Sunday 29/07/2012- Avon Angling Open - Sedges - Brick Lake

It was another good breakfast in Hilltops Café and Bela then headed off to Chiltern Trinity – doh – “where we going Bert” – Sedges! We finally arrived at our destination; I put it down to the Pinky Ponk Juice.

Nice to meet up with fishery owners Denise and Jamie again, I do miss fishing this venue regularly as I have in the past. Today saw the first time out for my new Boss tackle box, so was concerned about if it had the same luck as my previous box. So in to the draw bag and out comes peg 1. It looked as if the tackle box was going to get stuffed in to the back of the garage if I draw crap pegs like this. Peg 1 is an undesirable. No moaning as you have to take the rough with the smooth in this game and make the best out of it and try and get a days fishing.

Steve Segar came down to console me explaining that he had once caught a match winning 100lb of Tench from the swim – no consolation, but it did make me smile.

The wind was blowing over my left shoulder at 2 o clock, basically in to peg 20, which meant the swim was becalmed, which may be benificial if the wind picked up as forecast - it didn't.

I set up a 4x16 Jolly to be fished at 10 metres at 10 o clock for the CW&C, a paste rig for over the same line and a paste rig in to the end margin. I fed five balls of GB laced with chopped worm and Caster over the Skimmer line, flowed by a dozen or so hard 4’s in to the end margin.

Starting on the worm I had the float lift – excellent – missed the bite, drop in again same again, the float would not cock properly. I persevered until I caught the culprit a 2 oz Skimmer. I had to abandon the line because the small fish would not leave the bait alone. So it was out in to the end bank margin with paste cupped in with some 4’s. Once again the small fish were pecking away at the paste. Time for a rethink, so out came the Ronnie rig to be fish over small balls of GB laced with casters with single caster on the hook. I started to catch the small critters that were worm tugging on the 10 metre line. Blimey they were small, but with very few fish being caught around me I stuck with them. I kept testing the end bank for Carp but only found the nibblers waiting. That was until the last ¾ hour when I saw a blow and with the paste rig sitting motionless I was soon in to my first 10lb Common. This was followed by an 8lb Ghost Carp, then a 9lb Kio Carp and the last fish to be landed just after the whistle was a 12lb Common.

The Carp weighed a total of 39lb 3oz and my 200 odd plips adding 11lb 6oz for a total of 50lb 9oz for fifth overall and my 10 peg section by default. I must admit I was well pleased with this result, especially considering that Steve Evans on peg 2 blanked!!

The match was won by Martin Lenaghan (pictured right - is he asleep) from peg 10 with 103lb 15oz. Martin caught both in to his margin at 14 metres and out in front at 16 metres using 10mm banded pellet fished over loose fed 6mm pellet. Martin fed about six pints of 6’s.

The Silvers was won by Steve Segar (pictured lower right with the match winner) with 26lb 3oz from peg 3. Steve caught on meat fished over pellet at 13 metres.

Full Result:

1.      Martin Lenaghan 103-15-0 peg 10

2.      Pete Wild 68-13-0 peg 12

3.      Alan Oram 52-05-0 peg 15

4.      Mike Nicholls 50-09-0 peg 1

5.      Dave Roper 45-14-0 peg 13

6.      An-Ton Page 44-10-0 peg 6

Top Silvers:

1.      Steve Segar 26-03-0 peg 3

2.      Dave Roper 25-02-0 peg 13

3.      An-Ton Page 25-04-04 peg 6

Wednesday 25/07/2012 - Avon Angling Open - Lands End - Match and Specimen Lakes

After putting in a lot of effort in to yesterdays match in the blazing sun I was a little slow getting focussed on today’s match at Landsend. After a cool shower and breakfast in Shipman with two of my Coffin Dodger mates Ray and Paul it was in to the draw box and with only two tickets left, pegs 34 and 21 I was hoping it would be peg 34 as it does have a good record for the Silvers, but no peg 21 comes out a real Carp Slaying peg. Arriving at the peg I found myself surrounded by them all up in the water. Luckily, Tony Rixon arrived at peg 19 so hopefully Tony would keep them occupied as it was to be an out and out Silvers match for me as being realistic I cannot compete mentally or physically with the up in the water Carp Slayers and that is what you would need to do for any overall coin today (roll on winter).

Peg 21 does have a great LH margin accessible with a top set plus a bit of the number four. It also has a reasonable flat bottom with not too many snags to contend with. So two rigs, a margin Silvers rig for caster and worm (not a Ronnie rig) and a paste rig as the margins do offer some of the larger Skimmers to this bait.

I started by potting in some caster by now Tony was playing his first Carp! I think I was second to catch a fish, a 2oz Perch on double caster. It wasn’t long before I abandoned this as the tiny Perch would mash one of the casters on the drop and mash the other on the bottom, if I did hook one they often fell off. So on to the worm over the caster and similarly the small Perch were tugging off the worm. I did have a couple of 8oz specimens before I put the paste out. This lead to four decent Skimmers to 2lb losing two foul hooked ones at the net – this was a bugger because as at it happened these would have got me coin by default.

Time for experiments me thinks. So I got out a deep paste rig and another pole section to fish at five metre just down the inside ledge. It’s amazing how I could get fish fizzing over just the paste hook bait with no feed. I think they are feeding over the particles that fall away from the paste just above bottom as it took a while to get any indication. I did have one more Skimmer and a couple of Ghost Carp. Back in to the margins and in the last hour the Carp had arrived landing six more. My eight Carp weighed 47lb 8oz and my Silvers 11lb 8oz of a total of 59lb - no coin today.

The match was won my Tony Rixon (pictured above centre complete with his stalking/mugging attire – I thought he looked more like an Ice cream Man) with a new venue match record of 351lb 10oz from peg 19. See Tony’s blog on how he captured this many fish. Still the second best Angler in the South West - not ready for "Filp Flops" yet matey - well done - pleasure to witness.

I have had the pleasure of fishing next to both these venue match record holders and to be truthful there isn’t much difference between their rigs and methods. Tony will tell you he’s “Stalking” and Anton will tell you he’s a “Slapper”. Neither of them fed any bait (that’s the only part I like about this method). The difference between them for me is that Anton has the youth and the endurance strength. However, Tony has the smoothness and experience – done it all before. I must say I didn’t have a ripple from Tony’s peg when landing his fish, and I bet he used the same rig all day.

The Silvers was won accidentally by An-Ton Page (pictured right) with 28lb from peg 34. Anton caught Chub and F1’s shallow with 8mm banded hard pellet – slapping it around – sickening isn’t it.

Full Result:

1.      Tony Rixon 351-10-0 peg 19 (New venue match record)

2.      An-Ton Page 227-13-0 peg 34 (Ex record holder)

3.      Dean Malin 161-03-0 peg 5

4.      Tom Thick 158-0-0 peg 24

5.      Martin Lenaghan 129-05-0 peg 11

6.      Dave Roper 100-13-0 peg 15

Top Silvers:

1.      An-Ton Page 28-0-0 peg 34

2.      Martin Lenaghan 19-0-0 peg 11

3.      Joe McMahon 15-04-0 peg 36 

Tuesday 24/07/2012 - Acorn Open - Paddocks

With my Granddaughters away for week’s holiday, I had a day off the baby sitting, so I sneaked off to Acorn Fishery for their very popular Tuesday open. Into the draw bag and out comes lottery ball number twelve. I was very happy with this peg as it on a bend offering plenty of room which would be crucial today under the blazing bright sunshine.

On peg 13 I had Andy Smith (pictured right sat in his car next to his peg assembling his traditional waggler) for company. When I see Andy I always think Bath AA. But of course he his now a Director of Amalgamation Limited and has been for more years than he was Secretary of Bath AA.

On a lighter note the weather has been scorching hot as it would be today, so it was a question of minimum clothes without getting sunburnt. An-Ton Page (pictured right) was modelling the latest men’s underwear – I suppose we will all be wearing them next year!! I was surprise he didn’t have Sensas emblazed on his backside.

My plan was to target the Silvers by starting on the Ronnie rig with caster for down the LH margin. In case this didn’t work I set up two paste rigs – one long at 3 metres and one in the margin over the caster line. So starting on single caster I had a 4lb Carp first and second put in – not what I wanted.  I then had a run of ten different species of Silver! However, none were of any size. I was interrupted by the odd Carp and after nearly four hours I foul hooked a Carp which bent the wire stem on my Ronnie rig into a U shape. Looking around there didn’t seem to be many Silvers being caught so with about 20lb of Silvers captured at the cost of half pint of casters and six Carp in one net. I decided to switch to the paste over the caster changing the loose feed to hard 4’s. Basically it was a Carp a bung until the end. I fed about ¼ pint of pellet.

As I didn’t add to my Silvers the weight stayed at 21lb 10oz. This put me second in the Silvers so some coin earmarked. I was surprised when my Carp took my total to a winning weight of 150lb 9oz. So, should I have fished for Carp from the off – probably, if I was a carp Slayer, that said you can’t do much better than win the match and have a Silvers second.

The Silvers was won by matey Dave Wride (pictured right with his net of “peas-in-the-pod” Skimmers) with 28lb 8oz from peg 24. Dave caught on meat and soft pellet.

 Full Result:

1.      Mike Nicholls 150-09-0 peg 12

2.      An-Ton Page 135-06-0 peg 15

3.      Chris Davis 107-0-0 peg 16

4.      Matt Tomes 93-08-0 peg 32

5.      Mike Chapman 91-07-0 peg 5

6.      Andy Gard 88-03-0 peg 4

Top Silvers:

1.      Dave Wride 28-08-0 peg 24

2.      Mike Nicholls 21-10-0 peg 12

3.      Dave Bacon 18-09-0 peg 30 (plus the biggest Tench award (2lb 8oz)

Sunday 22/07/2012 - Viaduct Fishery Open - Campbell Lake

After a week away to spoil the Special One in the Holcombe Valley (just outside Weymouth) it was back to Viaduct – Campbell. It was breakfast in Woody’s, who tried put my breakfast on top of Bela’s, then tried to put four beans on toast and four eggs on my plate! Two chews Bela would have munched through the lot without breathing.

It looks like the weather has changed for the better fro holiday makers that is – not sure about us anglers though.

Campbell has had a match on it 23 times in the last 25 days. So would it fish well? Of course it would, as it is the best fishery in the country.

Last but three in the draw queue with 132, 115 and 131 left, not me I hope, yes, that went to Mash, peg 132 went to Lee Werrett and luckily I pulled peg 115. Perfect as I was targeting the Silvers to try a qualify for the all winners final which I have fell at the last hurdle five times this year! Last time I fished this peg I had 42 lb of Silvers only to be beaten by Paul Greenwood on peg 127 who had 57lb. This time I had Silvers expert John Green on peg 126 so someone to keep an eye on!

There was a club match on Carey and the old guy (don’t get to say this often) said he fished my peg the day before and weighed in 5lb! Blimey!

It must be fifteen years since I used hard banded pellet in earnest, abandoned due to the advent of soft expander pellet. I was impressed with how Tony Rixon just pipped me for the Silvers last week using this method. So I set up a 4x14 jolly with a size 20 hook, banded with a Mosella micro band hair rigged to 0.14 G Line to be fished at 4 metres. Just in case, I set up a paste rig to fish over the same line. I followed this by a paste/worm rig for the LH margin (even though the light wind was blowing the rig towards me).

I started by feeding a pot of wetted micro into the margin swim, then it was out on the banded hard 6mm at 4 metres and loose feeding hard 4’s over the top. First dob in I had a 5lb Carp followed by six more, losing two, with the last Carp trashing my rig. Not going to plan then. Blimey I have accidentally put together a slayers rig. So it was out on the paste, and after a short wait I had a 2lb Skimmer and that was it for this line as the Carp was swirling around on the surface taking the 4’s. So I put the two 4 metre rigs well away from foot crunching distance and went in to the margin where I had been feeding hard 4’s. With paste on the hook I had a run of Tench before the small fish started to gnaw the paste to oblivion. So a switch to whole Worm well nearly I like to head and tail them to reduce the wriggle factor. This resulted a few more Tench, a couple of Perch to 2lb and a couple of Bream with one of them jumping out the water on to the weeded bank, which necessitated me gently easing it back in to the water. It was easy to land from then onwards. The swim went quite so back on the past and with some further gentle feeding of hard 4’s and a few more Tench resulted. This is how the rest of the match went switching between the two hook baits I kept the Tench coming. I was reminded six times today how very much fishing for Tench in the margins is so similar to the Chub on the river Avon diving for freedom if you fish too tight and no matter how hard you pull they get away - fair play I say. With 30 minutes to go I had a run of six Tench which luckily I put in a separate net (I always put four nets in on this venue – not in anticipation - but to help keep the fish from palletising me).

My five early Carp weighed in 27lb 10oz and my Silvers 58lb 11oz for a total of 83lb 5oz. This put me 8^th overall and more importantly first in the Silvers and qualifying for the all winners final – AT LAST - beating John Green by 10lb.

The match was won by Martin Preston who is a Primary School Teacher. I take my hat off to this profession as you need the patients of “Old Nick”, which is an essential ingredient for being a great Match Angler – which Martin is (pictured right with one of his sunburnt pupils and Silvers winner). Martin landed 211lb 8oz from peg 125. Martin fished popped up bread, fished at about half depth on the lead feeding 8mm pellet over the top. Martin hair rigged various sizes of bread from 2 inch square to thumb size to keep the Carp coming throughout the match. It took three pints of pellet and half a loaf of white bread to amass this great total on a blinding hot sunny day.

Full Result:

1.      Martin Preston 211-08-0 peg 125

2.      Tom Mangnall 185-06-0 peg 127

3.      Glenn Bailey 148-08-0 peg 119 (after the usual they are all at the other end grump)

4.      Dan White 141-11-0 peg 118

5.      Lee Werrett 114-04-0 peg 132

6.      Kevin Crouch 104-03-0 peg 116

Top Silvers:

1.      Mike Nicholls 58-11-0 peg 115

2.      John Green 46-0-0 peg 126

3.      Bela Bakos 16-10-0 peg 129

Sunday 15/07/2012 - Avon Angling Open - Viaduct Fishery - Campbell and Lodge Lakes

I thought yesterday’s Fish o Mania was another success. The only comment was that all of the anglers interviewed said the trophy was more important than the money – not for me – keep the trophy and get the cheque in the bank!! I wish for more angling matches to be televised.

After another meat free breakfast in Woody’s it was in to the draw queue and found myself one of the last three to draw. Pegs 127, 112 and 131 left in the coffee tin. I just didn’t want to draw peg 131, luckily for me this was left to Chris Davis who not surprisingly DNW’ed as like me he won’t fish the lead. I had peg 127 and Dean Malin 112, my preferred peg as it has a great margin.

For two weeks on the trot I was surrounded by the South West top Carp Slayers with Tom Mangnall on next peg 126 and An-Ton on peg 123 and Tony Rixon on peg 124. I was resigned to being battered again, as the Carp were well out and up in the water. So the focus was solely the Silvers for any path to coin. So it was a start on meat at 9 metres with a 4x14 jolly and two paste rigs one for over the meat line and another for the margin.

Starting on the 6mm meat kindering in 5 pieces, I foul hooked a Carp first put in, which luckily wasn’t on long leaving the rig intact. This was quickly followed by two 6lb Carp. That was it, no more Carp throughout the match as Tom Mangnall had been blasting in the pellet causing the biggest fizzing area I have witnessed, some 12 foot diameter at 14.5 metres. So on to the Silvers and after a few small Skimmers the small Ronnie’s took charge and I was pestered by them. So it was on to the paste over the meat line which just sat there, until the paste dissolved popping the float up. It was early in to the margin then, whilst I loose fed hard 4’s over the nine metre line to see if I could get some fizzing, which I didn’t, so never fished this it again. The margin was full of small fish which made both paste and caster impossible to fish. The only hook bait that would stay on long enough to catch anything decent was a big piece of worm. So I stayed with this, feeding caster and hard 4’s over the top. I didn’t feed any worm. I caught five Tench losing one and Perch to 2lb, but no Skimmers. I did lose quite a few Perch due to the hook pulling free. My two Carp went 13lb 8oz and my Silvers 29lb 12oz for a total of 43lb 4oz. This left my marginally fourth in the Silvers. However, I did manage a default pick up as Tony Rixon won his section.

The match was technically won by Tom Mangnall (pictured right sporting his new ASDA “Smart Price” glasses no wonder he dosn't smile) from next peg 126 with 242lb 12oz. Tom fished shallow at 14.5 metres using banded pellet over loose fed pellet. Fortunately for Tom An-Ton Page (pictured lower right looking distraught) had gone over the 70lb limit by 4lb and then went over the 90lb limit on another keep net and lost his complete net, having altogether 94 lb deducted which would have gave him a grand total of 287lb 3oz!!

The Silvers was won by Shaun Townsend (pictured bottom right with the real match winner now smiling as he only lost out by £10 pools money) from peg 66 with 31lb 15oz. Shaun caught on 6mm banded pellet feeding hard 4’s.

Full Result:

1.      Tom Mangnall 242-12-0 peg 126

2.      An-Ton Page 193-02-0 peg123

3.      Craig Edmonds 162-14-0 peg 59

4.      Tony Rixon peg 138-06-0 peg124

5.      Alan Oram 126-07-0 peg 119

6.      Dean Malin peg 85-10-0 peg112

Top Silvers:

1.      Shaun Townsend 31-15-0 peg 66

2.      Tony Rixon 30-09-0 peg 124

3.      Nigel Bartlett 30-06-0 peg 118

4.      Mike Nicholls 29-12-0 peg 127

During the match a red ants nest decided to make home in my net bag I thought I had
cleared them all out however, by the time Bela and I reached "Bar Gar-age" Bela was bitten
all round his ankles with the red ants crawling all over him.

Wednesday 11/07/2012 - Avon Angling Open - Landsend - Match Lake

Today was a Coffin Dodgers day out, with Ray Bazeley, Paul Haines and me (last of the Summer Wine seems more appropriate). After a meat free breakfast it was off to Landsend. With 15 fishing we were all on Match Lake which had fish extremely well on Sunday. However, I knew it wouldn’t fish that well again today.

Amazingly we had sunshine for most of the day, “Dodging” the rain all day. Amazing really because just down the road at Shepton Mallet they had floods!

In to the draw bag and out comes peg 1 happy with this as it has plenty of margins to fish. The problem was which one?

I think the platform on peg 1 is designed for the disabled and is well up off the water, with a high board across the front which necessitated raising the legs on my box. Unfortunately, I can’t tighten the legs up as I use to. So when I sat on the box both back legs collapsed and I fell off the box backwards hurting my hands and elbow. Luckily there were no top sets about at the time!

Starting on the 4x14 jolly at 9 metres with soft pellet over kindered micro resulted in a stampede of Carp on the surface, foul hooking and losing two. This was followed by a run of small Ronnie’s and nothing else. So I re-fed and it was an exact repeat of the first feed. That was it up the bank with this plan. In to the end margin with CW&C with worm on the hook, this produced a run of small Perch, with many coming off. I soon had enough of this so I fed CW&C out on the 9 metre line and it was a repeat, with the Carp right up on the surface taking the feed  before it got down a foot – another foul hooker followed and one Rudd. By half time all I had to show for my desperate efforts was 6lb of Silvers. I even tried the Ronnie rig but was soon aware that the Ronnies weren't playing fair - missing loads of bites and putting nothing in the net.

I decided to fish out the match in my banker swim, which was in the RH margin as tight in to the bank as the over grown vegetation would allow with a 0.4 gram Gerry of Nottingham Paste and corn rig for the paste. I had been dripping in hard fours and it wasn’t long before I had a 3lb Carp in the net – my first. This swim has a bloody great tree in it so you fish here at your peril; hence I had tightened the elastic right down to “walk the dog”. I then hooked a double figure Common Carp and because I had tightened the elastic right down I pulled out of it. On the next fish I adjusted the elastic as I played it to get some sort on compromise. This work well for most of the match losing only two to the tree branches only because the Carp had come up in the water on the strike. I felt I had turned a disaster in to a resemblance of a match, enjoying the second half putting 14 Carp in the nets.

My Carp weighed in at 73lb 6oz and adding my Silvers took me to 79lb 6oz for third overall – as I expected the Lake fish slightly below par.

The match and the Silvers were won by Tom Mangnall (pictured right admiring the runner up and match organiser) from peg 8 with 102lb10oz (Tom had gone 7lb over in one net which was deducted). Tom caught all his fish over to the far bank using caster over caster.

Full Result:

1.      Tom Mangnall 102-10-0 peg 8

2.      Tony Rixon 87-0-0 peg 15

3.      Mike Nicholls 79-06-0 peg 1

4.      Adrian Jeffery 70-12-0 peg 13

5.      Tom Thick 70-07-0 peg 21

6.      Nigel Bartlett 56-10-0 peg 24

Top Silvers:

1.      Tom Mangnall 22-10-0 peg 8

2.      Tom Thick 19-07-0 peg 21

3.      Nigel Bartlett 17-14-0 peg 24

I am now thinking ahead to Sundays match at Viaduct on Campbell and Lodge.
The question is should I take a waggler rod for Lodge? Doubt it.

Sunday 08/07/2012 - Avon Angling Float Only - Landsend Fishery - Specimen,Match and Sidney's Lake

Our first time in the newly open Shipham Café. Good value, very nice chef, but as I write this blog I still have heart burn!

With Specimen, Match and Sidney’s Lakes in the draw box I was desperately hoping for a peg on Sidney’s. It wasn’t to be I was to spend the day on peg 18 Match Lake – Carp Slayers alley. My section ran from peg 24 to my peg 18 and I had two of the top South West Carp slayers in my section, Anton Page peg 19 and Tom Mangnall peg 21. So the best I could hope for was a section by default, Silvers or a low framing position. So I decided to try the Silvers even though there were plenty of Carp mooching around. I set up two Paste rigs – one for 10 metres where some fish were blowing and one for the RH margin where I found the optimum depth and shelf on my long Sensas top set (purchased for AA), a 4x14 Jolly for caster or soft pellet and my favourite Ronnie rig for the caster. 

Starting on the soft pellet over a few micros resulted to a number of missed bites (if they were bites) and a couple of foul hooked Carp, no Silvers, so out on the Ronnie rig and I had a few 2oz specimen, hoping the bigger Silvers would come up in the water for the loose fed casters – but not. By now Anton had 10 Carp! I decide to feed a big pot of micro at 10 metres and go over it with paste. This resulted in two Carp, the same amount of lost carp and one Bream. The line was fizzing with bream, but I don’t think they could or wanted to pick out my hook bait. By now Anton had 20 Carp! 

I had been feeding hard 4’s down the RH margin and decided to fish this for the rest of the match especially as I had four Bream in the first four put ins, adding only one Crucian for the remainder of the match. 

I started to Catch Carp to 5lb steady, so it was a switch to section by double default for coin because as expected both Anton and Tom were Carp Slaying and most certainly would frame. 

I was doing reasonably well until Anton decided to lift all his nets out to see what he had. This didn’t help my margin swim as I was fishing his way – why did he do this, because if you are over a net weight you can’t transferred them!! I did give him my views on the subject - respect other anglers. 

The upshot was that I caught steady until the end landing twenty Carp which weighed in at 101lb 1oz and my Silvers 15lb 8oz for a total 116lb 9oz. This put me fourth overall and if I hadn’t framed I would have won the section by double default. However, this was given to matey Martin Rayett on peg 24 by triple default!

The match was won by An-Ton (pictured right with some of his five net catch) with 279lb from next peg 19. I have to give credit where credit is due; An-Ton amazed me with the finest display of Carp Slaying that I have ever witnessed. An- Ton fish 16 metres with a slayers rig comprising four foot of line with a float with all the shot pushed underneath with the banded pellet 8 inches under the float. Anton fed bugger all – that’s my boy. Unfortunately for me I had to fish in bow waves all day! Well done matey nice to spectate. 

The Silvers was won by Clayton Hudson (pictured lower right with the match winner) with 36lb 12oz from Specimen peg 34. Clayton caught on CW&C feeding nine pints of a combination of both. It must be nice to be sponsored to this amount. 

I must mention matey Nick Collins who drew next peg to me 16 and because his platform was under water had to borrow some Gum Boots. Unfortunately for him they didn’t fit too well and left him with some swelling on his legs – pictured right. I don’t think the boots will be the same again though! Horrible!

And finally Bela was on peg 10 and caught and landed two Rats in is 60lb net, neither of them had his phone in them!! 

Full Result:

1.      An-Ton page 279-0-0 peg 19

2.      Tom Mangnall 152-0-0 peg 21

3.      Bob Gullick 120-11-0 peg 5

4.      Mike Nicholls 116-09-0 peg 18

5.      Clayton Hudson 107-08-0 peg 34

6.      Tom Thick 107-05-0 peg 1

Top Silvers:

1.      Clayton Hudson 36-12-0 peg 34

2.      Tony Rixon 31-05-0 peg 3

3.      Nick Collins 29-12-0 peg 16

Thursday 05/07/2012 - Batchampton AA - Over 55's and Disabled - Bridge lake

I was good to be joined for breakfast again at ASDA by Bob Warren after his recent illness – nearly back to his good old self.

Believe it or not Mike Jones has changed the draw again! We are now using what looks like roulette chips, much better though than Ray Bazeley balls. The picture right shows the remainder of the draw queue – it’s where its the place where the match can be won or lost – John Wilde doesn’t look too happy with his peg, but he still managed a couple of double figure Carp from peg28!! I had already drawn and pulled peg 31. Hang on that’s the same peg number as yesterday’s match – luckily I am not superstitious!

Two years ago before the Carp demise I would have ran to the peg, but since then the pegs in the 30’s have been inconsistent with most of the fish preferring the deeper end in the teen pegs. For company I had Leicester likely lad Ray Bazeley on peg 30 and Dave Gillard on peg 32. You are always well entertained when in this sandwich.

I decided to have a steady day on the Silvers so set up the Ronnie rig for the caster, same rig as yesterday, including the hook length which later I would regret not changing. The usual 4x16 jolly was set up for the Skimmers to fish at 6 metres with either soft pellet or CW&C. Just in case set up a margin paste rig. On the whistle I fed a pot of a mixture of wet micro, CW and caster on the 6 metre line. However, I started on the top set with the Ronnie rig and from the off had a few small samples before the football team arrived, in fact I think it was the entire Premiership – catching 1oz Perch a chuck. I soon tired of this one and went out on the worm and lost a good Skimmer first put in, the evidence pointed to it being foul hooked. Next put in the same again – what’s going on? I then got pestered once again by tiny Perch, which I am sure Darren Gillman would have loved to have fished for – not me, although I kept topping up the swim, the Perch got to the bait first, in between I did have the odd Skimmer. So I picked up the Ronnie rig again but this time fished it two foot deep to avoid the “Ballers”. It wasn’t long before I was in to my first Common Carp on single caster. I stayed on this catching the odd big Skimmer, hybrid and Ronnie’s plus another Common Carp. That was until the last twenty minutes when I hooked a lump which after a long tussle broke my well worn hook length – should have changed it. I couldn’t be bothered to retie the hook so was resigned to see the match out on paste in the margin where I had been feeding small amounts of hard four. I was soon in to another Carp which seemed to take an age to land. I couldn’t help noticing that when I hooked it, I spooked another five Carp in my swim!! With now five minutes to go and another Carp on the hook, again spooking a margin shed full. It took me ten minutes after the match to net.

My four Carp weighed 33lb 6oz and my Silvers 17lb 12oz for a total of 51lb 2oz. That lost Carp cost me a high framing place but hey I picked up the same coin. This surprisingly put me second in the Silvers and fifth overall.

Today was the second consecutive dry day.

The match was won by Dave Bacon (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 83lb 6oz from peg 21. Dave caught most of his fish from both his left and right hand margins fishing pellet over pellet.

The Silver was won by Terry Bruton with 27lb of Skimmers from peg 10. Terry caught at 5metres using meat hook bait over meat.

Full Result:

1.      Dave Bacon 83-06-0 peg 21

2.      Bob Price 55-08-0 peg 24

3.      Martin Alexander 54-04-0 peg 18

4.      Paul Haines 53-02-0 peg 13

5.      Mike Nicholls 51-02-0 peg 31

6.      Chris Rolfe 37-04-0 peg 6 

Top Silvers: 

1.      Terry Bruton 27-0-0 peg 10

2.      Mike Nicholls 17-12-0 peg 31

3.      Andy Smith 14-12-0 peg 7

Wednesday 04/07/2012 - Avon Angling Open - Acorn Fishery - Paddocks

Arrived early for breakfast, but wasn’t first, that was Dave Blakemore. I was hoping that the rain would stop today and give us all a chance to dry out and relatively speaking it was reasonably dry. However, the resident Peacock still looked a bit bedraggled (pictured right with her three chicks).

In to the draw container and out comes peg 31. I wasn’t sure about the peg as Bela had it last time we were down together and he DNW’d. So I rang Glenn Bailey who appears to be the resident professional and he wasn’t much use as he said it isn’t normally in – how many does he fish against?

Not expecting to catch many Carp I set my sights on the Silvers although this was a little dangerous as Tony only pays two. The plan was to fish for Silvers down the margin with my Ronnie rig with caster over caster and later put paste over the top. I also set up a paste rig to be fish with the top set plus one. The rest of the pole stayed in the rod tube. On the whistle I fed a pot of micro over the out paste line at 10 o clock and kept and feeding six hard 4’s intermittently. I started on the caster in the LH margin. For the next three hours I had a great run of small Carp and Silvers, in fact I caught – Dace, Perch, Rudd, Roach  (to 1lb), Skimmers, Tench, F1’s, Crucian and hybrids - nine species. The swim died so I rested it and tried the paste out in front and caught four small Carp, losing two foul hookers, but it was slow, so back on the caster and a few more Silvers graced the net – until it slowed to a stand still, so I switched to paste in the margin just as Spectator Bakos arrived. I had a few more Silvers including a 2lb Tench then the Carp moved in and started to catch a better stamp of Carp to 8lb. I think Bela is a Jinx because every time he went for a walk I bagged up on Carp!!

My Silvers went 36lb 2oz for a Silvers win and my Carp 65lb 8oz for a grand total of 101lb 10oz for third overall.

For Tim Palanta information I fed just over half a pint of casters, with enough left to re-bag up for tomorrows match, half pint of micro and a handfull of 4's.

It proved to be a very satisfactory and enjoyable days fishing, another one to remember. I can see why it is becomes a very popular fishery.

The match was won by Mike West (pictured right collecting his Wonga from the organiser also below with the Silvers winner - Mike dosn't get on my blog very often) with 112lb 5oz from peg 5. Mike caught primarily in his LH margin using Paste over pellet.

Full Result:

1.      Mike West 112-05-0 peg 5

2.      Chris Davis 105-12-0 peg 7

3.      Mike Nicholls 101-10-0 peg 31

4.      Nicky Collier 86-02-0 peg 38

5.      Tom Mangnall 85-10-0 peg 26

6.      matt Tomes 82-13-0 peg 13

Top Silvers: 

1.      Mike Nicholls 36-02-0 peg 31

2.      John Bradford 29-12-0 peg 10

3.      Andy Gard 25-14-0 peg 40