SWO55 and Disabled club Acorn Fishery

 I have had had a busy few weeks with family activities and was happy to see the South West Disabled and over 55 club were taking guests on their match, a message to Eddie Wynne and I was in. It was too late to order bait locally but I managed to get some at the fishery. I was hoping to fish for silvers but would fish for carp if I drew in the fancied area.

I grabbed a breakfast roll at H&H cafe before heading to the fishery. Even though I arrived in good time I was still last to pay the pools which meant I would be last to draw. I grabbed some maggots and casters and dipped my nets, then I took the last ball in the hat, peg 21. This is a bridge peg and I had plenty of room to my left, on 19 was good friend and venue expert Gary Bowden. Gary was not happy with his draw and reckoned there were not enough carp in the area, there were a few showing as they were having a go at spawning.

I thought the peg plumbed up nice, nice flat area by the boards opposite, where I set up 4x8.  A 4x10 for fishing the second shelf across to the bridge and top set plus short 4. 4x14 for fishing 11m in the deep water. All rigs had a 16 SFLB to 0.11. I did have a rig for the LH margin same as across.

We started at 10 and I started across by the boards on maggots as Paul Faires had told me yesterday he only caught the ide like this. Well I had just 1 ide here and lost a couple of carp. I wondered if the spawning had pushed the ide away. I moved to the 11m deep lines and started by the bridge where I had been feeding a bit of maggot and caster. I was soon netting an ide, back out and another. I settled into a routine of toss potting in bait by the bridge and straight out in front, the plan was change between the two if I needed to rest a line. For the best part of 2 hours it worked well catching on double maggot, mainly ide but also 1 perch and 3 little tench. But then both of these lines slowed up and it was time to go elsewhere.

Gary had taken a few early carp but had switched to silvers fishing worms, he started to catch well as I had slowed up. My left hand margin yielded a carp on my first and later next two drops on caster. The top set plus one was a slow burner but then I took 3 skimmers and a 1lb 1/2 tench but then had to move again. I went to the bridge on the second shelf feeding just maggots in a toss pot and straight away I was into ide. I had a good run of them, plus 3 perch all around a 1lb and a small tench. When I hooked and landed a carp it was pretty much fatal for that line.

Dropping back short I took another run of ide before it shut up. LH margin and pulled out of skimmer, but then had a lovely tench that was 31/2lb to 4lb. Next drop a carp.

The last 25 minutes was spent playing carp on whatever line I tried lol.

Match over I had 41lb of silvers on my clicker but usually I over estimate so said to Gary I had 35lb and he said he had the same. The scales were to prove me wrong! Gary had a good 41lb of silvers, but then mine went 53lb 13oz, my first net was 35lb (limit 40lb) and I had clicked 25lb, oh well I got away with it, and clearly the ide are weighers!

Result of the Southwest over 50's and Disabled match fished on the Paddock at Acorn Fishery today 21 fished.

1. David Stephenson                123-01 p13

2. Brad Sowden                         119-08 p9

3. Steve Howell                           93-15 p1

4. Gary Bowden                           88-14 p19

5. Fred Welsh                               86-00 p5

6. Graham Smith                         72-07 p36

Silver's 

1. Tim Ford                          53-13 p21

2. Sue Faiers                               45-01 p4

3. Gary Bowden                           40-00 p19

4. Joanna Wingate                      34-05 

Well that was a great days fishing and the rain stayed away, in fact I got a bit sunburnt late on! Next week I’m fishing Westerleigh league standing in for the maestro Tony Rixon.

Tony Rixon Float Only Series - Plantation Lakes

After a couple of weekends of no fishing I was wondering where to go on Sunday. Lucky for me I spotted Tony Rixon looking for a couple of stand ins for his first match in his float only league. I fished the same match last year as a stand in drawing on Jubilee lake. I spent some time Saturday morning putting my gear together for carp fishing on pole and pellet waggler. Then off I went to Rovers to see us win our last game at home 4-0, at least the last few months have been decent!

I went to H&H cafe on Sunday morning for a breakfast roll and as ever it was decent. Then on to Plantation and arrived with lots of time to spare in time to have few chats. Pools paid and draw done at 9am peg 32 stuck to my mitt, this is on the match lake.

Got to my peg and had a little island to fish a pellet waggler against. Trouble was so could Pete Nurse on peg 38 and Matty Tainton on 31, though he did fish away to the right.

Also had a long margin to fish down to as off to my left is a bay which was not pegged. The margins are quite deep at 3 feet and I set a 4x12 Preston Edge float with 12 XSH-B and 0.18, this would do for topset plus one and 13m. I also set up a slapping rig for hard pellets and a 4x12 for topset plus in front.

I started the match on the pellet wag, it was a bit awkward than I thought casting and despite being clipped up it was easy to catch a twig or a bramble. After an hour I had 2 carp and had lost 2 wagglers, and with Pete’s waggler landing fairly close I decided to sack it off. Mat also had 2 carp on it but it wasn’t happening for us.

I decided to get some early feed in on my close margin line, I fed micros and gbait here. I then went down further to 11m and started slapping a pellet about.  It was a bit tricky with foliage and overhead tree branches being caught. I had to reduce the rig length to help. I got two carp here and then no signs at all. I went to 13m which was as far as I dared because of some brambles in the water a little further down. Didn’t get any more signs though.

A look on my short margin fishing with 5 dead reds and some fish were there. Turned out it was skimmers. Unfortunately the swim was full of  twigs, I thought I got most of them out but no, they were everywhere. I did 4 good skimmers from here, but lots more twigs. Whilst fishing here I pinged some 6mm pellets to 13m in the hope of attracting some carp. When I went down there with my slapping rig I nailed a nice 9lb common, again a one off.

I was kind of struggling mid match, Mat was now doing well on skimmers and I think I messed up not having a proper rig out in the open water for them.

Back at 13m and nothing shallow, but decided to try my deep rig with dead reds here, my thinking was I might see if any carp were in the spot deeper. The rig didn’t move for 10 minutes and I was just going to ship back when the float buried. I was attached to a decent fish that thankfully swam out into the lake. I thought it might be fouled as it went on some crazy runs, but it turned out to be a near 15lb common. There were 2 hours to go and I decided to pot in micros, pellets and dead reds at 13m as I felt I needed to catch here. 

Catching just a big skimmer after 30 minutes here didn’t get my confidence up. But a few more carp did put in an appearance. A couple of foulers lost, two more took me into snags (I retrieved an empty groundbait bag full of water and shiteon one), but had a couple more decent carp 9lb+

Match over and I knew Mat had beat me as he had a few late carp from where he was catching skimmers, but Mat wasn’t in my section. Mat won his section with 88lb (including 33lb of skimmers) pipping Tony who had 82lb on the pellet wag (he lost 4 wags).

My silvers went 11lb 14oz and when added to my carp I had 80lb 6oz. I was second in the section picking up £55 as Vic Bush on the opposite side of the lake had 89lb 7oz, that was also the top weight on the day. 

Weigh sheets below and generally it was a bit of a tough day, especially in some areas. It was a close affair in most sections with just one or two fish making the difference. I enjoyed it, a case of being patient and some lovely big common carp.

Not fishing the bank holiday weekend, but hopefully will be the week after.

Hillview Fishery Open

No fishing last weekend as Wendy and I were in Wales for the weekend, though I did pop back early to see a rare black crowned night heron on the Avon at Newbridge! 

The long Easter weekend meant fun, a good start seeing another Rovers home win, 2026 has certainly been an easier watch at home! Decided to go back to Hillview again on Sunday and give the canal another go. Keith Hill was back from his holiday and was happy to see me again. Canals 2, 3 and 4 were in today and whilst I don’t really mind where I draw most people said canal 3 was the place to be. I was second in the woolly hat and I pulled out peg 92, same as 2 weeks ago!

Today I was going to concentrate on fishing meat which has done quite well here, and as the wind was quite horrendous I was going to fish it short. In fact to save any calamity I only got top sets and a short no 4 out of hold-all. Rigs were lighter than last time after some advice from Martin Rayet, 4x10 with 16 GPM to 0.13. The plan was topset for meat, topset plus short no4 in margins. The right margin is much deeper than the left in this peg, but the left side has a lot of roots / weed. 

Starting at 10:30 I began on the top set and had a Rudd on the drop on my meat. Next drop a 5lb carp. Nothing else so I tried a new line more to the left and had a 1lb carp. It was painfully slow, no indications just a very odd bite out of the blue. It seemed a slow first hour for my canal. The odd person risked fishing a long pole, whilst they caught a couple of fish it didn’t seem much better so I still kept the pole packed away safely.

Three hours in and all I had was about 20lb at most and was definitely last on my canal. I tried pellets as a change but that was no good and been in the margins for a couple of fish and a few silvers. I was hoping of course that the fishing would improve but it was just as hard and I had about 30lb with just over an hour left. I was thinking it was going to be a DNW today! However, my margins finally came alive with the RH side being nice and steady. Then I ended with 3 carp from the LH side in maybe 7 minutes as the float buried each time before the bait got to the bottom.

I had certainly reduced my deficit on the other lads on my canal in the last hour but no more. Once again peg 95 won my canal, he had 106lb mostly caught in his margin on meat. I had 73lb and the lad on 90 had 78lb. The other end of the canal there were two 87lb weights. So last on the canal, sticking to meat short probably cost me more fish, but my new pole is still intact lol. That said second place went to John Drew on canal 2 with 144lb on meat short, whilst the winner on canal 3 had 153lb on pellets. 

My lack of time on commercials and here is showing, getting into the top end of the results is going to take some time and effort, but getting bites and catching fish is going to keep me going back for a while.

Hillview Fishery Open

With no fishing last weekend and no fishing for me next weekend I was really wanting to get out for day in this nice weather. Wasn’t really sure where to go, and expected to be pools fodder wherever lol. In the end I planned to go to Hillview at Tewkesbury, a place that is always given me a warm welcome and lots of fish. I booked on and the match was on the canals. 

I got to the fishery in good time and grabbed some breakfast and paid my pools. I didn’t recognise anyone but all the other anglers were friendly, but there was one lad called Keith Bilder who I half recognised as he used to live in Bristol. He was fishing here for the first time for a long time just like me.

The lodges are looking very good, and later this year I will be staying in one for the annual fishing holiday (moved from Viaduct for a change).

I drew peg 93 which is on the back canal and in the shade of the big fir trees to start. A lad called Colin was on the end of the canal peg 96 and on 91 was a lad called Charlie. The pegs have got plastic platforms now and it’s only about 12m to reach the far bank. This would be a nice easy work out for my latest acquisition, a Preston Superium X95 pole 😊. It really is a beautiful pole.

Rigs today were a 4x14 for fishing a top set with meat with 0.13 to a 16 GPM. 4x12 for my margins and the far bank, I used a mixture of 0.13 to 16 GPM and 0.11 to 16 SFL. 

I started the match fishing my top set with meat it was very slow but I managed 3 or 4 small carp before bites completely stopped. I was feeding maggots down to my RH margin but didn’t want to go there just yet, so went across to the far side feeding fishery micro pellets and soft pellet on the hook. I had a nice 45 minutes here catching the odd carp and F1, but liners were a problem from the carp swimming up down the far bank off bottom. Just as I thought I was going to have a nice time on this line it died, a tiny tench and ide signalling the carp had moved.

The meat line was still bite less so onto the RH margin with maggots. Plenty of bites from silvers, ide, perch and little tench. When I thinned them out I got one F1 but nothing else. Back across on pellet and another run of fish which didn’t last long. I seemed to be doing ok on my canal from what I could tell, but over on canal 3 the two anglers on 70 and 72 were catching well i thought.

Mid match was slow and it seemed to be the same for many, if I could get 1 or 2 fish from any line I was lucky. I decided to start feeding my LH margin at top set plus one with micro and meat just because the maggot didn’t seem to keep the fish in the swim. I kept trying short meat line but I couldn’t get a bite, doing something wrong maybe?

I spent the next two hours working the two margins and the LH meat and micro was getting better with carp up to 5lb. With just over 30 minutes left I had to put another net in, but had left it in the van, Colin lent me one which was good of him. However, the dreaded extra net syndrome hit me big time! My RH meat line went from nice clean bites to lots of liners and lost two foulers, maggot line dead. I had just one carp and one F1 in the last 30 minutes whilst Colin had at least 6 carp and Charlie had 4. Talk about gutted 🙈🙈🙈

It wasn’t long before Steve and Huggy arrived with the scales, Colin had 112lb which I knew I couldn’t beat, my silvers went 10lb and along with my carp I had 96lb. Clearly the last 30 minutes had cost me as Colin won our canal. Well done to John D who had 123lb all on meat (they call him the meat master) to be top weight. I had a chat with John after and he told me he used to fish for Seymo Aquarians who used to be a top river team. We mainly talked about our river experiences, what a great bloke. 

Every canal needed a ton to get the section so it fished well.

I always thought it would be difficult for me to do well today but I was close, definitely enjoyed it and will go back. All the weights are on the board below.

Bathampton open Bristol Avon Newbridge

My last chance to fish the river this season and I was able to fish a match being run by Ben Rendall at Newbridge. Bream had been coming out to pleasure anglers and so most people were expecting a decent day. Saturday was spent changing my gear from carp to river bream and I put some 6lb line on my new Centris 420 reel. Got everything done and managed to get down the mem to see the Gas win 2-1, a few bream Sunday would make it a great weekend!

Sunday morning I grabbed a Greggs on the way to the river and arrived in good time. There were 20 of us fishing today, Ben put peg 1 in the little field on permanent peg 3 and peg 20 was permanent peg 50. I drew peg 19 so was on permanent 49 hoped this would be ok, but I did fancy the end peg which was what Pete Mills had. 

It didn’t take long to set up as I just set up a feeder rod with a 14 to 0.15. Groundbait as usual brown crumb, sweet skimmer and Thatchers. A 28g feeder held the bottom pretty well. We started at 10:30 and I spent the first 20 minutes casting regularly to get some bait in. Starting with three red maggots on the hook I soon caught a small roach, after the first hour I had three small roach, Pete had 1 bream. The second and third hour were devoid of any fish activity! I went for a walk and below me Jason Fearn was struggling despite trying running line tactics.

With just under two hours to go I had a lovely bite, pulled round and dropped back, and I was sure I was attached to a bream. Now this would be interesting as sometimes the bream do feed late and it can be good. Alas I soon realised this was a chub but at nearly 3lb it was still welcome, but my bream dream was shattered and no more bites till 3pm. I had a big drop back bite and connected with a big fish, I had to back wind quite a bit. I wasn’t sure what I had hooked but started to get it back towards me, as it got closer to my bank it surfaced and I saw it was another chub and I really had to pull hard to get it to come to me and stay out of the margin snags. It was a fat chub, which weighed later at 5lb 4oz. Next cast I missed another drop back and that was the last bite. (Picture below by ace photographer Derek Coles 🤣

I wasn’t going to weigh in but I wanted to weigh the chub, my total weight was 8lb 11oz that was second in my section behind Pete who had 3 bream and chub for 14lb. Jason had 2lb 8oz and below him Graham Hunt 8lb 3oz of chublets on the waggler. 

Overall the match won by Jeff Surmon on peg 1 with 46lb of bream. Well done mate!

2nd Jan Mazyk 42lb from permanent peg 30 again bream.

3rd Derek Coles 34lb of bream from peg 38.

Warren Bates and Shaun Townsend both had 20lb+ catching mainly on the float.

Biggest bream was 8lb 15oz caught by Ben Rendall, Dean Harvey also had a big bream 8lb 6oz.

Well I was a bit gutted not to draw on a few bream but the big chub was a lovely fish to end my river season on.