When Tony mentioned this match and it was a pole only, it seemed a good idea, not when the morning of the match came and a gusting wind made the low number pegs tricky to fish. Of course, I drew slap bang in the middle of the three windiest pegs (1, 3 and 4), with my old mate Ray Bazeley on 4 for company. The longest I felt that could be fished comforatable and to any effect was 11m, Ray opted for about 7m max, but that put his float about level with mine, as peg 3 is set further back.
I wasn't over chuffed with the draw, as I felt that it wasn't likely to hold many carp, but it can produce silvers, so that was the target, shame about the wind as I would have felt more confident at 14 or 16m.
I haven't caught anything from a margin for ages now, so didn't bother with a rig for that, 2 maggot/caster rigs and a soft pellet rig were all I set up. A 4x16 Jolly on 0.14 with a 20 on 0.10 for fishing short, a Nick Gilbert float, whose name elludes me, but its like a Carpa Chimp but stronger on 0.14 with a 18 on 0.12 and for a bit of stability in the wind, the most stable pole float I have ever used, a MW diamond (0.6g) on 0.16 to a 16 on 0.12.
It was going to be important to catch skimmers, I felt, to make a weight that would result in a pick up, so I fed three lines at the start, 11m straight in front with groundbait/caster/dead pinkie, 11m at 2 o'clock with micros and a couple of grains of corn. Finally a short line (3m) loose fed with caster, first drop in over the groundbait with a maggot saw the float bury and a skimmer the best part of a pound grace the net, good start. It didn't continue though and the bites were from small roach, I am convinced that the wind was so affecting the presentation that the bigger roach were shying away from the hookbait.
Caster didn't improve the size of the fish, a quick look at the close and pellet lines brought nothing to the net, so back over the groundbait and when the wind didn't gust for 20 seconds or so (which wasn't very often) the improved presentation resulted in a better roach. I laid some extra line on the bottom, but still couldn't tempt another skimmer.
The next look on the short line brought a short flurry of better roach and 2 perch, before that died off and for the rest of the day it was a case of take 1 or 2 fish from it then 20 mins rest. The next look over the micro feed with a 4mm expander produced another pound skimmer, then a very small roach and that was it for bites on pellet, corn couldn't muster so much as a twitch of the bristle.
It was very frustrating, as there was obviously a good number of roach in the peg, they wouldn't feed consistently closer than 11m, but the wind was making the 11m line very difficult, a waggler would, I'm sure, have settled long enough to improve the catch rate, shame I couldn't use one!!
I persevered and managed one more decent skimmer on double caster, by now I'd swapped to using the MW diamond, as whilst its not really a sensitive roach float, it was giving better presentation, resulting in slightly bigger fish.
Andy France on peg 1 managed to fish 13 down the edge and get enough carp to take 2nd place and bizarrely given the weather lately, the match was won from 28 on paste!!! My silvers went 14.02 for no where and I didn't even hook a carp, so my hunch that there wouldn't be any there seemed right.
1) John Thompson 66.04 peg 28
2) Andy France 59.01 peg 1
3) Matt Tomes 58.7 peg 27
4) Aaron Britnell 53.10 peg 32
5) Anton Page 44.10 peg 38
6) Andy Curry on peg 18 35.7
Silvers
Tony Rixon 26.12peg 19
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Monday, 28 January 2013
Landsend League, Sunday 27th January 2013
Its been a bit of a shock this week, coming back from a couple of weeks in Goa, where the temperature was 39°C, to land last Sunday evening at Gatwick and see the snow and the temp of -4°C a difference of 43°C. I had fully intended to do a few trips and get some fishing in whilst in India, but I contracted some sort of fever and that well and truly spoiled the holiday.
So with no fishing since December as work and holiday kept me from it, I managed to find a guest spot in the league today and as Landsend usually throws up a few bites in the winter, I was hopeful of having a reasonable day. A free draw this round and I manage to pick 26 on Specimen Lake, with Adrian Jeffery for company on 25 and 27 empty. I never mind drawing next to Adrian as there is usually some decent conversation and I owe him an apology for wrecking his inside line - about 1 ½ hours into the match I was shipping back a very small roach when my top 4 came off. Adrian helped me rescue it, but at the cost of us both negotiating it through his near swim, where he had caught a carp, so thanks for saving me £200+ Ade and sorry for buggering your nearline.
I set up three rigs, a 4x16 Jolly on 0.14 with a 0.12 hooklength and a 18 hook. A Sensas Auchy with the stotz spread out, on 0.12 with a 0.10 hook and just in case, (you have to have hope......) a Carpa Chimp on 0.16, with a 0.14 hooklength and 16 hook.
It took me an hour to get a bite and then I had a 3 roach before the top 4 disaster, I didn't have another bite until 2pm, when 5.06 carp took the single maggot offering, a chub followed not much later, then a small perch and roach in consecutive put ins. The storm then hit, howling wind and monsoon like torrential rain, after that the float remained, as it had for much of the day, motionless.
Adrian had 2 carp and a hybrid, I managed 1 carp and 6 silvers and 2 missed bites, thats a long 6 hours for 9 bites and a weight of 8.06. There just didn't seem to be any fish up in our corner of the lake, I had no liners and saw only 2 fish move from arriving at the peg until walking away from it. Frustrating when you see the weights from the Match Lake and the opposite corner of the Specimen Lake, still thats winter fishing for you.
So with no fishing since December as work and holiday kept me from it, I managed to find a guest spot in the league today and as Landsend usually throws up a few bites in the winter, I was hopeful of having a reasonable day. A free draw this round and I manage to pick 26 on Specimen Lake, with Adrian Jeffery for company on 25 and 27 empty. I never mind drawing next to Adrian as there is usually some decent conversation and I owe him an apology for wrecking his inside line - about 1 ½ hours into the match I was shipping back a very small roach when my top 4 came off. Adrian helped me rescue it, but at the cost of us both negotiating it through his near swim, where he had caught a carp, so thanks for saving me £200+ Ade and sorry for buggering your nearline.
I set up three rigs, a 4x16 Jolly on 0.14 with a 0.12 hooklength and a 18 hook. A Sensas Auchy with the stotz spread out, on 0.12 with a 0.10 hook and just in case, (you have to have hope......) a Carpa Chimp on 0.16, with a 0.14 hooklength and 16 hook.
It took me an hour to get a bite and then I had a 3 roach before the top 4 disaster, I didn't have another bite until 2pm, when 5.06 carp took the single maggot offering, a chub followed not much later, then a small perch and roach in consecutive put ins. The storm then hit, howling wind and monsoon like torrential rain, after that the float remained, as it had for much of the day, motionless.
Adrian had 2 carp and a hybrid, I managed 1 carp and 6 silvers and 2 missed bites, thats a long 6 hours for 9 bites and a weight of 8.06. There just didn't seem to be any fish up in our corner of the lake, I had no liners and saw only 2 fish move from arriving at the peg until walking away from it. Frustrating when you see the weights from the Match Lake and the opposite corner of the Specimen Lake, still thats winter fishing for you.
1.Mark
Brennan 71-02-0 peg 13
2.Tony
Rixon 64-05-0 peg 11
3.Mike
Duckett 60-0-0 peg 32
4.Bela
Bakos 59-01-0 peg 22
5.Clint
Wojtyle 56-14-0 peg 33
6.Mark
Poppleton 48-05-0 peg 19
1.Bob
Gullick 23-0-0 peg 17
2.Tom
Thick 22-09-0 peg 15
Monday, 31 December 2012
Avon Angling Open, Shiplate Farm Sunday 30th December 2012
My first time on the Main Lake at Shiplate Farm, the other
visits I have made to this venue have been enjoyable and I have picked up
something everytime. I didn’t think that was likely to continue today, as it
started off pretty disastrously, realising that I’d left my groundbait bowl and
riddle on the garage floor, this being compounded by then realising, once I got
to my peg that I had left my feeders and floats at home. That’s what you get
for working until 10pm for a few nights before the match, no proper
preparation.
I drew peg 13, pretty meaningless to me, but at least I had
the wind off my back. From the little info I had managed to find out about the
lake, meant I had a simple bait tray, caster, maggot, dead maggot and pinkie.
My groundbait mixed up in a spare 3 pint bait box completed the bait selection,
although I did wonder if soft pellet or corn might work as the water didn’t
feel too cold.
Keeping the simple theme, two rods and one topkit were all I
set up, it was as I started threading the line through the rings of the tip rod
that I realised the feeders and wagglers weren’t in the box ( I took them out
for the last match, trying to reduce the amount I carry). Thanks to Fabio, I
managed to finish setting up the feeder rod, as he leant me two feeders. The
waggler rod was already set up, but with a middy plastic straight waggler, that
I wouldn’t normally choose to use with maggot or caster, preferring an insert.
Still beggars can’t be choosers, so I took off the banded B960 and replaced it
with a 0.12 and a 18 carp match hook. The top kit had a 0.5g float on 0.14,
with a 0.10 hooklength with a 18 Drennan silverfish hook.
On the all in I cupped in a couple of tangerine sized balls
of groundbait at 11.5m and left it to
settle, picking up the feeder and
fishing that at about 30 yards, the response on the feeder was instant, with 3
fish in the first three chucks, small skimmers,
then the bites got finicky and with each cast I had to wait longer for a
bite. This set the pattern for the day, on the pole and feeder lines, the
waggler produced one skimmer, although I did have a few crushed maggots that
didn’t show up as a bite. When the feeder line went quiet, I unclipped and had
a look further out, but this just resulted in the odd liner, so I shortened back
up to the original line.
With about 2 hours to go, I felt that I was struggling and
had switched from feeding groundbait on the pole line to loose fed caster,
dropping double pinkie in amongst the caster saw the float bury and a decent
bream netted after a nerve wracking few minutes. A few skimmers and roach
followed on caster or pinkie before the line died. Reverting to the feeder I
managed three more skimmers in the last 3 casts before the all out.
I think with the head of bream and skimmers in the lake it
would be interesting to fish bloodworm and joker at this time of year, maybe
that would be the answer to stop them backing off so soon after a couple of
their mates have been caught.
My fish went 12.04 for 5th overall and
3rd in the silvers, but thanks to the default rule, I pocketed the 1st
silver payout. Just as well as I lost
one of Fabios’s feeders and the other split and had to be held together with
insulation tape, they suddenly became top of the range, once I’d asked Tony to
replace them and bill me!!
1. Clint
Wojtyle 25-10-0 peg 1
2. Matt
Tomes 23-12-0 peg 14A
3. Tony
Rixon 18-12-0 peg 15
4. Mike
Nicholls 15-07-0 peg 14
5. Chris
Fox 12-04-0 peg 13
6. Nick
Collier 10-02-0 peg 12
Top Silvers:
1. Tony
Rixon 18-12-0 peg 15
2. Matt
Tomes 16-05-0 peg 14A
3. Chris
Fox 12-04-0 peg13
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Pole Only Series 2013
Pole Only, Series of Six
Acorn Fishery, Kingston Seymour
Sunday 10th March 2013
Sunday 31st March 2013
Sunday 14th April 2013
Sunday 28th April 2013
Sunday 12th May 2013
Sunday 26th May 2013
Draw 08.45
Fish 10.00 – 16.00
The series will be limited to 40 anglers.
The format will be 4 sections of 10, section points counting towards your
overall position in the series, with weight used in the result of a tie. First
match will be a free draw, second match free draw, third, fourth and fifth
matches will see you rotate sections and the last match will be a free draw.
There will be 3 sections of 10 on Paddock Lake and 1 section of 10 on Match
Lake. Best 5 result count (i.e. you can
drop your worst result).
Entry fee: £50.
Pools: There will be a £20 pool each match
(last match pools of £20 to be paid with entry money).
Payout on the day will be section money only, top two in section and
top two silvers in section (silvers by default). The overall money will not be
by default, i.e. you can win the overall and silvers.
With a full field of 40 anglers the payout will be:
On the day. 1st £60, 2nd £45. 1st Silver £45, 2nd Silver £30
Overall: 1st £250, 2nd
£175, 3rd £125, 4th £75 and 5th £50
Overall
Silvers: 1st £200, 2nd £100 and 3rd £65
Payouts will alter if a full field of 40 does not fish every match.
You will be able nominate a stand in for one match in the series, whose
points will count towards your total, the same stand in can fish more than one
match, but not for the same person. Organisers must be notified in advance of
your stand in.
For further information or to book in:
Paul Faiers: 01275 858984
Monday, 10 December 2012
Trinity Waters Xmas Match, Sunday 9th December
Woodland Lake was the venue for Trinity's Xmas match and with a turnout of 22, given the unsettled weather I though that it might fish a bit hard, looking at the wind blowing down the lake, I commented to Dean Malin that peg 2 would be a nice draw, wind off your back. Before the draw Misha took some good natured banter as she dished out the coffee's and I was shocked and stunned when I drew, opening the swimcard to reveal peg 2. That never happens to me, fancying a peg and drawing it, that's usually reserved for Mike Nicholls and Tony Rixon.
Whilst getting my gear ready on Saturday afternoon, I decided as it was a 5 hour match to dump all of the rods and reels and go with a pole only approach, I made up four rigs to use, two 0.6g NG XT Gimp floats, one on 0.16 with a 0.14 hooklength and a 16 63.13 the other on 0.14 with an 0.12 hooklength and a 18 Drennan Carp Match. Both of these set with the traditional bulk and two droppers. Another NG XT Gimp this time 0.4g on 0.14 with a 0.10 hooklength and a 20 Carp Match, this with a spread out shotting pattern as the fish don't always sit on the bottom in this deep lake. A MW float whose name escapes me completed the set up, this on 0.18 to a 0.16 hooklength and a 16 PR28 (shame they don't make these anymore).
Bait was like wise simplified, casters, which ended up as bird feed, maggots and pinkies, which ended up frozen as all they did was attract micro roach, Devils spawn and corn. This seems to be the one venue where I catch on corn, its been spectatcularly unsuccessful every where else I've tried it.
On the all in I fed some pinkie short to the rushes, as I had set up a 4m whip in the spare time I had, this didn't produce a single bite, I fed at 12m, 3 and 4mm devils spawn with a couple of grains of corn in, straight in front, hoping that John didn't move the cement mixer at the opposite end of the lake, which was my marker. I fed some dark groundbait with pinkie and caster in at 9m slightly off to my left, some corn into the RH margin and onto the flat shelf in front of peg one, I fed this quite heavily with devils spawn, corn and caster - a throwaway line and that what it was, not producing a single bite,
I had my first carp after 20 minutes, on devils spawn at 12m, then I started to get a few bites I couldn't hit, suspecting tiny roach, I switched to corn and the float shot under again, carp No2. I topped up with devils spawn and corn after each fish and had a little run of four or five fish one after the other, so by 12.30 I had 6 carp. I was getting the odd liner as well, foul hooking one that came off as it ran towards the middle of the lake. I then hooked a big fish, one that plodded around, I managed to get it right into the edge, but it took off for the margin brambles and trying to stop it saw the 0.14 hooklength part at the loop knot.
That seemed to slow things down, so into the margin and first drop in the float settled and carried on under, smallest fish of the day about 2lb soon netted, but that was to be my only bite from the margin. Back out onto the 12m and this produced the odd fish until the whistle, I lost one with 2 minutes to go making it 3 lost in total, giving me 10 carp for what I thought would be a high 30's weight and probably enough to win. I had fed half a small tin of corn and not much more than a handful of mixed devils spawn. The scales gave me 6oz for silvers and 45.11 for the 10 carp, 46.01 total being enough to trouser the winnings and for the second year running take home a big hamper of goodies, I'll be trying hard for the hat trick next Xmas.
Thanks to Misha and Tom, John and Sue, another good day at this fishery, John seems to be tireless in his efforts to improve the fishery and facilities, so I'll be back supporting them again next year. I'm working until Xmas now, so no fishing for me until Sunday 30th, unless anyone knows of a match on Boxing Day, if so, please let me know.
Merry Xmas to anyone whose managed to get this far down my ramblings.
1) Chris Fox 46.01 peg 2
2) Brian Slipper 25.11 peg 20
3) Kev Perry 25.00 peg 32
4) Barry Fowler 21.12 peg 7
5) Nick Harvey 19.09 peg 28
6) Mark Broomsgrove 18.11 peg 6
Silvers were concentrated in one corner.....
1) Mark Broomsgrove 14.14 peg 6 (roach on the waggler)
2) Barry Fowler 9.06 peg 7
3) Phil 'Fabio' Harding 8.04 peg 8
Whilst getting my gear ready on Saturday afternoon, I decided as it was a 5 hour match to dump all of the rods and reels and go with a pole only approach, I made up four rigs to use, two 0.6g NG XT Gimp floats, one on 0.16 with a 0.14 hooklength and a 16 63.13 the other on 0.14 with an 0.12 hooklength and a 18 Drennan Carp Match. Both of these set with the traditional bulk and two droppers. Another NG XT Gimp this time 0.4g on 0.14 with a 0.10 hooklength and a 20 Carp Match, this with a spread out shotting pattern as the fish don't always sit on the bottom in this deep lake. A MW float whose name escapes me completed the set up, this on 0.18 to a 0.16 hooklength and a 16 PR28 (shame they don't make these anymore).
Bait was like wise simplified, casters, which ended up as bird feed, maggots and pinkies, which ended up frozen as all they did was attract micro roach, Devils spawn and corn. This seems to be the one venue where I catch on corn, its been spectatcularly unsuccessful every where else I've tried it.
On the all in I fed some pinkie short to the rushes, as I had set up a 4m whip in the spare time I had, this didn't produce a single bite, I fed at 12m, 3 and 4mm devils spawn with a couple of grains of corn in, straight in front, hoping that John didn't move the cement mixer at the opposite end of the lake, which was my marker. I fed some dark groundbait with pinkie and caster in at 9m slightly off to my left, some corn into the RH margin and onto the flat shelf in front of peg one, I fed this quite heavily with devils spawn, corn and caster - a throwaway line and that what it was, not producing a single bite,
I had my first carp after 20 minutes, on devils spawn at 12m, then I started to get a few bites I couldn't hit, suspecting tiny roach, I switched to corn and the float shot under again, carp No2. I topped up with devils spawn and corn after each fish and had a little run of four or five fish one after the other, so by 12.30 I had 6 carp. I was getting the odd liner as well, foul hooking one that came off as it ran towards the middle of the lake. I then hooked a big fish, one that plodded around, I managed to get it right into the edge, but it took off for the margin brambles and trying to stop it saw the 0.14 hooklength part at the loop knot.
That seemed to slow things down, so into the margin and first drop in the float settled and carried on under, smallest fish of the day about 2lb soon netted, but that was to be my only bite from the margin. Back out onto the 12m and this produced the odd fish until the whistle, I lost one with 2 minutes to go making it 3 lost in total, giving me 10 carp for what I thought would be a high 30's weight and probably enough to win. I had fed half a small tin of corn and not much more than a handful of mixed devils spawn. The scales gave me 6oz for silvers and 45.11 for the 10 carp, 46.01 total being enough to trouser the winnings and for the second year running take home a big hamper of goodies, I'll be trying hard for the hat trick next Xmas.
Thanks to Misha and Tom, John and Sue, another good day at this fishery, John seems to be tireless in his efforts to improve the fishery and facilities, so I'll be back supporting them again next year. I'm working until Xmas now, so no fishing for me until Sunday 30th, unless anyone knows of a match on Boxing Day, if so, please let me know.
Merry Xmas to anyone whose managed to get this far down my ramblings.
1) Chris Fox 46.01 peg 2
2) Brian Slipper 25.11 peg 20
3) Kev Perry 25.00 peg 32
4) Barry Fowler 21.12 peg 7
5) Nick Harvey 19.09 peg 28
6) Mark Broomsgrove 18.11 peg 6
Silvers were concentrated in one corner.....
1) Mark Broomsgrove 14.14 peg 6 (roach on the waggler)
2) Barry Fowler 9.06 peg 7
3) Phil 'Fabio' Harding 8.04 peg 8
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Viaduct Costcutter Thursday 29th November 2012
Its a long time since I managed to get to a Thursday Costcutter, so it was good to be back and join the 18 other hardy souls who braved the first frost for a while. With Campbell and a section of Cary in, I wasn't too fussed where I drew, as the plan would be similar. I decided to try the breakfast in Woody's cafe, it was tasty enough, but didn't leave me feeling full up, just as well I had a flask of mulligatawny soup to ward off the cold.
110 stuck to my drawing hand, a peg I'd prefer on a warmer day, but surely there would be some perch along the brambles past the stump. I set up a 4m whip for roach, a 4x12 jolly and a chimp one with a 20 on 0.10 the other a 16 on 0.12 for caster and maggot short and at 14m. A waggler rod for caster and another for corn or meat, not so much as a quiver on either meat or corn, so no more about that rod.
On the all in the wind started, only a light breeze, but into my face and as 110 doesn't get the sun, it was the start of a chilly day. A start on the whip saw a couple of micro roach snaffle the caster and that set the scene for the day. A consistent pattern of two or three fish on caster, then nothing, a switch to maggot would bring another fish or two, bizarrely, these were often bigger (but not much) than the caster fish. Then dead again, so a switch to another line, be it pole or waggler would see the pattern repeat, this was the case when I tried down to the pallet of 136 and along the brambles, although the brambles did produce the best fish of the day, a 8oz, perfect Rudd.
At one time during the match a few bread crusts floated past, followed by some red onion rings, either someone had dropped their ploughmans lunch in, or the fish are getting fussy and want the prawns that some were using, garnished.
No matter what I tried, I couldn't get through the micro roach, even triple caster didn't thwart them, worm didn't tempt one bite, so I ended the day with lots of fish and effort for 7.02. At least it kept me warm.
1) Dick Bull 78.02 Peg 100
2) Jim Butcher 55.09 Peg 128
3) Martin Lenaghan 35.10 Peg 115
4) Terry Lenny 31.13 peg 123
5) Paul Lock 31.05 peg 98
6) T Heath 26.08 peg 116
Silvers
1) Andy Gard 13.06 peg 102
2) Stu Wood 12.15 peg 132 ( says 132 on the sheet, I'm sure he was sat on 131)
3) Mike Jones 12.12 peg 119
4) Rich Coles 11.07 peg 126
5) Chris Fox 7.02 peg 110
6) Nick Ewers 6.14 peg 125
110 stuck to my drawing hand, a peg I'd prefer on a warmer day, but surely there would be some perch along the brambles past the stump. I set up a 4m whip for roach, a 4x12 jolly and a chimp one with a 20 on 0.10 the other a 16 on 0.12 for caster and maggot short and at 14m. A waggler rod for caster and another for corn or meat, not so much as a quiver on either meat or corn, so no more about that rod.
On the all in the wind started, only a light breeze, but into my face and as 110 doesn't get the sun, it was the start of a chilly day. A start on the whip saw a couple of micro roach snaffle the caster and that set the scene for the day. A consistent pattern of two or three fish on caster, then nothing, a switch to maggot would bring another fish or two, bizarrely, these were often bigger (but not much) than the caster fish. Then dead again, so a switch to another line, be it pole or waggler would see the pattern repeat, this was the case when I tried down to the pallet of 136 and along the brambles, although the brambles did produce the best fish of the day, a 8oz, perfect Rudd.
At one time during the match a few bread crusts floated past, followed by some red onion rings, either someone had dropped their ploughmans lunch in, or the fish are getting fussy and want the prawns that some were using, garnished.
No matter what I tried, I couldn't get through the micro roach, even triple caster didn't thwart them, worm didn't tempt one bite, so I ended the day with lots of fish and effort for 7.02. At least it kept me warm.
1) Dick Bull 78.02 Peg 100
2) Jim Butcher 55.09 Peg 128
3) Martin Lenaghan 35.10 Peg 115
4) Terry Lenny 31.13 peg 123
5) Paul Lock 31.05 peg 98
6) T Heath 26.08 peg 116
Silvers
1) Andy Gard 13.06 peg 102
2) Stu Wood 12.15 peg 132 ( says 132 on the sheet, I'm sure he was sat on 131)
3) Mike Jones 12.12 peg 119
4) Rich Coles 11.07 peg 126
5) Chris Fox 7.02 peg 110
6) Nick Ewers 6.14 peg 125
Avon Angling Open, Landsend, Wednesday 28th November 2012
Well after the disaster of getting stuck in the snow a couple of weeks back, I decided that a Nissan X Trail that I'd been looking out for on the web, might as well be my early Xmas pressie to myself, so I found a 2008 model with al the toys and a six speed auto box in Swindon yesterday, deal was done to trade in the Astravan and home the Nissan came. I've ordered a Rhino boot liner, but foe now have to make do with a blanket to keep the back tidy until it comes.
So onto the fishing, peg 3 out of the tin and I'd psyched myself up to fish just the two baits, caster and a line with soft pellet over micro's, it all seemed so simple, a MW diamond for soft pellet at the bottom of the far shelf and a Carpa chimp for caster short and down the middle. I had also, just in case, put a couple of handfuls of 6 and 8mm meat in the bait bag and as I had time, set up a rig that would suit to fish this or corn across.
To cut a long and fairly boring day short, I struggled to catch on any line, even though I tried my normal generous feeding and at a good distance away, fed with such frugality, Mike Nicholls would have approved.
Swapping and changing between the lines saw a few tiny perch and roach grace the net, 3 skimmers and an odd looking pot bellied F1for about 4 or 5lb which was tipped back before the end, as I packed away neatly and tidily, instead of my usual rush and throw it all in the box.
As I walked down the bank, Tom Mangnall, asked how I'd got on, when I told him, he said "peg 3 is the worst on the lake", so it seems the draw hoodoo keeps on going.
For the results see Tony's blog.
So onto the fishing, peg 3 out of the tin and I'd psyched myself up to fish just the two baits, caster and a line with soft pellet over micro's, it all seemed so simple, a MW diamond for soft pellet at the bottom of the far shelf and a Carpa chimp for caster short and down the middle. I had also, just in case, put a couple of handfuls of 6 and 8mm meat in the bait bag and as I had time, set up a rig that would suit to fish this or corn across.
To cut a long and fairly boring day short, I struggled to catch on any line, even though I tried my normal generous feeding and at a good distance away, fed with such frugality, Mike Nicholls would have approved.
Swapping and changing between the lines saw a few tiny perch and roach grace the net, 3 skimmers and an odd looking pot bellied F1for about 4 or 5lb which was tipped back before the end, as I packed away neatly and tidily, instead of my usual rush and throw it all in the box.
As I walked down the bank, Tom Mangnall, asked how I'd got on, when I told him, he said "peg 3 is the worst on the lake", so it seems the draw hoodoo keeps on going.
For the results see Tony's blog.
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Viaduct Silver league, Round 5. Sunday 18th November
Round 5 of the Silvers League and with no chance of
finishing anywhere other than well down the table, a positive approach and fish
for 20lb+. Working until 22.00 the night before meant preparation wasn’t great,
which was compounded by realising I had left my waggler rod at home once I
opened the tailgate to get my tackle out. Two offers of the loan of a rod were
forthcoming, from Clayton Hudson and Paul Faiers and whilst my home for the
day, peg 99 (Cary), would be one of the pegs that I’d usually opt for the
waggler, I declined and put my faith in the pole and a tiny cage feeder set up.
With hindsight, probably a mistake, as the fish didn’t want to venture too
close in.
On the all in I fed 3 lines, 2 balls of GB with only minimal
caster and a couple of dead pinkies in, same at 11m of to an angle and I had
set up a 4m whip, which produced 4 roach, so no more of that. Leaving the pole
lines to settle I cast 3 times with a next size up from tiny feeder and that
resulted in a small roach, a switch to the smallest feeder I own, with either
caster, maggot or dead maggot on the hook resulted in the odd little roach and
an occasional steady pull round of the ½ oz glass tip – liners from the few
carp that were showing themselves out towards the middle of the lake.
The pole lines were slow, with just an occasional bite,
again, small roach, with one two even smaller perch. By now Phil Cardwell on 96
was catching skimmers, whilst Dave Roper on 97, myself and Rowland on 100 were
just spectators. Another look on the feeder, the same result, liners and roach,
not a sign of a skimmer. I dropped down to 0.08 and a 22 and would have gone
smaller, but I didn’t think that it would have made any difference, I could
hear Nicky Collins directly behind me, catching decent roach on Lodge, the
biggest I had might have gone 2oz.
A switch back to the 13m line saw three skimmers (palm size
– but welcome) in three put ins, then I lost four fish in five put ins, 3 of
which had the maggot over the hook point – co-incidence? or perhaps it was the
way the fish were feeding and my rig was set up. Anyway, that was enough to
upset the skimmers and that was the last I saw of them. Those around me fishing
the waggler were getting the odd roach and Dave Roper had a better skimmer, had
there been more time I would have looked behind me to Paul or Clayton, both on
lodge for the loan of that waggler rod, but with ½ an hour to go, I just knew
that I wasn’t going to get a flurry of big skimmers or perch, so packed up
early and tipped back about 5lb. I guess Clayton must have stood too close to
me before the draw, as he drew 66 for the 3rd time in the series,
what are the odds of that happening, at least he amused himself towards the end
landing some big carp.
With one round to go, its another open for me, as a couple
of poor results and missing the 4th round due to the snow ( lorry
stuck on the hill after Chewton Mendip on A39, so I turned round and went back
down the A37, only to find the hill out of Gurney Slade blocked, with the snow
still falling heavily – must treat myself to a 4x4).
For the results please see either Tony’s, Mike’s or
Clayton’s blogs.
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Trinity Waters, Avon Angling Open 11th Novemebr 2012
Back to Trinity, always a good place to visit, sure of a friendly welcome and it's a well maintained and run fishery. I seem to have got into the habit of drawing on the near bank, which doesn't seem to have regained the consistency it had before the lake re-modelling, today was no exception with 32 being my home for the day. Company for the day was the Silverfox on 31, always a tough angler to beat, he seems to have sussed when to fish for silver and when to switch to carp.
There was a time when soft pellet, corn or maggot would ensure bites from most pegs in the winter, but following on from yesterday, the fish seemed reluctant to feed. They were moving around and some big roach were topping down the middle, so I set up a waggler to fish caster as far as I could catapult them.
A short caster rig, a rig to fish 7m (although it was a consistent depth out to 14m) and a rig with similar depth but an olivette in case the tow got up - although I doubted the fish would be on the bottom. Starting on the caster waggler, I had a couple of small roach, before the float settled and the bump, bump of a good skimmer was felt up the rod. It was a bit of a false dawn, as the bites were then from tiny rudd, micro roach and even motherless minnows.
The line at 7m fed with a few micros and softened 4's was bubbling, but with little other evidence of fish, this produced a couple of skimmers and a 5lb carp, before it too, joined the waggler line, in waiting ages for a bite, only to get a fish twice the size of the caster.
The margins on this side haven't really produced in the winter months, but the crafty old Silverfox on the next peg had a couple of carp snap him up on the 'ronnie' whip, so he switched to paste and landed 5 fish, before suffering a blank couple of hours. I managed one from the margins on meat and reset up the waggler to fish a 8mm pellet at full depth, with no shot down the line, this was because there were fish moving near the surface, but they obviously weren't feeding. I managed 18lb odd, which wasn't good, being battered off the next peg by Mike who had 44lb with his paste caught carp.
There was a time when soft pellet, corn or maggot would ensure bites from most pegs in the winter, but following on from yesterday, the fish seemed reluctant to feed. They were moving around and some big roach were topping down the middle, so I set up a waggler to fish caster as far as I could catapult them.
A short caster rig, a rig to fish 7m (although it was a consistent depth out to 14m) and a rig with similar depth but an olivette in case the tow got up - although I doubted the fish would be on the bottom. Starting on the caster waggler, I had a couple of small roach, before the float settled and the bump, bump of a good skimmer was felt up the rod. It was a bit of a false dawn, as the bites were then from tiny rudd, micro roach and even motherless minnows.
The line at 7m fed with a few micros and softened 4's was bubbling, but with little other evidence of fish, this produced a couple of skimmers and a 5lb carp, before it too, joined the waggler line, in waiting ages for a bite, only to get a fish twice the size of the caster.
The margins on this side haven't really produced in the winter months, but the crafty old Silverfox on the next peg had a couple of carp snap him up on the 'ronnie' whip, so he switched to paste and landed 5 fish, before suffering a blank couple of hours. I managed one from the margins on meat and reset up the waggler to fish a 8mm pellet at full depth, with no shot down the line, this was because there were fish moving near the surface, but they obviously weren't feeding. I managed 18lb odd, which wasn't good, being battered off the next peg by Mike who had 44lb with his paste caught carp.
1) Tom
Mangnel 66-01-0 peg 2
2) Mike
Nicholls 44-04-0 peg 31
3) Tony
Rixon 32-06-0 peg 15
4) Craig
Edmonds 29-03-0 peg 14
5) Phil
Harding 28-05-0 peg 17
=6) Bela
Bakos 27-05-0 peg 25
=6) Kev
Moulton 27-05-0 peg 7
Silvers:
1) Nigel
Bartlett 9-09-0 peg 24
2)
Tom Mangnel 8-08-0 peg 2
3) Mike Nicholls 8-02-0 peg 31
Plantation Saturday Series 10th November 2012
An opportunity to fill in for an absentee today, so I took it. Plantation has a large head of carp, but also there can be some decent silver weights to be had and that was what I had in mind. with caster maggot and worm in the bait bag. I drew peg 7 which is a decent draw for carp, especially for the method chuckers. As it is a noted carp peg I set up a waggler to fish full depth with banded pellet out to the island, in case the silvers weren't playing.
The silvers rigs consisted of a caster rig to fish short and a rig that would suffice for caster/worm or soft pellet at 13m. I fed some caster and groundbait at 13m on the all in and caster short, leaving it to settle I started on the waggler, without so much as a liner for 20 minutes. A switch to the pole saw an occasional roach and not much else grace the net, but everyone was struggling, the skimmers did not show for me, I had none.
Another look out to the island and the gap in the islands on the waggler produced 2 carp, one foul hooked and another lost, before that went quiet again. The pole lines were very slow with only an occasional roach or minute perch. Back to the waggler and I had a run of fish, but the float and pellet had to land in the bramble fronds to get a bite, this included a chub getting on for 2lb. Two lost floats and a few hooklengths were the price of fishing tight to an untidy island, even clipped up. The last hour reverted to being quiet and that cost me, I suspect that setting up a lead may have resulted in a couple more fish as the wind was awkward.
1) Brian Slipper 57.08 peg 12
2) Andy Hembrow 57.02
3) Rich Lovering 55.04 peg 4
4) Rich Heatly 45.08 peg 26
5) Mark Broomsgrove 43.12 peg 24
6) Chris Fox 42.10 peg 7
Silvers
1) Mark Broomsgrove 28.12 peg 24
2) Paul Nicholls 19.04 peg 33
The silvers rigs consisted of a caster rig to fish short and a rig that would suffice for caster/worm or soft pellet at 13m. I fed some caster and groundbait at 13m on the all in and caster short, leaving it to settle I started on the waggler, without so much as a liner for 20 minutes. A switch to the pole saw an occasional roach and not much else grace the net, but everyone was struggling, the skimmers did not show for me, I had none.
Another look out to the island and the gap in the islands on the waggler produced 2 carp, one foul hooked and another lost, before that went quiet again. The pole lines were very slow with only an occasional roach or minute perch. Back to the waggler and I had a run of fish, but the float and pellet had to land in the bramble fronds to get a bite, this included a chub getting on for 2lb. Two lost floats and a few hooklengths were the price of fishing tight to an untidy island, even clipped up. The last hour reverted to being quiet and that cost me, I suspect that setting up a lead may have resulted in a couple more fish as the wind was awkward.
1) Brian Slipper 57.08 peg 12
2) Andy Hembrow 57.02
3) Rich Lovering 55.04 peg 4
4) Rich Heatly 45.08 peg 26
5) Mark Broomsgrove 43.12 peg 24
6) Chris Fox 42.10 peg 7
Silvers
1) Mark Broomsgrove 28.12 peg 24
2) Paul Nicholls 19.04 peg 33
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