Sunday 30th December

No picture of the peg today - the bright glaring sun in front of me made it practically impossible to get one! Anyhow, you only need to look at last weeks blog to see - as with a high attendance meaning most pegs were in, I still managed to draw the same peg as last week. In fact, I think three of my last five matches have been sat on that peg now!

There's no real need to run through the rigs either - I had the same set-ups as last week, with the conditions practically the same as before. The wind did manage a slight breather and dropped totally before the whistle, but it turned out to be the calm before the storm, and predictably it started again, right on the whistle!

I started the match on the long pole while the wind wasn't so bad. I searched along the far bank hoping to find some signs of life but none were forthcoming. On the half hour mark I gave up wrestling with 16m of pole and dropped in on the 13m line, dripping odd grains of corn in. As I caught late on off that line last week I was confident it would go again, so I plugged away at it for a while.

After ninety minutes everybody I could see to my right (sat in the sun) had carp, and some people had two or three. The sun hadn't came round the island where I was, but was glaring off the water around my nets, and even with glasses on, a peaked cap and one hand in front of me it was a nightmare as the ripple shattered the reflection - and led me to come home with a thumping headache which still hasn't quite faded.

The glare led me to plug away on the bomb for a bit, but it wasn't until there was just under two hours left before the rod went round with a fish on. It was a decent fish too at around 5lb, falling to double corn. The rod went round on the next cast after a similar ten minute wait, but in-explicably there was nothing on the end. If it was a liner, it was the most savage I've ever had!

I plugged away at the bomb for a while after, but no more bites came, so with an hour-and-a-bit to go I went back on the 13m line, certain that it would produce. I gave it until there was just under half-an-hour to go, but had no signs on it. Rather fed up, I threaded three grains of corn on one of the longer haired hook-links I had for the bomb (for bread) and cast out to where I'd had my one fish. I then proceeded to have a cup of coffee before packing away my pole rigs. The bomb had been out for about that "magical" ten minute mark before the rod near went in the lake! A 4lb common then came in like a wet sack - it'd obviously used all it's energy on the bite then! The same trick was repeated and shortly before the end of the match the rod went round again and a 5lb common made the net shortly before the whistle.

I didn't bother to weigh in - I could see a few people with more fish than me, plus my pounding head just wanted to get home! I perhaps should have plugged away on the bomb a lot more during the day, but I was sure I could make the pole work - I guess I was wrong!

The top weight on the day was peg 51 with a little over 80lb - the conditions combined to make that area of the lake carp soup. It's the shallowest part of the lake, was off the worst of the wind and in the sun the whole time it was out. It's not often that peg fishes in the winter, but it was spot on yesterday! 46lb was second from peg 44, before three weights all around the 30lb mark.

For me it's a disappointing end to the year - the winter has been hard for me angling wise as I've struggled to gain any sort of form and confidence. The draw bag has played some part in it granted, but I just can't seem to get in to the swing of things as I did over the summer. I can't complain too much mind, as on the whole I've had a fish-filled year - four of the five ton+ match weights from the venue were in my nets. I guess the slow last two months is just a leveller for the great summer I had.

Tight lines to all, and a Happy New Year for 2013. Here's hoping it's a good 'un!

Sunday December 23rd

I have to admit, after missing last Sunday I was looking forward more than usual to getting out on the bank! It's been nice and mild too, with temperatures in to double figures - I chose to try and ignore the wind which woke me at 5am!

When I drew the current form pegs nearest the car park had all gone, and I pulled out peg 66 on the end of the island. I had mixed feelings about this - it's normally a decent peg all year round, but it's recent form has been poor, and I struggled off it not too long ago, catching just a few roach.

While the wind was quite bad, unlike last time I could manage to hold 13m of pole to fish the bottom of the slope from the island. The wind was awkward at times, but by using a longer than usual line above the float, and two no8 back-shot halfway and holding them, I could get a steady presentation on my rig. A .4gr NG Decker on .15 mainline to a .125 hook-link and a size 16 B611 was the rig, matched to Preston 11h lakky. With a tinge of colour I also used the same rig at 5m for a throw-away line where it was just two inches shallower - just under 5ft in both cases. I also put up a rig on the same terminal gear, but using a 4x14 Preston Chianti, just in case the wind settled. Last up was my 10ft CarbonActive Mini Carp for fishing the bomb along the island. As usual, I had various hook-links for this to change between different multiples of corn or punched bread.

On the whistle I fed half-a-dozen grains of corn and a tiny pinch of hemp at 13m, before starting on the bomb and double corn. I was just going to drip an odd grain at 5m by hand.

I had four or five chucks on the bomb in the first hour with no signs of life, and with the wind at times dropping or turning enough I thought I could hold the 16m of pole to fish the island. When I saw some fish move right along the island without giving me a sign it made my mind up! I hastily got the two extra pole sections from my bag, and put up a rig to fish 2ft deep using the same terminal gear as the other rigs, but using a small 4x10 Preston PB2 float. First drop in on a big bread punch I had a bite that I missed, then dropping in again the float went and I had a bitterling! After that the wind got a bit swirly again, and holding the pole became awkward - typically, the wind was just teasing me!

I had a brief try at 13m that bought me no joy, so I went back on the bomb with double corn. After the first hour of getting my eye in casting, I managed to get the bomb as tight as I could without clipping the vegetation and needing to bring it back in. I left it for ten minutes and was just saying to the next peg that I could see fish in the area but was getting no sings on the tip when the rod went round! A small carp of about 3lb was the culprit. Despite a fair few drops being bang on the money after, I couldn't get another bite on the bomb even varying the baits between multiples of corn or bread punches.

After going through the motions on the 13m and 5m line without a bite, and plugging away on the bomb as well I couldn't raise a response. I was only fishing corn as I figured with one carp it wasn't worth fishing for the roach, and I hadn't bought any maggots! With just over an hour left the wind settled a bit again so I decided to try the pole across. With the fish ignoring anything still on the bomb I decided to try a corn skin on the hook, hoping the fluttering of the bait would make a fish snap at it. First drop across doing that and the float was away and carp number two, a twin of the first was soon heading to the net!

I plugged away along the far bank on the pole but other than a liner I couldn't muster anything else. The wind had an odd gust which twice saw me snag on the vegetation, but both times I managed to flick the rig clear without needing to pull for a break! Lucky, eh?

With half an hour to go I dropped in on the 13m line again, and the float sat for only a few seconds before the tiny pimple of bristle wasn't there! Carp number three was soon in the net - it's a while since I had that many carp! Topping up with two grains of corn and number four was joining the others five minutes later, both about 3lb, but very welcome. I missed a bite next drop before I saw the next peg catch one carp then lose another form their close line. I had a drop in on mine but nothing came of it, so with just a few minutes left I was back on the 13m line. The float plinked away and something a little more lively was on the end. A 5lb'er was netted and no sooner did it reach the keepnet than the whistle went!

Predictably, pegs 70 and 72 (either side of the rushes) had both caught well, with 70 just coming out on top with 50lb and a few ounces, and 47lb being second. My five carp went a little over 17lb which was good enough for third in the end, with eveyone else finding it much harder. The weather hadn't helped my day (the first two pegs barely had the wind), but even then I doubt I could have got near their weights. Anyhow, I was just happy to have caught!

I'll be back on the bank again between Christmas and New Year - most likely on the usual Sunday, but I may just manage to sneak out on to one of the midweek matches too! I'd like to wish everyone reading this a Merry Christmas, and I hope that all of you that manage to get out on to the bank of the festive period manage to catch a few fish - hopefully with some nice shiny new gear! Tight lines, and have a good one!

Sunday December 9th

Well, at least it's been a damn sight warmer this week! I think it took me about five hours sat by the fire to thaw out properly last week!

Back on the old lake and I wasn't totally sure of where I wanted to draw (except the obvious peg 72, which is always a good draw in the cold), but was fairly happy with peg 68 - it's a deep peg in the open water. While it has no recent form what so ever, I always feel that there is space to explore and that somewhere there'll be a fish or two to catch!

While setting up the wind wasn't too bad, as while it was right to left it was slightly off my back too. I had two pole rigs up for one line at 13m - one a 4x14 Preston Chianti which the conditions never allowed me to use, and a .4gr NG Decker. Both rigs had .12 hook-links to size 18 hooks and were matched to Preston 11h elastic. The only other set up was a 10ft CarbonActive mini, with 6lb mainline and a 1/3 oz bomb. I had a variety of different hook-links to try on this to allow for different size punches of bread or multiples of corn. With plenty of time before the start I also plumbed up a line at 11m but downwind - I'd try feeding this line positively rather than drip-feeding as I would the main line.

On the whistle I fed around twenty grains of corn on the positive line, before going on the 13m line and starting to drip grains of corn in two's or three's, with an odd grain of hemp in too. The wind started to turn a bit so I couldn't pick up the lighter rig which I'd prefer to use. I plugged away for the first three quarters of an hour on corn, dripping a little in every few minutes but with no joy. Putting a single red maggot on bought a small roach instantly so I hadn't blanked, but as I had to double ship it wasn't ideal catching them that far out so I went back on corn.

On the hour mark I had a brief try on the positive line but with nothing to show from there I had a try on the bomb with a stack of bread punch. At this time only pegs 44 and 59 had carp, other than that it was just roach. Back out long and still nothing was forthcoming and I started to worry - it normally takes a little while to work but I'd hoped to have started to get an odd indication by now.

With two hours gone I had another go on the positive line, before trying double maggot on the drip-fed line which led to tiny roach number two. Word came up that peg 72 had started to nab odd fish now, and one or two others had odd carp in with their roach. On the half way mark I went back on the bomb and bread, cast just past the pole line and a tiny bit up wind. The rod had barely been on the rest for ten seconds when it pulled round positively and after a lively fight a common of about 6lb was netted - a fair bit bigger than the other carp I'd seen caught. I had a couple more chucks in the same area, but had no more joy.

With an hour and a half remaining I decided to plug away and catch a few roach to boost my weight - with one good carp I thought a few roach would help me stay clear of anyone who had more smaller fish, and beside 59 and 72, nobody else had more than one carp! It wasn't ideal catching them at 13m due to the fact I had to un-ship twice, but I was putting small roach in the net pretty regular. Most fish were under an ounce, but an odd one that was about twelve-to-the-pound came too.

With around twenty minutes to go I'd probably put a pound of roach in the net, but two of the three anglers I could see on one carp both had another. They were small fish again, both around 3lb so I figured that the roach with my bigger fish should just keep me ahead of them. That plan went out of the window when they went back out and both hooked another. Plan change - I needed another carp!

With only just over ten minutes to go I decided there was one way to go about it - a big bright bait in the hope of attracting the attention of a carp. Two of the biggest bits of corn I could find were put on the hair and the bomb flicked to pretty much where I'd had my other carp. It had been in place for about two or three minutes before the tip started to see-saw back and forth - not great big positive movements, but enough to signal a hooked fish!

What felt a big weight came in very easy until it got under my rod tip, and then it woke up, going on a run across the lake that must have taken about thirty yards of line! I had to slow it myself before it went round the marginal point of peg 48! After a hefty fight I managed to net it with about a minute left - a munter of a ghostie easily in to double figures! I managed to get the bomb back out again but it didn't go again in the thirty seconds or so left!

When the scales got to me 25lb was top weight from peg 59, which was also the golden peg! After that 15lb was next, and a few weights just scraping in to double figures. My net of plips went 1lb 4oz, and then my two carp went on the scales taking them to 19lb 10oz! My total of 20lb 14oz was good enough for third in the end as peg 72 put a little over 31lb on the scales.

While my late gamble paid of somewhat I wish I'd approached it different. Now the cold has been set in a while I didn't expect it to be so hard. With hindsight I wish I'd not fished the long pole and just tried the bomb with no feed what-so-ever out long, and just had a short pole line for the roach which would have been much quicker and easier than un-shipping twice from 13m. While I can't say for sure I'd have had more carp doing it I think it would have increased my chances. With the roach fishing being easier too just one more carp would definitely have got me second, and perhaps even first had it been big enough with the extra roach to go with it. Still, I didn't do it, and at least I caught, unlike last week!

As it stands at the moment I wont be out next Sunday so no blog, but I'll be back out the Sunday after, and with Christmas midweek it wont affect my normal Sundays. Hopefully, the fish will be a little more obliging!

Fur & Feather - Sunday 2nd December

What can you say - it's nearly Christmas, where's the year gone! The Arctic blast arrived, albeit not quite as bad as perhaps it looked last week. Still, I arrived with my nice "new" ice breaker (made over a year ago, but yet to be used after not fishing last winter!). At the draw I was told I wouldn't need it - there were only three or four pegs round the back of the island with ice. Guess where I found myself heading? Yup, you guessed it! Peg 53 on the old lake (the first time I've drawn on that lake in the Christmas match) - in the shade, and first peg in the ice!

Peg 53 actually won last weeks match on the lake - but it was pretty mild, and they were sat in a gap of ten empty pegs! No such luxury today with all the pegs in that area in. I put my box down and started to clear the ice where my nets would go, then the ice in my right hand margin to allow me to have a line there. I levelled my box, got up to get my silvers net and the ice holes were already freezing up again! Great.

The left hand side of my peg was ice free, and with a small lilly bed at 6m with about 4ft of water next to it (about the deepest the peg gets) I hoped I could nobble a few roach here. The gear was a compromise - the roach don't tend to be too fussy so a rig with a .09 hook-link and a size 20 hook was for here. The float was a 4x12 Preston Chianti, and the lakky was 9h. I'd put up a rig to fish at 11m slightly to my right at about 1 O'clock, but where I'd cleared the ice there (cut with the cupping kit and pushed under) was re-frozen too! I left it for when the ice (hopefully) cleared, and set up a rig for the island. I could fish slightly to my left on the island, on the edge of the ice, not where I wanted to get really, but pointless clearing as any holes I made re-froze! I wasn't going to feed the island anyway, just dob along it and hope against hope really! The last two rigs were finished on .12 hook-links and size 18 hooks, with the lakky being Preston 11h. Optimistic really.

I started the match flicking odd casters and maggots to the lillys, while going across on punch hoping to find one carp stupid enough to be in the shallowest, coldest part of the lake. There weren't any! Nor were there any roach too.

On some days you just feel there are no fish there, and yesterday was one of those! For the first three hours the peg carried on re-freezing any areas I tried to keep clear, the only thing that stopped it was on the occasions the breeze picked up, but that cut right through me instead. Eventually the sun found the water and it stopped freezing with ninety minutes to go (it never really got on to me with the tree's!), but I never had a bite. When the sun dropped off the water with twenty minutes to go I packed up, rather fed up! The peg to my left finished the same (not surprised given the amount of likky they fed, most of which floated up to the edge of the ice in my peg!). The peg to my right had two tiny roach fishing up to a bramble bush hanging in the water in the edge, while the others who were totally iced in blanked too - I think seven of us on that lake suffered the same fate!

To rub it in, when I wanted to get back to the barn to warm up I had the scales. I wasn't supposed to be weighing, but those that were meant to be weighing left the draw without taking them. I volunteered to take them up to the lake to those that had drawn them, but as soon as the one remaining person who was meant to have them weighed they cleared off, leaving me to do it!

I was practically the last back to the barn, and just managed to get a sausage roll and a mince pie before they were all scoffed. The cup of tea was most welcomed, as I'd had little else to do all day other than drink my flask! When I eventually got to the prize table I was sorely tempted to take some of the booze that was still there to drown my sorrows, but instead I took the box of Thorntons chocolates to give to the wife - that made her day, even if I'd had a crap one! I used to like winter fishing, but the last couple of weeks have been dire now, and I've not really had much enjoyment from it. Hopefully a change in luck at the draw bag is on the way!