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!)