Final round and really only pride to fish for, I would have liked to see the canals pegged differently, as I was in the middle of the 'bunches of three' and that as you can see from the sheet was not where you wanted to be.... A real struggle and I wasn't sorry to see the back of this league which has not been kind to me.
First of my winter opens today, what a day to pick storm Arwen certainly made things tough... I was expecting most to cry off, but we did have 10 hardy souls who wanted to fish
I pegged it to try and keep the wind off most anglers backs, so the not the usual spaces between pegs, as its equal payouts by default, I fished maggot short all day and managed to take the silvers (equal overall/silvers payouts in these winter matches) with 3.15.....
Standing in for someone today - no idea who, Kingfisher for me, great I like it, but bloody hell, my last 9 draws on there including this one have been 47,48,45,46,45,37,43,47,43 - a bit of variety would be nice....
I think my achievement was beating those either side, but too far away from the winners.... I've only added the weigh sheet sheet for my lake.
First round of the Acorn winter league, after finishing 2nd last year (and I'd been hopeful of a win but the last round fell foul of Covid lockdowns) I was hoping for a good start and wasn't desperately upset to draw peg 1. Well it was a struggle and this will be my dropper!!
My turn on match lake and amazingly I was handed 15, a peg I'd never seen before, but it is an end peg with a bit of space.
Approach was waggler and lead, with just a margin pole set up, as I felt an edge and a short line would be enough, with waggler being my main approach. Simple bait tray, 6mm and 8mm pellets, a few expanders, meat and maggots. I had time so I set up a method and did some micros.
Started on popped up bread, didn't spend too long chucking it round the peg, thought the colour and the temperature would suit pellets and a bit of feed. I pinged pellets on the waggler line and had a couple of fish, then the indications stopped, the fish were rolling past the marker board peg 15 can't fish past and no one on peg 0 to push them back my way. The did come back and drift away again in spells, I had odd fish on the waggler and the lead.
I tried the method up the end bank, not as much as a liner, I'd fed a short line with meat, never had a bite on that and I did manage a low double down the edge on 8mm pellet with 30 minutes to go. Frustratingly lost a double on the lead, the hooklength broke, just after landing another low double, so I can only assume it got damaged, that probaly cost me two places.
Enjoyable day on the waggler mainly, fed about 3/4 pint of pellets for 85.02 which was third on the lake and 4th overall, so frustratingly one out of the money, but a big improvement on the last four matches....
1. Joe McMahon 110.12 Main Lake 14
2. Russ peck 92.02 Main Lake 12
3. Paul Nichols 85.03 Westpool 5
4. Chris Fox 85.02 Main Lake 15
5. Brian Slipper 83.06 Main Lake 8
6. Steve Howell 77.11 Westpool 15
First trip to Sedges since the cafe and tackle shop has opened, a nice job, breakfast was nice and lovely clean toilets, shame that was the best bit of the day.
I really expected this to be a day where a few bites would be on offer, how wrong can you be. I drew peg 23, I travelled down with Tony, he drew 29, I just cannot think of anything to write, neither of us had a bite....... Can it get much worse!
Fished this as a stand in, I knew I'd be on either the Old Match Lake or Willow, OK with that. Drew 26 on Willow, I had a bad start as I'd pick up the wrong ready rod holdall in the garage and didn't realise until I opened it and found two lead rods and no waggler. As it turned out, the wind probably meant I wouldn't use it to effect anyway.
Set up one of the bomb rods to fish bread at the start, also a dobbing rig to dob bread up the edge, neither of which produced a fish. I had a spell catching small skimmers on soft pellet, but it seemed like there were no carp around, I did manage to get two decent carp up the edge in the last 20 minutes, far too little to late.
Another day of underachievement and I felt the draw had contributed, as a few commented that 26 hasn't featured for a while now.
Hawthorn for me today, I knew the lake before hand, just the peg to be drawn on the day. Bob Gullick had said before hand, you don't want peg 2 or 15, I was handed 2......
Struggled to catch I think I beat two on the lake, around 11 am I started to get a terrible headache, feeling sick and generally unwell, stayed fishing to the end, no idea how. Got home and took a covid test, that was clear, my Mrs thought it might have been a migraine
Not sure I could have done much more even if I was 100%, but I would surely had had a couple more fish.
Last of the summer opens and the optional series today. I was looking OK for a third place in the optional series and last in the money, first and third already taken
Disappointing turnout again, this is a great fishery and there aren't any openings for Sunday opens on here. 10 fishing so a bit of space, I drew 38, which was next to Gareth Boycott on 49, who had second in the series tied up.
Simple set up, rigs for across with pellet and maggot, another for down the shelf and a edge rig. It was tough going, pellets were a waste of time, so I fished maggots on all lines, but soon realised even that was unlikely to be competing with the pegs further round the lake. Gareth on 40 was suffering the same fate and Rich on 6 was finding the same thing, so 3 of us on the wrong side.....
I ended up fishing maggots on the bottom of the near shelf to catch tench, skimmers and carp, but not enough of any of them. Mark Broomsgrove beating me to the last in the money in the series, as I only managed to put 48lb on the scales, pegs 40 and 6 DNW.
1. Martin Rayet 171.12 peg 1
2.Des Shipp 91.00 peg 9
3. Laurie Lang 72.00 peg 11
4. Mark Broomsgrove 72.00 peg 3
5. Craig Challingsworth 69.02 peg 5
6. Dave Haines 64.00 peg 15
Silvers
1. Kev Perry 24.11 peg 13
Optional Series
1. Martin Rayet
2. Gareth Boycott
3. Mark Broomsgrove
Ivy House for a pairs match organised by Jon Darby, one of the pair on the Old Match Lake and Willow, the other on the canals. Fishing with Tony Rixon, we'd already drawn straws putting me on the canals, and Tony on the other lakes.
Tony drew peg 2, which can be OK and me on 48, not the peg of choice on the canal, but I'd usually back myself to catch a few off any peg on Kingfisher (the canal I was on), although the competition was tough.
Only a pole, so a few rigs, one for across with banded pellet, too deep really on the far side, I couldn't find any little shelf or area that was shallower. A rig to fish caster short, another for the edge and two for down the track, one with a bulk and one light rig strung out.
I'm not going waffle on, I struggled, the worst day I have ever had on that lake, I had one bite across, whilst peg 49 had a few, pegs 47 and 46 were also struggling. I tried short and that was OK if I had wanted to catch roach, but there was little else feeding there.
By now peg 49 had come down his track and was catching, whilst my float remained absolutely stationary. I tried a line with negative feeding and another positive, neither worked, I was running out of ideas, this may well have been one of those days when I might have been better served just sitting on one line waiting for a bite, but I find that pretty much impossible to do, especially when others are catching.
It didn't even get good at the end, battered off the next peg (49) who weighed 70lb to my 17lb, I was close to being last in the whole match and I still have no idea what I could have done to change it, the lake was won with over a ton from the the area I would have chosen.
I didn't get the result sheets at the end, as we left with both seats in the van empty handed... Well done to the winning pairs and onto the the next match!
A while back I stuck my name down for a mystery teams match at The Glebe, which was being organised on Maggotdrowning (forum), for the competitors it was as simple as turn up and draw a peg, just like an open, the pegs were allocated to the teams before the draw I believe so it was pot luck who you fished with.
Nice early start for the drive up tp the Glebe, its about 130 miles, but a large part of that is motorway, so not too bad at 2 hrs 15 mins. Got there in plenty of time, as the event was a team event there was no individual payout, so I ran a superpool, which 2/3's of the field entered.
I haven't really had a chance to get to the Glebe for a few years, shame as it's a great fishery, so I had pestered Mark Poppleton for some info, which helped to cement the thoughts I had and a simple plan was formulated - hard pellets, corn and dead maggots.
Draw done and I must admit I didn't know who I was fishing with, so just my match to concentrate on, peg 7, not one I have heard of as a much revered draw, but I was sure there would be fish to be caught off most pegs.
Set up two 10' Daiwa Tournament feeder rods, on with a straight lead and one clipped up across with a 4 square feeder, A 12' Daiwa waggler rod with a straight waggler under which was a 0.16 hooklength and 16 PR36 with a hair rigged band.
Poe rigs were a margin rig (just in case, never expected to catch on it), a skimmer rig in case it was hard, a Malman Roob for corn short, that had a 16 Kaizen to 0.17, two pellet rigs (again, Roobs), one with LWG to 0.15, the other a 18LWG to 0.13.
Started at 6 joints with a banded 6mm pellet, toss potting a few in, nothing, not even a liner. Reluctantly I picked up the feeder rod and put a 6mm Coppens in the band, filled the cage with micros and dropped it just short of the far bank (think it maybe too shallow tight in). I had two fish for about 7lb in a couple of casts, I'd started pinging a few pellets 3/4 the way across and saw some fish moving about. Happily chucked the feeder up the bank and had a nice couple of hours fishing the waggler with either a 6 or 8mm pellet in the band, fishing at full depth with just one No8 at half depth.
With a couple of hours to go, it slowed up, I started feeding corn at 6 joints, the put the feeder over the waggler line, this time with two worms, had a couple on this, before trying the corn line, this was frustrating, one skimmer and 4 lost foulers - unusual when fishing corn. I had another look on the waggler, nothing, I had now wasted an hour swapping and changing trying to find the fish again. I fe a line at 14.5m and fished the pellet rig with the 0.13 hooklength over it, This brought me 4 more fish in the last 30 minutes. I should have done it for the last 2 hours, I'm sure I should have had 125-140lb from the peg.
I weighed 97.09 which was enough to win individually and my team mates (forum names) Can't Compete and Kev Coke were second in the team result, so a successful day. Team winners were, Peter, 90's Gear and Stewie74 who pipped us by one point. Thanks to Whisker for organising and all who took part for a match fished with a great atmosphere. (And I finally got to meet Neil of the Nene).
For various had a few dropouts on this match, so more of a 10 peg knock-up than a real open, but there was still the optional series to fish for. Last match in this series, I drew peg 1, couldn't believe it when I drew it again, another trip over the bridge onto the island.
Unbelievably, Martin Rayet drew peg 5 again, he's never off it!!
On peg 3 I had my old mate Paul Faiers, he was going to fish for silvers, a bit risky as I only pay one in the silvers and you can win both. I set up two rigs for across, identical except one with a 18 LWG tied with a band in a hair, the other with a 20 LWG to 0.13. One rig for the RH edge, another for the LH edge which is deeper and a strung out rig for where I could find 3' of water. Plenty of fish moving around, so I didn't set up a rig for on the deck.
Started across with a 6mm banded pellet, toss potting 4mm, had a couple of liners a small carp on it, it didn't seem right, switched to a 4mm in the band, that brought a few small carp, far too small. I switched to the maggot rig and that did get a response from a couple of better fish, but it was slow going. I'd been flicking a few maggots on the 3' deep line and went over that with the light strung out rig and a red and a white maggot on the hook, I had a couple of tench and some skimmers, along with a couple of carp, enough bites to keep me at it and it seemed to be fishing hard for most.
I did try the RH edge much earlier than I would usually, I had a instant fish from it and then nothing. Back across and I had run of carp around the 1lb mark, but I'd need to get some of their bigger brothers to do any good.
I hadn't seen any sign of activity in the LH edge, but it was a couple of feet deep, so the fish don't always give themselves away in that depth. The last 80 minutes I spent down that edge, think I may have underfed it at one stage as the bites dried up, but the net I started with 80 minutes to go had 40lb in at the end, the quiet spell I suffered was costly, as my 121.14 was third on the day.
Over two lakes today, old match lake and willow, I didn't fancy drawing the bank by the speci lake, so where did I draw, 32, one peg away from where I dismally failed to weigh in in the spring festival.
Travelling partner Tony, drew peg 2 which I would have taken in preference to mine. I did set up a method, a straight lead and a waggler - the two lead rods went away at the end unused, as I thought my best chance of picking up was fishing for silvers and I did expect the OML to produce the winning silvers weight, but decided to give it go, as for me it would be a bit of an unknown, not having fished for silvers on willow before.
Started well catching roach short on caster, then the sun came out and spoilt that, I had fed two skimmer lines, one with GB/maggot and another with micros. Well I had a frustrating few hours, my bluetooth headphones were flat, so had to listen the the GP from the speaker on my phone (turned right down so as not to upset anyone). But the biggest frustration was that there were skimmers in the peg, I was missing bites and foul hooking them. I tried lighter rigs, heavier rigs, not feeding GB, corn on the waggler (not a bite on it) and I was pretty stumped, the one thing I didn't do was persist with expanders, which turned out to be a mistake.
I the last 30 minutes the trees and bushes behind me cast a shadow on the water and the roach came back, I had some decent fish (up to 10oz) amongst the smaller specimens, but felt I'd fall a long way short.
As it turns out there wasn't a big silvers weight from OML (17.12 being top silvers on there) and John on peg 31 to my right weighed 24.14 to my 17.10, he'd sat it out on expanders and caught plenty of hand sized skimmers - patience is a virtue I am yet to learn..... (likewise having confidence in soft pellets!)
Charlies memorial match is a silvers only match, it couldn't be any other way, Charlie, to put it mildly, was not keen on 'vermin' and only fished for silvers. For those who didn't know him, a big character for many years on the match scene, he owned a maggot farm at one time and sponsored a very successful team - Avon Bait. Much missed by his angling friends.
27 fishing, I wasn't too fussed where I drew, although a bridge peg is usually home to a few tench. 13 it was, nowhere near a bridge, but should be OK for a few bites, although I had my doubts it would take a big weight to win it, given the bright sunshine, no breeze and warm weather - not ideal silvers weather and the carp were already active.
Decided there wasn't any need to get more than 11m of pole out, likely to be carp and F1's across, so a rig for skimmers at 11m, another rig for 2+2, one for topkit only and one for halfway up the near shelf either side. Bait tray was maggots, casters, worms could stay in the bag, they'd attract carp! Had some micros and soft pellets, but wasn't expecting much but carp on them if I'm honest.
With Sue Faiers on my right on 12 and venue regular Mike Chapman on 15, I had a little space towards 14, but I started short on caster and had 4 tench and a couple of roach in the first hour. The skimmer line was a bit of a non starter, I had one over it, but there were carp over any feed I put in straight away, I landed carp to just about 10lb on a 20 Guru F1 and 0.10, not losing many at all, they were becoming a nuisance, several times there were five of us in a row playing carp, that went straigh back.
I just stuck at the caster and was rewarded with an odd tench and other silver throught the match, slow going because of the weather, but it was a lovely day to be out.
Come the end, I managed to put 17.15 0n the scales, which wasn't enough to claim the memorial shield, as I was beaten into second place by my mate Paul, who had a great skimmer catch of 21.10, good on the day when most struggled to catch them Third was another silvers stalwart, Nige Bartlett.
I say open in the title, it was a knock up really, with 13 fishing on lake 3. I wasn't overjoyed when I drew 46, one away from the last time I was here. For those that don't know the lake this picture sums why I guessed I'd have a fleece on, whilst those on the opposite bank would be in T shirts and sun cream.... The bank the side that says little rhyne stays in the shade all day, I don't like and I'm sure this fish don't either. peg 46 can fish to the RH end of the middle island.
Starting across to the island was awkward, shipping back over the otter fence was hurting my thumb and I only had one small crucian to show for it, I decided to fish for silvers and had a run of crucians, skimmers roach and perch at 6 joints on maggot over GB. No decent size fish but at least it was bites, it wasn't manic but something to work at whilst I could see it was fishing hard.
I fed live maggots shorter, hoping to get silvers in short, but all I had initially was micro perch, then a carp. Thought he might be a one off, but then hooked another that broke me. Switched to a heavier rig (heavier main line and hooklength, not heavier float), as by now the silvers had disappeared, I had 4 more carp but they weren't exactly abundant.
At least it didn't rain and my silvers weight of 12.09 was enough to win the silvers, so a pick up both days of the weekend, best I could do from there i felt, as the top three all came from the far bank.
And they even let me have a crayon to fill in the weigh sheet.....
Fourth of my summer matches at Acorn, 20 fishing so everyone would have a bit of room on the lake, I like to peg it so the bridges only have one peg in, as they are close together.
I was due to fish the Landsend 3 day festival last weekend, but sadly had to pull out due to a broken thumb which happened on the previous weekends camping trip.... pulling out of matches I have booked into is not something I usually do, but had no choice, I doubt I could have got my tackle to the peg and set up, let alone fish. The hospital said rest, pain killers and anti-inflammatory pills, so a week of that and the swelling is down and I have some movement back and fishing is restful isn't it....
Two pegs left in the bag, Martin Rayet took the penultimate ball - 23, leaving me peg 1, a rare trip over the bridge onto the island for me. I did set up a rig to fish across at 14m, but I could feel that fishing that lengt wasn't going to be comfortable on my thumb, so concentrated on the edge and short rigs when setting up.
I was going to concentrate on 3 lines, the RH margin, which is very short and on a corner, at short line feeding maggots and a 0.1g float with a couple of 11's strung out and a line at topkit +1 where I would feed micros and fish corn or pellet over the top.
First hour was a bit slow and I only had two carp and frustratingly lost four decent perch (how come some days you land every perch and others days lose most of them....) I tried the micro and corn line, that did produce a couple of carp, but mainly nice roach were more attracted to the corn.
I wasn't finding fishing short too painful so decided to go down the margin early than I usually would, I pretty much stayed there the rest of the match, I could see activity every time I fed, so whilst I may have rested it by going long for a couple of spells, my thumb dictated otherwise and I rode out the quieter spells. Couple of mini-disasters, I hooked one fish that dashed off round the corner and when the rig came flying back and tangled in the grass, I could see the mess that was someone else's rig, minus a float and hook all wrapped round mine, I guess the fish was trailing this and I hooked it.
New rig on and with 40 minutes to go I hooked a decent fish, probably a double by the feel of it, the elastic snapped at the puller, I managed to wrap it round the pole tip and get hold of it, but the fish managed to snap the hooklength and the float flew back into the next and snapped the tip off - great.
Another rig on and I lost a bit of rhythm, which probably cost me a place or two, as I put 158.02 on the scales for 5th and last in the money.
I said I'd fish this a while back, wasn't sure what the set up was, I just knew I was fishing of one of the two Landsend teams entered. Turns out I was in Landsend B with Steve Segar and Rod Wootten.
The draw gave me the longest walk on the complex, 15 on Westpool. I left the waggler and feeder rods in the van. Given its an end peg I was expecting to catch a few off to my left, although the wind had been pushing up the other end for a week or more, but surely there would be a few hungry residents.....
Rig for across with banded pellet, meat down the track, shallow rig, margin rig for the LH edge and a shallower one for the RH edge and end bank. Started across and had 3 fish for just over 20lb in the first three put ins, I was starting to think this might be a good day. The fish had other ideas, the bites dried up and I had to nick an odd fish from across, one from the RH margin, two from the LH margin and one from the end bank, it was a proper struggle, not much more to say. My 51.05 was enough for 3rd on the lake, as a team we were joint first on points, but lost out on weight.
It doesn't seem long for this annual event to roll around, although this year is a smaller match than previous years given the situation at Viaduct where Cary is no longer available to book for matches. This means that next year I have booked Shiplate Farm Fishery, so the event will revert to fishing pile only one day on one lake and any method the other on the main lake.
Thanks to Steve and Helen at Viaduct for hosting this year, the usual friendly welcome (hope Matt is feeling better, as we didn't see him, he was confined to his sickbed).
21 Fishing, the usual crowd down from Smithy's in a lodge, boosting the local pubs profits..... and still managing to fish the next day. The match was filled by invitation only, those who had previously fished, Friday saw everyone turn up promptly and pay their dues, so we could get the draw done on time. 21 on Campbell, 3 sections of 7, only section money to fish for on the day.
I got Paul Nichols to draw my peg and he didn't endear himself to me when I opened the card and saw 130 - not the worst peg on the lake, but probably not the one you'd choose in a two day combined weight match. Never mind, after ensuring I'd stashed the cash away safely, I went to the peg hoping to maximise the weight in readiness for a better draw on Saturday.
As it was pole only, nice and simple to set up, meat short, pellet at 11m, no skimmer rig today, as I wanted land every carp hooked, another rig for pellet at 14m, didn't think there was a need to go longer, but had the sections ready if it was necessary. A margin rig as well, although with 129 and 131 in I wasn't at all convinced the margin would be a banker.
Started on meat short and had the usual skimmer, I also had a carp, but it was slow going, I did persevere for a bit, but eventually went out to the 11m line where I had 3 carp straight away, but then nothing. It was a day where you had to switch lines and hope to nick a fish, before moving again, as expected the short line started to come good towards the end, leaving me with 134.10 which was 11th on the day, leaving me needing a big weight tomorrow. Paul Faiers on 113 won on the day with 206.01.
A sunnier day than yesterday, I did expect the fish to be shallow, so a shallow rig and a swinging/mugging rig set up and a depth pellet rig The usual meat line rig, margin rigs one to fish further up the edge and one to fish on the shallow shelf in the peg.
Had one carp on the meat short and one skimmer, but there was little activity to keep me on that line, I went out shallow but couldn't get a bite, the sun had come round a put most of my peg in the shade, the fish seemed to want to be out in the sun.
I did have a couple by sticking it out long on pellet on the deck, the LH edge was seemingly devoid of fish and the RH edge which was to be my banker was similarly biteless in the deeper water on pellet, tried meat and that produced one perch. I fed some GB and maggots onto the shelf and that brought plenty of bites, but it was all perch, skimmers and hybrids, no carp.
I was now convinced I was falling well behind Phil on peg 131, as he was catching shallow, every time I looked round his elastic was out. I went back to the previous days tactics of rotating lines and picked off an odd fish, but really couldn't put a run together. Finally at 16:30, with 30 minutes to go, some tail patterns down the edge and I started to catch, too little too late, ending with 147.02 for second in section by 3lb. Dan White winning from 115 with 253.03.
Dan White did enough to take the win and pocket the £350 top prize, along with the section money and superpool, with Andy Lloyd in second, after drawing the same peg both days, Paul Faiers with third place and Last in the money Alex Nadin.
Thanks to all who supported the match and I'll put full details of next years match at Shiplate on 2nd/3rd Sept 2022.
Just getting a feel of the place again before my two dayer, tomorrow and Saturday. Into the coffee tin early and pulled out 118, not the worst peg on the lake.
I had pellets and meat, no other baits, set up a lead rod that went away at the end, unused. A waggler rod and topkits for the margin, meat short, pellet long up and down and a light strung out rig for skimmers if needed.
Started short on meat, bt slow a couple of skimmers and a perch. Not many carp being caught on the pegs I could see, so went out to 9m and the strung out rig, had a couple of skimmers but more carp were evident, as I had a couple and lost a couple of foulers.
I ended up rotating between the waggler, the meat line and the margin, although that was pretty unproductive, just two carp, although they went about 19lb between them. Couldn't get any line to really switch on and inevitably, just as I though I had, it would die off and I would have to switch.
Enjoyable day with just over 100lb of carp and 35lb of skimmers, which was enough for 3rd over all and 2nd in silvers. lets hope I'm thereabouts at this time tomorrow night....
Decided to stop in The Bridge Inn at Yatton for breakfast, it unfortunately turned out to be the best part of the day, even with the sausages that must have spent quite some time in the hotplate, giving them a exterior reminiscent of a Kevlar stab vest..........
I drew myself peg 31, whilst my precious matches on this peg have resulted in DNW, I was fairly confident that the space down to my right would see me catch in the edge or short.
