Wednesday 29/01/2014 - Ivy House Open - Match Lake

I Have been itching to get back to Ivy House every since I first fished it guesting in the Veals teams of four back in 2005 when I won the Silvers with 29lb of Skimmers, even more so since Andy Lloyd and his wife Karen (pictured right with some home made cakes provided after the match) took over the fishery at the end of 2013.

Andy has certainly enthused with the chain saw and strimmer giving the match Lake a right “short back and sides” (pictured lower right). Much better I think, and will allow the wind to stir things up a bit. Andy has plenty of plans underway; he has started by stocking a 1000 Carp averaging 1lb in the match Lake.

After a decent breakfast cooked by Karen’s fair hand, it was time to go in the draw bag. It appeared that the favoured peg was 13 which have been winning recent matches with the new arrivals. I pulled peg 17 which according to Andy was a decent Silvers peg.

So I decided I might need some GB, so borrowed a GB bowl from Tony Rixon. I initial set up a 4x14 Jolly but found it a tad too deep at 8 foot for it, so switched to a 4x16. I decided to fish micro and dead red at 11 metres at 12 o clock and GB laced with Pinkie at 1 0 clock at 10 metres. The same float did both lines with only 2 inches separating the depths. I fed the GB line followed by the longer line with a smidgen of wetted micro with some mixed dead reds.

Staring with double dead red over the micro I had a liner first put in, followed by the float dipping which I missed, in again and I hooked a decent Carp which I soon realised was foul hooked with the no 20 - 808 pulling free. I kept a few micros and dead maggot going in through the kinder pot, but it was quiet. So I had a quick look over the GB line with double Pinkie with no indications.

So back out over the pellet and I had a decent run of small Carp which lasted half the match until I had a big fish blowing over the pellet. I was anticipating putting a decent Carp in the net. Alas, after 10 minutes the blowing stopped and so did I catching small Carp. For the rest of the match I struggled, not catching any more over the pellet line. Instead I switched over the GB where I caught three more small Carp and my one and only Silver – a 1oz Ronnie!

My total weight was 39lb 14oz made up with probably the same number of Carp that I had pounds. This left me third overall and last in the Carp pool. One fish from second!

It was good to see that Andy is not defaulting the Silvers – If you win both you pick up both.

The match was won by Neil Richards (pictured right with his catch) with 46lb 5oz from lucky peg 13.

The Silvers was won by John Howell (pictured lower right) with a lowly 4lb13oz from peg 7.

Full Result:

1. Neil Richards 46-05-0 peg 13
2. Frank 40-06-0 peg 15
3. Mike Nicholls 39-14-0 peg 17
4. Val Murray 39-02-0 peg 18
5. Phil 36-00-00 peg 6
6. Alan Oram 24-05-0 peg 14

Top Silvers:

1. John Howell 4-13-0 peg 7
2. Neil Richards 1-09-0 peg 13

Weigh Sheet:

Sunday 26/01/2014 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round Four - Both Lakes

The weather was forecast to be bloody awful which resulted in a few non attendees. But as now seems common practice the BBC present a very pessimistic outlook with the effect of putting people off of going out. It’s about time they tried being more realistic/optimistic. Subsequently, we had a few non attendees. The only thing for me is why they don’t ring the organiser so we aren’t waiting around in hope they will arrive!

There was some pressure put on Bryan Shanks to take out pegs 35 and 18. However, Brian stuck by his guns and left them in. I wish other league organiser would also follow Bryan’s stance as it’s not fair on anglers who have previously drawn these pegs.

After a good breakfast and a delay to the draw I suddenly found I had “drawitus” I was last to the plastic container but couldn’t put my hand in. Shanksey offered to draw for me, but in I went and out came peg 27. Yippee!

Peg 27 is a far end peg on the right hand side of the Canal and probably one of deepest. I was happy with this peg, especially as I had the wind off my back.

It was about this point that the league leader Phil “Fabio” Harding slipped on the only wooden pallet on the and went in the Old Lake from peg 11. Phil also had his seat box go in. I must say this would have been hilarious in the summer, but not today as the water temperature must have been 4 degrees. It wasn’t the day to go in, but Phil tried to fish on but the weather got to him. I hope you have recovered matey – a match to drop!!

I set up two 4 x 12 Jolly’s one to fish over and down the edge to the tree and the other to fish comfortably at 7 metres.

Because lately I have had some difficult draws having to wait an age to get any body movement I decided to purchased a “Boredom Bar” from Avon Angling. However, because I decided to fish down the peg to the right I didn’t set it up.

I fed the 7 metre line at 2 o clock with some Pinkie and the margin and far bank with some micro and dead reds. I started on the 7 metre line with a single dead red on the hook and during swinging out I hooked a bush to my left and lost the hook. So after resetting up I went out again and had a ½ oz Ronnie. It then went quiet!! So I tried the inside line with any indication followed the far bank with again with a single dead red. I did have two micro Perch and one Ronnie. Although I kept trying these lines I didn’t get any further action.

I decided to mix up a bit of GB and fed some slop over the 7 metre line with just a smidgen of Pinkie with fluro Pinkie on the hook and for the rest of the match I caught 35 Ronnie’s for a grand total of 1lb 10oz! This give me the lake Silvers thanks to Bela who managed 3lb 2oz of mainly Perch from peg 30 fishing similarly, which put him Lake second, so a double bubble van pick up which ended up behind the bar of the new Inn!!

I was asked to mention that my peg 35 record of 7oz was battered today by Vince Shipp who weighed a “big” 8oz. Well done matey all you need to do now is beat my peg 18 record!

The match and the Canal Lake was won by Ryan Shipp (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with an amazing 14lb 8oz from peg 24. Ryan caught four small F1’s and a couple of Carp on either Pinkie or red maggot over kindered potted Pinkie with a dusting of GB fished ½ metres off the far bank.

The Silvers was won by Bryan Shanks with 10lb 2oz from peg 2, 3 and 4. Bryan caught on soft pellet fished over GB and micro. Bryan’s catch comprised on mainly Crucian Carp.

It was back to the New Inn for the results where we had a right laugh, with Bryan doing some great impressions.

Full Result:

1. Ryan Shipp 14-08-0 peg 24
2. Bryan Shanks 10-02-0 peg 3
3. Simon Belcham 6-06-0 peg 10
4. Clive Feddery 5-10-0 peg 13
5. Ron Hardiman 3-08-0 peg 8
6. Bela Bakos 3-02-0 peg 30

Top Silvers:

1. Brian Shanks 10-02-0 peg 3
2. Simon Belcham 6-06-0 peg 10

Weigh Sheets:

Thursday 23/01/2014 - Bathampton AA/Veals Silvers Championship - Round Two - Withy Pool

Because there has been some minor Bankside slippage on Bridge Pool we were put on Withy Pool. There was a considerable amount of descent as most anglers thought the slippage wasn’t sufficient to move the match. As for me well you have to be careful what you wish for as I was probably the only one happy to fish Withy. With only one retiree – Paul Staite due to work shift changes, otherwise we had the full turn out (I don’t think a full attendances if the next match is on Withy Pool again).

I was hoping for pegs 42 to 49 and 59 to 69, but definitely not behind the island. In to the draw bag and out comes peg 53 – behind the island! However, I did have good company, Mike Jones on peg 54 and Paul “Mumbler” Haines on peg 52. It was going to be hard, but Mike Jones had done his best to make it a fair section which ran from Pauls Peg to Bob Prices peg 59. I expect the higher pegs to do best. I wasn’t wrong.

I usually use a 4x16 jolly however, because I expected it to be hard I set up a 4x14 Jolly. After plumbing up at 7 metres at 12 o clock and 2 o clock in the sameish depth of water. I tested the float for shotting and was amazed to find the water “hammering” (towing 0.5 metres to the right then switching to towing the same distance to the left). I thought it might be the smaller float so I switched to a 4x16 Jolly and it was the same. So I switched back. I then set up a 4x12 Jolly for the margin for chopped worm over finely chopped worm. This swim can be good for Carp peg fished at 13 metres, so set up one of my new design of floats a 0.3 gram.

After feeding a pot of 50/50 caster and dead reds over at 13 metres which was to be a holding area for Carp and feeding both 7 metres line with GB laced with Pinkie. I started negatively to prevent a blank on the worm in the margin and had a ½ oz Perch, missing one bite before giving it up and trying the two 7 metres lines. The presentation was absolutely awful because of the water “hammer”. After a bite less hour I had a walk around the lake and I felt more depressed about my swim as there were plenty of good angers on good pegs struggling. So on my return I started loose feeding Pinkie leaving out the GB and foul hooked a 1lb 3oz Roach.

I spent the next 3 hours trying to workout the hydraulics of the swim (everyone behind the island was having difficulty with the “hammering”). I finally put it down to the water levels being at maximum and the fact the behind the island swims come to a dead end hence the water “bouncing” back. I think a lot more pegs would hold more fish in this area if the blind leg was connected to the main lake, however, this would mean a pedestrian bridge to get to pegs 46 to 49.

I did try the Carp swim a few times with triple dead maggot but couldn’t wait long enough for a bite because if the Arthritis.

With an hour to go matey Martyn Woodington (up from Hayward’s Heath to see his Mum and Dad) came and sat with me. During this time I caught two more tiny Ronnie’s and a missed line bite. An education for Martyn as he is use to catching 400lb of small Carp from the fishery in his area! I weighed 1lb 8oz for fourth in the section. On to drop – I hope!!

The match was won by Paul Dicks (pictured right with his catch) from fancied peg 47 with a respectable 18lb 4oz. Paul caught on maggot over GB laced with a few maggots. Well done matey.

The accidental Carp was won by Dave bacon (pictured right) from peg 44 with one Carp for 8lb 6oz. Dave assured me it was accidental, catching it in double Pinkie! Dave picked up the full pools as it was the only Carp landed.

Full Result:

1. Paul Dicks 18-04-0 peg 47
2. Barry Fitchew 8-04-0 peg 48
3. John Fry 7-12-0 peg 63
4. Dave Poole 6-0-0 peg 49
5. Ray Bazeley 5-08-0 peg 45
6. Mike Owens 4-07-0 peg 69 

Accidental Carp:

1.      Dave Bacon 8-06-0 peg 44

Weigh Sheets:

Sunday 19/01/2014 - Viaduct Winter League - Round One - Campbell, Carey, Lodge, Match and Spring Lakes

After a great buffet breakfast in the Globe Pub (The best bacon I've had for some time) it was time for captain Bakos to draw for out new 2014 team. I thought the boy did well drawing some good pegs as per team sheet pictured right. Unfortunately, most were good Silvers pegs and the bright sunny conditions weren’t conducive for them.

I was drawn of peg 50 on Match Lake. Not bad and with the flat calm conditions I thought the waggler would do the damage over close the island. After setting this up I set up the Normark number one feeder, again over close to the island. I finished off with a 4x12 jolly to be fished at 13 metres with various baits over Pinkie and GB.

After feeding some GB laced with Pinkie at 13 metres I started on the waggler with single white maggot over loose fed caster and started to catch 1 – 2oz Ronnie’s one a bung. This was disappointing as I was expecting F1’s. But this told me they weren't feeding. After 30 minutes of this I tried the pole and once again I was pestered by Ronnie’s, even on double caster.

So out went the maggot feeder and after losing a foul hooked F1 I hooked and landed a 2lb F1 followed quickly two small Carp. Just as I was thinking I got it right I hooked another Carp which went along the far bank snagging me on the far bank, all I had was a willow branch. That was it I impatiently sat on the feeder for 30 minutes bite less. To stop the boredom I set up a 4 metre whip and with single caster over caster I caught small Ronnie’s steady until an hour to go and went out in the straight lead over the feeder line and had another 2lb F1. That signaled the end of my match.

My Silvers weighed 3lb 8oz and my Carp 12lb 10oz for a total of 16lb 1oz for a meager 8 points. I don’t think anyone caught over the island on Match Lake with most fish coming from the end margins.

The match and my section was won by Nick Ewers (pictured right with some of his catch) with 158lb 7oz from Spring Lake peg 5. Nick caught on the straight out to the island (not particularly tight either) with tripled 10 mm punched bead hair rigged.

The Silvers was won by Nick Chedzoy (pictured lower right with the match winner) with 23lb 10oz from in form peg 38 on Middle Lake. Nick caught on maggot over Thatcher’s Gold and Lake mix GB.

The man of the match had to be Alan Oram (pictured lower right) who drew un-fancied peg 82 on Carey landing a 25lb 6oz Common Carp on the pole from under the left hand tree, helping him to a total to 44lb – well done matey, nice fish.

Full Result:

1. Nick Ewers 158-07-0 peg 5
2. James Knight 96-01-0 peg 102
3. Luke Sorokin 88-05-0 peg 66
4. Pete Bailey 88-08-0 peg 85
5. Andy Power 87-06-0 peg  16
6. Steve Tucker 85-14-0 peg 77

Top Silvers:

1. Nick Chedzoy 23-10-0 peg 38
2. Gary O’Shea 18-0-0 peg 105
3. Des Shipp 17-08-0 peg 88

Weigh Sheets:

Sunday 12/01/2014 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round Three - Both Lakes

I had a text message from Bela at 06:18 explaining that he wasn't well. I did expect this as he wasn't well in the pub yesterday afternoon and was first to leave after just a few pints. So it was lonesome me. I still decided to go for breakfast in the New Inn and after explaining to the waitress that the breakfast can be a bit cold, it subsequently came out piping hot as a few others commented. I enjoyed it. However, it would have slowed Bela down to warp speed.

It was my turn on the Old Lake today and after the dreadful last match on peg 35 the shallowest and worse peg on the New Lake. I was hoping for a reasonable draw. In to the draw box and out comes peg 18. The shallowest and worse peg on the Old Lake! I've now done the pair! Walking to the peg I spotted a dead 1 ½ lb Perch in the margin with a big piece missing from it. (pictured right).

The peg is at the far end and looks up the Lake (as pictured right). With the wind off my back and with fir trees behind me it was well sheltered. The last match the peg had a DNW apparently two small Perch.

The peg was full of branches, a residual from recent storms. I spent a while clearing what I could but it was an impossible task. I set up just the one rig a 4x10 Jolly and after plumbing around found 26 inches at 3 o clock at 11.5 metres and swinging around to 1 o clock and taking 2 inches off the depth I was 0.5 metres off the end of the middle island. Because Perch appeared to be the target I fed four chopped worms to the island and a few pinkies on the 3-o-clock swim. After 3 ½ bite less hours I decided to go positive and feed some micro and dead maggot in to both swims and have a walk down to matey Bill Ferris who was also struggling

and where Bob Price on opposite peg 10 was “bagging” on small Skimmers (pictured right). I stayed a while to watch a few bites.

At 14: 00 I returned to my peg and first put in I had my first bite a small Ronnie. I then had a run of 8 more and one Perch. Having broken the blank I fed a lot more micro and maggot over to the island swim. The swim went quite for the Ronnie’s but I did have something blowing over the micro. Although I tried all sorts of baits to catch it, it wasn’t to be.

 My ten fished weighed 12oz for last but one (again). My stomach started to ache and I wasn’t sure it was by association or factual. Luckily so far I am OK.

The match was won by Ryan Shipp (pictured right with his three Carp) from peg 8 with 20lb 10oz. Ryan’s weight included a near 10 lb Common. Ryan caught down his LH end margin using maggot over maggot.

The Silvers as expected was won by Bob “The Silvers” Price (pictured lower right with his Skimmer catch) with 8lb 4oz of tiny Skimmers to 4oz. Bob caught on pinkie over GB at 9 meters.

Full Result:

1. Ryan Shipp 20-10-0 peg 8
2. Darren North 11-13-0 peg 14
3. Bob Price 11-01-0 peg 10
4. Steve Rogers 9-08-0 peg 5
5. Vince Shipp 6-11-0 peg 6
6. Ron Hardiman 5-07-0 peg 21

 Top Silvers:

1. Bob Price 8-04-0 peg 10
2. Steve Rogers 2-05-0 peg 5

 Weigh Sheet:

Thursday 09/01/2014 - Bathampton AA/Veals Silvers Championship - Round One - Bridge Pool

First match for me of 2014 and first match in the series of the Bathampton AA/Veals Silvers Championship. A couple of changes from last year, firstly there are four sections of 7 anglers compared with 4 sections of 6 last year, an improvement me thinks. Secondly we are fishing all the matches on Bridge Pool leaving out Withy Pool entirely – a mistake me thinks.

It’s important to get the league off to a good start so when I drew peg 29 I had mixed feelings because pegs 24 (Barry Fitchew), 25 (Dave Wride) and 26 (Ray Bazeley) were in my section and all had the potential to beat me. With Paul Dicks on end section peg 30, it made it one of the hardest sections.

After all the rain we have had over recent days I was expecting the water to have a tinge of red. I was therefore surprised to find it was really clear. The Pool had obviously had a complete water change. I therefore wondered why the aerator was running.

It was a similar choice of float – 4x16 Jolly to be fished at 10 metres, in anticipation of the wind picking up which was blowing in at me at 10 o clock. This was a good choice as presentation even at this short length became difficult. I also set up a 4x12 jolly to be fished at 5 metres in case the wind got impossible. I only tried this line twice with caster over caster and didn’t get a bite so no more on this one.

I fed the 10 metres line at 12 o clock with my Skimmer GB laced with a few Pinkies and a pot of caster and Hemp seed at 3 o clock (I didn’t get a bite over this line even though I tried most bait combo’s). So Starting over the GB with double Pinkie I had a flying start catching Skimmer from 4oz to 1lb 8oz for the first 1 ½ hours. I then hit a wall and struggled for the remaining 3 ½ hours catching the odd Skimmer. I tried loose feeding for the Ronnie’s and could only muster two small versions. In the last 10 minutes I landed two 1lb Skimmers bumping one on the whistle.

I weighed 15lb 3oz for first overall and that all important first section win. Paul Dicks thought he had taken a pictured of me with my fish but obviously forgot to press the shutter button!!

Runner up in both the Silvers and accidental Carp was John Smith (pictured with the match winner) with 13lb 7oz from peg 9.

The accidental (not so accidental me thinks) Carp was won by “Gentleman” Dave Bacon with 24lb 8oz from peg 18.

Full Result:

1. Mike Nicholls 15-03-0 peg 29
2. John Smith 13-07-0 peg 9
3. Paul Dicks 7-10-0 peg 30
4. Rich Coles 6-01-0 peg 21
5. Barry Fitchew 6-01-0 peg 24
6. Mike Jones 5-10-0 peg 16

Accidental Carp:

1. Dave Bacon 24-08-0 peg 18
2. John Smith 17-08-0 peg 9

Weigh Sheets:

Review of 2013

Yet another year of match fishing comes to an end and for the fifth consecutive year I have travelled with Bela. Over this time we have become good friends which has extending into Saturday afternoon drinking sessions around the local area, sometimes co-opting some fellow match anglers Tim Ford, Darren Gillman and others – can’t say more because “what goes on tour stays on tour”!  Surprisingly during the whole year we only drew next to each other just the once at Acorn.

 

	2013	2012	2011
Total Number of Matches Fished	91	92	112
Total Number of Anglers fished the Matches	2,553	2,869	3,463
Average Number of Anglers per Match	28	31	31
Number of Different Fisheries Fished	20	10	16
Total Carp Weight	3249 lb 1oz	3,098lb 6oz	3,377lb 11oz
Total Silvers Weight	871lb 7oz	1,634lb 7oz	1,943lb
Overall Weight	4120 lb 8oz	4,732lb 13oz	5,320lb 11oz
Highest Overall Weight	158lb 10oz	177lb 10oz	193lb 12oz
Highest Silvers Weight	34lb 11oz	58lb 11oz	54lb
Heaviest Carp	19lb 10oz	17lb 2oz	19lb 12oz
Average Weight per Match	45lb 4oz	51lb 7oz	47lb 8oz
Number of Times in top 6 Overall	45	48	58
Number of Times in top 3 Silvers	25	38	42
Number of Times won Both	2	4	4
Number of Pick-ups	50	62	68
Strike Rate	55%	67%	61%
DNW	0	0	0
Blanks	0	0	1
Peg Fees	£450	£474	£645
Pools Entry	£1,250	£1,382	£1,730
Travel Costs	£430	£455	£550
Bait Costs (excludes bulk pellet)	£189	£267	£257
Capital Expenditure (spread over 3 years £500/3))	£170	£205	£167
Total Cost	£2,489	£2,783	£3,349

 

The 2013 statistics shown above are more or less consistent with last year. The strike rate is down due to a poor Viaduct Winter and Silvers Leagues. However, what is worrying for me is the amount of Silver fish I have caught during 2013. There is some mitigation because I have been targeting Carp more because that’s where the lion’s share of the coin is allocated. But I have found that there is a general reduction in Silver fish in most of the venues I fish. Because of their short life expectancy compared to that of Carp some Silvers re-stocking required I think. The cost of fishing and number of active match anglers has remained stable.

 

The 2013 started at Viaduct in their Winter League. This league is very popular because it‘s the biggest league running in the South West. There are 19 teams of 5 - 95 anglers and there would be more if they could be accommodated. Silverfox TM team didn’t fair that well this year with some team members beat before they fished, due to so say bad draws. I didn’t think we had neither the best nor the worse draws. I drew pegs 105, 52, 10, 110 and 90. I think I got the best out of the swims except peg 52. Arthritis in my hands was a real problem and I had come to terms that this would be my last winter league.

 

Also running through the winter was the Bathampton AA Silvers Championship ably run by Mike Jones on Thursdays. I had a really good series winning the league, knockout and third in pairs. Mike is running it again in 2014 and was sold out months ago. I am really looking forward to it especially the pint in the “Dando” after with the usual suspects. Mike is only using Bridge this year which I disappointed to hear as although there are some difficult swims behind the island it’s a reasonably fair venue. Perhaps we will have it back again next year.

 

Bela and I hen went in for the Acorn Pole only Series (was the Kev Perry Series). Again I had a great series off I must say some good draws. Finishing joint second on points, relegated to third on weight. A well run series by Chris Fox and Paul Faiers. We are already booked in for 2014.

 

My doctor had prescribed Dicolfenac for the arthritis and my hand were much, much better. That was until I received a phone one night from the surgery saying I had to stop them immediately because my liver functions test was extremely high. With our fishing holiday at Viaduct looming and my hands appearing to be far worse I persuaded the Doctor to give me steroids. This helped but wasn’t the long term answer, but it didn’t stop me from having a great weeks fishing, eating and drinking with Glenn, Martyn, Mark and Tim (pictured right enjoying a curry). The fishing was terrific with plenty of coin coming to us. We are already booked in for next year.

 

Mike Jones once again ran the Coffin Dodgers at Huntstrete which has proved even more popular with 28 regularly fishing. This is an interesting fact when comparing the apparent reducing numbers for other midweek matches which at best get low teens fishing. Is this because we still not getting youngsters coming in to match fishing. It seems clubs are investing in juniors but nothing seems to come off the conveyor belt, especially into match fishing. If the tackle industry wants to survive it really needs to start investing heavily in the sport.

 

Bela and I fished a number of open matches on Sundays around the South West and I was fishing regularly during the week. However, my hands were getting far worse and it was at this point I was considering giving up match fishing. The Doctor finally referred me to a specialist but the earliest appointment was November three months away! It was at a Coffin Dodgers match that matey Rich Coles mentioned a friend of his was taking Cider Vinegar for his arthritis. I had read about this before and had dismissed it as hokum pokum, but I was now desperate. So onto the internet and I found an article that described my symptoms exactly which was relieved by Cider Vinegar. The article was written by a church organist who had purchased a book by Margret Hills – Arthritis the drug free way. I purchased the book from Amazon and read through and decided to follow it to the letter. The cure is based around the following:

 

3 times a day one tea spoon of Molasses (or are Bela now calls it Moles Asses)

2 times a day two table spoons of Cider Vinegar with one table spoon of honey with a dash of hot water to mix it.

 

The mix does look like Thatcher’s Gold but that’s where the similarity ends, it’s bloody awful (Bela can’t stomach it). After the first week I could feel the benefits especially with my hands and fingers. My thumbs were a little better too. By the time I got so see the consultant my joints were the best they had been for 6 years. My shoulders were still a problem which the consultant immediately diagnosed as tendonitis and not arthritis and after two injections that too was feeling much better although I need to exercise it twice a day. – Happy days.

 

So it was off to the Viaduct Silvers league. It’s important to get a good start and when on the first match I pulled peg 80 it my series was already struggling! I did manage 18lb but last in section but not by much, hindsight and I would have been nearer the top. I followed this with peg 126 and after being battered all day by Carp and taking a dive in to the Lake my series was over. No more on this as I must mention Tony Rixon (pictured right) who won the league before the last match and then adding another section win to make it a clean sweep of six section wins. You hear comments that Tony was luck – well to a certain degree we all need an element of luck but that isn’t the reason he won the league. I put this down to his confidence in his method, rigs and feeding – simple. Tony has the confidence to sit on his chosen baits and wait 15 minutes or more for quality fish. Very impressive.

 

I decided to fish Andy Smith’s Amalgamation Ltd. Summer League with venues at Tockenham (plenty of pole breaking Carp in this Lake), Pawlett Ponds and Sabre Lakes. It took a few matches before I got grips with the venues and as such I have become fond of them. I did jointly win the league with “Pole Fixer” Barry Fitchew, but both falling on the final hurdle in the league fish off to “Gentleman” Dave Bacon. I will be fishing this league again next year which I expect to be more popular. Andy Smith matches are always been well organised and thought out.

 

Bela persuaded me to fish the Westerleigh Winter league ably ran by Bryan Shanks this year instead of the usual Landsend League so far the results aren’t looking good. I do enjoy this type of fishing. The upside is that we are having a pint by 4 o clock and home in time for a non micro waved roast dinner.

 

So the year has turned around for me as I have booked into this years Viaduct Winter league and looking forward to 2014 and so are my joints.