Thursday 05/05/2016 - Harescombe Cost Cutter - Match Lake

I was out on the garden yesterday planting out some begonias. The weather forecast was for it to be sunny with temperatures in the low twenties. After a very, very, very long winter I was really looking forward to shedding some layers. However, when I left home it was four degrees, by the time I got to the fishery it was ten degrees, but the wind was initially a tad sharp.

Nineteen booked in and after breakfast it was time to find out which parcel of land I would rent for the next five hours. With the wind blowing to the far end I was hoping for either peg 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18. In to the draw bag and out come counter 5, oh well still great to be out fishing on such a lovely day. For company today on peg 6 was Lee Waller and on peg 3 Dave Cook.

I noticed hat the water was clearer than my last visit on Monday, which doesn’t bode well on this venue.

The same two rigs set up interestingly the margin depth were exactly the same as tight over to the far bank – where I was hoping not to venture. I wanted to plunder the LH margin but the wind was blowing the rig toward me at some knots, the RH margin was better but was very open and slightly shallower due to a land slip.

I started on the usual short rig with semi-hard pellet over pellet and I had a good twenty minutes catching the odd F1 and Skimmers. Subsequently the swim completely died with not even any indications. Into the LH margin where I had one quick F1, and then into the RH margin and another F1. That was the margins plundered!!

Looking around it appeared to be fishing hard. So needs must it was out on the back crunching 13 metres where I had potted some pellet. I started to catch the odd F1. By switching between meat and semi-hard pellet I managed to snare the odd F1 I then had a blow and immediately caught a 3lb Mirror Carp. I then foul hooked a Mirror in the tail and through impatient angling I pulled out (rushing on a hard day isn’t wise). I’m buggered if I didn’t do another similarly but in the mouth. It got worse because I landed a Carp only for it to slip out on my hand back into the drink.

The upshot was that by fishing over to the piles I kept the odd Carp and F1 coming until the end including three decent Chub. I weighed a total of 53lb for fourth overall which I was happy with from this peg. Another tight enjoyable match.

The match was won by Roy “Scotty” Liddell (pictured right with some of his catch) with 59lb 10oz from peg 16, just 2oz more than his neighbour Roy Morley. In the video below Scotty humorously explains in the video below how he caught today.

Full Result:

1. Roy Liddell 59-10-0 peg 16
2. Roy Morley 59-08-0 peg 15
3. Ralph Hillier 56-12-0 peg 18
4. Mike Nicholls 53-0-0 peg 5
5. John Skelton 50-10-0 peg 29
6. Steve Rich 47-08-0 peg 2

Weigh Sheet: