Before going onto White Acres for a festival, I was booked into the fisho at Viaduct, "en route" so to speak. I was travelling down with team mate John Dewberry, and we had both said that if the big fish in spring lake didn't feed that you needed to be on Campbell. So after a bit of banter it was to the draw, John was first, peg 114 on Campbell, a very good peg in the area you wanted to be on the lake. I was next, 119, not to bad it's in a corner, and usually in matches it has a bit of room, but not in the fisho as every peg is used. Arriving at my peg it was obvious that my options were limited, so a two prong attack based around meat was the order of the day. I couldn't go beyond 14.5m without inter fearing with the peg on the end bank ( which is not normally in) so a line was going to be here, as well as the long margin down to my right towards the tree, depending on how brave I was feeling!
An 0.16 rig straight through to a green hollow for the line at 14.5m in front of me, an up in the water rig on similar tackle in case they come up in the water, as i was intending to feed a few pieces of meat regularly with a catapult. Some stronger gear was needed for the margin line as the fish can bolt straight into the tree, so 0.18 straight through to orange "bungee" elastic should do the trick! I was going to start at 13m down the edge, before if needed going brave at 14.5m, which is dangerously close to the tree and just asking for trouble! At least at 13m I had a chance! At the all in I cupped a small amount of meat down the edge at 13m, I didn't want to spook them to early, as I felt the fish needed to settle after the commotion of everyone setting up and getting to there pegs etc.
I started on the depth rig and started trickling a few pieces of meat round the float, after ten minutes or so I had my first bite and was latched onto my biggest fish of the day of about 9lbs, after a hard fight it was in the net and a nice start. It took another 15 minutes or so before the next one this time one of 4lbs. One more followed in the first hour, before a time to switch to the margin line. I had three fish almost instantly, having to throw the pole behind me in a bid to stop the carp from making it to the tree. The bites dried up and it was obvious that the fish had backed off into the tree, so I trickled a bit of bait at 14.5m, hoping that I could get them out before they do a Ray Mears and "go bush"! It took a while for another bite, I would get a couple then I would have to wait for the fish to get their confidence back and venture out from their lair! apart from the first hour I never had another bite out in open water that's despite feeding it regularly. The end of the match was fast approaching and I was still getting a bite or two, but not enough, the fish were very cagey, despite that I was enjoying the match and not once did I loose one in the tree! (I would say skill but plenty would say i was just lucky!) at the all out I had beaten all those around me, but could see fish being caught further down the lake. I weighed in 54lb 12oz, good enough for third in section. Commiseration's must go out to John, who had had a good match on 114, just missing out on qualifying by one fish, finishing second overall picking up some coin, not the big money cheque of the final, but at least a bit of beer money, I fear he might need much beer and whiskey, just to get him through the week! It was nice to pull a peg from the hat that I felt that I had a chance to compete on, other than the total dross that I normally pull at fishos! The way I look at it someone has to pull them, so it might as well be me!
Monday 23 April 2012
Thursday 12 April 2012
Cottage Lake, Witherington farm.
Team duties for a round of the teams of 4 at Witherington Farm. This time I was on Cottage, one of the lakes, at least it makes a change from the snake! I was hoping for an island draw, so I could get the chance of using a rod, but got drawn out peg 7, an all out pole swim! Peg 7 is a nice corner peg, with a nice cut out at 14.5m in the margins. Keith had fished the peg in a match the week before, so armed with his info I headed to my peg.
Arriving at my peg, the first job was to clear out the floating weed that had gathered in the cut out in the corner, a couple of nets round and it was done. I needed to do this as I had a feeling I would be spending quite a lot of the match in there! Three lines were set up, the obvious in the corner, one at 5m in front of me and a third at 13m. I set two rigs up in the corner, one at the bottom of the slope, and one a foot deep, up the slope, Keith said he'd had a few catching up the slope, so I set up a small dibber type float on 0.16 straight through to a 16 hook to green hollow to cover this. The second rig was set up for the bottom of the slope in the corner, and whilst plumbing up I had a couple of line bites with the plummet on, a good sign and an instant decision was made that I wouldn't dump a pot full of bait in there and that I would feel my way in. It was a similar line and elastic to the shallower rig, just a small 4x12 bodied float, as I had 2 1/2 ft of water at the bottom of the slope. An 0.12 to 0.10 rig was set up for the other two lines as I had the same depth, this was married to a nice soft set yellow hollow.
I had a mixture of dampened micros and 4mm pellets, and some meat cubed up, as well as corn and some expanders. At the all in I cupped in half a pot of 4mm/micro mix with a few cubes of meat on the 5m and the 13m line, and went straight into the margin line. I slipped a piece of meat onto the deeper margin rig and lowered it into the corner, after a few minutes the float buried and i was attached to a very angry carp, it gave me a quite a tussle before slipping the net under it. Just in the nick of time too as my 911 hook was virtually straight and could of slipped it's hold any second! A good 8lb fish and a nice start. I went in again this time with a few pieces of meat in the toss pot, I just felt it would be wrong to dump bait in there and decided just to toss pot bait in. A couple of smaller carp followed before the bites slowed in the corner. I decided to leave the corner for a bit and had a look on the other lines, one small carp on the 13m line was the result. That fish was all I had on that line all day, despite topping it up regularly. I did have a few skimmers on the 5m line, but I was having to work and wait for a bite. Other anglers around me were catching skimmers and silvers a lot quicker than I was.
Swapping back to the corner swim and a couple of nice carp was the result, it went a bit slow so I switched to the shallower rig. This had the desired affect and the next bite resulted in the pole being slammed round as a good size carp grabbed my meat hookbait. A few more followed before it slowed again. Keith's info had helped put a few more fish in the net. Swapping to the 5m line again resulted in only a couple more skimmers, they didn't seem to want to settle properly, and were away from the corner. The last hour was very slow for me, the carp had deserted me from the corner, and the skimmers weren't playing ball. At the all out I felt I had done ok and I still felt I had done enough to beat the anglers around me. I weighed in 52lb 14oz, beating all around me and good enough for 3rd on the lake, and a small pick up which is always nice! The team had a good day, and are catching up the leaders. Ive had a busy few days since the above match, prepping all my gear for a fishomania match at Viaduct and a White Acres festival, hopefully the drawing gods will be with me and I'll get a few half decent swims, if not I will have to drown my sorrows in the bar!!
Arriving at my peg, the first job was to clear out the floating weed that had gathered in the cut out in the corner, a couple of nets round and it was done. I needed to do this as I had a feeling I would be spending quite a lot of the match in there! Three lines were set up, the obvious in the corner, one at 5m in front of me and a third at 13m. I set two rigs up in the corner, one at the bottom of the slope, and one a foot deep, up the slope, Keith said he'd had a few catching up the slope, so I set up a small dibber type float on 0.16 straight through to a 16 hook to green hollow to cover this. The second rig was set up for the bottom of the slope in the corner, and whilst plumbing up I had a couple of line bites with the plummet on, a good sign and an instant decision was made that I wouldn't dump a pot full of bait in there and that I would feel my way in. It was a similar line and elastic to the shallower rig, just a small 4x12 bodied float, as I had 2 1/2 ft of water at the bottom of the slope. An 0.12 to 0.10 rig was set up for the other two lines as I had the same depth, this was married to a nice soft set yellow hollow.
I had a mixture of dampened micros and 4mm pellets, and some meat cubed up, as well as corn and some expanders. At the all in I cupped in half a pot of 4mm/micro mix with a few cubes of meat on the 5m and the 13m line, and went straight into the margin line. I slipped a piece of meat onto the deeper margin rig and lowered it into the corner, after a few minutes the float buried and i was attached to a very angry carp, it gave me a quite a tussle before slipping the net under it. Just in the nick of time too as my 911 hook was virtually straight and could of slipped it's hold any second! A good 8lb fish and a nice start. I went in again this time with a few pieces of meat in the toss pot, I just felt it would be wrong to dump bait in there and decided just to toss pot bait in. A couple of smaller carp followed before the bites slowed in the corner. I decided to leave the corner for a bit and had a look on the other lines, one small carp on the 13m line was the result. That fish was all I had on that line all day, despite topping it up regularly. I did have a few skimmers on the 5m line, but I was having to work and wait for a bite. Other anglers around me were catching skimmers and silvers a lot quicker than I was.
Swapping back to the corner swim and a couple of nice carp was the result, it went a bit slow so I switched to the shallower rig. This had the desired affect and the next bite resulted in the pole being slammed round as a good size carp grabbed my meat hookbait. A few more followed before it slowed again. Keith's info had helped put a few more fish in the net. Swapping to the 5m line again resulted in only a couple more skimmers, they didn't seem to want to settle properly, and were away from the corner. The last hour was very slow for me, the carp had deserted me from the corner, and the skimmers weren't playing ball. At the all out I felt I had done ok and I still felt I had done enough to beat the anglers around me. I weighed in 52lb 14oz, beating all around me and good enough for 3rd on the lake, and a small pick up which is always nice! The team had a good day, and are catching up the leaders. Ive had a busy few days since the above match, prepping all my gear for a fishomania match at Viaduct and a White Acres festival, hopefully the drawing gods will be with me and I'll get a few half decent swims, if not I will have to drown my sorrows in the bar!!
Wednesday 4 April 2012
Witherington Farm open. 01/04/12
Back to Withy's inner snake lake, and the weather conditions were similar to two weeks earlier, with a sharp overnight frost. After the usual hearty breakfast, the draw was done and I pulled peg 80 out of the bag, a quick £1 side wager with John, just to keep him on his toes and it was off to my peg. It was a comfortable 13m across to the far bank and I had erasable depth at just over 2ft. This was going to be my opening gambit, I set up a 0.12 rig to yellow hollow 18 hook for this line. For the track line I set another yellow hollow this time with an 0.10 hook length 18 hook for the skimmers. Finally down in the margins either side with green hollow 0.14 rig 16 hook.
I had corn, 4mm meat and some 4mm pellets. I fed half a small pot of meat and pellets down the track at the all in before going over to the far bank with corn. I new it would be slow but I never even had an indication. To make matters worse either side had had a lump apiece ! I was now on "catch up" it took me over an hour before I had my first fish, a carp of just over a 1lb. The far swim was just not responding at all so I put half a pot of corn and pellet in, hoping some fish would settle. I had been trickling in the meat and pellets down the track and it was now time to have a look on it. Buy now the lads either side were catching odd smaller fish whist I still had the one! After a couple of missed bites I hooked the first skimmer on the track line on 4mm meat. Over the next couple of hours I Managed to string some skimmers together, the biggest about a 1 lb. They weren't exactly jumping on the hook and I was having to wait for a bite. I did keep checking the far line and the margins, but with no indications I decided to concentrate down the track for the last hour.
After a couple of more skimmers I hooked a carp, a nice bonus of about 3lb. A few more skimmers followed, and with quarter of an hour to go I hooked a lump, a bit of careful playing on the pull bung and it slid into my landing net. About a 7lb fish, and a nice bonus. I had one more skimmer before the all out. I felt I had caught up with either side and the scales had proven me right, I weighed in 20lb 14oz. I had beaten the anglers either side of me, but only just. A hard match which I had to work for every bite. It was unusual that the far line didn't produce, but the track line had come to the rescue. I came 7th overall, but I did loose my £1 back to John, look after it I will be winning it back!
I had corn, 4mm meat and some 4mm pellets. I fed half a small pot of meat and pellets down the track at the all in before going over to the far bank with corn. I new it would be slow but I never even had an indication. To make matters worse either side had had a lump apiece ! I was now on "catch up" it took me over an hour before I had my first fish, a carp of just over a 1lb. The far swim was just not responding at all so I put half a pot of corn and pellet in, hoping some fish would settle. I had been trickling in the meat and pellets down the track and it was now time to have a look on it. Buy now the lads either side were catching odd smaller fish whist I still had the one! After a couple of missed bites I hooked the first skimmer on the track line on 4mm meat. Over the next couple of hours I Managed to string some skimmers together, the biggest about a 1 lb. They weren't exactly jumping on the hook and I was having to wait for a bite. I did keep checking the far line and the margins, but with no indications I decided to concentrate down the track for the last hour.
After a couple of more skimmers I hooked a carp, a nice bonus of about 3lb. A few more skimmers followed, and with quarter of an hour to go I hooked a lump, a bit of careful playing on the pull bung and it slid into my landing net. About a 7lb fish, and a nice bonus. I had one more skimmer before the all out. I felt I had caught up with either side and the scales had proven me right, I weighed in 20lb 14oz. I had beaten the anglers either side of me, but only just. A hard match which I had to work for every bite. It was unusual that the far line didn't produce, but the track line had come to the rescue. I came 7th overall, but I did loose my £1 back to John, look after it I will be winning it back!
Sunday 1 April 2012
Orchard Lakes 25/03/12
A trip to bagging venue Orchard lakes was next for me, with the spell of settled warm weather, albeit with frosty mornings, hopefully a big weight was on the cards. Fishing against some of the regulars is a challenge, as they allow some interesting methods at Orchard, plus they know all the up to date info. I pulled out peg 19 out of the draw bucket, not the best as 18 is better as it is sort of in the top corner and has more features. I decided to keep it simple, 2 lines, and a throw away one. A Line tight across at 14.5m, 0.14 rig to yellow hollow, a top 2 line down to my right, they can come very close and you need this line to work for the big weights. 0.16 rig to green hollow. And the throw away line at 5m, down the track.
I was hoping to get them going on the close margin line, but with the overnight frost I had feeling this might be a bit slow to begin with. I had plenty of meat cubed up, and a load of pellet and that was it! Nice and simple! At the all in I cupped a big pot of pellet on the 5m line line and started to loose feed the close swim meat and pellet. I started off across with meat on the hook and feeding through a toss pot, instantly rewarded with a few nice size fish. I was constantly feeding the close swim, meat and pellets every few seconds, hoping to switch them on. You do get through the bait though!
I did have a look every 20 minutes or so, but despite catching the odd one in the margins they had not "switched on" yet. So I carried on across, catching steadily, and regularly feeding the close line. I had a quick look on the 5m line, but nothing doing so I binned it to concentrate on the close line. It took 3 hours before I got them going properly on the close line, which was just in time, as the chap to my left was now catching a lot faster than I was across. Up to the 3 hour mark I had had 40 fish for about 40lb. Now the close line had come to life my catch rate had gone up and it was a case of catch and feed. I cut out the pellet and just fed meat.
The last 2 hours was very busy, a constant stream of fish, a mixture of sizes ranging from a few ounces to 4lb. I never really slowed until the last ten minutes, by this time I was knackered anyway! I had got through a lot of bait but felt things had gone well, at the scales I weighed in 138lb 06oz. My best weight at Orchard, giving me 5th overall and just missing out on the section by 2oz! A good day out, tiring but enjoyable none the less, but I couldn't fish it every week like some of them do, it's nice to bag up now and again, but it does make your arm ache!
I was hoping to get them going on the close margin line, but with the overnight frost I had feeling this might be a bit slow to begin with. I had plenty of meat cubed up, and a load of pellet and that was it! Nice and simple! At the all in I cupped a big pot of pellet on the 5m line line and started to loose feed the close swim meat and pellet. I started off across with meat on the hook and feeding through a toss pot, instantly rewarded with a few nice size fish. I was constantly feeding the close swim, meat and pellets every few seconds, hoping to switch them on. You do get through the bait though!
I did have a look every 20 minutes or so, but despite catching the odd one in the margins they had not "switched on" yet. So I carried on across, catching steadily, and regularly feeding the close line. I had a quick look on the 5m line, but nothing doing so I binned it to concentrate on the close line. It took 3 hours before I got them going properly on the close line, which was just in time, as the chap to my left was now catching a lot faster than I was across. Up to the 3 hour mark I had had 40 fish for about 40lb. Now the close line had come to life my catch rate had gone up and it was a case of catch and feed. I cut out the pellet and just fed meat.
The last 2 hours was very busy, a constant stream of fish, a mixture of sizes ranging from a few ounces to 4lb. I never really slowed until the last ten minutes, by this time I was knackered anyway! I had got through a lot of bait but felt things had gone well, at the scales I weighed in 138lb 06oz. My best weight at Orchard, giving me 5th overall and just missing out on the section by 2oz! A good day out, tiring but enjoyable none the less, but I couldn't fish it every week like some of them do, it's nice to bag up now and again, but it does make your arm ache!
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