Gold Valley 20/02/11

Gold Valley's Gold Lake.

First team practice for the upcoming winter league semi final, and my first trip to Gold Valley. (forgot the camera again sorry!) I didn't know really what to expect. Meeting the rest of the squad for a particularly good breakfast bap in the on site cafe over looking Gold Lake, some of them dressed in there new Browning attire, (very Smart!). There was a good turn out as you would expect with 11 teams, and the buzz and excitement that goes with a big match. The draw took place and Dave Tuck was at the front as usual and the first to draw! I was quite a way down and the draw took a bit of time to do with the large numbers of anglers fishing. I finally stuck my hand in the pot and pulled out peg 42, on the causeway bank of Gold Lake, along with a few others from the team! I made my way to my peg and found out that I was pegged right next to Kieth, after a bit of a chat with him we decided we would fish it slightly different from each other to see what would work best.

A couple of the lads had been down to the mid week match earlier in the week, so we had an idea, but it was still a bit of trial an error. I set up a method rod on 8lb main line to 0.20 hook length and 14 hook. This was for fishing towards the rope that splits Gold lake in 2, meanwhile Kieth went for a bomb and maggot feeder approach. On the pole lines again we tried slightly different tacks, to see which would work best, I plumbed up at 14.5m and had about 7ft. I set up 2 rigs for this line a heavy rig in case the carp showed up and this was a Karpa Carp 1, 4x16 to 0.16 straight through to a 911-16 to a green hollow. I also set up a lighter rig which was a Karpa Chimp 4x16 on 0.12 straight through to a 18 hook on yellow hollow. I plumbed at 16m also and found it slightly shallower, a go to area in case the fish backed off. The last line was a line at 5-6m which again was good depth at 6ft. A Karpa Chimp 4x14 on 0.12 - 0.10 to an 18 hook married to pink hollow.

Kieth an I decided on a slightly different approach, I was going to put in micros with minced luncheon meat on the 14.5m line, while he put micros on one line and some chopped worm on another, as he had a blank peg to his right. At the all in I fed three good size balls of the micro meat mix, and went out onto the method. It was quite a cold day and it was obvious from the early proceedings that it was going to be a tricky day. Not much early indications on the method just a few small movements of the tip, not the full blown wrap around was hoping for from the size able carp that live in Gold Valley. The odd carp was coming out further down the lake. Kieth was not doing much better on the bomb. About an hour had past before the tip flew round and a 1lb skimmer was in the net. Kieth had now switched to the maggot feeder and was getting the odd roach. No further fish followed in the next half an hour so I went onto the pole. After having a quick look on the 5-6m line which I had been trickling maggot over with no indications.

Out to the 14.5m line with a couple of maggots on the hook, after a couple of minutes the float slipped away and a skimmer of a 1lb came to the net. Next put in this time with a bit of meat on the hook and the float slipped away again this time it was a better fish of 2.5lb. Out again with the meat but nothing for a bit so I went back onto the maggot, the next fish was a lumpy beam of 5lb. Kieth was struggling for bites next door, as was the guy to my left. The swim seemed to die for a while so I fed a small cup of micro meat mix and went back on to the method. Not much doing out there so leaving the 14.5m line to settle for twenty minutes I went back onto it. Some nice size roach and a couple of nice big perch followed in the next small spell of catching. Again it died, I just couldn't seem to keep them going. A small re-feed and out onto the method.

It was well into the match now, no carp but I seemed to be doing OK on the silver's side of things. Again not much doing out on the rod, so back onto the pole. Again a small run of fish, skimmers and roach, before the bites stopped. Into the last hour and I decided to feed once last time, going on the method for half an hour before coming back onto the pole. A couple of fish this time on the rod was a bonus, nothing big but it was adding to the weight. Switching back to the pole for the last half hour and it was slow, so I pushed it out to 16m, I did have a nice skimmer but that was it for me at the all out. At the scales I weighed in 25lb 4oz, for 4th in section not to bad, but a carp or 2 would of helped out. Kieth struggled all day next to me, as did the guy to my left. It was generally a tricky day for most, just the odd angler doing well or catching a couple of bonus carp, I seemed to do quite well on the silver fish, just need to try a couple of things out in the next match that I observed during quiet spells, it might just catch some of those elusive carp!

Silver, But No Golden Delicious At Orchard!

A very wet and windy day was in store at Orchard's Match lake on 13/02/11. I arrived at the venue early and seeing the wind blowing down the the lake, the favoured pegs were definitely going to be those at the entrance end, Orchard is windy at the best of times and these pegs seem to offer some sort of calm water. I made my way into the dry of the hut where a warming cup of tea was the order of the day before venturing out into the abyss! The golden peg was up for grabs and with it being won from this venue last year from one of the favoured end pegs. After everyone had arrived suitably dressed in various waterproofs, the draw was done for the golden peg. Peg 33 was drawn out of the hat, one of the favoured end pegs! A good chance with the conditions that it could go! I stuck my hand into the hat to draw for the peg for today, and pulled out peg 33! I made my way to my peg, along with the other hardy ( fools! ) souls and couldn't help thinking about the comfort of my nice warm bed, and now it was my intention to sit out in the wind and rain for 5 hours! I got to my peg and my thoughts turned to my peg, the golden peg! My first impressions was it looked nice despite the rain hitting off my face! I decided to put all my eggs into one basket and to fish down to my left next to the reeds, and to not bother fishing across to the island, my back was aching and I didn't fancy battling with the pole in the wind! Plumbing up I found that I had good depth next to the reeds at 9m, about 3 foot, not tight as there was some rubbish and roots there, about 18" from the reeds. I set two rigs up, nice and simple, one on yellow hollow which was 0.12 - 0.10 18 hook. And a green hollow which was 0.14 - 0.12 16 hook. Two rigs to cover the same line. Bait was nice and simple too, corn, some meat, and micros and 4mm pellets mixed. I was going to fish corn on the hook and feed a little corn and pellet mix through a toss pot.
The all in sounded, and I slipped a grain of corn on to the hook and a few into the toss pot before lowering the rig in, after a few seconds the float shot under and I lifted into a small carp of 1/2 lb. The bites and fish were coming thick and fast, most of the fish were on the small side, with the odd bigger specimen thrown in for good measure. I could see Dave catching on the other end peg flier and judging buy the elastic he had out he was catching fish of a bigger stamp than I was, the thing was I seemed to be catching a lot faster than him, I was just hoping it would be quick enough. About 3 hours had past and Mike came walking past on the way to a comfort brake, ( I think he wanted out of the rain for 5 minutes! ) He asked how I was getting on, and I said I had 60 fish, mostly still small. The wind and rain had not eased at all, in fact it seemed to be getting worse, the thing was my hands were getting that cold I was struggling to hook the bait and to unhook the fish. Going into the last quarter of the match and the bites were slowing down, so I put another section on, this seemed to do the trick as the fish had just backed of a bit. I was still getting plenty of bites, mostly small still. The all out came and I had 102 fish on the clicker, so putting all the effort into 1 swim had paid off, but would it be enough to beat Dave? At the scales I weighed in 121lb 8oz, a cracking weight and I was hoping it would be enough for the golden peg. Dave was next and he put 127lb odd on the scales! beating me into second, and the golden peg survives for another day! I don't think I did anything wrong as I caught plenty of fish, Just that Dave caught a better size stamp of fish than I did! On the whole we all had a good day's fishing despite the foul weather! De-robing and the rain had found it's way in slightly, and I was a bit damp in the nether regions! Along with most others! It will take a week to dry everything out! I must order some sun for next time!