Windmill Fishery Open

 Was hoping to be on the river again this weekend, but whilst working away in Germany this week I saw there was a weather warning for heavy rain in the UK. Dean Harvey said he was going to cancel his match, but the rain never got that bad and the river would have been better condition than last week.

I booked in for Windmill without knowing how it had been fishing but I thought with the recent mild wet weather it might be ok. I was feeling pretty tired from my business trip to Germany, as a result I didn’t do a lot Saturday but did at least sort my gear out ready for the lake.

After a McDonald’s I arrived at the fishery in good time, it was nice to see the many familiar faces again. The weather forecast was not looking good and I was hoping not to draw in the teeth of it. As I got my gear out of the van I saw straight away I had left my trolley at home doh! Luckily for me Nick Sanders said I could borrow his trolley after he had got his gear to his peg. I was hoping for a peg in one of the corners, but alas peg 6 came my way and that’s bang in the middle of the lake. A good summer peg usually.

I set up a straight lead with 0.19 to 16 KKMB and a small method feeder with same. With squally winds I was loathed to get the pole out, but I did get a top set and 2 sections out. I put together 0.4g float with 0.15 to 16GPM. 

We started at 10:15, I plopped the lead out off to the left to see what was about. 10 minutes and no liners, so I then cast it to the right of me, but the result was the same. I switched to the method feeder and cast to my right where there were a few reeds. On my second cast I had a small liner, so a sign at last, but then I had a liner most casts after this for an hour. No matter what I tried as bait I didn’t get a bite, even trying the lead again was fruitless. Just shy of 2 hours in and I finally had a proper bite, hooked a good fish that didn’t tear off. It came in fairly easy, and I had a job to lift it out of the water, probably about 13lb.

As you can see from the picture, I took a photo of the carp all alone in the keepnet. That’s because other than a couple of liners I never had another bite. Never had a bite on the pole either, and a set up for some silvers might have been a better option. Especially as on peg 4 Malcom Fitz won the silvers with 12lb, mainly 5 skimmers. I’d been in the wrong area for carp as hardly any were caught, also, opposite me Shaun Townsend and Leighton Palmer were both DNW’s, and those two are regular framers here. 

The corners of the lake were where the carp were, though winning on the day with 62lb Nick Sanders on peg 22 was just out of the corner. He was blanking after 2 hours, but by fishing his margin to his left he caught 7 decent carp. John Williams on corner peg 11 had 56lb, and in third place was Steve Upton on next peg 12 with 33lb. Andy Gard claimed runner up

In the silvers with 5lb from peg 9.

I think the weights were down today as most people couldn’t fish a long pole. Conditions were pretty bad most of the time. I was glad to get back home and have a warm shower! No fishing next weekend as have family plans, so I expect the river will be in better condition lol.

British Legion Poppy Match

 My return to the bank continues, after last weekend helping celebrate my Nephew’s 21st birthday I was always setting my sights on fishing the poppy match. I’m feeling much stronger and healthier now, and really am happy with my progress. In fact I was offered a short walk draw, but I turned that down and said I would take my chances. Truth be known I didn’t want to have to get over styles or fences, so a draw at Newbridge would be very helpful. It was nice catching up with a lot of anglers at the draw, we were all there to raise money for Poppy despite what the river was like, and it was very high, fast and coloured. After the citation read by Brian Lloyd the draw began, I pulled out peg 44, that was about peg 120 down the trees at Newbridge, happy with this peg as no styles and flat walk.

I was the second person at the rugby club gate, Dean Harvey was doing a poor impression of Houdini trying to undo the chain and locks. Luckily Warren Bates arrived and he knew the code and so I got the gates open. As I was putting the gear on the trolley Andy Gard pulled up and squeezed his van in by the entrance, he said “I don’t like walking too far Tim!” Lol.

A steady walk, slippery at times, got me to my peg. I was quite happy looking at it, a bit of slack to 6m, then pretty fast after that. I set up two feeder rods; one with a size 12 N50 and the other a 14, 0.17 powerline was my choice of hook length. I did set up a 5m whip for bleak, but that was a waste of time. As I was still setting up And Gard walked up from peg 51, he was walking back to his van to get his reels he had forgotten… remember Andy told me he didn’t like walking 😂😂

My groundbait was same as last time out, a mix of Sonubaits Sweet Skimmer and Thatchers original. 45g feeders would hold the bottom at 7m to 8m out. We started at 10am and on my second drop in I got a 3oz roach on dendra and maggot. On my fifth cast I had a nice bite and put the net under an 8oz hybrid. I thought I might catch a few of these today as they can show in dirty water, but alas I didn’t have any more.

I had an early visit from match organisers Ray Bazeley and Paul Benson, and I was able to catch a couple of small roach for their entertainment. They said at this early stage I was going well. After 90 minutes I think I had 5 roach, a small eel and the hybrid, but then went 30 minutes without a bite. I tried a lobworm tail for the first time and after a missed tentative bite I had a good bite next cast and hooked a fish that fought hard. I began to think I had a chub on, but then saw it was a skimmer, fighting so hard because it was foul hooked! I got it out which was a bonus as it was about 2lb.

Twenty minutes later and I’m into another good fish fighting well, but just as it got close in it came off. Was it another fouled skimmer I wondered? Sometimes in fast coloured water the fish can be off bottom and not pick up the hook bait. I was gutted of course, and even more so as bites tailed off again apart from the odd roach.

Tales from the bank were the river was fishing hard, Andy Britt had walked down from 2 pegs above me and said he thought I would frame with what I had! He said Nigel Wyatt at Chequers was best with 3 bream. My match was seemingly petering out, all manor of hookbaits not getting a response, so I thought get back on the lobworm tail. With 40 minutes to go I missed a bite, eel perhaps, next drop in and the tip started twitching about an inch, I left it thinking eel, but after 10 seconds I thought sod it and struck. Boom, into a bream for sure, it was hang on time as it kited down and inside. Everything held firm this time, and I slipped the net under a 4lb bream. 

I was hoping for a couple more, but that was my final fish of the day. I hoped I might have 8lb, and would win the section. My neighbours Steve Lovell and Harry had both chucked back. The man with the scales was Andy Pritchard, and he called out 9lb 1oz for my fish. That won the section as 1lb 5oz was next, Andy Britt.

Back to the results and Nige Wyatt was said to have had 5 bream, but after this I was being touted as second. Well after the usual long raffle and various auctions the top 10 was read out. 

Winner was indeed Nige Wyatt with 14lb 14oz, his first Poppy match win at the age of 71. Well done Nige!

In second place was me, so just missing out on the 6th win, but I’m not unhappy, as I’m very happy for Nigel.

Got to say a big well done to Andy Ankers on third place with 7lb 10oz of nearly all eels from the trees.

Top 10 here..

Huge congratulations to Ray for his efforts for this match, and all his helpers, supporters and the anglers. The amount raised is going to be close to £4000, far in excess of prior matches. As for me, well I’m happy as a pig in shit, I am just overwhelmed at getting back on the bank and catching a few. Thank you to everyone who said nice things to me today 😊😊😊