Float Only League Round 4 Ivy House Lakes

As you will have noted I did not fish last weekend and this was due to family commitments, but it was a tricky week as the mother-in-law ended up in hospital with a dodgy heart. After a week of worry she was released but has to have a couple of operations later in the year. I'm not quite sure what then happened as it just seemed to be busy with one thing after another, so any prep for this match was limited, especially on Saturday at the harbour festival with a few Thatchers!

Back to the fishing, Glenn was doing the honours again as he tries to get his car to 100,000 miles on the clock (only 1000 to go!) and we arrived at the fishery nice and early. A lovely breakfast on site (thank you Karen) and then we took a walk around as Andy Lloyd had made some more changes to the venue and re pegged it. Pegs 10 and 11 have been very good in the last 2 weeks, these are on the new causeway which Andy has made to split the main lake into two. We also looked at the new canal which was being pegged today, although no one was keen to draw here and Glenn was being told off for mentioning he did not want to draw it. Finally we get to the draw and a tin full of balls, in I go and pull out peg 21, happy days, it is in the corner of the original causeway and had won the match the day before. Tony Rixon then asked me to draw for him, I pulled him peg 2 which is another corner peg and he was very happy with that one, my luck must be changing drawing 2 good uns! Oh and Glenn drew peg 3 on the canal and was more than a little "peed off".

Surveying my section I had Glenn Calvert on 23, then Kev Molton, Mike West and finally Ken Rayner, they were well spread out. If I was to keep my league alive a section win would be required, and to be fair I felt I had a good chance with the peg. I set up just 3 rigs, a 4x18 Preston Yellow with 0.14 to 16 B911 for fishing for skimmers at 11m, it would also for 7m where I would feed a bit of corn and micro. A 4x10 rig with 0.16 to 16 PR36 for banded pellet to the end bank, and a 4x12 dibber on a long line for fishing the minimum 1 foot deep with banded pellet. I planned to fish these rigs over  the same line at about14m where a little bit of green foliage had survived the Lloyd landscaping! See picture below....

To begin the match I fed 4 balls of method mix gbait with worm,caster, micro and a bit of corn at 11m, some micro and corn at 7m and 6mm pellets to the end bank. Dropping in on my 11m line with a dendra on the hook I didn't have to wait long for a very positive bite, a 2lb skimmer was netted. Dropping in again the swim started to have some mini fizzes so it looked like some skimmers were about. Sadly I couldn't get one, and when I did get a bite I either missed it or had a little roach, so I changed to corn on the hook. I had to wait a while and just as I was about to change back to worm the float buried and I was in, but this time it was a carp. I played it carefully all the way in, it was about 6lb, and as I got it up to the net I pulled and bang the hook length went. Also the bristle snapped so I needed a replacement rig, bugger!

New rig on and away we go, but sadly the 11m line just would not produce again, and neither did the 7m line ever! Just after the hour mark I was forced to take an early look up the end bank, first of all going in with the 4x10 depth rig, it was about 18" about deep but this was quite a way from the edge of the water as the bottom in close was very shallow (less than the minimum 1ft I could fish) and then it was a bit uneven. I had been feeding 6mm pellet here with a catty and I was hoping a few mug carp would be waiting, but 30 mins in here yielded just 1 small tench and no signs. Opposite me on peg 44 Gary O'Shea was struggling too, but he had landed a foul hooked carp which managed to snap his top set into 5 pieces lol!

After about 2 1/2 hours I'd only added a couple of roach, but I then saw a swirl on the end bank, going in with the 4x10 rig I soon had a couple of missed bites and then lost a fouler. On with the swinger rig as they may be up shallow, and after about 10 swings I was in and a 3lb stocky came to the net. Over the next 40 mins I managed another 2 carp, 1 a stocky and 1 getting on for 9lb. Alas the fish backed away, and although I didn't expect it at the time they did so for hours and I could not get a bite.

With 2 hours left I was definitely not winning the section and I needed to get something in the net. I potted some neat worm and caster in at 14m in the open water, potted gbait and maggots in at 13m down my inside left in the hope of some edge dwellers. I toyed with the idea of changing my end bank line to gbait, but as Chris Davis over on peg 11 was well on his way to 200lb on pellet I thought I'd stick to feeding pellets. The new worm and caster line gave me a quick 2lb skimmer and then a lost carp and then little roach (hmmm same result as gbait line). The left margin line never came to life despite me giving it a bloody good go, but I'm sure the carp enjoyed the grub this evening! Thankfully for me my persistent feeding of 6mm pellets got some carp back in the end bank with just over an hour to go, but boy were they cagey. Even with the long line and swinging and sometimes slapping the rig in the fish would back off after a missed bite or a liner. I just kept working and managed to snare 5 carp in the last hour all on 8mm pellet.

Make no mistake, this had been a very tough match for many anglers with a number of good anglers walking the bank including Mr Rixon. When the scales got to me Chris Davis was leading the match with a colossal 317lb! My silvers went 5lb and my carp just over 36lb, so 41lb and that was all I needed to win the section today. Meanwhile over on the canal moany Glenn had managed some late carp on paste to win his section with 46lb and so we both had some dosh today.

As mentioned Chris Davis annihilated the match today, a distant second was Bela Bakos with 81lb, Dick Bull was 3rd with 67lb. Silvers winner was Steve Tucker with 46lb of skimmers on the canal, 2nd was Leon Hubbard with 41lb of skimmers on peg 18 I think.

I don't know if Tony will ask me to draw for him again, as clearly the fish had left his flyer today for peg 11, read his blog for a good account of 2 skimmers eeek! The jam and cream scones after the match were a nice touch and tasted bloody lovely, and the best part of some people's day. It was a shame the fishery fished so hard today, perhaps it is taking the fish a while to adjust to the new causeway? Another blank weekend for me next week, then the following week round 5 of this league at sedges.

Float Only League Round 3 - Landsend Fishery

After a week of very high temperatures and plenty of sun I was pleased to see the forecast was cooler with the chance of a shower. Glenn was doing the driving duties today and after a good breakfast at Shipham we were at the fishery 45 mins early! We decided to take a walk around the lakes and there seemed to be lots of fish feeding on all lakes, would they still be feeding at 11? Before the draw was done I was handed a little brown envelope from last week at Tunnel, turned out they paid the top 3 in section so I was a tenner better, thanks Bob Gullick for picking it up.  Into the coffee tin and I swear Tony Rixon had a smirk on his face as I went to draw (expecting me to draw another pants peg), but I couldn't moan today as I pulled peg 1 on Match lake.

On the way to the peg Rod Wootten told me on the match the day before 96lb had come off my peg, with peg 3 winning the match with I think 150lb. With Craig "Trig" Edmunds on peg 3 it was going to be a tall order to get one over on him, the rest of my section went John Bradford 5, Rich Lacey 6 and Chris Davis 7. I have drawn this peg before and managed to catch over a 100lb on it, and I thought that I would have to do that again. Rigs today 4x12 for slapping /shallow at 14.5m towards the end bank, 4x8 for pellet in tight to the end bank (both on 0.16 to 16 PR36). 0.25 rig for meat in front and down to the bush on my right, and the same but for pellet deep down the shelf of the end bank. The 4x8 rig would also do for my topset in the right hand side.

With the match starting I could keep an eye on Leon Hubbard on peg 24 and Glenn on 22, the wind was whipping up and blowing straight through peg 23 at me, it made things tricky. I threw some 6mm pellet and corn into my margin line, fed some 6mm pellet up to the end bank, but decided to start on meat at 11m. I did this as there had been a lot of blows and I though this might be a good start whilst letting the end bank settle. However, with the wind I couldn't see if there were any blows, but after 20 mins without a bite I was sorry I started here, in fact this line gave up 1 roach all day. I went out on my shallow slapping rig, fishing about 2m from the end bank, I'd like to say this was solid but I never had a single indication. I went in tight to the end bank with pellet and all I had to show for here was a bumped roach. On the hour mark I saved the blank when I spotted a carp over my margin feed, it took the corn hook bait within seconds.

An hour later I was still looking for my next carp! The deep pellet rig over where I slapped got me some indications, I had a skimmer and a carp, the float was going under but I was striking fresh air or the odd fouler. I tried fishing off bottom but I had nothing, back on the deck fouler.

Three hours in and I managed to snare my third carp this time tight in to the end bank on pellet, but let's face it 12lb after 3 hours is shocking and Trig had about 40lb and was winning the section. It was fishing hard down this end of the lake but the other end was a lot better. I was now fishing in wet socks after a torrential downpour, and as I tried to keep things dry (in vain) I decided it was time to give up the pellet. I had some gbait mixed up and I fed a couple of cups to the end bank at 14.5m, put a 14 B911 on, 10 mins fruitless meat fishing and then I put a dendra on and shipped out long. What a transformation, from virtually no signs of fish carp were now showing themselves over the gbait. It wasn't a fish a chuck but it was a bite or a liner every time. These carp are so cute / spooky and just when you think you've got it right back you go to foulers. I caught carp on dendra, double dendra and corn, but it was hard work shipping out regularly to keep the gbait going in.

After another downpour I spied a carp in the margin again, I tried to drop my corn in the vicinity of it's head and about 10 seconds later I was pulling hard to stop the carp either getting under the bush or under my pallet. I won and a 9lb fish was netted. A ghosty came in soon after but I guess it spooked as the float shot under and I lost it out soon after. I spent the last 40 mins fishing long over the gbait, or in the margin if I saw a carp, it was OK but the long line was more frustrating as the carp just wouldn't take the bloody bait! Another lump from the margin and the match was over. Then after the whistle I caught another for the hell of it!

I knew Trig had me well beat but was not sure about the rest of the section, I'd soon find out though as we had to do the weigh in. My total weight was 71lb which was a lot more than I thought I had, Trig then stuffed me with 117lb he'd had a poor middle of the match but as usual had a good last 2 hours on the meat. We ended first and second in section. As we carried on weighing the heavens opened again and with each angler weighed I had more difficulty writing anything on the sheet, in fact I had to explain it all to Steve Evans after so he could re write it.... in the sun!

Tony Rixon won the match from peg 38 with 190lb, see his blog for tactics though I doubt many would have caught that weight from that peg. Not sure who was second but Dan White came 3rd on peg 13 with 162lb and Trig was 4th meaning I got the section money by default. I was like a drowned rat and missed the results as I was still putting the gear away. I think Tony, Trig and Shaun Townsend all are on maximum points, and it will be hard to beat them. Next one in this league is Ivy House in two weeks time, no fishing for me next weekend due to family commitments.

North v South Charity Match at Tunnel Barn Farm

Quite a long time ago I put my name down for this match, and I must admit after last weeks dire match on Lodge I felt like not bothering to go just to get my ass kicked. However, I soon got my head back on and there was no way I was going to let the organisers down at the last minute, I'd just have to get on and do the best. This venue is one I have only fished many years ago in mid winter, and with not that much experience in fishing for F1's in summer I was not expecting anything special, but still I got as much info as I could. I picked up Glenn at 6:20am and we ate the remainder of my BBQ food from yesterday for breakfast on route.

We arrived in good time, registered and then had a quick look around some of the pools, very varied with some pegs 6m wide and others 18m, there were a few fish topping but it wasn't mental. We managed to get into the draw queue fairly early (which helps when there are 120 people fishing!) and both Glenn and myself found ourselves on extension pool; Glenn on 12 in a very narrow peg with a couple of empty pegs either side, and myself on peg 38, which was nearly 17m wide. I was told by Des Shipp it was a good area, but to my right where there were lots of reeds and some gaps looked better. As you can see in the photo it was a bare bank but with trees above, I couldn't reach the far bank with pole and I couldn't lob a method feeder across, I was disappointed with this as the far bank was part of my plan to catch late on.

Rigs today, a 0.4g PC pencil float with 0.12 to 16 B911 for top set plus one for soft pellet, a duplicate rig also did for 6m where I planned to fish worm and caster as it was just a few inches deeper. a 4x12 PB carp 4 for fishing shallow over the 6m line and this also was used for margin to my left, and also a 4x10 rig for right hand margin and 16m as far as I could go, again same depth!

As I was setting up the peg on my right was filled by Paul Yates, he's a fairly local angler, fished the venue a fair bit he told me, and was part of the teams of 4 w/l team that won year before last fishing with Des. OK so he's a bit good, when I told him I'd hadn't fished for F1's in summer he said "happy days!" Well if he was trying to psyche me out he was doing a good job lol! In all fairness this was going to be now very hard for me to compete, but that just spurred me on.

To start the match I began on the top set plus one, feeding small balls of micros with a 4mm expander on the hook, it seemed Paul started similarly. Instantly where I fed started fizzing and I was soon into my first F1 which jumped and snapped my hook length in the landing net. Back in and another bite, and that set the pattern for the first hour of my match where I had a bite every drop in and it was just a case of trying to hit as main as possible, it was all F1's and a few small skimmers, all the while I was throwing a w/c slop out to 6m. Paul was really struggling at this stage and had hardly anything. Another 30 mins and then things stopped in close, so out I went on the worm line shallow. Nothing not a bite, out deep and I had a F1, and a few more but then it got really iffy. The fish were there, it was fizzing, but I couldn't catch shallow and deep was very hard work. I tried back in close but that was dead, and I started to feed the margins with gbait and a closer line with casters.

The middle hours for me were poor, and I couldn't work out anything, meanwhile Paul had now started catching F1's on a top set and they were all a decent size and he soon caught me up. I tried dumping a bit of w/c in and that was a no go, although after about 15 mins I did get 4 F1's in as many chucks, then they were gone again. Across I fed meat, but I never had a bite across. I was watching Paul and I could see he was feeding very little, so I started feeding just 4 4mm pellets at ten and two o'clock. Very soon the right side started to fizz and I started to catch a few F1's again, and they were a better stamp. Again they soon got unsettled and I had to search around. Paul was struggling a bit in the last hour and I went looking for carp in the last 30 mins, I managed 1 on meat on my original pellet line, and 1 5 mins before the end on worm over gbait in my LH margin.

I knew Paul had beat me but I thought I'd beat those to my left I could see but my section went around the other side of the island too. Ade Crawley was the next Southern angler to my left and he had a bit of a struggle after a few early fish. The scales had to come all the way from peg 1, and by the time they got to me the top weight in my section was 80lb, with the three to my left weighing 50lb, 26lb and 32lb next to me, I then stuck 70lb on the scales to go second but Paul eclipsed that with an ounce shy of 90lb. To be honest I didn't feel I did too bad against him, he did me catching those big F1's, as it turned out he was fishing 4mm meat, and only fed a few pieces over a few lies on his top set, well done.

Glenn had 48lb from his narrow peg and we decided to get on our way home and leave the baggers to their spoils. I do not have the results, they will come up on Facebook later I guess, but I do know that the North won on the day. Well done.

Nice venue this, I had more bites here in an hour than I have for a long time, certainly takes a bit of working out, and I wish I hadn't bothered with the worms, and fished hard pellet shallow. Also needed to take 4mm meat lol!

Viaduct Spring League Final Round

First of all I must make mention of something I forgot on my last post (I was very tired), on the last day at Viaduct when I pleasure fished on Match Lake I had Glenn watching for me for a while. I didn't take a lot of notice of where he sat, and when I landed a fish I shipped the landing net pole behind me and whack, hit him right on the bridge of his nose. It drew blood as it cut him. I had to mention this so he can prove to his good wife Jayne that he didn't get it fighting, lol!

Back to today, sigh...

After drawing on Lodge lake for my last 4 matches (drawing, 69, 57, 71 and 53) I just had to be in luck and get on Campbell surely (wanted to avoid Carey as that is a struggle at the mo) after all some lucky so and so's have been on there all the time. Some (Bob Gullick 115) even managed to draw the same peg three times lol! Anyway, I was chatting to a few lads and Des Shipp was giving some tips on how to fish Tunnel Barn Farm and I forgot where I was and Glenn was left to unload the car. Into the coffee tin and out comes.... FIFTY (EFFING) FIVE! 55, I don't believe it what have I done to deserve this (sobs tears tantrums etc) and I was unusually for me a bit peed off, well we all have our limits. I know Trigger has won the section off this peg but he is a far better carp angler than I, and since I was already out of the running there was only the section to fish for.

I took an age to drag my kit to my peg and nobody was feeling the love on my bank, Dave Roper was on 53 and that's the second time he's drawn that peg. Trig was on 71 (my home last round) and felt he couldn't win the title from that peg. I set up a straight lead for banded pellet, a rig for banded pellet at 14.5m, a meat rig for 6m, and a rig for the margin at 11.5m next to the reeds. I started on the long pole and fed 6mm pellet by catty to try and catch anything that swims, starting get tiny plucks from small roach and skimmers on 6mm pellet, so put a 8mm in the band. I soon hooked a carp but it was fouled and I pulled out of it. Never saw another carp on this line, just little skimbobs.

Out on the straight lead then as Welshy next door had taken 2 skimmers and a carp on it, my tip didn't move for 30 mins so I rang my Dad to wish him happy Fathers Day, and as we were talking the rod went round. I played the carp steadily, but as it was just coming into netting range the hook pulled, sigh. Next chuck and another pull round and this time an 8lb carp was landed. Next chuck and what looked like a big liner, I left it but the rod banged off again and I was attached to a fouler on the lead that soon came off, sigh. The commotion was enough for the carp to move off.

Ninety minutes in I think I got my 2nd carp on the tip but it was a one off. As usual the middle of the match was very poor with no bites to be had anywhere other than another small skimmer on the meat line. With two hours to go I put groundbait / pellet mush in the margin, gave it 15 mins and then dropped in over it with meat and I didn't have to wait long to see the elastic ripped out. Carp number 3 was landed and was another decent size fish. Sadly I only had 1 more carp in the margin and another on the straight lead, and so my day had ended with failure once again. As the weigh in was started at 57 I would have a long wait to weigh in, and I decided to dry the nets and chucked back 35lb which would have been last in the section. Trev Senior won my section on peg 60 with some last hour margin fish, two of which weighed together went over 30lb. Welshy next to me had 49lb and was last but 1 in section, and Dave on 53 had 53lb I think.

I've now spent 30 hours on Lodge, and each time I have had to sit and watch others (especially 64, 66 and 68) empty it, as I said I'm sure better anglers would have done better than me on my draws, but they've done for me. Glenn was in with a shout of doing well in the league, but he missed out on the top berth by 1 point.

Well done league winner Craig Edmunds who managed to beat 3 people in his section (he beat the same pegs as I did last time) and that was good enough to win him the league over Giles Cochrane who only beat 2 people in his section today. Andy Neal won the knockout with 200lb+ from Lodge peg 66. Winner of today's match by a clear (or not so clear) margin was Chris Davis with 338lb, err no 254lb as he lost 84lb due to losing a whole net being over the limit! Chris was on 135, well done mate.

Enough typing, it's hard enough fishing a load of toilet and then having to recall it all lol!

Viaduct Thursday Cost Cutter

I woke up Thursday morning with Glenn telling me I snored like a cow, I reminded him he snored like a chainsaw! I was still full from last night and didn't go for a cooked breakfast, and I don't think a jalfrezi was the best choice of curry for my bowels!

Today's match was going to be on Campbell and (oh no) Lodge... Surely I couldn't draw on Lodge for the 4th match running? That said I wouldn't mind if I could draw on 64 or 66 where the majority of carp seem to be at present. Into the queue and either side of me were Tony Rixon and Craig Edmunds (a rose between two thorns), they both drew Campbell and I drew Lodge again, but in a corner, peg 53. I invited Steve Long to give me the benefit of his knowledge, he said to fish a wag to the bank and long to my left on the pole under a tree, he did say I needed a carp angler on peg 73 to catch / lose a few to push them out down to me. Andy Gard settled in peg 73, and if you didn't know Andy fishes for silvers mostly on a top set.

I'll be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it, as I couldn't really see myself competing in either the overall or silvers pools. Gabriel Skarba said my peg was "toilet", but there have been a few 80lbs of it. I set up a 3AAA wag with 0.21 to 14 PR38 for 8mm pellet, a 4x10 rig for the margin to my left for hard pellet, and a paste rig for up to the tree if I wanted to be silly! I began the match on the waggler and after 10 mins I had a fish on and off, probably fouled. 15 mins later and I hooked one that tore off to the tree and despite me giving nothing it got there and the 0.21 snapped. That was the end of the waggler fish, and what I would do was wait until I saw one by the posts and hope it would swim out to my feed, but most of the time they didn't. I couldn't have fished by the posts as I would have lost everything to the snags.

After an hour I was blanking and Martyn Woodington up on 66 had 6 carp, the writing was on the wall. After 2 hours I was still blanking! I tried to cheer myself up by singing stupid stuff and amusing Andy, though I think i may have gone mad in the sun! 2 1/2 hours in and I had a small skimmer on pellet in the margin, hooray time to go for a walk.

Back at my peg after eating a bacon sarnie and chatting to Glenn, Mike and Woody I went back for some more thrashing. Within minutes I hooked a carp in the margin on the pole it swam out into the middle and found an underwater branch and put my hook in there..... Drop back in and get another carp and last this one at about 8lb. That was the end of that! My paste line at 11m against the tree started fizzing with an hour to go, and I had 2 skimmers and 1 carp from here. I did lose another carp that had a sat nav set for home (being the roots of the tree) and as I threw my pole back we both had a mini tug of war before the hook came free. Match over, DNW as did peg 55 and 56.

However, I was determined to catch a carp on the waggler and decided to stay until I did so! I didn't have to wait more than 10 mins to hook one and I was giving it the real heave ho, Andy though the rod was going to break lol! Eventually landed a very healthy looking 10lb+ common carp. OK maybe I'll have another cast, 10 mins later I hooked another but literally as I pulled the rod up Behind me I watched the line head toward the tree in the blink of an eye and the underwater torpedo skillfully found a branch which snapped my main line. OK I surrender!

Woody did well on 66 to win our lake with 170lb, interestingly he caught straight in front and not by the tree. Gary O' Shea was top on campbell and caught on most baits on the pole.

Last night of holiday and 3 cans at the lodge to drown my sorrows before a few more up town. That was enough to get me eating lots of cheese with Glenn back at the lodge. I was a tad dehydrated in the morning...

I did fish for a bit on Match lake on Friday, couldn't catch deep on meat. Went shallow with pellet and slapping and caught skimmers F1 and a few carp before the scum got stuck in front of me and I packed it in. Gordon next to me caught on the bottom, weird!  We all said our goodbyes after another great week, good company, good laughs and plenty of fish, I was knackered lol!

Back at Viaduct Sunday, and praying I do not draw Lodge for the the 5th straight match!