Gold Valley 02/03/11

Gold Valley's Middle Lake.

Back down to Gold Valley for the Wednesday open match, a few days from the winter league semi final. With three lakes in and a section on Gold, Middle and Syndicate. The weather had turned cold with over night frosts, it could have a baring on the semi. After a bacon sarnie and a cup of tea, it was time for the draw. I pulled out peg 65 on middle, a quick look on the results board from the open the previous Sunday and it won it's section with a weight of 65lb, but chatting to some of the regulars they said it either fishes well or it blows out, as the swim is quite shallow, and the cold weather could give it the kiss of death, either that or I could fish it like a plank! Getting to my swim and the first thing that was noticeable apart from the islands in front of me, was the strong north wind that was blowing in, it was freezing! Woolly hat and gloves to the ready! Having a quick chat with Phil on the phone who was on 63 last Sunday, I decided to set up two lead rods, one a straight lead, and one a method, both to be fished to the point of the far island, although I could move to other areas if this didn't work. A few casts and both rods were clipped up nicely. Both were 8lb breaking strain main line, with 0.20 hook length to a strong 14 hook. I also set up a couple of pole lines in open water, but this would be secondary if the island feature didn't fish. One was a KC chimp on 0.12 line to a 18 hook to yellow hollow, the second was again a chimp on 0.14 line to a 16 hook to green hollow.


Peg 65 on Middle Lake.

I had some corn, meat, various hooker pellets and maggots, plus some ground bait micro pellet mix for the method and pole lines. A few minutes before the off a carp rolled along the island, so at the all in I decided on a softly softly approach. I cupped in some micro mix and meat on one pole line, and micro and corn on the other. My opening gambit was to fish the island with a straight lead and hair rigged corn. After half an hour and trying a couple of different places with the lead and corn without so much as a line bite, it was time to chuck the method feeder. I hair rigged a pellet and squashed some micro mix into the method mould and cast to the point of the island, I was going to leave this in till hopefully it would go round. Looking down the lake it was obvious it was fishing hard with just the odd carp coming out, so I was still hopeful that I would get a few. Well that didn't work either, and a hour had gone without so much as a line bite! I had a quick look on the pole lines, but no indications. I tried coming off the islands with the lead into the flat water in between the islands, just in case they were not tight, but that didn't prove productive either!
Three hours had now passed and I was getting cold and bored! After another quick look on the pole lines with no joy, I decided on a different tack. I took off the lead and clipped on a maggot feeder, I was going to cast this more regularly, hoping that something would feed! After a few casts with the maggot feeder to the point of the island the rod flew round and I had a battle with an angry carp that had snaffled my triple maggot hook bait, and it was determined to go round the island! After a bit of bullying I had it in the net, a nice fish of around 5lb. A couple of casts later and the rod flew of the rest again, a fish of a similar size made it's way to the net, again after a bit of a scrap. I was now getting warmer and was feeling better in my self. After a few more casts the tip flew round again, this time I had latched into something much bigger, I got it away from the island ok but it seemed to take me an age to get it to the net, but it was worth it a fish of double figures. I thought I had finally got it cracked but no that was it for the rest of the match, despite regulars casts with the maggot feeder. The scales came round and I weighed 21lb 8oz, not bad for three fish! This put me mid way in section, but only ounces away from second. Hopefully the semi would be warmer and fish a bit better, well a few more regular bites would be nice just to stop me from getting to cold and bored!