Bitterwell Lake Christmas Open

 It’s nearly a month since my last match which was a poor day at Windmill lakes. The river is still high and fast although probably now clear, and with no river matches I knew of I didn’t know what to do this weekend. A Quick look on Facebook and I saw Paul Isaacs was running an open on Bitterwell Lake on Sunday, and I thought that will do me.

I did a bit of preparation on Saturday and was able to tie some hooks whilst listening to the radio and enjoying an away Gas win. I was a bit tired after a lads get together on Friday night, so had an early night for a change. Still didn’t get a great nights sleep though, so was going to be groggy Sunday.

Well it’s still mild, at 10 to 12C and nice not to have to scrape the ice off the windscreen in the morning, so nice and easy to get the van loaded and off to Bitterwell. It’s been a few years since I fished a match here, Paul runs silvers matches on Tuesdays which are always well attended, but I’m always working. I really didn’t know where was a good draw today, but pulled out peg 4 on the road bank. Paul and Martin McMahon said it would be best fishing for carp on the tip. That was fine with me as I had rigged up two tip rods, one with a Preston ICS hybrid feeder, and the other a straight lead. 0.17 to 16 KKM B with a band.

I was basically in the middle of the lake, which generally I’d be happy with in winter as the carp tend to hole up somewhere out of the way of Bankside disturbance. I had my new Preston trays in use for the first time today, lots of space for bait etc with these. I wasn’t expecting a lot on the pole but did set up a couple of 4x14 rigs for fishing maggots at 7m, and pellets at 13m. On my right was venue regular Keith Turner, and my left fellow Gashead John Smith. 

We started at 10 and we all fed our pole lines and then went out on the tip. My feed pellets were 2mm Sonubaits pro feed, and I put a fluoro Bandum in the band.

My first cast on the hybrid was in the water for 19 minutes before a carp pulled the rod round. That was a nice start. The next cast gave me two little liners but nothing else. I had Paul Isaacs sat with me for a bit, and he told me I was casting bang on the distance he would choose. He saw me catch my first carp and then my second carp after 45 minutes. An hour gone and 10lb so a decent start with just 3 or 4 other anglers having a carp.

In the second hour I had a skimmer on the tip but nothing else, it seemed the carp had moved as Keith then had 2 carp in 2 casts. Smithy was still blanking. My third hour was poor, the tip was dead, whilst Keith had a few skimmers and a tench on the method feeder. Smithy caught a couple of small skimmers on the pole and I followed suit. I never had a bite at 13m, but at 7m I had a 2oz hybrid and then hooked a carp, but after a few minutes it came off and I was sure it had been foul hooked.

I hooked another carp out of the blue in the fourth hour, but just as it was in netting range the hook pulled out. With an hour to go I was probably in about 7th or 8th place, but 4 carp was the best it seemed. I cast the hybrid a bit further out (to where I saw a carp jump), and with 50 minutes to go had another carp. Then nothing again, tried the pole again for absolutely nothing. Back on the tip and with 15 mins to go I hook and land carp number 4, and with 5 minutes left I got carp number 5.

Match over and for me it had been all about the first and last hour. I thought I had 32lb, Keith 20lb and Smithy chucked back. I was just hoping my lost carp wouldn’t cost me. Didn’t take long to get weighed in, and my carp and 2 silvers went 35lb 14oz. 

My bag was just enough to win the day, beating Andrew Chivers opposite me, he caught 4 carp and some skimmers on bread on the lead. In third Paul Elms had 2 carp and 13lb of skimmers on pellet, that was top silvers on the day.

Thanks to Paul for a well run match, and for the breakfast roll, mince pie and a little Christmas spirit 😊.  Top 6 shown below..

1st Tim Ford 35lb 14oz peg 4

2nd Andrew Chivers 31lb 12oz peg 19

3rd Paul Elms 28lb 8oz peg 27

4th James Hennessy 24lb 13oz peg 12

5th Keith Turner 23lb 3oz peg 6

6th Kevin Winstone 11lb 14oz peg 10

This might be my last match of 2023, and if so I’d like to wish you a very happy Christmas and I hope you enjoy the festivities. 🎅🎅🎅

Ticking over

 Sorry the blog has been quiet again since the Poppy match. First off I went away the following weekend for a family celebration, near the Blackdown Hills in Devon. Lovely place, right out in the sticks with lovely views and walks. 

After that weekend I was looking forward to go fishing on Sunday. However, with sub zero temperatures I began to think about other options. The Commercial House Xmas match was on my radar, but it was on the canal outside of Bath, and that’s been rubbish for a few years now when it’s cold. Glad I didn’t go as only 8oz won the match (Andy Britt) and 3oz was 5th, hmmm rat tip! 

In the end I walked a few sections of the canal up at Horton just outside Devises. Thatchers were fishing the last round of the winter league here, and although the team had no chance of getting in the top 2 of the league they were still very competitive. They had a better day coming second, and Andy Ottaway won the match with 11lb, so good day for the lads. Congratulations to Diawa Gordon League and Devises for finishing first and second.

A few of my team had a curry in Devises where James Carty is their best customer. We were certainly looked after well and the food was great. From left, myself, Lee Trivitt, James, Ian Paulley and Andy Ottaway.

I won’t be fishing this weekend, forward planning on my part really, as on Saturday I’ve a bit of hospitality at Rovers followed by a party at the neighbours. Might have a thick head Sunday. Fingers crossed I can get on something the following weekend.