Wednesday 25/06/2015 - Amalgamation Summer League - Round One - Sedges - Canal

It’s been a while since fishing the Sedges and I was looking forward to returning. Even though the draw isn’t until 10 o clock I left early to miss the traffic so everything was done at a leisurely pace especially on such a beautiful summer’s day including breakfast in Hill Tops café. Some changes to the drive from here to the Fishery, since my last visit two roundabouts have been built on Bower Lane, which makes things much easier.

There were also plenty of changes to the Fishery under the good hospice of Jamie and Denise. Nature has also played a big hand with the trees and shrubs etc… maturing.

The league will alternate between the Canal and Tile Lake starting today on the Canal, which I have only fished once some 8 years ago. The fishing that day wasn’t good, but since Jamie has taken over I would guarantee things had improved. Plenty of time to have a walk round with a cup of coffee, during which I saw plenty of signs of fish all around the Canal – started to get excited. Back for chat with Jamie and he gave some good advice about fishing the Canal - mainly treat it like any Canal (didn’t have any squatt!!).

It was good to see Phil Coulam again – always cheerful.

This summer league attendance is always up and down due to holidays, three were missing today from the twenty booked in. Finally into the draw bag and out comes peg 51 which was end but one peg on the top far side. No emotions. For company on end peg 52 was John Thorne sporting a mummified Diawa Pole. Opposite was Ray Bazeley couldn’t see him but some how knew it was Ray!

On the opposite bank was an overhanging tree giving loads of shadow and on a hot bright summer’s day might be useful. I set up two 4x12 Jolly’s one yellow topped to fish ¾ across in the shadow and the other back top to fish at 4 metres in white water. Finally a 0.4 gram PC paste float to fish where ever. I plumbed around and found that the depth varied little with 6 inches differences right up to the opposite tree roots/trunk.

I started on the yellow top with semi-hard 4’s over kindered hard four with a smidgen of wetted micro and caught some small Skimmers, Ronnie’s and a 1lb Tench fairly quickly looking good for a days fishing. I then foul hooked a small Carp which went mental I was glad when the hook pulled out. The swim went quite but picked up again but the skimmers were tiny 1-2 oz. The swim then completely died. So I set up the Ronnie rig and caught some small Ronnie’s on caster before it again completely died. I kept trying the semi-hard but was get ragged by small fish which wouldn’t take a caster.

I tried the paste in various locations over potted hard 4’s but only got the nibblers interested.

I started to get bored not catching. At which time a young lad in a bright red shirt came round to me. He said he match fishes Sedges regularly but couldn’t fish the cost cutter today because he couldn’t get a lift (come on anglers get the Lad to the match). He stayed for about twenty minutes asking all sorts things whilst waving my pole around, I was happy enough to converse with him because I wasn’t catching. He gave me some advice on the peg mainly to do with fishing over with paste/pellet. However, John next door was doing this and although he was catching some small carp he was having a torrid time towing them out of the weeds, breaking a top-set and losing the lot!

The lad moved on. I decided to have a walk and everyone was struggling, with 6lb of Silvers tops. I borrowed a few maggots off John Barker and tried them only to catch the tiny Ronnie’s that were nicking my semi-hard’s.

So I decided to fish the caster on the 4 metre line for the remaining 3 hours of the match feeding very carefully. At the same time the sun went in and the temperatures lower significantly. I started to catch. First three small Chub and a 12oz Barbel which ripped my elastic out thinking it was a 3lb Carp. The Skimmers then moved in and I had a wonderful Hour catching them regularly up to 1lb. The sun came back out, temperature went up and the fishing slowed. I did foul hook anther Carp which also went mental.

I finished the match with 22lb 12oz of Silvers comprising 9 different species – no Carp! This put me 1st in the Silvers and 4^th overall (pictured upper right with the match winner). Half a pint of caster did it.

The match was won by Normal Huggett (pictured right with his catch of Carp) with 38lb 3oz from peg 63. Norman fished at either 14.5 or 16 metres over to near the far bank fishing either hard or expander pellet in 18 inches of water. Norman fed about 1 pint of hard 6’s.

Full Result:

1. Norman Huggatt 38-03-0 peg 63
2. Harry Muir 28-08-0 peg 46
3. John Thorne 24-14-0 peg 52
4. Mike Nicholls 22-12-0 peg 51
5. Bill Ferris 17-08-0 peg 58
6. Steve Jefferies 16-02-0 peg 47

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 22-12-0 peg 51
2. John Barker 10-0-0 peg 44

Weigh Sheets: