Plantation Match Lake

I have been hacked off to the back teeth with work this week, so took a days hol on Thursday to go fishing. I couldn't make up my mind where to go and thought of going to Acorn fishery. However, I was told I would need maggot and as I only had pellets I drove on a bit further to Plantation. Arriving at about 9:30 there were already many anglers there and I sneaked in on the first island which was about 5 pegs along.

Past match angler of old and now full time pleasure angler Ray Simms told me the pellet waggler had been working, so I set up a 4 swan job and started on this. After 30 mins with out so much as a indication I felt this was not the right the method! Lazily (you'll wince) I took off the float and set up a cage feeder on the 13ft Carbon active float rod! It was a good move as first chuck out I had just put the rod down when it went round, carp no1! I had 5 in the next 5 chucks on a 10mm banded pellet, using a PR36 to 0.15 powerline. I then had a 1.5lb crucian which was a lovely looking fish. I had in total 12 carp on the feeder after an hour or so on it, it was good casting practice landing within about 6ft of the island (I know I was close because I did once catch a reed) but I was itching to get onto the pole.

I had been feeding some 6mm pellets at 13 mtrs since I'd been on the feeder and there were odd bubbles coming up. I fished a 0.3grm Preston Inter float (slim version) with 0.13 to an 18 PR28, and on the hook had a 6mm soft pellet. I had a good 2 hours catching carp to 6lb, more crucians and skimmers to nearly 3lb. The little breeze there had been had gone and the fishing got very hard and it started to pee down, so time to pack up. I had ended up with 28 carp (I put them back as I caught them) and a good 25lb of crucians and skimmers, not bad for 4 hours fishing! Everything had come on the deck or just off by lifting and dropping, no sign of any fish shallow here today.

Next to me for company was a 13 year old Welsh lad with his dad. I know he was 13 cos he told me he was and that he was the under 13 British Speedway Champion. He had hooked one carp and lost it, and try as I might all my advice did not help him catch (mind you he was fishing 6 swan shot 12" from a the hook direct). Every time I caught a carp he said "you're lucky you, you're so lucky". Well after about three hours of this I finally had enough and told him "were you effing lucky to win the speedway championship?", smart lad he was, he got the point! In the end I scrounged some maggots for him set him up a waggler and left him getting the odd roach and perch, and gave him my soaked 4mm pellets.

I do like fishing this lake, but I have never fished it in a match, hopefully I will get the chance one day!