I knew it was a canal style lake with around 14m to the island and that it was a small fish match as you generally don't see many fish over 2 or 3lb, most being 1lb or less. But plenty of bites were expected. There are carp, roach, F1's, chub, barbel, perch and odd tench in the lake, with the carp and F1's being the main target.
The venue is rather exposed but is set in a beautiful valley and I am sure that there are not many better settings for a fishery.
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| View of Harescombe Match Lake |
It was rather foggy and this never cleared until the early afternoon. It was rather nippy too and I should have wore something a bit more seasonal.
Anyway on to the draw, 14 of us down to fish and we were paying top 2 overall along with the top 2 in each 7 peg section.
I waited until 3rd last to draw and into my hand came peg 7, this peg is in the car park (in front of the van in the above pic). But it looked like most of the other pegs on the lake, with only peg 24 and 29 different due to a landslide that had wiped out the pegs in between those pegs. These 2 pegs were regarded as the pegs that everyone wanted and expected to do well and looked fishy.
I got to my peg and sorted my kit out, the pegs are pretty comfy, if not slippy and not level, they are spaced ok enough too, unlike some canal type lakes.
For company I had Lee Waller on peg 5 and Adam Caswell on peg 7, directly opposite me is 'retiring' PSV match secretary Steve Burgess, he had again drawn a flier in the form of end peg 24 by the landslide. He had club chairman Mike Wilson on peg 22 to his left.
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| Harescombe Match lake Peg 7. |
2 rigs would do for 14m across tight to the island/boards and down to my edges at 2+2. One had a band on a hair for 6mm pellet while the other had a bare B911f1 for using maggots or caster. Both of these floats were maver 4x8's.
The other 2 rigs were 4x14 versions of the same float and again 1 had a band the other didn't.
I plumbed up in front and settled on a line just shy of 2+2, which coincided with the bottom of the near shelf, this is where the heavier floats would be used.
For bait I had 4mm and micro pellets, plus some 6's for the band. A couple pints of live maggot and a pint of caster completed my tray.
The all in was called and I cupped some bait at the 2+2 line plus some pellet went down my left hand edge and a little more against the boards in a couple spots.
I began across and I immediately lost a foul hooked fish, 10 minutes later I had a small f1 in the net. This was followed by a 1/2oz roach. A 2.5lb carp also soon found it's way to my keepnet.
In this time Lee had a fish as had Alan on peg 4. Mark Radford too had a couple carp.
It was still quite foggy and cold but odd fish were topping all over.
The 1st hour dragged and I only managed a few small roach on maggots, it was hard going for most, though the two Radfords had started well and Mr Burgess was starting to benefit from his peg, especially as he'd acquired a swim full of fish munching on some floating casters that'd drifted to his end bank.
It was at this point Adam Caswell decided to pack up and head off to one of the other on-site lakes as we all presumed that he hadn't found any fish that fancied his 6mm pellets or paste. Everyone had a laugh at that.
The 2nd hour was hard going, with maybe 4 small f1's and a few small skimmers graced my net along with a few baby roach, all these fish coming from my 2+2 line in front on either caster or maggot.
The far bank was dire and I couldn't buy a bite, my left hand margin never gave me a bite all day but I kept trying.
The 3rd to 4th hour was soon upon us and I took a look on my right hand margin at topkit distance gave me the false dawn of a f1 around a pound. Though a couple 4oz chub and a nice roach came from this spot.
Elsewhere Steve and Mark Radford were doing well, though Chris Szakcas and Chris Gay on pegs 14 and 30 respectively had been catching well, so had Ryan Radford. Mike Wilson was amassing a few fish but nobody was 'bagging'. Lee Waller was struggling on his peg and had just come in short with his worm attack and was starting to put a few fish together. Alan Healey on peg 4 probably was a few pounds ahead of me at this point thanks to a few early carp/f1's.
Rich Jones had gone for a walk and returned to his peg too find fish lined up for him, he spent the rest of the match catching a good few fish mostly from his short line.
By the 4th hour I had generally stopped fishing across but continued to feed it as it could switch on if we got lucky!! There was the odd swirl at the feed so I tried my shallow rig on my 2+2 line and this gave me a couple small f1's and a chublet, but not enough action to get excited.
Then it went dead for me, the 4th hour and most of the 5th was spent trying to pick off the odd fish from my 2+2 line and right hand edge, but it was slow.
Into the last hour and things improved a little with a couple of small carp from my 2+2 line on triple maggot or double caster, a run of 4oz skimmers helped boost my weight too. A couple carp shallow across in the last 10 minutes was also a welcome boost, but I knew I was mile behind most on the lake, but I had enjoyed the match even though I was rather cold!!
The all out was called and I soon packed my kit away. We all knew that Steve Burgess had been doing well as had Mark Radford, though Chris Gay next to him had been prolific in the last hour or so. But with weights being relatively low and the fish small, we couldn't pin down anything or anyone with how they'd done. Although I was sure I hadn't won bum all yet not come last!!
Onto the weigh in, we started in the corner, peg 29 on one side of the landslide area, Mark Radford was on this peg and began the day catching plenty including half a dozen barbel. He weighed a very decent 51lb 4oz.
Mark was sure that Chris Gay had caught more but he was proven wrong with Chris putting 43lb 11oz on the board, Ryan Radford followed that with 40lb exactly.
Alan Healey on peg 4 amassed 39lb 8oz. Lee Waller DNW'd but probably had 15-20lb.
Next up was me and I didn't worry anyone with my 35lb 8oz, but I was pleased with that considering I'd not seen the place before.
I left the scales to go and sort my nets and stuff out before catching up with them as we got to Mike Wilson, his steadily caught net of fish weighed a little less than I expected at 35lb. Prior to him the sheet showed Chris Szakacs and Rich Jones had done okay.
Last to weigh from the flier peg 24 was Steve Burgess, he'd been putting fish in the net for most of the day and looked good for the win. This was proven correct as his catch of 61lb exactly was enough for 1st on the day.
He mostly caught shallow along the 'end bank' that is the landslide. Well done him.
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| Steve Burgess, match winner, with some fish...!!! |
1st Steve Burgess, 61lb, peg 24.
2nd Mark Radford, 51lb 2oz, peg 29.
3rd Chris Gay, 43lb 11oz, peg 30 (section win).
4th Chris Szakacs, 43lb 7oz, peg 14 (section win).
5th Ryan Radford, 40lb, peg 2.
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| Weigh Sheet |
Next week it is less of the low diameter lines and small fish, unless I target silvers, as I am fishing Shiplate Farm on either the Main Lake or Westpool.
Until then take care.
Lee.
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