Sunday 29th May

Well, what a mad dash the morning turned out to be! For whatever reason my alarm didn't go off when it was supposed to, leading to me getting up at great speed at 7.15am. Oh, and it was windy, still....


With a near full house again there would be a few pegs in that I wouldn't want, that said, the wind wasn't that bad on the lake considering. I was pretty happy with my draw, with peg 33 offering a decent margin plus shallow water over. It's also a peg I've done well on in the past, although it's quite a while since I last had it.


Rig-wise, I had three tops set up. The first was for tight over to the island at 16.5m, right on the point of the island in about 16in of water. The second was for at 16m on the slope up to the island in about two and a half feet of water. The last was for 11m along to my left margin. Depth was the exact same as the slope rig as the margin, so that would double up as a lighter rig for the margins too. Terminal gear for the far-bank rigs was .17 to .15 and an 18 Fox Series 2 with Preston 15h. Float on the shallowest rig was a NG XTM, while the deeper one was a .2gr DC5. Margin rig was a .2gr DC5 on .19 to .17 and a 16 Fox Series 2 matched to purple Hydro. Typically, carrying on with the rushed theme to the day for some reason I managed to not be ready at the start and was only pumping my expanders as the whistle went, hence why the picture is from after the match.


When I was eventually ready I cupped out a pinch of pellet to the island on the slope, electing not to got too tight immediatly. As I was shipping the cup back the angler on the next peg was netting a skimmer of a pound. I put a quarter of a cup of hemp and corn down the margin, then as I baited up to go across the next peg was netting another skimmer of about 2.5lb!


My first half an hour only produced a single liner, although I could see odd fish coming along the island just short of where I was fishing, and then turning back and running along where people weren't fishing tight over. I fed a small pinch of bait right in to the island and started to fish there. I was feeding a few pellets with the big cup every twenty minutes or so to keep something going in, as well as topping up the margin line every forty-five minutes. I'd like have fished with small pot on the pole but the wind being a bit swirly it was unmanagable, and the last thing I wanted was to snag the island at that distance on summer gear!


On the two and a half hour mark I was getting worried, not only was I still biteless but along with my neighbours two skimmers I'd only seen one small carp caught! The fish still most definetly have spawning rather than eating on their minds. With nothing to lose I got the casters out of my cool bag that I buy every week and most often feed the birds in the garden with - nothing to lose by trying! I started introducing them 50/50 with the pellets and noticed that it started to bring odd signs of life to the swim. I was also happier in the conditions as it allowed me to lay some line on the bottom fishing double caster, something that doesn't really work (for carp anyway) with pellet. Just after the second top-up with caster I hooked a fish and then lost it, then on the third go, dead on the three hour mark and halfway in to the match I landed my first fish, a common of about 4lb.


The swim had definetly seemed to benefit from introducing caster, with more knocks and indications. I even foul-hooked a carp when the wind gusted and yanked the pole round! There were odd fish there, but most definetly not interested. With two hours to go I dropped in down the edge and had two very positive liners, but a spell trying both meat and double corn, and single corn on the light rig failed to get a bite. Quite surprising really, as before I'd always caught down the edge on this peg, even if they were smaller fish.


With an hour and a half to go and still being no better off I had a plan! I needed to do something, I could see peg 35 now catching a few fish but word had come round that it was slow everywhere. I'd put in my carryall all the bit bags of groundbait we all have, so I mixed the lot together so it was quite damp and dumped the lot down the edge via the biggest cup I had, with the intention of fishing a whole worm over it. A right motley mix of Dynamite, Sonubaits and some Marukyu crumb went in, and five big pots of it!


I left the edge to settle and with an hour to go, just as I was going to drop in on the edge, I had a small mirror of about 2lb across and then I lost two fish on the bounce - one of which looked a good 6lb too. I took the hook-length off and changed it, even though the hook seemed fine. I then topped up the far bank and had a look over the margin line, but it produced nothing.


With a little over half an hour to go I was back across and instantly had a small black, gold and silver koi of about 2lb, followed not long after by a common of the same size. Topping up a small amount with the cupping kit was slowing me down a touch, but the wind at times was just making it awkward enough that I didn't want a pot on at length. The next fish was definetly much bigger, and after a lively fight a ghostie of about 7lb was panned. With only peg 35 catching from what I could see I reckoned with one more decent fish I'd probably make the frame, and with ten minutes to go I got my wish! It's not often I've wished I was using a pull-bung on lakky as strong as 15h but I'm sure I'd have got it's head up quicker (or lost it!), but eventually a common of about 12lb was panned. I literally had time to bait up, ship across and lay the rig in. I immediatly had signs of fish but the whistle went! Still, not a bad ending to an albeit slow day.


I was one of the last few to weigh and when the scales got to me 22lb was winning and 19lb second. My mostly last hour frenzy totalled 29lb 3oz on the scales, but I was sure peg 35 would have that. I was wrong however, as the fish I could see them catching must have been small as they totalled 21lb for third leaving me in first.


With the weather set to pick up during the week hopefully the fish will spawn and get munching on the new lake, it's frustrating as there are fish there that just aren't interested at the moment. Everyone who had carp also lost fish that weren't foul-hooked, and I think it's just that the fish are not feeding properly at the moment. Still, I may not be on that lake next week as the first Sunday in June is the blind pairs match. Hopefully it wont be so blooming windy!

Sunday May 22nd

Sundays just lately seem to have developed a distinct theme - wind! For the third Sunday in a row I was greeted by the sound of the wind when I got up at 6.30am.


I hadn't walked round the lake before the draw, but I fancied any of the pegs in the open water as they were the least affected by the wind and also I feel offer the best chance of catching short should the wind get worse. There were a few of those pegs left when I put my hand in the bag too, but instead I drew 59, one of the pegs in the line round the island that really struggled last time.


When I got to the peg the wind was blowing down both arms of the island and into me, but I was shielded from the worst of the wind by the island with just a bit of ripple coming round the corner. The wind didn't prevent me from fishing across, and 14.5m was enough to reach tight to the island in about 16in of water. I wasn't going to place too much faith in this line, if the island produces it does so early on. The two main lines were a 2+2 line, in about five and a half foot of water a .4gr NG Decker was the choice, a very stable pattern and plenty up to the tow I had. The last line was the one I hoped would go, the margins. The peg has a long margin to the right to draw fish from and while there was nothing moving in my peg I was confident the wind pushing my way would move some in. This line was at about 9m down the bank into a nice bay in the bank in a little over 2ft of water, using a .2gr DC5 float. Lines on the far and middle rigs was .17 to .15 with an 18 Fox Series 2 hook, while the margin rig was on .19 to .17 to a 16 Fox Series 2. Lakky's were 15h on the far and 2+2 line and purple Hydro for the margin.


On the whistle I fed a pinch of 6mm pellets across, while the 2+2 line had a pinch of hemp and corn. The margins had half a pot of hemp and corn. I'd elected not to feed any meat on the margins due to the tow, keeping to heavier baits to keep the fish on the deck. On the first drop roach shredded the expander so I went over to a banded pellet and started to drip pellets over the top. On the forty-five minute mark I'd only had roach knocks across so I topped up the margins (the pegs either side had a fish each from their edges) and went on to the 2+2 line, where I'd been dripping corn.


I'd spent half an hour on the closer line with just one line bite from a fish I could see cruising, which was the first carp I'd seen in my peg, so I went back across. I had around twenty minutes across with just roach nudges on an expander to show so I dropped in on the 2+2 line again. I had an odd liner which was encouraging, then as I looked up at the next peg to see them net a fish I felt a tug as a fish hooked it's self. The result was a common of around 3lb or so, and was followed with similar sized fish on the next two drops. Predictably, as it was early for the line to produce it faded away, so I topped it up with a decent pinch of hemp and corn and had a drop in the margins, although this never produced.


A fishless forty-five minutes saw me half way in to the match so I decided to push the margins a bit by feeding a bit more often via the large cup. With just over two hours left this paid off with my first bite down the edge on double corn, although the fish was my smallest at about 2lb! Topping up with a large toss-pot of hemp and corn the next three drops all produced carp around the 4lb mark before the fish seemed to back off. I topped up with half a pot and dropped back on to the 2+2 line where I lost a fish before a spell of liners with no bites led me to nudge the float up a bit to give a little more stability to the bait, plus trying double corn. This had the effect I wanted as a fish fell strait away, and another the next drop before a large tail waving over the margin led me to want to try that again!


Over the edge the fish drifted off as soon as I dropped over them, and while I'd just pulled away from the pegs either side I had no idea what anyone else had caught, I decided with just over an hour to go it was time to force the margins! A whole pot of bait was noisily slapped in to the edge and then I dropped in over it with a lump of meat. The next fifty minutes or so gave me a steady run of fish, and if a bite didn't follow after I topped up with the toss-pot a whole big pot worked! Not massive fish but they were coming steady. With twenty minutes to go I put my fifteenth carp in the net, and then on the next drop hooked a fish which felt much bigger than all the others. I carefully played it back to the top-kit when the hook pulled! The last spell of the match was frustrating as I missed five bites down the edge, the only bites I missed all day.


I had no idea what others had apart from those either side but I guessed I had somewhere between 50-55lb. When the scales got to me 30lb was the top weight and my fish went 52lb 10oz, almost dead in the middle of my guess! This was comfortably top until peg 70 pushed me very close putting 51lb 4oz on the scales. I didn't see the others weigh in but those weights were enough for a Spurs fan 1-2, with I think that 30lb weight from the first peg being third.


I have to say, the win aside, I enjoyed the day! I felt I worked hard at the swim and made the right decisions with the feeding and even though it took me a while to put a few fish together I was always sure I would get a few should I keep plugging away, and it was nice to be able to influence the swim and get a result from a peg that, to be honest, I didn't want! Next week is a bank holiday weekend so I'm not sure what day I'll be fishing next weekend, but I will be out!

Sunday 15th May

With a full house again this Sunday I wasn't really sure where I wanted to draw on the New Lake, my only request was a peg out of the wind! When peg 23 came out of the bag in my hand I was well happy, as not only was I off the worst of the wind but I also had a fair bit of room! I've tried to upload the picture of the peg but for some reason it won't (I will try again later!) but it's the same peg I drew on my first blog, should you want to look!

Obviously the first line of attack was a small method to the island. Normal gear here was my trusty 10ft puddle-chucker and a small 30gr Preston in-line method. Normally I'd use Dynamite Swim-Stim for the groundbait but I'd decided to pick up the bag of Marukyu something or other that I was given by a mate to try - it's been in the shed for ages so I thought I'd use it! Standard fayre otherwise, with size 16 Kammy Animals on .18 hook-links completeing the set-up. I had two lines ear-marked for the pole; a 5m line and a margin rig in to the bay to my left at 13m. The 5m line was in 5ft of water using a .4gr NG Decker. Line was .17 to .15 and an 18 Fox Series 2 on black hydro. I had two rigs for the margin in 2ft of water, both .2gr DC5's on .19 line, just one with a .17 hook-link and 16 Fox Series 2, the other with a .15 hook-link and an 18 hook. The stronger was on purple hydro and the other on Preston 15h. I wanted a lighter option as sometimes the fish are smaller in the peg, or so I've found.

With the whistle blowing I started off by feeding both the pole swims, both a bit lighter than perhaps normal for the time of year in the cold north-westerly wind. Starting on the method to the corner of the island it was a good twenty minutes before I had any indications, with the next two chucks also giving liners before the tip finally yanked round with a fat 4lb+ common, funilly enough on the first cast after I'd buried the bait right in the feeder instead of leaving it on top of the mould. Thinking I had it sussed I did the same again, but I most definetly didn't as no bites followed on the next two drops so I had a brief (biteless) spell on both pole lines.


Pretty much first chuck back on the feeder and another bite saw me attached toa fish that felt bigger, but it wasn't really much bigger, just one of the black and gold/silver koi that inhabit the lake and fight like stink!


As seemed to be the theme for the last few weeks the swim totally died, and I coudln't get a bite! I'd bought worm with me and started to introduce choppy and caster to the margin in a bid to draw some lif e in to the swim, but it just didn't work! And it was the same for everyone, apart from peg 27 who I could see was nicking an odd fish.


With an hour to go a brace of big commons started to cruise in and out of the bay to my left so I abandoned the feeder and plugged away more on the pole in the edge. I decided to feed whole cups of loose groundbait to give a fair amount of attractant with little feed. Fishing a fair size dendra over the top I started to get an odd liner with half an hour to go, then with just ten minutes to go the float went and the lakky followed! After playing what was obviously a lump for about five minutes the hook just in-explicably pulled.... And I swore very loud.


As the scales came round 20lb was top weight with 16lb second. I tipped back 9lb with two fish and the late lost fish was most likey a double costing me definetly third and in all likelyhood second, with 32lb winning and that 20lb being second. The only saving grace was listening to van der Vaart smash one home from 2o yards as I was packing up, then Modric stabbing in a (dubious) penalty as I left the peg on the radio as Spurs completed the league double over Liverpool (sorry Carl!) Still, it enlightened my day when everything in the fishing seemed to want to go against me!

Sunday 8th May

Having little time to sit at the laptop and write this weeks update will be a bit brief!


With a near full house I wanted to draw a peg in the open water with a bit of room. What I actually drew was the narrowest peg around the island, peg 53! It can be a good summer peg as it has a long margin, but my hopes there weren't great as peg 55 was in, which is seldom used.


To save the boredom I'll not drag out my two carp and three roach for about 9lb! I sat in a row of six pegs where only two people weighed in, and to be honest I don't know why they bothered. The days frustrations weren't helped by the angler on the next peg firing pouches of corn down the margins into my peg and words were had, although in truth it probably had very little effect as the fish just wearn't there to catch! The open water pegs fished fairly steady with a few close weights and 47lb winning.


With a bit of luck the fish will spawn soon and spread out looking for some grub - allowing me to try and make something happen. It's frustrating sitting in summer weather catching less than I was in February.

May Bank Holiday Pairs

Well, the year is certainly rolling in! May already, bringing with it the annual May Day pairs match.


As per usual I fish the first lake in the pairs and was sent to draw the pegs, coming out with pegs 70 and 20, which we were happy with! On sitting down at the peg just one thing concerned me - the wind! Walking around the lake it was the windiest area of the lake, blowing right to left and then hitting the big tree's behind the lake and swirling back.


First line of attack was the pole at 16.5m in to the bay in about 15in of water, this rig was on .15 direct to an 18 Fox Series 2 to Preston 15h lakky, with the float a Nick Gilbert XTM. I also put up my 10ft Puddle Chucker to fish a small method as the wind was so bad. My second line was at 5m, using a .4gr NG Decker on .17 line to a .15 hook-link and an 18 Fox Series 2. This was in about 6ft of water. Last up was a rig for 10m to my right in the margins in about 2ft of water. This was on .18 direct to a 16 Fox Series 2 and matched to purple hydro with the float a .2gr DC5.


On the whistle (well, not quite as I was catching up with a mate who I'd not seen for a while) I fed the 5m line with half a pot of corn and hemp, while the margin received a whole pot of meat, hemp and corn. Shipping across and the wind was a bit of a hand full but it didn't take long to start getting signs of fish. On the half hour mark I got fed up of hanging on for grim death in the wind and quickly knocked up a bit of crumb for the method. I'd seen others catch in their more sheltered swims and didn't want to fall too far behind!


I had a quick try on the 5m line while waiting for the crumb to soak up the water but it was lifeless (I wasn't surprised so early) so I topped up the margin and loaded up the method and flicked it across to were I'd been fishing. It didn't take long for the tip to yank round and in four chucks over about twenty minutes I had four carp in the net for about 14lb. My thinking I had it sussed didn't last long as the next few chucks met with no response.


A brief try on the two closer pole lines wasn't met with any joy so I made the most in a lull in the wind by dropping in on the long pole. I was just toying with bringing it in and trying closer when a bite saw me playing a fish bigger than the others I'd had. After a lively fight an 8lb mirror was in the net and the day was looking much more interesting, especially when it was followed by a 5lb common next drop. Then however, the wind intervened and I couldn't hold the pole still across again.


The next hour was frustrating, I couldn't hold the pole still enough to get a bite but the fish were most definitely there, while the method seemed to make fish back away. The wind carried on picking up and got to the point where I didn't dare put the pole across (it bought down a large tree not too far away with an almighty crack!) and the fish totally vanished from across. I couldn't get a bite from either of the two lines and upped the feed in the margins in the attempt to bring it to life but I ended the match on the six carp I'd caught early. The only movement of note later in the match was when I had to get up and put my coat on as the cold north-easterly wind was making me rather cold!


On the scales I totalled 28lb 3oz for fifth on the lake, just 5oz off fourth with the two top weights coming from the two most sheltered pegs on the lake. My partner had managed a lake third and overall we managed third pair, two points behind 2nd and three points behind first, saving what had been a frustrating day where there had been fish there that I wasn't able to fish properly for. In hindsight I wished I'd bought worm to fish choppy, something that I think fish hang on to for longer and lets you fish over depth, both a help in rough conditions! Next week should be back to normal Sunday matches and will hopefully see me in to a few fish.