Pawlett Club Match, Sedges, 26-06-16

A brief blog today, around 28 of us fished today including a new member in Jamie Parkhouse, another quality angler, covering all of Tile Lake and pegs 1 to 10 on Brick.
I wanted to be on Brick from peg 7 to 10, instead I plucked peg 32, a peg that I defo was not too keen on, preferring to be anywhere from 40 back to maybe 35 as these are usually more consistent.

I had Chris Higgs on my right in the corner peg 30, Paul Squire on peg 33 was to my left.

Tile Lake, peg 32. Sedges.

I set up a method feeder, a lead rod, a pellet wag and 3 pole rigs (margin, short meat, 14m shallow/slapping). I wont mention the pole rigs as I only had accidental silvers on all the lines.

I started on the waggler catching two 6lb fish pretty quickly, then it went a touch quiet but there was some fish in the area. I switched to the lead over where I had been feeding the waggler and managed another of similar size, then I had a flurry of activity, but pulled out of the fish, maybe they were the smaller carp which have small mouths on the lake.
I managed my 4th carp just before the 45 minute mark, a method feeder caught fish of 5lb or so.

And that was it for a few hours, in fact I only had 2 more carp during the match, both on the method feeder. It was rather hard up this end of the lake. I could see everyone from peg 35 down to 40 catching a good few. Paul on p33 was getting an odd fish, including a 15lb+ fish.

At the all out I packed up and went home, tipping back my 6 or 7lb of accidental silvers and my 6 carp which probably weighed 40lb.
It turned out that it was a secret pairs match, so secret that I never knew, so sorry to whoever was my partner!!

As far as I have found out, the winner on the day was Jamie Cook (Sedges owner) from a peg on Brick Lake, Steve Fouracre was 2nd from peg 40 on Tile.
I am not sure who won the pairs, but Jamie's partner also DNW'd......

Anyways, I don't have any matches planned for next Sunday as yet, though Saturday, after work, I may go up on the KSD somewhere or perhaps back on the Huntspill.
The following weekend I have the 3rd round of my Saturday Series on Sedges Brick Lake and then Pawlett's Silvers' Winners final, not 100% sure of the venue yet...!!

Until then, take care.
Lee

Viaduct Spring League, Round 5, 19-06-16

Covering for Paul Nichols today in the last round of their Spring League, so in reality it was a all or nothing match for me, Paul was nowhere near troubling the overall prizes in the league so pressure-free for me, thankfully.
I arrived in plenty of time, registered and waited around for the draw, chatted to Mr Rayner for a few minutes and then tried to get 10 mins shut-eye after a late-ish night last night.

A draw on Campbell was needed for an overall pick-up on the day, Cary and Lodge have been patchy barring a few pegs  ie lodge corners. No silvers pools today either, so no sensible fishing, haha.
I waited until towards the back end of the queue on the draw, dipping my hand into the tin after Ben Hagg. He had peg 94 I think, I plucked peg 80 on Cary, not too bad a draw, but really only a 7 peg section to fish for. For company, on peg 78, was Lee Werrett.

Cary Peg 80

Simple on the bait front today, 8mm pellet, 6mm pellet, 8mm meat, hemp, some paste and assorted hook pellets.
I set up a bomb rod for generally off the point of the spit, a pellet waggler (only had 3 chucks, wind iffy) and 3 topkits for the pole. A meat over hemp rig for 6m in the 1 o'clock direction, this would also do for under the 1st bush on the spit.
A banded pellet rig for 14m along the spit, just before some brambles.
Lastly a shallow rig which remained unused.
I had around 2ft all over the peg, so quite shallow really and I didn't fancy the fish to settle in this area, it would be just hoping to pick up an odd visitor.

At the all in I chucked out the lead before potting any bait anywhere as there was the odd patches of bubbles and bow waves as fished moved around the area.
15 minutes passed before I reeled in and fed the pole lines.
Back on the lead and I had a little flurry of activity as I put 4 carp in the net before the first hour was done, maybe 32lb in total.
I was hoping to keep that going for the rest of the match....... Hoping!!
Elsewhere the diagonal bank was fishing better than ours with most of the guys (and Emma Drysdale) were picking up odd fish here or there.
My bank, by all jungle drums, was hard.

Well the next 2.5hrs dragged, only managed a few nice roach and skimmers off all 3 of the pole lines, and my neighbours were struggling with silvers rather than carp.
Behind me on Campbell, it sounded a bit more active with a few guys catching well enough.
2:30pm arrived and I had my 5th carp, an 8lber on the lead, soon after I had my 1st on the pole short with meat, it tore off like a train and I followed it out before I gained line and had it in the landing net, it was a 20lb+ fish without a doubt. There were definitely fish in my peg, but all I would get is bow waves when I missed bites, I shallowed up and I didn't get any indications, tried slightly off my feed again no signs. The fish were coming to the feed but not getting their heads down. I snuck another out on the lead, a 7lber that went in the 1st net.

As we approached the last hour I could see peg 81 catching a few as was my neighbour on peg 78, again short on meat mostly.  I had another wrap on the lead and another big fish accompanied it's friend in the net, so that was 2 carp for maybe 40lb!! Bonus.
The last hour was well underway when I had my 9th and last carp, a 6lb fish went in with it's elder cousins, so I finished with 9 carp, my clickers showed 50lb for the 6 fish net, my 3 fish net was clicked to 50lb also. Plus maybe 8lb of silvers?

The all out sounded just as I managed to foul hook a lump of maybe 13lb when reeling in, it took a few minutes to get in, but I did, and I kept it the landing net, undecided whether to keep it or not, after a minute or 3 I chucked it back, I wasn't sure if I had hooked it on the all-out or moments after, so I went with caution. Good or bad choice?

Anyways I packed up in the rain and waited for the scales, a quick glance at the board saw Chris Fox winning the section with 116lb.
I had 3 weighs and my silvers, my 6 carp net weighed 53lb, my 3 carp net weighed 49lb (2 twenties and a 6 or 7lber) and I had around 9lb of silvers for a shade over 111lb. Maybe that fish I put back would cost me the section?
The opposite bank all looked to have fared a lot better than my side. Over on lodge, peg 66 was getting plenty, and it seemed he was getting keepnets regularly.

I finished packing up and headed for home.

Oh and we all had a little entertainment when Emma Drysdale hooked a lump on the pole, and after 30 minutes of stalemate, swearing (on Emma's part) and probably a bit of tiredness, Emma landed a large common, in doing so plenty of expletives came from her!! It was funny, someone mentioned an orgasm!! It weighed 23lb 5oz.

As it turned out, I was 3rd in section, but I am unsure of the section winning weight.
Overall Trig (Craig Edmunds) won the day with a 200lb+ weight from peg 125, he also retained the series title he won last year. 4 section wins.
There was 26 100lb+ nets on the day, and of the top 12 it was 10 from Campbell, one from Lodge and one from Cary.

Results on the day: All Campbell except 2nd place and 9th.
1. Craig Edmunds - 243lb 15lb - peg 125
2. Mike Williams - 220lb 15oz - peg 66 (Lodge lake)
3. Paul Elms - 211lb 9oz - peg 121
4. Dan White - 209lb - peg 127
5. Rob Jones - 192lb 6oz - peg 128
6. Gary O'Shea - 188lb 14oz - peg 114
7. Scott Puddy - 179lb - peg 112
8. Mark Jones - 175lb 1oz - peg 126
9. David Simpkins - 161lb 13oz - peg 100 (Cary)
10. Tom Wallis - 158lb 2oz - peg 110

I have Wednesday off work, I went on the Huntspill this last week and had plenty of small silvers and no bream. Not sure where I will head this week?
Next Sunday it is Sedges for me with the Pawlett Posse!!

Until then, take care.
Lee

Pawlett Club, All-Winners final, Trinity Woodlands. 12th June 2016

Each year we have a match for the 'winners' of matches for the previous year, match winners or defaulted places are given to an angler each match.

After last years 2nd spot at Landsend I was keen to try and go one better, that'd be nice.
Alas, it was not to be.

I got to the lakes early enough, but was one of the last to arrive, I paid my dues and chatted to a few people, a look at the lakes and I fancied any of the far side pegs especially 15, 17 and 6. Maybe the 2 corner pegs on the near bank could be good.
I waited to the end-ish to pluck my home for the day, 31, 34 and 24 were left, 34 would have been my choice as it was an end peg and had a couple free empty pegs to it's right. I had 24..!!

I arrived to my peg and flat calm water, loads of bubbles and the odd cruising fish, it looked ideal, but expected that 14, 15 and 17 may well dominate, especially when the expected wind picked up.
For company, but un-viewable, but within earshot, were Mike West fresh from his 65th birthday down on peg 26, on peg 23 was Kev Lock. Opposite on peg 15 was Mike Davis, a decent angler. Keith Clapp was on 17 and big Nick Selway on peg 14.

Trinity Woodlands peg 24.

I set up a method feeder (cast twice), a silvers rig for 2 directions using worm/caster to the right, micros and maggots left both at 11m.
A shallow/slapper rig for 14m in front and a depth pellet rig for the same line. Plus the usual meat rig and margin rigs.

I really don't want to bore you all with how the day went, but after a bright 1/2 hour where 2 shallow carp made the net, the wind got up and the fish vanished.....I plucked a few small skimmers from the 11m lines a 2.5lb perch down the edge and then late on I lost one on the meat short, before they decided to turn up with 10 minutes to go when I fouled 4 and all escaped!!
Mike West on my left had a perch in the 5.5hrs he fished, Kev on my right had 2 lumpy carp early and a few silvers. Phil Clapp down in the corner didn't really have much for the first few hours then had 8 or 9 late on fishing the lead.
Opposite me was different with Mike Davis looking to have had the match wrapped up early, but he was catching well all day fishing shallow maybe at 9m, plus a couple edge fish late on.
Those on the far bank fared better than the near bank and they all managed 30lb+.
Meanwhile Jamie Cook on the end peg of our side was catching a few on the method feeder cast to a empty peg to his left (peg 2 or 3?).

So that was my match, 3 carp and some silvers for 14lb or so. Not an enjoyable day.
Well done to Mike for winning and Jamie for 2nd spot.
Eric Fouracre won the silvers with 9lb or so, a weight I could have had if I had persevered with the small silvers I was getting on 8mm meat down the edge!! I had 5lb odd.

Results:
1st, peg 15, Mike Davis. 111lb 6oz
2nd, peg 34, Jamie Cook, 82lb
3rd, peg 5, Chris Higgs, 60lb 10oz

Silvers:
Eric Fouracre, peg 9. 9lb 12oz

Weights....

So that was my All-Winners final, totally dull. But I did have a family of wrens come and sit on my side tray, they even climbed onto my hand to take maggots, that was cute.
I still have the Silvers-Final in a few weeks, so another attempt at a final win!

This Wednesday afternoon I fished over at Combwich on the match lake, a pond I haven't fished for years, but after a quiet couple hours I had a cracking 90 minutes or so's fishing and ended up with a very nice bag of silvers. 4 tench to 6lb+, 26 skimmers over 1.5lb to 5lb (bream!!), 30-odd bootlace eels and around 6 or 7lb of assorted small silvers for a comfortable 60lb+.

This Saturday I may well get on a river, the Huntspill perhaps, depends on waking up time.
Sunday I am covering on the Viaduct Spring League. No silvers pools on the day I believe so a decent Campbell draw would be nice.

Until then, take care.
Lee

Saturday Series. Round 2. Trinity Wildmarsh. 11-06-16

The 2nd round of my series on a venue that is not match fished much these days as it can be patchy and rarely does the high weights that people seem to crave these days.
That said, there is an abundance of species and in decent numbers too, they aren't easy to tempt though!!

With 18 fishing, including 3 sub anglers, most agreed the lake looked lovely and there was plenty of blowing and bubbles all over the lake. It was dull, warm and overcast, but no wind or sunshine for the day. We all expected it to be hard, though not as hard as it panned out!!

Wildmarsh p45 lhs

Trinity Wildmarsh peg 45

I took the money, I done the draw, leaving me on peg 45 and Vic had peg 55, both pegs I wouldn't have turned down for either carp or silver to be honest. Louis Jones had the near end peg 67, which I fancied for a few carp. Mark Bromsgrove was the other end peg on peg 44.

The rest of the day went smoothly, in fact most anglers had a quiet day with regards to being plagued by fish.
I decided to set up 3 lines on the pole, a long groundbait with worm and caster, hoping for skimmers/bream followed by some carp and eels.
The 2nd line was for carp down my left edge at 8m or so, this was fishless.
My last line was my usual topkit and caster line.
I also set up a method feeder, but this was only cast once.
Bait was groundbait, caster, worm, corn, 6mm pellets and a few maggots.

I wont go into much detail at all:
1st hour, 12 little rudd and roach on the topkit, Paul Nichols on peg 47 had 1 carp first drop.
2nd hour, 16 small rudd on the topkit, one 8oz eel on the long pole.
3rd hour, 10 little rudd on the topkit.
4th hour, 5 or 6 little roach and rudd, lost one big eel on the topkit, biting me off.
5th hour, bumped a decent fish on the long pole, then lost another big eel after it bit me off.
Last hour I had 1 rudd.

Not much happened for many people, Mark Bromsgrove was picking up better sized silvers and had a couple decent skimmers, Paul ended with a couple carp, one down the edge and the 2nd on the pellet waggler. Steve Nadin had a nice mixed bag from peg 50. Ziggy on 51 was getting a few silvers.
Vic Bush and Rich Lovering were having a silver fish battle opposite me.
Everyone else was struggling with the odd skimmer and odd carp.

The all out was called, the weigh-in complete and monies handed out. Most moaned how hard it was, it was very hard, sadly most never enjoyed it, but on to the next round at Sedges Brick Lake.

Results:
1st, Nick Harvey, 24lb, peg 61. (also perfect 12 points)
2nd, Steve Nadin, 19lb 7oz, peg 49.
3rd and top silvers net, Ziggy Slowinski, 18lb 9oz, peg 51
4th, Louis Jones, 18lb 4oz, peg 67

Weights, Highlighted = Envelope Snatchers

So the current standings at the top:
1st carp, Paul Nichols, 12pts
2nd carp, Louis Jones, 11pts
3rd carp, Brian Slipper, 10 pts

1st silvers, Vic Bush, 11pts (30lb total)
2nd silvers, Alex Nadin, 11 pts (20lb total)
3rd silvers, Nick Harvey, 11pts (15lb 11oz total)

1st overall, Brian Slipper, 3pts
2nd overall, Paul Nichols, 4pts (18 sub-points)
3rd overall, Vic Bush, 4pts (14 sub-points)
4th overall, Rich Lovering, 4pts (14 sub-points)

Scores on the doors....(silvers, carp & overall

Tomorrow I have the Pawlett Club's All-Winners final on Trinity Woodlands.

Until then, take care.
Lee

Larford Lakes, Fisho Qualifier, 05-06-16

Short and sweet today.

Larford Match Lake...

Me and the missus ventured up to Larford for my last feeble attempt at qualifying for the Fisho Semis this year (I doubt i'll take the Gold Valley ressie tiacket option), we arrived in good time and went to get a cuppa and some pellets from the café.
We bumped into Dom Sullivan who'd made the trip up and we discussed various things and surveyed the match lake, plenty of fish showing themselves, but they would wouldn't they?
We both fancied one of the 12 pegs that were put on Arena lake but Phil and his team had pegged the venue as he deemed fit..........but with 40 (yes forty) no shows, some people would get a bit more room.
I managed to get into the draw reasonably early and pulled speci 64, mid way along the far bank.
Dom drew 23 I think on the same lake and Jacko was up on peg 32.
I made my way round there and went about sorting my kit.

Tasty left edge, Larford Speci p64

Nice looking right edge, p64 Larford Speci Lake

Peg 64 Speci Lake at Larford

I had for company on peg 65, Simon Fry, but I also had 2 free pegs to my left, where myself and peg 61 couldn't reach....safe water zone methinks.
But there was loads of fish present all over the lake from around 20yrd out to the middle, the odd one ventured in closer. But these fish were shoaled up, some due to spawn, a few just have we were told.

A pellet waggler rod, a method feeder and 3 pole rigs (left and right edges on 1, a mugging rig and a short meat rig.) I had simple hemp, 8mm meat, 8mm pellets and some groundbait/dead maggots for the edges, plus an array of hookbaits from standard pellets through to 10mm boilies.

I was quietly confident of a few fish...........that didn't last as it was almost 2pm when I managed my 1st bite, a little 4 to 6oz carp on the short meat line.
I had my second fish, mugged on the pellet waggler, at around half past 2 and lost a foul hooker soon after.
I persisted with the pole lines and the waggler, but it was a struggle for most. Simon on peg 65 was on 3 proper carp but was getting some of the small stockies and a couple bream. The rest of my bank was struggling we were told, though Matt Marshall was getting more than most and rumour had it that Neil McKinnon was on about 40lb.
The opposite side of the lake, plus the end bank to my right, all looked to be struggling and quite a few were fishless.

My 3rd carp came at 3pm on the waggler, and my 4th and final proper carp came from my right margin with half an hour to go, my hopes of a late surge were unfounded!!
The all out was called, I packed up and went for a wander.
On my bank it looked like Simon's smaller stock carp and skimmers would be the difference between us, Matt Marshall, a nice lad, went through a few things he had done and he ended up with 10 carp for around 85lb
Neil Mckinnon had around 49lb and there may have been a 60lb from the end peg to my left.
To my right it was James Dent who may have done ok as he had some room.

Anyways, Phil Briscoe weighed me in, 34lb 2oz I think it went for 2nd or 3rd in section behind Matt and Simon (his small fish weighed 15lb!!) and he had 44lb 3oz.

We took the kit back to the car and made our way home

It turned out that Ian Giddins won from the same peg I had last year (I think), unfancied peg 54 on the Match Lake.
He had some late margin lumps and ended with around 120lb..........He also had 8 free pegs around him, so this proves the luck needed (plus be a decent angler usually). So well done him. Ritchie Hull was 3rd, but I am unaware of the rest, but a good few dnw's/blanks and low weights were recorded.
I was reasonably happy with my match, maybe I could have mugged a few on the pole, but really they weren't coming in to range properly until 3:40 or so, by then it was too late!!

Next up for me is the 2nd round of the Saturday Series, we have pegs 42 round to 67 at Trinity Wildmarsh, so at least we should all be able to see most of each other. It'll be tricky, but I hope it's a close match.
Then Sunday it's our club's (Pawlett) All-Winners final at Trinity Woodlands.

Until then, take care.
Lee