tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42350517714118209492024-03-27T23:52:58.306+00:00Cluckers PegI hope to post updates of my angling exploits, give hints and tips on venues and methods I fish, and maybe tell a few old stories.Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.comBlogger740125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-72615746669680498442024-03-17T19:48:00.001+00:002024-03-17T19:48:20.764+00:00Windmill Fishery Open<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Another busy week, four days working in Munich and then Friday at Cheltenham races, five second places and no winners hmmm. I was pleased to see Kevin Boltz won the last match on the river at Newbridge with 87lb of bream. Quite a few bream fed and so it seemed quite a few anglers had a good day. Dean Harvey framed and he rang to tell me he followed my blog and advice and it was spot on, happy days. Today after the match, an angler asked me if my blog would contain the truth about the bait I used, not sure what caused that comment but I have no need to lie and have always wanted to help others. During a match itself I may try to play my cards close to my chest, but not afterwards. Anyway that’s enough of that, if someone thinks I would go to the trouble of writing a lot of lies they must be very sad.<p></p><p>With 19 booked in for the Windmill Sunday open it was a decent amount for the venue. Peg 10 has been a very good area, and with the wind blowing down that end most people favoured pegs 10 to 14. Tom Baker predicted Paul Staite would draw 10 and he did lol. Not long after I drew peg 11, very happy with this peg. Before getting to my peg I pushed Bob Price’s trolley to his peg, it was then I realised how boggy it was. I was sweating like a pig when I got to my peg!</p><p>Peg 11 has good options, island chuck, open water, and a big reed bed to the right going to peg 10.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eGGzVe_VmYJtt3Tq76BEU0-lulZvQGTE9kLQH9ylgfJQQJ9vSZ_m80R6JJ2ENisiIzKykyb3e2oF1HtSodnPglht2APlV41TjFoZUZ4K7paoTONDeLATjHPcbF_W25AT1Fm3_pi21dcr2lfVaRIAsZ2Cy5qYbo1LRv5hPkPYmVWTRSSgOYAeYlPa4Jc/s4032/IMG_7093.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eGGzVe_VmYJtt3Tq76BEU0-lulZvQGTE9kLQH9ylgfJQQJ9vSZ_m80R6JJ2ENisiIzKykyb3e2oF1HtSodnPglht2APlV41TjFoZUZ4K7paoTONDeLATjHPcbF_W25AT1Fm3_pi21dcr2lfVaRIAsZ2Cy5qYbo1LRv5hPkPYmVWTRSSgOYAeYlPa4Jc/s320/IMG_7093.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>I set up a straight lead for bread and a method feeder for casting towards the island. I also set up a 4x14 Preston Pellet float with 0.15 to 16 GPM for open water at 13m.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN162MjpOb30Pvc7z1cZsKPAer5NLHN88JjkdRq9ZaC4WCQ54Lx0PuLzj3JlqQ7VjKSkHi-txWwBs884s4Qz_GoTSzakPVqoHljP5ElWcEnHQ1834PdsohTe-yqelCeoZ11EBWlsUDs64fymlEoiX2tKeAj4kOd2LViwiVtgjNwPrhJvqq1s67y1lpU5c/s4032/IMG_7095.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN162MjpOb30Pvc7z1cZsKPAer5NLHN88JjkdRq9ZaC4WCQ54Lx0PuLzj3JlqQ7VjKSkHi-txWwBs884s4Qz_GoTSzakPVqoHljP5ElWcEnHQ1834PdsohTe-yqelCeoZ11EBWlsUDs64fymlEoiX2tKeAj4kOd2LViwiVtgjNwPrhJvqq1s67y1lpU5c/s320/IMG_7095.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>For the reeds a 4x10 carp shallow with 0.15 to 18KKMB with a band for fishing a hard 6mm pellet.</p><p>I also set up a 4x12 rig for the short margin well away from the reeds.</p><p>We started at 10:15 and I began on the lead, a couple of casts and nothing, but noticed the guy on peg 9 had 2 carp on the method feeder, so I quickly swooped to that. Still no joy on this other than a liner, Paul on 10 was also fish less on the lead but then landed 2 carp on the pole. I’d fed two long pole lines one with a bit of meat and one with pellet and corn. I hooked 3 carp on these lines and all were fouled, I got one out that was hooked in the tail and took ages to get out. I got the feeling there were fish about but they wanted to be shallow.</p><p>After maybe 90 minutes I picked up the shallow pellet rig and went down to the reeds at 13m. I had hoped not to have to do this and endure a potential torrid time, but needs must. After a few slaps I saw a bubble come up, and soon after another, and before I knew it I was playing tug of war with a carp. I landed a nice 7lb common. Back out and was soon into another one, fishing about 2 feet deep. This was ok for a couple more fish but I fouled a couple and had a fish hooked deep so went to 18 inches deep. This helped and I was amazed how shallow the carp were, I even saw one come through the reeds to take my pellet, there were a few there!</p><p>Inevitably I had a few losses, fish that got into reeds, and I went shallower at 14” for a while. I rested this line when a carp came off and made a right commotion, and cast the lead and bread to where I had seen a few fish moving. I nailed a 4lb fish but it was a one off. Looking around I could only see Gerry Welsh on peg 2 catching and thought I was winning. I had to go out to 14.5m and in the last hour 16m to keep the fish coming. It was certainly harder hooking and landing the fish at 16m but I carried on as I’d not had any more bites in the open water. I did manage to catch a nice 9lb carp on meat in the RH margin but that was my only bite there. </p><p>When the match ended I had 160lb on the clicker, and all bar 2 fish had come from areas I had not fed any bait. </p><p>Nick Sanders was on scales duty and after four weighs and a bit of adding up my total was 152lb 12oz. It seems a while ago since I caught that much. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cIcd-MkCpK27OSP5yD6JvN0DT9R7WLamkpKjlEg9u6zLalePlPuov3AhXQTAiCTPomEn_N5p05m38U66K7CkVH7iq9S4dr5-LlR5B9zKubzkXDCkhRD_Ix8VNdtdxjG48rgb_FWj9SrfzC_FAzRodxGQkg15JFBY_fphD91eeDu6UdLw05CvcUDqV6o/s2637/IMG_7098.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="2403" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cIcd-MkCpK27OSP5yD6JvN0DT9R7WLamkpKjlEg9u6zLalePlPuov3AhXQTAiCTPomEn_N5p05m38U66K7CkVH7iq9S4dr5-LlR5B9zKubzkXDCkhRD_Ix8VNdtdxjG48rgb_FWj9SrfzC_FAzRodxGQkg15JFBY_fphD91eeDu6UdLw05CvcUDqV6o/s320/IMG_7098.jpeg" width="292" /></a></p><p>I had enough to win the match, Gerry Welsh was 2nd with 98lb from peg 2, he also caught slapping a pellet. 3rd was Andy Bright on peg 9 with 65lb on the method feeder. Silvers first Jon Osbourne on 14 with just over 6lb, Alan Oram on 18 had a couple of big skimmers for 4lb and second. Weight sheets below.</p><p>What a lovely day that was, not just the fishing but a virtually dry day and some welcome sunshine. That is it for a few weeks as next two weekends I’m doing some family stuff. Let’s hope for a bit of sunshine for Easter.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Cq_e80lbYCTjDCSbbS8M9BSOdfqREe_9hee-OlaHJUu2gP_6fWO0aVJJqInPwmn7xAznR88Nj4FQub4vM8pFYNHJW6oYuE8wYjB5s4Oc9reyPGZLDDmP2gfsRQVgQuPN9VSDhRtamPQL_D2XbcI0Luuqof3Pury75cngjmRthsGpoCIgkIZ7BJpmR0M/s4032/IMG_7100.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Cq_e80lbYCTjDCSbbS8M9BSOdfqREe_9hee-OlaHJUu2gP_6fWO0aVJJqInPwmn7xAznR88Nj4FQub4vM8pFYNHJW6oYuE8wYjB5s4Oc9reyPGZLDDmP2gfsRQVgQuPN9VSDhRtamPQL_D2XbcI0Luuqof3Pury75cngjmRthsGpoCIgkIZ7BJpmR0M/s320/IMG_7100.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidttBQVy5bxolEZM7AKuy57T2U5jNmgxtCmfwfUpDvHiQaID5pTNvIG-JgE0Uo0-3tRwzbP9uAtAHb08Sri-7ZH58YkR97H6R-FlhlnnyJ1Ia5BZzyg9fIDNlcpG5UeLh4KUukihvTPSL1zFCqhR6dIX7xSoJzSNhc2GSX8MTT6zunZoDYurfP0cr_nvk/s4032/IMG_7099.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidttBQVy5bxolEZM7AKuy57T2U5jNmgxtCmfwfUpDvHiQaID5pTNvIG-JgE0Uo0-3tRwzbP9uAtAHb08Sri-7ZH58YkR97H6R-FlhlnnyJ1Ia5BZzyg9fIDNlcpG5UeLh4KUukihvTPSL1zFCqhR6dIX7xSoJzSNhc2GSX8MTT6zunZoDYurfP0cr_nvk/s320/IMG_7099.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-81363247795985370772024-03-08T21:15:00.000+00:002024-03-08T21:15:15.383+00:00Last chance on the river<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> After the disappointing weather and flooding of the previous week I was really pleased to enjoy a lot of dry weather. However, with football on Saturday and my having to travel on business to Germany Sunday I was going to miss out on the last week. However, I was able to get Friday off work and so was going to get one final crack at the Bristol Avon.<p></p><p>I had my bait still from last week and that was done worms, casters and dead maggots. The question was where to go? Saltford straight was a good place, but then I saw that Graham Hunt had 60lb of bream there Wednesday, but not much the following day. In the end after a chat to bream whisperer Dean Harvey I settled on Newbridge. I got to the river about 9:15, and pegs 14 to 20 were all free, so I chose my favourite peg 18. The river is still pacey but the colour is dropping out and going that green colour. It would be a feeder job.</p><p>A 45g Preston open end feeder was put on my mainline, a size 14 PR355 to 0.15 Powerline as ever for bream. I’d mixed a bag of Sonubaits Sweet Skimmer, and added a small amount of Thatchers and Dark F1. I really like these baits for bream and skimmers, and I can add more or less Thatchers to increase the fish meal content.</p><p>An underarm cast to about 18m was my chosen spot, 3 or 4 red maggots on the hook. From the second cast I started to get small roach bites, I was happy to get them and keep casting regularly feeding the swim. After about 40 minutes the roach bites stopped, this was now either gonna be down to bream moving in or just nothing in the swim. Ten minutes later a great bite that nearly pulled the rod in, had to be a big slab. As the fish came in closer it started fighting like a chub, when finally in the net I could see it was something I’d not caught for years, a sea trout! About 3lb max, very long but thin.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E4AqUvYVmF_jJllrcybDn-o1whqanVegW0L-zc-PQmvDXsQjgfTa2mSwWuV93YhdgTU8PDvmIlPaEe3iXIxkOYAb6-RCBb6CzJsZI-znXEBBY4lunN3swqCZraLXgDPmR3V_gpUYcrKiWVGeYU5KnReyziMxlx-C52Yhgf3uMC2Rr_XxfDJUztVSwPw/s4032/IMG_7060.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E4AqUvYVmF_jJllrcybDn-o1whqanVegW0L-zc-PQmvDXsQjgfTa2mSwWuV93YhdgTU8PDvmIlPaEe3iXIxkOYAb6-RCBb6CzJsZI-znXEBBY4lunN3swqCZraLXgDPmR3V_gpUYcrKiWVGeYU5KnReyziMxlx-C52Yhgf3uMC2Rr_XxfDJUztVSwPw/s320/IMG_7060.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>That was a nice surprise, I put it straight back into the river. It took another 15 minutes to get a bite, this time it was a 1lb skimmer. A chap saw me catch it and told me he was going to fish in peg 16. After another 15 mins I had a bream on worm, and another soon after. Then I couldn’t get a bite on a worm. However, by using either maggots or casters on the hook I had a nice steady run of skimmers and a couple more bream, treble caster probably the best.</p><p>Bites then stopped and when they returned it was roach bites. Whatever I tried it was just small roach. As I needed to be home by 3pm I decided to pack up at 2:15, on my last cast I’d not had a bite and picked the rod up and as I wound in it all went heavy. First I thought bottom, but no it’s moving, maybe a huge bream? It kited downstream and boiled under the tree, I had the keep my rod well under the water. I was thinking a foul hooked bream as it was a heavy weight that occasionally made me give line. Then I saw it, a pike lol, three red maggots showing in its scissors. It took two attempts to net it, another long slim fish, about 7lb.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMJXxCHKlqTPZWZL1HMIZ3OksfxpOmwBkCT4K3EmP3PkZISmlnxX3jnDoL-S72xLYrrnxsmhKVmRZfILBbXHACFw2YfSSWipCUmJWmFEudjjDKb9kzu5CRWSRsy2O7WDVuWi26AquV6LsRhsUM66a0uICMEP215Q5B4iWp_RwPCM3ztu9-iBPryDgp1E/s2768/IMG_7062.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2768" data-original-width="2068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMJXxCHKlqTPZWZL1HMIZ3OksfxpOmwBkCT4K3EmP3PkZISmlnxX3jnDoL-S72xLYrrnxsmhKVmRZfILBbXHACFw2YfSSWipCUmJWmFEudjjDKb9kzu5CRWSRsy2O7WDVuWi26AquV6LsRhsUM66a0uICMEP215Q5B4iWp_RwPCM3ztu9-iBPryDgp1E/s320/IMG_7062.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Not being a match catching two fish that wouldn’t normally count made no difference, and I really enjoyed catching them. I pulled my keepnet out and guessed there was 30lb in there. Whatever the weight it didn’t really matter as I’d had a real enjoyable 4 hours fishing with some good fighting fish. It was a relief to catch them, as I’ve really missed the river and it made up for my Swineford blow out. But that’s it for me another season done, I really hope I can get on the Avon a lot more next season. Good luck to you if you are getting out on a river before the season ends, it’s usually a good time.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtmMo1SGA_Bo-hVw6rOPowvZkYVkkBK3kgzHsiqeuYj0Wo02-dNPJqDqfXANNjlU4w28YiLenVqKZT0CcbhzNbiluS0F9ie1MP_kINDlNLjoA-VV5buCD4mmVaHflrRRjU8VgxnIpgJIwN3OEjXLl7DsXGUgGR0FI-pQryPudjcXz2d_YG5IJzaxLlGA/s2595/IMG_7066.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2595" data-original-width="2367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtmMo1SGA_Bo-hVw6rOPowvZkYVkkBK3kgzHsiqeuYj0Wo02-dNPJqDqfXANNjlU4w28YiLenVqKZT0CcbhzNbiluS0F9ie1MP_kINDlNLjoA-VV5buCD4mmVaHflrRRjU8VgxnIpgJIwN3OEjXLl7DsXGUgGR0FI-pQryPudjcXz2d_YG5IJzaxLlGA/s320/IMG_7066.jpeg" width="292" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-34807508933377813822024-03-03T20:04:00.001+00:002024-03-03T20:04:26.985+00:00Weather, weather altogether what’s it going to do?<p> Well I’ve had my fill of this winter, it seems to have been raining mostly for 3 months or maybe more. On Wednesday the weather forecast was for light rain, so I thought yes I’ll get on the river. Then in the early hours of Friday it hammered down, game over… I’d ordered bait and so had to get that, and thought about what do to with it. Then on Friday night I put a post on Facebook saying would this rain ever stop. Well yes it did, but only to be replaced by a dump of snow Saturday morning.</p><p>That was it I couldn’t take anymore lol. I’ve been travelling a lot with work lately and a lot more in the next two weeks, so my chances of getting one more time on the river are slim. It’s the last match of the season at Newbridge next Sunday, same match last year I came second with 91lb, but I have to travel to Germany that day and can’t fish it. </p><p>After having a few beers Saturday afternoon with Mark Jefferies, Glenn Bailey, Darren Gilman and Mike Nicholls, I felt much better. We all said we were looking forward to better weather and our holiday at Viaduct in June.</p><p>I decided to spend Sunday with my wife and not go fishing, and we had a lovely time in the SUN at Portishead. What a thoroughly beautiful day, and the only fish I saw was a piece of cod with my chips.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35nH3pZJtXqvFoDx0Yzs5aXy-630wLfxwr8R2a7VFW55XBV1OI9VN8jChhHjpTWiJRu5F8jpn59utIBdbuxTL6N-ni8nIgjme0BiF8Zaf8DTsg4Q6sAyIbp5JXeiBuPMjdh1T6XtPW3KQPehZ1cy-aKzBBrczpi2KTrrE8z2Ky-zf5dyNr2Hy0Ehn9c0/s3299/IMG_7056.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3299" data-original-width="3021" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35nH3pZJtXqvFoDx0Yzs5aXy-630wLfxwr8R2a7VFW55XBV1OI9VN8jChhHjpTWiJRu5F8jpn59utIBdbuxTL6N-ni8nIgjme0BiF8Zaf8DTsg4Q6sAyIbp5JXeiBuPMjdh1T6XtPW3KQPehZ1cy-aKzBBrczpi2KTrrE8z2Ky-zf5dyNr2Hy0Ehn9c0/s320/IMG_7056.jpeg" width="293" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>A dry week please, I might be able to squeeze a session in 🙏🙏🙏</p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-73825584218544645662024-02-18T19:57:00.003+00:002024-02-18T20:03:39.733+00:00Windmill Fishery Open<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrUPcDLtVcDY4Pz47a_EyHrJaBp4PXn2fmYZG_Oy4FM_wJEYbDMpIw9eTiqTqVmBmYGUXtq4gyTCcJQaK27gT9Blq_Lmk4ZmPlhOGgxLyUkLWTDcoptX3_tOoAltFDp35AeWAs3uNviMyakFJaXbZmfAqe9Ws2xcFkSs0146zN8uxOMP4FxziGhVTxN4/s4032/IMG_7033.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrUPcDLtVcDY4Pz47a_EyHrJaBp4PXn2fmYZG_Oy4FM_wJEYbDMpIw9eTiqTqVmBmYGUXtq4gyTCcJQaK27gT9Blq_Lmk4ZmPlhOGgxLyUkLWTDcoptX3_tOoAltFDp35AeWAs3uNviMyakFJaXbZmfAqe9Ws2xcFkSs0146zN8uxOMP4FxziGhVTxN4/s320/IMG_7033.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> I was working in Ireland all week and was a bit tired after travelling from Dublin to Galway, Cork and back to Dublin. But I was itching to get back on the bank, though of course the river was once again out of the question being in flood. I dropped a text to Dave Haines and booked in for the Windmill open, this was about 2pm on Saturday. After asking a couple of regular anglers for tips it seemed I really needed a pint of maggots, so nipped off to Premier Angling where you always get a warm welcome from Tony Rixon.<p></p><p>The forecast was for heavy rain Saturday evening/ night, and they weren’t wrong, the river is back in the fields again. Still I was happy to see it was dry when I loaded the van. It was very mild out and I was removing layers as I tucked into my Wetherspoons breakfast. I took a very slow journey down the fishery track as I didn’t want to hit the potholes hard, arriving in good time paid my pools and the draw was done early. Hoping for a peg at either end of the lake was a waste of time as I drew peg 7 in the middle of the two islands. Last time I fished here was November and then I had peg 6 and DNW.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia55Wgqhnb3m94dpWbIjN_ssgVOwi3zreMdigs9Yq6niICUhUEOaepBJW6GZ-NEn1NdWuwtmblmPGyJBjNJQB68trKE2pq9EQz1NXdBTHs2jq0FHiUEOeXEOBrIU5OzqDhXUw9_V7t2VdD30GBDPUt3Gzv_A0sYbkbD7P0vHpy60mgY1EeZoFWfTlJzus/s4032/IMG_7035.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia55Wgqhnb3m94dpWbIjN_ssgVOwi3zreMdigs9Yq6niICUhUEOaepBJW6GZ-NEn1NdWuwtmblmPGyJBjNJQB68trKE2pq9EQz1NXdBTHs2jq0FHiUEOeXEOBrIU5OzqDhXUw9_V7t2VdD30GBDPUt3Gzv_A0sYbkbD7P0vHpy60mgY1EeZoFWfTlJzus/s320/IMG_7035.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>This peg has an island chuck to some reeds, and the reeds were knocking showing signs of carp. A lead rod for fishing corn was assembled for here. I set up two pole lines at 13m one for corn and one for maggot to cover my options, a 4x16 F1 pellet float with 16 GPM to 0.13. A very similar rig but with 4x14 for fishing meat at top set plus three sections. No silvers rigs as I was told my best chance was with carp. On peg 6 Tom Baker was going down the carp route, but on peg 9 Bill Knight was edging his bets.</p><p>We started fishing at 10:15 and it was a 6 hour match today. I fed my long pole lines but started on the lead. Thirty minutes later and not a liner, so thought let’s try the pole. Not a touch on the corn line, but on the maggot I had a few small roach and a perch, but none of the hoped for carp. I upped the maggot feed which fed the silvers off and drew no carp lol. Back on the lead and still nothing, I cast as close as I dare to the reeds by taking line off the clip. 2 1/2 hours in and I had a liner on the tip, but still no bite. Tom had 2 skimmers and had lost one fouled carp on meat, Bill had maybe 2lb of silvers but was abandoning them.</p><p>At 1pm, nearly halfway through the match, I decided to go for the silvers just to get some bites. I got a 4x14 rig out with 18 to 0.10 that had spread stotts down the line. Fishing at top set plus two sections and feeding maggots I had a nice little run of small roach and 1 Rudd for 30 minutes. Then bites got less and the fish tiny. I went out over my 13m maggot line and struggled for more small roach but at least I was catching something! Tom was now getting a few carp on meat and that made me keep at the silvers.</p><p>I started feeding the long line heavier by catapult as I really wanted to get some skimmers, but to begin with it wasn’t good. An hour and 15 mins left and I tried the corn pole line again for a skimmer. Did get a bite but it was my first carp, so I knocked the corn on the head. The last hour then improved a lot as more roach and a few Rudd showed on both maggot lines, swapping between them was important as was changing depth and feeding. End of the match and I hoped I might have 8lb. Leighton Palmer was walking the bank and said that I might have enough to win the silvers, and as it turned out he was right. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyTbXB3hVptREBqon-J-zqMyhiHkT-GpoxRmmdD-ofEGrclMjTg-i8QqjTYPFtBFHuUSqVSBVh90ca6vKTrGJNNfzTLGCTCNfmUkSlk8NxqkiEnxZnIEMWwKU_X6KFQ0MK_HL7EsThkCcioTNE3oDhHZiVIuIWQJcW0E6wErJMuWPvBQXJaYDd0PfkLw/s4032/IMG_7036.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyTbXB3hVptREBqon-J-zqMyhiHkT-GpoxRmmdD-ofEGrclMjTg-i8QqjTYPFtBFHuUSqVSBVh90ca6vKTrGJNNfzTLGCTCNfmUkSlk8NxqkiEnxZnIEMWwKU_X6KFQ0MK_HL7EsThkCcioTNE3oDhHZiVIuIWQJcW0E6wErJMuWPvBQXJaYDd0PfkLw/s320/IMG_7036.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>My net went 7lb 13oz, not bad for just over 3 hours fishing for the silvers. Nick Coles got second in silvers with 5lb 13oz, he had a a 2lb skimmer and small roach.</p><p>The match was won by pre match favourite Paul Staite on peg 14 with 119lb 2oz of carp mainly on pellet short. Fair play to Tom Baker coming second with 76lb on peg 6, top performance. Up on peg 2 Alan Oram got third place with 52lb 7oz.</p><p>Nice to get out and get a pick up again, feels like it’s been a while. Got to say the weather today was nice bar one shower, but this winters rain has done my nut in!</p><p>Just one last thing to say, and that’s RIP Steve Stretch Saunders who passed away after his battle with cancer. Steve was always someone who spoke his mind and I got on well with him. We had similar passion for football and we shared a bit of banter. He’s definitely going to be missed by many people.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-41915158799897299392024-01-28T20:15:00.001+00:002024-01-28T20:15:48.068+00:00Chub hunt - Epic fail!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> I’ve been wanting to get back onto the river for ages, and finally I thought the level was ok to give it a go. I fancied a go for some chub which I hoped would be hungry after all the floods. I didn’t need to any preparation other than to pick up some maggots on Friday. Saturday I was busy watching Rovers, got to see a decent game and good result.<p></p><p>A leisurely start Sunday, and I parked up at 10:30. Carting my gear through the kissing gate I was then loading the trolley and realised I’d left my bag with reels and feeders in the shed (hope this doesn’t become a habit again 🙈😂). I really didn’t want to carry everything back to the van and drive home, so I rang Wendy and told her my predicament. She very kindly said she would drop the bag down to me and said I should double check if I’d forgotten anything else, I hadn’t. Ten to fifteen minutes later Wendy arrived and I could finally get going. The walk along the footpath was nice and easy, and I didn’t have to worry about the next kissing gate as there’s no fence on one side of it.</p><p>I stopped at peg 15 which is a peg I’ve always caught chub from. However, it’s got some overgrown willows that reduce your options. I had thought about fishing a big stick float or bolo, but decided the river was too fast. Instead I set up a maggot feeder to underarm cast out about a third of the way across. I needed 40g to hold here and a decent bow. A 16 XSH to 0.17 powerline was tied up for the hook length.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnuKHxpfMRMou0-VzOtBUWteLm-sZoEjUNsIcra46saqJ4jZVXeeFSNysovV3uE_XilO7pfx0jyOm3zUVqrmQ_AIziUjwyzcIm9vuWWiB9ZuQrZVMPa9Ig_Il8KswixWI9CWnsquWPu324D1EqTqSRjFcKGEww753tlxofYASk5E0k0OpGjAAIpIx-jc/s4032/IMG_6989.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnuKHxpfMRMou0-VzOtBUWteLm-sZoEjUNsIcra46saqJ4jZVXeeFSNysovV3uE_XilO7pfx0jyOm3zUVqrmQ_AIziUjwyzcIm9vuWWiB9ZuQrZVMPa9Ig_Il8KswixWI9CWnsquWPu324D1EqTqSRjFcKGEww753tlxofYASk5E0k0OpGjAAIpIx-jc/s320/IMG_6989.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I was fishing by 11:30, and just before midday I had a bite but didn’t feel a fish, but the hook bait was gone. It took me until 12:50 to get another bite, no chub but a small roach that saved the blank. Not long after this Mark Jefferies came along walking his dog and in the next 40 mins I had two more bites but the bait was never touched hmmm. Just as Mark came past again and we were chatting, he told me I had a bite and I turned around and lifted the rod. Again it was a roach but probably 6oz. Mark went on his way and I had another big drop back bite and no fish and bait untouched again. </p><p>Nothing more happened, so I decided to move down to peg 17. Awkward to cast in because of more willow branches, but casting like a noddy allowed me to get 3/4 over, needed 60g and a very big bow to hold bottom. Well the move was not to prove successful as I never had a single bite. A couple of anglers came along and I told them that I had struggled. They were roving anglers and said the last 2 hours before sunset is when they fish for chub. They headed off further downstream and I wished them luck. I was feeling a bit cold and decided I was not going to stay any longer, probably leaving a chub behind then.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh294pMsFkDTVpWB2c4bpR_sjYpNyRahyphenhyphengA7TrbQALe6AdcVmJMmzjkPwEmPAf-MZ_qrKVihWPt_Dm-dXVwAU2f9SB_Sk0CJOiIQmbjvXpFN5YH079b9rtH6wqFXJ5yK4j8MAy6ot3XVFFaA2On6_lKiOV8bQSmeUhHpVhVrtmzAjn5lSaM8Rb6my-HJ9o/s4032/IMG_6991.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh294pMsFkDTVpWB2c4bpR_sjYpNyRahyphenhyphengA7TrbQALe6AdcVmJMmzjkPwEmPAf-MZ_qrKVihWPt_Dm-dXVwAU2f9SB_Sk0CJOiIQmbjvXpFN5YH079b9rtH6wqFXJ5yK4j8MAy6ot3XVFFaA2On6_lKiOV8bQSmeUhHpVhVrtmzAjn5lSaM8Rb6my-HJ9o/s320/IMG_6991.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Well that’s a shocker, and just goes to prove there’s no such thing as a banker peg. Got to try again!</p><p>In other news Derek Coles had a bumper day up at Newbridge with 24 bream, the biggest estimated at 11lb as it bottomed the scales out that someone had. Wow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXRY2Ek0-ZvGKaoOkuxqW_dca0HfPIPrbPNY4IvxVxSVn5dqvkrXOzC5-OVbvadOdkzceqyYa8RPzpSeZQqI7BKWlXuCQI_3Sk_n46M7dtZFH08siG-aEKunnXCiIfOUMmBaPNKSz9OAdD61c-r_qZsHvSjU4e1DMgyfoJTXXHXMIM8LlW56H8R-g-AU/s624/3c031803-6b9f-42e4-ac58-a6423d209341.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="454" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXRY2Ek0-ZvGKaoOkuxqW_dca0HfPIPrbPNY4IvxVxSVn5dqvkrXOzC5-OVbvadOdkzceqyYa8RPzpSeZQqI7BKWlXuCQI_3Sk_n46M7dtZFH08siG-aEKunnXCiIfOUMmBaPNKSz9OAdD61c-r_qZsHvSjU4e1DMgyfoJTXXHXMIM8LlW56H8R-g-AU/s320/3c031803-6b9f-42e4-ac58-a6423d209341.jpeg" width="233" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-22738353277685236472024-01-21T18:00:00.001+00:002024-01-21T18:00:10.879+00:00What’s going on…<p> At my last outing at Hillview I had an irritating cough, unfortunately that just got worse and with a lack of sleep I felt quite low on energy. I had to work from home, cancelled going to the gym and didn’t really do anything at the weekend. Even now the cough is still lingering, but I don’t feel rough, although my wife has not got a heavy cold. With the very cold weather and everything being frozen, and the forecast of nasty wind and rain for Sunday I put fishing on the back burner again. I’ve said before I don’t mind not going fishing this time of year, I’d rather not risk it. Spent some of Sunday afternoon watching BigJetTV on YouTube, watching those big planes landing in the wind at Heathrow 😬😬😬.</p><p>Right, not done an old diary blog for ages, I’m back to January 2004, just 20 years ago then lol.</p><p>Had a day pleasure fishing on the 2/1/2004 the Avon was flooded and so I fished the cut by the Lockeeper pub at county bridge Keynsham. I put some gbait in to try and catch roach but none showed. On a top set shallow I caught lots of bleak, and then later on a few roach turned up over the gbait. Had a good 12lb. Always a good place to fish is the cut when the river is very high, if you have a short top set then actually fishing right under the road bridge can be good.</p><p>Fished a match at Viaduct the following weekend, peg 59 on Lodge lake. It was rock hard and I only had 25lb made up of 3 carp and 3 skimmers, I was 3rd on the lake with that!</p><p>I didn’t go fishing at all until 22nd February, it was an open match on the K&A canal that was a practice for the ATWL semi final. I was at Savernake, and it wasn’t very good where I drew. 2lb of mainly gudgeon on squatts, and just a few tiny perch and Ruffe on worms. I have a feeling that Ian Spriggs won this match with a good bag of skimmers. The semi two weeks later and I was drawn Farmers at Marlborough, had some crack anglers in my section and remember Keith Arthur was a couple of pegs away. It was another struggle for me in a low weight section, this time I had 1lb 13oz of gudgeon and some small roach, 7th out of 15 in my section with that. That was better than most of my team as we came 13th oh dear!</p><p>The last match of the season for me was at Newbridge, looking for a bream bagging session. I drew peg 38 at the bottom of the straight and was happy with that. Unfortunately the bagging never happened, I had 4 bream and a skimmer, but I list the last two bream and that cost me framing. It looks like I’m going to miss the last season match this year as I have to travel to Germany for business meetings, gutted.</p><p>Hopefully a week of mild weather will bring the fish back on the feed, but not sure yet where I will go.</p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-4126004444215991982024-01-07T19:39:00.004+00:002024-01-07T19:39:45.922+00:00Hillview Fishery Open<p> Happy New Year everyone, hopefully you had a great Christmas and New Year. My wife and I went to Tenerife for New Year, what a great decision that was, 25C every day and missed all the storms in the UK. I did pick up an irritating cough that I still cannot shake but I’ve not felt ill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrVo3xNgFDSM6kDdVzEvK7kzKgKD7PaMF_Ki-yxUcsQomdGlIXgXvKLOcecrSQxc6gR-O9lFQ8bM0ObGzryiwpHtgQelUnGUZBVmH7fceI1piJROY_Ss5G7bzEMs4xf4HikWurlRmbRInoTYchd38UbMxeGxwgLl2xbFmqS494ra-GuAXAKJIV8zFKIM/s4032/IMG_6911.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrVo3xNgFDSM6kDdVzEvK7kzKgKD7PaMF_Ki-yxUcsQomdGlIXgXvKLOcecrSQxc6gR-O9lFQ8bM0ObGzryiwpHtgQelUnGUZBVmH7fceI1piJROY_Ss5G7bzEMs4xf4HikWurlRmbRInoTYchd38UbMxeGxwgLl2xbFmqS494ra-GuAXAKJIV8zFKIM/s320/IMG_6911.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz6rX_lrUizlyabQXxlM8tBri8ua6OMkxYoUSJOkQ_ZCnd_TlozwHuVAtF-Bq6XYCBj79ZpX09xdNbqsG3kJJ4ZkhbSOa_UhLmLOlYEOuNnyJjjf4NLjjJX2uZ6mLdt6tjcrE1XUX9hjLDL7yCCHyB_gGw9UTIi5hQFLppNEbI0TEtc6urrrGmE3mYVY/s4032/IMG_6915.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz6rX_lrUizlyabQXxlM8tBri8ua6OMkxYoUSJOkQ_ZCnd_TlozwHuVAtF-Bq6XYCBj79ZpX09xdNbqsG3kJJ4ZkhbSOa_UhLmLOlYEOuNnyJjjf4NLjjJX2uZ6mLdt6tjcrE1XUX9hjLDL7yCCHyB_gGw9UTIi5hQFLppNEbI0TEtc6urrrGmE3mYVY/s320/IMG_6915.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Back to work and back to normal, but where to go to get back on the bank? The river was certainly out of the question, the highest I have seen the Bristol Avon in my lifetime, and feel sorry for those who got flooded. My choice was Hillview near Tewkesbury as Martin Reyat told me it was fishing well, plus there were a lot of ide stocked a while back. With a lot of F1’s in there I should get some bites which is all I really want in the winter. I didn’t know if the match would be on the canals or the lakes so made rigs up for both.</p><p>I woke Sunday having had the same recent cough affected sleep 😫. That said I felt ok, and was soon at the fishery enjoying a breakfast. Martin was already there and it was nice to see Lewis Walker. There was some event on the canals and so the open was on the two lakes. I drew peg 32 which is on the top bank on Heron lake, can be good and yesterday Lee Massey had 75lb on it and came 3rd on the lake. Bang opposite was Lewis on 22 which won the lake yesterday. However, my money was on Ian Didcote to win from peg 9, as he’s won on his last 4 visits here and is a very good angler.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYzijG9OcP2Q7bMuwhnvllZRZWVhmEERMuOpAgRdGG6zntRUBIBNEOLquGbBGgLLrBb35WTAtTcmGHNWA8Dr8pBvqS7tGXSTS55BKjNIN8jCj_ta50xLyVx3oHXQJAuKssWnhPEoSEdwPeI3ITHCczpB-PikZkbUUZHrFOUW7BXoQ1G8TsFFWFLAvf2c/s4032/IMG_6956.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYzijG9OcP2Q7bMuwhnvllZRZWVhmEERMuOpAgRdGG6zntRUBIBNEOLquGbBGgLLrBb35WTAtTcmGHNWA8Dr8pBvqS7tGXSTS55BKjNIN8jCj_ta50xLyVx3oHXQJAuKssWnhPEoSEdwPeI3ITHCczpB-PikZkbUUZHrFOUW7BXoQ1G8TsFFWFLAvf2c/s320/IMG_6956.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>It was a chilly start but very calm, I’d set up a 4x10 for the margins, a 4x12 with 18 SFLB to 0.12 reflo fluorocarbon for top set plus two and 11.5m. Also set up a 4x14 in case it got windy. No lead rod as your cut off here.</p><p>I started at 11.5m with maggots I started by Toss potting in to see what happened. It took me 10 minutes to get a bite which I connected with and this fish was not an F1. Got it in and was a carp of 6lb, surprised by this as apparently yesterday it was all F1’s caught. I had a fair wait to get another indication but eventually I started to get a few more bites either an F1 or an ide. I had 15lb after the first hour.</p><p>The second hour was steady, and I was catapulting maggots as well to try to attract more fish into the peg. Probably had 28lb after hour 2, but then bites stopped. I tried my short lines but only had 1 small skimmer. Lewis was doing the best on my lake it seemed, but I thought I was next best. Hour 3 was a struggle and the whole lake seemed to have switched off, 35lb was my estimate. I tried fishing 13m but never had a bite here, also tried fishing off at an angle but that only produced a few fish. My original 11.5m swim yielded an odd ide and rare F1. Then an hour to go I finally got a few F1’s on my top set plus two. With 30 minutes to go I gently placed a third keepnet in the lake…. Big mistake. I never caught another F1, but lost 2 at the net fouled. Bound to cost me I thought. Never had a bite in the margins today.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvWymuQHQij459vWyVBxbtek1rIPhhBXoZDxj5mPVT5Ei8H5CxVWFE9FboSmxlRBRRwLu04bRjjzmYyBMLrMeFPOZUaPOsgnHRK6LfZzxwAsasRXfFMofrHPJk98OHHaiVxp8QZXJKjxEF3xN-ZQQfwfdJhwzhlog2_Bihx7F8ALXJtncs5n-A1AV1v0/s4032/IMG_6958.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvWymuQHQij459vWyVBxbtek1rIPhhBXoZDxj5mPVT5Ei8H5CxVWFE9FboSmxlRBRRwLu04bRjjzmYyBMLrMeFPOZUaPOsgnHRK6LfZzxwAsasRXfFMofrHPJk98OHHaiVxp8QZXJKjxEF3xN-ZQQfwfdJhwzhlog2_Bihx7F8ALXJtncs5n-A1AV1v0/s320/IMG_6958.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>My final weight was 55lb 8oz. Mission accomplished in that I had an enjoyable day with bites. But it was not quite enough to get me coin, as my section was won with 59lb 5oz by Darren Knight who caught well the last two hours short on maggots. Lewis won the other section and lake with 65lb.</p><p>The match was won as predicted by Ian Didcote, he smashed it with 124lb, 50lb clear of second place. Class act.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1bxpCxKIA8gBk9-eKcDpOIetDZOjxNP3Klmu6H-1TTlpkOAFrDZhYW9YUfe5Kk5J-_bGD3IkBAge9WBfRPe0J_2otgWaiLBSW96OTwsDgpjrh4kZ7ai4WCqrm2yEqse4NroDKQ5ESxzMOKEC4JvaAD4buHEYm62qt6Il9B6-GrQApE-3YlZbI-1CaxM/s4032/IMG_6961.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1bxpCxKIA8gBk9-eKcDpOIetDZOjxNP3Klmu6H-1TTlpkOAFrDZhYW9YUfe5Kk5J-_bGD3IkBAge9WBfRPe0J_2otgWaiLBSW96OTwsDgpjrh4kZ7ai4WCqrm2yEqse4NroDKQ5ESxzMOKEC4JvaAD4buHEYm62qt6Il9B6-GrQApE-3YlZbI-1CaxM/s320/IMG_6961.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Full results below on the sheet. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dZjIzd7moeeVsHpSLgyVhaUUjiRBVzywj2jUvnX2OR6EfKtkQQE7aLrjT8zpkP32ikwFh4PvUVt3Kf7-2YD9yCRdH3WhfkDm8NSBel-07pnvybVowPDxnmWUnLHZP37V1s7fmYBdo2jKK9WViboVnP0Tl4gPCcdOOz3O-5I9nd_2cDQp3vzof9Mc69M/s4032/IMG_6962.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dZjIzd7moeeVsHpSLgyVhaUUjiRBVzywj2jUvnX2OR6EfKtkQQE7aLrjT8zpkP32ikwFh4PvUVt3Kf7-2YD9yCRdH3WhfkDm8NSBel-07pnvybVowPDxnmWUnLHZP37V1s7fmYBdo2jKK9WViboVnP0Tl4gPCcdOOz3O-5I9nd_2cDQp3vzof9Mc69M/s320/IMG_6962.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Well I managed to emulate the result Lee had the day before off the peg, he was also narrowly beaten. I’ll have to go again, need the practice and worth the effort for bites.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-73414123679900448292023-12-17T19:43:00.005+00:002023-12-17T21:49:58.421+00:00Bitterwell Lake Christmas Open<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> It’s nearly a month since my last match which was a poor day at Windmill lakes. The river is still high and fast although probably now clear, and with no river matches I knew of I didn’t know what to do this weekend. A Quick look on Facebook and I saw Paul Isaacs was running an open on Bitterwell Lake on Sunday, and I thought that will do me.<p></p><p>I did a bit of preparation on Saturday and was able to tie some hooks whilst listening to the radio and enjoying an away Gas win. I was a bit tired after a lads get together on Friday night, so had an early night for a change. Still didn’t get a great nights sleep though, so was going to be groggy Sunday.</p><p>Well it’s still mild, at 10 to 12C and nice not to have to scrape the ice off the windscreen in the morning, so nice and easy to get the van loaded and off to Bitterwell. It’s been a few years since I fished a match here, Paul runs silvers matches on Tuesdays which are always well attended, but I’m always working. I really didn’t know where was a good draw today, but pulled out peg 4 on the road bank. Paul and Martin McMahon said it would be best fishing for carp on the tip. That was fine with me as I had rigged up two tip rods, one with a Preston ICS hybrid feeder, and the other a straight lead. 0.17 to 16 KKM B with a band.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLvsqAX3F_EiRIFa6rauulwsxvq1bMVvkKz3r90bVf3Hr51YCm4ubD2tbfar9InurkhKDKXeZ97O511H0WiRUirqkSCdMcWTF3qxyVqRaaRI1vPqtD_nFf9GJ4LNtXXYm1gZAxx9qw9er3KNU0j_kJqG8Xm8BxyRcc2ZC2_iGRYRfqdkubjrgoN3jCdA/s4032/IMG_6875.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLvsqAX3F_EiRIFa6rauulwsxvq1bMVvkKz3r90bVf3Hr51YCm4ubD2tbfar9InurkhKDKXeZ97O511H0WiRUirqkSCdMcWTF3qxyVqRaaRI1vPqtD_nFf9GJ4LNtXXYm1gZAxx9qw9er3KNU0j_kJqG8Xm8BxyRcc2ZC2_iGRYRfqdkubjrgoN3jCdA/s320/IMG_6875.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>I was basically in the middle of the lake, which generally I’d be happy with in winter as the carp tend to hole up somewhere out of the way of Bankside disturbance. I had my new Preston trays in use for the first time today, lots of space for bait etc with these. I wasn’t expecting a lot on the pole but did set up a couple of 4x14 rigs for fishing maggots at 7m, and pellets at 13m. On my right was venue regular Keith Turner, and my left fellow Gashead John Smith. </p><p>We started at 10 and we all fed our pole lines and then went out on the tip. My feed pellets were 2mm Sonubaits pro feed, and I put a fluoro Bandum in the band.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAxob3lL8yjw7XuWNrFH-EPc9RseZvxgsSdivSvAp5R2o1KP8cc2S5SR0-Uo4NeAmzC_yfRvwOwL0Z_pWTFFgTBGvhNAlq8iYm4dm8sPr7c8_aCEtbrX8bJ4Y4A333knKpJNW5m7Afc8bBckN8n7Ow4sCftGECdpMzbHmFblHhLfX1hU3Yb4Czy6lOFE/s4032/IMG_6877.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAxob3lL8yjw7XuWNrFH-EPc9RseZvxgsSdivSvAp5R2o1KP8cc2S5SR0-Uo4NeAmzC_yfRvwOwL0Z_pWTFFgTBGvhNAlq8iYm4dm8sPr7c8_aCEtbrX8bJ4Y4A333knKpJNW5m7Afc8bBckN8n7Ow4sCftGECdpMzbHmFblHhLfX1hU3Yb4Czy6lOFE/s320/IMG_6877.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>My first cast on the hybrid was in the water for 19 minutes before a carp pulled the rod round. That was a nice start. The next cast gave me two little liners but nothing else. I had Paul Isaacs sat with me for a bit, and he told me I was casting bang on the distance he would choose. He saw me catch my first carp and then my second carp after 45 minutes. An hour gone and 10lb so a decent start with just 3 or 4 other anglers having a carp.</p><p>In the second hour I had a skimmer on the tip but nothing else, it seemed the carp had moved as Keith then had 2 carp in 2 casts. Smithy was still blanking. My third hour was poor, the tip was dead, whilst Keith had a few skimmers and a tench on the method feeder. Smithy caught a couple of small skimmers on the pole and I followed suit. I never had a bite at 13m, but at 7m I had a 2oz hybrid and then hooked a carp, but after a few minutes it came off and I was sure it had been foul hooked.</p><p>I hooked another carp out of the blue in the fourth hour, but just as it was in netting range the hook pulled out. With an hour to go I was probably in about 7th or 8th place, but 4 carp was the best it seemed. I cast the hybrid a bit further out (to where I saw a carp jump), and with 50 minutes to go had another carp. Then nothing again, tried the pole again for absolutely nothing. Back on the tip and with 15 mins to go I hook and land carp number 4, and with 5 minutes left I got carp number 5.</p><p>Match over and for me it had been all about the first and last hour. I thought I had 32lb, Keith 20lb and Smithy chucked back. I was just hoping my lost carp wouldn’t cost me. Didn’t take long to get weighed in, and my carp and 2 silvers went 35lb 14oz. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xHZheru5m5afTRdMrem4yrNqwihmkQ9ig_PEmeNKqEC7oqbti8UWc3pCsrGWLtXMKAsE1_TPRB1gsiVeqlsWTZtH7MwTUv5FSUqH4GH4S0yThjiOQs_jpRdjl8N9hTrVqfff99CsMZt-Htp5iwB553hIwKqajLTFictdWu8jI9s1Q7MFptZRwfi-Ql8/s4032/IMG_6878.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xHZheru5m5afTRdMrem4yrNqwihmkQ9ig_PEmeNKqEC7oqbti8UWc3pCsrGWLtXMKAsE1_TPRB1gsiVeqlsWTZtH7MwTUv5FSUqH4GH4S0yThjiOQs_jpRdjl8N9hTrVqfff99CsMZt-Htp5iwB553hIwKqajLTFictdWu8jI9s1Q7MFptZRwfi-Ql8/s320/IMG_6878.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>My bag was just enough to win the day, beating Andrew Chivers opposite me, he caught 4 carp and some skimmers on bread on the lead. In third Paul Elms had 2 carp and 13lb of skimmers on pellet, that was top silvers on the day.</p><p>Thanks to Paul for a well run match, and for the breakfast roll, mince pie and a little Christmas spirit 😊. Top 6 shown below..</p><p>1st Tim Ford 35lb 14oz peg 4</p><p>2nd Andrew Chivers 31lb 12oz peg 19</p><p>3rd Paul Elms 28lb 8oz peg 27</p><p>4th James Hennessy 24lb 13oz peg 12</p><p>5th Keith Turner 23lb 3oz peg 6</p><p>6th Kevin Winstone 11lb 14oz peg 10</p><p><br /></p><p>This might be my last match of 2023, and if so I’d like to wish you a very happy Christmas and I hope you enjoy the festivities. 🎅🎅🎅</p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-78750420133180242792023-12-07T20:23:00.001+00:002023-12-07T20:23:53.831+00:00Ticking over<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Sorry the blog has been quiet again since the Poppy match. First off I went away the following weekend for a family celebration, near the Blackdown Hills in Devon. Lovely place, right out in the sticks with lovely views and walks. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJCs2ifL6vTHBEhSZx29g39DmoBz5K7DePqWueHQd8RHIFqQBbboIxyDUpspikEIE7-3nYbb-qNi9z0vUTZiAvYVuC0pLitBCyKb33jp5znpds_eONM56trvDH2OdcIxaEUs6NRbFXH2jstKTHk5LrJ7CCjgmQjtRtArPFzCbjAZs6e3O4mdntjqVv0E/s903/9b1e9b50-077a-4bfd-b113-0e7f37316588.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="903" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJCs2ifL6vTHBEhSZx29g39DmoBz5K7DePqWueHQd8RHIFqQBbboIxyDUpspikEIE7-3nYbb-qNi9z0vUTZiAvYVuC0pLitBCyKb33jp5znpds_eONM56trvDH2OdcIxaEUs6NRbFXH2jstKTHk5LrJ7CCjgmQjtRtArPFzCbjAZs6e3O4mdntjqVv0E/s320/9b1e9b50-077a-4bfd-b113-0e7f37316588.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9bokxbkITnCQ5jql-JYhWX7sASozbrjnM0NtolglH8-Nd2dzDwXVmdlC3mLAhg3z0k0Xw2khHvXITCtpkmja7gPYLuXy9kVx1Pn5H6SpXCr9C65E8X34yB0JCAXcFlQAVG0aZZvHIvMJmDOkSSufH1oZiLFxse9SiAxch6yK-G9U4fahAw7zo4mJumQ/s4032/IMG_6849.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9bokxbkITnCQ5jql-JYhWX7sASozbrjnM0NtolglH8-Nd2dzDwXVmdlC3mLAhg3z0k0Xw2khHvXITCtpkmja7gPYLuXy9kVx1Pn5H6SpXCr9C65E8X34yB0JCAXcFlQAVG0aZZvHIvMJmDOkSSufH1oZiLFxse9SiAxch6yK-G9U4fahAw7zo4mJumQ/s320/IMG_6849.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>After that weekend I was looking forward to go fishing on Sunday. However, with sub zero temperatures I began to think about other options. The Commercial House Xmas match was on my radar, but it was on the canal outside of Bath, and that’s been rubbish for a few years now when it’s cold. Glad I didn’t go as only 8oz won the match (Andy Britt) and 3oz was 5th, hmmm rat tip! </p><p>In the end I walked a few sections of the canal up at Horton just outside Devises. Thatchers were fishing the last round of the winter league here, and although the team had no chance of getting in the top 2 of the league they were still very competitive. They had a better day coming second, and Andy Ottaway won the match with 11lb, so good day for the lads. Congratulations to Diawa Gordon League and Devises for finishing first and second.</p><p>A few of my team had a curry in Devises where James Carty is their best customer. We were certainly looked after well and the food was great. From left, myself, Lee Trivitt, James, Ian Paulley and Andy Ottaway.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbllNaz6t1JBNOoNZEiLXM3xYS_A3VHLfpNahEHatlAUlG8NYb39bco5wVpMJfQBfwVORtqdA1t_lsbNiQ-21OsAXYPTTBiYfJiTl5VPLDyiHMSypJHjuJSYJpJrBZdrVtin3UUznUIia5-sa4DtpDgkgt-Mm0_6H-KT7QVSarhh-6nsOoQLdPfH58zuM/s1024/0f44e187-9225-47a0-ad8f-c090a30ff11f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbllNaz6t1JBNOoNZEiLXM3xYS_A3VHLfpNahEHatlAUlG8NYb39bco5wVpMJfQBfwVORtqdA1t_lsbNiQ-21OsAXYPTTBiYfJiTl5VPLDyiHMSypJHjuJSYJpJrBZdrVtin3UUznUIia5-sa4DtpDgkgt-Mm0_6H-KT7QVSarhh-6nsOoQLdPfH58zuM/w320-h240/0f44e187-9225-47a0-ad8f-c090a30ff11f.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p>I won’t be fishing this weekend, forward planning on my part really, as on Saturday I’ve a bit of hospitality at Rovers followed by a party at the neighbours. Might have a thick head Sunday. Fingers crossed I can get on something the following weekend. </p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-68555830441334066152023-11-19T19:31:00.003+00:002023-11-19T19:31:22.012+00:00Windmill Fishery Open<p> Was hoping to be on the river again this weekend, but whilst working away in Germany this week I saw there was a weather warning for heavy rain in the UK. Dean Harvey said he was going to cancel his match, but the rain never got that bad and the river would have been better condition than last week.</p><p>I booked in for Windmill without knowing how it had been fishing but I thought with the recent mild wet weather it might be ok. I was feeling pretty tired from my business trip to Germany, as a result I didn’t do a lot Saturday but did at least sort my gear out ready for the lake.</p><p>After a McDonald’s I arrived at the fishery in good time, it was nice to see the many familiar faces again. The weather forecast was not looking good and I was hoping not to draw in the teeth of it. As I got my gear out of the van I saw straight away I had left my trolley at home doh! Luckily for me Nick Sanders said I could borrow his trolley after he had got his gear to his peg. I was hoping for a peg in one of the corners, but alas peg 6 came my way and that’s bang in the middle of the lake. A good summer peg usually.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQjmWipCTWEEiRBamQMePnoFyieIr8_TBFSvUshY_cwYsbWKrPmmHEJ5Uth_5CHe3A8dZogTS2CprGgDGgIi1POyKvIDX4F9Xj68VCpyyIVOQcvX5beostK50XTZX8KcCVwGL4JZqPWE2lv1yOunfybrYqcrSIlTwJE5Mp9yekccL3G9d7jnVfeAPFbU/s4032/IMG_6835.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQjmWipCTWEEiRBamQMePnoFyieIr8_TBFSvUshY_cwYsbWKrPmmHEJ5Uth_5CHe3A8dZogTS2CprGgDGgIi1POyKvIDX4F9Xj68VCpyyIVOQcvX5beostK50XTZX8KcCVwGL4JZqPWE2lv1yOunfybrYqcrSIlTwJE5Mp9yekccL3G9d7jnVfeAPFbU/s320/IMG_6835.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I set up a straight lead with 0.19 to 16 KKMB and a small method feeder with same. With squally winds I was loathed to get the pole out, but I did get a top set and 2 sections out. I put together 0.4g float with 0.15 to 16GPM. <div><br /></div><div>We started at 10:15, I plopped the lead out off to the left to see what was about. 10 minutes and no liners, so I then cast it to the right of me, but the result was the same. I switched to the method feeder and cast to my right where there were a few reeds. On my second cast I had a small liner, so a sign at last, but then I had a liner most casts after this for an hour. No matter what I tried as bait I didn’t get a bite, even trying the lead again was fruitless. Just shy of 2 hours in and I finally had a proper bite, hooked a good fish that didn’t tear off. It came in fairly easy, and I had a job to lift it out of the water, probably about 13lb.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PmajQdIKiszfvzqdT-2An3nQqEZqPl9iwnwQE56WgzqxbyFghjVyRiOqPRMSelco9gCwJQ658SQe-nnG7nhvUiFhafnwI6YmNaQSwdLWozHQUpCOhd0CQplFHVRyVlO-ywpwErWLE-gFQGgayGSPnskQAwDmyRB6I5ydyJoBbdlJAedKM-dfEXj0Kis/s4032/IMG_6837.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PmajQdIKiszfvzqdT-2An3nQqEZqPl9iwnwQE56WgzqxbyFghjVyRiOqPRMSelco9gCwJQ658SQe-nnG7nhvUiFhafnwI6YmNaQSwdLWozHQUpCOhd0CQplFHVRyVlO-ywpwErWLE-gFQGgayGSPnskQAwDmyRB6I5ydyJoBbdlJAedKM-dfEXj0Kis/s320/IMG_6837.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>As you can see from the picture, I took a photo of the carp all alone in the keepnet. That’s because other than a couple of liners I never had another bite. Never had a bite on the pole either, and a set up for some silvers might have been a better option. Especially as on peg 4 Malcom Fitz won the silvers with 12lb, mainly 5 skimmers. I’d been in the wrong area for carp as hardly any were caught, also, opposite me Shaun Townsend and Leighton Palmer were both DNW’s, and those two are regular framers here. </div><div><br /></div><div>The corners of the lake were where the carp were, though winning on the day with 62lb Nick Sanders on peg 22 was just out of the corner. He was blanking after 2 hours, but by fishing his margin to his left he caught 7 decent carp. John Williams on corner peg 11 had 56lb, and in third place was Steve Upton on next peg 12 with 33lb. Andy Gard claimed runner up</div><div>In the silvers with 5lb from peg 9.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think the weights were down today as most people couldn’t fish a long pole. Conditions were pretty bad most of the time. I was glad to get back home and have a warm shower! No fishing next weekend as have family plans, so I expect the river will be in better condition lol.</div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-35907431301722295512023-11-12T20:25:00.007+00:002023-11-12T20:36:42.129+00:00British Legion Poppy Match<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> My return to the bank continues, after last weekend helping celebrate my Nephew’s 21st birthday I was always setting my sights on fishing the poppy match. I’m feeling much stronger and healthier now, and really am happy with my progress. In fact I was offered a short walk draw, but I turned that down and said I would take my chances. Truth be known I didn’t want to have to get over styles or fences, so a draw at Newbridge would be very helpful. It was nice catching up with a lot of anglers at the draw, we were all there to raise money for Poppy despite what the river was like, and it was very high, fast and coloured. After the citation read by Brian Lloyd the draw began, I pulled out peg 44, that was about peg 120 down the trees at Newbridge, happy with this peg as no styles and flat walk.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMRyD9EbMRTwGPZXxf9ki5ZxHvKjGfC_dCjEmb4IWoEGrL_GP6KjOBWyIXX3s2IUbYTX8CxZJKcMtwd5REZYWijyOqLxQMsNu3NXgr61I-LBhvTiyhon_d9SS8yayhY5NnRwBhq9xhgFSbKHIHMgH4QoVxuO_IVrvRpIU4DY_vAPZZVvK51wbCODTssM/s4032/IMG_6821.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMRyD9EbMRTwGPZXxf9ki5ZxHvKjGfC_dCjEmb4IWoEGrL_GP6KjOBWyIXX3s2IUbYTX8CxZJKcMtwd5REZYWijyOqLxQMsNu3NXgr61I-LBhvTiyhon_d9SS8yayhY5NnRwBhq9xhgFSbKHIHMgH4QoVxuO_IVrvRpIU4DY_vAPZZVvK51wbCODTssM/s320/IMG_6821.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>I was the second person at the rugby club gate, Dean Harvey was doing a poor impression of Houdini trying to undo the chain and locks. Luckily Warren Bates arrived and he knew the code and so I got the gates open. As I was putting the gear on the trolley Andy Gard pulled up and squeezed his van in by the entrance, he said “I don’t like walking too far Tim!” Lol.</p><p>A steady walk, slippery at times, got me to my peg. I was quite happy looking at it, a bit of slack to 6m, then pretty fast after that. I set up two feeder rods; one with a size 12 N50 and the other a 14, 0.17 powerline was my choice of hook length. I did set up a 5m whip for bleak, but that was a waste of time. As I was still setting up And Gard walked up from peg 51, he was walking back to his van to get his reels he had forgotten… remember Andy told me he didn’t like walking 😂😂</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_r6i0jqPpFDXhSjEFUkycZu0utgdUt_aNuEumrOkZnTwqDWGKF5EPEJ0lowMr8la4maIzQdqeG_zYRy1V3lSVfIuBwl10WwiUFA5BB9DxXhMEvBCl6fLrPNpGamjT97WsyL6lS0ni2iw-sOCoY5tAShyX7bqsacq5j6WV8pq4Fz4Qdsh-oElOvphcus/s4032/IMG_6809.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_r6i0jqPpFDXhSjEFUkycZu0utgdUt_aNuEumrOkZnTwqDWGKF5EPEJ0lowMr8la4maIzQdqeG_zYRy1V3lSVfIuBwl10WwiUFA5BB9DxXhMEvBCl6fLrPNpGamjT97WsyL6lS0ni2iw-sOCoY5tAShyX7bqsacq5j6WV8pq4Fz4Qdsh-oElOvphcus/s320/IMG_6809.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>My groundbait was same as last time out, a mix of Sonubaits Sweet Skimmer and Thatchers original. 45g feeders would hold the bottom at 7m to 8m out. We started at 10am and on my second drop in I got a 3oz roach on dendra and maggot. On my fifth cast I had a nice bite and put the net under an 8oz hybrid. I thought I might catch a few of these today as they can show in dirty water, but alas I didn’t have any more.</p><p>I had an early visit from match organisers Ray Bazeley and Paul Benson, and I was able to catch a couple of small roach for their entertainment. They said at this early stage I was going well. After 90 minutes I think I had 5 roach, a small eel and the hybrid, but then went 30 minutes without a bite. I tried a lobworm tail for the first time and after a missed tentative bite I had a good bite next cast and hooked a fish that fought hard. I began to think I had a chub on, but then saw it was a skimmer, fighting so hard because it was foul hooked! I got it out which was a bonus as it was about 2lb.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzawwpePNMaOXJE-R8U2Zc_Ig_odHnv_srZ_kMs1jVim7rIR9LmUefGJ59H7jOd7xD5lZHcLx4AIqr-VecvUBI2np0NK8aDeNOKKVO68SDewx95XHN-KudEQmi7rHBtPVhrzY98I6GK5GOC_KmNrPFQzBcGGPZrKiJIIB8CFLA1buXflBbxxt3Rv0sUg/s4032/IMG_6812.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzawwpePNMaOXJE-R8U2Zc_Ig_odHnv_srZ_kMs1jVim7rIR9LmUefGJ59H7jOd7xD5lZHcLx4AIqr-VecvUBI2np0NK8aDeNOKKVO68SDewx95XHN-KudEQmi7rHBtPVhrzY98I6GK5GOC_KmNrPFQzBcGGPZrKiJIIB8CFLA1buXflBbxxt3Rv0sUg/s320/IMG_6812.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Twenty minutes later and I’m into another good fish fighting well, but just as it got close in it came off. Was it another fouled skimmer I wondered? Sometimes in fast coloured water the fish can be off bottom and not pick up the hook bait. I was gutted of course, and even more so as bites tailed off again apart from the odd roach.</p><p>Tales from the bank were the river was fishing hard, Andy Britt had walked down from 2 pegs above me and said he thought I would frame with what I had! He said Nigel Wyatt at Chequers was best with 3 bream. My match was seemingly petering out, all manor of hookbaits not getting a response, so I thought get back on the lobworm tail. With 40 minutes to go I missed a bite, eel perhaps, next drop in and the tip started twitching about an inch, I left it thinking eel, but after 10 seconds I thought sod it and struck. Boom, into a bream for sure, it was hang on time as it kited down and inside. Everything held firm this time, and I slipped the net under a 4lb bream. </p><p>I was hoping for a couple more, but that was my final fish of the day. I hoped I might have 8lb, and would win the section. My neighbours Steve Lovell and Harry had both chucked back. The man with the scales was Andy Pritchard, and he called out 9lb 1oz for my fish. That won the section as 1lb 5oz was next, Andy Britt.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJzVUX0ETFLH-Vyeu3J9jMW_AGaRXxRJOR-csFmOhrlt9C_j9pF3SGI8RAV4fuo0dWMfLXBLZ9HCsgApG9qmhIOhPNJAgRR5Hnj3swIwaJD3AJSMf0nhXla8hjKFyogZYtJHYU5YHFcXDqCS7sGjzy6MVacKwwwSEZEotQ0PxJoH5xwcDqk20q6VR6Pc/s4032/IMG_6816.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJzVUX0ETFLH-Vyeu3J9jMW_AGaRXxRJOR-csFmOhrlt9C_j9pF3SGI8RAV4fuo0dWMfLXBLZ9HCsgApG9qmhIOhPNJAgRR5Hnj3swIwaJD3AJSMf0nhXla8hjKFyogZYtJHYU5YHFcXDqCS7sGjzy6MVacKwwwSEZEotQ0PxJoH5xwcDqk20q6VR6Pc/s320/IMG_6816.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Back to the results and Nige Wyatt was said to have had 5 bream, but after this I was being touted as second. Well after the usual long raffle and various auctions the top 10 was read out. </p><p>Winner was indeed Nige Wyatt with 14lb 14oz, his first Poppy match win at the age of 71. Well done Nige!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4epj1aSqreH69d8NYdRUiS0D4jddjFtnPZXdDm-3fHumdV8ktmBV5bze-9VjtTcTp4aWXDPEINeLycafUTRjYY9hRQUqmp4XWGzg88KtQvqJZbHlXqVTVD0P-CMPdAxxz7Ts0X5fAp8eODgTAjA9Vq_xz2OKRXkGkArxltRBKzvQwTHuDVDMCXMWIHQ/s1000/IMG_6820.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4epj1aSqreH69d8NYdRUiS0D4jddjFtnPZXdDm-3fHumdV8ktmBV5bze-9VjtTcTp4aWXDPEINeLycafUTRjYY9hRQUqmp4XWGzg88KtQvqJZbHlXqVTVD0P-CMPdAxxz7Ts0X5fAp8eODgTAjA9Vq_xz2OKRXkGkArxltRBKzvQwTHuDVDMCXMWIHQ/s320/IMG_6820.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In second place was me, so just missing out on the 6th win, but I’m not unhappy, as I’m very happy for Nigel.<div>Got to say a big well done to Andy Ankers on third place with 7lb 10oz of nearly all eels from the trees.</div><div>Top 10 here..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxVwjTSqbzGCubxZDqGQe5fC2_BMBtvTn_e9VgIr9cbnoE1_dQTrw9LwseVw15wZ7LWxhDR0_rsZjH_Onsi7HRpUpV037qERbcVib39M1GOMtcmonzpAUG1O9yuO1G9C7E4afgPs20_OV8_KIZezA1f567U-QaYhgUFzbg9qDLJw798UVnU9xj4LuxSE/s4032/IMG_6818.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxVwjTSqbzGCubxZDqGQe5fC2_BMBtvTn_e9VgIr9cbnoE1_dQTrw9LwseVw15wZ7LWxhDR0_rsZjH_Onsi7HRpUpV037qERbcVib39M1GOMtcmonzpAUG1O9yuO1G9C7E4afgPs20_OV8_KIZezA1f567U-QaYhgUFzbg9qDLJw798UVnU9xj4LuxSE/s320/IMG_6818.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div>Huge congratulations to Ray for his efforts for this match, and all his helpers, supporters and the anglers. The amount raised is going to be close to £4000, far in excess of prior matches. As for me, well I’m happy as a pig in shit, I am just overwhelmed at getting back on the bank and catching a few. Thank you to everyone who said nice things to me today 😊😊😊</div><div><div><p><br /></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXt1pBzGxanYH01gU_yarmDK8dyv_aSTij0Ga9jn3V5ZQ7h0694QxrFwynmKiGf4rG3ot-hiDYLgbHmWuwUgOLKk307LdkYsVw9Dpplewzw8mVtrh-Y848jO5xeVNxYABkil6O_5y-pa4WGOYp5cP1lDu5TQWYNDHjKC1DsN2lb_9Zrk_MS95WOWdeFg/s2048/IMG_6822.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXt1pBzGxanYH01gU_yarmDK8dyv_aSTij0Ga9jn3V5ZQ7h0694QxrFwynmKiGf4rG3ot-hiDYLgbHmWuwUgOLKk307LdkYsVw9Dpplewzw8mVtrh-Y848jO5xeVNxYABkil6O_5y-pa4WGOYp5cP1lDu5TQWYNDHjKC1DsN2lb_9Zrk_MS95WOWdeFg/s320/IMG_6822.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-435089478871570812023-10-29T18:32:00.000+00:002023-10-29T18:32:16.862+00:00Clucker Returns<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> It’s been a long time, over 3 months since I last wet a line, and that was at Windmill Fishery on July 16th. Since the op I’ve built up my strength and fitness (not near where I was but ok) and gone back to work, so why no fishing? Well I’m permanently at risk of hernias now I have stoma and so I have been told to not do any heavy lifting or abdominal exercise. Going fishing will certainly test that, and I’m waiting for a protective waist belt to be delivered which will hopefully get me back to normal. For now no heavy trolleys or lifting gear over styles.<p></p><p>Dean Harvey has been running Bathampton matches st Newbridge this season, and he has asked me a couple of times if I could fish, I decided on Friday I would give it a go as Dean said I could have a short walk, and Mat at Scott Tackle was able to supply me with casters and worms. I knew the river was high and so was only going to take a couple of feeder rods, river was .8m and dropping Saturday and it could be a really good match. Of course I went to Rovers Saturday (nice to see a win) and was getting worried as the rain fell heavy, so much so that my wife and I got soaked walking back to the car. I knew that was going to muck Sunday up.</p><p>Lovely extra hour in bed, and awoke to see a text from Dean that the river was now 1.2m high and up to me if I fished, well I was still going whatever. After a Golden Arches brekky I got to the river, and yep it was really going through and a nasty colour, but as I said I fished in worse lol! It was great to see Dean and the other anglers, and he called Mike Shellard and myself to draw first, peg 20, 24 and 30 were in the bag (24 the best). Mike got 30 and I then pulled 20, I was happy enough as I parked right behind it and it had a little bit of slack water for about 3m.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna1kLzKN1ukv5D-0drY2-k6bP5l9n07FxkSR7StP_1EE1rrb4mfI62uHqm_rJhGs0IsR3aYExS5ZvpeNI9Sk3ep1xEqHtKWT4NN8TJ9bWtjrtVxbyZVbSrMDkOcOvscCW8hDXHW7aUvYk1uFJsEy9hfoL9Swy0oeAbed5gmShD0BncE9rH_9Pzri71nc/s4032/IMG_6774.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna1kLzKN1ukv5D-0drY2-k6bP5l9n07FxkSR7StP_1EE1rrb4mfI62uHqm_rJhGs0IsR3aYExS5ZvpeNI9Sk3ep1xEqHtKWT4NN8TJ9bWtjrtVxbyZVbSrMDkOcOvscCW8hDXHW7aUvYk1uFJsEy9hfoL9Swy0oeAbed5gmShD0BncE9rH_9Pzri71nc/s320/IMG_6774.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>The match was starting at 9:30, plenty of time to set up. I mixed some gbait for the feeder, Sonubaits sweet skimmer, Thatchers and brown crumb. Set up two feeder rods with 45g Preston open end feeders, one had a 12 N50 to 0.17 and the other 8 N50 to 0.19. Obviously I am still a bit slow as I only just started on time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm584dJ9Ep9Kmy5UwUZqL6n3UQ_EiewdGNJfWslDZXMiHroQYTJe_6xCv7MxL4pPAT6w6bOfVqm1TxI0F9L8ad2ZDQIcytD6LnEeKLNP5CcD2czXMU5e2ac9ONF1yGp8Cef3RGV2405YdXnYpUf4TY3U75PlFASR0zoxZkjXiSUnC3hU14el9OcOLpzIE/s4032/IMG_6775.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm584dJ9Ep9Kmy5UwUZqL6n3UQ_EiewdGNJfWslDZXMiHroQYTJe_6xCv7MxL4pPAT6w6bOfVqm1TxI0F9L8ad2ZDQIcytD6LnEeKLNP5CcD2czXMU5e2ac9ONF1yGp8Cef3RGV2405YdXnYpUf4TY3U75PlFASR0zoxZkjXiSUnC3hU14el9OcOLpzIE/s320/IMG_6775.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>A very gentle underarm swing dropped the feeder on the edge of the slack in 12 feet of water. I was going to have a few quick casts to get some bait in, but on the second drop I had a quick bite and felt a small fish on but it came off. I carried on with dendra and 2 maggots and had a couple more bites but no fish, I changed to 4 maggots and this got me my first fish a roach, not big at 2oz but still I’d caught. A few casts later I had small eel on the maggots and then a 1oz roach. I needed to get bigger fish so went back on the dendra, I was getting fairly regular bites, but missing a lot, but after 2 hours I had 5 roach and 3 eels for about 1lb 4oz.</p><p>I had tried a whole lobworm looking for a lump, but all that did was get rattling on the tip as the little fish chewed it up. Fishing smaller bits of lobby gave me a nice run of fish a few roach 2 chublets and another eel, I had only netted 1 fish so you can see they were not big fish, and I missed lots of bites even though I let them develop. 3 times fish were on then came off and 4 times the rod pulled right round and nothing. I think it was little eels.</p><p>I tried the whole lobby a lot more last hour for a lump but nothing doing, and it just seemed I had to take the small roach and eels. Come the end of the match I was happy enough having a decent day, no snags and no gear lost.</p><p>In my section Craig Pinker on peg 24 (bay of Biscay lol) had a couple of skimmers and 7 roach for 5lb 2oz to win the section.</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4phuAJsyYbovb4fGC5MK_UaYTTansoVo1hxrWtnt0OkpGdTExlo0sp3ZpvROUsyndd6X6bVd5nMQWuFK8Q_NYDXTvPhsxNGPar7xnOlgORty6NoCFM3IJqeNpbP1__pEnpdsBi9e2sDvNFQSQS3CAqtgY3edbkWxoNZZ0OJHSwbQcTi9duqvUZ9lbifc/s4032/IMG_6778.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4phuAJsyYbovb4fGC5MK_UaYTTansoVo1hxrWtnt0OkpGdTExlo0sp3ZpvROUsyndd6X6bVd5nMQWuFK8Q_NYDXTvPhsxNGPar7xnOlgORty6NoCFM3IJqeNpbP1__pEnpdsBi9e2sDvNFQSQS3CAqtgY3edbkWxoNZZ0OJHSwbQcTi9duqvUZ9lbifc/s320/IMG_6778.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>My net of small fish went 4lb 5oz and I just needed one bonus fish really.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rYJMTkNDG-jqNBRrnD7THqdeozPm5vfmHOCOjmkM6n9ChHrra4SOSiT_5kwmIvc2ty6hrlfSkjxgQ5vrym7bDB3ao6NexGj1lhtYgXOu6PsLQuQoREYjGyRK-O5Ca1SQFz_Sf1AADGUO9GU-88pyoIgjfyHBxuGfFjq2YfpKzXiiM4qo-xxAhUPAc2o/s3024/IMG_6781.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rYJMTkNDG-jqNBRrnD7THqdeozPm5vfmHOCOjmkM6n9ChHrra4SOSiT_5kwmIvc2ty6hrlfSkjxgQ5vrym7bDB3ao6NexGj1lhtYgXOu6PsLQuQoREYjGyRK-O5Ca1SQFz_Sf1AADGUO9GU-88pyoIgjfyHBxuGfFjq2YfpKzXiiM4qo-xxAhUPAc2o/s320/IMG_6781.jpeg" width="243" /></a></p><p>Winner on the day was Mike Weston on peg 44 who had 6lb 6oz which included a 5lb+ barbel. Nic Cole’s had 5lb 10oz on peg 56 and Craig was third. I was actually 4th and picked up second in the section (as Dean just paid out 3 sections) so a bit of coin was a nice surprise.</p><p>Talking to the other anglers and it seemed all had been catching small roach, though Derek Cole’s did have a few better ones. Craig was the only one to get a skimmer / bream. Once I got in the van to drive home I felt knackered, I guess it will just take time to get used to being on the bank, but boy was I happy to be back. That said not sure if I will be going next week, but the week after it’s the Poppy Match, I’ll be needing a disabled draw for that.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-7737390468920327062023-09-01T11:42:00.000+01:002023-09-01T11:42:11.557+01:00I’m still here<p>Just wanted to drop a quick update on myself as I have been absent from blogging for 6 weeks.</p><p>I had my operation on 28th July, and it was a bit longer than expected but at the end a success. I now have a stoma and for those not aware of that term, it means I have a colostomy bag. This I will have for the rest of my life. Some of you might have winced reading that, but it really isn’t a problem, and I needed the stoma to improve my quality of life. I’m looking forward to be spending less time sat on a toilet for starters!</p><p>To perform the operation I was cut open, a bit like filleting a fish lol, leaving me with a long wound that’s being a bugger to heal, and I’m currently wearing a dressing and on antibiotics to help the healing process. Until the wound is fully healed I’m a little held back on what I can do. Also as my abdominal muscles were obviously cut through this is an area of weakness, and I’m waiting to see my specialist nurses in a few weeks as to how I can work to get back to lifting stuff like fishing gear. I know this will take a while as two types of hernia are a big risk associated with this type of surgery, and I really want to avoid those. I’m only really able to walk for exercise, which means my upper body has really weakened, I’ll need to start all over again from the beginning when I am allowed to go back to the gym.</p><p>All being well I should be able to drive a car again from around 7th September and that is something I am really look forward to. I’m also starting working from home on reduced hours to get back into that, and am looking forward to seeing and hearing my colleagues again.</p><p>Last thing to say is a big thank you to those of you who have helped and supported me. Hope to see you on the bank soon.</p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-13470699227981094722023-07-16T21:35:00.006+01:002023-07-16T22:08:55.128+01:00Windmill Fishery Open<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Some of you may have read the title and are thinking why has Tim not yet fished the river this season. Well I do love my river fishing but there’s not been any matches on my local Bristol Avon that I’ve been able to fish. My Thatchers team matches have been on the Stour in Dorset, and I’ve given them a miss due to the early starts and plenty of local lads to fish ( we won both matches so well done team). The urge to get back on the river will come, when there’s less boats, swimmers and paddle boarding.</span></div><p></p><p>Before I say anything else today, got to say I was gutted to see that Tony Rixon had his van and some fishing gear stolen, it’s every anglers worst nightmare. I hope he gets his stuff back.</p><p>Back to today, a good turnout of 19 anglers with a decent contingent from the Swindon area, including a very old team mate of mine Pete Philips. As always I’m open minded what to fish for on this venue, so entered the overall super pool as well. I fancied pegs from 8 to 18 as the wind was blowing down that end of the lake. I drew peg 22 which is deep and not got any shallow water to fish a pole into, rather be here in winter lol. I had John Williams on 21, Mick Gale was on 23, and Fishery management Kev Winstone on peg 24 not a fancied peg. With lots of wind and rain forecast tactics were going to be important, and I put a brolly up to keep me a little more comfortable.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF8lRL-xyvVYoCLKX-LI9J-mx15vmZt_sx7ynKItrZBvJxSfdoyKPmnEzgv3QDqo0roXX46Gy6rhvxIgTVlnguorgupCqmNeVxrQswUD_fnaZdKmPegZQO910pLqDf_g8_5k-f81LSae8KMKr50h0Cg0eeQlbtTUfJdvYkuJirJKOwga0ktYqg7t1Fwk/s4032/IMG_6542.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF8lRL-xyvVYoCLKX-LI9J-mx15vmZt_sx7ynKItrZBvJxSfdoyKPmnEzgv3QDqo0roXX46Gy6rhvxIgTVlnguorgupCqmNeVxrQswUD_fnaZdKmPegZQO910pLqDf_g8_5k-f81LSae8KMKr50h0Cg0eeQlbtTUfJdvYkuJirJKOwga0ktYqg7t1Fwk/s320/IMG_6542.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>My peg has a lot reeds opposite but it’s not safe to fish close to them for carp. A lot of anglers chuck the lead to the right of them in the only shallower water, I did set up a lead for here, but it was a last resort as it would be hook and hold. My two main rigs were my usual paste rig for 11m, and a 4x16 for fishing at 14m towards the reeds where I try micro, worm and corn.</p><p>I started on the paste at 11m and fed my usual 4mm pellets, there was no fizzing or signs for 10 minutes, then out of the blue my firs bite. I connected and shortly after a skimmer jumped out of the water, it stayed on and at nearly 3lb was a nice fish. I had another couple of near 2lb skimmers on the paste and a 3lb carp in the first hour. Looking around me not a lot had been caught. I stuck with the paste and whilst it was slow going there was the odd fizz and bite to keep me interested. Then I heard Shaun Townsend was emptying peg 16, so that was probably the winner. My paste line yielded a few more small common carp and skimmers before going dead after 2 hours.</p><p>The 14m line was tried but it was not successful, and I upped the feed here hoping to get some skimmers over it later. A couple more small carp on paste than nothing again. The wind and rain just kept on coming, and it made things difficult. With 2 hours to go I had my first bite at 14m, another small common took my worm hook bait. Next two drops same result, but then nothing. I did get a skimmer and 1 more carp here later but it was never great.</p><p>I preserved with paste as for the last 80 minutes I was getting little fizzes and bites…. But I was hooking absolutely nothing! Not even a fouler, it was doing my head in lol. Then with 15 minutes to go I had another 3lb carp, then a proper lad of nearly 12lb, then a 10oz skimmer and that was the end.</p><p>From what I could see I’d beaten all around me, but knowing that Shaun and Glenn Bailey had bagged I was struggling to get third. I thought I had 60lb, then Leighton Palmer on peg 1 said he had 70lb, ah well not looking good for coin today I thought. There was a set of scales either side of the lake and on my side they weighed from 12 up to 24. Glenn had 90lb on 14, Towner 160lb on 16, that was top 2. My silvers went 11lb 10oz and my carp 52lb 6oz, a nice round 64lb. Mick Gale on 23 had 11lb 1oz of silvers, and I was top silvers on our side of the lake but was even more surprised to find out that I was top silvers weight on the day!</p><p>The weigh sheets are below, I didn’t get many pictures as I didn’t want my phone to get wet, lovely weather for July. Not sure if this will be my last match for a while, or if I will go next week. But I have an operation on the 28th July which will keep me out of action for sometime. I’ve been waiting for this op for nearly 18 months, it’s related to my old operations from many years ago, and will hopefully make my life easier when it comes to toilet habits. Wish me luck is all I can ask, and thanks in advance.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibpfkoadXVf0bQ8J6UpJ6wdR3x3wKYUfage4NHCnM7I-sWQlMQtYmrMMd6O9nP-48me1p9Rg5j58lulVS6QS3ctcfYAmaxoTAaXUKbmjRFQMQWa2GMogIb-gSTWgIbCT3qYejbIyTh0-fC9t_Bvo2x8U2HaGJpsSqGFqFZhW8EJmUKnC5dESTjObJwfw/s4032/IMG_6547.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibpfkoadXVf0bQ8J6UpJ6wdR3x3wKYUfage4NHCnM7I-sWQlMQtYmrMMd6O9nP-48me1p9Rg5j58lulVS6QS3ctcfYAmaxoTAaXUKbmjRFQMQWa2GMogIb-gSTWgIbCT3qYejbIyTh0-fC9t_Bvo2x8U2HaGJpsSqGFqFZhW8EJmUKnC5dESTjObJwfw/s320/IMG_6547.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUzccuCqbsXB6KXqv98NybW5gzlQ0ttBdaPeYJyytwle2ZcAIBl7_bQ4Zi32dbxzs_YbQ4SEnLk2zpP6xiO1MFkUIl3g3SsQZpBfpIgcAN9DqkbeQIPX29dht6mtsAWrI5XS1dGBD7L04jZutBBdUVsyKZD1TsWF1vZtl3FUOeTCl738ZS4IpU2ZVi88/s4032/IMG_6546.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUzccuCqbsXB6KXqv98NybW5gzlQ0ttBdaPeYJyytwle2ZcAIBl7_bQ4Zi32dbxzs_YbQ4SEnLk2zpP6xiO1MFkUIl3g3SsQZpBfpIgcAN9DqkbeQIPX29dht6mtsAWrI5XS1dGBD7L04jZutBBdUVsyKZD1TsWF1vZtl3FUOeTCl738ZS4IpU2ZVi88/s320/IMG_6546.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p> </p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-77712870986435253022023-07-02T21:31:00.003+01:002023-07-02T21:31:38.263+01:00Windmill Fishery Open<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> After my holiday at Viaduct I had a weekend off and enjoyed the hot sun with my family. I’d really like to be fishing on the river at this time of year, but due to my recent dicky ticker and old war wounds I’m not confident of travelling far from home. With no matches on my local Avon that I was aware of and the team fishing the Dorset Stour, I elected to stay local and fish at Windmill.<p></p><p>Had the usual Wetherspoons breakfast, I was tempted by the cider on display but stayed stafe with the cranberry juice lol.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToiPuTTyqWsGDE7GB6hG8qsdKVgrPFT9ZnUkLOZjfpv55H8FXDJ2_gN1Cn5zR0cFkuYfLMR6tovK7Mi0ex-XXETzZ5y4OEUe-HGJvQ21OmINuxH26kD2GdBmK6WCc5vOQ7MQghEGctS3gez-stLyZG3lBauSsOfby51BI7YaMZbqxZG9mnU4f3CKHjNQ/s4032/IMG_6506.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToiPuTTyqWsGDE7GB6hG8qsdKVgrPFT9ZnUkLOZjfpv55H8FXDJ2_gN1Cn5zR0cFkuYfLMR6tovK7Mi0ex-XXETzZ5y4OEUe-HGJvQ21OmINuxH26kD2GdBmK6WCc5vOQ7MQghEGctS3gez-stLyZG3lBauSsOfby51BI7YaMZbqxZG9mnU4f3CKHjNQ/s320/IMG_6506.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>I arrived at the fishery in good time and was surprised to see a fairly empty car park. It seemed a lot of things had clashed for the regulars so only 8 anglers here today. Dave Haines pegged the match and put peg 1 to 14 in, so easy to park behind your peg. Peg 12 had won the last two matches and so that had to be the favourite peg with the wind blowing down that end. Paul Reed drew 12, and then I drew peg 1, bummer I thought, as far away from the fish as possible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvFdWqarBD5HZR97OrNM8PC2OffOFmtyDiCO5wIt9QPBMI895xUF4xT4FMN1Jn4QSDsYRRvnM6Vno1hZ37yS8dx0PGM5I5Ahu2wikAZFlYqwKIMwsl_ue5LY2Way8AFi7y6uTqHeb2UccCc5twB2q4oQXiYX-UXrFX6YTO-ewCMrR6tnmMlolQLrCD0Q/s4032/IMG_6508.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvFdWqarBD5HZR97OrNM8PC2OffOFmtyDiCO5wIt9QPBMI895xUF4xT4FMN1Jn4QSDsYRRvnM6Vno1hZ37yS8dx0PGM5I5Ahu2wikAZFlYqwKIMwsl_ue5LY2Way8AFi7y6uTqHeb2UccCc5twB2q4oQXiYX-UXrFX6YTO-ewCMrR6tnmMlolQLrCD0Q/s320/IMG_6508.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>As I set up and looked at the peg I felt more confident, lots of room being an end peg, and an island chuck. It’s a deep area of the lake and can be good for fishing pole shallow, but I decided to fish shallow on the pellet waggler, two spots one by the island and one out past the bush on the point. Next a lead rod for the island, then three pole rigs, a deep margin, a shallow slipper and a paste rig. If you read my blog on paste fishing then you’ll know how I set it up. </p><p>Match started at 10:30, I fed a decent pot of soften 4mm Sonu pro feed pellets at 11.5m and dropped in with the paste rig. I fed 6mm pellets to the island and 8mm pellets further out to the bush, so two places to try the waggler. It was a slow start on the paste, no fizzes or signs of fish, but I caught a 3lb carp after 15 minutes. It was then a wait for bites but when one came it was a skimmer and I was happy with that. A couple more small carp and probably had 20lb after the first hour, Mat Challenger on peg 3 had a few early carp but seemed to be struggling after that.</p><p>Second hour and a couple of skimmers and a few more 3lb to 5lb carp, and was now at 42lb 2 hours in. Third hour and the small carp were showing more and the skimmers had enough and went elsewhere. I was simply feeding 4mm pellets in my Preston paste pot and was getting fizzing and quickly getting indications. The fourth hour saw a change in the size of my fish, with a run of 7lb to 10lb carp and my clicker was going up fast. The wind was blowing nastily and did make feeding the island tricky, and caused a few tangles on the paste rig. </p><p>I had a couple of visitors going into the last two hours, Kev Winstone and Leighton Palmer. I think my fishing suffered as I struggled to hold my pole whilst i laughed at their banter 😂 . After a great couple of hours the paste started to fade away, less bites, missing more bites and losing fish I hooked. The island was alive with carp feeding on my loosefeed 6mm pellets, and I couldn’t resist no more. I started on the pellet waggler with an 8mm pellet on a 16 KKM-B to 0.21 powerline. I’d forgotten to clip up so casting was a not great and then caught the grass, but pulled the pellet of it and the float buried! Tug of war commenced and I won this game. I hooked a few more but when a carp took me straight into the reeds and snapped the line I went back to the paste. It was not good with just 1 carp landed. Last 25 minutes I cast the lead over to the island and caught 4 carp and pulled out of two.</p><p>Match over, I checked my clicker, I had 176lb on it, but thought I might have over estimated on that. Bankside info had it that the angler on peg 14 had a big weight but the rest not much. Peg 14 was weighed first and had 165lb 14oz, mostly caught in close on pellet. I was hoping my clicking was not too much! I was last to weigh and I was either going to be first or second. </p><p>Fishery management were on hand to weigh me in, Kev Winstone was on the scales.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDXiL_Yl_W659UdqKJ-D4qL3OkBuKqadgkzrIJLOqqDOd7Bo152jEPp0ky0T2rlQxQGxLaX9tcEQuTQ5hi296vBEmxPs1K3I_Biag3eKBBTdgYD2hpxyu-s42qRBdQbr-a4wjFWBPQ24yW3teMBB_uO25Y5vRMURZL5AoBAUgp-gTrDPGqJB0naubzlc/s4032/IMG_6517.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDXiL_Yl_W659UdqKJ-D4qL3OkBuKqadgkzrIJLOqqDOd7Bo152jEPp0ky0T2rlQxQGxLaX9tcEQuTQ5hi296vBEmxPs1K3I_Biag3eKBBTdgYD2hpxyu-s42qRBdQbr-a4wjFWBPQ24yW3teMBB_uO25Y5vRMURZL5AoBAUgp-gTrDPGqJB0naubzlc/s320/IMG_6517.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Dave Haines was on the board adding up.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZVbbYO5VrmHgzeDkD4bxiJKcfI9sYdDkowKemPI8VkjNjC72MDJ5_u9cGRFGtxc1wh0h_zmlV8lfuD3ugjzSHa4Pg_zaC88VGS4xKJdCDoFn2T35Lh25ZrgGLPrWEZP7Yo56qWgrzluxpESusrtbJJGaQFpmjf8Y5F_B-PyERBS07cX6VAkWu1ShwWg/s4032/IMG_6516.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZVbbYO5VrmHgzeDkD4bxiJKcfI9sYdDkowKemPI8VkjNjC72MDJ5_u9cGRFGtxc1wh0h_zmlV8lfuD3ugjzSHa4Pg_zaC88VGS4xKJdCDoFn2T35Lh25ZrgGLPrWEZP7Yo56qWgrzluxpESusrtbJJGaQFpmjf8Y5F_B-PyERBS07cX6VAkWu1ShwWg/s320/IMG_6516.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>My skimmers weighed first just over 14lb (top weight of silvers but no prize for them today). Then my 4 nets of carp went 176lb, exactly what I had clicked lol. With 190lb 13oz that meant I was the winner today. My best weight at this fishery and a very enjoyable day. I fished the paste exactly as I explained on my previous post, and fed around 2 pints of pellets.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyg3iz2VlXKA70Gfm-QcQA-BwU4EuHwLyTuSRpTab-YGAPh8rlhQ-6MqUpcG3i1E-i87A1ZEsXsdHhPo5QnCk8fRzXavc14AbriQRP81C3x0fmyog4EM6zLOA6NaSVVsmfzE48qey3zFIdJvL0U9uskLam2yJC5U0pp-Al0Ktc5i7fWYc-FAbHbVeYVg/s4032/IMG_6515.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyg3iz2VlXKA70Gfm-QcQA-BwU4EuHwLyTuSRpTab-YGAPh8rlhQ-6MqUpcG3i1E-i87A1ZEsXsdHhPo5QnCk8fRzXavc14AbriQRP81C3x0fmyog4EM6zLOA6NaSVVsmfzE48qey3zFIdJvL0U9uskLam2yJC5U0pp-Al0Ktc5i7fWYc-FAbHbVeYVg/s320/IMG_6515.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>The icing on the cake today was hearing my Thatchers teammates had managed to come first and second on the Stour, bringing them back into contention after a couple of bad rounds. </p><p>No fishing next weekend due to a work event at Truck Racing, got to get on the river soon though!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-15363706628393243992023-06-21T22:12:00.001+01:002023-06-22T12:50:56.135+01:00Paste Fishing <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Having posted my blogs on my matches at Viaduct I received a comment from a person called Dave if I could explain how I fish it. Here goes Dave…<p></p><p>Firstly the way I fish paste has not really changed that much since I first tried a long time ago. In fact I remember when I first tried it, it was at Cider Farm Lakes. I was catching well across when my pole roller blew over and my pole snapped, all I could fish now was top set plus two sections. I tried fishing pellet here in the deep water and got plagued with foulers, that made me reach for a paste rig out of frustration. I was amazed how it worked and from a bad situation I think I got third place. That’s the day when I realised it was a method worth exploring.</p><p>There are many ways of fishing paste, this is my way and it works for me but there are many variations and it’s all about what you have confidence in. </p><p>Firstly my paste itself, I make mine from Thatchers groundbait. When I get to my peg I tip some dry groundbait in a 3 pint bait tub then cover it with water and mix it in, it will be soupy in texture at this point. Ten minutes before the match have a look at it, if it’s too soggy and you can’t form a ball add a little bit more dry groundbait, if it’s dried out too much add a little water a bit at a time. Hard to explain without showing but I try to avoid to stiff and to sloppy lol.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoPbCEafCkNkREdEnLhX5WSMR2NcbKGVhjhwvgVI-OttrRwh9-fGG4VmFqKm0UqeLH4QvX6SQBMZncCjziVxpPWyEFLPVZzA3aqOVkJjH8gJ_y3kUvAZOpXyIW8lzA6uwNbh4WtPaV4IYeEYsRS-AKI52y0YCVx0Q1TyX5dHnwFx7LTevTxbgAe150PA/s4032/IMG_6476.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoPbCEafCkNkREdEnLhX5WSMR2NcbKGVhjhwvgVI-OttrRwh9-fGG4VmFqKm0UqeLH4QvX6SQBMZncCjziVxpPWyEFLPVZzA3aqOVkJjH8gJ_y3kUvAZOpXyIW8lzA6uwNbh4WtPaV4IYeEYsRS-AKI52y0YCVx0Q1TyX5dHnwFx7LTevTxbgAe150PA/s320/IMG_6476.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Next what you feed, it’s simple for me, it’s always 4mm pellets, and I take a bag of Sonubaits pro feed pellets and put them in a bait box. I have fed these pellets straight from the bag, but I’ve also soaked them so they swell up. Skimmers seem to like the soaked pellets but I’ve got them over both. Some people I know have fed 8 to 10 pints of pellets in a match, but the way I feed I’ve generally never fed the whole bag.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2J1vEN-L3p2sKvQJhIboS7kiVYw3w4mbKO1QydGXcQrBfyiaspgE5tI9hfJrMGqk_pKrdRyZTObMThEzQ6a37Z6Ld9n0t3vj7yPiBiGGD5Zz5ERC_9gexHkTZA-FTnvSYcXcnpNr4Z0-VHG3p7qCjj3bU9YPGmljXAmLCJGnoAJz56_CFnXDb4ajFxM/s4032/IMG_6478.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2J1vEN-L3p2sKvQJhIboS7kiVYw3w4mbKO1QydGXcQrBfyiaspgE5tI9hfJrMGqk_pKrdRyZTObMThEzQ6a37Z6Ld9n0t3vj7yPiBiGGD5Zz5ERC_9gexHkTZA-FTnvSYcXcnpNr4Z0-VHG3p7qCjj3bU9YPGmljXAmLCJGnoAJz56_CFnXDb4ajFxM/s320/IMG_6478.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>My rig is very simple, I use some old Big H paste floats but I’m down to my last two 😢😢. I use 0.21 Powerline as mainline, then attach a hook length from the Preston pre tied 12 XSH to 0.17. You could fish 0.19 but I know that 0.17 won’t break my pole if I hook a fouler. No shot are put on the line.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPR0qmWFttLhoEIYRJ0yWR1NNPjqjgyFD94MNVICOAwORvuNl7lc8DbTNlNhRUiZYjbMq2QRcaUj_FUdIF690Rpa1sa_si7bu3-4ZNO6XvsF6xPLQUz0hX7ET4_eDkICX7num8JndAeJvrefH1RQfjjmttdRhEi2M7PvNd7i7KgBJFpfvFER_MKqOpx0E/s4032/IMG_6470.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPR0qmWFttLhoEIYRJ0yWR1NNPjqjgyFD94MNVICOAwORvuNl7lc8DbTNlNhRUiZYjbMq2QRcaUj_FUdIF690Rpa1sa_si7bu3-4ZNO6XvsF6xPLQUz0hX7ET4_eDkICX7num8JndAeJvrefH1RQfjjmttdRhEi2M7PvNd7i7KgBJFpfvFER_MKqOpx0E/s320/IMG_6470.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7ELXCUd-mfgXpIHgvCpOsIHPoaXNgcJ7-Qq7XsA50sYfvpEfqg96-h7_NwPtB6NQuj4eoGyW1Efsi976dr2y0NUKmvs3pZDfiEIzJz02QbmQCpwP_JFEqu8ovJGzXxERaOiTnrCbwgFrvUEIdGhqBr6OL0hJvutHnt88XqPOQsQFaP4q0YmThnnK9Mw/s4032/IMG_6474.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7ELXCUd-mfgXpIHgvCpOsIHPoaXNgcJ7-Qq7XsA50sYfvpEfqg96-h7_NwPtB6NQuj4eoGyW1Efsi976dr2y0NUKmvs3pZDfiEIzJz02QbmQCpwP_JFEqu8ovJGzXxERaOiTnrCbwgFrvUEIdGhqBr6OL0hJvutHnt88XqPOQsQFaP4q0YmThnnK9Mw/w240-h320/IMG_6474.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Plumbing up is very important, with no shot on the line the paste has to set the float. I plumb to have about 3/4 of the bristle showing. But beware, plumbing and then fishing with paste may give a different result, this is due to silt usually, so be prepared to alter the depth first drop, it’s worth getting right. Also as your match progresses you will have to push the float up as feeding fish scour out the silt, so don’t fish too short a line above the float.</p><p>Now to get the paste out to your required distance you need a pole pot to put it in. The depth of the venue will have a big impact on where the pot goes. The position of the pot from the end of your pole is important to stop the rig from tangling as you ship out. Too close to the tip and it’s tangle time, too far away and it can make the line too tight and feeding tricky. Now this is important, when you put your initial pot of feed of pellets in with your cupping kit do not ship to the end of the pole. If you do this, then go out with your paste when you tip the paste pot over it will be short of the feed! Last week at viaduct my Preston paste pot down from the end of my pole by about the same length as my dolly butt. When I started I fed the pellets when I got to the end of the normal pole section, then when I shipped out with paste I shipped to the end of the dolly butt, tipped the paste out, then slid the pole back to the end of the normal section so my pole was above the float. It helps if you put the float in the right spot too, otherwise it will sink and only pop up when in the right place. You must avoid lifting the float jerkily, this will knock the paste off the hook.</p><p>Now the fun part begins, trying to hit the bites. With carp you are looking for a very positive bite, a very fast movement on the float, usually the float disappears in a blink of the eye. Slow movements are usually liners and the float can go out of sight and reappear, if it’s sits well then it was a liner, if the float pops right up like the paste has come off then strike. It’s either a bite or the paste did come off.</p><p>Skimmers often but not exclusively give lovely lift bites. They can cause lots of liners and some are even bites sometimes, it’s suck it and see. Some days you have spells you pull your hair out missing bites, there’s not much you can do to change things other than how you feed. Obviously this is the hard part, sometimes big potting top ups are great, and other times filling your paste pot with feed pellets is great.</p><p>The size of your paste is again trial and error, I have used pea size up to a big 50p piece, but generally start on a pear drop size piece. Just get a piece of paste, lay the hook in it and then fold the paste over. I like a flatter end to sit on the bottom and point above the hook.</p><p>I think that about covers it, like everything else you do need to practice it. You can get some serious fizzing over your feed when fishing paste, when only odd carp are coming in sometimes you literally can watch the fizz heading towards your float, it’s quite entertaining especially when the float whacks under. I hope you can catch a few on the paste, like everything else it has its place on certain days. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnsXpbXEB95BD5d4NBckp6exTg96HRqraLK3OQwvJ1sh5IVdy6w5GHMIEZnzqUGi8ieb9l-BlFD-8q-VwPMBUUtYWq_F5DI_AJRtig5ltOTliTf_GEUqcB23sb6yWLm0f2UNnUtdPDKtROmt4bMQGcuJnYvzrhxmVc13kk777KbbYhenhRquWNbAdm2U/s1800/90192E6C-F68F-4CC9-A515-B8F6C6918A28.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnsXpbXEB95BD5d4NBckp6exTg96HRqraLK3OQwvJ1sh5IVdy6w5GHMIEZnzqUGi8ieb9l-BlFD-8q-VwPMBUUtYWq_F5DI_AJRtig5ltOTliTf_GEUqcB23sb6yWLm0f2UNnUtdPDKtROmt4bMQGcuJnYvzrhxmVc13kk777KbbYhenhRquWNbAdm2U/s320/90192E6C-F68F-4CC9-A515-B8F6C6918A28.jpeg" width="256" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-71552888379007041932023-06-18T14:01:00.002+01:002023-06-18T14:05:42.384+01:00Viaduct Holiday Going Home Day<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Friday going home day, that meant no alarm and so I awoke naturally. Some of us had a last breakfast in M&M cafe and said our goodbyes to Mandy for another year. Back at the lodge I packed my bags and loaded the van, and then we decided to conduct an experiment! Gary had posed the question if you fill a bucket full of water and weigh it and then you put some fish in the bucket (and no water escapes) does the bucket weigh more or not? With no one sure of the answer (though thought it must weigh more) we set the experiment up, caught a few roach put them in the bucket of water, and yes, the bucket weighed more.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvuI5P_VaV2LZS1B2765BA1Aw2Bwnpz_5cmm8pdRhAz_IaC-x3Pd5GKrDTMbDVkwhPfCezdsDiJ6G03srUnEZ23qB4wKp1MatFz3ykyvraqh2aYK7SlUfXCAhQ_2JTuJcNSItmlTV1hNEanOEHlA1hcVjPsyYnONX6Ht1qwR3OsQoGeegtbYYCv8F/s4032/IMG_6449.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvuI5P_VaV2LZS1B2765BA1Aw2Bwnpz_5cmm8pdRhAz_IaC-x3Pd5GKrDTMbDVkwhPfCezdsDiJ6G03srUnEZ23qB4wKp1MatFz3ykyvraqh2aYK7SlUfXCAhQ_2JTuJcNSItmlTV1hNEanOEHlA1hcVjPsyYnONX6Ht1qwR3OsQoGeegtbYYCv8F/s320/IMG_6449.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>After this I wandered over to watch Martin, Chris and Mark pleasure fishing. Chris took my advice and fished paste on a top set on Carey, Mark fished his favourite pellet waggler, and Martin was on Lodge lake giving the paste a go with me passing on tips. Martin had not fished paste all week and had struggled on Campbell lake without it, we told him he needed to get the method in his armoury! He enjoyed himself in the end with plenty of skimmers and carp.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoC5MuwVYGiMo-m0FKGHgMRxOk3R7hDbD10Tmx5dGIAOs2VB91AGHA9SDfUt9ppCRdkKi7-x3_WTOwutWpbtyQGTxyqtcjbDS9oAr12IthCUToD6KmNsszps80NHBjePhjHx676oBE1aEPkXsbB9QhhUHSpFvM23MieFwhkOt4mk19eGpSK6ZFvS3/s4032/IMG_6450.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoC5MuwVYGiMo-m0FKGHgMRxOk3R7hDbD10Tmx5dGIAOs2VB91AGHA9SDfUt9ppCRdkKi7-x3_WTOwutWpbtyQGTxyqtcjbDS9oAr12IthCUToD6KmNsszps80NHBjePhjHx676oBE1aEPkXsbB9QhhUHSpFvM23MieFwhkOt4mk19eGpSK6ZFvS3/s320/IMG_6450.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dycLFsNxDrst6XhescLTsR5Gg_uFQDQxAqV38Q6zFgP_C58ZE1lwBHKEhfVLd0WjIjCBZ53ZuwgmHISYN1sdA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>Can now confirm Martin is a paste head!</p><p>Chris had a lovely day catching many skimmers, carp and a few tench.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkBkX60BrfJ0Bz5ae-CAkcF_YwrRtB5jGTaldQXbF3xtIRkG35JFn9e6AFu5e8c2gegZ20TOjU0OmqngJ33mypkg-xfwEaUBM9VrgC0_4RStR0LnGkWAfQZAIvEG1CTIeQBp-HIL5-SwnglBhUx_K4IqXKwdeUMNyU26AY9pkIkY15_D7etRyJOyV/s4032/IMG_6457.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkBkX60BrfJ0Bz5ae-CAkcF_YwrRtB5jGTaldQXbF3xtIRkG35JFn9e6AFu5e8c2gegZ20TOjU0OmqngJ33mypkg-xfwEaUBM9VrgC0_4RStR0LnGkWAfQZAIvEG1CTIeQBp-HIL5-SwnglBhUx_K4IqXKwdeUMNyU26AY9pkIkY15_D7etRyJOyV/s320/IMG_6457.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Mark got among the Carey carp, but they were crafty buggers lol.</p><p>Eventually I had to pull myself away and get going, I gave the keys back to Mat Long and said thanks and goodbye to him and his Dad Steve, I really need to try to get back for a few open matches I think. I’d had a great week, three second places, a top silvers weight and a team win. Caught nearly 900lb of fish over 6 days. </p><p>Thanks to all the lads who made the trip so great, and to all the fellow anglers I met during the week. Special thanks to Woody for organising the holiday, we’ve discussed a few tweaks for next year, but Somerton residents will still have to put with us for a week 😂</p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-54647619405181457302023-06-18T12:19:00.001+01:002023-06-18T12:19:11.041+01:00Viaduct Holiday Day 6<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Last match of the holiday today and the Costcutter on Campbell. Forgot to put this photo on my day 5 post, it did get a little chilly some nights with a jacket required late on, but Glenn decided to improvise with a sheet lol.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHItxFSFtfAlMjOFKJkEeYyBCv9OiIfX-w3VPFGiQ_AJyiMh1ZM1KUPyonGr7-H1gBG76A2Pr2ANLn8Y7BpVfWqyT4whBXYSOsQpJCuAstNrvZVc5qIXxlOX7wG7BkS-EPVa87hGjpELueLzFDiFB0cWc6ir4LoaAHjZFTO9kq-pDwHwdhuqi7fNe1/s4032/IMG_6436.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHItxFSFtfAlMjOFKJkEeYyBCv9OiIfX-w3VPFGiQ_AJyiMh1ZM1KUPyonGr7-H1gBG76A2Pr2ANLn8Y7BpVfWqyT4whBXYSOsQpJCuAstNrvZVc5qIXxlOX7wG7BkS-EPVa87hGjpELueLzFDiFB0cWc6ir4LoaAHjZFTO9kq-pDwHwdhuqi7fNe1/s320/IMG_6436.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>With another very hot day forecast there was only one thing I was hoping for, and that was a peg in the shade. I was about halfway back in the draw queue and when I got to the famous coffee tin I was amazed to see nearly every peg drawn on the sunny bank. I was well happy when I pulled out 118 and a day in the shade was on, it’s also a nice peg with a bit of room as 117 is never used.</p><p>There’s an overhanging tree branch to my left where the day before Chris Ollis had 50lb of silvers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee8b-0f9bxMX-W-T5xvqeVzyfijluprJfXB7mj0I-RfqYevkRQ6hJAJMx87GEIz870AzGZ-PM2Dddj2aMYCl_BxvR5xnSwquzisgJo81EV-2HN7wRQ-SVW09jkDzGjJ6skxXZaVl4kaW_WtuD-W837dRh6mdQ8oV8_TPSIbEeTvTQtU4avof0HPoE/s4032/IMG_6438.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee8b-0f9bxMX-W-T5xvqeVzyfijluprJfXB7mj0I-RfqYevkRQ6hJAJMx87GEIz870AzGZ-PM2Dddj2aMYCl_BxvR5xnSwquzisgJo81EV-2HN7wRQ-SVW09jkDzGjJ6skxXZaVl4kaW_WtuD-W837dRh6mdQ8oV8_TPSIbEeTvTQtU4avof0HPoE/s320/IMG_6438.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>There’s also an inviting looking margin which is behind the platform, I intended to fish this at top set plus one on my margin pole. Although Chris hadn’t caught a carp here yesterday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tX1cQfU07m4MAx-E0WgaAvx9x6qxPfdP8oy8nd529IhXrKYuIWoai4nVD_q4qz_NCA7kWDnGDHQruoldo4s_Dm0iwwfG2vF8mUlJSqnD4GH4mRwVbbgri4lwed3Q04SgIkfh4mmfc8ov3neDIleOeS6rnR9b7V_0wBkyFJ-2yDVzdUiDX_qE_6x5/s4032/IMG_6439.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tX1cQfU07m4MAx-E0WgaAvx9x6qxPfdP8oy8nd529IhXrKYuIWoai4nVD_q4qz_NCA7kWDnGDHQruoldo4s_Dm0iwwfG2vF8mUlJSqnD4GH4mRwVbbgri4lwed3Q04SgIkfh4mmfc8ov3neDIleOeS6rnR9b7V_0wBkyFJ-2yDVzdUiDX_qE_6x5/s320/IMG_6439.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>As this was a cost cutter fishing for carp or silvers was ok as the payout is the same for both. After yesterday’s skimmer bonanza I was up for fishing for them again. I put up my faithful paste rig again for fishing under the tree and also at 11.5m, just a couple of inches difference in depth. A mugging / shallow rig was set up but not used, and a 4x14 edge float with 0.17 to 12 XSH. I had Glenn on my right on 119 which he didn’t fancy at all, Woody was on my left on 116. Adrian Jeffrey was back on this match and he had moved from one end bank to the other and was on 121.</p><p>I started the match on the paste under the tree, I had 3 quick skimmers and thought here we go, but that was the end of that. I’d already fed a pot of 4mm pellets out long so was soon out here fishing paste. The skimmers were feeding here and showing themselves by the fizzing. It wasn’t as good as yesterday, I missed lots of bites for some reason and it was frustrating at times, but I stuck with it. I was feeding very little trying to keep the carp at bay as I was happy catching skimmers but of course one or two carp put in an appearance. Glenn was really struggling to catch, and Woody didn’t have much either, but on 115 Gary Bowden was seemingly doing well catching carp and skimmers.</p><p>I guess it was about just gone halfway when the carp became more active and the skimmers moved off. I had no clue what was being caught further down the lake, but could see opposite was poor, so I changed tactics and upped the feed for carp. I caught a couple and then as the match went on I fed heavy by the tree with 4mm pellets and this brought the carp here too. It was those tricky to catch them, despite me not feeding regularly some carp were coming into the area shallow and knocking the line and the paste off. I did get a few carp here though. </p><p>About 90 minutes to go I fed the margin with a big pot of micro pellets, left it for 15 minutes then had 3 small carp from there on double worm. Two skimmers followed so I fed again and tried elsewhere. Five minutes before the all out I hooked a decent carp in the margin, after getting it out of the danger zone I took my time with it. But it came off whilst playing it in front of the nets, it snapped the hook length, guess I should have been on 0.19. That was the end of the match.</p><p>With the weighing in starting at 110 I had plenty of time to pack up, and as Glenn had already gone home I popped down to see the others. Woody said he had about 80lb, but Gary was admitting to 180lb and worried that his skimmers in one net might go over the 50lb limit! When the scales got to me I weighed my skimmers first, they went 44lb 7oz. Adding my carp to this, my total weight went 160lb 8oz. Woody had 93lb and was chip shopped when Gary plonked 197lb on the board, his skimmers went 47lb 4oz so he was safe and won the match overall.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2OVqpKsK-xPoizPhlQ2lP5ZFL5Nc4I8Jc0YSrPEym8dCcEg6ztqC7CYq7LaqwIXGwuHtymPgMiC7ynCOzuH1-HmuTQp0oGatoHL2v_bxITjFRn2KaGWypLGG-OSeHHGqCfQEmmHR8EoE6H4c5oNYHqyf_7ALHPW_ESCenH03r8pMF1hfxBNvwhyO/s4032/IMG_6441.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2OVqpKsK-xPoizPhlQ2lP5ZFL5Nc4I8Jc0YSrPEym8dCcEg6ztqC7CYq7LaqwIXGwuHtymPgMiC7ynCOzuH1-HmuTQp0oGatoHL2v_bxITjFRn2KaGWypLGG-OSeHHGqCfQEmmHR8EoE6H4c5oNYHqyf_7ALHPW_ESCenH03r8pMF1hfxBNvwhyO/s320/IMG_6441.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>I was second overall so another pick up, silvers was won with 79lb 8oz by Rob Eagle, all on casters.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Nm06fRXgO8uu7laCayJQohDrzqMdI3dy0MmfiZLkH6GcSLjT4e44ixmXUNGLYMxZQsNjavyg3-6DUz8e-2ns4GDZog4hUfPWkUTDFT0rHO5MCp40U8I_lPvpb0QxyrgKIZSksKDhf_2xgNkdxTOCmi0CZOgg4GUZReQ2K8kLEwwOUFvRklGAIpDy/s4032/IMG_6444.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Nm06fRXgO8uu7laCayJQohDrzqMdI3dy0MmfiZLkH6GcSLjT4e44ixmXUNGLYMxZQsNjavyg3-6DUz8e-2ns4GDZog4hUfPWkUTDFT0rHO5MCp40U8I_lPvpb0QxyrgKIZSksKDhf_2xgNkdxTOCmi0CZOgg4GUZReQ2K8kLEwwOUFvRklGAIpDy/s320/IMG_6444.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Final night and a meal at the Globe followed by a few beers back at the Lodge. There had been some debate about snoring in the other Lodge, with Martin Rayet saying he couldn’t sleep if room mate Mark Tanner got to sleep before him. He resorted to drastic measures to get some sleep…..,</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeUXU7Rp8LwcAah7rUncTOUT2p_X0tBmaZycC8kBasETpomTejlStxiNrKe_S43glu1ssUjtzcJIq7hTXpq76fzLLI7qk9AVKLdZBNL6QcPi_lDA2ykN7YMefStKIVqLOw2SHXqTGwaQnotN-RjgK6EW-zJfiR33-Xo944bi2uT1szDdLWOMD2mpw/s4032/IMG_6446.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeUXU7Rp8LwcAah7rUncTOUT2p_X0tBmaZycC8kBasETpomTejlStxiNrKe_S43glu1ssUjtzcJIq7hTXpq76fzLLI7qk9AVKLdZBNL6QcPi_lDA2ykN7YMefStKIVqLOw2SHXqTGwaQnotN-RjgK6EW-zJfiR33-Xo944bi2uT1szDdLWOMD2mpw/s320/IMG_6446.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>The holiday had gone very fast but was as enjoyable as ever. No more matches but one more day to catch on in the next post.</p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-32526650353458971662023-06-17T16:48:00.008+01:002023-06-18T11:12:59.011+01:00Viaduct Holiday Day 5<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Wednesday and no open matches today, but the fishery management Steve and Mat Long, allowed us to use Campbell lake as long as we paid a peg fee. With nine of us we again decided for a friendly team match, teams of 3 of course today. The teams were determined by the pegs we drew, so as the anglers went round the lake each peg was A B C then A B C, hope that makes sense. My team mates today were Mark Tanner on flyer 116, Glenn on 130 (next to where I was yesterday) and I was on 124. 124 had been awful all week but I had plenty of room with 123 and 125 left out, but still wasn’t too upbeat if I’m honest, and also it meant another day of frying in the sun with no shade. I was envious of those on the opposite bank.<p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UIrU0XCVeQ7TY503Fm45HdQKHu2fT8gBLqMsijQ87X2y144Ytw8uL0msVYWMqPWt8nqKyZ-t7RORgTjrJIdnbWFcm3ZGk67R-2pV3GyGzrh7IXykoWZRR6nH5iNBqKW0C-x80l1Km5ANxE5ItesWrVehl_yZyxi1R8Z-Pg2wI4SnJRANIA9WzGAa/s4032/IMG_6416.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UIrU0XCVeQ7TY503Fm45HdQKHu2fT8gBLqMsijQ87X2y144Ytw8uL0msVYWMqPWt8nqKyZ-t7RORgTjrJIdnbWFcm3ZGk67R-2pV3GyGzrh7IXykoWZRR6nH5iNBqKW0C-x80l1Km5ANxE5ItesWrVehl_yZyxi1R8Z-Pg2wI4SnJRANIA9WzGAa/s320/IMG_6416.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>For me it was a case of setting up the same rigs as the day before, but till now I’d not mugged a carp or caught more than one in the Campbell margin. Gordon was on my right on 126, he couldn’t get away from this area all week and really had poor draws, and Gary Bowden was on 121 and could see a lot of carp in front of him.</p><p>I decided to fish the paste at 13m today, and was well happy when my chosen spot began to fizz immediately and I had a skimmer first drop. A couple more skimmers and then my first carp, and this was my best start to a match this week. After the first hour I reckon I had 25lb of skimmers on paste and the one carp, but that was behind Gary who was getting plenty of carp. Still I ploughed on as the skimmers were ravenous and I was really enjoying catching them.</p><p>Another hour gone and a couple of carp interrupted the skimmers. Normally I get a phone call from Glenn if he’s struggling but not today, so I called him and he told me he was catching carp steadily, well done team mate, he was shocked when I said I had 60lb and 40lb of that was skimmers. I kept thinking the skimmers would disappear but they didn’t until after 4 hours when the carp decided to get in on the act. I did feed the margins but saw no signs so carried on with the paste.</p><p>I was on three nets for skimmers and two for carp when the match ended. A very busy day with just a couple of quiet spells, goodness knows how many times I shipped in and out with my hands burning on the red hot pole 😂.</p><p>When the scales got to me Glenn was top with 227lb, Gordon struggled to get 81lb and then on my turn my carp went 97lb 12oz and my skimmers 107lb 10oz for a total of 205lb 6oz. Gary would surpass that with 215lb . We were the top 3.</p><p>Undoubtedly my best ever bag of skimmers and all on the paste. That made my heart skip a few beats too 😂</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZXyhlalQSLl2Kpl-l50o6_QDq3lBGIgNFx7GX1mTNZaWRCqKKl9rZQOe4il--aMByK7o5rU0Bh5If3GJcTKUKYD5DvIbE6glZ3VBfJ1oSpLBm39fkdGtFTnWyH1ljh4IXkcG9aYthWzTEVNtPW0TuN6E64FwRpkRd9QX9FnydHwr_1Sj1pXGDFvJ/s4032/IMG_6433.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZXyhlalQSLl2Kpl-l50o6_QDq3lBGIgNFx7GX1mTNZaWRCqKKl9rZQOe4il--aMByK7o5rU0Bh5If3GJcTKUKYD5DvIbE6glZ3VBfJ1oSpLBm39fkdGtFTnWyH1ljh4IXkcG9aYthWzTEVNtPW0TuN6E64FwRpkRd9QX9FnydHwr_1Sj1pXGDFvJ/s320/IMG_6433.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>On the team front we had a mare… Glenn lost 6lb by going over in one net, and we’re not sure if Mark Tanner actually faced the right way catching 12lb of 116 🙈🙈. We lost the team match by 5lb 🙈🙈 that’s the way it goes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S3REOpIc2ZzHbt_ujZ2PE66GqprLbAkSp7jPaWREYUn1gXdECRegnNVZTvGtsm65NV9vnM_I7ywEifTz7I9_tWVPZpsjjxn5LPz2-ntgDjmMKyvh3g_bzadDpa3fqXvPIDGe_UfLgcm_SSACtvkMGeb8dY4BbygakmTdstESn-i7KeE6hYkrdXw-/s1024/1c572c05-4e5c-4f34-8b73-fa63b6e83e2d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S3REOpIc2ZzHbt_ujZ2PE66GqprLbAkSp7jPaWREYUn1gXdECRegnNVZTvGtsm65NV9vnM_I7ywEifTz7I9_tWVPZpsjjxn5LPz2-ntgDjmMKyvh3g_bzadDpa3fqXvPIDGe_UfLgcm_SSACtvkMGeb8dY4BbygakmTdstESn-i7KeE6hYkrdXw-/s320/1c572c05-4e5c-4f34-8b73-fa63b6e83e2d.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>As you can see the skimmers had a good munch today, and Lee Masey had 81lb of them on worm and caster.</p><p>Wednesday night meant curry night, not sure what was hotter the curry or the restaurant itself 🥵. Still we all enjoyed the food that’s for sure, and after 1 pint in the Unicorn we returned to the Lodge for more fun and banter.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-42057913781858418902023-06-17T15:49:00.001+01:002023-06-17T15:49:08.630+01:00Viaduct Holiday day 4<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> It was Tuesday and we were fishing the open match on Campbell lake. The night before we had been debating where a good draw would be, and believed the wind would be blowing into 132 so that was the favourite. I was close to this when I pulled out 131 and with 130 left out (as only 16 fishing) I had a bit of room, also the lad on 129 “Rocky” was fishing for silvers. Howard Webb inventor of Sillybait was the one who got 132, a good angler and I already had him down as the winner in my head.<p></p><p>The day started badly for Woody when the axle on his motorised trolley snapped, meaning he had to borrow wheels of another angler once they had got to their peg.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblgWtEYd_WCObrQ3gLAZQypaS3vS5QhCg5opNeyT3LGA234MH36qT-AD6ufPFrsCVDbbGIkWUPahLyyRKXR4hj8_EXD0lKvXze2CqIRtoxC6zuKQ00b9a6gYZjIXY9_JOSfGWPngqmtWfDpX7JOAMVWo32mPkA6faJ6BhI-oU8ABcfhDHgoAbMcNO/s4032/IMG_6409.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblgWtEYd_WCObrQ3gLAZQypaS3vS5QhCg5opNeyT3LGA234MH36qT-AD6ufPFrsCVDbbGIkWUPahLyyRKXR4hj8_EXD0lKvXze2CqIRtoxC6zuKQ00b9a6gYZjIXY9_JOSfGWPngqmtWfDpX7JOAMVWo32mPkA6faJ6BhI-oU8ABcfhDHgoAbMcNO/s320/IMG_6409.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>The only downside to my peg today would be sitting in the sun with no shade, so a hot day ahead. I had now discounted fishing for silvers due to my previous attempts and it was all out carp. Only a few rigs, a mugger rig, paste rig 0.17 to 12 XSH and margin rig 4x12 edge with 0.17 to 12 XSH. Howard set up two lead rods and was clear on his approach, and he started well with a carp first cast! My paste approach appeared to be not so good as I had no fizzes and no bites for 35 minutes or so before a skimmer got me off the mark. Howard had another carp but wasn’t flying but then he kept nicking odd carp. I joked with him that I was known as the comeback kid but honestly I was just expecting a battering.</p><p>Two hours into the match and after a decent run on skimmers the carp started to slowly put in an appearance. But it seemed every time I hooked a carp so did Howard, and though I was catching I couldn’t make in roads on his lead of about 60lb (Howard’s estimate). About this time there was a load bang as Glenn’s 13m section snapped in half, ouch!</p><p>My peg got stronger as the match went on and I was really enjoying catching on the paste, I’d not had many foulers or lost fish, and had changed one hook length all match. Howard got snapped up twice and it did allow me to gain a couple of fish back. When the match finished I was really happy about the day, not only the fishing but the company as Howard was great to talk to.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMXUYsZLNCcWkL3mBUUWwMU0F7nMubOnapdCZu1ZuSaIuBpSrDzteNkqBdO2dnOzH9NA5Pe7DfqZq7AwsPApJqilJufl-esiAx-bUDh1Kt6zToeFIBD_k4-8YXoTsNPlsYIc3QoXsNb2hygtBqlhJdCw68gdHw_MOHEkEE4CdD6W-mJDQhqVjALtS/s4032/IMG_6401.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMXUYsZLNCcWkL3mBUUWwMU0F7nMubOnapdCZu1ZuSaIuBpSrDzteNkqBdO2dnOzH9NA5Pe7DfqZq7AwsPApJqilJufl-esiAx-bUDh1Kt6zToeFIBD_k4-8YXoTsNPlsYIc3QoXsNb2hygtBqlhJdCw68gdHw_MOHEkEE4CdD6W-mJDQhqVjALtS/s320/IMG_6401.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Howard was first to weigh and had an impressive 197lb 14oz. My silvers went 25lb and when added to my carp I was surprised and a little gutted when I weighed 197lb 4oz, just 10oz between us. This lead Howard to say I was very nearly the comeback kid lol. As it turned out we were first and second on the day with Dave White 3rd with 180lb from in form peg 116.</p><p>Howard buying a new landing net after one of his broke.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIkZbxN0ue6t61uC_xif5MX2eAUwOGcizXiwMhNYkJl8gXL3cAHL2aeZicia9k9smQ8G-jD3MiXOUxxnoOv2NPLExB1qQvG-DksFNWDE40DIuY9uG2MerUkTZQWABZobEl45SSxZCLRXolFKOgQbzKsDIOj72uf7u0DuEhJKzMjfsgCCEyr31fCEZ/s4032/IMG_6405.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIkZbxN0ue6t61uC_xif5MX2eAUwOGcizXiwMhNYkJl8gXL3cAHL2aeZicia9k9smQ8G-jD3MiXOUxxnoOv2NPLExB1qQvG-DksFNWDE40DIuY9uG2MerUkTZQWABZobEl45SSxZCLRXolFKOgQbzKsDIOj72uf7u0DuEhJKzMjfsgCCEyr31fCEZ/s320/IMG_6405.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Silvers weights were way lower today, with Luke Broderick needing just 36lb 13oz to win by just 11oz! Close all around today then!</p><p>All lodge mates were feeling a little jaded today and it was a much quieter night where we debated many things including snoring, some lodge mates were having their ears and sleep affected by unnamed snorers lol. Unfortunately for me I have been having some strange issues with my heart of recent, an was wearing a special heart monitor, during the night and early morning I suffered with a pounding and irregular heartbeat which caused me to be awake as it makes me breathless and feel uneasy. Hopefully the monitor will have picked that up and help the consultant to get to the root cause.</p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-86384473503350668832023-06-17T14:53:00.000+01:002023-06-17T14:53:41.546+01:00Viaduct Holiday day 3<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Monday meant our traditional Lodge residents match on Lodge lake. We were now joined by Mark Tanner for the rest of the week and Geoff Francis came just to fish this match. Over too much beer the night before I floated the idea of making this a team match, and that’s what we did. My team consisted of Geoff peg 68, Martin peg 71 and Gary peg 73, Gordon peg 53, I was on 64 on the monk peg and could see all of my team mates on the far side.<p></p><p>Having fished this peg a couple of times before and always had more than 100lb I was very happy. As the match was going to be decided on weight I only set up for carp, so a paste rig for 11m, banded pellet rig 11m down RH margin, and an edge float for the LH margin. I use 0.17 hook lengths on my rigs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvZG0MSAhMgTyeLZrwRx-knpazYXDjdgv4es53trAv3On3JhNDHKTI2l_3Pc6Qsv-BqaOVrpYM6cmtlosLaEUFIDbKohdAGsOxdslUzkm1tm8KdUvoRqdE5rNNuou-qy7v5iWiZabq9X8dtVys-lHl7LlJrDi30lvaol2cqv4U6dlNf7hTwd03rpD/s4032/IMG_6394.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvZG0MSAhMgTyeLZrwRx-knpazYXDjdgv4es53trAv3On3JhNDHKTI2l_3Pc6Qsv-BqaOVrpYM6cmtlosLaEUFIDbKohdAGsOxdslUzkm1tm8KdUvoRqdE5rNNuou-qy7v5iWiZabq9X8dtVys-lHl7LlJrDi30lvaol2cqv4U6dlNf7hTwd03rpD/s320/IMG_6394.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>As you can see in the picture to fish the RH margin you need to fish inside of the monk. I began on the paste rig today, I had bites from the off from skimmers and was happy to put something in the net. Lee Masey opposite me on 66 had nothing in front of him and so went down to his margin and started catching carp straight away. I did manage a few small stocky carp on the paste but despite catching skimmers regularly I thought I had to go down to the margin to try to stay with Lee. This was ok to start with on banded pellet but I soon began to suffer liners and foulers. I tried shallow but never got a bite, back to depth and mainly foulers. Then I started to catch branches, and I soon realised this was probably my issue.</p><p>I could see that my team mates were doing well but I was letting them down, I spent far too much time in the margin chasing fish catching branches. I was having a torrid time not helped by Lee getting one a bung. I tried the paste again and managed 1 decent carp, and also found 2 carp in the LH margin, but it was not enough and I limped home having had a poor day. Had I had a rake I may have been able to clear the margin of branches and then caught the carp that were clearly there.</p><p>As it turned out my side of the lake had fished poor compared to the opposite side. That was in my team’s favour and we won the competition 589lb to 469lb.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGkwuzCJ4mKb1-yAfK7jp3PtmOLKssL6B-RRR-uuRcUreWnDz9g4Zoa4zlpSOAuMbzKcRaMONrDwAHyx4hCbpE7olFDfO50HOdh7OVP9LxljAuv_jPyLQDHY8fYottJXxsKAyxzo7nO0jW9zgOVMkskA57ueQ8x09bvIdm3xgUN-gTYfSvBGyUtlx/s4032/IMG_6397.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGkwuzCJ4mKb1-yAfK7jp3PtmOLKssL6B-RRR-uuRcUreWnDz9g4Zoa4zlpSOAuMbzKcRaMONrDwAHyx4hCbpE7olFDfO50HOdh7OVP9LxljAuv_jPyLQDHY8fYottJXxsKAyxzo7nO0jW9zgOVMkskA57ueQ8x09bvIdm3xgUN-gTYfSvBGyUtlx/s320/IMG_6397.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Lee was easy winner with 209lb and fished a great match. He had a strange caterpillar nest behind him, which I believe belongs to a small eggar moth.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd0_AFIywH82ld_ETHSvscQG3FFlTmuHrAC0Ilio5WModQNy0dIFbdmAVRSLqwj2mz1kFvfYPJpk7NZNKih5tTwGX2dEgvphbIOdyap4tOFAvJUW3dM8A7DjH-wzC_s9XV4OT0d0FIibSbJwuNe7JOjdrUIY_5Pkl-WFb2SKKZ_Ap7Jf7bloxnsmZ/s4032/IMG_6396.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd0_AFIywH82ld_ETHSvscQG3FFlTmuHrAC0Ilio5WModQNy0dIFbdmAVRSLqwj2mz1kFvfYPJpk7NZNKih5tTwGX2dEgvphbIOdyap4tOFAvJUW3dM8A7DjH-wzC_s9XV4OT0d0FIibSbJwuNe7JOjdrUIY_5Pkl-WFb2SKKZ_Ap7Jf7bloxnsmZ/s320/IMG_6396.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>We retired back to the lodge’s enjoying the evening sunshine, we decided to stay there and ordered some takeaway food and sip on the beer we all had with us. Hard to put into words how relaxing it is sitting in the fantastic scenery surrounded by wildlife. It was the next day before we headed to bed.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fzS_ezyK7HCD8RAFv4wRU8A7_pNB5TbONa3SaBPxWqtEOW-azJi-iCheLWULf2YujfrP-lOrufKGasRbc2lGYnN8Ni7wBLf3b3Xy9HeGTZbsQcgWmvKn5XKXS8GaR8Z5mVHsT_3YVJB042AlIt8j4tgRS8pEDRLxzYwjWvGEJRAXzMc5guFq_583/s3316/IMG_6399.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3316" data-original-width="2938" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fzS_ezyK7HCD8RAFv4wRU8A7_pNB5TbONa3SaBPxWqtEOW-azJi-iCheLWULf2YujfrP-lOrufKGasRbc2lGYnN8Ni7wBLf3b3Xy9HeGTZbsQcgWmvKn5XKXS8GaR8Z5mVHsT_3YVJB042AlIt8j4tgRS8pEDRLxzYwjWvGEJRAXzMc5guFq_583/s320/IMG_6399.jpeg" width="284" /></a></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-29046853300989245962023-06-17T14:04:00.001+01:002023-06-17T14:04:44.338+01:00Viaduct Holiday day 2<p> I must confess to feeling a tad muzzy Sunday morning, but it was a feeling shared by all of us in the lodges, think we all got a bit over indulgent on our first night. We were on another Campbell open, again a sell out. I drew peg 110 which had produced 50lb of silvers the day before and I was told had not much carp form, and with Adrian Jeffrey on peg 135 this usually affects peg 110, so silvers attack again to start I thought. </p><p>Adrian sat on 135 as the scum blew in.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwP02rOW_S-x2T28gjWuEqdHOZCLBtpjVxnpt1HczlNtMB1YNUP5_jcEU5nfScGj4Wstb-K3vYxu2O0ewDlPYdArqyY-uq6DTK5SbGfSt8aOFaeS6mxW1k1SJY1Dp0P-KOPUmIijT2kb5F9TuzffxLbxbyrehd-8quVIuYnnetotrr86k91J3OFSH/s4032/IMG_6391.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwP02rOW_S-x2T28gjWuEqdHOZCLBtpjVxnpt1HczlNtMB1YNUP5_jcEU5nfScGj4Wstb-K3vYxu2O0ewDlPYdArqyY-uq6DTK5SbGfSt8aOFaeS6mxW1k1SJY1Dp0P-KOPUmIijT2kb5F9TuzffxLbxbyrehd-8quVIuYnnetotrr86k91J3OFSH/s320/IMG_6391.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My rigs set up today were the same silvers rigs, pellet rig for 13m down the LH margin, and the paste rig was readied from the start.<div><br /></div><div>I started for the silvers again, but once again I failed miserably to muster more than a handful of small skimmers in the first hour. Meanwhile opposite me 4 anglers in a row we’re catching silvers steady and next door on 111 Gary Bowden was getting big skimmers on paste. I followed suit and got on the paste, but couldn’t believe it when I couldn’t get any indications. Gary was still catching and his peg was fizzing, mine was devoid of fish it appeared. A look down the margin produced one foul hooked carp which I landed and nothing more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back out on the paste and I saw my first fizz, told Gary this and 20 seconds later my first bite and landed a carp. 10 minutes later I repeated the process, but it was a flash in the pan. With less than 2 hours left I had just 20lb and had been mainly kept amused by watching the guys opposite getting plagued by carp, Nige Bartlett in particular was having a torrid time. However, much like yesterday my peg sprang into life on the paste line and I started getting carp, it coincided with Gary’s paste line dying, so guess the carp moved. I made a good charge to the end of the match, but with Gary getting a few late carp I thought I was still way behind him.</div><div><br /></div><div>My fish weighed 125lb 4oz, nearly the same as yesterday, so I was consistent lol. Gary just pipped me by one fish to weigh 132lb 15oz, and he got the section money to leave me without a pick up today. Winner was in no doubt in my mind when Dan Squires drew 116 which won the day before, he didn’t disappoint and won with 190lb.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNZCtRoe-D5gtS_qveOFu3VYfLmzypBL15rUqZX9HU09tLJVFOK0-5kirDF5lEmBUsbZkAJ7OuPfCMjeioWhOUviQT8SAUxOSNzlrkj11omX_DXPboUK1QypF_bQahyX8Al-jJFWdjTDjJGtbGYDI7BXuWuKtwNy2eSVNLEnMhFsjoVuga-Kq0Lgn/s1440/IMG_6460.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1084" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNZCtRoe-D5gtS_qveOFu3VYfLmzypBL15rUqZX9HU09tLJVFOK0-5kirDF5lEmBUsbZkAJ7OuPfCMjeioWhOUviQT8SAUxOSNzlrkj11omX_DXPboUK1QypF_bQahyX8Al-jJFWdjTDjJGtbGYDI7BXuWuKtwNy2eSVNLEnMhFsjoVuga-Kq0Lgn/s320/IMG_6460.jpeg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><div>Another Viaduct regular Phil Hardwick was second with 142lb of peg 118. Silvers was won today by Chris Albiston with a fantastic 83lb 12oz of skimmers on peg 115. </div><div><img height="320" src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/053837d6-0c0e-49d0-8ad2-b2b2653a1afe" width="240" /><br /><p>Back to the Globe for a roast dinner which we had preordered and it was to my liking. The lads joked that on the last two days I had been the comeback kid with my late bagging, with Gary suggesting I was like red rum galloping to the finish line 😂. Of course I’d like to be able to catch some fish in the first 4 hours if possible! </p><p><br /></p></div>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-72847158653320760712023-06-17T12:47:00.002+01:002023-06-17T15:11:00.484+01:00Viaduct Fishery Holiday Day 1<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> I really look forward to this holiday and cannot wait for it to come round. Takes a bit of thinking about and preparation for 6 matches, and certainly fills the van up! Bit of a challenge getting to the fishery on time, but just made it, paid my pools and quickly greeted the rest of the lads. Martyn Woodington, Glenn Bailey, Gary Bowden, Lee Masey, Martin Rayet, Gordon Cannings and Chris Ollis were all on the holiday.<p></p><p>First match was the Saturday open on Campbell and it was a 21 peg sell out, I was looking forward to fishing for skimmers if I drew a decent peg. I pulled out peg 121, it’s on the top bank on its own with corner pegs 119 and 123 either side. I’ve drawn it before and done ok on carp but never won off it or bagged a lot of silvers, but Nick Ewers told me 40lb of skimmers had come off the peg in the week.</p><p>You get a good view of the lake from this peg.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMA3ZXy0Pz3iZxyX3DPbRtEV0TXjEY1Bfg2IYsnLa7i0vbhsZ65iocHsLU1Bes5gp9po4J6DVgtNViVtAc7QM_bXnGcS9EQYpLmYEmXtAsk4XbE47QfR9JBo02lybaXHihBUuWWpzdaEx2GPIu1e6HKREDSBnOQlS6C4o57KE7rplq8f0VRQPHZrAA/s4032/IMG_6388.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMA3ZXy0Pz3iZxyX3DPbRtEV0TXjEY1Bfg2IYsnLa7i0vbhsZ65iocHsLU1Bes5gp9po4J6DVgtNViVtAc7QM_bXnGcS9EQYpLmYEmXtAsk4XbE47QfR9JBo02lybaXHihBUuWWpzdaEx2GPIu1e6HKREDSBnOQlS6C4o57KE7rplq8f0VRQPHZrAA/s320/IMG_6388.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>I had messaged Stu White in the week to get an insight into how to approach catching the skimmers, and I was armed with worms, casters, maggots and groundbait. I set up 4x14 and 4x16 rigs with 0.12 to 16 SFLB. A 4x12 with same for fishing in the margins. I also set up a shallow rig for carp, and a mugging rig too.</p><p>Matches here are fished 10:30 to 4:30, and at the start I fed for silvers at 5m and 10m, and decided to start fishing at 5m. I put double red maggot on the hook and hoped for a quick bite, and it didn’t take long for the float to go under but a carp was hooked. I was about to net it and the hook came out. Went back out but it was quiet so tried the other lines, but all I could get was the odd roach.</p><p>After 40 minutes and just 1 skimmer I changed to look for carp fishing shallow. There were carp here coming to the 6mm pellets but in 45 minutes I never had a bite! Back on silvers then, but just one skimmer and out of the blue a tench in the margin, but I was going nowhere. Three hours in and I had a carp, at this stage peg 119 had 2 carp, pegs 123 and 124 had 1 carp each. I noticed a few carp started swirling down to my right by a tree, so a change of plan required, I got out a hard pellet rig and started feeding 6mms there. I also found out that Glenn Bailey and Gary Bowden were getting a few carp on paste, so I got a paste rig out and turned some of my gbait into a paste.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZf5gJrexdLp0NRS-p1x61AZa_WrL88FsUTXUNe31XNFiAi1I20-AysAuKuAtwr_ZoxXt5zgZXsIzdEfdYnwVyJoqos0oBqw3TcvoXeOMIqo0nhCtOzBPyq4SqRedvcFkFAAH-AbGDq-RFnDZa8ouLQOl7EcTtd2rif5ZaDUH9hRXEE6EEcOMTPmv/s4032/IMG_6389.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZf5gJrexdLp0NRS-p1x61AZa_WrL88FsUTXUNe31XNFiAi1I20-AysAuKuAtwr_ZoxXt5zgZXsIzdEfdYnwVyJoqos0oBqw3TcvoXeOMIqo0nhCtOzBPyq4SqRedvcFkFAAH-AbGDq-RFnDZa8ouLQOl7EcTtd2rif5ZaDUH9hRXEE6EEcOMTPmv/s320/IMG_6389.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Fishing first down to the tree and there was instant signs on the float and I picked a good few carp here, at the same time Martyn Woodington on 123 caught in his margin. We both caught for about an hour here then we both stopped catching. I reckon I had about 40lb with 1 hour and 45 minutes left, but then the carp rocked up on the paste line and I caught them steady till the end of the match and knew I had over 100lb.</p><p>The Match was won by Lee Masey on peg 116 with 150lb 6oz, he caught mostly carp in his left hand margin. I was second with 126lb. Silvers was won by Nick Hargreaves with a great 63lb of skimmers.</p><p><img height="320" src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/6639c590-d843-4146-bd75-883e1ac7c0c7" width="240" /></p><p>A great start for me and some beer money, which was soon spent in the globe that evening lol.</p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-15747467893506909122023-06-04T21:48:00.000+01:002023-06-04T21:48:02.984+01:00Windmill Fishery Open<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">After an enforced break for a few weeks due to family engagements (including my wedding anniversary) I was back to fishing this Sunday. Friday though I was lucky to enjoy hospitality at Gloucester cricket club for my eldest daughter’s birthday. Glos won which made the evening even more special. Saturday afternoon was spent tying rigs, hooks and elasticating top sets, not just for Sunday but for my up coming week away at Viaduct Fishery.</span></div><p></p><p>I was awake before my alarm Sunday and that meant I got to Wetherspoons in good time for my breakfast. Arrived at the fishery in good time and plenty of anglers there as there were 21 fishing meaning tight pegging. I was near the front of the queue to draw and was soon looking at peg 24 disc. I thought that might be OK, but I was soon told by Kev Winstone that the peg had been one of the worst in recent times with 4 carp the most off it recently. Oh dear, but with wind blowing towards me I thought it might be okay.</p><p>Got to the peg and oh dear.. carp were spawning like mad around the lake, though not really in my peg. But on 25 the reeds were full of carp spawning and Shaun Townsend was on that one, on my right on 23 was good mate Geoff Francis.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMJP_Ti0Yd5Ez25QkhVv1p4R5SB5Bt6Anu0Rt0xHLOPYLaLrUlLwny-XcHMSMkDtAHaQHE-Mpws1pfVNe5mwo0Qega_K1ZKMzh2fsgoJo2n4dMFjpjZ7BnQhLOuzweIH62ou7dNI4trRWCMxvw9JMp6e2Fei3A47pApfKhCTkkxgLNQlx-xWshiFl/s4032/IMG_6381.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMJP_Ti0Yd5Ez25QkhVv1p4R5SB5Bt6Anu0Rt0xHLOPYLaLrUlLwny-XcHMSMkDtAHaQHE-Mpws1pfVNe5mwo0Qega_K1ZKMzh2fsgoJo2n4dMFjpjZ7BnQhLOuzweIH62ou7dNI4trRWCMxvw9JMp6e2Fei3A47pApfKhCTkkxgLNQlx-xWshiFl/s320/IMG_6381.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>My peg had the end of an island and carp were spawning under the bush, I set up a straight lead for here.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8l1VKJVrRSVWvZQGkVQ4zRdilM5GFt-dCXnzeaAyPIhaq-SL_exOFc15o5SOqqyZXMUDqebOKGlT-zV6CutHHjVtlWhp-koNhmpQZo2kX92sXHIC_8X1Z8Sl2H58GAxUut0EDtKMtWAMf_4aIuYvF7DL-_OoypWuzFK9FyJwl5vuSskL1RR_rRYQ/s4032/IMG_6382.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8l1VKJVrRSVWvZQGkVQ4zRdilM5GFt-dCXnzeaAyPIhaq-SL_exOFc15o5SOqqyZXMUDqebOKGlT-zV6CutHHjVtlWhp-koNhmpQZo2kX92sXHIC_8X1Z8Sl2H58GAxUut0EDtKMtWAMf_4aIuYvF7DL-_OoypWuzFK9FyJwl5vuSskL1RR_rRYQ/s320/IMG_6382.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>The RH margin looked ok and depth was not as deep as expected, but the foliage was well overgrown and I couldn’t get near it to trim. I set up a rig to fish maggots or worms or corn here with a 12 XSH to 0.17. Also set up a slapping rig with a 4x13 carp shallow, and a 4x10 chianti for catching silvers on the drop if I needed to go for them.</p><p>We started at 10:30 and I started slapping a pellet at 14m, no luck here. Slapping a pellet by the reeds also didn’t work so onto the lead where I had been feeding 8mm pellets. Gave this about 40 minutes and lost 3 foulers due to spawning I guess. Shaun had lost 5 carp at this stage and I’d only seen a couple of carp landed, so I tried for some silvers. It was very slow in front, but then going left over some caster I had a 4oz skimmer and a 2 1/2lb skimmer. Sadly that was the end of that line and all I could catch was the very odd tiny roach or Rudd. I sacked this off eventually as I couldn’t see me getting 5lb and Gerry Welsh had that already.</p><p>Shaun had now got 6 carp and was getting more by slapping, other than peg 3 I couldn’t see many carp being caught, even venue expert Leighton Palmer was walking. I tried the lead, nothing, went in the margin with a bunch of maggots and was about to give up when the float went under! I half expected it to be fouled but it wasn’t, and a 7lb carp was netted. Couldn’t repeat the trick though. </p><p>The spawning activity had relented with 2 hours to go, and this coincided with me catching 3 carp on the lead in about 30 minutes. Of course this died lol. Back in the margin, nowt, back on the lead and hooked another but must have been fouled as pulled like mad for 20 seconds on the clip and then pulled out. Margin produced 3 liners and a Rudd, so pretty pants as was predicted.</p><p>It was obvious Shaun had won, and despite him losing loads his catch of 99lb 11oz was nearly double the second place, that went to Matt Challenger on peg 17 with 50lb 11oz. Silvers was won by Gerry Welsh with 14lb 4oz on peg 19 and Nick Saunders on 20 came second with 9lb 5oz. Well done lads.</p><p>I ended up 6th with just 24lb which shows how tough it was today. Still the sun shone, the birds sang and we had a laugh, that’s still a good day out in my book.</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UKOyh9JfvvTgefsLtcmNFWLwd1suaph5o-TCN6vbyREuqN13PvNAA8CX-K688ihO_DO-yLaWMeiV6JuSmhB05oopb03ZMPIZ3fgzYZtEZENue3zd7YPNJp2rGcSoTmGBxsOFXau3qyui6Lu6-YJ-hFFBp4bhnoiTfhPI1sOKCHgR3PP3j86X0l9y/s3752/IMG_6384.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3752" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UKOyh9JfvvTgefsLtcmNFWLwd1suaph5o-TCN6vbyREuqN13PvNAA8CX-K688ihO_DO-yLaWMeiV6JuSmhB05oopb03ZMPIZ3fgzYZtEZENue3zd7YPNJp2rGcSoTmGBxsOFXau3qyui6Lu6-YJ-hFFBp4bhnoiTfhPI1sOKCHgR3PP3j86X0l9y/s320/IMG_6384.jpeg" width="258" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNS5j0ClDre4ndbh708JJA5cImism0RtlLME5GQQ5fG9xa_QagEu60al-_J5DV2wB20UdjU_G4v14DKf2Nd1ZIBwVOPqpUuVXL7sZLSyb_SgpB5-ffTrYnWMujNuzoFz7MMS-yJBFeDgZzffgZC4jo6BG_REiKDFsDtjyTdHH-pvzLB7e7CeqvOWO/s3619/IMG_6383.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3619" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNS5j0ClDre4ndbh708JJA5cImism0RtlLME5GQQ5fG9xa_QagEu60al-_J5DV2wB20UdjU_G4v14DKf2Nd1ZIBwVOPqpUuVXL7sZLSyb_SgpB5-ffTrYnWMujNuzoFz7MMS-yJBFeDgZzffgZC4jo6BG_REiKDFsDtjyTdHH-pvzLB7e7CeqvOWO/s320/IMG_6383.jpeg" width="267" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4235051771411820949.post-52641865837951774012023-05-22T20:30:00.004+01:002023-05-22T20:30:40.399+01:00Still here<p> Just a short post, after a couple of busy weekends I was booked in to fish at Windmill Lakes Sunday just gone. Unfortunately after working for a few days in Durham I came down with the lurgy and was floored, causing me to cancel my fishing. Typical nice weather and I was sick lol.</p><p>Not fishing this weekend as will be celebrating my Wedding anniversary, but hopefully get some fishing in June, and got my annual fishing holiday at Viaduct to look forward to. Just hope the weather holds.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here’s a picture of the river Wear in Durham, apparently a few hundred yards below this is great barbel fishing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9PKw0EkaVgU1bV8JqpbV6UTtEwNAtDuMXKlTUF7_zzqRD6PWvelwJP54nx9J9kRFQKCfijZgUsVIi3rgagvewByYjvdF5LBnchnRxqJUlO56PsosWVUKK_CjVAzvYs1FKhacqJ4ZccXVj3ybx4lDwv69m_uI-wBoe04CFsCcT_XnnUNnhFsxlvKz/s4032/IMG_6347.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9PKw0EkaVgU1bV8JqpbV6UTtEwNAtDuMXKlTUF7_zzqRD6PWvelwJP54nx9J9kRFQKCfijZgUsVIi3rgagvewByYjvdF5LBnchnRxqJUlO56PsosWVUKK_CjVAzvYs1FKhacqJ4ZccXVj3ybx4lDwv69m_uI-wBoe04CFsCcT_XnnUNnhFsxlvKz/s320/IMG_6347.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Tim Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04480688086429036619noreply@blogger.com0