Landsend Open, Lakes 2+3, 25-02-17

After a week of relatively warm days and no initial plans on where to fish this weekend the wife and I went for a walk/drive on Friday, down to Landsend initially. Just to get out of the house really.
Walked around the lakes after Thursday's storm Doris, there were plenty of fish moving around the area of 19-23 on the match lake, plus a few up in 13/15. Not many seen on Lake 1 or Lake 3 (except peg 55). Plenty of debris in the lakes and on the paths, which Mike cleared that afternoon. It became a toss-up of Saturday at Viaduct or Landsend, or Sunday at Harescombe with PSV.
So I checked the weather both days and I decided on Landsend, a shorter drive and a bit sheltered and the weather looked a little better for Saturday.

I got down to the lakes early enough and waited for everyone to arrive and get breakfasted up, it wasn't a nice start to the day, a bit dull and damp with a decent breeze.
16 of us fished so Mike put 5 on Lake 3 and 11 on Lake 2. I fancied any odd number from 11 around to 23, wasn't keen in 5 or 7 and not particularly wanting to get up to Lake 3 where the fish will have plenty of room to back away from the 5 fishing, plus I haven't fished it more than 4 times I think.

I drew towards the back end of the queue and pulled peg 62, means nothing to me, but saw that the last couple of the So Simple Landsend Winter League rounds on the peg had given 24 and 27lb, which wouldn't be good enough to win, but fish have fins etc.
So after a brisk walk, which almost killed me, I got to my peg. I had the end of one island at 14m in front of me and the end of the next island at 16m off in the 1 o'clock direction but the wind meant I kept the 16m section in the holdall. A fallen tree on my right and another 8m to my left. I never got any pics as the weather wasn't great.

Box sorted, bait brolly up and bait onto the tray. 4 rigs put onto topkits.
One for silvers at topkit+1 (groundbait feed) and 8m (micros feed). Hookbaits of maggot or expander.
One for meat at the end of the tree on my right and off the end of the island in front.
One for banded pellet toward the 2nd island, where I would feed 4mm pellets sparingly, but this rig never gave me a bite,
Lastly a rig for down by the left hand tree using corn mostly, but I never had a bite here.
For company I had Derek Beards on peg 58 and Rich Lovering on peg 66 but I couldn't really see either.

At the all-in I fed 6 or 7 pieces of meat at the end of the tree on my right, similar amount of corn to my left. A small tosspot of micros at 8m in front and 2 walnuts of groundbait on the short line.
Out to the island in front and I fed 4 pieces of meat and had a piece on the hook. 15 minutes later I had a bite and a 6oz crucian was in the keepnet, Derek shouted he lost a carp.
Half an hour later I hooked a carp on the long meat line off the island, but after a few seconds it found a snag just off the island, so that was annoying but encouraging. Alas it was a false dawn out there as I never had another fish from there all day.
As we got into the 2nd hour I had a quick look on the meat line off the tree and on corn to my left, no bites in 20 minutes.
It was now cold and blowing well at me with some rainy type stuff mixed in, I was a bit nippy so I went to see what Derek and Rich had, both didn't have much at all but Mark Walsh on end peg 70 was doing well. Rich Heatley had broke a pole section.

Back at my peg and a cuppa drank I went over my 8m silvers line and managed a couple of small 4oz skimmers and a crucian of 8oz or so. But no further bites.
Onto the topkit +1 line and a couple 1lb perch and two roach of an ounce each were had quickly.
By now it was maybe 2pm and Neil Venning had been down to have a walk and said nobody looked like they were catching on the Match Lake (lake 2). I went for another wander, just to warm up if nothing else.
I took another look over the left edge area, no bites. Out to the end of the right hand tree with meat and I had a skimmer and then a little carp of 3lb maybe, so looking up. But another false dawn as no more fish came from there. So a semi-bored, semi-hopeful decision just to chuck a few maggots at topkit line by the tree to my right in hope of a perch or 2.

I fed the tree with maggots for half an hour while only managing 1 fish, another roach off the micros on double maggot. But a fish swirled at the maggots I fed, not a big fish, but it made me try there and 1st drop saw a small F1 netted, a few missed bites saw me shallow up to 18 inches maybe a little less.
There was maybe 45 minutes left in the match and I had the F1, 2 sensible perch, 2 little perch, 3 or 4 small skimmers, 2 crucians, a 3lb carp and a few roach.

The remainder of the match was quite nice actually, I had a big 3lb F1, another little F1. 3 carp, a decent perch plus a few roach all on the shallow maggot on my topkit, it wasn't hectic but consistent.
At the all-out I think I had 4 carp, 3 F1s, 2 crucians, 3 decent perch and a few roach, skimmers and perch to 4oz. So may 8-9lb of silvers and the 4 carp would be 16lb-ish.
As it turned out Derek and Rich both caught well on their topkits late on.

I packed up, walked my kit to the car park and caught up with the scales before they headed up to Lake 3, 20lb was leading. Derek had 24lb or so, then I managed a surprising 12lb 10oz of silvers and my carp took my total to 30lb 9oz. Rich Lovering had mid 20lbs, Rich Heatley dnw'd as did Alan Oram on Lake 2 peg 24. Walshy then put 12lb 8oz of silvers and his carp on the scales, he ended with 42lb+.
Back to Lake 2 and the pegs from 13 down to 19 had 27lb being best, then Russ Peck put 38lb on the board before fishery owner Mike Duckett's 6lb of silvers and dozen carp gave him the win with 80lb 4oz total weight.

So a day that turned out to be trickier than expected, perhaps Doris had affected the fish and they had decided to have a day off.

Results:
1st - Mike Duckett, 80lb 4oz, p23
2nd - Mark Walsh, 42lb 14oz, p70
3rd - Russ Peck, 38lb 12oz, p21
4th - Lee Williams, 30lb 9oz, p62

Silvers
1st, Lee Williams, 12lb 10oz, p62
2nd, Mark Walsh, 12lb 8oz, p70
3rd, Roy Hughes, 10lb 13oz, p15

Weights (minus 2 dnw's)

So I managed a few quid for the Silvers win, which was a bonus, but it was hard going and 5hrs in it looked like it was going to be a 5lb day, so I got out of jail.

Next weekend I am not too sure where I shall be or indeed what day, so lets see.
Tight Lines and Stay Safe,
Lee

Pawlett Match, Viaduct Campbell and Cary. 19-02-17

After visiting on the Thursday costcutter at the venue, I knew that Cary would be unlikely to be the lake of the 2 that would provide the match winner, and although possible, I presumed Campbell would also give the silvers winner. Campbell would be a bit more fair and when Saturday saw Paddy Curry win from 132 and 130 was second, my inclination was confirmed.

Anyways, 32 fished after a couple of drop-outs in the previous day or 2. Spirits were high with the warming of the weather, it did look good for a few bites, too cold to be properly hauling, but slowly we shall get there, this winter seems to have been the coldest for an age.
A bit of banter, some chit chat and the usual 'hello' to all was done, PSV were on Lodge lake, so loads of familiar faces, and better chances of a good few laughs.
I waited until near the end of the queue, I wanted to be on Campbell, I was prepped for silvers mostly so 123-127 please!!, but wouldn't have been upset to land on the near end of that lake to catch some carp, indeed looking at Cary, there were carp around 105 to 109 and 74, just the odd show further up the lake.
I did not get my wish, instead I found myself on peg 100, I wasn't too despondent, it can be a good peg at times, but Thursday's match along that bank never gave up any carp and only peg 96 produced some decent silvers throughout the day,

I made my way to the peg, found I had an in-form Jamie Parkhouse on peg 99 and he had Keith Clapp on 97, Ziggy on 96 and Mike Davis 94. I didn't get any photos of the peg.
I began to sort my kit out, and was only setting up for carp as I hoped for 10 fish from the 6hrs ahead.
A lead rod for corn/meat/bread. A waggler for corn and reluctantly a couple of pole rigs for meat (one to empty 101 and one at 13m in front) but these pole rigs never gave a bite.
Behind me, on Lodge Lake, I had Ryan Radford, Matt Williams and Adam Caswell in the PSV match.

I began on the lead, tried that for 40 minutes without a bite, then I gave the pole lines a quick look and went on the waggler, which was towing through a touch fast at times, so back on the lead.
I managed a couple 4oz skimmers and a roach on double corn, but that was my opening couple of hours or so. Elsewhere Phil Clapp on peg 105 had 4 or 5 carp and a few small silvers. Big Nick Selway on peg 90 had a carp, so had the others on the top bank, only 1 each at that point.
Next to me, Jamie, he had a few pounds of silvers on the pole, maybe 3 or 4lb of mostly skimmers.
Keith had a tench and a nice skimmer and I could just make out Mike Davis getting small silvers.

So it was up and off my box to get a topkit out for silvers, if only to get some bites.
I cupped a couple balls of groundbait at 14.5m and one at 6m, both with minimal loose feed in. I let these rest for 20 minutes while fishing the waggler.
Soon enough I was on the pole and had a couple of 4oz skimmers and roach, but after 20 minutes it seemed a touch hard work, sort of going nowhere fast. Jamie was still getting a few in spells and Keith the odd better silver on the waggler.
I came in on  my 6m line and started putting silvers in the net quick enough, and I was happy getting bites.
So after around an hour on the pole for silvers I had put maybe 3lb in the net, I needed to at least treble that rate to get 30lb, which may be close to winning the silvers, I needed bigger stamp skimmers/bream or a few tench. I couldn't see that happening. So back onto the waggler and lead for the rest of the match, hoping a massive ball of carp had arrived.....they didn't. Neither did the big silvers.
With around an hour to go I did manage a 3lb skimmer/bream on the waggler, it was a stray as I never had any more like that. Though a few bits on the pole and a 12oz skimmer on the lead while waiting for carp was all I managed before the all out.

Elsewhere, come the end of the match it was obvious that Eric Fouracre and Mark Leader were batting the silver pot over on Campbell, probably over 20lb each, according to Ziggy that is, and our Polish friend packed up early after a 20 minute wander. 
Phil Clapp had won Cary, 6 carp and a few silver before 12:30, then nothing after was his effort. But he had around 60lb. Jamie Parkhouse, Keith, Mike and Jason King, whom was on 78 catching decent silvers, all had over 10lb of silvers. Carp-wise, a few guys had 1 and a few guys had 2, nobody except Phil had more.

I packed up and weighed in a shade under 9lb, which was fine given the others had a couple hours silvers fishing before I got off my arse to make a rig for them.
I feel that on Cary we were fishing for a section win, at a push one guy may be lucky and get top 3. It felt like a match in which we were going nowhere to get somewhere, sort of making all the right noises and efforts for an unlikely prize. Unlikely to win the silvers or overall, but not really struggling for silvers bites either.
Jamie had 12lb+, Keith 11lb+, Mike 12lb+ and Jason 14lb+ on the silver front on the lake, the carp weights were 57lb then a bunch of 8 to 25lb nets depending on if the guy had 1 or 2 carp.

Campbell produced the Winner from peg 130, Jamie Cook and indeed Eric Fouracre continues his little bit of form (coupled with being a bit good) winning the silvers from peg 125.
Lodge never fished great for the PSV guys with just under 30lb top weight.
So despite the relative mildness, the lakes never switched on as were considered, perhaps they are not warm enough as yet.

Results:
1st. Jamie Cook, 81lb 12oz, p130 (Cam)
2nd. Phil Clapp, 60lb 10oz, p105 (Cary)
3rd. Pete Manning, 57lb 6oz, p118 (Cam)
4th. Chris Higgs, 54lb 7oz, p123 (Cam)

Silvers:
1st. Eric Fouracre, 27lb 3oz, p125 (Cam)
2nd. Mark Leader, 23lb 3oz, p127 (Cam)
3rd. Robb Dodd, 15lb 8oz, p111 (Cam)

Weigh Sheets.

So another match gone, next up for the club is on the Kings Sedgemoor Drain in March, hopefully that will fish well like we know it can.
Not sure what my plans are this coming weekend, so until next time, take care.

Lee

Avalon Teams of 3, Round 4. 12-02-17

A friggin' freezing day, north/north-easterly winds blowing down the lake making it uncomfortable for all. Had the wife with me for the duration, daft cow, she could have stayed home and done the housework!!! haha.

As a team we, 'The Over 50's', were languishing down in 7th spot after a couple of dire rounds and any realistic chances of a top-3 finish at the end of the series looked, well, unlikely at best. But we had a job to do and there is always money to add to out collection.

Eric done the draw, a decent one too, I was on peg 5, which is one of the better pegs on the lake. Eric was on peg 20, a good pick and Steve was on peg 37 which is average for the venue. I was glad to be away from the top end, in theory anyways, though I expected that end to be a better area generally speaking.

At my peg I found I had Lewis Jones on peg 4, Phil Clapp on peg 3 and Luke Pester on peg 7.
I set up a lead/feeder to try all different baits from bread to meat, pellet and maggot etc. 1 pole rig for 13m was set up, for a single line slightly off to my left fishing maggoty type baits over a little groundbait for some silvers.

Avalon peg 5.

At the all-in I deposited a couple balls of groundbait on the pole line, the began on the lead across.
An hour into the match and my section looked to be, except Nigel Garrett way up on peg 11, blanking. As I reached for my flask the inevitable occurred and my tip whacked round and a carp was attached, it didn't last long as the hook pulled out when the fish hit the surface by the island, I am not sure it was hooked in the mouth to be honest, but it gave me hope.

After 30 or so minutes I had my 1st carp, on pellet, only a small 2-3lb fish, but it was a start. Another half hour passed and number 2 was in the net, similar sized. The guys to my right, at this point (12:30pm or so), hadn't had a bite. But Luke was gathering a few skimmers and roach on the pole and I presumed he had more in silvers than my couple baby carp.
Mike West wandered up from peg 1, questioning his decision to fish....we all were to be fair, but moments after he left I had number 3 carp, again a small 3lber.
In between fishing the tip I had odd looks on the pole line in hope of a decent skimmer or 2, but I only managed a couple roach and a 6oz skimmer, it was too long between bites to stick at it.

The remainder of the match was spent on the tip rod and I remained biteless. I lost 4 sets of tackle during the match, probably to underwater reed stems, which is annoying, so lead and feeder shopping for me this week.
Unluckily for me Luke managed 2 decent carp in the last half hour when he chucked his bread out, so he'd over taken me. Nigel I expected to have done ok as I saw him net odd fish during the match. Lewis blanked and Phil had a 1oz roach. Mike had 1 small carp and a perch of 10oz. So it looked like I was 3rd in section, not so bad. But I didn't know what Tom Mangnall had, but when he came down he said 8lb....but he hadn't underestimated too much.

I packed up rapidly, loaded the car and followed most of the weigh in, it had been tough for all.
Mike had 4lb or so, Phil had an ounce, Lewis blanked, I had 12lb, Luke 16lb, Nigel 17lb and Tom had around 10lb I think. There were a few low weights else where, but Eric managed 2nd on the day (and section win) with 19lb 15oz with Tony Thick taking the honours from the same peg that won the last round. 25lb 13oz from p44 opposite me.
Steve managed decent section points and the days' top silvers with 12lb 5oz of skimmery type fish.
But although it was a challenging day, it lead to a tight match. That lost carp could have seen me win the section, or it may have been a carp of my usual 3lb stamp and wouldn't have made any difference.

The results were soon underway and it turned out I managed a section pick-up, Eric finished 2nd in the match and Steve won the silvers, so some dollar went into our funds.
Mosella Gold won the day, we were 2nd ahead of league leaders The Fu Fighters. But although we remain in 7th overall we have shrunk the gap to the teams above. So a win or 2nd on the last round, in April, could see us in a top 5 finish, not expecting that, but defo hoping so.

Results:
1st - Tony Thick, Mosella Gold. 25-13 from peg 44
2nd - Eric Fouracres, Over 50s. 19-15 from peg 20
3rd - Nigel Garrett, Mosella Gold. 17-09 from peg 11
4th - Shaun Kitteridge, Thyers. 16-14 from peg 35
5th - Ziggy, Somerset Carpenters. 16-08 from peg 30
6th - Luke Pester, Fu Fighters. 16-06 from peg 7

Silvers:
Steve Fouracres, Over 50s. 12-05 from peg 37

Teams On The Day:
1st, Mosella Gold = 27pts
2nd, Over 50s = 25
3rd, Fu Fighters = 24
4th, Somerset Carpenters = 20
5th, Mosella UK = 16pts weight  25-03
6th, Sedges = 16pts weight 19-06
7th, Thyers = 12
8th, Happy Hookers = 3

Overall Standings:
1st - Fu Fighters 33pts
2nd - Mosella Gold 30pts
3rd - Sedges 29pts
4th - Somerset Carpenters 27pts
5th - Thyers 26pts
6th - Mosella UK 25pts
7th - Over 50s 24pts
8th - Wickham Wanderers 9pts
9th - Happy Hookers 8pts
10th - Doddys 6pts

So not a nice day to be out, and I am still waiting for a carp over 4lb in the series, which is annoying, especially when you see 2 caught for over 15lb or 6 caught for 26lb etc. But that's fishing and we shall carry on. Otherwise it was a fair day generally speaking and the next round,weather improving, should be a different ball game as it is in mid-april.
Viaduct for me on Sunday with Pawlett, the weather looks warmer and settled so hopefully we shall see the fish well spread out.
Otherwise I have been out and caught plenty enough over at Apex. Matches have been midweekers at Sedges, which have been tricky at times, but it is winter, but enjoyable. Also a match up at Plantations saw not many fish caught by me, but another enjoyable day.

Until next time, stay warm.Lee