Sunday 24th May

Erm, I know it's not a very good title but I really couldn't think of one! I wasn't sure if the fish would be spawning this Sunday with the spell of very warm weather we've had here, but on arrival at the venue I have to admit I was quite surprised (and pleased) that they weren't. I was a lot less pleased mind when I drew the peg that I did. With only 3 pegs around the island I thought there was a good chance I'd draw in the favoured open water but nope, I got the peg furthest around the island! And peg 57 isn't my favourite anyway!

On arriving at the peg I spooked a carp that had been laying in the margins, plus there were 2 small commons laying in the edge about six metres to my right. With the water now very coloured and warm I was pinning my hopes of catching a few in the margins so I spent a fair time plumbing up to find two nice areas in the margins to my left and right that were a very similar depth, about eight metres to my left and nine to my right. Frustratingly quite a few fish were moving in the bank to my left at around 13m, but you can't fish past the next peg on the venue (where I'd plumbed up both sides), even though the nearest peg was 53! I had a depth of about 3ft in the margins and the rig was on .16 line to an 18 Fox series 2 hook (very big for the stated size, with a wide gape ideal for meat) and matched to purple hydro. Across I fished at about 15m, slightly to my left where I had about 2ft of water close to the bank. In front the island goes away from you a bit but is very shallow, only inches tight and while fish move in it I prefer a little more depth on this venue to hold the fish. Line was .16 again and hook was a 14 B611 and this was matched to a slightly softer Preston Hollo 15 elastic. I did put a rig up for the track at 11m where it had just started to shallow up but with the heat I wasn't sure I'd catch there. This was on the same rig line but in the six and a half foot of water I used one of the excellent power trap floats in .4gr. these are hand made by Mark Haskins but are much easier to get hold of than some of the other handmade pole floats that some people rave over! lakky on this line was a 14 latex.

For the second week running I wasn't ready at the start so fed the far bank with about 20 6mm pellets while I sorted out the rest of my bait! eventually the track line was fed with half a pot of hemp and corm, the right hand margin got the same while the left hand side got the same but with a decent pinch of meat in it too. Going across I got instant indications, some of them proper liners but many of them nudges off small roach. I tried corn instead of pellet as the small fish were stripping the pellet off but with no proper bites I went back to a 6mm expander. It was frustrating as there were obviously some better fish there amongst the hoards of midgets but none were forthcoming. The first fish came in the form of a 1oz roach on the 45min mark just as I had topped up the other lines again, but more encouragingly this was followed up by a crucian of about 12oz before the line started to fade. I potted in another 30 or so pellets (I had been dripping some in) but it made no difference so on the hour mark I came into the margins.

The right hand margin gave a liner fairly quick on single corn but nothing for a few minutes after so I dropped in on double corn and dripped a few grains of hemp and corn in too. Just as I was about to leave the line the float buried and after a lively tussle a 3lb common was in the net, hooked just outside the mouth showing that it wasn't feeding properly. I topped the swim up with a quarter pot of bait and tried the other margin with no success so went back across. The far line was much the same as it was before, definite indications but no bites, despite varying the depth and trying away from the feed. I wondered if the pole was spooking them so I got my tip rod out of the ready rod sleeve. After quickly knocking up some groundbait a small method feeder found it's way across. I have to say I was fully expecting it to go yet despite my casting being pretty damn near spot on (a surprise after the last time!) all this produced again was liners. After six casts on this in half an hour it was chucked up the bank!

The only line I'd not tried was down the track but after ten fruitless minute's on this I topped it up and then re-fed both margins and had a little think. Off came the 14 hook from the far bank rig and was replaced with a 16 and on went a smaller pellet. I shipped the rig over and no sooner had it settled than the pole went over and out came the lakky! A rather spawned out looking fish gave a good account of it's self before finding it's way to the net but no more followed so I topped up the swim.

Back into the margins with 2hrs left nothing was really happening, just odd indications but I was sure they were from carp so I decided to feed a whole pot of bait into the left margin and leave it for a few mins. The left margin gave no joy so I went on it pretty quick. It didn't take long to get a bite on meat and pretty soon carp number 3 was in the net. Topping up with a toss-pot full of bait bought just knocks so in went another big pot of bait. After a couple minute's again another fish joined the others in the net. Not big fish for the margins (some right lumps were milling around) but at least I was catching. Another pot of bait went in but less indications followed and the fish had clearly backed away to the cover further along the same bank.

With the fish seeming to want a bit of bait I fed a decent pot of bait across and went onto it and soon managed another fish before losing what felt a right lump that I'm sure wasn't foul hooked. That pattern followed till the end of the match with me rotating the left margin and across, never managing more than 2 fish in a row off either line. The right margin seemed lifeless strangely! I finished the match on 11 carp, the last one from the margin being the biggest at about 5lb.

When the scales came round the weights were low and my fish went 37lb 15oz for comfortably 1st place, but only beating the next angler to my right on peg 61 by just over a pound who had a good last hour on cat meat. My lead lasted until the scales got to my predicted winner at the start of the match on peg 66 who had 48lb 8oz and was then pushed into 3rd by someone who weighed in 41lb despite admitting to half that, the lying swine! Still I finished the day quite happy having caught a few fish!

I'm pretty sure had I approached the peg a bit more confident at the start I could have won from it, it certainly fished a lot better than I thought it was going too but I wasted half the match really by being negative even when it was obvious there were some fish there. Guess that comes from having a poor run lately. On the plus side I did try one or two little things that seemed to bring results but I want to work on them a bit more before I reveal what they are! Still, for the first time in a while I packed up happy having caught a few and given myself an idea or two to work on. The only downside of the day was the mozzies, I must have squashed 20 of the buggers that were attacking me, but I didn't notice the swines (big ones too!) until I'd already been bit on the arm and started itching. I've now got a golf ball sized lump on my left arm where I was bit 3 times near my elbow, bloody things!

Chasing Shadows

I was quite looking forward to this Sundays match, which had a late draw time so we could fish 12-6pm, hoping that the fish would start feeding later in the day at the time they hopefully thought we'd be going home!

At the draw I was a little less optimistic as with 21 people fishing it tends to make life a little harder. I was hoping for a draw in the fancied 20's, either that or peg 33 but it wasn't to be and I wasn't that over joyed when peg 17 came out into my hand. To make matters worse as I was loading my gear up on my back the heavens opened and I had to walk to the peg in the rain! When it's not happening for you something really lets you know doesn't it!

The peg sits on the point of the island, the front of it being about 15m away (looks further in the picture!) and goes into a bay in front. With no cover on the island and the fact that right into the bay is perhaps 18.5m away and due to the brambles hanging in make it hard to fish tight to it. I put a rig 4ft long on and started to plumb up along the island. It didn't matter how close I got to the island, even at 17.5m I couldn't touch the bottom with the rig! In the end I had a rig near 5ft in depth to fish at 16m up the side of the island next to some overhanging grass. I wasn't optimistic of being able to hold fish on the deck against the island in that depth at this time of the year and so put up 2 shallow rigs to fish close to the island too, one at 12in deep and one at 2ft. I had a fair bit of room to my right so set up a rig to fish at 7m along there behind some lillies in 3ft of water. Lastly I had a rig to fish near a weed bed in the deep water at an angle of about 11 o'clock, fishing about 10m. Here the water was near 7ft deep, more than I'd like but the peg does have some form fishing to the weed.

I fed very little across (hemp and corn) but put decent pots of bait on the other two lines, albeit a couple of minites after the all-in as I wasn't ready! It didn't take long to get odd liners from fish that were obviously high up in the water. I tried the deeper of the 'up' rigs but had only one sharp dink on double caster. The shallowest rig produced nothing yet as soon as I went back on the deck I got liners again. This game of chasing the fish followed for just over an hour. In this time nobody I could see had a fish. With only odd dinks on the deeper 'up' rig but nothing on the shallowest I decided to try the deeper rig 6 inches shallwer. This didn't take long to get what seemed a proper bite but with the extra line above the float I missed it and got the rig stuck in some far bank hidden vegetation! Rig sorted (with a shorter line!) and the next bite see's black hydro streaming out. After a short but very lively fight a common of about 4lb was in the net, foulhooked in the pectoral fin. Back out and I barely had time to tip the few casters out of the toss-pot when the floats gone and I'm in again and after another lively tussle a slightly smaller carp about 3lb finds it's way to the net. The next drop and after a slightly longer wait another 3lb'er finds it's way to the net.

After the far bank rush I took a minite out to top up the other lines before going back across, but no more bites followed. I decided to rest the swim and try the other lines but ten minites on each of those were fruitless. Back on the far line and nothing happened but there was definitely some movement right back in the bay. I put another section on and tried as near the jungle as I could. After a few minies I had another bite but I must only have had the fish on for a second before it got stuck solid in the brambles and I lost it.

Losing the fish proved to it for the swim for the next few hours apart from an odd 'dink' shallow which I was sure were from small silvers. At this time an air display had also started at near-by Duxford airfield, and bugger are those low flying jets loud! The noise was so loud that it vibrated on my pole! I'm sure it can't have helped the fishing. This went on till around 5.30. Up to this point I tried everything I could think of on all lines yet the float never moved on the middle and margin lines, although odd fish could be seen swimming along the far bank. Five minites before the end I tried again at 17.5m and managed another carp of around 3lb. I just had time to get back out again and the float 'dinked' and my strike was met with a tiny rudd that came flying out of the water before coming off!

Nobody near me (that I could see) had done any good but and my four fish went 13lb 4oz but alas the favored 20's produced the 3 frame places all in a line, 27lb winning and 18lb and 15lb being the others and with someone else managing 14lb 4oz I had to make do with 5th, although the lost fish did probably cost me 3rd.

One thing that I did notice was that all the fish I had were very rough and I'm sure the reason for the poor fishing is because the fish are now waiting to spawn. Still, no matter that it had been frustrating, at least I caught unlike last week! Hopefully next week will be better still, I was catching more fish in the winter!

Will It Get Better?

After the last few results on the Old Lake I was hopeing for an improvement this week, and was quite optimistic when I drew peg 48. Despite it blanking last week it is one of my favourite pegs on the lake and was confident that I could nobble a few fish off of it, although it tends to be late starter unless you catch across.

The peg is on the end of the island and is shallow against it, perhaps 16in deep. The only downside is that I've never fished it when the pegs either side are in. Infact of the 18 pegs in I think there was only me that had pegs both sides. The first rig for across was a 4x8 Durafloat on .16 line strait thru to a 14 B611, lakky was black hydro. The rig I expected to see most action was the one for the deep water. The deepest part of the peg is only 4ft deep and I was confident the fish could be pushed down. Line was again .16 and hook again a 14 B611. Float was a .2gr diamond bodied handmade pattern which is very stable and lakky was a 14 latex. I put up rigs for either side in the margins but with pegs in both sides I wasn't sure if I'd catch there.

At the whislte I fed some pellet across and a pot of corn and hemp down the track. I elected not to feed the margins to start with, and would only try then later if I was struggling or a lot of peopel were catching in the edge.

To cut a long and very boring story short I never had a bite! Well, a proper bite. Fishing expander pellet I had the bait robbed within seconds by tiny roach. Odd carp drifted though but were most definatly not feeding. I wasn't the only person to suffer the same fate, and two people opposite only avoided the same by catching a carp from there only bite of the day in the last 5 minites! I really can't think of anything I done wrong, I really don't believe I had feeding fish infront of me. I had the same peg near enough a year to the day ago and won with 13 fish for 66lb. Despite not getting a bite I did give it right to the end but it wasn't to be! The lake as a whole fished hard, 29lb winning and 24lb being 2nd, both from what are normally unfancied pegs!

Time to sign off for now, thats enough of re-living a dull day!

Bank Holiday Pairs

I'll apologise for there being no picture, my now battered phone camera plays up a bit now and won't always take a pic! With 22 pairs fishing it was well attended which is probably why an EA bailiff made an appearance, not a problem but I'd imagine they would have more luck chasing pleasure anglers on day ticket waters!

As usual my pairs partner let me draw as apparently I've got a better drawing arm. The two numbers out were peg 11 on the New Lake and 47 on the Old Lake. Now Barney who I was fishing with had endured peg 47 on the Old Lake a few weeks ago and didn't have a bite so he wasn't keen on it again for for the first time in the pairs I fished the Old Lake.

Peg 47 doesn't have a lot going for it really. It's one of the deepest pegs on the lake and has no real track record. On the pole line there is 7ft odd of water from about 4m all the way out. The margin is bare but with 2ft almost next to the bank I hoped to be able to nobble a fish or five there late on!, especially as I had the luxury of an empty peg to my left. For the long line at about 12m out I put up a .4gr diamond bodied hand made float. Light for the depth but the heavy and long glass stem and the body shape make them very stable. Line for this was .16 to a 14 B611 and a 14 latex set soft for the lakky. I put up two shallow rigs on similar gear, one at half depth and one at 1ft but both with black hydro. I hoped that I'd be able to catch shallow as the swim has no real form so hoped to manage to nobble an odd fish as they cruised though. Lastly I put up a margin rig. This was on .16 thru again, but with a 18 Fox Series 2 hook to fish meat. Lakky was a soft purple hydro as hopefully anything here would be a munter!

On the whistle a decent pinch of hemp and a few grains of corn went out long while the margin received a third of a pot of hemp with a few grains of corn and bits of meat. It didn't take long to get odd slight nudges on the float so started to top up with a few grains of hemp and corn via a toss-pot. After perhaps 15 minites the angler opposite had a fish in the open water so I was confident I could get a fish or two. Nudging the half hour mark I get a bite and lift but nothing is there, perhaps a liner? Either way afterwards everything faded out. Odd fish were moving but I didn't want to start to feed to bring the fish up yet, the open water swims are slow starters!

The next two hours were dire, and the wind picked up to a point where controlling shallow rigs and feeding was awkward, although during the calmer spells I did try it but all that happened was that my bait was shredded by tiny roach. The margin swim was lifeless, but I carried on topping it up every 40-45 minites. Half way through the match only one angler in the favoured reed pegs was catching regularly and nobody else I could see had more than two carp. Although I'd been topping up regular with reasonable amounts I decided I had nothing to lose by attacking the swim so fed a whole pot of bait and went out on double corn. A liner after a minite or two was followed by a proper bite and a small common of just over a pound found it's way to the net. A missed bite next chuck and then the swim faded so I gave it another half a cup. Odd bites followed on single corn but all were missed and I suspect they were roach.

With an hour to go I was going nowhere and I could barely hold the pole out in the wind now. The margin hadn't gave a sign so I gave it a big pot of bait. Ten minites later and a bite on meat lead me a merry dance with what was probably foul hooked before it pulled and the hook came back bent. Another half a pot in and a new hook and an instant bite gave what felt properly hooked and then that came off! I gave it a minite or two and nothing followed so I gave it another pot of bait. The next bite came five minites later and a good fish gave me a tussle before a common of about 7lb was bundled in to the net. More bait in and again about five minites later and the lakky is out again as a smaller 4lb odd fish finds it's way in. Whoopie, bag up in the last hour shall we? Wrong! I never had another proper bite, but I did start to get liners again about 20 seconds before the end. Looking at what I could see I guessed I'd be about 5th on the lake, and that's were I finished with 12lb 6oz with 49lb winning the lake. Looking back I should have dumped bait in up the side earlier after it worked doing it long, guess I was a bit slow there really!

After the match while the results were being worked out it was obvious to all who would be 1st and 2nd, but with many people blowing out and my partner being about 7th I thought we may sneak 3rd, which we did. Unfortunately it was tied and we lost out on weight by 9oz! It was to prove to be a close but no cigar day, another 6oz and I would have been 4th on my lake and got us 3rd pair. Another pound and three quarters would have won me the 11 peg section money and 4lb would have got me 2nd on the lake and maybe just enough for 2nd pair ( I didn't quite catch the points totals). I was certainly left to rue not feeding heavier earlier, or the lost fish that I'm sure wasn't foul hooked but alas it wasn't to be!

Not sure what lake I'll be on next week but it would be nice to catch a few fish again! Check back next week where hopefully I'll have a change of fortune!