There was no blog last week as unfortunately I was not feeling that well, new medication from the hospital wasn't working as expected and I was not sleeping well or having much joy at the loo. Eventually on Thursday I lost 3lbs in 2 hours, that enough information!
I've just been having fun and games with my blogger account after virginmedia and google have done something together which caused a conflict. I could not sign into it at all and needless to say it took a lot of time to work out what to do to fix this and caused me to swear a lot, twats!!!!
The first match of September 1995 was the NFA South West Champs on the upper Bristol Avon. I found myself pegged at Staverton 3 pegs below the "Black Bridge", an area I had not fished before. There were 4 pegs below me and 8 above in this section, and I really had no clue what to expect other than some of the lads said just fish for bits. My peg was 13 feet deep which surprised me, and I set up two wagglers one full depth and one 5 feet deep. I had a few small bleak and bits on the shallow wag but it was slow and I was not going to get a good weight on them. Switching to the deep wag was also very slow but when I did get a bite it was from either a small perch or roach so slightly better quality, and I did have 1 skimmer. I had been feeding maggot and hemp and in the last hour I caught some roach on hemp on the wag deep. I ended with 2kilo 480g, and that beat the 8 pegs above me but not 1 below, so 9 points out of 13 for me. Below me the river started to shallow and more roach were caught. The team struggled and we could only manage a disappointing 6th place.
The following day saw me fish the K&A canal at Hungerford for the first time, I travelled with my old Bristol Sensas team mate Mark "Podge" Jefferies who had fished it a few times and done well and said it was solid. When I drew most people screwed their faces up, and Mark just said that's shit. I fished gbait and squatt at 11 metres to start, finding that maggot (on a 22 to 0.075) brought a slightly better stamp of roach / perch but bites were not prolific. I had fed caster across and spawned a 2lb+ tench from here, and this boosted my final weight to 5lb 14oz and a section win. I think Mark framed again as he seemed to always do here!
Sunday 10th saw me making another superleague appearance for Thatchers on the Avon at Chippenham. Originally at the team meeting I was dropped which I was gutted about, but unbeknown to me Steve Mayo and Des Shipp had a go at the manager and I was put in! I have a feeling I was pegged opposite the mouth of the Marsden (not sure though) which was a good peg, and I was once again fishing a new area for me. I started on the wag and mag for bits whilst feeding caster & hemp by hand for the pole. The first 2 1/2 hours were great with roach up to 8oz showing, but then due to heavy rain the Marsden stopped my peg from flowing and coloured up the river, after this I hardly had a bite. My 8lb 3oz was good enough for 2nd in the section and the team also came 2nd on the day.
The following Sunday it was another pleasure fishing battle versus Dave Haines. After the canal and the Docks it was now the river, and we fished in Bath just below the Green Bridge. I set up a waggler and a pole, and my plan was to feed maggot on the wag to catch everything and feed hemp and caster on the pole for roach. Dave stuck to the pole. After 4 hours I had about 6lb of small roach on the wag but had lost two animals on the pole and couldn't catch roach, Dave had been catching roach on the pole and was hammering me. In desperation I fed really heavily on the wag in the hope of a few chub, and it paid off with two 3lb chub, a 2lber, 3 pups and I got snapped by a real dog. My final weight was 17 1/2lb and I just beat Dave by a few ounces, and boy did he moan!
The last round of the Drennan Superleague saw me sat on peg 24 at Newbridge on a clear river. I had a poor day, catching a pound and a half of roach on the pole over gbait in the first 45 mins, then just the odd roach on the waggler. I should have sat it out for bream as pegs 28 to 36 all caught them, and as a result I only had 5 points. The team had a great day and we ended winning the league by 52 points! I think this was the day when as a team we said we would ball it in with gbait, but Vic Bush did not want to do it. At the start of the match he was forced to do it by the manager and he managed to land a ball on his top set and break it! Vic then caught virtually nothing on the pole and halfway through was down and out, he then caught bream late on the tip to win the match. We all found it really funny.
My last note about September 1995 is a day I shall never forget. I took a half day off work to fish at Jack Whites, I wanted to fish the feeder for bream on peg 123. There was a tide (which I knew) and I was hoping to empty it once it had ran off. I was set up waiting for the river to slow down when I noticed shadows coming out of the trees opposite, chub. I ignored them at first but after a while I realised there were lots over there. Luckily I had all my gear with me and set up a waggler with a 20 and 1.5lb maxima and cast out with single caster on the hook. The river was still ripping through and I never fed any bait whilst it was like this, but I caught 7 chub! I only had a pint of caster and a few red maggots with me, and once the river flow had eased I started to feed casters. After 3 hours all my bait was gone and I had 27 chub for what I guessed was about 50lb.
Sunday, 8 June 2014
Sunday, 25 May 2014
Today and August 1995
I will just start off today by saying that I have had a better week personally although I am still a long way from "normal". Today I drove to Viaduct fishery and watched the league match that was taking place, this was a big step for me as I would be a long drive and a long way from the toilet! Sadly the fishery was having an off day and many anglers were struggling, it seemed to me that pegs 110, 111 and 132 on Campbell were the most consistent, with Des Shipp on 110 storming it catching on pellet long down the edge. Nice to see even top internationals struggle, Des had dropped his phone in the lake, snapped a number 5 and was hooking a lot of debris on the bottom, to be fair he didn't moan much. Two rods were pulled in on Carey lake, a tip rod was snapped and Nick Chedzoy broke a top set, I am sure there were more tackle casualties! I left with 90 mins of the match remaining glad I had visited, it was good to see so many anglers and I was humbled by the kind comments. I only crapped myself once so not to bad then! Expect to see results on Tony "eel" Rixon's blog.
Got home had a bit of tea and fell asleep, totally knackered me out that visit but all part of building myself up.
A little dip back in time again now... Saturday the 5th of August was a hot (86F) sunny day, and I fished the K&A canal at Claverton (on the pump) with Dave Haines. The canal here was very clear and we could see small fish everywhere, and a few lumps too. I fished straight down the middle of the canal and fed caster and hemp, and to begin fishing on the bottom with a 20 to 0.10 I caught a few perch but mainly roach. Bites went iffy and I switched to a small float which took 3 no 12 shot and used hemp on the hook, on this I took roach up to 12oz. I ended with a nice net of 13 1/2lb. Dave fished caster and fed it heavier and nailed double caster to the deck, he had 9lb which included 2 chub, 4 hybrids as well as roach. A great day. On Sunday I was fishing the Gloucester Canal Team Champs with Thatchers, I drew peg 84. A rancid 5 hours ensued and I never had a bite on the pole, but thankfully a couple of bites on the feeder came my way and I managed to connect with one and a 13 1/2oz skimmer was my lot! Thankfully my dismal day was soon forgotten as the team won the match and I was dead chuffed!
A week later and the weather was still scorchio! I pleasure fished at Jackie Whites on the Bristol Avon, fishing a peg I called the stump (now long gone due to overgrown) with simple bread and brown crumb and a crowquill. I expected to catch some skimmers, but the roach were feeding and 15lb of them kept me busy and very happy. Those really were the days!!!
Another week on and it was still baking hot! On Saturday 19th August I fished a match at Clifton Hampden and couldn't believe it when I drew the same peg I had in the team match a while back. Sadly another 20lb+ of roach did not materialise and I was bleaked out! Maggot and waggler was all wrong and it was the first time I saw perch being caught on the pole with chopped worm. The following day I fished at Shearwater lake on a nice friendly interclub match, I drew somewhere up past the lawn I recall. I put my long legs on my Boss box and walked 10 metres out and set up my fishing station there, being so hot I was just wearing shorts and daps! However, on my right Geoff Stone was none to happy as his pole line was behind where I was sitting lol! I fished an open feeder with a 16 to 2lb maxima, and using 3 red maggots I had 14 carp, 1 tench and 14lb of skimmers for a total of 46lb 12oz and first on the day. I fished on after and had at least 20lb in the next two hours.
Another day with Dave Haines, this time down at Bristol Docks on the center. Dave got his revenge today! I fished 6m to hand and fed some groundbait and loosefed caster and maggot over the top. I had a lovely day catching 19lb of mainly 6 to 8oz skimmers. However, Dave stuck to his beloved hemp and caster and had 24lb of roach. My last fishing in August was another day out at Shearwater lake, pleasure fishing on the dam wall. I fished a 4m whip with 18 to 0.12 on a 4x16 float. Feeding regular small balls of gbait with caster in I caught perch and roach up to a 1lb, one bream, and then asked the wife if she wanted a go. Of course she hooked a carp, and the rig was lost! Funny thing was she reckoned I had stitched her up hooking a "big one", which of course I hadn't. The carp then moved in and I switched to the pole and had 14 water pigs up to 6lb.
Got home had a bit of tea and fell asleep, totally knackered me out that visit but all part of building myself up.
A little dip back in time again now... Saturday the 5th of August was a hot (86F) sunny day, and I fished the K&A canal at Claverton (on the pump) with Dave Haines. The canal here was very clear and we could see small fish everywhere, and a few lumps too. I fished straight down the middle of the canal and fed caster and hemp, and to begin fishing on the bottom with a 20 to 0.10 I caught a few perch but mainly roach. Bites went iffy and I switched to a small float which took 3 no 12 shot and used hemp on the hook, on this I took roach up to 12oz. I ended with a nice net of 13 1/2lb. Dave fished caster and fed it heavier and nailed double caster to the deck, he had 9lb which included 2 chub, 4 hybrids as well as roach. A great day. On Sunday I was fishing the Gloucester Canal Team Champs with Thatchers, I drew peg 84. A rancid 5 hours ensued and I never had a bite on the pole, but thankfully a couple of bites on the feeder came my way and I managed to connect with one and a 13 1/2oz skimmer was my lot! Thankfully my dismal day was soon forgotten as the team won the match and I was dead chuffed!
A week later and the weather was still scorchio! I pleasure fished at Jackie Whites on the Bristol Avon, fishing a peg I called the stump (now long gone due to overgrown) with simple bread and brown crumb and a crowquill. I expected to catch some skimmers, but the roach were feeding and 15lb of them kept me busy and very happy. Those really were the days!!!
Another week on and it was still baking hot! On Saturday 19th August I fished a match at Clifton Hampden and couldn't believe it when I drew the same peg I had in the team match a while back. Sadly another 20lb+ of roach did not materialise and I was bleaked out! Maggot and waggler was all wrong and it was the first time I saw perch being caught on the pole with chopped worm. The following day I fished at Shearwater lake on a nice friendly interclub match, I drew somewhere up past the lawn I recall. I put my long legs on my Boss box and walked 10 metres out and set up my fishing station there, being so hot I was just wearing shorts and daps! However, on my right Geoff Stone was none to happy as his pole line was behind where I was sitting lol! I fished an open feeder with a 16 to 2lb maxima, and using 3 red maggots I had 14 carp, 1 tench and 14lb of skimmers for a total of 46lb 12oz and first on the day. I fished on after and had at least 20lb in the next two hours.
Another day with Dave Haines, this time down at Bristol Docks on the center. Dave got his revenge today! I fished 6m to hand and fed some groundbait and loosefed caster and maggot over the top. I had a lovely day catching 19lb of mainly 6 to 8oz skimmers. However, Dave stuck to his beloved hemp and caster and had 24lb of roach. My last fishing in August was another day out at Shearwater lake, pleasure fishing on the dam wall. I fished a 4m whip with 18 to 0.12 on a 4x16 float. Feeding regular small balls of gbait with caster in I caught perch and roach up to a 1lb, one bream, and then asked the wife if she wanted a go. Of course she hooked a carp, and the rig was lost! Funny thing was she reckoned I had stitched her up hooking a "big one", which of course I hadn't. The carp then moved in and I switched to the pole and had 14 water pigs up to 6lb.
Sunday, 18 May 2014
June July 1995
Picking up the diary for the first time in ages. Last time I had finished off by saying I had just joined Thatchers Tubertini and as a result I was now travelling with the team to venues for practice for superleagues / other team events. Whilst I didn't feel under any pressure I certainly did not get great draws to help me get started. First up was an open match on the Gloucester Canal, I drew peg 146 (cannot remember what part that is) and was told it would be a hard section. I fished the groundbait feeder for just over an hour and never had a bite on it, or at any point in the day. I'd been feeding a few maggots and casters at 12m for the pole and by fishing a 22 to 0.1 with single maggot I caught 1 perch and 4 eels (losing another 2 eels) for the grand total of 1lb. Amazingly I won the 10 peg section. The following week on the 24th June I was back on the Gloucester at Splatt, this part of the canal was very clear. I had just 1 bite all match and that was from an eel on the pole, at 14oz it was enough for 2nd in the section but as it was an open no coin.
Sunday I found myself at Cardiff East Dock, another open match being used as practice. I had a terrible day, scraping a pound of bits off the pole line whilst 4 people caught plenty of skimmers on the tip in my section. That put paid to me being picked for the team and I ran the bank the following Sunday on the same venue. The team did well and won the day catching bits short over groundbait, with some roach on hemp later and a lucky few had skimmers on the tip.
On Saturday 8th July I went back to my roots and pleasure fished the Avon below Keynsham weir. Using a 6 no8 stick float with a 22 to 0.1 I fed 2 pints of bronze maggots and caught a shed load of dace as well as perch and roach, I also lost a 10lb pike at the net. The following day I was fishing the K&A canal up by the 3 magpies pub (Willows?) on an open match. My peg / section was thick with blanket weed extending about 3 metres from the far bank, so fishing up against it was my bet. It was a very slow day and after 3 hours I had just 2 skimmers, a caster line had failed to produce and I filled it in and went for a walk. Coming back to the peg Andy Greenham on the next peg said he saw fish roll over my caster line. So I dropped in with double caster and had a 3lb carp and that was it, my 4lb 6oz won the section, and with a planned practice in the week with Steve Mayo I got told I was picked for the superleague match next Sunday, pressure on now!!! Given my draw which meant nothing to me, I was told there was very little chance of any carp in my section, that suited me as I had been working hard on fishing gbait and squatt. This match turned into a real struggle and I was really worried I was letting the team down, but bank runners assured me my section was awful. I managed a 12oz skimmer, four much smaller samples, and then a bits from right over. My next peg neighbour, who mainly fished for carp all match, slated me for fishing negatively even when he came last in the section and I ended up 2nd in the section with just 2lb 3oz, it was a team match mate! I was chuffed to have done well and the team won the day again.
A break from the team the following weekend and I fished a pole qualifier match at Newbridge, I simply fed maggot and caster and caught odd dace and bleak on the drop, with the odd better roach and perch on the deck. 7lb 6oz was enough for 2nd in the match.
Hope you all caught plenty of fish this weekend, and not too much sun!
Sunday I found myself at Cardiff East Dock, another open match being used as practice. I had a terrible day, scraping a pound of bits off the pole line whilst 4 people caught plenty of skimmers on the tip in my section. That put paid to me being picked for the team and I ran the bank the following Sunday on the same venue. The team did well and won the day catching bits short over groundbait, with some roach on hemp later and a lucky few had skimmers on the tip.
On Saturday 8th July I went back to my roots and pleasure fished the Avon below Keynsham weir. Using a 6 no8 stick float with a 22 to 0.1 I fed 2 pints of bronze maggots and caught a shed load of dace as well as perch and roach, I also lost a 10lb pike at the net. The following day I was fishing the K&A canal up by the 3 magpies pub (Willows?) on an open match. My peg / section was thick with blanket weed extending about 3 metres from the far bank, so fishing up against it was my bet. It was a very slow day and after 3 hours I had just 2 skimmers, a caster line had failed to produce and I filled it in and went for a walk. Coming back to the peg Andy Greenham on the next peg said he saw fish roll over my caster line. So I dropped in with double caster and had a 3lb carp and that was it, my 4lb 6oz won the section, and with a planned practice in the week with Steve Mayo I got told I was picked for the superleague match next Sunday, pressure on now!!! Given my draw which meant nothing to me, I was told there was very little chance of any carp in my section, that suited me as I had been working hard on fishing gbait and squatt. This match turned into a real struggle and I was really worried I was letting the team down, but bank runners assured me my section was awful. I managed a 12oz skimmer, four much smaller samples, and then a bits from right over. My next peg neighbour, who mainly fished for carp all match, slated me for fishing negatively even when he came last in the section and I ended up 2nd in the section with just 2lb 3oz, it was a team match mate! I was chuffed to have done well and the team won the day again.
A break from the team the following weekend and I fished a pole qualifier match at Newbridge, I simply fed maggot and caster and caught odd dace and bleak on the drop, with the odd better roach and perch on the deck. 7lb 6oz was enough for 2nd in the match.
Hope you all caught plenty of fish this weekend, and not too much sun!
Sunday, 11 May 2014
RECOVERY
Not sure if anybody is still looking in on my blog as it has obviously been inactive now for around a month. Thought I ought to put something on here so people at least know I am still alive lol!
My operation was carried out on the 9th April and at first it seemed all went well, other than my bowels being in a mess and then cutting them by accident so I had to have two joins. It became apparent after a few days that my bowels were not working (common after being handled) as I was being sick and bringing up wind, I needed my bowels to wake up so I could get some nourishment. Sadly they didn't and 1 week later I was looking like Michelin man as I was now 2 stone heavier due to being full of fluid. I was in a lot of pain, had a tube up my nose, and could only take shallow breaths as my lungs were compressed by the fluid. On Good Friday drastic action was taken with a tube put up my backside, and a picc line put in my arm to feed me with special food.
Over the Easter weekend the "butt drain" did a good job and around 5.5 litres of fluid came away from me! Sadly it seemed the fluid had done some damage to my right thigh as it was numb (still not right today) but the docs didn't lose any sleep over this. On Tuesday I was allowed to eat ice cream and soup, and on Wednesday some soft foods. Despite still not passing anything on Thursday (2 weeks after the op) I was sent home.
The fun began at home as the food started to work its way through me, and as I was also on lactulose (a type of laxative) thinks were rather "sloppy". For the first 5 days it was hell with me going to the loo 24 hours a day, I daren't keep count, and in absolute agony as my ass was ripped to pieces. Things are better in the last few days with (touch wood) no toilet visits during the night, but still 5 to 6 hours of doing my stuff in the day. I have little or no control at present and as a result I have to be able to get to the toilet very quickly, sadly that means I have been house bound. However, this is really what I was expecting to happen and so no surprise, but still its hard work. I just have to hope that things improve so that I can gain more control and the bowels get better at their job and reduce my toilet activity! As soon as that happens I will be able to get out and about, though I'm now like a stick insect since I've lost all condition.
I've added a new blog to those that I follow today, it is a blog by Dominic Sullivan (an excellent angler) and I thought his blog title was appropriate, it's called "Caught Short!", lol!
Today was the first time I felt well enough to pick up the lap top and do my blog, so that's a good thing, and I'll take everything 1 day at a time. Thanks to everyone for the messages of good luck etc, they have been very helpful to me. Hope you are all bagging up, and when I come back you'll let me have a flier, by that I mean a peg nearest the bogs!
My operation was carried out on the 9th April and at first it seemed all went well, other than my bowels being in a mess and then cutting them by accident so I had to have two joins. It became apparent after a few days that my bowels were not working (common after being handled) as I was being sick and bringing up wind, I needed my bowels to wake up so I could get some nourishment. Sadly they didn't and 1 week later I was looking like Michelin man as I was now 2 stone heavier due to being full of fluid. I was in a lot of pain, had a tube up my nose, and could only take shallow breaths as my lungs were compressed by the fluid. On Good Friday drastic action was taken with a tube put up my backside, and a picc line put in my arm to feed me with special food.
Over the Easter weekend the "butt drain" did a good job and around 5.5 litres of fluid came away from me! Sadly it seemed the fluid had done some damage to my right thigh as it was numb (still not right today) but the docs didn't lose any sleep over this. On Tuesday I was allowed to eat ice cream and soup, and on Wednesday some soft foods. Despite still not passing anything on Thursday (2 weeks after the op) I was sent home.
The fun began at home as the food started to work its way through me, and as I was also on lactulose (a type of laxative) thinks were rather "sloppy". For the first 5 days it was hell with me going to the loo 24 hours a day, I daren't keep count, and in absolute agony as my ass was ripped to pieces. Things are better in the last few days with (touch wood) no toilet visits during the night, but still 5 to 6 hours of doing my stuff in the day. I have little or no control at present and as a result I have to be able to get to the toilet very quickly, sadly that means I have been house bound. However, this is really what I was expecting to happen and so no surprise, but still its hard work. I just have to hope that things improve so that I can gain more control and the bowels get better at their job and reduce my toilet activity! As soon as that happens I will be able to get out and about, though I'm now like a stick insect since I've lost all condition.
I've added a new blog to those that I follow today, it is a blog by Dominic Sullivan (an excellent angler) and I thought his blog title was appropriate, it's called "Caught Short!", lol!
Today was the first time I felt well enough to pick up the lap top and do my blog, so that's a good thing, and I'll take everything 1 day at a time. Thanks to everyone for the messages of good luck etc, they have been very helpful to me. Hope you are all bagging up, and when I come back you'll let me have a flier, by that I mean a peg nearest the bogs!
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Emerald Pool Fishery
Tony Rixon kindly ran another open match at what is one of the best venues in the South West of England, and luckily as I had fished the previous match there I managed to get a place. Virtually no preparation for this match as I had been working long hours all week and was visiting Plymouth Friday / Saturday. A late visit to Avon Angling on Saturday to pick up a brolly to protect me from the heavy rain forecasted!
I travelled to the match with Paul Elmes (I think he should have been in the cartoon Wacky Races) and Craig "Trigger" Edmunds, two of the best commercial anglers around, although Trig said Paul was the best at drawing fliers! The journey down was certainly fun with those two lads, and we had a nice breakfast in Shipham. The match today was on the two carp lakes Ruby and Sapphire (I'd love to fish Emerald and get amongst the silvers some time), and whilst nobody was really saying where to draw Sapphire had produced the better weights last time out. Tony recognised this and announced he would pay top 3 and 1 silvers on each lake, fair enough that. Before the draw Mat Toomes asked if we were having our customary £1 bet and I accepted. Into the draw bag and I pulled peg 19 which put me somewhere back on Ruby lake again.
After the short walk I found I was on the opposite bank to my last visit here, peg 20 was in the corner and I was 1 1/2 pegs up from it! I say 1 1/2 as Tony had pegged it slightly different this time with a couple less anglers on the lake. Clive Feddery was on 20 and he would fish for silvers, and on peg 18 was Mat Toomes, next peg again! Mat was effectively fishing opposite the peg he had last time, and he had a couple of islands to fish to if needed. No pictures today sorry so I'll do my best to describe my peg. The island Mat had was just off to my right, but with the wind getting up I decided I wouldn't be going there. To my left in the margin was a nice patch of reeds coming out a metre, and last match John Baker had caught few next to it. My rigs were simple enough for this match, the same 0.4g float with 0.16 to 14 PR478 for meat on my top set plus one section at 1 to 2 o'clock. A 0.2gm with 0.14 to 16 PR 36 for banded pellet right in front of me. A 4x10 thick bristle jobby for fishing with my top set plus one jst to get over and past the reeds to my left. I didn't set up a specific shallow rig today as it was very windy.
On the whistle I potted some 8mm meat in, some 8mm pellet over the reeds, and started feeding 6mm pellet in front of me. I had a slow start on the pellet line compared to most, and my first 5 fish were small crucians and a roach, already Trig on top bank peg 14 and Leon Hubbard just round from him on 26 were catching shallow regularly against their island, and Matty was catching a few more than me too. I trued feeding a few 8mm pellets along with the 6mm but it didn't work and 6mm in the band was all I could get a bite on. I had a few small carp but then I fouled 2 up shallow. Time to change, and all I did was push my float down to the bulk and fished 12 inches deep with a long line above it. With this I could slap and also swing the rig around, also the weight helped hold the rig in place against the cross wind. I started to get a few carp on this and the odd rudd, and things were looking better and I had a good 45 mins where the float was going under. Inevitably it slowed and I expected this so switched to my meat rig and that buried first chuck and a carp was netted. It was slower on this line but I think I took another 4 carp on meat and then it went quiet.
Back on the pellet shallow and I caught a few more carp but not as fast as before, I tried another section further but this made no difference at all. Halfway through the match and I though Leon Hubbard was running away with it as he always seemed to have a fish on, I put another net as I though I had about 45lb and I hoped it wouldn't kill the swim like last time... but it bloody did!!! For 20 mins I never had a bite.
With 2 hours to go the line just past the reeds came to life and I was catching better sized (2lb+) carp here on 8mm pellet. It was sometimes frustrating as if I missed a bite I'd foul hook a motherless minnow and would have to remove the little buggers before fishing again. I had a great run on this line, and as soon as it started to slow I switched to the meat line (the pellet in front was now dead) and luckily I took a good run of fish here too, some nearly 3lb. I spent the rest of the match switching between the 2 lines, and only had 2 problems; 1) a decent meat fish put my hook into an underwater branch 3m out, 2) a margin fish got stuck in the reeds, I managed to walk round and scoop it out but this virtually knocked the swim on the head.
The 6 hours had gone by quickly and very soon being inactive I started to feel cold. Mat walked up to me and gave me his £1 before we weighed (nice to get that back lol). People were saying it was between myself and Leon for the lake win, but I reckoned Leon had a lot more than me. I helped with the weigh board (hope my adding up was correct) and so got to see most of the weights. On Sapphire Paul Elmes won with 155lb, Tom Magnal had 133lb and Tony Rixon had 125lb. There were no other tons on that lake but lots of 70lb+
On our lake Trig weighed nearly 96lb, Ron Hardiman on 17 had 76lb, Mat Toomes had 75lb, and then I weighed 106lb. That stayed in the lead until Leon was the last to weigh and he did me weighing 111lb.
Clint Wojtyla won the silvers on my lake and overall with nearly 30lb of roach and rudd.
What a lovely day that was, busy fishing where I caught on all three lines and rigs but never felt the need to go beyond my top set plus one (Mike Nicholls will be proud!). I can't rate this fishery high enough, when anglers don't win a penny with 80lb and the fish average 1 to 2lb, well nuff said. I prefer busy fishing and getting bites and you certainly get that at Emerald!
I think (I really do hope) that this will be my last blog for a few weeks as I am going for my third attempt at the reversal operation on Thursday. I must say this op has given me a lot of consternation / sleepless nights. The thing is it will be nice to get shot of the bag, but after the op it will be a hell of a difficult time recovering and basically and potentially shitting myself! I have to hope this will all settle down and I will be be able to get some sensible toilet habits, but it make 6 months to 2 years. If it doesn't work out then it will be hard to fish in a nappy, so it will be a bag for life. But hey, let's be positive and fingers crossed it all works out. I'll be looking forward to reading the blogs and seeing how the fishing pick up during spring. In the meantime tight lines!
I travelled to the match with Paul Elmes (I think he should have been in the cartoon Wacky Races) and Craig "Trigger" Edmunds, two of the best commercial anglers around, although Trig said Paul was the best at drawing fliers! The journey down was certainly fun with those two lads, and we had a nice breakfast in Shipham. The match today was on the two carp lakes Ruby and Sapphire (I'd love to fish Emerald and get amongst the silvers some time), and whilst nobody was really saying where to draw Sapphire had produced the better weights last time out. Tony recognised this and announced he would pay top 3 and 1 silvers on each lake, fair enough that. Before the draw Mat Toomes asked if we were having our customary £1 bet and I accepted. Into the draw bag and I pulled peg 19 which put me somewhere back on Ruby lake again.
After the short walk I found I was on the opposite bank to my last visit here, peg 20 was in the corner and I was 1 1/2 pegs up from it! I say 1 1/2 as Tony had pegged it slightly different this time with a couple less anglers on the lake. Clive Feddery was on 20 and he would fish for silvers, and on peg 18 was Mat Toomes, next peg again! Mat was effectively fishing opposite the peg he had last time, and he had a couple of islands to fish to if needed. No pictures today sorry so I'll do my best to describe my peg. The island Mat had was just off to my right, but with the wind getting up I decided I wouldn't be going there. To my left in the margin was a nice patch of reeds coming out a metre, and last match John Baker had caught few next to it. My rigs were simple enough for this match, the same 0.4g float with 0.16 to 14 PR478 for meat on my top set plus one section at 1 to 2 o'clock. A 0.2gm with 0.14 to 16 PR 36 for banded pellet right in front of me. A 4x10 thick bristle jobby for fishing with my top set plus one jst to get over and past the reeds to my left. I didn't set up a specific shallow rig today as it was very windy.
On the whistle I potted some 8mm meat in, some 8mm pellet over the reeds, and started feeding 6mm pellet in front of me. I had a slow start on the pellet line compared to most, and my first 5 fish were small crucians and a roach, already Trig on top bank peg 14 and Leon Hubbard just round from him on 26 were catching shallow regularly against their island, and Matty was catching a few more than me too. I trued feeding a few 8mm pellets along with the 6mm but it didn't work and 6mm in the band was all I could get a bite on. I had a few small carp but then I fouled 2 up shallow. Time to change, and all I did was push my float down to the bulk and fished 12 inches deep with a long line above it. With this I could slap and also swing the rig around, also the weight helped hold the rig in place against the cross wind. I started to get a few carp on this and the odd rudd, and things were looking better and I had a good 45 mins where the float was going under. Inevitably it slowed and I expected this so switched to my meat rig and that buried first chuck and a carp was netted. It was slower on this line but I think I took another 4 carp on meat and then it went quiet.
Back on the pellet shallow and I caught a few more carp but not as fast as before, I tried another section further but this made no difference at all. Halfway through the match and I though Leon Hubbard was running away with it as he always seemed to have a fish on, I put another net as I though I had about 45lb and I hoped it wouldn't kill the swim like last time... but it bloody did!!! For 20 mins I never had a bite.
With 2 hours to go the line just past the reeds came to life and I was catching better sized (2lb+) carp here on 8mm pellet. It was sometimes frustrating as if I missed a bite I'd foul hook a motherless minnow and would have to remove the little buggers before fishing again. I had a great run on this line, and as soon as it started to slow I switched to the meat line (the pellet in front was now dead) and luckily I took a good run of fish here too, some nearly 3lb. I spent the rest of the match switching between the 2 lines, and only had 2 problems; 1) a decent meat fish put my hook into an underwater branch 3m out, 2) a margin fish got stuck in the reeds, I managed to walk round and scoop it out but this virtually knocked the swim on the head.
The 6 hours had gone by quickly and very soon being inactive I started to feel cold. Mat walked up to me and gave me his £1 before we weighed (nice to get that back lol). People were saying it was between myself and Leon for the lake win, but I reckoned Leon had a lot more than me. I helped with the weigh board (hope my adding up was correct) and so got to see most of the weights. On Sapphire Paul Elmes won with 155lb, Tom Magnal had 133lb and Tony Rixon had 125lb. There were no other tons on that lake but lots of 70lb+
On our lake Trig weighed nearly 96lb, Ron Hardiman on 17 had 76lb, Mat Toomes had 75lb, and then I weighed 106lb. That stayed in the lead until Leon was the last to weigh and he did me weighing 111lb.
Clint Wojtyla won the silvers on my lake and overall with nearly 30lb of roach and rudd.
What a lovely day that was, busy fishing where I caught on all three lines and rigs but never felt the need to go beyond my top set plus one (Mike Nicholls will be proud!). I can't rate this fishery high enough, when anglers don't win a penny with 80lb and the fish average 1 to 2lb, well nuff said. I prefer busy fishing and getting bites and you certainly get that at Emerald!
I think (I really do hope) that this will be my last blog for a few weeks as I am going for my third attempt at the reversal operation on Thursday. I must say this op has given me a lot of consternation / sleepless nights. The thing is it will be nice to get shot of the bag, but after the op it will be a hell of a difficult time recovering and basically and potentially shitting myself! I have to hope this will all settle down and I will be be able to get some sensible toilet habits, but it make 6 months to 2 years. If it doesn't work out then it will be hard to fish in a nappy, so it will be a bag for life. But hey, let's be positive and fingers crossed it all works out. I'll be looking forward to reading the blogs and seeing how the fishing pick up during spring. In the meantime tight lines!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)