VIADUCT ANNUAL HOLIDAY - DAY 3 MATCH LAKE

 Today it was just the nine of us fishing against each other on Match Lake, we had a leisurely 9:30 draw which was good news for me I was struggling with, let me say, loose bowels! There was a lot of talk at the draw about what pegs would good and what would be bad, but fish have fins and we are often proved wrong lol. Anyway I got myself an island chuck in the form of peg 45, and had Gordon next peg again on 44, with Woody on the bottom bank 47 a peg he has done well from before. The parade of anglers set off for the lake, or should I say caravan of anglers..

As I began setting up I was off back to the Lodge to get to the toilet, this set me back setting up and I was a little rushed. I put up a 4x12 rig for 13m and pellet, a couple of margin rigs and the straight lead for the island. I put off setting up a pellet wag as I thought this might be more hassle than it was worth and was short of time. No silvers prize today, just the top 4 being paid out, nice and friendly.

I have done well on this lake before by starting short and did the same today, but sadly it was not to be with just a couple of small skimmers and a tiny tench. Woody got off to a flyer short on the paste but it soon died for him. I went out to 11m and tried again fishing hard pellet, it was slightly better but no great, another tench couple of F1's and a carp. Gordon was struggling like me, but to his right Gary B was getting the odd big carp on paste. I really could not get the pole going and as I could see fish showing next to the island where I had been feeding 8mm pellets I picked up the lead rod. It was a bit tricky casting as the island forms a point here and I really needed to fish either side of it I felt, accurate casting was a must. It was a bit slow but then I started to get a few regular pulls from small carp. Woody was on the pellet wag and getting carp on that, we both had fish boiling in our peg.

I was getting a lot of liners before I would finally get a pull round, and was thinking I really should have been on a wag, but every time I thought of setting it up I would get a fish, plus Woody was about 4 wagglers down due to catching the island a few times. Eventually I lost the rig when a carp swam into a snag, I decided to quickly set up a pellet wag on my 9 foot Preston mini plus lead rod lol!  It was a decent move as I had a few on it, but then things went weird. I couldn't get a bite, but on at least four occasions when I went to reel in I had a carp on foul hooked. I tried different depths and hook baits but to no avail.

My margins never yielded a bite, and my match was fading away, Woody was catching odd fish in his margin, Gary was still catching on paste, and Martin was catching in his margin on 40. I nicked a few fish on the pole but was never catching well and was falling behind I was sure, Gordon next door had struggled all match and we just couldn't seem to get carp on the pole line.

Match over and I was regretting not having the wag and lead set up, I am sure changing between the two would have added a few more carp and F1's.

The top 4 who picked up money were:-

1st Gary Bowden 140lb 11oz, carp to 14lb on paste

2nd Woody 108lb 6oz

3rd Martin Rayet 96lb 13oz

4th Me 95lb

I only just beat Glenn by about 1 1/2lb so it was tight other than Gary, 2nd place was there for the taking for me, but still had some fun on the lead and wag. The lake fished well and the top 4 had caught on different methods. 

We visited the Globe for a good meal and a few beers, we were off to Avalon the next day so I didn't want a late night.

VIADUCT ANNUAL HOLIDAY - DAY 2 CAMPBELL LAKE OPEN

 Sunday and the Thatchers Gold had a slight affect on me and a few of the lodgers, but not so bad. I drove Gary and Geoff to the Premier Inn in Street for breakfast and back again. Gordon and Martin R were off to fish Tony Rixon's float only at Landsend, the remainder would fish the open on Campbell.

With the carp showing well the day before in 110, 111 and 132 I fancied these pegs, but I went pulled out the opposite end with corner peg 119. Only 37lb of carp came from 119 the day before, but with the gentle wind blowing my way Steve Long thought my peg would be better today. There was to be no silvers fishing in my plan today, all out carp, this despite Woody drawing peg 110 for the second day running!

At the peg I had Nigel Easton on 121 who would fish for silvers, and Ian King on 118. I had three areas of the peg I initially planned to target, straight out in front at 13m, to the end bank on the straight lead, and top set plus 1 in the RH margin. There is a tree up the margin further but I didn't want to go there unless I really had too.

My only real dilemma setting up was whether to fish shallow or deep, some of the paste heads had struggled yesterday, but Woody had caught on the deck whereas Martin R had caught shallow, In the end I would start on paste as I couldn't see many fish in front of me. I fed wetted 4mm pellets at 13m and fished paste made from Thatchers Original groundbait, I also fed 8mm pellets over to the far bank. First drop on the paste and I missed a bite, next drop I hooked and landed a carp, next drop lost a fouler. After this signs of carp ended and I was a little surprised, I worked the line and tried to pull some carp in, but to no avail. Before the hour was out I was onto the straight lead much quicker than I anticipated, I had 2 carp in three casts, then had one which got to pallet 120 and snapped me, but after this had a couple of liners and that was it.

I spent the next two hours without a fish, meanwhile Ian on 118 had taken about 6 carp all from his left margin. I reluctantly pushed a rig up to the tree where I had fed some 6mm pellets, I did get 1 carp and lost a fouler, but that was it. Carp were crashing around the tree and I could see they were spawning, so they were unlikely to be interested in feeding. I tried the end bank on the lead again but just liners and no bites. I started feeding the short margin line with 6mm pellets and hoped this might come good. The only thing interested in my bait it seemed was this friendly duck!

With less than 2 hours to go I was pretty cheesed off, 4 carp for about 24lb in the net, Ian had dried up and then snapped his pole which messed him right up. Back on the lead and it was like a switched had been turned on when I had 7 carp in 7 casts to bring me back in contention as only woody on 110 was catching (others had done so early but had died). The lead slowed up though, and I urged myself to go into the margin, it is a deep margin and I used a 4x16 robust float with a 8mm hard pellet. Initially the float sat there, no liners or anything, but then a fast bite saw me attached to a carp. I had another next drop in and stayed on this line till the end of the match and had about 7 all told. The last 90 minutes were certainly great fishing. I had 148lb on my clicker and again no clue how I had done, but knew that Woody carried on catching and Gary Bowden also bagged up late on peg 129.

When the scales got to me Gary was leading with 135lb, Nigel took the silvers lead with 41lb on 121. My fish when tallied up weighed 146lb to put me into the lead, which I held until final man to weigh Woody put 193lb on the scales for two wins off the peg, well done.

The lake had fished better today with 80lb of skimmers wining the silvers off peg 115 by Phil Denslow.

Results board here.

Another good night was had in Somerton, with a great meal in the White Swan, though the pace was slowed considerably thank goodness!

VIADUCT ANNUAL HOLIDAY - DAY 1 CAMPBELL LAKE POLE ONLY

 I had been looking forward to this week off fishing with the lads for a long time, only 9 of us this year as a few were not able to make it including long time "lodger" Mike Nicholls who is waiting for a hernia operation, good luck with the op and hope it goes well.

I just did not seem to find the time or was it the inclination to do a lot of preparation, but on the day prior I began in earnest putting some new elastic in top sets, tying some hook lengths and making a few rigs. Finished about 9pm, and then packed the van with everything and more than I thought I would need for the 6 matches ahead.

The Itinerary this year was:-

Day 1 (Saturday) Campbell lake, pole only maximum 13m

Day 2 Viaduct open Campbell

Day 3 Our lodges match on Match Lake

Day 4 Avalon Fishery Match Lake

Day 5 Campbell Lake Short Pole Only

Day 6 Todber Manor Ash Lake

I was off to a bad start Saturday morning with a bit of trouble with the old bowels, something that was to be a pain the arse this week, and meant I was not able to meet up for breakfast and went straight to Viaduct. Here I met up with the rest of the reprobates I was spending the week with; Glenn Bailey, Gary Bowden, Gordon Cannings, Geoff Francis, Chris Ollis, Martin Rayet, Mark Tanner and last but by no means least Martyn Woodington. In total there were 18 anglers fishing today with many regulars who would be hard to beat so a good peg would be needed. I didn't think my drawing arm got off to the best of starts when I pulled out 130, and thought it could be tough. Mind you I would have fancied it if I could have chucked the lead out lol.

I soon decided that my best chance of coin was to go after the silvers money, though with Stu White, Rob Eagle and Nigle Easton fishing I was going to need some luck. I went with a few F1 pellet rigs 4x12 and 4x14 with 16 SFLB to 0.11 for soft pellet. If the soft pellet got ragged by roach I would change to hard pellet. I did set up rigs for paste, mugging and the margin in case the carp did turn up. We started at 10:30 and I began by fishing at top set plus 2 sections feeding 4mm pellets (I use Sonubait Profeed) with one of the easy to use Sonubaits 6mm expander on the hook. It was extremely slow here for me and just a couple of small skimmers obliged, I was soon adding another section and fed at 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock. Things were still slow but I caught a couple more skimmers including a flyer. At this early stage Chris Ollis on 129 was really struggling while Gordon Cannings on 131 had a good run of skimmers on meat.

I opened up a third line at 13m and this was just as difficult as the other two lines, and I found if I caught 1 skimmer generally I had to move to another line to try to catch another skimmer. The soft pellet was not being ragged out so I stuck with it, but did try worm and corn without success. I was convinced I was now just fishing for pleasure as I was not bagging on silvers, as recently here 60 to 70lb is needed to win, but with Woody on 110 was getting a few carp as was Martin Rayet on 132 I had to stick with silvers and just enjoy my first day. A little later word came through to me that the silvers anglers were not bagging and I should just keep my head down, Gordon's early bagging had stopped and I could not see a lot of silvers being caught my end. However, the last hour was painful with the skimmers being ousted more often now by the odd carp that was fizzing up the lines I fed and I landed one carp. I came in the margin and tried corn / pellet, no skimmers but I had a couple of pound of roach at least to tick over. I thought I had 30lb of silvers, but no idea if that was any good.

The scales soon arrived at peg 132 to weigh Martin who had a great 155lb of carp, Gordon struggled for 17lb of silvers and 1 small carp. My silvers went 33lb 10oz, and 1 carp 6lb 8oz. Chris on my left DNW. It was going to be a long wait to hear the other silvers weights, but Nigel Easton on 124 came past to say he had weighed 30lb 6oz, one of the regulars beaten, and more good news when I found out I was top silvers weight.

Woody won the match from 110 with 170lb, I knew he had caught but hadn't realised he had so many, Martin Rayet was second and D Basstone was third with 143lb. 

After myself in the silvers, Nigel and Rob Eagle tied for second with 30lb 6oz. At least I know fishing for roach at the end was worth it. A nice start to the holiday with some beer money. Many pegs struggled today, and the venue had fished poor compared to recent days which was a surprise to all.

First night in Somerton was very good and very funny, though I think we forget how old we are when we have a few pints ;-)

Windmill Fishery Open

 First thing today, thank you Matt Bridgwood for your comment on my last post, great that your daughter is enjoying her football! That must be a fair few years since you last fished, Silver Dace is a distant memory sadly.

Back to the here and now, after a lovely and relaxing weekend away last week I was looking to get back out on the bank this Sunday. Originally I was going to fish Tony Rixon's float only league as a stand in for Mike Nicholls, but Mike has had to pull out of the league so no place for me. Luckily I got one of the last places going on Windmill Fishery open and so was at least fishing a local match. 

I grabbed a large breakfast at Wetherspoons Sunday Morning and got to the fishery in good time. There were 20 fishing today and not much space for some, so I was fairly happy to draw peg 18 as peg 17 was left out. I have drawn this peg a few times now, and in fact my last match on May 1st was here and I drew peg 18. That day I never caught a carp and managed to win the silvers with 10lb, so I had this in mind as I was setting up.

Once again the far bank looks very good for carp, with some reeds and a tree over the water.

My right hand margin also has some reeds in it and with nobody on the next peg I hoped this might come good later.

I set up a 4x10 rig for fishing hard pellet over with 16 KKM-B to 0.15, a 4x12 edge float with 14 XSH to 0.17 for the margin. As I was setting up I saw a few bubbles coming up in the deep water, so I decided to knock some paste up, and set up a rig for fishing it at 11m. Lastly I set up a 4x12 rig for fishing for the silvers if I needed to.

The match started at 10:30 and I began by feeding a pot of 4mm pellets at 11m, fed some 6mm pellets across to the island / tree. Out on the paste and it was a short wait for a proper bite and fish on, first drop and a 4lb carp. Next drop in and I had a longer wait for a bite, but one came but sadly it was a fouler and it came off. Next drop a longer wait and a missed bite, and this was the end of any life on the paste line despite a few more looks here. I went across to the island 14.5m and soon had a bite, lost a fouler, lost another fouler and then all quiet. I tried the straight lead over by the tree and had a good few liners but no bites. I went out on the pole but this time at 16m and tried a bit of slapping, no good, and then tried on the deck, no good. It was arm aching holding 16m so spent a bit of time on the lead for nothing.

Three hours into the match and still only got the 1 carp, I had a few goes at the silvers but it was clear to me I couldn't catch them fast enough, 2 rudd, 1 roach and 2 perch, not good. Back on the lead and there were a lot of carp by the tree and liners were plenty, finally the rod ripped round, after a brief tussle fish came off, hmmm. Next cast and the rod nearly pulled in, but as I played the fish it went everywhere and I thought it was fouled and as it nearly went round the island the hook pulled. Near enough the next cast another carp hooked me, I took my time and realised this was also not hooked in the mouth, but I got this one out, it was hooked in the dorsal fin and was about 7lb. All activity on the far side ended after this.

I was fairly cheesed off 11lb in the net and really not going to do any good. I had begun to feed 4mm pro feed Sonubaits pellets and corn into the RH margin, in about 3 feet of water and 2 feet off the reeds. The reeds hadn't knocked or moved all day, but with 2 hours to go I spotted a shaking reed. Out I went with double corn on the hook, I had to pull the rig into the right place to get the bristle visible as the bottom was sloping away. I was probably only in the right spot for a few minutes before the float shot under, decent fish hooked and did not go into the reeds, landed an 8lb carp. I frustratingly then had a 20 minute spell where I missed three bites. I kept topping up with pellet and corn and was soon into another munter, nice common close to 10lb. The margin was not full of carp, I would set the trap and sit and wait for a fish to come in, sometimes I just had the bite, sometimes the float waved about, but always it took about 10 minutes to get another fish in the swim. However, every fish was worth the wait as they were big and hooked in the mouth! The biggest may have been close to 15lb, and was a common carp. When the all out was called I was feeling a lot happier about the match and reckoned I had put around 65lb in the net in the last 90 minutes.

I hadn't a clue how I had done, mid match Dean Harvey had walked around the lake and told me it was fishing really hard with only venue expert Shaun Townsend on peg 2catching a few carp. The scales got to me fairly early this time, and Gerry and Mandy Welsh thought I had struggled when I put 2 carp and a few silvers on the scales, they hadn't spotted my other net lol. My final weight was recorded as 75lb 5oz.

As it turned out I had done enough to win, as I stopped Towner from winning another match here as he came second with 59lb 15oz. Third was Gerry Welsh with 37lb 15oz and fourth Dave Haines 37lb 10z. Silvers was taken out by John Osbourne on peg 24 with 15lb 8oz.

Here's the board. Tough for some today.

Well it seems the break from fishing didn't do me any harm, Windmill has certainly been kind to me this year and it was nice to get some big fish from the margin today. I doubt I will fish next weekend as I have to find some time to prep for the week away at viaduct fishery, definitely need more rigs, hook lengths and new elastics. 

Non Fishing

 I thought I had better put a post on my blog this weekend as I have not been fishing for a couple of weeks and next weekend I shall also not be fishing. Just got a lot of other things going on and will be back on the bank I hope 29th May.

Better explain what has kept me off the bank though. Well last Saturday was just an amazing day for me, my family, friends and fellow Gas Heads. A 7-0 win at home, to gain automatic promotion is simply the stuff of dreams, and I don't care what anyone says, it truly is a day I'll never forget. The celebrations went on long into the night down Gloucester road as the adrenaline seemed to keep the effects of Thatchers Gold at bay. Eventually I had to get home, and was glad to fall into my bed. I was booked in to fish Windmill the following day, but when I woke up and could hardly walk to the bathroom I knew I was going to have to give it a miss. I sent a text to Gerry Welsh to advise of my no show, it's the first time I think I have had to do that and was most apologetic. I did pop out to the fishery when I felt well enough to do do (just before 4pm) and saw a few fish caught and the weigh in. I offered to pay the peg fee / pools but Gerry wouldn't take it from and said I had a perfectly good excuse, Up The Gas!

This Saturday I was very happy to be attending a 1 year old Birthday celebration in Birmingham, along with my wife and two daughters. It was a celebration of the campaign "Her Game Too" reaching its 1 year. If you did not know "Her Game Too" is all about female fans trying to raise awareness of sexist abuse in the game and to help clubs put in reporting systems, and get more women and girls to watch and play football. They sell merchandise and raise money and all of the profits go towards grass roots football. My eldest daughter is one of the co-founders of the campaign and what she and the other girls have achieved in 1 year is simply amazing. As you can imagine I fully support the campaign as why would any father /  husband not want his kids and wife to feel comfortable and safe at a game of football. Unfortunately not everyone see's things the same, and the girls have had at times some quite terrible stuff to deal with on social media and even at games. However, they keep on going! They now have over 157 clubs partnered with them, Bristol Rovers and Bristol City of course, and some teams in the Premier League like Everton, Leeds, Brentford and more. They have many supporters and Calum Best (son of George Best) who is chairman of Dorking Wanderers Ladies team, contacted them some time ago to get involved. Yesterday he did the opening speech of the event and stayed and watch the FA Cup final with everyone.  With mentions in Parliament, TV, Radio and winning awards, this campaign and its growing list of supporters will only go from strength to strength. 

Apologies for the non fishing post, but as you can imagine I am a very proud Dad.