Just thought I would do a quick catch up of my matches since my last blog which was 6 months or so ago.
I stopped doing the blog as I found it quite a chore to be honest, the wife started her new job in October and we now have weekends off together so I have been a bit lax when deciding if to go fishing at all, my enthusiasm waned, it still isn't heading in the right direction and to be fair I am not missing my weekly outings. Maybe the colder/winter months didn't help. Only time will tell....
October, Summerhayes Silvers' Winners Final, finished 4th and one out of the money. A little over 9lb and the best weight from the road bank, Eric Fouracres won from peg 13 or 14 if I remember rightly.
November, I didn't go fishing at all this month.
December, I fished the Pawlett Xmas match at Sedges, managed a few carp but not as much as good friend Paul Berry on the peg next to me who won, I think I was 7th on the day. It was bloody windy and I lost my cupping kit connector and the tosspot/catty approach was not how I wanted to go. Still some ciders as a prize and a nice bit of grub at the Legion after was appreciated.
I drew peg 43 on the Viaduct Xmas match and got it all wrong and only had 8lb or so, not last in the match by a few pounds and collected more cider. Mark Wynne won the match.
Boxing day at Sedges, drew peg 23, wasted an hour fishing for silvers, then went for carp but was never gonna get in the frame but did catch just under 60lb which may have been 4th or 5th. If I remember rightly Jamie won from peg 25 or 26 (I could be wrong though).
30th of the month I went to Landsend, drew peg 21, struggled and DNW's after catching just 1 carp and some silvers.
January, just the one match, a Saturday open at Todber, it fished bloody hard for all and I only squeaked a few little carp together from peg 62 on Ash. Beaten by Big Nick Selway off the next peg and 46lb was top weight on Ash, 78lb won overall off Hillview.
February, the solitary match I fished that month was down at Landsend, I drew peg 24, a peg that hadn't been great in the recent form so I was not best pleased, but the weather was ok and I actually had a good day picking up carp from the open water towards the island to finish with 15 carp and 7lb of silvers for a match winning 67lb (little carp....hmmm).
March, I covered for the Fishing Tackle Warehouse team in the last round of the Viaduct, team draw gave me peg 40 on the Match Lake, I wasn't too unhappy, but I struggled and only returned 7 point from 18 in the section, no disaster but I feel I could have done a few more fish and a few extra points.
The 17th gave me a 'free' match on the Landsend Winter League, I would be on Lake 3 and joked I would be on peg 68, as usual, and hey ho I drew that peg. Anyways I put 23lb of assorted silvers on the scales with some carp for a total of 42lb+ and 4th on the lake and the lake's top silvers net, so a nice pick up there. (4 times I have had that peg, 4 times I have had the best silvers net on the lake, haha).
A week later I was at Sedges, peg 26 and was happy with that, but the joy never lasted as I had 60lb and finished maybe 6th on the day as James Withers won with 172lb from peg 40, he nearly got knocked back by 100lb as he was close to the limit.
30th, Todber, peg 52 on Hillview, I draw this area regularly and it is not an area of choice most of the time. But 60lb and a days fishing as the match was over for me at the draw. Homeground gave the best weights overall and the best silvers was 89lb of maggot feeder caught skimmers on Hillview.
April, well this month I have been a 3 times thus far.
Pawlett's annual Silvers match at The Sedges (7th April), had a tough section with some very good anglers who know the venue well. I drew peg 15. I wasn't feeling up to fishing but saw the day out and surprisingly finished 2nd overall on the day and best weight off Brick Lake with 35lb 4oz of skimmer and a nice little envelope. Keith Clapp won from Tile Lake with 14oz more than me....
The following weekend it was Summerhayes Longs. I have draw down on peg 19, never been that far down before and I had silvers specialist Roy Hughes on peg 20. I wanted to fish for silvers with worms and caster but that never happened. I had a good 2nd hour catching carp on pellets across and picked the odd carp for the last 4 hours, not many, but luckily enough that was good enough as my lowly 52lb was surprisingly enough to win the match and put some money in the wallet, but it was an enjoyable day trying to figure out how to get the most from the fish that were playing games on the day in that they would come to feed up in the water but couldn't get a bite shallow.
Lastly this weekend saw me on Viaduct's Easter Monday open match, peg 74, which was miles away from where the fish/weights have been coming from. It's a peg I really don't like but I gave it a go.
I landed a couple carp, lost 2 foul hookers and lost one when I shouldn't have (I should have added sections to follow it out on a run but I didn't and the hooklength broke). 6 decent skimmers and a small perch were my other fish. I tipped back my 2 carp (15lb) and silvers (10lb) for a DNW.
Other than at Sedges where it is deeper I have more or less been using DT Floats F1/Silvers in 0.3g for the silvers and Slim P's in 0.2 and 0.4g for my carp-type fishing and I cannot recommend them enough, great floats.
Now the spring has arrived I do hope to get out on the bank a bit more and am looking forward to a few matches I have booked in for the rest of 2019. But I am more looking forward to a couple weekends away with the wife, especially BST Hyde Park and Madness in Taunton in July.
Maybe, just maybe, will I begin to start blogging regular.
Lets just see.
Take care to you all and tight lines.
Lee
Showing posts with label Pawlett Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pawlett Club. Show all posts
Thursday, 25 April 2019
Wednesday, 15 August 2018
Pawlett Match, Viaduct Campbell and Cary. 5-8-18
A quick write up for this as struggling to find time to keep up with blogs this school hols.
Well a dry and sunny day was in store, possibly the warmest of the year thus far, 27 of us spread across the 2 lakes, so a bit of room for most. I was feeling the worst for wear due to a 'cold' and lack of sleep....etc
I would like to be on Campbell I thought to myself, or at worst the car park end of Cary where the better weights had been coming out from. Well into the draw and out pops peg 81, left hand side of the spit on Cary, it had been one of the quieter pegs in the previous couple of weeks, but 80 had been rather decent, they obviously didn't want to venture into the shadier side. I did hope this had changed.
The golden peg was 110 and would be a good bet to get taken, more so when Jamie Cook pulled it out, he knows how to catch a carp or 2. For company I had Derek Beards on peg 80 but couldn't see him, I had Tom Mangnall over on peg 85 and behind me I had Mark Hembery and Mark Bellringer both on Campbell.
I set up a lead rod for chucking around the peg.
A short meat rig for in front at 2+2.
A shallow mugging/slapping rig.
A rig for against the spit at 16m using banded pellets.
Lastly a depth pellet rig would be ok for 16m in front and down to the monk to my left.
The 1st hour gave me a grand total of 5 small palm sized skimmers on the meat.
There were loads of fish showing between me and Tom, but he also had not caught.
The next 2 hours gave me 3 carp, 2 on the meat and one shallow. But it did seem as this end of the lake was tricky, Tom was on 3 carp, Mike West over on 94 was on 3 also but rumour had it the other end was doing good and Derek on p80 too was doing well.
Not much happened in the 5th hour but a couple lost fish when trying the lead and pole down towards peg 82 were my reward along with a healthy helping of lost fish and snags possibly why they seemed happy down there, and in the sun....My clicker was on 30lb.
Into the last hour and I began to get action in my meat line, skimmers and carp and I managed to put about 15lb of silvers in the net and approx. 60lb of carp, they had come in a touch too late, well 4hrs too late.
The all out was called and I knew I had come nowhere, Mr West looked he had done well but me and Tom had struggled. My clickers showed 52lb and 37lb plus I guess I had maybe 15lb of skimmers, so I decided I was too tired to wait to be weighed in and tipped them back.
I had heard Jamie on 110 reckoned he had 300lb and a few guys reckoned on around 180lb.
I got my car loaded and chatted to a few guys before heading on home.
Results:
1st Jamie Cook, peg 110. 311lb
2nd Keith Clapp, peg 125. 205lb 14oz
3rd Phil Clapp, peg 105. 177lb 8oz
Then 4 weights circa 160lb
Silvers:
1st Phil Dodd, peg 78. 43lb 14oz (little feeder, micros and dead reds)
2nd Kev Locke, peg 123, 29lb 14oz
Next up for me was the Charity Pairs match at The Sedges with my partner Mark Leader.
Until then, take care.
Lee
Well a dry and sunny day was in store, possibly the warmest of the year thus far, 27 of us spread across the 2 lakes, so a bit of room for most. I was feeling the worst for wear due to a 'cold' and lack of sleep....etc
I would like to be on Campbell I thought to myself, or at worst the car park end of Cary where the better weights had been coming out from. Well into the draw and out pops peg 81, left hand side of the spit on Cary, it had been one of the quieter pegs in the previous couple of weeks, but 80 had been rather decent, they obviously didn't want to venture into the shadier side. I did hope this had changed.
The golden peg was 110 and would be a good bet to get taken, more so when Jamie Cook pulled it out, he knows how to catch a carp or 2. For company I had Derek Beards on peg 80 but couldn't see him, I had Tom Mangnall over on peg 85 and behind me I had Mark Hembery and Mark Bellringer both on Campbell.
I set up a lead rod for chucking around the peg.
A short meat rig for in front at 2+2.
A shallow mugging/slapping rig.
A rig for against the spit at 16m using banded pellets.
Lastly a depth pellet rig would be ok for 16m in front and down to the monk to my left.
The 1st hour gave me a grand total of 5 small palm sized skimmers on the meat.
There were loads of fish showing between me and Tom, but he also had not caught.
The next 2 hours gave me 3 carp, 2 on the meat and one shallow. But it did seem as this end of the lake was tricky, Tom was on 3 carp, Mike West over on 94 was on 3 also but rumour had it the other end was doing good and Derek on p80 too was doing well.
Not much happened in the 5th hour but a couple lost fish when trying the lead and pole down towards peg 82 were my reward along with a healthy helping of lost fish and snags possibly why they seemed happy down there, and in the sun....My clicker was on 30lb.
Into the last hour and I began to get action in my meat line, skimmers and carp and I managed to put about 15lb of silvers in the net and approx. 60lb of carp, they had come in a touch too late, well 4hrs too late.
The all out was called and I knew I had come nowhere, Mr West looked he had done well but me and Tom had struggled. My clickers showed 52lb and 37lb plus I guess I had maybe 15lb of skimmers, so I decided I was too tired to wait to be weighed in and tipped them back.
I had heard Jamie on 110 reckoned he had 300lb and a few guys reckoned on around 180lb.
I got my car loaded and chatted to a few guys before heading on home.
Results:
1st Jamie Cook, peg 110. 311lb
2nd Keith Clapp, peg 125. 205lb 14oz
3rd Phil Clapp, peg 105. 177lb 8oz
Then 4 weights circa 160lb
Silvers:
1st Phil Dodd, peg 78. 43lb 14oz (little feeder, micros and dead reds)
2nd Kev Locke, peg 123, 29lb 14oz
Next up for me was the Charity Pairs match at The Sedges with my partner Mark Leader.
Until then, take care.
Lee
Sunday, 24 June 2018
Pawlett Match, Sedges Brick and Tile, 24-06-18
An early write up this week as I have stuff on during the week.
So there were 34 of us for this match, which is our blind pairs match, so another decent turnout, which is what we get. 17 on each lake.
Had my daughter with me today, she wanted to catch a few rays and do some revision. I am not sure how much she did as she slept on and off for a good proportion of the day.
After a natter with a few guys it was down to the draw, my preference was to draw on Brick, which has been patchy in comparison to Tile. But to be fair I wasn't massively fussed where I would end up.
I managed to get in to the basket about halfway down the rabble after Jamie Parkhouse and Paul Homewood had plucked their pegs. I pulled out peg 40 on Tile, I did double check as I don't often get flyers, but it is usually a good peg, but when it is not so good it tends to be utter pants. But no doubt it will be my last 'flyer' for the next year or so....
A few choice words from more than 1 (read 20) of the guys about my drawing ability, well they must of all had sunstroke and poor memories, but I was happy.
My 2 fave pegs on the complex, pegs 8 and 12 were taken by Mark Watts and Shawn Kittridge respectively, I would have still swapped my peg for theirs.
I got to my home for the day and it looked nice, but a fair bit of scum which was sort of drifting around the peg and could be a pain as it was quite thick, there were some fish in the upper layers and some fizzing in places so I figured I may get a few bites. A couple guys told me where to fish, which is basically a method feeder to a couple spots in the peg. I didn't want to do that thank you very much, I find the island in this peg a touch snaggy.
I went about setting up my kit, a pellet wag (unused). A method feeder for off to the island (one cast there, one lost hooklength).
A DT Pinger for shallow fishing on the pole at 16m initially in front.
A DT Big D for 16m off towards the end bank in a shallower area, meat would be used here.
A couple DT RBS floats were set up for the deeper water, 1st one off in the 10 o'clock direction just up a shelf at 16 but a good 7 or 8m away from the end bank, banded 8mm was the plan but I never baited this rig all day. The 2nd RBS was for meat off the near shelf to my left at 5m, but this rig never got used either.
For bait I had 8mm and 6mm pellets, some micros for the method. Some 8mm meat and some groundbait mixed (not fed, now frozen).
My company for the day, except Miss Williams, was Mike West on peg 1 and Kev Lock on peg 39.
The all horn sounded and I decided not to feed anywhere in the peg to start, just start at 16m pinging a few pellets. I managed to hook 8 fish, landing 3, in the first half hour. But they were, well I thought they were, small 3lb fish, the 5 lost were due to hook pulls, these small fish on the lake have small mouths and can come off easily.
Then the ripple went and it went quieter and bites harder to come by, but I would get the odd one and after the 1st hour I was on 20lb, a nice start. I decided to feed the meat line towards the end bank with a near full pot of meat. I carried on shallow, catching better when the ripple appeared. The peg was fizzing like mad, which I don't mind on this lake. So I did my usual of lobbing the method over the pole line, this is something I have done here for a few years now, it started off with only me doing it in the evening matches, but now more try it as a viable option rather than a 'what if' tactic.
Anyways a few quick fish on that before I went back on the pole shallow.
It was over 2.5hrs in and I had started to fire a few 6mm and 8mm pellets off in the 10 o'clock direction just to try and draw some extra fish in to the area and as an option should my main line in front slow.
By now I had a few quiet spells and had suffered over an hour without a fish, so a look on the long meat line bought me a small carp and my hopes rose, until the next few fish were small hybrids and skimmers, I decided to give up that line and just stick to my two 16m lines shallow fishing plus the odd look on the method. My clicker was on 60lb (100lb net limt) so I thought I would get a new net at 75lb should I miss calculate my weights.
A few more fish shallow and I sent the daughter get the 2nd carp net, maybe a couple hours of the match left, but then I had another quiet spell when I had no ripple. But when it did return I was getting a fish most chucks shallow, off both lines and the odd couple here or there on the method when in needed a drink.
The final 30 minutes was great as was at times lowering my rig in and the elastic was getting pulled out before the float settled, I bumped my clicker up to 59lb before 2 more fish, perhaps 5lb apiece were added, not clicked. So 70lb in that net, 150lb I thought I could have at a push.
The all out sounded and I packed up and loaded the car before we caught up with the scales up on peg 31 where Nick Selway had been. The best weight so far from the lake at this point was 92lb and there was a 90lb. As the scales carried on their duties I was watching the size of the fish and thought I may be struggling with the net limits as a couple of 2 fish weighs were 8 or 9lb, I would have clicked 6lb....!!
Keith had 107lb, Paul Squire had 101lb and the best silvers was 33lb to Pete Manning, plus a few others weighed before my turn. 2lb+ of accidental meat silvers. My smaller net weighed first, as I lifted it I did think I had gone over 100lb, 3 weighs later and I was 2oz shy of losing the net...phew.
My 2nd net, I knew it was going to be disqualified even before I lifted it as I had clicked 75lb which was 25 fish. Those 3lbers, going by the weights, were likely to have been 4lbs+ and so it proved as the 1st weigh was 50lb 5oz and it was obvious that the 2nd would be over that and when the went on the scales the needle hovered around 58 or 59lb before Jamie chucked them back and the net was lost, bugger. So I weighed in 102lb 2oz rather than the 211lb+ I actually had. Again I had a few choice words thrown at me, I didn't feel bad about not getting the weight more for the fact I know it pisses Jamie off somewhat and that's not me to intentionally to do that. I felt guilty on that side of things.
On with the weigh in and I caught back up with it after a chat with Mike West and saw Jamie take the lead from peg 9 with 140-something, pegs 10 and 11 struggled/dnw's before Shawn Kittridge moved into 2nd place with around 130lb from lovely peg 12. I then left them to it and made my way to the hut to wait for the results.
As it turned out I won my section and Mark Hembery and I won the blind pairs with 192lb+ so a little bit of a silver lining.
Those misjudgements prevented me taking the win, the money and a place in the All Winners Final next year, but such is life, thankfully I am a laid back guy who takes it (reasonably) well enough. It would have also been my 1st net of 200lb+ from Sedges in a match and my best match weight for a long long time. I actually think my new glasses make the fish look smaller than they weigh as a few weeks back at Summerhayes I clicked 66lb and had 112lb, again mostly '3lb fish'......hmmmm something to work on methinks.
I did enjoy it though and gave the new pole a tidy work out and I actually didn't mind fishing at 16m, it was nice to catch a few 1st time out on it.
Results:
1st, peg 9, Jamie Cook. 143lb 5oz
2nd, peg 12, Shawn Kittridge, 130lb 2oz
3rd, peg 37, Keith Clapp, 107lb
4th, peg 40, Lee Williams, 102lb 2oz (knocked back from circa 211lb)
5th, peg 36, Paul Squire, 101lb 9oz
Silvers:
1st, peg 33, Pete Manning, 33lb
2nd, peg 39, Kev Lock, 23lb 12oz
Next week it is the next round of the Float Only Series, at Todber for that next Sunday.
Enjoy the weather this week guys and girls, it is looking hot.
Until next time...
Lee
So there were 34 of us for this match, which is our blind pairs match, so another decent turnout, which is what we get. 17 on each lake.
Had my daughter with me today, she wanted to catch a few rays and do some revision. I am not sure how much she did as she slept on and off for a good proportion of the day.
After a natter with a few guys it was down to the draw, my preference was to draw on Brick, which has been patchy in comparison to Tile. But to be fair I wasn't massively fussed where I would end up.
I managed to get in to the basket about halfway down the rabble after Jamie Parkhouse and Paul Homewood had plucked their pegs. I pulled out peg 40 on Tile, I did double check as I don't often get flyers, but it is usually a good peg, but when it is not so good it tends to be utter pants. But no doubt it will be my last 'flyer' for the next year or so....
A few choice words from more than 1 (read 20) of the guys about my drawing ability, well they must of all had sunstroke and poor memories, but I was happy.
My 2 fave pegs on the complex, pegs 8 and 12 were taken by Mark Watts and Shawn Kittridge respectively, I would have still swapped my peg for theirs.
I got to my home for the day and it looked nice, but a fair bit of scum which was sort of drifting around the peg and could be a pain as it was quite thick, there were some fish in the upper layers and some fizzing in places so I figured I may get a few bites. A couple guys told me where to fish, which is basically a method feeder to a couple spots in the peg. I didn't want to do that thank you very much, I find the island in this peg a touch snaggy.
 |
| Peg $0, Tile Lake, Sedges. |
A DT Pinger for shallow fishing on the pole at 16m initially in front.
A DT Big D for 16m off towards the end bank in a shallower area, meat would be used here.
A couple DT RBS floats were set up for the deeper water, 1st one off in the 10 o'clock direction just up a shelf at 16 but a good 7 or 8m away from the end bank, banded 8mm was the plan but I never baited this rig all day. The 2nd RBS was for meat off the near shelf to my left at 5m, but this rig never got used either.
For bait I had 8mm and 6mm pellets, some micros for the method. Some 8mm meat and some groundbait mixed (not fed, now frozen).
My company for the day, except Miss Williams, was Mike West on peg 1 and Kev Lock on peg 39.
The all horn sounded and I decided not to feed anywhere in the peg to start, just start at 16m pinging a few pellets. I managed to hook 8 fish, landing 3, in the first half hour. But they were, well I thought they were, small 3lb fish, the 5 lost were due to hook pulls, these small fish on the lake have small mouths and can come off easily.
Then the ripple went and it went quieter and bites harder to come by, but I would get the odd one and after the 1st hour I was on 20lb, a nice start. I decided to feed the meat line towards the end bank with a near full pot of meat. I carried on shallow, catching better when the ripple appeared. The peg was fizzing like mad, which I don't mind on this lake. So I did my usual of lobbing the method over the pole line, this is something I have done here for a few years now, it started off with only me doing it in the evening matches, but now more try it as a viable option rather than a 'what if' tactic.
Anyways a few quick fish on that before I went back on the pole shallow.
It was over 2.5hrs in and I had started to fire a few 6mm and 8mm pellets off in the 10 o'clock direction just to try and draw some extra fish in to the area and as an option should my main line in front slow.
By now I had a few quiet spells and had suffered over an hour without a fish, so a look on the long meat line bought me a small carp and my hopes rose, until the next few fish were small hybrids and skimmers, I decided to give up that line and just stick to my two 16m lines shallow fishing plus the odd look on the method. My clicker was on 60lb (100lb net limt) so I thought I would get a new net at 75lb should I miss calculate my weights.
A few more fish shallow and I sent the daughter get the 2nd carp net, maybe a couple hours of the match left, but then I had another quiet spell when I had no ripple. But when it did return I was getting a fish most chucks shallow, off both lines and the odd couple here or there on the method when in needed a drink.
The final 30 minutes was great as was at times lowering my rig in and the elastic was getting pulled out before the float settled, I bumped my clicker up to 59lb before 2 more fish, perhaps 5lb apiece were added, not clicked. So 70lb in that net, 150lb I thought I could have at a push.
The all out sounded and I packed up and loaded the car before we caught up with the scales up on peg 31 where Nick Selway had been. The best weight so far from the lake at this point was 92lb and there was a 90lb. As the scales carried on their duties I was watching the size of the fish and thought I may be struggling with the net limits as a couple of 2 fish weighs were 8 or 9lb, I would have clicked 6lb....!!
Keith had 107lb, Paul Squire had 101lb and the best silvers was 33lb to Pete Manning, plus a few others weighed before my turn. 2lb+ of accidental meat silvers. My smaller net weighed first, as I lifted it I did think I had gone over 100lb, 3 weighs later and I was 2oz shy of losing the net...phew.
My 2nd net, I knew it was going to be disqualified even before I lifted it as I had clicked 75lb which was 25 fish. Those 3lbers, going by the weights, were likely to have been 4lbs+ and so it proved as the 1st weigh was 50lb 5oz and it was obvious that the 2nd would be over that and when the went on the scales the needle hovered around 58 or 59lb before Jamie chucked them back and the net was lost, bugger. So I weighed in 102lb 2oz rather than the 211lb+ I actually had. Again I had a few choice words thrown at me, I didn't feel bad about not getting the weight more for the fact I know it pisses Jamie off somewhat and that's not me to intentionally to do that. I felt guilty on that side of things.
On with the weigh in and I caught back up with it after a chat with Mike West and saw Jamie take the lead from peg 9 with 140-something, pegs 10 and 11 struggled/dnw's before Shawn Kittridge moved into 2nd place with around 130lb from lovely peg 12. I then left them to it and made my way to the hut to wait for the results.
As it turned out I won my section and Mark Hembery and I won the blind pairs with 192lb+ so a little bit of a silver lining.
Those misjudgements prevented me taking the win, the money and a place in the All Winners Final next year, but such is life, thankfully I am a laid back guy who takes it (reasonably) well enough. It would have also been my 1st net of 200lb+ from Sedges in a match and my best match weight for a long long time. I actually think my new glasses make the fish look smaller than they weigh as a few weeks back at Summerhayes I clicked 66lb and had 112lb, again mostly '3lb fish'......hmmmm something to work on methinks.
I did enjoy it though and gave the new pole a tidy work out and I actually didn't mind fishing at 16m, it was nice to catch a few 1st time out on it.
 |
| Weigh Sheets... |
1st, peg 9, Jamie Cook. 143lb 5oz
2nd, peg 12, Shawn Kittridge, 130lb 2oz
3rd, peg 37, Keith Clapp, 107lb
4th, peg 40, Lee Williams, 102lb 2oz (knocked back from circa 211lb)
5th, peg 36, Paul Squire, 101lb 9oz
Silvers:
1st, peg 33, Pete Manning, 33lb
2nd, peg 39, Kev Lock, 23lb 12oz
Next week it is the next round of the Float Only Series, at Todber for that next Sunday.
Enjoy the weather this week guys and girls, it is looking hot.
Until next time...
Lee
Wednesday, 9 May 2018
Acorn and Avalon.... 5th and 6th May 2018
So this last weekend......not much to write home about really, the Saturday saw me back up at Acorn for the 3rd round of the Saturday Series, which I have no chance of framing after two second last in sections. The weather was baking, which was nice.
I arrived in loads of time, dipped nets etc and then got into the draw, I pulled out peg 40, which I have had a few times, but I was neither happy or sad with this draw, I thought I would get a few but with the weather now rather hot the fishies may have other plans. Well the silvers were spawning.
I set up the usual array of rigs and set about trying to catch a few, I did hope for a few shallow on casters, but other than a single roach I never had a bite on that, I also had nothing down either edge I did have about 10lb of silvers down the middle on caster on the deck. I had to wait nearly 4 hours for my 1st carp, on 6mm pellets right across, I had 3 in quick time and fouled a couple, but it died a death (not that it actually been alive), and with Matt Roden on p38 and Tom Thick (covering for Bobby G) on peg 33 (?) by the bridge doing really well (Tom won the day with just shy of 195lb) I packed up with at least 90 minutes to spare and decided that the sofa would be a better place to be.
I don't know the full results but Tom Thick won and Gabe Skarba was on peg 3 had a run of margin fish and I think he was 2nd on the day.
Back again in a couple weeks for round 4, hoping to at least draw on some fish then.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday saw 33 of us on the banks of Avalon, I haven't fished there for probably 16 months at least.
A bit of banter, pools paid, another baking hot day and a re-draw....1st time I had p29, 2nd time I was on 19. Another vanilla peg and I wasn't really happy with it as I was wanting to fish for silvers and would have liked somewhere between 6 and 13 perhaps or from 27 to 36. But you can never be sure of where the framers will come from on this lake which is great.
Off to my peg and I had on flyer peg 20, Steve Fouracre, he should be good for a few fish to the 'semi-gap' in the island (top left of my photo), he had his brother Eric next to him on 21. I had Lewis Hembury and Rob Dodd to my right.
I set up a few bits and bobs, a shallow waggler and a small feeder which I couldn't get onto the shelf due to island foliage, but worth having set up.
A depth pellet rig using a 0.8g DT RBS float this was for 16m in front, also a DT Pinger for shallow pellets over the same spot.
A silvers rig for 13, slightly left using various baits over groundbait, but had nowt here so nothing more on that.
I also set up a meat rig for just off empty peg 18, but never had a bite there either.
On the all in I fed the spots and started on the waggler, no bites for 20 minutes then I snagged up and lost the lot......chucked the feeder out while I re-set up the float. 10 minutes later I had a small pull on the feeder and a 2.5lb carp was soon in my keepnet, that was my only bite on the feeder all day, but then I did lose the whole lot and couldn't be arsed to re-tackle that. I also lost another waggler set up to the squirrels....but I did assemble that again.
So fast forward a couple hours and my keepnet consisted of 1 carp and a single roach which took a 6mm pellet shallow. Steve had maybe 60lb but from what I could see it wasn't prolific.
I soon managed to mug a nice 5lb ghostie on the waggler and then a 8lb common was mugged on the pole.
I lost a couple more fish, one hooked while fishing shallow with feed, the 2nd was a proper decent fish that acted like a dolphin as it made it's bid for freedom, which I gained along with a float etc.....
I could go on with how I managed to bang out a dozen more 8lb fish, but it would be a lie. I did manage to mug a few more, ended with 7 in total I think, on both the pole and waggler and I actually wished the match finished 20 minutes later than it did as I could see the carp better and they were actually coming in close enough to target them. I actually shallowed up my 0.8g depth rig to give me an extra 4.5ft of line so I could reach further out, this defo helped me once or twice.
At the end of the match Steve had around 86lb (I was clicking his fish to occupy me), Eric had around 50lb I guessed while Lewis had 5 carp including a lump that took him an age to get in and weighed over 16lb, Rob had 10lb of silvers and a couple carp.
Across the other side Mark Sweeting on peg 30 had done really well and Steve said he had more that him, I couldn't see Mark, but could hear the splashing of fish being netted. A few others said they had caught ok but Ziggy had 100lb+.
The silvers hadn't fed at my end, Eric had 1 tench on the tip and bumped a couple small skimmers on the pole, I had 1 skimmer shallow foul hooked and 1 roach.
The weigh in was well under way and I was rather warm, there was a fair few reddened bodies.
I had all packed up when I caught up with the scales, my clicker showed 34lb but I did not click at least my last fish, maybe my last 2. Both were pushing 10lb each.
A look at the sheet saw Ziggy on 100lb+ and Mark had 98lb and there was a couple 30s and Vic had 59lb.
I saw Mark Bellringer put 60lb on the scales from p22, Eric then had 49lb. Steve's total was 88lb 5oz, so I clicked well....haha. Next was me and it actually took 2 weighs and my 1-11 of silvers plus carp gave me a surprising 57lb 3oz.
Lewis had 46lb and then we had Shawn Kittridge have mid 40's, Keith Clapp a 71lb+ net from peg 7. Jamie Cook was his accurate self with his guess and was less than 2lb out with his total and he had 79lb
Pierce had 17lb of silvers to take that money. Chris Higgs had 60-something.
So despite it not being a great day the chance to mug a few fish was ok, but the fish were defo easier to spot further out and closer to the other bank for sure. They didn't seem intent on heading to our side. But Sunday was a good day locally for mugging fish....look at Viaduct's weights...200lb was 6th and nearly 400lb needed to win both Sunday and Monday's matches, the best weights were mostly mugged fish. Some good mugging was had at Todber as well.
Results:
1st, Ziggy Slowinski, 104-08 from end peg 44 on pellet waggler
2nd, Mark Sweeting, pellet waggler from peg 30
3rd, Steve Fouracre, mostly feeder caught from peg 20
Silvers
1st, Pierce Furlong, short pole skimmer and decent bream, peg 5.
Next up for me is Sunday at Todber as cover for Emma Drysdale in the Short Pole Series of Tony Rixon's. Fingers crossed for a few bites. As for Saturday....we shall see, but prob family day.
Until then, enjoy the rest of the week.
Lee
I arrived in loads of time, dipped nets etc and then got into the draw, I pulled out peg 40, which I have had a few times, but I was neither happy or sad with this draw, I thought I would get a few but with the weather now rather hot the fishies may have other plans. Well the silvers were spawning.
 |
| Peg 40, Paddock Lake, Acorn |
I don't know the full results but Tom Thick won and Gabe Skarba was on peg 3 had a run of margin fish and I think he was 2nd on the day.
Back again in a couple weeks for round 4, hoping to at least draw on some fish then.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday saw 33 of us on the banks of Avalon, I haven't fished there for probably 16 months at least.
A bit of banter, pools paid, another baking hot day and a re-draw....1st time I had p29, 2nd time I was on 19. Another vanilla peg and I wasn't really happy with it as I was wanting to fish for silvers and would have liked somewhere between 6 and 13 perhaps or from 27 to 36. But you can never be sure of where the framers will come from on this lake which is great.
 |
| Avalon peg 19 |
I set up a few bits and bobs, a shallow waggler and a small feeder which I couldn't get onto the shelf due to island foliage, but worth having set up.
A depth pellet rig using a 0.8g DT RBS float this was for 16m in front, also a DT Pinger for shallow pellets over the same spot.
A silvers rig for 13, slightly left using various baits over groundbait, but had nowt here so nothing more on that.
I also set up a meat rig for just off empty peg 18, but never had a bite there either.
On the all in I fed the spots and started on the waggler, no bites for 20 minutes then I snagged up and lost the lot......chucked the feeder out while I re-set up the float. 10 minutes later I had a small pull on the feeder and a 2.5lb carp was soon in my keepnet, that was my only bite on the feeder all day, but then I did lose the whole lot and couldn't be arsed to re-tackle that. I also lost another waggler set up to the squirrels....but I did assemble that again.
So fast forward a couple hours and my keepnet consisted of 1 carp and a single roach which took a 6mm pellet shallow. Steve had maybe 60lb but from what I could see it wasn't prolific.
I soon managed to mug a nice 5lb ghostie on the waggler and then a 8lb common was mugged on the pole.
I lost a couple more fish, one hooked while fishing shallow with feed, the 2nd was a proper decent fish that acted like a dolphin as it made it's bid for freedom, which I gained along with a float etc.....
I could go on with how I managed to bang out a dozen more 8lb fish, but it would be a lie. I did manage to mug a few more, ended with 7 in total I think, on both the pole and waggler and I actually wished the match finished 20 minutes later than it did as I could see the carp better and they were actually coming in close enough to target them. I actually shallowed up my 0.8g depth rig to give me an extra 4.5ft of line so I could reach further out, this defo helped me once or twice.
At the end of the match Steve had around 86lb (I was clicking his fish to occupy me), Eric had around 50lb I guessed while Lewis had 5 carp including a lump that took him an age to get in and weighed over 16lb, Rob had 10lb of silvers and a couple carp.
Across the other side Mark Sweeting on peg 30 had done really well and Steve said he had more that him, I couldn't see Mark, but could hear the splashing of fish being netted. A few others said they had caught ok but Ziggy had 100lb+.
The silvers hadn't fed at my end, Eric had 1 tench on the tip and bumped a couple small skimmers on the pole, I had 1 skimmer shallow foul hooked and 1 roach.
The weigh in was well under way and I was rather warm, there was a fair few reddened bodies.
I had all packed up when I caught up with the scales, my clicker showed 34lb but I did not click at least my last fish, maybe my last 2. Both were pushing 10lb each.
A look at the sheet saw Ziggy on 100lb+ and Mark had 98lb and there was a couple 30s and Vic had 59lb.
I saw Mark Bellringer put 60lb on the scales from p22, Eric then had 49lb. Steve's total was 88lb 5oz, so I clicked well....haha. Next was me and it actually took 2 weighs and my 1-11 of silvers plus carp gave me a surprising 57lb 3oz.
Lewis had 46lb and then we had Shawn Kittridge have mid 40's, Keith Clapp a 71lb+ net from peg 7. Jamie Cook was his accurate self with his guess and was less than 2lb out with his total and he had 79lb
Pierce had 17lb of silvers to take that money. Chris Higgs had 60-something.
So despite it not being a great day the chance to mug a few fish was ok, but the fish were defo easier to spot further out and closer to the other bank for sure. They didn't seem intent on heading to our side. But Sunday was a good day locally for mugging fish....look at Viaduct's weights...200lb was 6th and nearly 400lb needed to win both Sunday and Monday's matches, the best weights were mostly mugged fish. Some good mugging was had at Todber as well.
Results:
1st, Ziggy Slowinski, 104-08 from end peg 44 on pellet waggler
2nd, Mark Sweeting, pellet waggler from peg 30
3rd, Steve Fouracre, mostly feeder caught from peg 20
Silvers
1st, Pierce Furlong, short pole skimmer and decent bream, peg 5.
 |
| Weigh Sheets |
Until then, enjoy the rest of the week.
Lee
Wednesday, 25 April 2018
Pawlett Match, Apex Park. 22-4-18
Thirty of us ventured to this venue, somewhere that is not match fished enough in my opinion, as the fishing can be awesome, 50lb-80lb bags of silver fish are not too uncommon, however as these fish don't see the pressure ramped up from 30 anglers fishing at once very often, thus bringing weights down and the fishing somewhat trickier. But the rewards are there.
Plus there is an abundance of carp and they don't half pull back.
In the car park pre-draw a few of us were chatting and I reckoned that 60lb may well be enough to win and upper 20lb figures could be the best silvers weight despite those who practiced in the week getting bags to 75lb of skimmers and bream. The favoured areas for the non-carp species are pegs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (pegs 4 and 5 being the best 2 pegs on the lake), then you have a narrow section where we have to double bank, it is only 25-30m across so sharing water and fish is not too uncommon, it is inevitable pegs 7 and 8 are bang average at best. Then around to pegs 9 and 10, which are okay for carp and silvers, 11 is average and 12 and 13 are poor given they are at 90 degree angles to each other (I was on 13 last year and struggled as did peg 12...early baths. Same this year....) pegs 14 to 17 are good for carp but less decent silvers pegs, I wouldn't have been shocked to see them frame. But lead/feeder fishing to snags is the name of the game here and lost fish and tackle to be expected.
The next used peg is 23, a carp peg but some decent sized skimmers and bream haunt this area along with 24 (not used) and 25 whom all have island chucks, in with a shout for sure. 26 is average and tends to be a decent roach peg, then we have 27 to 31 which are opposite pegs 8, 7 and 6 and are average.
Peg 32 is a very nice peg as it has a few under water features, I would like this peg if I didn't get 4 or 5. Pegs 33, 34 and 35 are ok and can produce at times, maybe more so when the fish are heading up that end of the lake to spawn, pegs 36 to 38 are as often brilliant as they are poor, but great pre and post spawning times.
Well we all paid our dues and the draw commenced, three golden pegs chosen (27, 30 and 33) I drew around 5th in the rabble and found peg 7 in my hand, 2nd time I had this peg in the last 3 years now. I knew I had little chance of picking up with the pegs opposite in and in a tough section with pegs 1 to 10, I would say 7 is the worst peg in the section.
For company I had last years winner in Kev Crouch on peg 8 and Will Puddy on a decent peg, peg 6. Opposite me I had Chris Higgs and Derek Beards. I could also see a few others including Jamie Parkhouse (p25) and Paul Homewood (p26). In my section I had three good silvers anglers in Giffy (Chris Ware p9), Phil Clapp (p5, best peg) and Eric Fouracre (p4, 2nd best peg), tough work for me.
Oh and it is always windy on the lake, no different for this match and at times it was hard going to hold the pole.
I mixed up my groundbait and sorted the rest of my bait, maggots, casters and corn. I had 4mm and micro pellets on my tray and expanders for the hook.
Tackle, well, a small cage feeder to lob on the 14m pole line, which I hoped not to use.
A pole rig (0.5g DT RBS) for carp at 14m using corn over a decent helping of 4mm pellets, but I never tried this as there didn't seem to be carp present.
A margin rig (DT Big D in 0.3g) down to my left for carp, again not really used for more that 10 mins during the day.
2 rigs for silvers, A DT Pencil in 0.2g for topkit to hand down to my left with the wind, hopefully to snare a whole load of roach which can be of a great size. The 2nd rig would be my main hope, a 16x11 DT F1/Silvers with wire stem, this would cover 7m and 14m both off to my right in a nice area of shadow.
On the whistle I cupped in 5 proper balls of groundbait on my long line and flicked a few casters down to my left. Some micros went in at 7m plus the baits required down the edge and on the long carp line.
1st look down to my left, a bite right away and a 4oz roach swung in....almost, it fell off, then the 2nd did the same as did the 3rd.....twat, I should have used the net!! Ah well I will stick with that line and keep the fish coming........ that didn't happen, I had a 6oz hybrid and 3 or 4 roach of 2oz each. Then no more bites there for the rest of the day.
Out to 7m, 10 minutes, no bites......No bites for the rest of the match over the micros or any bites on pellets, which is odd for the venue.
So after 45 minutes I was out on the long pole line, a few minutes later a 5oz skimmer was in my keepnet, then a couple 8oz samples followed, but then it would go quiet. Those opposite and either side were struggling so I plodded along picking up the odd skimmer.
Will Puddy did lose a carp early on and I saw John Fuidge down on peg 23 hook what he thought was a zoo creature only for the carp to be a 6lb fish, I asked him if it was the hardest fighting 6lber he had caught, he agreed. A lot fight like demons in there. Paul Homewood also had a carp or 2.
Over the next couple or so hours I kept picking up silvers in 2's or 3's, most 10oz sort of sized skimmers but I did have a 2lber, and a few roach in amongst them. But my skimmer sizes were nothing compared to the one Kev had and 2 Giffy caught.
My best bait was single and double maggot, casters just gave me roach so I refrained from lose feeding that area too often with casters unless bites dried up. Corn and pellets gave me the square root of naff all.
At around 2 o'clock my lines, and it seemed most others', died and bites were less forthcoming, but I did seem to be getting a few more than the others I could see nearby. The wind was really picking up, and in hindsight I could, and should, have got off my box and assembled a bigger float.
I took this spell to re-feed a decent amount and started a new area at 14m where I fed two cups of casters and maggots hoping for a few eels late on, but maybe they had not woken up properly yet from the winter, but worth a go.
I also went for a short walk and all I could prize from people is that 8lb was a good weight, Phil was admitting to low double figures, I believed him. Ziggy on peg 32 had gone home...
Back to my box and I had a couple more quick skimmers including my largest at around 2.5lb before I tried over the new caster/mag line, it was tough in the wind, but a few roach of 3oz each was all I was rewarded with for my efforts.
A couple friends turned up and all I could get while there were there were a few little fish, but I persevered. I was inclined to think I had perhaps 14lb or so at this point.
The wind was now so strong that after a quick look at 7m and on the topkit for no more fish I decided to spend the last hour on the feeder over the pole line, or at least until I ran out of groundbait.
Well I did run out of groundbait, thankfully it was my last cast of the match and luckily the last hour for me seemed better that those around me as I had maybe 6 more skimmers between 6 and 8oz (but Mssrs Fuidge and Homewood were getting big skimmers/bream off the island).
The all out was called and I packed up quickly enough and waited for the scales, which were beginning at the last peg, Jamie Cook and working back around the lake and peg 1 would be the last to weigh in. So I loaded the car and bumped into a guy who I kind of know, he was going to carp fish after the weigh in from peg 9 or 10, we discussed the ins and outs of the club and it's membership and matches etc.
Of the guys I also spoke to a few said they had mid-teens of silvers while Keith Clapp said he lost the carp-wars today 5 landed to 9 lost. But 5 carp should win the day unless he lost his keepnets.....ummm he did as when they got to weigh him in they had fell in, luckily he got them back and only 1 escapee....he weighed 42lb 4oz.
By the time the scales were at my peg Keith was still winning and the best silvers was 21lb to John Fuidge. I lifted my net and it looked 20lb+ which surprised me, and the scales bounced around to 26lb 2oz, nice. Phil Clapp said that would win the silvers, I didn't believe him as he was on the 'boys peg' and so it proved as his 20lb guesstimate actually trickled over 30lb and settled at 31lb exactly, there were some cracking 4lb+ bream in his net, which in comparison to my generally small fish net, really made a difference, so well done him.
Eric on peg 4 and Mike Davis on peg 1 both had caught tench, not many in the lake, so to see 2 on one day is great.
Back to the car park and the prizes were handed out, I managed 6th and won my section money by default, gotta love a default, thanks to Phil's haul which won him the silvers money and he was 3rd overall. The match was won by Keith with his 42lb 2oz catch.
Results:
1st, peg 17, Keith Clapp, 42-02
2nd, peg 25, Paul Homewood, 38-07
3rd, peg 5, Phil Clapp, 31-00 (took the silvers coin)
4th, peg 23, John Fuidge, 27-11 (took 3rd's money)
Silvers:
1st, peg 5, Phil Clapp, 31-00
2nd, peg 7, Lee Williams, 26-02
So a nice match, and to be honest I was chuffed with 26lb from where I was pegged and looking at the weights directly each side and across from me confirms at least I did something right.
If any of you guys who read this want a day pleasure fishing for silvers then you'd not go wrong in trying Apex, tickets from Thyers in Highbridge.
No matches this coming weekend as yet, but that may well change if I get itchy feet on Saturday...
Until then, take care and stay safe.
Lee
Plus there is an abundance of carp and they don't half pull back.
In the car park pre-draw a few of us were chatting and I reckoned that 60lb may well be enough to win and upper 20lb figures could be the best silvers weight despite those who practiced in the week getting bags to 75lb of skimmers and bream. The favoured areas for the non-carp species are pegs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (pegs 4 and 5 being the best 2 pegs on the lake), then you have a narrow section where we have to double bank, it is only 25-30m across so sharing water and fish is not too uncommon, it is inevitable pegs 7 and 8 are bang average at best. Then around to pegs 9 and 10, which are okay for carp and silvers, 11 is average and 12 and 13 are poor given they are at 90 degree angles to each other (I was on 13 last year and struggled as did peg 12...early baths. Same this year....) pegs 14 to 17 are good for carp but less decent silvers pegs, I wouldn't have been shocked to see them frame. But lead/feeder fishing to snags is the name of the game here and lost fish and tackle to be expected.
The next used peg is 23, a carp peg but some decent sized skimmers and bream haunt this area along with 24 (not used) and 25 whom all have island chucks, in with a shout for sure. 26 is average and tends to be a decent roach peg, then we have 27 to 31 which are opposite pegs 8, 7 and 6 and are average.
Peg 32 is a very nice peg as it has a few under water features, I would like this peg if I didn't get 4 or 5. Pegs 33, 34 and 35 are ok and can produce at times, maybe more so when the fish are heading up that end of the lake to spawn, pegs 36 to 38 are as often brilliant as they are poor, but great pre and post spawning times.
Well we all paid our dues and the draw commenced, three golden pegs chosen (27, 30 and 33) I drew around 5th in the rabble and found peg 7 in my hand, 2nd time I had this peg in the last 3 years now. I knew I had little chance of picking up with the pegs opposite in and in a tough section with pegs 1 to 10, I would say 7 is the worst peg in the section.
For company I had last years winner in Kev Crouch on peg 8 and Will Puddy on a decent peg, peg 6. Opposite me I had Chris Higgs and Derek Beards. I could also see a few others including Jamie Parkhouse (p25) and Paul Homewood (p26). In my section I had three good silvers anglers in Giffy (Chris Ware p9), Phil Clapp (p5, best peg) and Eric Fouracre (p4, 2nd best peg), tough work for me.
 |
| Peg 7, Apex Lake, Highbridge |
I mixed up my groundbait and sorted the rest of my bait, maggots, casters and corn. I had 4mm and micro pellets on my tray and expanders for the hook.
Tackle, well, a small cage feeder to lob on the 14m pole line, which I hoped not to use.
A pole rig (0.5g DT RBS) for carp at 14m using corn over a decent helping of 4mm pellets, but I never tried this as there didn't seem to be carp present.
A margin rig (DT Big D in 0.3g) down to my left for carp, again not really used for more that 10 mins during the day.
2 rigs for silvers, A DT Pencil in 0.2g for topkit to hand down to my left with the wind, hopefully to snare a whole load of roach which can be of a great size. The 2nd rig would be my main hope, a 16x11 DT F1/Silvers with wire stem, this would cover 7m and 14m both off to my right in a nice area of shadow.
On the whistle I cupped in 5 proper balls of groundbait on my long line and flicked a few casters down to my left. Some micros went in at 7m plus the baits required down the edge and on the long carp line.
1st look down to my left, a bite right away and a 4oz roach swung in....almost, it fell off, then the 2nd did the same as did the 3rd.....twat, I should have used the net!! Ah well I will stick with that line and keep the fish coming........ that didn't happen, I had a 6oz hybrid and 3 or 4 roach of 2oz each. Then no more bites there for the rest of the day.
Out to 7m, 10 minutes, no bites......No bites for the rest of the match over the micros or any bites on pellets, which is odd for the venue.
So after 45 minutes I was out on the long pole line, a few minutes later a 5oz skimmer was in my keepnet, then a couple 8oz samples followed, but then it would go quiet. Those opposite and either side were struggling so I plodded along picking up the odd skimmer.
Will Puddy did lose a carp early on and I saw John Fuidge down on peg 23 hook what he thought was a zoo creature only for the carp to be a 6lb fish, I asked him if it was the hardest fighting 6lber he had caught, he agreed. A lot fight like demons in there. Paul Homewood also had a carp or 2.
Over the next couple or so hours I kept picking up silvers in 2's or 3's, most 10oz sort of sized skimmers but I did have a 2lber, and a few roach in amongst them. But my skimmer sizes were nothing compared to the one Kev had and 2 Giffy caught.
My best bait was single and double maggot, casters just gave me roach so I refrained from lose feeding that area too often with casters unless bites dried up. Corn and pellets gave me the square root of naff all.
At around 2 o'clock my lines, and it seemed most others', died and bites were less forthcoming, but I did seem to be getting a few more than the others I could see nearby. The wind was really picking up, and in hindsight I could, and should, have got off my box and assembled a bigger float.
I took this spell to re-feed a decent amount and started a new area at 14m where I fed two cups of casters and maggots hoping for a few eels late on, but maybe they had not woken up properly yet from the winter, but worth a go.
I also went for a short walk and all I could prize from people is that 8lb was a good weight, Phil was admitting to low double figures, I believed him. Ziggy on peg 32 had gone home...
Back to my box and I had a couple more quick skimmers including my largest at around 2.5lb before I tried over the new caster/mag line, it was tough in the wind, but a few roach of 3oz each was all I was rewarded with for my efforts.
A couple friends turned up and all I could get while there were there were a few little fish, but I persevered. I was inclined to think I had perhaps 14lb or so at this point.
The wind was now so strong that after a quick look at 7m and on the topkit for no more fish I decided to spend the last hour on the feeder over the pole line, or at least until I ran out of groundbait.
Well I did run out of groundbait, thankfully it was my last cast of the match and luckily the last hour for me seemed better that those around me as I had maybe 6 more skimmers between 6 and 8oz (but Mssrs Fuidge and Homewood were getting big skimmers/bream off the island).
The all out was called and I packed up quickly enough and waited for the scales, which were beginning at the last peg, Jamie Cook and working back around the lake and peg 1 would be the last to weigh in. So I loaded the car and bumped into a guy who I kind of know, he was going to carp fish after the weigh in from peg 9 or 10, we discussed the ins and outs of the club and it's membership and matches etc.
Of the guys I also spoke to a few said they had mid-teens of silvers while Keith Clapp said he lost the carp-wars today 5 landed to 9 lost. But 5 carp should win the day unless he lost his keepnets.....ummm he did as when they got to weigh him in they had fell in, luckily he got them back and only 1 escapee....he weighed 42lb 4oz.
By the time the scales were at my peg Keith was still winning and the best silvers was 21lb to John Fuidge. I lifted my net and it looked 20lb+ which surprised me, and the scales bounced around to 26lb 2oz, nice. Phil Clapp said that would win the silvers, I didn't believe him as he was on the 'boys peg' and so it proved as his 20lb guesstimate actually trickled over 30lb and settled at 31lb exactly, there were some cracking 4lb+ bream in his net, which in comparison to my generally small fish net, really made a difference, so well done him.
Eric on peg 4 and Mike Davis on peg 1 both had caught tench, not many in the lake, so to see 2 on one day is great.
Back to the car park and the prizes were handed out, I managed 6th and won my section money by default, gotta love a default, thanks to Phil's haul which won him the silvers money and he was 3rd overall. The match was won by Keith with his 42lb 2oz catch.
Results:
1st, peg 17, Keith Clapp, 42-02
2nd, peg 25, Paul Homewood, 38-07
3rd, peg 5, Phil Clapp, 31-00 (took the silvers coin)
4th, peg 23, John Fuidge, 27-11 (took 3rd's money)
Silvers:
1st, peg 5, Phil Clapp, 31-00
2nd, peg 7, Lee Williams, 26-02
So a nice match, and to be honest I was chuffed with 26lb from where I was pegged and looking at the weights directly each side and across from me confirms at least I did something right.
If any of you guys who read this want a day pleasure fishing for silvers then you'd not go wrong in trying Apex, tickets from Thyers in Highbridge.
 |
| Weigh Sheet |
Until then, take care and stay safe.
Lee
Thursday, 12 April 2018
Pawlett Match, Sedges Brick and Tile, Silvers only. 8-4-18
The yearly Silvers only match at Sedges usually gets a decent crowd and this year was no different as nearly all of the 40 pegs were taken. Some decent anglers fishing, including the in-form John Fuidge, who has been picking up the wins in the silvers matches and payouts here (plus elsewhere) for the last few months.
The weather was set dry, yay, but mild, which would no doubt attract the carp into feeding. The last couple of years I have probably had over 80lb of them during the corresponding match. I doubted that it would be any different.
I arrived for the draw in reasonable time and didn't get to chat as much as usual, it was the 'hello and how are you?' only chatter before the basket was attacked by a flurry of hands.
I waited til near the end, behind Mr Fuidge, whom I commented 'which peg are you ganna win from?', he smiled and drew peg 17.....nice silvers peg. Me, well I pulled peg 28 on Tile, not where I fancied as Brick would be hard to beat now the temps are a little better. Plus I am less confident on Tile, I actually think my last time on here was around a year ago.
Off to my peg and setting up I thought I was the last angler on that bank as peg 29 was empty.
A small feeder rod was set up for around 30m in front.
3 pole rigs, a DT Floats' Pencil for my left edge and over my longer lines shallow, I did set up an F1/Silvers float for the same line but it fell off the connector with the plummet attached so there is a nice float, 4ft of line and a plummet in front of peg 28 somewhere at 2+2 distance.
The next rig was for 2+3 in front where I would feed micros and 4mm pellets, the float was an RBS open water in 0.6g. I had a band on this rig, but I never picked it up all match.
The next rig was the same as the above but with a normal hook, Guru F1 pellet in size 18 my choice. This was for an area at 14m where I would be feeding groundbait and caster.
My side tray had micros, 4s, maggots, caster and some expanders. Plus a handful of (unused) 6mm pellets for the band.
I did plumb an area off to my left in peg 29, but 15 or 20 minutes after the draw Rob Dodd turned up for the end peg advantage, he doesn't need any help, he is a tidy silvers angler.
On my right I had Mark Watts on peg 27. I could just about make out Paul Homewood opposite me but I could see Shawn Kittridge over on peg 39.
On the all-in I cupped 4 decent balls of groundbait on the long line and a pot of micros short, plus I threw some casters down to my left.
I began on the feeder for half an hour, only a couple knocks in that time, but Rob had maybe 5lb on the pole. Shawn too had began well.
It was around an hour for my 1st fish, a skimmer on the long pole line, this was around 6oz, but it was very slow going and it seemed that only Rob and Shawn were catching.
Oh I did have a carp on single maggot, I got it in, perhaps 16lb. It is great how much you can pull with light kit and not get busted.
A couple more carp for me, and Mark and even Rob got in on the act....the difference being that Rib would be getting silvers between the carp.
Mark struggled all match and ended up at the end of the match with 3 small silvers, so unlucky him.
I kept trying shallowing my rig as I was getting liners and bumped a couple foul hookers but to no avail. At the halfway stage I managed a proper skimmer of 2.5lb or so from my short line on expander, that was a one off, except for the odd rogue carp.
A switch to the feeder so I could have a cuppa surprised me when a couple of skimmers of 1lb each came within minutes of each other.
I would love to say that the last few hours were super productive but they were not, pretty much the whole lake switched off and except the odd eel and solitary skimmer it was the occasional roach occupying us all, well except Rob on peg 29 who despite losing a couple lumpy foul hooked skiimers was still putting the odd smaller one in the net.
The last hour did see me put another 1lb skimmer to my tally, caught down my left edge. Then a couple roach and a couple 6oz skimmers ended my match.
I reckoned that I had around 11lb and Doddy perhaps 19 to 20lb after his spurt in the opening hour.
I packed my kit up and waited for the scales. By the time pegs 21 to 67 had weighed there were several 8lb nets. My hard earned catch weighed in at 13lb 4oz. Quite happy with that really but I knew Rob had more and my 19lb 12oz guess was closer than his 15lb guess....he had 19lb 4oz.
I went and loaded my car before following the remainder of Brick's weigh in.
A quick look at the weight on my lake and Pete Cooke had 17lb 9oz from peg 38 that put me 3rd on the lake, happy with that.
A glance at the weights on Brick showed several double figure weights including 23lb 15oz to Kev Crouch on peg 7 and Rich Coles had 19lb 4oz from peg 5.
We were round on peg 13 to see Giffy have a nice net of fish which weighed 19lb exactly before Derek Beards had 20lb and that man John Fuidge was last to trouble the scales with a net of fish including a couple tench and a crucian, his winning net was 27lb 1oz. He did say he lost and foul hooked well over a dozen decent skimmers and that he could not figure the fish out and how to get them feeding better. But he had done enough.
Results:
1st, John Fuidge, 27-01. P17
2nd, Kev Crouch, 23-15. P7
3rd, Derek Beards, 20-09. P14
So a tricky day and I never got the lake I wanted in Brick but I was personally pleased with my weight and considering I didn't expect Tile to beat Brick.
Next up at the moment is the next Acorn Series round next weekend, no plans as yet for this weekend. But I bought me a ZT Pro so perhaps hook tying is the agenda.....that or Todber on Saturday.
Until then take care.
Lee
The weather was set dry, yay, but mild, which would no doubt attract the carp into feeding. The last couple of years I have probably had over 80lb of them during the corresponding match. I doubted that it would be any different.
I arrived for the draw in reasonable time and didn't get to chat as much as usual, it was the 'hello and how are you?' only chatter before the basket was attacked by a flurry of hands.
I waited til near the end, behind Mr Fuidge, whom I commented 'which peg are you ganna win from?', he smiled and drew peg 17.....nice silvers peg. Me, well I pulled peg 28 on Tile, not where I fancied as Brick would be hard to beat now the temps are a little better. Plus I am less confident on Tile, I actually think my last time on here was around a year ago.
Off to my peg and setting up I thought I was the last angler on that bank as peg 29 was empty.
A small feeder rod was set up for around 30m in front.
3 pole rigs, a DT Floats' Pencil for my left edge and over my longer lines shallow, I did set up an F1/Silvers float for the same line but it fell off the connector with the plummet attached so there is a nice float, 4ft of line and a plummet in front of peg 28 somewhere at 2+2 distance.
The next rig was for 2+3 in front where I would feed micros and 4mm pellets, the float was an RBS open water in 0.6g. I had a band on this rig, but I never picked it up all match.
The next rig was the same as the above but with a normal hook, Guru F1 pellet in size 18 my choice. This was for an area at 14m where I would be feeding groundbait and caster.
My side tray had micros, 4s, maggots, caster and some expanders. Plus a handful of (unused) 6mm pellets for the band.
I did plumb an area off to my left in peg 29, but 15 or 20 minutes after the draw Rob Dodd turned up for the end peg advantage, he doesn't need any help, he is a tidy silvers angler.
On my right I had Mark Watts on peg 27. I could just about make out Paul Homewood opposite me but I could see Shawn Kittridge over on peg 39.
On the all-in I cupped 4 decent balls of groundbait on the long line and a pot of micros short, plus I threw some casters down to my left.
I began on the feeder for half an hour, only a couple knocks in that time, but Rob had maybe 5lb on the pole. Shawn too had began well.
It was around an hour for my 1st fish, a skimmer on the long pole line, this was around 6oz, but it was very slow going and it seemed that only Rob and Shawn were catching.
Oh I did have a carp on single maggot, I got it in, perhaps 16lb. It is great how much you can pull with light kit and not get busted.
A couple more carp for me, and Mark and even Rob got in on the act....the difference being that Rib would be getting silvers between the carp.
Mark struggled all match and ended up at the end of the match with 3 small silvers, so unlucky him.
I kept trying shallowing my rig as I was getting liners and bumped a couple foul hookers but to no avail. At the halfway stage I managed a proper skimmer of 2.5lb or so from my short line on expander, that was a one off, except for the odd rogue carp.
A switch to the feeder so I could have a cuppa surprised me when a couple of skimmers of 1lb each came within minutes of each other.
I would love to say that the last few hours were super productive but they were not, pretty much the whole lake switched off and except the odd eel and solitary skimmer it was the occasional roach occupying us all, well except Rob on peg 29 who despite losing a couple lumpy foul hooked skiimers was still putting the odd smaller one in the net.
The last hour did see me put another 1lb skimmer to my tally, caught down my left edge. Then a couple roach and a couple 6oz skimmers ended my match.
I reckoned that I had around 11lb and Doddy perhaps 19 to 20lb after his spurt in the opening hour.
I packed my kit up and waited for the scales. By the time pegs 21 to 67 had weighed there were several 8lb nets. My hard earned catch weighed in at 13lb 4oz. Quite happy with that really but I knew Rob had more and my 19lb 12oz guess was closer than his 15lb guess....he had 19lb 4oz.
I went and loaded my car before following the remainder of Brick's weigh in.
A quick look at the weight on my lake and Pete Cooke had 17lb 9oz from peg 38 that put me 3rd on the lake, happy with that.
A glance at the weights on Brick showed several double figure weights including 23lb 15oz to Kev Crouch on peg 7 and Rich Coles had 19lb 4oz from peg 5.
We were round on peg 13 to see Giffy have a nice net of fish which weighed 19lb exactly before Derek Beards had 20lb and that man John Fuidge was last to trouble the scales with a net of fish including a couple tench and a crucian, his winning net was 27lb 1oz. He did say he lost and foul hooked well over a dozen decent skimmers and that he could not figure the fish out and how to get them feeding better. But he had done enough.
Results:
1st, John Fuidge, 27-01. P17
2nd, Kev Crouch, 23-15. P7
3rd, Derek Beards, 20-09. P14
So a tricky day and I never got the lake I wanted in Brick but I was personally pleased with my weight and considering I didn't expect Tile to beat Brick.
Next up at the moment is the next Acorn Series round next weekend, no plans as yet for this weekend. But I bought me a ZT Pro so perhaps hook tying is the agenda.....that or Todber on Saturday.
Until then take care.
Lee
Thursday, 25 January 2018
Pawlett match, Landsend Lakes 1 and 2. 21-01-17
A short blog this week as the friggin flu has taken it's hold on me and I am shattered.
The 1st match of the year with the club, usually a decent turn out for each match but often this one gets one of the largest attendances, but this week it didn't, still 20 or 21 were fishing after a few sensible souls booked out.
The weather was due to be shite, it was shite, it rained for the whole time we were there, luckily as the day wore on the temps rose, it was bitter first thing but by 1pm it was ok.
I fancied pegs 32 and 33 to do the business for the carp, as I suggested the previous night and to the 2 that drew them. Plus peg 21 on the match lake would be tough to beat with silvers, especially when Chris 'giffy; Ware drew it, he aint no mug when catching a few.
Me, I wanted to be on the match lake, not massively fussed where, but I drew peg 36 on speci.... Not an ideal start....given the incessant rain I even considered going home as the reality is (in my eyes)that you are unlikely to win anything from that area at this time of the year.
But I did go to the peg, slowly got all my kit organised and set about setting up my rigs:
1st rig, silvers. 0.3g DT F1/Silvers carbon float with 4-6 laccy and 0.10>20 hook, maggots over groundbait at 7m.
2nd rig, carp (ideally), 0.3g DT RBS 12 laccy with 0.14>16 hook for meat over a few bits of meat and a few maggots. Fished at 7m off to my left.
3rd rig, anything rig, 0.1g DT Pinger, 8-10 laccy with 0.12>16 hook for maggots and casters over the same with a few micros.. around 13.5m across dragged a bit up a shelf in a couple spots.
The all in was shouted, I was still plumbing up....lol. Steve Fouracre next door on 34 thought I was fishing already, but it was my plummet....he apologised. Lol.
My 1st fish, a small perch came after 15 minutes, then a couple more.
Then an hour of nothing before my 1st carp was hooked, on the silvers rig obviously, but I managed to get it in, around 4-5lb methinks.
Meanwhile 32 and 33 were catching odd carp while Rob Dodd on peg 40 was foul hooking them occasionally, but he got 3 in out of 5 or 6 I think during the day, and a 2lb perch.
Opposite on peg 29 Mike Davis was getting a roach every drop and was doing alright.
It was around the halfway point that I began to have 'issues', I decided to try fishing my shelf line with a couple maggots, a roach and a perch, only small but a good sign, then a carp, that tore off left and shed the hook in to a snag around 2.5m off the far bank, so then I re-plumbed around the far shelf and tangled in a bunch of line and tree branches that were attached to 2 trees on the far side and dropped down into the water. When originally plumbing up I thought it was just a branch in the water so avoided that spot. I was wrong. I lifted my plummet to reveal a huge tangle of branches, twigs, line, braid and a couple leads. It snapped my hooklength and I lost the plummet.
So I got my cupping kit and tried to drag the offending sang back to me.....that didn't work. It became too tangled so I rested my pole on the water and went off to the car for the lead rod.
I came bag cast over the snag, sort of, unscrewed my tangled pole cup which semi-sunk and drifted off to my left and then I tried hand lining the snag back. It was a farce really but I got a bunch of line/braid/2oz leads and a tonne of branches and twigs back and out of the water. The rest of the snag is possibly still in the peg, not sure, not sure if even still connected to the far bank anymore.
I spent 10 mins trying to rescue my pole cup, which I successfully managed to do down in peg 37.
So I had maybe 90 minutes left now I had under 2lb of silvers and 1 carp. Kev on peg 33 was getting the odd fish on the lead and meat cast at the aerator. Peg 32 was getting a few dobbing around the end bank with maggots I think and Mike was getting a few roach. Everyone else were not doing much, some were slowly packing up. It was still raining heavy and the lake was changing colour from the torrent washing in to the lake at peg 40. The water level rose a little.
I came back on to the silvers line after feeding and hooked a carp. I played it ok, got it up then as I grabbed my landing net the handle separated and the 3rd section was the only piece in my had, so I got don on my knees and grabbed the last bit poking out of the water and somehow rejoined the handle back together. The fish had not come off but was a little more spirited, it looked 7lb perhaps.
I got it to the surface again and went to land it and the bugger fell off....!! 2-1 to the carp now.
With 20 mins to go, Steve had left, along with one or 2 others from both lakes.
I did bump a decent fish over the groundbait, not sure what it was. I then had a look across and I think I lost a carp foul hooked, but again it may have been a perch or chub or something.
Last knocking I had a 2lb+ skimmer and Kev on 33 had a carp on the whistle.
The end was called. Yay.
I packed up, decided I was going to weigh in as I had a pants day so at least I want to see what little success I could put on the scales. I followed the scales on a little of the match lake but other than a couple nets around 20lb-22lb there was not much to report until peg 21 gave Giffy the silvers win with 17lb of caster caught fish including tench. Peg 24 gave Jason King 30lb or so.
Speci lake weighed and all to report was Mikes 11lb of roach, loads of little roach from p29. Then 32 and 33 were within 3oz of each other with 34-12 to Will Puddy from peg 32 and 34-15 from peg 33 to Kev Hunt on lead and meat. I weighed my 5-04 carp and 4-03 of silvers. Rob on peg 40 had 19lb.
It was an awful drive home, the roads at time were more like streams at least. My house became a tackle drying zone until yesterday. The joys.
Results:
1st- Kev Hunt, 34-15. Lead/Meat peg 33
2nd - Will Puddy, 34-12. Pole and maggots peg 32
3rd - Jason King, 30-14, Pole and maggots I think, peg 24.
Silvers
1st - Chris Ware, 17-00, Pole and Caster at 13m, peg 21
2nd - Mike Davis, 11-12, Pole and Caster over micros, peg 29
So a very tricky day for all and not very enjoyable for most, though I did kind of like it despite the weather and snags etc.
Next up is Landsend Winter League 3rd round, I am on Lake 2 (Match Lake) on Sunday.
Hopefully I will fit a whole load better than what I have been since Monday.
Until next week, take care.
Lee
The 1st match of the year with the club, usually a decent turn out for each match but often this one gets one of the largest attendances, but this week it didn't, still 20 or 21 were fishing after a few sensible souls booked out.
The weather was due to be shite, it was shite, it rained for the whole time we were there, luckily as the day wore on the temps rose, it was bitter first thing but by 1pm it was ok.
I fancied pegs 32 and 33 to do the business for the carp, as I suggested the previous night and to the 2 that drew them. Plus peg 21 on the match lake would be tough to beat with silvers, especially when Chris 'giffy; Ware drew it, he aint no mug when catching a few.
Me, I wanted to be on the match lake, not massively fussed where, but I drew peg 36 on speci.... Not an ideal start....given the incessant rain I even considered going home as the reality is (in my eyes)that you are unlikely to win anything from that area at this time of the year.
But I did go to the peg, slowly got all my kit organised and set about setting up my rigs:
1st rig, silvers. 0.3g DT F1/Silvers carbon float with 4-6 laccy and 0.10>20 hook, maggots over groundbait at 7m.
2nd rig, carp (ideally), 0.3g DT RBS 12 laccy with 0.14>16 hook for meat over a few bits of meat and a few maggots. Fished at 7m off to my left.
3rd rig, anything rig, 0.1g DT Pinger, 8-10 laccy with 0.12>16 hook for maggots and casters over the same with a few micros.. around 13.5m across dragged a bit up a shelf in a couple spots.
The all in was shouted, I was still plumbing up....lol. Steve Fouracre next door on 34 thought I was fishing already, but it was my plummet....he apologised. Lol.
My 1st fish, a small perch came after 15 minutes, then a couple more.
Then an hour of nothing before my 1st carp was hooked, on the silvers rig obviously, but I managed to get it in, around 4-5lb methinks.
Meanwhile 32 and 33 were catching odd carp while Rob Dodd on peg 40 was foul hooking them occasionally, but he got 3 in out of 5 or 6 I think during the day, and a 2lb perch.
Opposite on peg 29 Mike Davis was getting a roach every drop and was doing alright.
It was around the halfway point that I began to have 'issues', I decided to try fishing my shelf line with a couple maggots, a roach and a perch, only small but a good sign, then a carp, that tore off left and shed the hook in to a snag around 2.5m off the far bank, so then I re-plumbed around the far shelf and tangled in a bunch of line and tree branches that were attached to 2 trees on the far side and dropped down into the water. When originally plumbing up I thought it was just a branch in the water so avoided that spot. I was wrong. I lifted my plummet to reveal a huge tangle of branches, twigs, line, braid and a couple leads. It snapped my hooklength and I lost the plummet.
So I got my cupping kit and tried to drag the offending sang back to me.....that didn't work. It became too tangled so I rested my pole on the water and went off to the car for the lead rod.
I came bag cast over the snag, sort of, unscrewed my tangled pole cup which semi-sunk and drifted off to my left and then I tried hand lining the snag back. It was a farce really but I got a bunch of line/braid/2oz leads and a tonne of branches and twigs back and out of the water. The rest of the snag is possibly still in the peg, not sure, not sure if even still connected to the far bank anymore.
I spent 10 mins trying to rescue my pole cup, which I successfully managed to do down in peg 37.
So I had maybe 90 minutes left now I had under 2lb of silvers and 1 carp. Kev on peg 33 was getting the odd fish on the lead and meat cast at the aerator. Peg 32 was getting a few dobbing around the end bank with maggots I think and Mike was getting a few roach. Everyone else were not doing much, some were slowly packing up. It was still raining heavy and the lake was changing colour from the torrent washing in to the lake at peg 40. The water level rose a little.
I came back on to the silvers line after feeding and hooked a carp. I played it ok, got it up then as I grabbed my landing net the handle separated and the 3rd section was the only piece in my had, so I got don on my knees and grabbed the last bit poking out of the water and somehow rejoined the handle back together. The fish had not come off but was a little more spirited, it looked 7lb perhaps.
I got it to the surface again and went to land it and the bugger fell off....!! 2-1 to the carp now.
With 20 mins to go, Steve had left, along with one or 2 others from both lakes.
I did bump a decent fish over the groundbait, not sure what it was. I then had a look across and I think I lost a carp foul hooked, but again it may have been a perch or chub or something.
Last knocking I had a 2lb+ skimmer and Kev on 33 had a carp on the whistle.
The end was called. Yay.
I packed up, decided I was going to weigh in as I had a pants day so at least I want to see what little success I could put on the scales. I followed the scales on a little of the match lake but other than a couple nets around 20lb-22lb there was not much to report until peg 21 gave Giffy the silvers win with 17lb of caster caught fish including tench. Peg 24 gave Jason King 30lb or so.
Speci lake weighed and all to report was Mikes 11lb of roach, loads of little roach from p29. Then 32 and 33 were within 3oz of each other with 34-12 to Will Puddy from peg 32 and 34-15 from peg 33 to Kev Hunt on lead and meat. I weighed my 5-04 carp and 4-03 of silvers. Rob on peg 40 had 19lb.
It was an awful drive home, the roads at time were more like streams at least. My house became a tackle drying zone until yesterday. The joys.
Results:
1st- Kev Hunt, 34-15. Lead/Meat peg 33
2nd - Will Puddy, 34-12. Pole and maggots peg 32
3rd - Jason King, 30-14, Pole and maggots I think, peg 24.
Silvers
1st - Chris Ware, 17-00, Pole and Caster at 13m, peg 21
2nd - Mike Davis, 11-12, Pole and Caster over micros, peg 29
 |
| Weights. |
Next up is Landsend Winter League 3rd round, I am on Lake 2 (Match Lake) on Sunday.
Hopefully I will fit a whole load better than what I have been since Monday.
Until next week, take care.
Lee
Friday, 29 September 2017
Catch-Up....Mid August til End of Sept
Following on from my last blog, Tony's Float match at Sedges. I have not had the time, or inclination to get back to writing a blog each week, life issues and a much needed rest from it has suited me.
But a quick round up of the last 6 weeks or more is a pointer, I hope, for me, to get back into the swing of things.
Anyways. We had a weeks family holiday down at White Acres on Bank Holiday week, I fished the 3 matches there during the week. The Monday gold match on Twin Oaks saw me pick a less-than-good peg, peg 1. I managed a few late on and just missed out on a pick-up.
The rover saw me sit on Acorn and it never really got going, I couldn't find any carp at all. I ended up 21st. But I think that only 3 or 4 half decent carp from a top 4 finish, around 15lb.
Friday's Bolingey match put me on peg 16, an ok peg, but although I had a few carp, 14 or 15 of the smallest carp the lake holds and chucked back around 60lb.
Into Sept and I fished Todber for Pawlett's Day-Out, the whole complex switched off and I drew ok in 44, no island chuck, but had a reasonably enjoyable day and 40-something pounds. Lots of bites there, nice fishing even on the less-than-good days.
The following day I guested on PSV's match at Viaduct on Campbell, I drew 132. Didn't want to fish for carp, but it is not a great silvers peg. Had 4 carp in 4 drops on 4 different rig/lines. But tried to get some decent skimmers and tench. Didn't have any tench and strung a few skimmers and roach together for 4th in the silvers. 19lb 6oz I weighed and lost a few late 'jumpers' in the last 15 minutes. Mark Radford won overall and Matt Williams won the silvers with 25lb.
A Thursday Viaduct Cost-Cutter, after a week not fishing, saw me fish peg 99 on Cary, I went for silvers but found no quality skimmers or tench. 15lb or so of palm sized skimmers and roach was nowhere overall, but was 3rd on the lake in the silvers and missed a pick-up by 1 place.
The following day I went to Summerhayes, the wife tagged along to keep me company, but she slept...It was a silvers match, but I managed about 40 carp on the light kit. I did scrape 9lb something for again 1 out of the money (a few roach that fell off cost me).
Saturday the 23rd saw me (and Mrs) head to Todber, a slow start for carp, for most people really, saw me spend too long fishing for them throughout the day from my peg, peg 61 on Hillview. Fished for the silvers on and off, more so later on in the match. I put 16lb+ in the net and yet again 1 place off an envelope. 2nd on Hillview in the silvers. I did manage 35lb of carp as well, my 61lb was not too bad in the scheme of things.
The 24th, last Sunday, I had a Pawlett match at Viaduct. Cary and Campbell.....wanted the latter, got the former. Didn't fancy my peg, peg 85 for either a silvers or carp placing. So a day of faffing around saw me land 2 carp in the last hour, 18lb. But I put some silvers in the net on and off, between the times I tried for a carp as only 2 guys I could see were getting them. I had 23lb of roach and skimmers short and 3rd in the silvers with Cary giving the top-3 in the silvers (paid one only). Shawn Kittridge won the silvers with 31lb mostly on 6mm pellet over 4's from peg 78. The top-2 overall came from Campbell, which never gave much in the way of silvers.
So that leaves me to this point in time. After a frustrating few weeks where I haven't had my mind in the game properly, I do hope to get back into a clearer head situation and get back to my simple basics.
This Sunday sees me fishing the 1st round of Viaduct's Silvers League. I have never fished this series and it has 54 of the area's best anglers taking part and me.........My aim is to finish 54th or better!!
Until next time, take care.
Lee
But a quick round up of the last 6 weeks or more is a pointer, I hope, for me, to get back into the swing of things.
Anyways. We had a weeks family holiday down at White Acres on Bank Holiday week, I fished the 3 matches there during the week. The Monday gold match on Twin Oaks saw me pick a less-than-good peg, peg 1. I managed a few late on and just missed out on a pick-up.
The rover saw me sit on Acorn and it never really got going, I couldn't find any carp at all. I ended up 21st. But I think that only 3 or 4 half decent carp from a top 4 finish, around 15lb.
Friday's Bolingey match put me on peg 16, an ok peg, but although I had a few carp, 14 or 15 of the smallest carp the lake holds and chucked back around 60lb.
Into Sept and I fished Todber for Pawlett's Day-Out, the whole complex switched off and I drew ok in 44, no island chuck, but had a reasonably enjoyable day and 40-something pounds. Lots of bites there, nice fishing even on the less-than-good days.
The following day I guested on PSV's match at Viaduct on Campbell, I drew 132. Didn't want to fish for carp, but it is not a great silvers peg. Had 4 carp in 4 drops on 4 different rig/lines. But tried to get some decent skimmers and tench. Didn't have any tench and strung a few skimmers and roach together for 4th in the silvers. 19lb 6oz I weighed and lost a few late 'jumpers' in the last 15 minutes. Mark Radford won overall and Matt Williams won the silvers with 25lb.
A Thursday Viaduct Cost-Cutter, after a week not fishing, saw me fish peg 99 on Cary, I went for silvers but found no quality skimmers or tench. 15lb or so of palm sized skimmers and roach was nowhere overall, but was 3rd on the lake in the silvers and missed a pick-up by 1 place.
The following day I went to Summerhayes, the wife tagged along to keep me company, but she slept...It was a silvers match, but I managed about 40 carp on the light kit. I did scrape 9lb something for again 1 out of the money (a few roach that fell off cost me).
Saturday the 23rd saw me (and Mrs) head to Todber, a slow start for carp, for most people really, saw me spend too long fishing for them throughout the day from my peg, peg 61 on Hillview. Fished for the silvers on and off, more so later on in the match. I put 16lb+ in the net and yet again 1 place off an envelope. 2nd on Hillview in the silvers. I did manage 35lb of carp as well, my 61lb was not too bad in the scheme of things.
The 24th, last Sunday, I had a Pawlett match at Viaduct. Cary and Campbell.....wanted the latter, got the former. Didn't fancy my peg, peg 85 for either a silvers or carp placing. So a day of faffing around saw me land 2 carp in the last hour, 18lb. But I put some silvers in the net on and off, between the times I tried for a carp as only 2 guys I could see were getting them. I had 23lb of roach and skimmers short and 3rd in the silvers with Cary giving the top-3 in the silvers (paid one only). Shawn Kittridge won the silvers with 31lb mostly on 6mm pellet over 4's from peg 78. The top-2 overall came from Campbell, which never gave much in the way of silvers.
So that leaves me to this point in time. After a frustrating few weeks where I haven't had my mind in the game properly, I do hope to get back into a clearer head situation and get back to my simple basics.
This Sunday sees me fishing the 1st round of Viaduct's Silvers League. I have never fished this series and it has 54 of the area's best anglers taking part and me.........My aim is to finish 54th or better!!
Until next time, take care.
Lee
Tuesday, 8 August 2017
Pawlett Silvers Final, Durleigh Reservoir. 6th August 2017
The yearly match where the 16 qualifiers, those who had topped the silvers weights in each match (even by default), have their match to become the club's Silvers Champion.
As in last year's match it was held on the local reservoir, Durleigh. A cracking piece of water of 80 acres, plenty of bream and roach, silver bream, perch and rudd, oh and a decent head of carp (don't count in this match).
As usually it was a strong line up fishing, some tidy silvers anglers. Vic Bush, John Fuidge and Eric Fouracre to name but 3, but every one of us had a chance.
Recent matches on the venue had shown that in a few weeks the bream weights had fallen somewhat since Mark Bartlett did 110lb a few weeks back. They had also been a bit patchy, but the end pegs and the point were still the better spots.
The whip weights had been a bit patchy but a few upper 20lb nets had been had. The inconsistency, in my opinion, has been due to the fact that the water level has been kept high and was several feet, a few metres in distance, higher than normal levels at this time of year.
Anyways back to the day, I had the wife with me and the weather looked somewhat better than the last time she came along (Acorn Series last match). I chatted to a couple people and paid my pools.
As for the draw, I wanted, ideally to be down in the shallows, further up the ressie, as I am more a whip angler than a feeder chucker. I fancied that end to produce more whip fish and the near end more feeder fish. I drew around 5th in the queue and peg 3 stuck to my hand, not my choice but a reasonably decent peg......for someone who likes feeder fishing, ho-hum.
Actually years ago I enjoyed it, fishing up the res, on the Huntspill and some of the local club waters. I did ok, but commies came along, I drifted away from matches and my feeder fishing became, well, obsolete almost.
I got to my peg and watched the water, hoping to see plenty of small fish topping. They weren't but the odd dimple and I saw 1 or 2 pike meant there may be some whip fish about.
I mixed up my groundbait, 2kg of Fishmeal Lake and 1kg of Sweet Fishmeal F1, plus some Sensas Roach to add weight. I wetted 2pts of micros with plenty of liquid additives for the method feeder.
I had a few pints of caster, 1/2pt maggots, a tub of worms for the hook and an array of wafters/pellets/boilies for the method hookbait. I also had 3 pints of hemp.
3 feeder rods assembled, 1 with a standard open end feeder at around 40 turns, a method feeder to fish at 70 turns and an open-ender for the same distance.
2 whips made up, a 3.5m and a 4m version. The 3.5m rig was a DT Pencil, 0.2g to fish off bottom in around 4.5ft of water (the shallows would have 2.5ft), the 4m rig was a 0.4g DT Chimp style float, this would be for on the deck. Both rigs were set on 0.14 mainline and 0.10 hooklength to a size 18 in a b611 pattern (4m rig) and b911 with a band for caster (3.5m rig).
For company I had Mr Bush on peg 2, Steve Fouracre on peg 1, and Mike Davis, who I couldn't see further along on peg 4.
The all in was called and a couple balls of groundbait on the whip line and a dozen or so feeders of bait on both lines, groundbait on the shorter feeder line, micros on the long line.
I began on the whip and had fish right away, but only 1oz roach and rudd. After half an hour or so I switched to the feeder as the little fish on the whip were relentless.
Vic had landed a couple skimmers on the long range method line and Steve I thing had one shorter.
20 minutes of the feeder saw only a liner for me, so back on the whip, again only 1oz fish with the odd 2 or 3oz 'bonus'. You need 3-4oz+ fish to compete on the reservoir most of the time.
I kept plugging away, spending 20 mins or so on the feeder every now and then, sometimes chucking the feeders out every minute to keep the feed going in. The whip line was still mostly little fish.
I had my 1st skimmer after 2hrs, a 2lber on the method, but it was a loner. But I felt I was maybe spending too long on the feeder without response, but the guys to my right were getting a few.
My 2nd came around an hour later, another 2lb fish on the method, but I wasn't getting indications.
So at the halfway stage I had 2 skimmers on the method and perhaps 3lb on the whip, I had hooked a couple lumpy perch on the whip but the hook pulled each time, annoying and maybe costly. But that's what you risk when fishing flick-tips, but for me the flick-tip outweighs laccy if catching well with fish to 4oz.
Vic and Steve had around 10 skimmers and bream each, so maybe 20-25lb each. I couldn't see anyone else to be accurate on what was being caught, but a couple walkers said most were struggling, so I pretty much decided to stay on the whip, only stopping to put some bait out with a few feeder full and have the odd 10 minute 'look'.
I altered my feeding on the whip as it seemed the more caster I fed, the smaller the fish got, so I upped the groundbait levels and fed hemp more, only feeding caster when bites slowed.
I was swapping regularly with the shallow rig and deep rig, often coinciding with pike activity, when I had a pike in the area I would drop to the deck and I began to get better fish, mostly 4oz silver bream but the odd similar sized roach and perch too. I was even getting fish really shallow at 8 inches, but found 15" more productive with hittable bites, just the fish were strangely smaller, usually the better fish come shallowest. Vic and Steve had stopped catching and could see me catching and a few comments were forth coming, but I knew I was well behind their nets. Mike Davis though was catching netters on the whip, I could see the splashes regularly under the trees. He'd been doing well all day I believe.
90 minutes left and I needed a call of nature, so I lobbed the method out and got off the box...Back on my box it wasn't long before the tip twitched, and again, so I struck and a solid thump on the end.....
A nice bream of 4-5lb was plodding in and it was around 15m out when the poxy hook pulled....bollocks. But this happens and I don't let it get to me, but I was a touch gutted. I gave the feeder another, fishless 15 minutes. So going into the last hour of the six allotted, I had probably spent 2.5hours or more on the feeder for 2 skimmers, 1 liner and 1 lost bream.
I decided to stick with the whip for the last hour, in a bid to increase the size of fish I tried mixing my groundbait into a slop to cloud the water, last chance really.
The final 60 minutes flew by, but I saw Steve land a couple lumpy bream and a couple skimmers, so maybe 10lb. Vic had a couple and added maybe 6lb or more in that spell. There seemed no routine to how they caught during the day, it was odd to see as both are capable guys, even they said they couldn't figure it properly.
I managed to get among some silver bream and would get a fish a chuck, but the average size was a little better than the previous 5hrs. The slop worked well. The all-out was called.
A quick glance in my net and it looked like 12-13lb maybe....well I am pants at guessing my silvers nets!!
I packed up and waited for the scales, by the time they got to me we had lots of 11lb nets and Ziggy with 28lb. Mike Davis has 32lb and then I tipped my fish on to the scales and it went 24lb 7oz.....12lb my arse (or similar) was mentioned at least once....
I knew Vic and Steve had more than me, I was expecting them to put 90lb between them on the sheet, actually Vic had 30lb and Steve 42lb. So that put me 5th on the day, and a quick glance saw me have the default section win as Steve, Mike and Vic were 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. So that lost bream and 2 lumpy perch (plus the few bumped fish...which I can live with) possibly cost me 2nd as that would have been 8-9lb or so. But that's fishing.
Would I have caught 35lb on the whip if I hadn't bothered with the feeder? I really don't know, I would think so, but only if those better fish turned up earlier, but all ifs and buts..!!
We congratulated the winners and monies given out. I had a few chats with how their matches went and it was generally seen that the feeder was patchy and that the whip had lots of 1oz fish.
The 'also-rans' match held in tandem with the final saw a 30lb net of whip fish by Rob Dodd. But it was hard all through it seemed.
Results:
1st, Steve Fouracre, peg 1 - 42lb 10oz
2nd, Mike Davis, peg 4 - 32lb 8oz
3rd, Vic Bush, peg 2 - 30lb 4oz
4th, Ziggy Slowinski, peg 9 - 28lb 1oz (sect win)
5th, Lee Williams, peg 3 - 24lb 7oz (sect win)
Not too sure where I am next weekend, but I will no doubt find somewhere to go.
Until then, have fun.
Lee
As in last year's match it was held on the local reservoir, Durleigh. A cracking piece of water of 80 acres, plenty of bream and roach, silver bream, perch and rudd, oh and a decent head of carp (don't count in this match).
As usually it was a strong line up fishing, some tidy silvers anglers. Vic Bush, John Fuidge and Eric Fouracre to name but 3, but every one of us had a chance.
Recent matches on the venue had shown that in a few weeks the bream weights had fallen somewhat since Mark Bartlett did 110lb a few weeks back. They had also been a bit patchy, but the end pegs and the point were still the better spots.
The whip weights had been a bit patchy but a few upper 20lb nets had been had. The inconsistency, in my opinion, has been due to the fact that the water level has been kept high and was several feet, a few metres in distance, higher than normal levels at this time of year.
Anyways back to the day, I had the wife with me and the weather looked somewhat better than the last time she came along (Acorn Series last match). I chatted to a couple people and paid my pools.
As for the draw, I wanted, ideally to be down in the shallows, further up the ressie, as I am more a whip angler than a feeder chucker. I fancied that end to produce more whip fish and the near end more feeder fish. I drew around 5th in the queue and peg 3 stuck to my hand, not my choice but a reasonably decent peg......for someone who likes feeder fishing, ho-hum.
Actually years ago I enjoyed it, fishing up the res, on the Huntspill and some of the local club waters. I did ok, but commies came along, I drifted away from matches and my feeder fishing became, well, obsolete almost.
I got to my peg and watched the water, hoping to see plenty of small fish topping. They weren't but the odd dimple and I saw 1 or 2 pike meant there may be some whip fish about.
I mixed up my groundbait, 2kg of Fishmeal Lake and 1kg of Sweet Fishmeal F1, plus some Sensas Roach to add weight. I wetted 2pts of micros with plenty of liquid additives for the method feeder.
I had a few pints of caster, 1/2pt maggots, a tub of worms for the hook and an array of wafters/pellets/boilies for the method hookbait. I also had 3 pints of hemp.
3 feeder rods assembled, 1 with a standard open end feeder at around 40 turns, a method feeder to fish at 70 turns and an open-ender for the same distance.
2 whips made up, a 3.5m and a 4m version. The 3.5m rig was a DT Pencil, 0.2g to fish off bottom in around 4.5ft of water (the shallows would have 2.5ft), the 4m rig was a 0.4g DT Chimp style float, this would be for on the deck. Both rigs were set on 0.14 mainline and 0.10 hooklength to a size 18 in a b611 pattern (4m rig) and b911 with a band for caster (3.5m rig).
 |
| Peg 3 at Durleigh Reservoir |
The all in was called and a couple balls of groundbait on the whip line and a dozen or so feeders of bait on both lines, groundbait on the shorter feeder line, micros on the long line.
I began on the whip and had fish right away, but only 1oz roach and rudd. After half an hour or so I switched to the feeder as the little fish on the whip were relentless.
Vic had landed a couple skimmers on the long range method line and Steve I thing had one shorter.
20 minutes of the feeder saw only a liner for me, so back on the whip, again only 1oz fish with the odd 2 or 3oz 'bonus'. You need 3-4oz+ fish to compete on the reservoir most of the time.
I kept plugging away, spending 20 mins or so on the feeder every now and then, sometimes chucking the feeders out every minute to keep the feed going in. The whip line was still mostly little fish.
I had my 1st skimmer after 2hrs, a 2lber on the method, but it was a loner. But I felt I was maybe spending too long on the feeder without response, but the guys to my right were getting a few.
My 2nd came around an hour later, another 2lb fish on the method, but I wasn't getting indications.
So at the halfway stage I had 2 skimmers on the method and perhaps 3lb on the whip, I had hooked a couple lumpy perch on the whip but the hook pulled each time, annoying and maybe costly. But that's what you risk when fishing flick-tips, but for me the flick-tip outweighs laccy if catching well with fish to 4oz.
Vic and Steve had around 10 skimmers and bream each, so maybe 20-25lb each. I couldn't see anyone else to be accurate on what was being caught, but a couple walkers said most were struggling, so I pretty much decided to stay on the whip, only stopping to put some bait out with a few feeder full and have the odd 10 minute 'look'.
 |
| The wife's view of my peg... |
I altered my feeding on the whip as it seemed the more caster I fed, the smaller the fish got, so I upped the groundbait levels and fed hemp more, only feeding caster when bites slowed.
I was swapping regularly with the shallow rig and deep rig, often coinciding with pike activity, when I had a pike in the area I would drop to the deck and I began to get better fish, mostly 4oz silver bream but the odd similar sized roach and perch too. I was even getting fish really shallow at 8 inches, but found 15" more productive with hittable bites, just the fish were strangely smaller, usually the better fish come shallowest. Vic and Steve had stopped catching and could see me catching and a few comments were forth coming, but I knew I was well behind their nets. Mike Davis though was catching netters on the whip, I could see the splashes regularly under the trees. He'd been doing well all day I believe.
90 minutes left and I needed a call of nature, so I lobbed the method out and got off the box...Back on my box it wasn't long before the tip twitched, and again, so I struck and a solid thump on the end.....
A nice bream of 4-5lb was plodding in and it was around 15m out when the poxy hook pulled....bollocks. But this happens and I don't let it get to me, but I was a touch gutted. I gave the feeder another, fishless 15 minutes. So going into the last hour of the six allotted, I had probably spent 2.5hours or more on the feeder for 2 skimmers, 1 liner and 1 lost bream.
I decided to stick with the whip for the last hour, in a bid to increase the size of fish I tried mixing my groundbait into a slop to cloud the water, last chance really.
The final 60 minutes flew by, but I saw Steve land a couple lumpy bream and a couple skimmers, so maybe 10lb. Vic had a couple and added maybe 6lb or more in that spell. There seemed no routine to how they caught during the day, it was odd to see as both are capable guys, even they said they couldn't figure it properly.
I managed to get among some silver bream and would get a fish a chuck, but the average size was a little better than the previous 5hrs. The slop worked well. The all-out was called.
A quick glance in my net and it looked like 12-13lb maybe....well I am pants at guessing my silvers nets!!
I packed up and waited for the scales, by the time they got to me we had lots of 11lb nets and Ziggy with 28lb. Mike Davis has 32lb and then I tipped my fish on to the scales and it went 24lb 7oz.....12lb my arse (or similar) was mentioned at least once....
I knew Vic and Steve had more than me, I was expecting them to put 90lb between them on the sheet, actually Vic had 30lb and Steve 42lb. So that put me 5th on the day, and a quick glance saw me have the default section win as Steve, Mike and Vic were 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. So that lost bream and 2 lumpy perch (plus the few bumped fish...which I can live with) possibly cost me 2nd as that would have been 8-9lb or so. But that's fishing.
Would I have caught 35lb on the whip if I hadn't bothered with the feeder? I really don't know, I would think so, but only if those better fish turned up earlier, but all ifs and buts..!!
We congratulated the winners and monies given out. I had a few chats with how their matches went and it was generally seen that the feeder was patchy and that the whip had lots of 1oz fish.
The 'also-rans' match held in tandem with the final saw a 30lb net of whip fish by Rob Dodd. But it was hard all through it seemed.
Results:
1st, Steve Fouracre, peg 1 - 42lb 10oz
2nd, Mike Davis, peg 4 - 32lb 8oz
3rd, Vic Bush, peg 2 - 30lb 4oz
4th, Ziggy Slowinski, peg 9 - 28lb 1oz (sect win)
5th, Lee Williams, peg 3 - 24lb 7oz (sect win)
 |
| Weights,,,, |
Until then, have fun.
Lee
Thursday, 27 July 2017
Pawlett Match, Landsend Fishery, Lakes 2 and 3. 23rd July 2017
Well a short blog about Sunday's match, I think. But 1st I went to Summerhayes to practice paste fishing on Saturday and had a boat-load of fish, which was a bit of fun.
Anyway to Sunday. The day started fine, arrived early enough and chattered to a few people and paid my dues.
Trolley loaded and draw underway, 4 golden pegs fell with 2 on each of the lakes. I wanted to be on the Match Lake (lake 2), but there was a few 'short walks' which took up a good few of the pegs on the lake I wanted, ho hum.
So into the bucket and peg 65 was set to be my location for the day, I hate that peg with a passion, and really contemplated putting the kit back in the car. But I made the walk up to the peg, and the rain started....I arrived and just sat and stared at the water, there was a few fish mulling around, there always is in this peg. But the reeds on the right hand side of the peg are a nightmare. 15 minutes later and I was still sat debating if to bother, but I did bother. The rain was set in and mood wasn't bright.
4 rigs set up, a shallow pellet rig for across to the island (and anywhere I could try and mug fish), a deep pellet rig for tight to the island, where I had 2.5ft, pretty much the same as all over the peg.
A meat rig for next to the reeds and a paste rig for down the middle.
The match began and after 30 mins I had bumped a couple fish and lost a couple foul hooked carp.
My 1st fish came after an hour, a 1lb F1, soon followed by it's twin.
The next 5 hours were less than great, I landed a small 2lb carp from against the island but every carp I hooked across would take me around the reed bed and it would be game over. I tried heavy gear, light gear, shipping back quick and even trying to play them in open water, but they were not having it and would inevitably find their reed-bed-sanctuary. Even those I hooked on the furthest part of my peg to my left away from them.
Nobody, well except Neil Venning and Eric Fouracre were catching much in the scheme of things, just odd carp really.
I was getting annoyed as hell, trashing rigs and cursing the fish, the shallow water definitely put the turbo-boost into the fish. I even managed to destroy a number 4 section, ah well....
In the end I resorted to fishing topkit to my right with no.20 laccy wrapped around my hand in the hope no elastic would come out on the strike, well there were not really any strikes just thte float was there, then the elastic was in the reeds, nothing in-between.
I ended up on 0.24>0.22>14 b911x in the hope to get some fish out, well I lost maybe 25 during the day but landed 5 or 6, plus my 2 F1s for 23lb.
Luckily my DT Floats pretty much stood up to the challenge and although I had to bin them after the match, they stood up to the abuse very well indeed with each fish getting in to the reeds.
Coupled with the all day rain we had, it wasn't an enjoyable day.
I wasn't last on the lake, there were a few dnw's and a few lower nets weighed in off Lake 3, but it was Neil (p62), Eric (p61 I think) and Jamie Cook on peg 70 that caught well enough. Lake 2, the Match Lake had apparently fished better with a few 100lb nets I believe, but cannot be sure as I had gone home by the time they had started to weigh that lake. Not sure of the results.
Not sure where I am fishing next, I have Pawlett's Silvers Winners Final on Durleigh in a couple weeks, but this weekend? No idea....
Until next time, take care.
Lee
Anyway to Sunday. The day started fine, arrived early enough and chattered to a few people and paid my dues.
Trolley loaded and draw underway, 4 golden pegs fell with 2 on each of the lakes. I wanted to be on the Match Lake (lake 2), but there was a few 'short walks' which took up a good few of the pegs on the lake I wanted, ho hum.
So into the bucket and peg 65 was set to be my location for the day, I hate that peg with a passion, and really contemplated putting the kit back in the car. But I made the walk up to the peg, and the rain started....I arrived and just sat and stared at the water, there was a few fish mulling around, there always is in this peg. But the reeds on the right hand side of the peg are a nightmare. 15 minutes later and I was still sat debating if to bother, but I did bother. The rain was set in and mood wasn't bright.
 |
| Peg 65, Lake 3, Landsend......effing reeds!! |
A meat rig for next to the reeds and a paste rig for down the middle.
The match began and after 30 mins I had bumped a couple fish and lost a couple foul hooked carp.
My 1st fish came after an hour, a 1lb F1, soon followed by it's twin.
The next 5 hours were less than great, I landed a small 2lb carp from against the island but every carp I hooked across would take me around the reed bed and it would be game over. I tried heavy gear, light gear, shipping back quick and even trying to play them in open water, but they were not having it and would inevitably find their reed-bed-sanctuary. Even those I hooked on the furthest part of my peg to my left away from them.
Nobody, well except Neil Venning and Eric Fouracre were catching much in the scheme of things, just odd carp really.
I was getting annoyed as hell, trashing rigs and cursing the fish, the shallow water definitely put the turbo-boost into the fish. I even managed to destroy a number 4 section, ah well....
In the end I resorted to fishing topkit to my right with no.20 laccy wrapped around my hand in the hope no elastic would come out on the strike, well there were not really any strikes just thte float was there, then the elastic was in the reeds, nothing in-between.
I ended up on 0.24>0.22>14 b911x in the hope to get some fish out, well I lost maybe 25 during the day but landed 5 or 6, plus my 2 F1s for 23lb.
Luckily my DT Floats pretty much stood up to the challenge and although I had to bin them after the match, they stood up to the abuse very well indeed with each fish getting in to the reeds.
Coupled with the all day rain we had, it wasn't an enjoyable day.
I wasn't last on the lake, there were a few dnw's and a few lower nets weighed in off Lake 3, but it was Neil (p62), Eric (p61 I think) and Jamie Cook on peg 70 that caught well enough. Lake 2, the Match Lake had apparently fished better with a few 100lb nets I believe, but cannot be sure as I had gone home by the time they had started to weigh that lake. Not sure of the results.
Not sure where I am fishing next, I have Pawlett's Silvers Winners Final on Durleigh in a couple weeks, but this weekend? No idea....
Until next time, take care.
Lee
Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Pawlett Match, Sedges Brick & Tile, 18-06-17
The hottest day of the year (at that point) coincided with the latest match with the Pawlett posse, all 28 of us wanted was a decent day's sport and a mighty chunk of luck. Not too much to ask really?
A lot of the regular faces were fishing, from Jamie Parkhouse to John Fuidge through to the Clapps and match secretary Mark Hembery. It was also the mystery pairs, so no packing up early and heading for a cooling shower or a pint in a beer garden....
After the usual natter and general piss-taking, it was down to the draws, 4 golden pegs, 22, 27 and 33 on Tile along with peg 2 on Brick were drawn, only peg 27 was fancied to be honest. I really didn't fancy being on Tile, but should I draw on there then pegs 21, 25-27, 31 and 40 would be preferred. Pegs 7 to 10 on Brick please!! Though peg 1 did 220lb in the mid-week match.
I went into the basket halfway down, commenting to Phil Clapp I would like peg 10, never had it in a anything goes match, he didn't want it but promptly pulled it out.....oh cheers, I had the next ball....meh...peg 22!! not the best peg on the lake as it struggles to compete with 21 and those around peg 25ish on that bank.
I made my way to the peg with Steve Fouracre who was on peg 21, and the water looked full of fish near the surface, a muggers paradise, but the whole lake looked as such, but these fish know the time and we knew that come 10:30 they would be out towards the middle of gone altogether.
I had Chris Higgs to my left on peg 23.
It was baking already and most were moaning about the heat and I feared I never had enough drinks with me....ho hum. But I enjoy the sunny and warm times, we don't see much of it so a little discomfort is better than drowned kit which is an arse to dry.
An array of kit made up:
A lead rod with a long tail for slow sinking pellets, a method feeder rod, a pellet waggler.
A shallow silvers rig and full depth silvers rig with an intention of using casters, but I struggle to get the silvers on Tile and I didn't fancy it against Brick's head of skimmers. Both were a bit 'last resort' really.
A mugging/slapping rig using a DT Pellet Pinger on 0.18>0.12>18 B911 (later 0.14).
An edge rig using a DT Edger for meat over meat and caster to my right and meat over 4mm pellets on my left.
A DT RBS was set up for fishing topkit+1 with meat hookbait.
Simple on the bait front, 1.5pt of caster, some 8mm meat, some wetted micros for the method and some 4mm, 6mm and 8mm pellets. Oh and some Bait-Tech wafter pellets for a change of hookbait on the lead rods mostly.
At the all-in I went out to try and mug a fish or 2, most had already drifted away and even more looked like they had other things on their minds as they were swimming around quickly in bunches of 2 or 3.
Steve spooked one in trying to mug it right away and I followed suit by doing the same....no fish to be seen now!! But I had been flicking 6mm's at 14m and after less than 50 pellets I had a 6ft square Jacuzzi in front of me.
30 mins in and Steve had one on the lead fishing along the end bank, then a couple more.
I began to lift and drop at 14m in amongst the bubbles and I was soon into a fish, a nice 6lb mirror was soon netted, That was things done for me for the 1st hour.
The second hour was ok, Steve moved plenty ahead of me by fishing the lead (and the method later on), he was getting mostly smaller 3 to 4lb fish but regular.
A few more fish drifted in to the area and I managed to mug my 2nd fish of the day, an 8lb common I hooked at 5m in front. A 3rd soon ended up in the keepnet, but was a 3lb fish.
Chris was struggling and only had 1 carp and a couple skimmers on the feeder.
But Kev Crouch was getting a few on various running line tactics and was on around 10 after 2.5hrs.
Things slowed considerably, not that it was hectic, but things didn't look too fishy, it was a roasting day and I couldn't just gulp my drink down. I was catching the rays and my feet and knees had sort of began to burn. Holding the pole wasn't too pleasurable either, but if I kept it moving then it was fine.
The 3rd hour passed with only a few roach to show after a futile spell fishing casters shallow at 14m.
I did hook a fish mugging, but it tore off up the lake never to be stopped taking the best part of the rig in the process (the float....). It looked a good upper double. I laughed, Steve also laughed.
A quick look on the wag gave me nothing, but 3 fish on the method just off the island gave me a short-lived bit of hope, but looking around, it was only peg 31 (Mark Sweeting), Steve on 21 and Crouchy on peg 25 that were consistent in catching, but I couldn't see many others so I didn't really have a clue on how I was doing.
I changed from the long hooklength on the lead to a short one and lobbed it on the pole line, which was still getting bits of fizz. There were fish there, I would spook them lobbing the lead in, but I couldn't get a fish on the pole. It did work as 3 more fish followed in a short spell before that line died.
Into the remaining couple of hours and it began ok with another mugged fish, around 11lb so a nice addition. I was up to 50lb on the clicker, 10 carp. Steve was on around 80lb and Chris had began to hook the odd carp on pellet short and at depth.
A look on the meat line gave me a couple mad 3lbers and one foul hooker that I played for ages, a lump of a fish, but my impatience got the better of me and I snapped the hooklength pulling too hard. Schoolboy.
I had been feeding the 2 edges, my right edge gave me a skimmer, that's all, but my left side showed signs of fish with the odd tail pattern and I put a couple decent fish in the keepnet at around 8lb each from there. So at the all out my clicker showed 70lb (but I may have missed a fish I thought to myself) and that was 15 carp. 1 shallow, 4 mugged, 3 each on the lead and method, 2 on short meat and 2 from the left edge. But a couple of them were decent sized.
Steve was admitting to 105lb before his final fish. Chris had 4 or 5 I think. On the other bank I could see Mark Sweeting on peg 31 catching really well in the last hour and definitely looked good for a decent 130lb+.
I packed up my kit and loaded the car before the weigh-in. I was 2nd to weigh and after Steve's 110lb+ I managed a respectable 83lb or so. I was quite pleased with that despite my "what if's" or "if only.." thoughts. Kev Crouch had 120-something before I headed back to the car and then over to Brick Lake. It was said that Mr Clapp on Peg 10 had won that lake, that was true as he managed over 100lb ahead of Jamie Parkhouse on peg 9 who had 83lb+.
There were 2 other 100lb nets on Tile, Mark Sweeting with 140lb+ and Mark Hembery with 124lb. So I was 5th on the lake and 8th overall.
The top silvers was 40lb+ to Derek Beards on Brick, where there were generally better silvers nets.
Results:
1st, Mark Sweeting, peg 31. 143lb 5oz
2nd, Mark Hembery, peg 35. 124-10
3rd, Kev Crouch, peg 25. 117-12
Silvers went to Derek Beards, peg 4. 42lb 9oz
Sections went to Steve Fouracre (p21, 110lb 8oz) and Phil Clapp (p10, 109lb 13oz)
Once the pay-outs were done it was down to Denise to grab two balls and see what happens, with regards to the secret pairs that is. The idea is that the top 2 weights combined would be the winners,
well she must have the desired effect as the first couple of balls she grabbed were pegs 31 and 10......and therefore no other spherical objects needed touching as those weights (Mark Sweeting and Phil Clapp's) combined were unbeatable. So a sort of anti-climax really....haha.
So next weekend is the next round of the Acorn Saturday Series and as for Sunday, no plans as of yet, but the weather looks a whole lot better for catching a few and not sweating your behind off....
Until then, happy Summer Solstice and enjoy Glasto to those heading there,
Lee
A lot of the regular faces were fishing, from Jamie Parkhouse to John Fuidge through to the Clapps and match secretary Mark Hembery. It was also the mystery pairs, so no packing up early and heading for a cooling shower or a pint in a beer garden....
After the usual natter and general piss-taking, it was down to the draws, 4 golden pegs, 22, 27 and 33 on Tile along with peg 2 on Brick were drawn, only peg 27 was fancied to be honest. I really didn't fancy being on Tile, but should I draw on there then pegs 21, 25-27, 31 and 40 would be preferred. Pegs 7 to 10 on Brick please!! Though peg 1 did 220lb in the mid-week match.
I went into the basket halfway down, commenting to Phil Clapp I would like peg 10, never had it in a anything goes match, he didn't want it but promptly pulled it out.....oh cheers, I had the next ball....meh...peg 22!! not the best peg on the lake as it struggles to compete with 21 and those around peg 25ish on that bank.
I made my way to the peg with Steve Fouracre who was on peg 21, and the water looked full of fish near the surface, a muggers paradise, but the whole lake looked as such, but these fish know the time and we knew that come 10:30 they would be out towards the middle of gone altogether.
I had Chris Higgs to my left on peg 23.
It was baking already and most were moaning about the heat and I feared I never had enough drinks with me....ho hum. But I enjoy the sunny and warm times, we don't see much of it so a little discomfort is better than drowned kit which is an arse to dry.
An array of kit made up:
A lead rod with a long tail for slow sinking pellets, a method feeder rod, a pellet waggler.
A shallow silvers rig and full depth silvers rig with an intention of using casters, but I struggle to get the silvers on Tile and I didn't fancy it against Brick's head of skimmers. Both were a bit 'last resort' really.
A mugging/slapping rig using a DT Pellet Pinger on 0.18>0.12>18 B911 (later 0.14).
An edge rig using a DT Edger for meat over meat and caster to my right and meat over 4mm pellets on my left.
A DT RBS was set up for fishing topkit+1 with meat hookbait.
Simple on the bait front, 1.5pt of caster, some 8mm meat, some wetted micros for the method and some 4mm, 6mm and 8mm pellets. Oh and some Bait-Tech wafter pellets for a change of hookbait on the lead rods mostly.
At the all-in I went out to try and mug a fish or 2, most had already drifted away and even more looked like they had other things on their minds as they were swimming around quickly in bunches of 2 or 3.
Steve spooked one in trying to mug it right away and I followed suit by doing the same....no fish to be seen now!! But I had been flicking 6mm's at 14m and after less than 50 pellets I had a 6ft square Jacuzzi in front of me.
30 mins in and Steve had one on the lead fishing along the end bank, then a couple more.
I began to lift and drop at 14m in amongst the bubbles and I was soon into a fish, a nice 6lb mirror was soon netted, That was things done for me for the 1st hour.
 |
| Peg 22 at Sedges on Tile Lake |
A few more fish drifted in to the area and I managed to mug my 2nd fish of the day, an 8lb common I hooked at 5m in front. A 3rd soon ended up in the keepnet, but was a 3lb fish.
Chris was struggling and only had 1 carp and a couple skimmers on the feeder.
But Kev Crouch was getting a few on various running line tactics and was on around 10 after 2.5hrs.
Things slowed considerably, not that it was hectic, but things didn't look too fishy, it was a roasting day and I couldn't just gulp my drink down. I was catching the rays and my feet and knees had sort of began to burn. Holding the pole wasn't too pleasurable either, but if I kept it moving then it was fine.
The 3rd hour passed with only a few roach to show after a futile spell fishing casters shallow at 14m.
I did hook a fish mugging, but it tore off up the lake never to be stopped taking the best part of the rig in the process (the float....). It looked a good upper double. I laughed, Steve also laughed.
A quick look on the wag gave me nothing, but 3 fish on the method just off the island gave me a short-lived bit of hope, but looking around, it was only peg 31 (Mark Sweeting), Steve on 21 and Crouchy on peg 25 that were consistent in catching, but I couldn't see many others so I didn't really have a clue on how I was doing.
I changed from the long hooklength on the lead to a short one and lobbed it on the pole line, which was still getting bits of fizz. There were fish there, I would spook them lobbing the lead in, but I couldn't get a fish on the pole. It did work as 3 more fish followed in a short spell before that line died.
Into the remaining couple of hours and it began ok with another mugged fish, around 11lb so a nice addition. I was up to 50lb on the clicker, 10 carp. Steve was on around 80lb and Chris had began to hook the odd carp on pellet short and at depth.
A look on the meat line gave me a couple mad 3lbers and one foul hooker that I played for ages, a lump of a fish, but my impatience got the better of me and I snapped the hooklength pulling too hard. Schoolboy.
I had been feeding the 2 edges, my right edge gave me a skimmer, that's all, but my left side showed signs of fish with the odd tail pattern and I put a couple decent fish in the keepnet at around 8lb each from there. So at the all out my clicker showed 70lb (but I may have missed a fish I thought to myself) and that was 15 carp. 1 shallow, 4 mugged, 3 each on the lead and method, 2 on short meat and 2 from the left edge. But a couple of them were decent sized.
Steve was admitting to 105lb before his final fish. Chris had 4 or 5 I think. On the other bank I could see Mark Sweeting on peg 31 catching really well in the last hour and definitely looked good for a decent 130lb+.
I packed up my kit and loaded the car before the weigh-in. I was 2nd to weigh and after Steve's 110lb+ I managed a respectable 83lb or so. I was quite pleased with that despite my "what if's" or "if only.." thoughts. Kev Crouch had 120-something before I headed back to the car and then over to Brick Lake. It was said that Mr Clapp on Peg 10 had won that lake, that was true as he managed over 100lb ahead of Jamie Parkhouse on peg 9 who had 83lb+.
There were 2 other 100lb nets on Tile, Mark Sweeting with 140lb+ and Mark Hembery with 124lb. So I was 5th on the lake and 8th overall.
The top silvers was 40lb+ to Derek Beards on Brick, where there were generally better silvers nets.
Results:
1st, Mark Sweeting, peg 31. 143lb 5oz
2nd, Mark Hembery, peg 35. 124-10
3rd, Kev Crouch, peg 25. 117-12
Silvers went to Derek Beards, peg 4. 42lb 9oz
Sections went to Steve Fouracre (p21, 110lb 8oz) and Phil Clapp (p10, 109lb 13oz)
 |
| Brick's Weights |
 |
| Tile's Weights |
well she must have the desired effect as the first couple of balls she grabbed were pegs 31 and 10......and therefore no other spherical objects needed touching as those weights (Mark Sweeting and Phil Clapp's) combined were unbeatable. So a sort of anti-climax really....haha.
So next weekend is the next round of the Acorn Saturday Series and as for Sunday, no plans as of yet, but the weather looks a whole lot better for catching a few and not sweating your behind off....
Until then, happy Summer Solstice and enjoy Glasto to those heading there,
Lee
Thursday, 8 June 2017
Pawlett All-Winners Final, Trinity Woodlands. 4-6-17
The clubs' annual All-Winners' match is usually held on Trinity's Woodland Lake with the 'others' on Ash Pool. No different this year.
Anyways a short blog as it wasn't a great day personally, but that's fishing.
Arrived early enough, but still one of the last there and I actually went to the draw 2nd in line....that was the 1st mistake. I drew peg 23, I have won off it during the winter but in the summer I feel that it is the wrong end on the wrong bank I thought. I had Derek Beards to my left and Jamie Cook to my right on peg 25, not the best peg for him but ideal for his method/lead approach as peg 19 is not used.
Plenty of wind, all different directions and strengths during the day, oh and plenty of rain....!!
A small pellet feeder was set up along with 5 pole rigs. (right edge meat, 14m pellet shallow, 14m deep pellet, 5m meat and a silvers rig for 14m off to my right).
A quick run down of the match, 1st hour gave me 2 roach and I lost 4 foul hooked carp on the long deep pellet rig. Derek had nothing.
2nd hour, I had a couple small skimmers and a 3lb tench. Derek had 1 skimmer and a roach.
3rd hour, gave up on the carp and hoped for silvers, had a couple 12oz skimmers long on single dead maggots over micros. Derek had put a lead rod out halfway through the hour as those opposite (mostly Jamie Parkhouse and Phil Clapp) had a few fish on theirs, I couldn't be arsed..... Derek had a carp right away which signalled a nice run of carp until the all out.
4th hour, landed a 7lb carp on the silvers rig, gave me a run around. A couple small silvers netted. Derek still getting odd carp and even odd one down the edge.
5th hour, another carp, only a 3lber, but I did manage a couple 12oz skimmers. It was dull.
Last hour, another carp, again on single maggot on my silvers rig, about 5 or 6lb. Another couple skimmers to 1lb. Derek was on around 8 carp now. He hadn't had anything for 2.5hrs at the start and ended with 46lb or so.
At the all out I chuck my 3 carp back, maybe 15 or 16lb they would have weighed.
I guessed at 6lb of silvers, maybe 7lb. I knew John Fuidge and Mark Leader had plenty more, at least 10lb each.
Out of the rest of the guys it would be close, a few peeps looked like having between 35 and 50lb maybe. But rumour was Paul Squire had plenty from down on peg 34, mostly on the lead.
I weighed 9lb 8oz of silvers, behind John and Mark's 13lb+ nets. I may have qualified, by double default, for the Silvers Final in 2018, but cannot be sure.
Overall it was Mr Squire that won with 95lb-ish. Then came Phil Clapp with 55lb and then Paul Lock with 51lb. They were on pegs 34, 12 and 15 respectively.
Results:
1st, Paul Squire, 95-15. p34
2nd, Phil Clapp, 55-15. p12
3rd, Paul Lock, 51-13. p15
4th, Mark Leader, 48-06. p10
Silvers:
1st, Mark Leader, 13-09. p10
2nd, John Fuidge, 13-06. p9
3rd, Lee Williams, 9-08. p23
So a non-productive day for me, I was actually packing up around 2pm, but the heavy rains arrived and put me off doing that.
The 'others' match was won by Dick Hurford with 43lb 8oz.
In hindsight I should have got my lead rod out, but to be fair I didn't expect to catch enough from that end or bank to compete unless they were shallow. I don't think anyone caught shallow properly, most had lead fish and a few down their edges later on.
Next up for me is the next round of the Acorn Saturday Series this Saturday, not sure on Sunday yet, may go Summerhayes, but again another not-so-calm day predicted, but warm.
Take Care,
Lee
Anyways a short blog as it wasn't a great day personally, but that's fishing.
Arrived early enough, but still one of the last there and I actually went to the draw 2nd in line....that was the 1st mistake. I drew peg 23, I have won off it during the winter but in the summer I feel that it is the wrong end on the wrong bank I thought. I had Derek Beards to my left and Jamie Cook to my right on peg 25, not the best peg for him but ideal for his method/lead approach as peg 19 is not used.
Plenty of wind, all different directions and strengths during the day, oh and plenty of rain....!!
A small pellet feeder was set up along with 5 pole rigs. (right edge meat, 14m pellet shallow, 14m deep pellet, 5m meat and a silvers rig for 14m off to my right).
A quick run down of the match, 1st hour gave me 2 roach and I lost 4 foul hooked carp on the long deep pellet rig. Derek had nothing.
2nd hour, I had a couple small skimmers and a 3lb tench. Derek had 1 skimmer and a roach.
3rd hour, gave up on the carp and hoped for silvers, had a couple 12oz skimmers long on single dead maggots over micros. Derek had put a lead rod out halfway through the hour as those opposite (mostly Jamie Parkhouse and Phil Clapp) had a few fish on theirs, I couldn't be arsed..... Derek had a carp right away which signalled a nice run of carp until the all out.
4th hour, landed a 7lb carp on the silvers rig, gave me a run around. A couple small silvers netted. Derek still getting odd carp and even odd one down the edge.
5th hour, another carp, only a 3lber, but I did manage a couple 12oz skimmers. It was dull.
Last hour, another carp, again on single maggot on my silvers rig, about 5 or 6lb. Another couple skimmers to 1lb. Derek was on around 8 carp now. He hadn't had anything for 2.5hrs at the start and ended with 46lb or so.
At the all out I chuck my 3 carp back, maybe 15 or 16lb they would have weighed.
I guessed at 6lb of silvers, maybe 7lb. I knew John Fuidge and Mark Leader had plenty more, at least 10lb each.
Out of the rest of the guys it would be close, a few peeps looked like having between 35 and 50lb maybe. But rumour was Paul Squire had plenty from down on peg 34, mostly on the lead.
I weighed 9lb 8oz of silvers, behind John and Mark's 13lb+ nets. I may have qualified, by double default, for the Silvers Final in 2018, but cannot be sure.
Overall it was Mr Squire that won with 95lb-ish. Then came Phil Clapp with 55lb and then Paul Lock with 51lb. They were on pegs 34, 12 and 15 respectively.
Results:
1st, Paul Squire, 95-15. p34
2nd, Phil Clapp, 55-15. p12
3rd, Paul Lock, 51-13. p15
4th, Mark Leader, 48-06. p10
Silvers:
1st, Mark Leader, 13-09. p10
2nd, John Fuidge, 13-06. p9
3rd, Lee Williams, 9-08. p23
So a non-productive day for me, I was actually packing up around 2pm, but the heavy rains arrived and put me off doing that.
The 'others' match was won by Dick Hurford with 43lb 8oz.
In hindsight I should have got my lead rod out, but to be fair I didn't expect to catch enough from that end or bank to compete unless they were shallow. I don't think anyone caught shallow properly, most had lead fish and a few down their edges later on.
Next up for me is the next round of the Acorn Saturday Series this Saturday, not sure on Sunday yet, may go Summerhayes, but again another not-so-calm day predicted, but warm.
Take Care,
Lee
Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Pawlett Match, Sedges, Silvers only. 10-04-17
The annual Silvers match at The Sedges began in warm and sunny conditions, the warmest day of the year and the carp looked very active.....It didn't end very warm though, but the carp were definitely active!!
32 of us lined the 40 pegs of Brick and Tile Lakes, leaving only the corners out on each lake, I had a natter with a few peeps before the draw. I wanted, needed, to be on Brick Lake, as I cannot seen to catch well enough on the silvers front on Tile, but I enjoy Brick and I am more comfortable and confident on that lake. A whole bunch of very tidy anglers fishing the match including some decent silverfish anglers, John Fuidge, Ziggy, Mark Leader and the usual suspects such as Vic, Eric, Mr Parkhouse and the Clapps to name but a few.
Into the draw basket, fingers crossed, out pops peg 28.....On Tile. Bummer. I actually, again, deliberated not fishing. I didn't fancy Tile to compete with Brick Lake when it comes to the overall placings so a double negative for me. Still it was dry and the sun was shining.
Arriving at my peg I could see plenty of carp, a number that seemed to increase during the day.
I had Nick Selway on peg 29 and Kev Crouch on 28.
4 top kits were assembled, giving a few of Dean Townshend's (DT Floats) a whirl. Pencils in 0.2g on a couple of rigs and the new-ish F1/silvers Titan (bendy titanium wire) in 0.6g and 10x no 11's.
The 1st Pencil was for down my left edge where I would feed caster by hand, hopefully snare a few roach and maybe a decent perch or a rogue tench.
The 2nd Pencil was for fishing up in the water at 13m using caster and maggot as hookbait. I would fish this over my initial groundbait deposit where the 0.6g rig would be used on the deck. Loose fed casters would be lightly fed over the top via the catty. This spot was off slightly to my left.
Lastly the lighter 10x no11 rig was set up using a banded hook for hard pellet, 6mm, over an initial feed of micros and I would ping a few 4mm pellets over the top. It was the same depth over each line, opening my options a little.
Also I had the same depth (give or take an inch or so) at 2+2 where I fed corn, but it stayed fishless.
My pencil rigs were made up on 0.16>0.11>Guru F1 pellet hooks in size 18.
My deep rigs were on 0.16>0.11>18 LWG or B911 for the hair rig.
All-in, 4 balls of groundbait cupped out long, 1/2 a cup of micros out long slightly right and a few casters and maggots dropped down my left edge.
Out with the shallow rig and I soon had a small roach in the net saving a blank. The lake in my area was calmer and loads of carp could be seen all over the place. It was a slow 1st hour, I think I only put 3 or 4 small roach in the net on the shallow rig and a solitary 4oz skimmer that came to caster on the deck. But it looked like more than the guys each side of me.
It took a whole 90 minutes before I hooked my 1st carp of the day, I think by the end of the day I had landed 15 and lost a few to hook pulls, at times they were taking casters as soon as they hit the surface and take my hookbait before my rig had been lowered in.
So after my carp flurry I managed 3 or 4 more skimmers shallow, one was around 12oz-1lb but the usual size was 4oz or so. A perch of 4oz and a couple roach also took a liking to my caster shallow tactic.
All the while I was feeding a few casters down the edge and pinging pellets long over that line, but I only ventured over the pellets once and hooked a carp, so that line was pretty much left along and u hoped the carp stayed there, or headed elsewhere!!
At the halfway stage it seemed the lake wasn't fishing great for silvers but the odd decent skimmer and very odd tench had been caught. I think I had around 3lb in the net and Kev had overtaken me with some nice skimmers on his short line. Nick was struggling properly.
I persevered fishing my caster and maggots up and down in the water but never managed a non-carp species on the deep rig. A few roach sand odd skimmer from 6oz to 1lb found my keepnet in between the carp.
So with an hour to go I was behind Kev and Nick had begun to get a few skimmers and was possibly level or just ahead of me. I decided to look down the edge, nothing happened so I potted in 3 cups of groundbait as a last resort. 10 minutes later a couple roach topped down the edge so in I went with a single caster, the float went under and a carp was hooked...! Duly netted and released I had another look and had a roach, next look I had a decent fish on and luckily it was a bream of perhaps 3lb, then I had a second of similar stamp. Another roach and another pot of groundbait.
A quick on the long shallow rig saw 3 carp hooked even without feeding...the last netted after the all-out. I reckoned I had around 8lb, as did Nick and Kev, but I hoped the last couple of bream took me ahead of them, Keith Clapp was said to have had 14lb+ from further back to my right. Brick Lake, as expected had seen a few guys catching well enough. The best we on Tile could hope for was a section win.
I packed the kit away and waited for the scales. I found them weighing in Mark Watts a couple pegs to my right, the scoresheet had Keith Clapp putting 14lb 15oz on the scales.
Mark never weighed then Kev had 11lb+ before I tipped my silvers into the sling and registered 14lb 6oz.
Nick had 9lb+, most of which came in a 20 minute spell late on.
I didn't follow the scales but caught up with them towards the end of Brick Lake and I could see a good few nets of 15lb, 17lb, 19lb, 20lb, 28lb and then Ziggy put 29lb+ on the scales to take the honours on the day.
I was 4th on Tile behind Keith 14-15, Paul Homewood 14-07 and Jamie Parkhouse 17-03. Nowhere overall.
Results:
1st, Ziggy Slowinski, 29-12. Peg 17
2nd, Pierce Furlong, 28-02. Peg 12
3rd, Vic Bush, 21-09. Peg 5
So a nice day really, kind of enjoyed it despite my own initial despondencies. The fishery is a quality fishery and the weights were pretty fair throughout.
I was really impressed by the new floats and I also tried some Nick Gilbert micro bore laccy, both the 4-8 and 6-10 and they handled the carp pretty well considering and it was very nice on the silvers, I will be getting some of his lightest micro-bore at some point and some more of the 4-8 for sure.
Not sure where I am on Friday/Saturday/Monday, but Sunday is the last round of the Avalon Teams of 3, nothing on the overall front for us to fish for so it is down to on the day winnings for us.
Until then, have a great long weekend.
Lee
32 of us lined the 40 pegs of Brick and Tile Lakes, leaving only the corners out on each lake, I had a natter with a few peeps before the draw. I wanted, needed, to be on Brick Lake, as I cannot seen to catch well enough on the silvers front on Tile, but I enjoy Brick and I am more comfortable and confident on that lake. A whole bunch of very tidy anglers fishing the match including some decent silverfish anglers, John Fuidge, Ziggy, Mark Leader and the usual suspects such as Vic, Eric, Mr Parkhouse and the Clapps to name but a few.
Into the draw basket, fingers crossed, out pops peg 28.....On Tile. Bummer. I actually, again, deliberated not fishing. I didn't fancy Tile to compete with Brick Lake when it comes to the overall placings so a double negative for me. Still it was dry and the sun was shining.
Arriving at my peg I could see plenty of carp, a number that seemed to increase during the day.
I had Nick Selway on peg 29 and Kev Crouch on 28.
 |
| Peg 28 on Tile Lake |
4 top kits were assembled, giving a few of Dean Townshend's (DT Floats) a whirl. Pencils in 0.2g on a couple of rigs and the new-ish F1/silvers Titan (bendy titanium wire) in 0.6g and 10x no 11's.
The 1st Pencil was for down my left edge where I would feed caster by hand, hopefully snare a few roach and maybe a decent perch or a rogue tench.
The 2nd Pencil was for fishing up in the water at 13m using caster and maggot as hookbait. I would fish this over my initial groundbait deposit where the 0.6g rig would be used on the deck. Loose fed casters would be lightly fed over the top via the catty. This spot was off slightly to my left.
Lastly the lighter 10x no11 rig was set up using a banded hook for hard pellet, 6mm, over an initial feed of micros and I would ping a few 4mm pellets over the top. It was the same depth over each line, opening my options a little.
Also I had the same depth (give or take an inch or so) at 2+2 where I fed corn, but it stayed fishless.
My pencil rigs were made up on 0.16>0.11>Guru F1 pellet hooks in size 18.
My deep rigs were on 0.16>0.11>18 LWG or B911 for the hair rig.
All-in, 4 balls of groundbait cupped out long, 1/2 a cup of micros out long slightly right and a few casters and maggots dropped down my left edge.
Out with the shallow rig and I soon had a small roach in the net saving a blank. The lake in my area was calmer and loads of carp could be seen all over the place. It was a slow 1st hour, I think I only put 3 or 4 small roach in the net on the shallow rig and a solitary 4oz skimmer that came to caster on the deck. But it looked like more than the guys each side of me.
It took a whole 90 minutes before I hooked my 1st carp of the day, I think by the end of the day I had landed 15 and lost a few to hook pulls, at times they were taking casters as soon as they hit the surface and take my hookbait before my rig had been lowered in.
So after my carp flurry I managed 3 or 4 more skimmers shallow, one was around 12oz-1lb but the usual size was 4oz or so. A perch of 4oz and a couple roach also took a liking to my caster shallow tactic.
All the while I was feeding a few casters down the edge and pinging pellets long over that line, but I only ventured over the pellets once and hooked a carp, so that line was pretty much left along and u hoped the carp stayed there, or headed elsewhere!!
At the halfway stage it seemed the lake wasn't fishing great for silvers but the odd decent skimmer and very odd tench had been caught. I think I had around 3lb in the net and Kev had overtaken me with some nice skimmers on his short line. Nick was struggling properly.
I persevered fishing my caster and maggots up and down in the water but never managed a non-carp species on the deep rig. A few roach sand odd skimmer from 6oz to 1lb found my keepnet in between the carp.
So with an hour to go I was behind Kev and Nick had begun to get a few skimmers and was possibly level or just ahead of me. I decided to look down the edge, nothing happened so I potted in 3 cups of groundbait as a last resort. 10 minutes later a couple roach topped down the edge so in I went with a single caster, the float went under and a carp was hooked...! Duly netted and released I had another look and had a roach, next look I had a decent fish on and luckily it was a bream of perhaps 3lb, then I had a second of similar stamp. Another roach and another pot of groundbait.
A quick on the long shallow rig saw 3 carp hooked even without feeding...the last netted after the all-out. I reckoned I had around 8lb, as did Nick and Kev, but I hoped the last couple of bream took me ahead of them, Keith Clapp was said to have had 14lb+ from further back to my right. Brick Lake, as expected had seen a few guys catching well enough. The best we on Tile could hope for was a section win.
I packed the kit away and waited for the scales. I found them weighing in Mark Watts a couple pegs to my right, the scoresheet had Keith Clapp putting 14lb 15oz on the scales.
Mark never weighed then Kev had 11lb+ before I tipped my silvers into the sling and registered 14lb 6oz.
Nick had 9lb+, most of which came in a 20 minute spell late on.
I didn't follow the scales but caught up with them towards the end of Brick Lake and I could see a good few nets of 15lb, 17lb, 19lb, 20lb, 28lb and then Ziggy put 29lb+ on the scales to take the honours on the day.
I was 4th on Tile behind Keith 14-15, Paul Homewood 14-07 and Jamie Parkhouse 17-03. Nowhere overall.
Results:
1st, Ziggy Slowinski, 29-12. Peg 17
2nd, Pierce Furlong, 28-02. Peg 12
3rd, Vic Bush, 21-09. Peg 5
 |
| Weigh Sheets |
I was really impressed by the new floats and I also tried some Nick Gilbert micro bore laccy, both the 4-8 and 6-10 and they handled the carp pretty well considering and it was very nice on the silvers, I will be getting some of his lightest micro-bore at some point and some more of the 4-8 for sure.
Not sure where I am on Friday/Saturday/Monday, but Sunday is the last round of the Avalon Teams of 3, nothing on the overall front for us to fish for so it is down to on the day winnings for us.
Until then, have a great long weekend.
Lee
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