After my previous visit to this fishery on Heron Lake I was keen to get back here as quick as possible to try to get another feel for the venue. My last match whilst successful I was only able to catch in the margin and wanted to try and catch more of the F1's on the long pole if possible. I think I was one of the last if not the last person to arrive at the fishery today, and paid my pools in the shop and it was nearly time to draw so I would have to unload the gear after. It was great to see Des Shipp back on the bank after his heart scare, although he was going to be very difficult to beat today. Along with some of the local regulars, I spied Stu Foale, Bob Gullick and fellow Bristolian (and regular) Dave Wilmott. For some reason at the draw my name was called first and Andy Lloyd pulled out peg 10, this I was informed was another good peg.
Got to the peg and realised it was going to be a tough match to get coin, with Dave Wilmott on peg 11 (large corner peg) and commercial fishery expert Bob Gullick on peg 9. It was Bob's first visit to the venue and he asked me quite a few questions, but as I was only on my second visit I wasn't sure I was full of the best knowledge lol.
The peg was on a bit of a bend / point, and Bob was very close to me on my right and so we had to be careful with our rollers and shipping back, it also meant there was really not much of a margin to go out in between us. I had a little bit more room to my left, but I only went a top set to my left for the margin line as Dave was giving me instructions on where I could fish! Funny enough the far bank has markers on it with the peg numbers and this gives you an idea of where you can chuck to on the far bank. I notice I had a Lion on the far bank!
I set up heavier rigs today as the wind was forecast to be quite strong, so 4x14 for top set plus 2 sections, and out at 13m. 0.12 Accu Power to 18 SFLB. 4x12 for the margin, and a couple of shallow rigs as I thought there might be some F1's caught shallow. I also set up a method feeder rod again and clipped it up fishing just to the right of the Lion.
I began the match on topset plus two, I fed a little ball of micro this week and fished a soft pellet on the hook. Bob had bites before me, but lost his first 3 fish. I then had 1, lost 2, then had another. Once agin this line never got going, and Bob and Dave were also struggling here. Not long before we were all trying out longer, I went to 13m and had fed some fishery 4mm pellets and again had a sofot pellet on the hook, I had a couple of fish here and lost a couple but was missing bites. The wind was now a pain and I felt my presentation wasn't great, I decided to fish corn on the hook which would give the rig more stability. It was a good move and toss potting pellets and corn I had a run of fish on the 13m line and pulled ahead of my neighbours, but just as I was getting excited it all went quiet here again.
I tried the margin early for no signs, whilst Dave was now getting the odd fish in his margin fishing long. A quick look back long and still no good, so I picked up the method feeder. Fishing this with some Pro Thatchers green gbait on it and red maggot on the 18 KKMB hook I had a small F1 first cast. Probably had 5 or 6 fish fairly quickly before it died. Time to move again! It was a struggle on the pole for me, but Bob had now gone shallow and was slapping like a good un, he wasn't getting many at this stage, but as I could not get any bites deep I decided to go back on the feeder and feed pellet at 14m to try to catch shallow. I had 3 more fish on the feeder and then Bob said "oh shit", his pole had come apart with a fish on and half his pole was in the lake. Luckily he was able to drop his feeder over it and get it back before it sunk, he also landed the fish! He was having a good run shallow and it forced me to follow suit. However, the wind and my ineptitude and lack of experience at this method showed, I think I only caught two fish shallow. I decided I was not going to do any good on this and dropped in over this line with the deep rig. I took a few more fish here before they went.
I went back onto the method feeder and had a run of about 8 or 9 fish, but as ever it just stops and you have to try elsewhere. Whilst on the tip I saw a lovely Red Kite soaring above us, a beautiful bird. I felt I was someway behind Dave who was still catching in his margin, although was continually moaning about the size of the fish he was catching. Bob had stopped catching shallow and was trying different things out but was struggling. I put 3 or 4 fish in the net from the margin on my left but that was it. I finished the match on the method feeder and just before the whistle for all out I had another wrap round, I landed my best fish a 3lb carp after the whistle. Today the match was completely different from last week for me, I also caught nearly all F1's where as last week I had nearly all carp.
Dave was convinced he had not beaten us, but I said he clearly had, Bob G had a £1 with Dave on this. However, as usual Dave had completely underestimated and he had 74lb which was a good weight on the day.
My turn next and my two nets went exactly 62lb, I thought I might have had 50lb so was happy with that. Bob's turn to weigh and amazingly his weight was called out at exactly 62lb as well! I had to be happy with that, but I know that a better F1 angler would have caught more out of my peg today, but I think I did the right think by fishing what I was confident in and tried to ring the changes. Photo below of Bob packing up shows just how close are pegs are together, but it is understandable as the lake widens out here and there's plenty of water in front.
I was fairly sure that the match was going to be won by Des Shipp on peg 20, and this turned out to be correct, he had 84lb 10z. You can't keep a good man down, well done sir.
2nd Dave Wilmott 74lb 2oz
3rd Jamie Dixey peg 6 66lb 10oz
Joint 4th Bob and myself, we shared £30.
Full results sheet is below. Dave, Bob and myself stopped off in a pub garden for a celebratory pint of Thatchers Gold, thanks Dave for the idea and getting them in. It was great to have a chat with both of them and I had thoroughly enjoyed the day, and the banter and laughs with them.
No fishing next weekend for me.
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