power on 0.15 to a 16 808 for devils spawn at full length at the 11 o'clock position. I also set up a righ on 0.17/0.15 with a 18 xedion TXR7 hook to fish meat in the margin - which as it was very shallow (12") I wasn't too confident of catching on.
I had Phil (Fabio) Harding to my right and the large outline of a well known Whitehall tackle dealer opposite, Fabio had a confessional session before the start, openly admitting to criminal acts in the last few months - good job the EA weren't listening in...
At the all in, I fed some 3 & 4mm devils spawn and flicked a few casters to the weedbed, starting on the caster I was soon into small roach and rudd, with the odd better (2oz) specimen. I could see Tony catching the odd better silver, suggesting he'd gone to the darkside and was fishing the devils spawn. I switched to the shallow rig and this did produce fish more quickly, they were still small.
No option but to switch to the darkside and try the spawn, this produced some decent skimmers, a lone F1 and a couple of crucians, but bites were harder to come by than on caster. A switch back to the shallow rig and upping the amount of feed, saw 3 or 4 quality rudd to the net, now hoping that some caster had got through the upper layers, I dropped against the weedbed with a worm, 8oz perch first drop in, then a couple of perch so small they wouldn't have registered on the scales.
Alternating between the lines and baits kept bites coming, although at times the fish were small, still it kept my mind off Fabio who was muttering and chuntering to himself, I couldn't help thinking back to reading the hobbit as a schoolboy, was I pegged next to Bristol's very own Gollum. I think Tony must have sold him some rubber hooks, as he lost carp after carp, much to Ricko's amusement.
With about an hour and a half to go, the roach and rudd had become elusive and the devils spawn line had gone quiet - there had been no indication of fish in the peg all day, no bubbles, no blows or fizzing - so it was difficult to tell if they'd gone. I'd been down the margin where I'd been flicking 8mm meat cubes, not so much as a liner, by now Tony was catching carp from his margins and over his main line on meat. Then I hooked a carp on the devils spawn - was that why the peg went quiet, a short tussle saw it in the net, then shortly after, another, I rested the line and dropped back in by the weedbed with a large dendra. This resulted in a lost fish - a big one (isn't that always the way...).
With 3/4 of an hour to go, I saw a swirl in the margin, rudd?, nope, the big orange tail that came out of the water, definitely didn't belong to a rudd. I dropped in with a cube of meat and a 5lber was netted, no more swirls so back on the devils spawn, trying to boost my silverfish total, another carp and a couple more skimmers. Then another swirl in the margin, a bigger tail and the same routine with a fish nearer 8lb gracing the net - too little, too late as the all out was shouted, the margin was now quite evidently home to meat eating carp.
My silvers went 20lb, the 5 carp went 27lb odd, if only they'd showed up with a couple of hours left... Top silvers on the lake and second overall on the lake - not a laudible achievement out of 4 - I had to rush off at the end to go to work, so didn't get the results, see Tony's blog. Although he did ring me to tell me I'd snuck into the money, 2nd in silvers by default and he had some cash for me to spend on ebay......
I didn't really fancy drawing one of the 4 pegs on lake 3, for no other reason than my limited experience of it has been pretty negative - but I'd never drawn at the end the 4 pegs were today. So it was obvious wasn't it - peg 42 on lake 3..... It looked ideal for the long pole to the point of the island, although there were a signs of a few silvers topping by the small weed bed to my right at 3m.
I tried to cover all bases and set up a Malman winter wire to fish caster at full depth on 0.10 with a 20 63-13, identical line & hook were used with a small Drennan stillwater blue waggler for up in the water (topkit to hand). A MW slim power on 0.15 to a 16 808 for devils spawn at full length at the 11 o'clock position. I also set up a righ on 0.17/0.15 with a 18 xedion TXR7 hook to fish meat in the margin - which as it was very shallow (12") I wasn't too confident of catching on.
I had Phil (Fabio) Harding to my right and the large outline of a well known Whitehall tackle dealer opposite, Fabio had a confessional session before the start, openly admitting to criminal acts in the last few months - good job the EA weren't listening in...
At the all in, I fed some 3 & 4mm devils spawn and flicked a few casters to the weedbed, starting on the caster I was soon into small roach and rudd, with the odd better (2oz) specimen. I could see Tony catching the odd better silver, suggesting he'd gone to the darkside and was fishing the devils spawn. I switched to the shallow rig and this did produce fish more quickly, they were still small.
No option but to switch to the darkside and try the spawn, this produced some decent skimmers, a lone F1 and a couple of crucians, but bites were harder to come by than on caster. A switch back to the shallow rig and upping the amount of feed, saw 3 or 4 quality rudd to the net, now hoping that some caster had got through the upper layers, I dropped against the weedbed with a worm, 8oz perch first drop in, then a couple of perch so small they wouldn't have registered on the scales.
Alternating between the lines and baits kept bites coming, although at times the fish were small, still it kept my mind off Fabio who was muttering and chuntering to himself, I couldn't help thinking back to reading the hobbit as a schoolboy, was I pegged next to Bristol's very own Gollum. I think Tony must have sold him some rubber hooks, as he lost carp after carp, much to Ricko's amusement.
With about an hour and a half to go, the roach and rudd had become elusive and the devils spawn line had gone quiet - there had been no indication of fish in the peg all day, no bubbles, no blows or fizzing - so it was difficult to tell if they'd gone. I'd been down the margin where I'd been flicking 8mm meat cubes, not so much as a liner, by now Tony was catching carp from his margins and over his main line on meat. Then I hooked a carp on the devils spawn - was that why the peg went quiet, a short tussle saw it in the net, then shortly after, another, I rested the line and dropped back in by the weedbed with a large dendra. This resulted in a lost fish - a big one (isn't that always the way...).
With 3/4 of an hour to go, I saw a swirl in the margin, rudd?, nope, the big orange tail that came out of the water, definitely didn't belong to a rudd. I dropped in with a cube of meat and a 5lber was netted, no more swirls so back on the devils spawn, trying to boost my silverfish total, another carp and a couple more skimmers. Then another swirl in the margin, a bigger tail and the same routine with a fish nearer 8lb gracing the net - too little, too late as the all out was shouted, the margin was now quite evidently home to meat eating carp.
My silvers went 20lb, the 5 carp went 27lb odd, if only they'd showed up with a couple of hours left... Top silvers on the lake and second overall on the lake - not a laudible achievement out of 4 - I had to rush off at the end to go to work, so didn't get the results, see Tony's blog. Although he did ring me to tell me I'd snuck into the money, 2nd in silvers by default and he had some cash for me to spend on ebay......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)