Trying To End The Year On A High!

Well, with the Christmas excess done, I was rearing to get out and on the bank, despite the freezing weather! With three hard frosts in a row I wasn't expecting the fishing to be great, and it was the only the slight wind that had probably stopped the lakes at Westside freezing over completely.

With the typical poor post Christmas pre New Year turnout no pegs around the island were needed, and the opposite bank was left out as there was a slight covering of ice one the water, albeit very thin. When I went into the draw bag the one peg that I didn't want, peg 68, was already gone but it was no suprise when the peg I secondly didn't want was the one that was in my hand! Peg 72 is one of the four reed pegs on the lake (all were in), but for some reason the fish seem to sit in the pegs either side! True to form, when I put my box down the reeds in 71, past the point of them to my left were heaving and there was next to no movement in my side!

With plenty of room with no pegs opposite I elected to start on the bomb. My well trusted 10ft Puddle Chucker came out of the ready-rod sleeve. I had various hooklengths to try on this, from 10in to 3ft, with different length hairs to allow me to try single and multiple corn or two or three big pellets of bread. A simple running lead rig with a Korum Quickchange bead to let me try the different hooklengths (all .15 Powerline to 18 Kamasam Animals) completed the set up. Now just as I was getting the pole out I got quite concerned as to how far along the reeds the angler (ahem!) on 71 was pluming up, something I did mention but got only a muted reply. I put up two rigs for the open water at 13m, both Preston Chianti's with a 4x14 for on the deck in about five and a half feet of water, and a 4x10 for trying about three and a half to 4ft deep. Both had size 18 hooks to .125 Garboline with the deep rig being on a 12 latex and the shallow one on grey Hydro. Two margin rigs were put up, both Preston pinks to fish cover depths af 16in up to about 30in. Both on .14 Garboline to a 16 B611 on Preston 13h lakky.

On the whistle I fed my long line with a pinch of casters and 3 grains of corn. Just as I was shipping back the angler (ahem, ahem!) on 71 fed a fist sized ball of likky at the very limit of his margin peg and them followed it up with a handfull of casters then a handfull of pellets! Great, think I'll leave that for a while! First chuck on the lead was with two pellets of bread on a shorter hooklength. No movement or nothing till my third cast, after half an hour or so gave a liner, then nothing more. On the hour mark an odd reed was starting to twitch in my peg so I dropped in there on the shallowest rig, willing some of the hoards of carp to come into my peg from 71! By this time the angler (ahem, ahem!) on 71 was still ladeling in the bait but nobody on the lake had yet had a fish, despite the amount of fish in the reeds in his peg, and now in peg 73! After five mins I cursed after missing a bite, but no more followed. After another 10 minites just as I was contemplating going back on the lead I decided to try punch on the pole. An instant bite leads me to a very brief tussle with a carp of no more than 14oz, better than blanking though! An insant bite next chuck gave a slightly bigger fish of around a pound, but as I put it in the net next door cupped in another fist sized lump of likky, about 2ft past where he had last time! Thats the lot there than I thought, and so it was! The reeds in my swim never moved again all day, and I never had another bite there!

The next 3 hours were totally barren, not even a liner. Despite regulary dripping a few casters on the long pole line with a catty nothing was happening, not even any small roach. Odd fish had now been caught by others, not by 71 though, as despite the reeds heaving in his peg he was now fishing in mine! I kid you not, I was only fishing 14-15ft away in the margins and at times his float was nearer to me than mine was! I'd given up on it at this time though as the two pints of bait that had gone in there had made it impossible to get a bite!

Wondering what to do going into the last hour while on the tip, I dunked my bread bait into the pineapple corn I'd done (nowt to lose I thought!), cast out then picked up my flask (wish I'd made two!) to see my rod trying to dissapear into the lake! A 3lb common was soon in the net so I did the same again, baited up and dunked the bait in with the pinapple corn for a second before casting. I'd just finished my coffee when round it goes again the last carps identical twin finds it's way to the net. Just as I was thinking of a final hours bag up though shit-for-brains next door (given up on calling him an angler now!) chucked a large crumb feeder about 10ft away from my lead, dead infront of me! And that, as you say, was that!

On packing up I really was in total disbelief. I can't believe how people can be so ignorant, stupid or just un-sportsman like. And I can't belive he'd blanked, well, after feeding so much and then not even fishing in the gap in the reeds 10ft from himself which was absolute carp soup, I can! My four carp went 7-14 for 3rd, beaten by someone with three bigger fish for 11lb and someone with six for 17lb. Without doubt his behavour had cost me fish, and I went home in a rather sour mood!

Anyhow, I'd like to wish everyone who reads this a Happy New Year, and to say that I'm pretty sure this blog is moving site soon as I had an offer from someone to host it on their website. I'll keep you updated!

Day Of The Unexpected

This Sunday dawned to be a nice mild morning, although a bit breezy. The weather had been settled in this way for a few days now and even the golden tench in my pond had decided to join the surface feeding party of the assorted carp in my pond as I got my nets and stuff from the shed. All signs of a good days fishing, I even left my waterproof jacket at home!

Arriving at Westside and lake 1 was pretty much sheltered from the wind (it normally is though). The water had a nice tinge of colour in it and coupled with the mild temperatures I think its fair to say most people were expecting a decent days fishing. My choice of peg doesn't change on this lake, I always fancy the pegs from 25-33, but I hardly ever draw there! For some reason all day Saurday I had a feeling I was going to draw peg 13 so it was no suprise when it was the peg that appeared in my hand when it came out of the bag! I don't mind the peg to be fair ( I seemed to be on it most weeks last winter, I drew it four matches running), I've never won off the peg but always caught carp off it, but they do seem to be smaller average stamp. That said, I've framed off it all but the first time that I drew it.

My plan of attack for the day was quite simple, as other than the one time this summer I drew it when I had some fish in the edge the only place I've caught on it was tight over to the far bank. It's a fair way across, around 16.5m and has a good depth right up to the bank. There are two bushy trees on the island, one bigger than the other. With the depth the same I was hoping I could rotate the two all day. A 4 x12 Preston Chianti was set to fish on the deck at dead depth about three and a half foot deep, while a 4x10 of the same for fishing 6-12in off the bottom was also was put up. Lastly, as it was so mild I also put up a half depth rig on a 4x10 Preston Pink, as I've found where stuff grows or hangs in the water that fish can often sit way of the bottom in the cover. All three rigs were on .125 Garboline, and with the water being coloured I hoped I could use a slightly bigger hook than usual for the time of year on this lake so I went with a 16. The two deeper rigs were on a soft 12 latex while the shallowest was on grey hydro. The only slight worry for the day (apart from the odd gust of wind) was that the tree to my right had been well chopped back, but one of the stumps seemed to still be in the water, so when I plumbed up I couldn't fish as close to the main cover of the tree as I'd like.

On the whistle I decided to just feed the left hand swim, and to try the right hand one without feeding as it's the swim area I thought would hold the most fish. A few grains of hemp and half a dozen casters went to the left side, while a grain of corn went on the depth rig and to the right. Ten minites without an indication and it's on with a single white maggot and time to drip a few casters in through the toss-pot. A bite after a few minites gave me a tiny perch, so on with double red maggot which gave me a tiny roach. A quick try on caster was fruitless so back on maggot gave two more quick small roach. And they were small, the four fish weighing about an ounce! After 40 or so minites I started to pick up odd roach on casters, not big at around twelve to the pound, but better than the first few fish, and nobody else was catching at all.

One thing was strange about the day, for all the times I've had this peg (about twelve times in the last 18 months) I've ALWAYS caught carp early on it. Still, I was putting odd fish in the net while nobody was catching. On the hour mark I decided to try the shallower rigs as I've found sometimes the carp sit above the sivers on this lake (when your not on the animals), and I'd had an odd liner like indication. First fish trying this was a 2oz rudd, then a run of tiny half ounce roach on caster. Trying maggot on any rig just got the tiny roach. On the hour and a half mark I thought I'd try the other swim, perhaps the carp are settled here! After a few minites without a bite from a roach I was sure there were odd carp here, then when the float burried it was a roach, albeit a huge 3oz fish!

The last roach was the only fish from that swim so it was back to the other area. On with a grain of corn and the float burries and I curse as I missed it! Back in again and the same again! Third time lucky and another roach. Fair to say the two missed bites wearn't carp then! On the halfway mark, and having seen very little else caught someone walks round and says there have only been two carp caught, both on peg 37, which was also the golden peg! Time to get your head down then....

I wasted much of the next 45 mins trying to catch a carp from both swims, mostly peserveering with corn to try and avoid the roach, but with no joy other than one 3oz roach. I couldn't believe there were no carp about. With an hour and a quarter to go and the sun starts to dip behind the trees behind me and off the far bank, surely they'll feed now? A dithery liner like indication on caster got me excited then the float goes and something bigger is on the end, hurrah! Carefully playing it in and up pops a perch nudging the pound mark. Not a carp but a usefull bonus!

With little else happening in anyone elses swims I decided to just get my head down on the roach, hoping a carp happens along. Hard work fishing at 16.5m for them! I probably put over a pound of roach in the net in the last hour before the whistle went. I did keep trying the shallower rigs, but the fish on them were only tiny 1/2oz jobbies, fishing an inch off the deck seemed best. With only one other person admitting to a small carp of around 3lb I was quite optimistic of picking up, and so I did, my 5lb 14oz of mostly roach being good enough for second, but a fair way off the 11lb that won it, and the golden peg. Mind, I was only one carp off that! I have to say it'll be nice to get a crack at the golden peg again, I haven't drawn it since early October '07 ( I did win it then), but it's some achievment to avoid it that long when the attendance is only aroun fifteen most weeks! I bet I'll draw it next week now!

I'll sign off now by wishing everyone a good Christmas, but you can wait until next week for the happy New Year as I'll still be out next Sunday!

A Change Is Good!

I have to say it was nice to wake up in the morning and not have snow, frost, wind or rain! For once on a Sunday morning the weather looked nice, while it was dull the morning was still and not too cold although it had rained most of the night. Even the carp in my pond were quite active, I just hoped the carp in lake two at Westside were feeling the same!

There was quite a poor turnout at the draw, still, it did mean the pegs around the island wearn't in! I have to say if people could manage to turn up on a dire morning like last Sunday I can't see why they wouldn't this morning! Still, some didn't turn up. I drew peg 74, one of the two rush pegs that were put in. While it wasn't the 'form' rush peg I was happy, it's a peg that always hold fish, even if the few straggly rushes in the margin (pic below, what I could see from my box) didn't seem to be moving as I put my box down I'm sure fish would move into them as people made there way round the lake. I have to admit I've drawn the peg three times before, winning once in the summer away from the reeds and twice last winter fishing to the reeds. The lake was still frozen on Friday so while I was hoping for a few fish I could only hope to get near my lowest weight off the peg before, 48lb (66lb being the best)

I put up two rigs to fish around the reeds (there are still straggly submerged ones around what is visable, plus some in the bank hidden by the tree in the pic) Both rigs were on .14 dia Garboline direct to a 16 B611 to Preston 13h Hollo elastic. The only difference was in the size of float and depth they were set to fish. Both were Preston pink's (small in-line dibbers, I find they don't catch if dragged through the reeds), a 4x8 to fish around 16in deep and a 4x10 to fish 2ft deep. Both had just one stotz down ( a 12 and an 11) and one of the same under the float. My intention was fish my side of the reeds as long as possible, pinching odd ones behind, hoping to not push the fish towards the next peg. Two rigs were put up to fish out in front (at 11m) in about 5ft 6in of water. A 4x14 Preston Chianti to fish on the deck and a 4x12 to fish half depth, both on .125 line and with 18 hooks, a 12 latex was for the deck rig and a grey hydro for the shallow rig. Just at the whistle a few fish started to knock the reeds.

Perhaps the thing that most shaped the day happend on the whistle. Up until the start there appeared to be many more fish in the reeds in the next peg (that won the Fur and Feather last week), but on the whistle he fed a large pot of bait to his reeds to the left (my side) and ignored the reeds to his left, (I only had reeds to my, left) At the whistle I only fed my long swim with corn and hemp, then dropped in on the shallowest rig with a single caster to the reeds. Instantly the float dipped and a min later a 2lb common was in the net. An hour later and nine carp were in the net, not a bad start when nobody else had caught a fish!

I knew the fish would back off, I lost my tenth fish, about twenty mins after the ninth fish, although it was hooked in the tail! The story of the rest of the match was to nobble odd fish my side of the reeds, then occasionally drop behind them (nowhere near interfeering with the next peg), but not too often so as not to push the fish away from me. The last 35 minites were fruitless after losing two fish in a row, one foulhooked and one not, but all day I only lost three carp, and finished with twenty seven. Every carp was taken on the shallowest rig, between 14-18in deep, with liners only on the deeper rig and nothing at all in the open water. Sometimes changing the depth as little as 2in would produce a fish or two from not even getting liners, it just seemed that you really had to put the bait at THAT depth to get a bite. The only bait I caught on was a single caster with the hook hidden but not totally burried. If I hooked it like a maggot I didn't get a bite. All the bites were shy 'dinks' too.

The next best anyone had managed was only two fish for just over 5lb so it was fair to say I'd won my a mile, my guess was around 80lb, not far from the mark as the fish went 82lb 7oz after three weighs. It was just one of those days when everything seemed right, including the rig. The Preston 13h seems perfect for these pegs, alot of people fish heavier in the reeds and lose alot, yet I lost just one fish that wasn't foulhooked. It seems soft enough that the fish don't bolt but has a little ooomph if you need it to pull, but most fish (I'd say twenty) were just guided away from the reeds. I have to say, it kind of made up for struggling so much last week! And to think, I nearly didn't fish this week!

The Ice Man Cometh!

There was plenty of talk on Saturday in the tackle shop about the weather turning real cold overnight, and the possibility that both the lakes may be frozen over for the fur and feather. After checking numerous weather forecasts I felt much bettter, none of them gave a prediction of lower than -1 degree C overnight. I kept looking outside up untill 11pm and no frost! Good!

I was a bit shocked to find what looked a very coarse frost outside at 7am, but it was only because it had been so damp outside (it was only 0 degree C in my garden), right? Wrong!

On route to the venue (late!) I text someone to see what peg they had draw only to be told that both lakes were frozen solid and that the organiser was going round in a boat breaking the ice.

Eventually we drew, about an hour and a half later than intended, which shortend the fishing time to 11.15 to 3pm. At the draw I was a long way down the queue, a big mistake as all the fancied pegs were gone by the time I got to the bag. Normally even in the coldest weather the reed pegs on lake 2 (71-74) are bankers. I couldn't have drawn much further away from them as it happens!

Peg 35 on the new lake isn't the best peg in any weather, let alone through the ice so I wasn't the most optimistic, less so when I plumbed up after clearing the shattered ice from my peg. Trying to plumb up at the bottom of the shelf was a nightmare, the bottom was all over the place and trying to find a decent area to fish was a mare. I couldn't fish near the island as from about 14.5 m to tight to the island at 16m odd was no more than 18in deep and the water was way to clear and cold for that, with no cover over it was a none starter. I had two rigs up, one to fish at the bottom of the shelf on the best area I could find, in about 4ft of water, and one to fish 3ft deep incase fish didin't want to go down and were cruising. Floats were 4x12 and 4x10 Preston chianti's, using .125 dia line and 18 hooks on both. Elastics were very soft 12 latex's.

At the start I decided not to feed and try all along the ledge looking for any sort of indication. After 20 or so biteless minites it was on with a toss-pot and I started to drip in maggots 3 at a time on the decent area on the ledge. An hour into the match and as the rig was just settling the float burried with a single red maggot on! Shame it was only a perch of about half an ounce in weight! My next bite was 20 mins later, an exact repeat of the first and the same result, another tiny perch!

The rest of the match passed eventlessly, despite trying everything, even breadpunch and the shallow rig. I did bump off another tiny perch near the end but that was it. I was honestly sure that I'd never had a carp infront of me all day, and finished the day rather peeved over a wasted Sunday to be honest! I think the only way I could have had more was to fish in the deep water in the middle on light gear for tiny perch, execpt I don't carry that sort of gear with me now!

My lake was won with 8lb, one carp and a bream, while the fancied reed pegs on the other lake threw up one 30lb+ weight. Many people only weiged in ounces on my lake.

I'm not sure if I'll be fishing next Sunday yet, but it can't be much worse than this weekend can it!

A Good Day To Have An Ark!

Well, as you may be able to guess from the title it was another wet Sunday, my brolly has been used more in the last three weeks than in the last three months I think! At the draw I was really wanting to draw along the side of the lake, from numbers 25 to 33. I didn't draw along there but wasn't too dissapointed with peg 20. It's a peg I've drawn a couple of times before, but only in the summer when I've caught in the shallow water of the bay just to the left on the island, but its a bit too shallow to catch there now! I put up two rigs to fish either side of the bay on the island. The one to the left was to bare bank at 16.5m and at 16m infront was just to the right of a tree (just visable in the pic) where there was a few rush stems on the bank. Both were just over 3ft deep tight to the bank. I also put up a shallow rig to try over both areas, set to fish a foot off the bottom. With no wind I could fish with light floats so a 4x10 Preston Chianti (with a plastic tip) and a 4x8 Preston Pink in-line dibber were used. Terminal gear for both was the same, using .125dia line, a size 18 hook on a very soft 12 latex. Bait was a few red and white maggots, casters, corn, hemp and a couple of slices of bread.

On the whistle I decided to try both lines with out feeding them, trying corn over both gave no indications so I fed the left hand swim with a dozen casters and a dozen grains of hemp, while I started to use a toss-pot to drip in casters half a dozen at a time infront of me. After an hour and a half (yes' it was slow, and I'd tried both rigs) I had my first indication over my left hand swim at depth, which led to a merry dance with a foulhooked carp before it came off at the net! No indications followed so I tried infront again, which gave an instant bite and gave me a small perch of about half an ounce (at best).

It was another good hour before any more indications, even on punch, and the light was so bad with the rain that I had to grease up both floats so I could see them easier. At this point I also cupped in a dozen maggots to the left, hoping that a bait that wriggled would tempt something. After leaving it ten mins I baited with a single maggot and started to ship across, and as I did the angler next peg hooked a fish. After maybe only a minite or two my float burried and soon I had a small common of about 1lb 12oz in the net. A liner net drop so prompted me to try the shallow rig but no more bites followed so I decided to try the other line. After two drops feeding a few maggots and the float burried and another small common came to the net, slightly bigger at just over 2lb.

Nothing else followed in the next 20 mins so I decided that I'd not feed after anymore bites and try fishing out the feed, thinking that even dripping six maggots over the top of the fish may have spooked them. After missing a bite then bumping a small fish on the line infront I decided to try the shallow rig. Out with a single caster and after a couple of minites I had a bite and another 2lb'er was in the net. Back out again and an instant bite gave another fish of a similar size. With around 45 minites left I was hoping I could keep it up for the rest of the match! The next bite doing the same again produced something that felt much bigger, but I'll never know how big as I never saw it!

The lost fish spelled the end to any bites over either line for about 20 mins before both swims seemed to become full of tiny fish that I either bumped or came off on the way in, apart from one 2oz roach which was the only fish to pull any elastic out! One last bite on a single caster a depth gave a larger common of about 4lb but the last minite was fruitless! The angler to my left also had five carp but his were all bigger fish so I knew that I hadn't won, but the lack of people left to weigh in gave me hope of a place at least.

My fish went 13lb 6oz, good enough for third, but some way behind the next peg who had 19lb odd for second, narrowly beaten for first place buy a weight of just over 20lb which was just three carp and a 4lb+ golden orfe! I also realised why my right foot felt wet after it raining all day, as I went to pick my box up I noticed that my boot had a 3in split along the foot! sodding things are only just over a year old!

Next week in the Fur and Feather, a total sellout which uses both lakes so it could be hard! I just hope it doesn't rain or snow after the last couple of weeks!

(note, sorry if the paragraph structure is wierd, for some reason blogger keeps getting rid of the spaces!)

Let It Snow!

Well they said it was going to snow, with severe weather warnings and all. When I got up there wasn't the slightest sign of snow! By 7.20am it had just started to snow, only a little though. That wasn't really my worry, it was the fact that it had been mild up until Friday and the sudden drop in temperature was hardly likely to be conducive to good fishing.

By the time of the draw it was snowing fairly heavy, although with quite a lot of sleet mixed in. With the onset of the cold I really wanted a peg in the open water where I could fish the bomb, partly as I thought a static bait would pay off (and it was windy) and partly as it's easier to keep my hands warm! Out of the bag came peg 66. I was fairly happy, it's a peg not quite on the end of the island, you can just get away with casting to the end of the island, plus it's wide so I had plenty of water to go at.

I decided not to fish a long pole to the island, the fish seem to move close to it on this peg, even though it's shallow, but they seem to spook from the pole. To search along the island I put up my 10ft Drennan puddle chucker. Set up just to fish a strait lead with either corn or hair rigged bread. A simple running lead stopped by a Korum quick change bead with a .15dia hooklength with a size 18 Kamasan Animal with a hair rig using the excellent Korum quickstops was the kit for this. I had a few hooklengths set up at different lengths and with different length hairs. I would use a catapult to feed if I wanted too, but intended to start off not feeding. I put up one pole rig to fish two lines in the deep water at about 9m at 1 o'clock and one at 11 o'clock. Elastic was a 12 latex, rigwise it was on .125dia line to an 18 hook and float was a .3gr DC6.

On the whistle one pole line was feed with just casters and the other was feed with hemp and corn. First cast clipped the island vegetation (whoops!), as I wasn't clipped up to allow me to search the swim! A new hooklength on and just as I settled down the snow turned totally to sleet and started to sting like hell so I had to get up to put the brolly up. Ten mins after casting with no indications and I wind in with a stick on the hook. Next cast drops a bit closer to avoid rubbish. After a couple of minites its time for a cuppa, so I reach round for my flask and round goes the tip! No more than 60 seconds later a very sleepy 4lb odd common is in the net, just as the sleet gets to it's heaviest, not that I care as I haven't blanked!

The next 30 mins passes with just one slight liner, so I try casting further along the island, nearer the point. Each cast I leave in for around 10-12mins but another 3 casts later nothing else has happend. Casting back in-front of me to where I caught my fish gives a quick dropback but tightening back up shows it was just a liner. Still, signs of fish meant I was happy to leave it longer and about 15 mins later the tip yanks round and again a very lethargic common comes in, smaller at about 3lb. A couple more liners but no proper bites on the next 2 casts, including trying some pineapple flavour corn made me try hair rigged bread. No sooner had I put the rod down than the rod went round and a livlier fish was on the end and after 3-4mins a 6lb odd common finds the net.

Just after recasting the sleet turned to rain and all the ice and snow on the bank thawed and all signs of fish dissapered. At this point the 4 other anglers I could see haven't had a fish. After a biteless hour on the tip the sun actually came out and with the tip being lifeless I tried the pole. Ten minites over both swims with corn was fruitless so I tried a single red maggot. After about 5 mins I had a bite, well, I think it was, it could have been a liner as I looked round and when I looked back the float was gone. The fish chugged gently into me, then just as it came to the net it came off, damn! I wasn't sure if it was foulhooked. It came sideways to the net but I think it may of just rolled over the line. Still, I'll never know!

The rest of the match was fruitless untill the last 30 mins when the angler next peg had 2 carp quick then his swim died. About 15mins from the end, casting to the tip of the island with a single grain of corn the rod goes round again a 4lb odd common nods it's way gently to the net.

At the weigh in one angler is admitting to 5 fish, but says they are all small. Other than my 4 carp the most was 2, so I knew I'd got 2nd! The 5 fish from the reed pegs went just short of 15lb, so I thought it was going to be close. On the scales I was suprised when my 4 fish went 20lb 6oz for 1st. And then it was off as quick as possible to get back into the warm! Winter is here!

Be Carefull What You Wish For!

Well, after my mini rant two weeks ago after winter flyer peg 18 on the New Lake at Westside I actually went and drew it for the first time ever! However, just as I put my box down on my peg the heavens opened! I was also concerned that I was the only angler with someone next peg (I think) with peg 17 being in. Why does that happen to me, it never seems to be in otherwise! Could that be an omen of what the day was to hold?

The peg is quite wide (I'll try and get the pic up soon, my photo thingy is playing up!-update, I deleted the pic by accident! Oooops!). There is a small bay on the island, with the far bank steadily sloping up towards it. I decided to put up just two rigs to fish along the far bank, one just over 3ft deep and the other around 2ft 6in deep. It took just over 16m of pole to use the deeper rig on my side of the slope, and 17m the other side of the bay, and could just reach the shallow side of the bay next to some reeds with 17.6m of pole with the shallow rig, which I could also try over the deeper line. Both rigs were on .14dia line to a 16B611 on Preston 13h elastic. the deeper rig had a 4x12 Preston Somo float adapted to take a plastic tip, and the shallow rig was a 4x10 Preston Black in-line dibber.

On the whistle I cupped in a few casters and a couple of grains of hemp on the nearest deepr swim, I didn't want to feed further up and on the other side of the bay to start with, to give the fish somewhere to back off too, so I could hopefully rotate to keep odd fish coming. After 7 or 8 mins with a bit of corn on the hook and no bites I put on two red maggots and started to drip odd casters in with a toss-pot. The float settled and shot under and I was thinking 'here we go!', yet all that was on the end was a small perch, less than an ounce in weight. That proved to be the only sign of life for the next hour in my swim, then two ghosties cruised through my swim.

To cut a long and rater boring story short no matter what I tried, and where in the swim I tried it, nothing happend apart from an odd liner.That was until an hour before the end of the match. By this time peg 17 had just started to pack up, having not had a bite. I missed a bite on the nearest deeper swim and then had a 2lb common followed by one about 6lb next drop, both on single caster. By this time I could see one person (peg 20) with 4 carp and someone else with 2 so thought that a good last hour would give me a chance, but as soon as it had started it had stopped! The next bite gave just one tiny roach. Five mins before the end I missed a bite, then had a chunky 4lb mirror carp, then missed a bite seconds before the whistle. I have to say I was thoroughly gutted!

The match was won with 44lb from peg 33 (the peg in the corner I won from late in September) the peg to my left had 24lb for 2nd and 21lb was 3rd. My 3 carp gave me just over 13lb which was good enough for 4th. I sat and pondered the whole way home what had gone wrong, but I honestly believe I didn't have fish infront of me. Perhaps it was the rain, which felt very cold (and wasn't forecast!) but I don't know, I really don't. Two bad weeks in a row now, we can only hope for next week I guess!

Not The Best Of Days!

When I drew peg 45 on the Old Lake at Westside I was reasonably happy with the draw, after all the peg has features and is not too deep but I just had a feeling that the day was going to be hard. I had no reason to expect it as the weather had been settled and conditions were good, it was just one of those feelings.

Rig-wise I had three put up. The first was fished towards the small island on the slope leading up to it. This was in just over 3ft of water. The float was a .2gr DC6 on .14 dia line to a 16B611 to a soft 14 latex (due to the remains of a big lilly bed in the swim). I also had a rig to fish next to the remains of the lillies, the hook and line for this rig was the same as the other rig but with a larger .3gr DC6 float in around 5ft of water. Last rig was in the margins where there were a few straggly reeds in the edge in 3ft of water, float for this was a 4x12 Preston Somo with the same hook and line as the other rigs, elastic was a soft black hydro. This rig would also double up for trying shallow over the other lines. Bait-wise I had caster, corn, hemp and a few red and white maggots for the hook.

Each line was fed at the start with a pinch of bait but with no casters on the deeper line to keep any fish down (as the hemp and corn sink fast) Starting on the far line and it was awkward to see my float in the mottled light but the first half an hour gave me just one liner before a bite on double white maggot gave me a small carp of about 2lb. Absolutely nothing followed in the next hour, even trickling casters on the far line via a toss-pot failed to get a response. The angler next peg had struck at odd bites fishing to the other side of the lilly bed, then had a fish there so I decided to drop in there. An instant bite on corn produced another 2lb common but nothing else, not even a liner. Odd fish had started to top by this point but the next hour produced nothing except one missed bite on the shallow rig next to the lillies. Out of the blue an hour after the first fish next to the lillies another 2lb common finds it's way to the net.

With an hour to go and nothing else was happening, but other anglers on the opposite bank had started to catch odd fish; all of those were sat with the sun on the water, I was in the shade. I decided to get the catty out to flick a few casters to the long line while I was fishing the deeper line, as this was were I thought I had the best chance of a few fish. I had one bite next to the lillies with half an hour left which stormed strait through the lillies and I lost, though I'm almost certain it was foul-hooked. This led to me going on the long line and an instant bite on maggot gave me another 2lb common. Next drop and I was strait in again but this fish stormed towards me and into the lillies, then pulled off. After that hoards of floating leaves came through and it was practically impossible to fish.

My four carp gave me just over 9lb which was good enough for 4th, 48lb had won, from peg 48 on the end of the island. This peg is shallow on the island (2ft) and had been in the sun all day. 21lb was second (5 fish) and 13lb was 3rd (4 fish). I was left a bit peeved with the day, I got home feeling that I hadn't fished well. I'm not sure if catapulting the bait over the long line had helped or if it was just that last 30min spell you get on commercials, but I should have tried it earlier, but even then my peg wasn't good for near 50lb but I really should have framed. Never mind, always next week!

Winter Begins.....

Actually, this morning wasn't too bad! the rain had just about stopped when I got up, and the wind had dropped to nothing. It was also a lot milder than previous mornings, and certainly nowhere near the -2 and -3's that we have had. Even the carp in my pond were quite happy to feed so I was hopeful of a few carp feeling the same in Westside!

I had a walk around the lake when I got there as I hadn't fished that lake for around a month or so. Most people wanted to draw an early peg (1-18) as thats where all the fish were caught last time. I have to admit I wasn't so sure they would be the best from looking, they had a distinct black / grey colour to the water up to about peg 15, which I think comes from rotting leaves.

My usual place two thirds down the queue and I was quite happy with peg 31, although there were quite alot of floating leaves that I thought could be a pain! I set up two rigs to fish along the far bank, in two areas of the same depth, as I didn't have a great area to fish in the margin and I've never done that great fishing the deep water on this lake. I did have to chop some lillies that were infront of my peg first though! Both rigs were on .14 dia Garboline with 16 B611 hooks. The first rig up was for fishing on the bottom in near 4ft of water, on the far slope. This used a .2gr DC6 float, while my other rig was to fish about 14-16in off the bottom and used a 4 x 10 in-line Preston Pink dibber. The two areas were at 16m in front and at about 16.5m to my right in a slight bay on the island. Both rigs were on a soft Preston 13h elastic.

At the whistle I elected to only feed the swim directly in front, leaving the fish somewhere to back off. Three grains off corn, about ten casters and a small pinch of hemp went in, then the full depth rig went across with a grain of corn on the hook. A liner after five mins gave hope of a quick fish, but the only other action was a lost fish that I foulhooked as I lifted up. Nothing else followed in the first 15 mins so I started to drip a few casters in and try one on the hook. Just an odd liner was all that happend in the next half hour, in that time the peg to my right had a perch (later weighed at a level 2lb) and a small carp, while the peg to my left (33, which I won off last time I fished this lake) had 2 small carp from the margin. A brief try on the shallow rig was fruitless (apart from cursing at the floating leaves!) so I tried double white maggot. A quick dob saw me strike and soon net a small 2lb common, at least I hadn't blanked!

A fruitless hour followed, while peg 33 had two more small carp. No liners even followed so I tried and fed the other line. All of a sudden the sun broke through and at the same time a group of carp came swimming round the corner of the island up in the water and into my peg. Out with the shallow rig and under goes the float... ooops, missed it! Back in and under again goes the float and out comes a couple of yards of lakky! a couple of minutes later and a 5lb common is in the net. Strait back out, half a dozen caster are tipped out of the pot onto the float and it buries again! A few min later a maniac 5lb ghostie is in the net, this is fun! Next drop in and the pattern is repeated, this time with a smaller carp of about 3lb, and a slightly longer wait next chuck gives another 3lb'er.

This spell of action was short lived however, and as soon as the action had started it had stopped, not a disaster as nobody near me had caught anything else. The next hour was fruitless whatever I tried, over either line, failed to produce. One lone 4lb common came out of the blue on the shallow rig so I tried pushing the rig slightly closer to the far bank. An over enthusiastic strike at a bite I missed however saw me attached to a tree on the otherside, damn! (or words to that effect!, and yes, it's still up that tree!)

Back slightly closer and odd liners started again on the shallow rig. For some reason I decided to drop the rig in way to the left and it instantly went under (should have tried that earlier!) this fish ran all along the far bank and got stuck on a branch and a load of line under a tree quite a way to my right. I could see the tree moving, and when I pulled a big branch with a load of line lifted out of the water, eeerm, now what! I was convinced I wasn't getting this fish out so just pulled and I felt something give. I was sure I had just the branch attached (and said so to the angler next peg) till it swam past me when shipping back! In the net and it was a ghostie of no more than 3lb that had caused so much trouble! I had to cut a load of said line off my rig, it must have been at least 8lb line, with a hook tied knotless knot style with the hair stop still in the loop, and it had been in the water a while!

I had one last common of around 4lb that was in the net just before the whistle, but didn't have enough time to get another. I reckoned that my 8 carp would go around 32lb, way more than anyone else I could see. It was only when the scales can round I found out that someone had 50lb off peg 18, now I hate that peg, mostly 'cos its a winter flier, and I never draw it, EVER! That peg (with the same angler normally!) beat me a few times last winter, hence my dislike of it! I will draw it one day!

I was only reasonably happy with my 2nd (14lb was 3rd off 33 to my left) I do feel if pushed I could have had a bit more from my peg, but not enough to win. It's just a bit of a bummer when there is one peg that seems to beat you (as opposed to the angler), and more so when the same lucky swine seens to draw it. He even had the balls to complain about it as he said it was too far to the island!! Some people are never happy!

Another Wet Sunday!

It's never a pleasure to wake up on a Sunday to the sound of torrential rain outside, but this Sunday it's what happened! Still, I'd not been fishing for two weeks so couldn't wait to get out. Outside it wasn't cold, and the carp in my pond, which I always look at to try and get an idea of how they may behave at the venue I'm going to, were feeding heavily as there had been no morning frost unlike most mornings during the week.

At the venue the turnout was quite low (only ten), due to winter leagues starting, and probably in no small part due to the rain. My priority at the draw was to not draw at the back of the island, and preferably in the open water. My spirits were lifted when I was told that back of the island pegs had been so bad recently that they were not in, and that only one peg around the island was in (64), guess which peg I drew! I've drawn this peg before (it was tipping it down that day too!) and knew that you tend to only catch an odd early carp across before having to search other areas for bites.

Sitting my box down at the peg I noticed that the water had it's winter colour, like weak tea with only a little milk added I suppose, and I could see the bottom tight over. First rig was to fish on the far slope in about 3ft of water, at about 1 o'clock to my left, which I hoped would give me enough depth for fish to settle. Float was a 4 x 12 Preston Somo, adapted to take a plastic bristle. Line was .14 dia Garboline and the hook a 15 B711, with the elastic being a soft black hydro. The next rig was the one I was pinning most of my hopes on, down the track. This was in just over 5ft of water, at about 9m infront just where it had started to shallow up (to avoid the silty bottom). Float for this was a .3gr DC5 float, as there was little tow I could get away with a lighter float, and the diamond shape makes it very stable. Line and hooks were the same as the other rig and the elastic was a soft 14 Preston latex. Lastly I had a small tree overhanging in my left margin about 4m so put up a similar rig to fish under this, same float and hook as the far bank rig but on stronger .16 line in case there were any roots right under it.

It was as I sorted my bait I spotted my first mistake of the day, the corn, caster, maggots and hemp were all in order, but the only expanders I had were dark Vde RS Elite 3mm rather than the lighter colour Ringers I prefer when the water is clearer. On the whistle a dozen casters and 3 grains of corn went across. Half a dozen grains of corn and about 20 grains of hemp went down the track and the same under the tree to my left with a few 3mm pellets too. First drop across with a grian of corn and the float burried quickly, though my initial excitement faded when it was only a 2oz roach. Odd liners and silly indications followed so I tried caster which just produced odd roach. That said, I could see a few other anglers from where I was and nobody else had caught and at least I was putting something in the net!

After around an hour the roach died out, probably spooked by the odd carp cruising through, but they were only inches deep and most definatly not feeding. Then the next peg (66 which I won off 3 weeks ago) had a carp down the track and started to strike regularly but wasn't getting anything. I had also seen the peg past him catch 2 or 3 fish from the margin (I could only see the end of his pole when he had a fish on) I didn't want to try my other lines yet, I like to leave them longer to settle so started dropping in further along the far bank without feeding hoping to drop a bait on a carp prepared to eat and get an early carp or two but after another 40 mins of just an odd liner I came away from the far bank.

A single grain of corn down the track gave me a quick liner than a proper bite resulted in a common of about 5lb but nothing else followed, not even a liner. A quick try under the tree in the margin was fruitless so I went back across, and as I did so the next peg had their 2nd fish, again down the track, and I'd seen he peg past that catch 3 or 4 now but had yet to see anyone else catch. After a fruitless 20min across I went back down the middle and instantly had another common, this time about 3lb. Odd liners after this encouraged me to stay on this line and shortly after the next peg had their 3rd carp I also hooked had another, again about 3lb but foulhooked, but this resulted in the swim fading off again.

Fruitless spells 10-15min spells in both other swims led me back down the track. The next hour was frusrating for me, losing three carp (two at the net and they were definatly foulhooked) and bumping another. No matter what depth I fished at I couldn't avoid foulhookers, I even had a foulhooker 4in off the bottom on maggot. At this stage I could see the that 2 pegs up was catching fairly steady now, but the next peg had added no more. The only thing I could think of was to take a shot off to try and avoid striking to early. I re-fed the swim and rested it and on return 10mins later I had 2 quick fish about 2lb a piece.

With only an hour to go apart from the 3 carp at the next peg and the 7 or so further up I had only seen odd other fish so was still in the running. The last hour gave me 8 bites and 5 more fish, 4 about 4lb and the last about 6lb, and I have to admit to swearing when I missed a bite just before the whistle! Each carp was follwed by at least a bite (sometimes missed) then a quiet spell, a distinct pattern.

When the scales got to me just over 20lb was top weight, my first hour roach catch was not quite 2lb and my ten carp for not quite 43lb gave me a near 45lb total and a comfortable lead, although I knew the angler 2 up would beat me, and so he did, his 13 carp going 54lb. Next weight after that was a mid 30 so I had to make do with 2nd. Still, at least it stopped raining just before the end so I got to pack up dry!

On thinking about the day I'm certain I'd have won had I fed a 2nd track line, I certainly had enough room to, and I was a bit daft not to really given as it was the area I expected to catch best from. I'm sure a lighter fed line to swap between when the other wasn't giving me bites would have given me the 2 or 3 extra fish I needed for a win. I probably should have twigged taking a shot off earlier when I had the run of foulhookers too. The peg was easily good enough for another 15lb+ really so although having had a days fishing (unlike the other week) I still went home a little dissapointed. We live and learn don't we? Well, I hope to! I was also dissapointed not to get an odd carp across, they were definatly there but maybe they wouldn't feed with the recent loss of water colour. Who knows?

Next week looks a different proposition, the forecast for the week is cold nights and cool days which should put the fish into winter mode, so now I'm off to hunt for thermal gear and bootliners, then there is the matter of taking out the 16 latex's and replacing them with 12's and changing the purple hydro's for Preston 13h hollow in readyness for the cold! Hope it's worthwhile!

Well, I Did Say It Last Month!

Well, the delay is not because I had a bad day, simply because I've been away without access to a computer!

Sunday gone's match was again on lake 2, unbeknown to me untill I saw there was nobody in the lake 1 car park when I got there! still, at least it wasn't raining this week. A larger than normal presence before the draw convinced me of one thing, I didn't want to draw a peg around the back of the island, as pegging would be a little tight (o.k, nowhere near as bad as alot of other commercials, but when you get used to having the room). Needless to say, I wasn't the happiest when I drew peg 57, dead smack in the middle around the back of the island, a peg that I've had a couple of times before. My preveous experiance of the peg was the same on both occasions, a good first hour, next to nothing in the middle and a decent last hour. However, the next peg (59, 58 isn't used in matches) has never been in when I've drawn it, but I had noticed, as have many others, that it doesn't fish when 59 is in as it seems to stop any fish coming around the island, so I wasn't filled with optimism.

I had one line at 14.5m to the island at about 11 o'clock, about 2ft short of the island in just under 3ft of water, after that I thought it was too shallow for the time of year at about 18in. The middle is a afir bit deeper here than where I was the previous week so I fished at 13m at 1 o'clock to where it had just sarted to shallow up from the deepest point. Here I had about 6ft, slightly more than I wanted but I didn't want to go too near the other line. Last rig was a margin line, this was awkard to find as it's very shallow in tight, on quite a steep slope but eventually I found an area a bit more managable in about 4ft of water. Line on all rigs was 0.16dia Garboline and size 16 hooks on all, while elastics were a Preston 15h for across and 14 latex for the other 2 lines. Bait was the usuall corn, pellet and hemp.

To cut a long and quite boring story short, apart from 1 foul hooker across in the first hour it was as dead as can be, apart from the odd tiny (half ounce!) roack on pellet, and one huge in comparision (2oz!) carp on corn. There just wearnt any carp there, no liners, nothing, and it was no better for the other 4 anglers I could see either, 2 of them having smallish carp (well, at around 2lb huge compared to the one I'd had) and the other 2 without. That was untill the last hour when 59 next door had a run of about 6 fish down the middle on cat meat for 13lb odd. I managed one bite down the track, with half an hour to go and managed to land a carp of about 6lb, hooked in the belly!

I have to say I expected a struggle, but knew I was in for it after the fishless first hour, I never even saw a carp cruise through my peg untill 2pm, something that is very unusuall! It wasn't all famine though, 70lb odd won the match, and the golden peg, from the open water, and there were a few other reasonable weights too. I'd like to say 'ahh well, there's always next week' but there isn't as I'm going to be away so unable to fish, doh! The clock's will have gone back then, a depressing thought, I hope the shorter matches and days bring a bit more action!

It Wasn't Just Wet In The Water!

Like most of the country I woke up on Sunday morning to the sound of rain, and a bit more rain! I was a lot milder out than the last few mornings, no frost for a start! I wasn't sure how it would affect the fishing, as the fishery doesn't normally respond well to the rain, but it had livened up the carp in my pond, perhaps it would do the same to the carp in Westside!

For the second week in a row I drew one of the pegs that I wanted pre-draw (66), although one of the pegs round the back of the island (53) was apparently heaving with fish. First job at my peg was to put my brolly up (even though I hate sitting under it), fortunatly the wind was quite behind me and with the high tree's I was well sheltered from the gusty wind. The peg is quite wide, being a full 16m to the island, although it has the advantage of being the last peg on the end of the island before the open water swims. There is a small reedbed on the island but it's very shallow next to it. With the cooler temperatures the colour had dropped out slightly so I decided to fish on what was quite a steep slope in 3ft of water, about half a meter short of the island. Float was a 4x12 Preston somo that I'd adapted to take a 1.5mm plastic tip, on .16 diameter line to a 15B711 hook and matched to a 15h elastic. a similar rig was set up to fish tight to the bank to my left at about 6m under a small bush but using a 16 latex lakky. Setting the third rig up lead me to being late starting but was to fish at about 9m, just my side of the deepest water down the middle. Float was a .3gr DC5 float in about 5ft of water with the same line and hooks as before and was fished on a 14 latex lakky.

Five minutes late I fed a pinch of 3mm swim-stim pellets and a couple of grains of corn across, a pinch of hemp, caster and corn down the middle and the same in the margins. I'd elected not to feed caster across to try and avoid roach across. Starting on a 4mm pellet across I was suprised not to get any indicactions, not even from small fish. After 10 mins I started to get odd liners, then when the float burried a 4oz roach found it's way to the net, next drop was followed by a micro carp so I tried a piece of corn. Five minutes later all that was happening were liners so I decided to push the rig up the shelf slightly with instant response as mirror of around a pound fell to the trick, followed up by a brown goldfish slightly larger. The following drop produced a lot less indications, followed by me hooking a much better fish which came off after a few seconds. I'm quite certain it wasn't foul hooked, just not feeding properly.

The loss of that fish made the swim in-active so I started to feed a few grains of hemp and a few pellets every five or so mins through the toss pot and after a few drops odd 3oz roach started to show, then another brown goldfish, all to pellet, then after trying a grain of corn to try and get through the bits a 5lb common gave a lively scrap before finding it's way into the net just after an hour. This co-incided with a destinct darkening of the already grey sky as the rain got heavier and the temperature seemed to drop, as did the activity in my swim, however, the two other anglers I could see wearn't catching either. After a biteless half hour I tried both other swims but with no joy but I carried on topping them both up. After a while odd small fish started to appear across but I was missing a lot of bites due to the size before another small carp of around a pound found it's way in.

With two hours to go another try down the track gave an odd liner but just as I was about to give up on it the float went and a carp of around 2lb came in. The next two drops gave instant bites and a 3lb'er and another 'brownie' found their way in before it slowed up with 2 carp in amoungst alot of knocks in the next 20mins led me to rest the swim for 10 mins but with only a missed bite in the margin to show I went back down the track. A finniky bite again led me to try dotting the float down a bit more and adding a backshot to the rig as the wind had become a bit swirly now. This had the desired trick as after this I caught steadily for the rest of the match, with bites coming best fishing 2ft either side of my feed, even though there was no tow. This carried on for the rest of the match, feeding the same place and alternating either side of the feed to keep bites coming, and for the second week in a row I hooked my best fish just before the whistle and I needed over-time again to get it into the net, a common about 6lb. It even stopped raining 10 minutes before the end so we could pack up in the dry!

As the scales came round peg 53 had just over 50lb for top weight (it was solid then, never is when I draw it!) but I was confident of beating that, and my 8lb 15oz of bits and small carp followed by the 16 proper carp gave me a 66lb 10oz total and a second win on the bounce, a nice feeling! I must be heading for a fall soon then! I'll tell you about it next week.

Brrr! Winters On It's Way!

Well, the days might have been nice and warm just lately but the nights have a distinct chill to them now, I got up this morning to find that the heating had clicked on for the first time since, erm... I can't remember. Funny though, my first thought wasn't how the cold would affect the fishing, it was hoping that I didn't draw next to some wally that fills it in like I did last week!

The usual pre-draw chat was about who wanted which pegs and my wish list was 20, 23, 25 and 29, although I did say I wouldn't mind 33. The sun had just started to burn through the mist as we drew, just taking the chill out of the air, hand in the bag knowing that two of the pegs I wanted were gone and out comes 33, that'll do!

Peg 33 sits on the end of the island, and although it's a long way to the island (near 17m) it also has a small reedy bay along the left hand bank and can be a very good margin swim on it's day. I drew this peg a month ago and came 3rd with 46lb, mostly in the last 2hrs on meat in the margins. The first rig I set up was for the margin, at about 12m, just on the end of the marginal bay and just past the reeds, the reasons for this was that the slope was a little more managable and a heck of a lot cleaner so easier to fish. The lake still held good colour so I kept with the .18 line but scaled down the hook to a 14 B611, float was a .2gr DC5 in roughly 3ft of water, and the lakky was a very soft set 16 latex. The far bank rig had the same pattern float, same line and hook but a 15h elastic, as I had quite alot of smaller fish last time of this peg, I started this on the far slope in just under 3ft of water but expected to have to go further over later. Bait was corn, pellet and hemp but I'd also brought some red maggots as well has a few worms and some casters, no meat as it was now cooling down.

At the start I fed the far bank swim with about a dozen 4mm pellets, half a dozen grains of corn and a pinch of hemp. The margin was feed the same but with a pinch of casters too, and I would top it up with the same every half hour or so. First drop long with a pellet resulted in it getting shredded by small rudd, not what you want at 16.5m! on with a grain of corn and after loads of silly knocks a proper bite gave me a small crucian carp of about 6oz, net drop gave the same silly knocks for about a minite before they stopped, and then a proper bite which resulted in a 2lb+ common. The next drop gave a small pasty carp then a lost foulhooker signalled a quitening down of the swim for around 20min. Just before the hour mark two lost fish were followed by a spate of liners and unhittable bites. I'm sure the lost fish wearn't foulhooked, just fish that are not feeding properly.

I decided on a slight change of tactics following the liners, feeling that the fish were slightly higher in the water, so off with the half butt section and out with the 17.5m section to fish further up the shelf, I also decided to add another shot to the rig and use the corn to sink it, then drag it up the shelf so the float only just showed, hard work at near 17m but worth a try when there were fish there that just wearnt having it, although nobody else was catching either!

First drop further over was met with an instant bite from a mental 4lb ghostie, then a smaller common about half the size followed next drop in, but then no more bites were forth coming. Although the fish seemed to have gone I didn't want to feed alot so just dripped about 6-8 pellets and 3 grains of corn in every 7-8 min via the toss-pot, as I had done after every fish, but nothing followed so an hour and a half gone I tried the margin but 5 mins with no liners at all was enough to know nothing was there so back across and an instant bite results on a 4lb common then a couple of missed bites, so I tried a pellet and had a run of 4 small carp (4-8oz) before it quietend off again, before I foulhooked a fish lifting the rig which roared up the island and left my rig in a mess when it came off!

Back in the margin and a bite on a pellet gave me a small common of about 1lb but no more bites, but by this point I still hadn't seen much else caught, except the 2 decent carp from the margin on the peg to my right. Going back across again gave an instant response after being rested, 2 carp around 1.5-2lb then one 3lber hooked in the tail which gave me a lively run around before it quitened off again. Back in the margin with an hour and a half to go gave a small tench about a pound and two carp the same size in quick sucession before it again tailed off, so back to the island which again produced after the rest with two carp about 3lb a piece before that again tailed off.

Going into the last hour I was well ahead of anyone I could see but both swims seemed lifeless, and the next 30mins gave just one small fish in the margins but no other indications so with half an hour left I gambled on potting in across about 30 pellets and a dozen grains of corn, Ignoring the margins which had been quite dissapointing. An instant bite across gave another fish of around 3-4lb then nothing else, until with about 3min to go, and with me willing a fish to take the bait one did! A few minites after the whistle were needed to tame what was the biggest fish of the day at around 7lb. I knew I had a decent weight, but the bites were very much winter like , and despite the warm day it was obvious that the cold nights had an effect as I reckon 85% of my fish cames from 'dinks' on the float that never even took it under, even dotted right down.

When the scales got to my peg 16lb odd was top weight so I knew then I'd won, my small fish net going just over 6lb and my carp net a shade under 41lb gave me a 47lb 4oz net and a very comfortable win. I have say though I really enjoyed the day (except the floating leaves which were a pain for the last 3hrs!) as a neat and delicate approach was needed while still having a few fish to catch!

Why Do These People Do It?

I did begin to wonder what the day would hold when at 7.10am I went to feed the fish in my pond and had to come back in the house to get a fleece! the preceeding days had been dry, bright and warm but it was destinctly cold out early, probably only 6 or 7 degree's C.

The venue is quite a way out of the town (I'm near the centre) and so is usually a degree or two cooler so a gentle start would be required before the fishing hopefully picked up with the temperature. On the way to the venue the usual chat about what peg was in full swing, and one of the numbers I didn't want was 45, a peg that has a good track record (won the last match with 70+lb) and nearly always has alot of fish in it. However, I don't like fishing against lilly pads for carp and it's a curse drawing the form peg anyway!

At the venue it was obvious it had been a chilly night, the grass was thick with dew and it was very chilly in the shade. Pools paid, into the usual place three quaters of the way down the que my hand goes in the bag and out comes 45! At the peg and it does look nice, a big lilly bed infront and a small island between the me and the peg to my left. The main thing that botherd me at this point however was the angler on the peg to my left, who'm at the draw made no secret of the amount of catmeat he had with him, not really what you want after the coldest night for near 6months....

A nice 3ft at 14m next to the small island and the same depth to my right margin against the foliage made things easy. One rig on .18 line, a .2gr DC5 to a 13B711 and a 16 latex would do for both. A shallow rig for both lines was set up, at half depth using a PB2 float on the same line and hook but with a soft purple hydro. Last rig was for the lillies, these had been producing alot of fish shallow close to them but tends to be very hit and heave, not how I like to fish, but I was told the last match was won fishing to the corner of the small island, however they couldn't be ignored so a shallow rig using a blob float on .20 line and tight purple hydro was set up for here, but I didn't want to use it!

At the all in I decided to take it easy with the feed after the cold night, twenty 4mm pellet and half a dozen grains of corn to the island, then half a dozen 6mm cubes of meat, same of corn plus a reasonable pinch of hemp found it's way down the edge. A 6mm pellet on the hook and out the island we go. Thirty seconds later and back in as the hoards of micro carp had demolished the pellet! out with a grain of corn and a min later float burries and away we go. A min later a 3lb common is in the net, a nice start, but then the day possibly took a turn for the worse! The angler next peg was late starting and at this point a large pole cup full of catmeat went to the lillies between us, followed by 3 more! then a huge pot of meat went to the corner of the island, AAAARRRRGGGH! Needless to say all indications stopped for about 10 min before a crucian of about a pound made it's way in but again nothing followed. After half an hour I decided to start to drip in half a dozen pellets every 6-7mins to try and provoke a response, and after 45min the float burried and what was obviously a lump was on, but as I'd lifted towards the island and lillies it had ran out to the open, and after 4-5mins it rolled on the top and revealed it's self to be one of the huge ghosties in the lake, definatly a double and probably 12lb+, however at this point a problem manifested, the tree's around my peg! I couldn't lift the pole behind me (only the top kit and short 4) to get the fishes head up and over the net and after another couple of minites the hook pulled. Damn (or words to that effect!)

The loss of that fish signalled the death of my swim, not that I could see anyone else catching either mind. Two small carp quick after 3 hours, after I upped the feed gave me hope but again nothing after. The margin was dead and even the lillies seemed lifeless, just odd fish cruising about in the open. I couldn't get a bite anywhere in the swim on any rig, not even an indication, totally lifeless. The angler to my left had only one foul hooker and to my right nothing. The only people I could see catching where those opposite in the open water who were getting odd fish by just sitting in the open water and feeding barely a thing, not a good sign for me after what had gone in nearby! Two more small carp at the death gave me a 15lb 11oz total at the weigh in, good enough for 4th, 48lb won, with another 40+ weight came from the bank opposite, with a 25lb weight for 3rd from the back of the main island.

All in all a frustrating day, I'm sure the peg would have been good for a couple more fish had so much bait not gone in next peg (he fed right at the limit of where he could towards me too!) and also losing that big ghostie which I'm sure given room to play it properly I'd have had in the net before the hook pulled, which would have given me 3rd. Oh well, at least it had been a nice day for two Sundays in a row, a bit rare this year, and there's always next week!

Not a bad blog start!

Well, for the first time in a couple of weeks the weather held out nice on a Sunday, it's mid September and I'm actually celebrating that fact, that can't be good, but that's the great British summer hey!

Today I drew peg 23 on lake 1 at Westside, a peg I've drawn a couple of times before (well, twice) I've had a second and a third off the peg, both times only narrowly missing out on first. I was quite happy with my draw as pre-match when asked I did say I wanted to be in the 20's. The peg is one off the two that were in the match where you can't reach the island with the pole, sitting as it is just on the corner of the island, with the far bank probably 25m away. To my left was a small weedy bay which looked very fishy but the previous times I've drawn it has produced only a quick run of fish before it fades out.



It was quite a warm sunny morning and on previous matches 40lb+ has been needed to frame so that was the sort of weight I was expecting to be needed to win. To fish the island I set up my Drennean 10ft puddle chucker, coupled with a small Daiwa front drag reel and 8lb pro gold main line. On this I was going to fish a method feeder using a small Kobra method feeder loaded with 3mm green swim-stimm pellets and alternating hair rigged pellets (6 and 8mm s-pellets) or corn on a .20 Garboline hooklength t0 a 16 Kamasan animal. For a margin swim I used approx 14m of my Garbolino Superlegion to fish to my left hand bank, behind the lillies and a big weed bed which I knew was in the swim. (I'd lost 4-5 carp in the weed about 6 weeks ago when I last drew that peg). The pole gear consisted of a .3gr DC6 float on .18 Garboline to a 13B711 hook and using a 16 latex elastic in around 3ft of water. I also set up a shorter version of the same rig to use fishing shallow over the same line and to push further up the shelf if I wanted to try that. Bait for the pole was meat (feeding 6mm with 8-10mm cubes for the hook) and corn, feeding both with hemp.



At the start the margin swim got approx 20 pieces of corn and meat plus a small hand full of hemp, totalling half a small cup of bait in total, topping up with the same every half hour. The method was then loaded up and the first cast dropped woefully short of the island, despite me being clipped up, as did the second! a bit out of practice methinks! eventually I got into the swing of things, though still not getting quite a close to the island as I wanted, I expected bites to come pretty quickly, even from small 'pasty' carp. Well, an hour and a quarter in all I had to show was 2 liners and some silly small fish nudges to show. A quick try on the pole, earlier than I wanted, produced just a single liner that encouraged me to give it a few more minutes than I intended. Back on the method and I was starting to get a little worried, though I'd only seen one small carp caught a few pegs down (straight in front of me as I looked)



A hour and 40min in and a sharp pull and a stonking drop back had me grabbing the rod and resulted in me having a puzzled look as nothing was on the end! A few fish were cruising now so it was not like nothing was in front of me, yet I couldn't catch. I expected a slow start due to the cooler autumnal nights but it was worse than I thought. At quarter to midday, just as I was reaching for my radio to listen to the footie chat on Talksport (I was getting bored!) the tip wrenched round and I actually had a fish, whoooey! A very slow and sluggish fight, almost bream like but very heavy resulted in me lifting the rod as I went to net the dead weight and a big orange 'carrot' folding into the net. Now, I've been a regular at Westside for about 18 months but it was the first time I've caught Rusty, a bright orange koi that goes just over 9lb in weight normally, not a bad start, even near 2hr in when everyone else was catching little.


Half an hour later and it was looking a false dawn, with just one liner and one lost fish, although I'm sure I'd just cast over the back of it, as it was an instant bite but it never felt right for the few seconds it was on. Then, just as I was looking at a spitfire overhead chasing a messerschmit 109 (perhaps dodgy spelling!, but Duxford airfield is nearby so a fairly common sight) my tip rod was nearly dragged into the lake, and after a short spirited fight a small 2lb common found its way into the net, Next cast resulted in a rake of liners and the following cast gave a 3lb common and things had just started to get interesting. Two casts with no interest later and it's time to try the pole. Two silly liners later on meat prompted me to try corn and the two drops in saw two carp for about 5lb find their way into the net, then biteless spell prompted a return to the tip.


A half hour biteless spell back on the tip saw me abandon that and get a quick 2lb'er on the pole then nothing again so decided to try upping the feed on the pole (a whole cup of meat, hemp and corn every 30min instead of half). I'd still seen little else caught so was quite happy with things, but more so when a return to the method, trying corn instead of pellet gave 2 quick 3lb'ers followed by a fish of about 7-8lb which I lost at the net trying to keep it's head up over the weed in the edge, Damn! This gave rise to another biteless hour on the tip and pole, though I was at worst keeping pace with the best of the 4 others I could see. With the pole line dead (I'd tried shallow and further up the shelf with no response) I decided to persevere with the tip where I was still getting an odd liner, a decision which paid off as in an hour my fish tally found it's way up to 14 carp, mostly to corn but all on the method. A quick try on the pole in the dying moments saw two missed bites but I already knew I was way ahead of anyone I could see.


By the time the scales got to me 18lb 12oz was top weight, my two weighs gave me 58lb 1oz and with nobody else admitting to more than 6 carp it was obvious that I'd won. Second and third place ended very close, with two of the pegs further down weighing in 21lb 12oz and 21lb 8oz but with a few people not bothering to weigh in it had been hard for a lot of people. Not a bad start to my blog, something which the seemed to curse my fishing last time I did!

Right, suppose I'd better put up some background info on where I'll be fishing really, incase anyone who may actually read this doesn't get lost when I start proper.

The fishery has two lakes, the New Lake (or lake 1) and the Old Lake (lake 2), I will try and put some pictures up, but I only have a camera phone so I apologise for the quality of them now! Both lakes are nice and mature, as far away as you could get from some muddy holes infact. Lake 1 is kinda doughnut shaped, but with a couple of wider pegs where you can't reach with the pole. Most pegs prob need around 16m to fish across, except peg 11 which is about 11m wide, but I never draw it! It's the more mixed lake of the two, with a fair head of silvers and crucians and an odd tench. It is however carp that are needed to win, going from a few ounces upto double figure munters, and there are a few of those!

Lake 2 is a long triangle shape, with an island at the wide end. It's generally more coloured than lake 1, and is predominantly carp, but there are a few crucians and silvers. This year there have been alot of 'nuisence' baby carp, a pain now but great for a couple of years time. The average stamp is probably just over 3lb, but again there are a fair few double figure beastie's, including some whopping great big ghosties!

I think that this Sunday the match is on lake 1 (they tend to be alternated for the opens, unless a club has booked one), and my last 2 matches on there I've done well, winning with 54lb 8oz to pellet across and then being ounced into 3rd with 46lb odd fishing mostely meat in the margins. Anyhow, I'd hope to have a good day but either way the result will be up here for all to see!