Thursday, 3 November 2016

Thursday 03/11/2016 - Harescombe Cost Cutter - Match Lake

First proper frost of this term, some warm water over the car glass sorted it. Driving up to the access road to the café there was no sign of frost, but there was a chilling wind blowing. Expected the weights will be down from previous matches. Andy Price missing today so we had Mr and Mrs Taylor in the Kitchen – well more Mrs that Mr. Lovely breakfast. However, with the body mass significantly down it took a while for the café to warm up!

Fourteen fishing today and with Andy’s absence the pegging was commandeered by Martin Hook.

In to the draw bag and out comes peg 13 – lucky for some? Hoping this would be end peg, but not, as on end peg 15 was Bristol’s mumbler Paul Haines, and on next peg 11 was tackle tart Ade Stokes. With 50lbish framing in recent matches I thought we could half that today so target 25lbish.

Two rigs today a 4x12 and a 4x10 Malman F1’s. Three lines one at 12-o- clock at top-set plus one, another at top-set plus three at 2-o-clock and similarly at 10-o-clock, but what to feed where? The 4x10 rig stayed on the grass.

Decisions made, pellet on the centre short line for pellet over 4mm expander, dead reds on the right hand long line for triple maggot and meat on the left hand line for meat.

Started on the expander and my weight estimate plummeted as it took 15 minutes to catch a small Skimmer. Expecting that I had over fed it! I then had four small F1‘s and a couple more Skimmers. The swim died so it was with great expectation that I switched to the maggot line with triple on the hook. Hum, tiny indications from tiny Skimmers, slipped on a piece of meat and had a 1lb Skimmer and a proper Carp. Switched the line to pellet/meat combo and tried the long right hand line and had another proper Carp – only the same size as the F1’s which were beginning to be conspicuous by their absence. I then hooked a bottom hugger which I played for a few minutes only for the hook to pull – bugger didn’t want that today. The upshot was I ended up abandoning all the lines except the left hand one which I focussed on with meat and yet couldn’t work out any acceptable feeding pattern, but kept the odd Skimmer and proper Carp coming, however, the hook bait was getting messed about with by tiny 1-2oz Skimmers.

I finished the match with 23lb 15oz for second overall just a 9oz Skimmer behind the winner.

The match was won by Mike Goodlock (pictured upper right) with 24lb 8oz from end peg 17.  Mike caught at top-set plus two using meat hook bait over various feed. Mike had mainly proper Carp to 4lb with only a hand full of F1’s making up his tally. Well done Mike you deserved this result being a regular angler on the venue.

Full Result:

  1. Mike Goodlock 24-08-0 peg 17
  2. Mike Nicholls 23-15-0 peg 13
  3. Chris Fanning 20-03-0 peg 9
  4. Terry Girdlestone 17-14-0 peg 20
Weigh Sheet:


2 comments:

Bristol Psv said...

I wonder how cold it needs to get before they light the fire up there

Anonymous said...

Hi Mike, it's good lock not good luck ,