Winter League Rd 5

I have to admit I wasn't sure what to expect this week, the weather has been lovely during the week but for the last two or three nights we'd had a frost, dipping down to -2 on some nights. Going into the penultimate round I was 13 points clear of second place, though that doesn't take into account having a dropped result which makes it a bit less as I have yet to score less than double figures. This makes a realistic lead of about 5 points, though on a Sunday morning looking at the board I couldn't be bothered to work it out properly!

I went into the draw near last and was happy with my draw of peg 31, the end of the strait of one side of the lake which always seems to hold carp. The only concern was that the wind was whistling down this side of the lake and was quite strong at times, but I was on what is the narrowest peg on the side. The water had a good tinge of colour so I was expecting to catch a few fish, though with a slow start with the cold night before. I could reach the island with 16m of pole ( though I use a short 4th so 15.5m really) and set up two rigs for across, the first was near the top of the slope in 3ft of water using a 4x12 chianti (with a plastic tip) while I also set up a 4x10 pb2 to fish about 2ft deep over the same area and could also push it right into the far bank. Both were on .14 Garboline to a 16 B611 and Preston 13h lakky. To my right there was a small tree over hanging at about 5m and I had about 3ft of water next to the bank so I set up a rig for here, using a 4x12 somo (again with a plastic tip), same hook and line as the other rigs bit with a soft 14 latex. Last rig was for 6m near the bottom of the slope, slightly to my left as it was downwind. Not a line I normally fish on this lake as I don't do that well on it, but I had loads of time so it couldn't do any harm! Line on this was .13 Powerline and the float was a .4gr handmade float. Quite light for the six and a half foot of water but with the long glass stem it's a very stable float. Lakky was a 14 latex to a 15 B711, it was a big fish or bust line!

At the whistle I fed a few casters and 3 grains of corn across, the throw away line down the slope had a fair amount of hemp and a dozen grains of corn and the margin had a pinch of hemp, the same of 3mm pellet and a couple of grains of corn. The first ten minites across on corn were fruitless so I slipped on a caster and had a bite strait away from a chunky 2oz perch. A couple of minites later the same happened and a similar size roach found it's way in. At this point I started to trickle in a few casters each drop. A missed bite next chuck had me not sure if it was a liner so I went out on the shallow rig. The next couple of minites gave two missed sharp bites that I thought were from small silvers before a 3rd bite saw 2ft of lakky come out. Not a carp this time but a welcome 10oz perch. At this point nobody else I could see had anything though I was slightly concerned about the lack of carp as you normally get early signs on these pegs.

Nothing else of any note happened up to the 90 minite mark, except odd 1oz roach on caster shallow so I dropped into the other lines, a tad earlier than I wanted. Nothing on the slope rig led me into the margins. After a few minites I had a definite liner on corn so I spent a bit longer on it with no joy. A chunky 2oz roach on the deck across was followed by a few missed bites so I tried the shallow rig again but all this gave was an odd 1oz roach and a few missed bites. I topped up this line with the big pot, cupping in some hemp and a few casters to try and encourage some more better roach as the frosts had obviously put the carp off. I also started to flick a few casters in down the margin as I figured with the fishing being hard I may be more liable to get a bite on caster.

With near half the match gone now all I could see was people with odd small fish so with quick fruitless tries on the closer lines I went back across where at least I could put an odd silver in the net to keep it ticking over. the wind had picked up now making presentation bad on the shallow rig so this was only going out on calmer spells. A bonus 5oz chub was welcome on caster (first chub I've had in ages!) followed by a chunky 3oz roach but then it went lifeless again. Back onto the slope rig and news came round that the most anyone had was 2 carp and although I was far from bagging on silvers I had more than the 3 other anglers I could see. Back into the margin on corn and I was sure I had a slight knock so I tried double caster which buried instantly, though the fight belied the size of the fish as a mental ghostie of less than 2lb was panned! Though nothing more in the margin followed.

Going into the last hour I went back across on the deep rig and caster and an instant bite as it settled led to a heavy feeling fish being hooked, but after 15 or so seconds the hook pulled and I swore rather loudly! I don't think it was foul hooked but I'll never know. Just an odd tiny fish followed so I tried the other two lines for a few minites. Just as I was about to leave the margin the float buried but I knew it was foul hooked as I didn't feel it till I'd lifted a bit. A bow-wave left the swim but the hook pulled after a few seconds, and was followed by even more choice words! I re-fed with about half an hour to go and went across on the deck again. I had three chunky roach in as many drops putting about 8oz in the net before I tangled the rig in the wind. With just over twenty mins to go I decided to stick it out down the margins. With only a few minites to go, and after a few definite knocks on double caster I dropped in with just a single caster and a few seconds before the whistle the float slid away. A little elastic came out and what I'm sure was a decent perch of the same size I'd had earlier was on, the the hook pulled again! Aaaaarrrrggghhh! I didn't have time to drop in again and I was smarting as the match finished having lost a few good fish.

I was quite late weighing in and when the scales got to me 21lb was top weight, but after that there were just a big 6lb weight and a low 5lb, and the angler 2nd in the league had blanked (but the third place had the 21lb weight) I couldn't manage to scrape into the frame as my midget ghostie and few bits went 4lb 10oz on the scales, but a 4th place on a hard day wasn't a disaster and still leave me a few points clear in the league, even taking out the worst results of me and others in the top 4. I still was a little unhappy as I hadn't fished well and should have got 2nd. I'm sure I over fed in the edge and I'm sure a lighter caster approach there would have got me enough for 2nd easily, something with hindsight I should have done knowing we'd had cold nights. Bizarrely I felt through the day I'd had very little in the way of carp in front of me, I barely had any definite liners and never saw a carp top in front of me all day, a rarity in those pegs.

The last round is in a fortnights time, and I won't be fishing next weekend as I'll be in Belfast in Northern Ireland visiting my girlfriends parents. Check back then to see if I mange to get the result I need!

Winter League Rd 4, In The Sun!

Okay, so it seemed like spring last Sunday too for a while so all the warm gear came with me just in case! At the draw I managed to avoid drawing an island peg which I was happy with, but ended up on peg 44, not in the favoured 70's. It's a peg that I've only ever fished once, a few weeks ago and all I did was muck around fishing the tea-bag (small PVA bags), while pleasure fishing. By the time I put my box down on the peg (not long, it's a very short walk!) the temperature was nudging double figures already, and the sun was obviously giving everyone a feel good factor as the banter was in full swing! The peg looked good for catching a few fish in the margins, with a few reeds in the edge at 6m to my right and to my left at 5m there was an overhanging budlia bush. The downside was that the peg is opposite the reeds pegs which were heaving! if I didn't catch I'd definitely see some fish caught then!

My plan of attack was to fish at about 12m in the open water in front where there's about 5ft of water, not quite as deep as some of the other open water swims which pleased me with the warmer weather. This rig was on a 4x14 chianti with a plastic tip. I also put up a lighter 4x12 float (same pattern) to fish at about 3ft as I thought the fish may come up a bit. Both these rigs were on .14 line to a 16B611 and lakky on both was a 12 latex. The margin rigs were both on the same line and hook but to a 14 latex. Both had 4x12 somo's, again with plastic tips. I needed two rigs as the right side was about 3ft deep where as the left side was 6-8in shallower. Bait was maggot, corn and caster, and I'd remembered my hemp this week! I expected to catch on corn mostly.

At the whistle I fed half a dozen grains of corn, the same of casters and a reasonable pinch of hemp to the open water. Both margins had around a dozen grains of corn and a good pinch of hemp. The first 15min was barren so I started to drip in 6 casters every 7-8 minites to try and provoke a response, whilst ignoring the angler opposite netting his 4th carp! After another bite less hour, despite trying both maggot and caster as well as corn I had a quick drop into both margins but with no response. By this time quite a few carp had started to cruise about, including one huge ghostie that must be a good 15-16lb! I had a quick try on my shallower rig for the open water but wasn't happy with it so I got up and put up an even shallower rig to fish around 20in deep, same line and hooks as the other rigs but to a soft 13h lakky and a 4x10 PB2 float.

A quick drop on the shallower rig bought no response so I went back to the depth rig but started to drip 3-4 casters every minite or so over the top to try and tempt some of the cruising fish to feed. One liner led me to try 'up' again but with no joy. Back onto the deck on maggot gave me a tiny roach so at least I hadn't blanked! With no other joy by the 2hr mark I topped up with hemp and corn long and tried the margins, again with no response so both of those were topped up too. Back out long on the deck gave no joy so I put the shallowest rig out. After no more than a minite with double caster on the float dinked under and when I lifted up the lakky streamed out. After a couple of minites a 5lb common found it's way to the net. Next drop out and the float went again but I missed it which was the start of another dead spell.

With around 2hrs left the amount of fish cruising got bigger, and the temperature was well into double figures now and the carp were definetly making the most of the chance to catch some rays! At this point I was the only person in the open water with a carp, it seemed everyone had them in front but they just weren't interested (apart from the reed pegs opposite!) I decided to drop in at 13m just passed where I was feeding. This bought an instant response with another fish of about 4lb to double caster shallow, followed by a lump of about 7lb about 15 minites later. The next 15 minites were fruitless and as it started to haze up and there were less fish cruising so I topped up both margins and the 12m swim with hemp and corn. I had a quick try in both margins but again both were barren with not even a liner to show.

With an hour and a bit to go I went out on the deck with corn at 12m and a bite after a few minites gave me carp number 4, smaller than the others at about 2lb but a fish none the less! I didn't get a bite next drop so I topped up with 3 grains of corn and a pinch of hemp. This had the desired effect and another 2lb'er found it's way to the net. This set up the pattern for the rest of the match, in fact it was pretty much a perfect rhythm of top-up, bite and a fish! I didn't even miss a bite and finished the match with 12 carp, all on corn. The last two came a bit slower than the others which were all mad 2-3lb ghosties, but were bigger fish of about 4lb a piece, the last bite coming about 15 seconds before the whistle as I dropped behind the feed slightly looking for that one last fish to round it up to a nice dozen!

Being the first peg in on the lake also meant having the scales so everyone had to wait a bit while I packed up the mountain of gear I had set up! My 12 carp and 1 micro roach went 43lb 15oz and was comfortably 3rd on the day, way ahead of 4th but way behind the 80lb something ounces that won from the reeds opposite. 52lb was second from a peg in the corner behind the island, again with a big reed bed in it. The league leader didn't weigh in so I'm pretty sure I'm now first, but there were a few stand in's fishing (1st and 2nd were both stand in's) so I'm not sure who they've scored for but they shouldn't be enough to over take me. The day got even better as I managed to catch the 2nd half of the Spurs game on the radio on the way back as we got a good win over Villa.

Next week is round 5, on lake 1 before a gap week and then the final round. With being able to drop a result I'm pretty well placed now with a 1st and two 3rd's so hopefully I can get a good result next week to consolidate. Check back next week and see if I can.

Back On The Bank

Well, after not fishing last week to watch the Carling Cup final (the only thing I'll say on that is that English players really shouldn't take penalties) it was back on the bank as per usual this Sunday for the open on lake two prior to next weeks winter league match. Having not fished it last Sunday I wasn't really too sure what to expect, all I knew was that the pegs in the open water seemed to be producing, which is probably why I found myself on peg 59 round the back of the island!

Given the weather it wasn't the worst draw, although the wind was blowing at me the island was stopping the worst of it, and it would certainly be easier for me to fish the pole than those pegged up the side of the island with the wind blowing across them. I've never fished this peg before and was quite surprised to find it's a fair bit shallower than 57, the next peg that's put in for matches. That gave me a bit of hope that I'd be able to catch a few fish down the track where the depth is around five foot, a good 18in shallower than 57 is down the track. It was also shallow across, I could touch the island just with 14.5m of pole, but with 3ft of water at 13m and shallowing rapidly up beyond that I placed my options that bit closer. With a fair bit of water to my right along the bank, and also with a few trees overhanging I hoped I'd be able to nobble a few fish along the edge too.

Nothing to complex with the rigs, all three were on .14 Garboline (the water has a good tinge of colour to it now) and 16 hooks on all. Fish around the island tend to be a little bigger so the margin and track rigs had very soft 14 latex's while the far bank rig was on a 13 hollo. With the colour in the water I was pretty much pinning my hopes on catching on corn but I also had caster and maggot with me, I'd forgotten to take my hemp out in the morning! On the whistle I fed a reasonable amount of corn (20 grains or so) in the margin and track lines while only putting about 6 across with a pinch of casters. I've found that the far bank swims on the island pegs don't tend to last long so it was a catch what I can off it line while the others settled!

I started on corn across but after a bite less few minites tied caster, but after twenty odd minites the only movement was the odd gust of wind which had swirled round the corner of the island. I started to drip a few casters in at this point to try and get some roach or something but still nothing happened which was a little concerning. On around the half hour the next peg landed a decent carp so there were some around but another biteless few minites across led my to try down the track, a little earlier than I wanted to. After not long on the float slid away and I was attached a carp that was definitely foul -hooked for perhaps a few seconds before it came off. Nothing else followed so I re-fed it and went back across, not wanting to try the margins yet.

A biteless next 45 minites both across and down the track led me to try down the margin, again a little earlier than I'd like. After only a minite the float was gone and a lively scrap gave me a common of around 5lb, my first carp in a match from lake two since late December! No more followed so it was a top-up and try elsewhere time! At this point what have previously been a sunny but gusty day turned dull, and the temperature dropped significantly and odd spells of drizzle turned to rain and I have to say I went from warm to being as cold or colder than I've been all winter! the wind even picked up and as it was swirling round the corner made presentation hard in the margin swim as it was into the wind. After a short while down the track again a quick bite gave me a little pasty carp of around a pound and a half, giving me hope that the middle line may yet come alive, but this proved to be a false dawn as despite keeping all the lines topped up the next couple of hours gave only a single liner in the edge plus 2 tiny roach on maggot from down the track.

Going into the last hour I'd given up on the far line which had given not even the slightest sign of life and was just rotating the track and margin swims hoping for an odd fish. With about 45 minites left while down the track I took my eye off my float for a second and when I looked back it was gone! (how often doe that happen!) but it must have been another liner as all I got was a brief merry tussle from another foul-hooker! Next drop in the float buried properly and I missed it clean as a whistle, damn (or words to that effect!) Just before the end the sky darkened significantly and a bit of sleet started so I took the decision so chuck the lead down the track (tried that odd times during the day too) while I packed the pole away still pretty dry. On with double corn, out on the middle line and it can't have been there more than a minite when it yanked round and a common the same size as the first was in the net! It didn't work again in the last ten minites though. By this time the hail was pelting it down and it was so cold me and the angler to my right just hid under some tries with our hands in our pockets waiting for it to stop! That was as cold as my hands have ever been, and I thought spring was on it's way! Perhaps that's just Mon-Sat though!

My three carp went 11lb 8oz for the best weight of the pegs around the the island but way behind the 50lb weight that won, with two 22lb weights making up the rest of the frame, although someone apparently tipped back over 30lb!

Next week is round 4 of the winter league and I'm really not sure what to expect now, I'm sure had the wind not been so bad I'd have had a couple more fish from down the track, perhaps I should have just sat on the lead in the deep water, feels weird though fishing it that close! Just gotta hope and prey for an open water or a peg in the reeds next week I'd guess (not 72 though, I hate that peg!)