Sunday 30/01/2017 - Viaduct Winter League - All Lakes

I agreed to be reserve for the Silverfoxes in Viaduct Winter league, only because I would be on Match Lake, thinking F1’s on the waggler. So back with travelling partner Bela and first stop Canards Well, where I realised I had left my glasses at home. I’m OK at long but short distances are difficult. Bugger, Bela has only one job to do in the mornings and it to make sure I’m properly dressed and have my glasses! We both commented on how much cleaner the pub was and the breakfast was good and quick too. However, Bela sat us on table 13. Bela thought thus a good omen as he was on Campbell and would be placed on peg 113, dumb ass he ended up on 130!! Forecast was for light rain all day until pack up time then torrents, not sure if that’s Bela’s fault or not.

Adrian Jeffery’s drew for us and made a better job of it than the usual picker. I found myself on peg 50. No complaints from me – yet – plus l could fish the waggler. For company I had Trev Senior on peg 51 and Ian Pawley the “pole wacker” on peg 49 and behind me on peg 5 on was the affable Roy Wirth. I noticed that the far island bank trees had recently been lumber jacked and when Steve Long came by he said he couldn’t promise that all the debris had been removed umm.

Two hours to set up so made bad use of it setting up far too much gear. The only kit to catch was my trusted waggler. There is tree just to the right behind peg 50 which really needs taking out especially for us right-handers. Steve Long must be a lefty.  I do like trying to make the waggler work, today it would need a bit of a Salmon fly cast, more of a subtle swipe really. So at 10:30 my nightmare began. Catching the tree behind, most of the trees on the far bank and when I finally got the float wet I hooked debris on the bottom. I had great difficulty in retying hook lengths because of the old glasses I was wearing. I had been loose feeding casters which fell between 1 and 2 metres from the bank with red and white maggot hook bait the red seemed best for the larger branches. Dropping short of the far bank I thought I might catch some Ronnie’s, but couldn’t believe I couldn’t. I got a bit frustrated with mostly myself and tried all the other kit I had set up with little enthusiasm. But it was fishing hard. So I had a call of nature and collected my thoughts. I put all the kit except the waggler out of reach and settled down with caster and maggot. I finally got the waggler working well and had a 3lb Carp. Then I thought I had foul hooked a Carp then realised I had an 11lb Common Carp that knew all the tricks including the platform drive.  I really thought it would beat me but after some serious patience and bum squeaking I landed it. Nice feeling. Into the last hour the wind conditions allowed me to feed a bit further so upped the feed and got some feeding fish in the swim including a few Ronnie’s. I then hooked another smallish Carp which was trying to climb up the island but the line was solid only managing to land another branch. Now I did one of angling’s cardinal sins, the branch opened the hook a bit but instead of feeling around for a replacement I closed it a bit. Next cast I was playing a double figure Common Carp. Bum now squeaking, but got it easily under the rod top and saw that the line had wrapped around its fin rolling the fish on its side grabbing the landing net which stuck against the seat box for those few important seconds and by the time I got the net near the fish the line came back straight to the hook where I could see the hook bait in his mouth which gave me confidence it was hooked properly, so time would be on my side. It then tore off towards Trev’s peg leaving me with a straighten hook. Bad angling I’m thinking. I landed another 3lb Mirror losing another in the debris. The last 15 minutes due to the heavy rain I couldn’t tell the deference from rain drops and my float top so took off a shot which really didn’t help. My three Carp and few Ronnie’s weighed 17lb 1oz for 13 Lake(s) points. The peg was worth double that, which still wouldn’t have beaten Des Shipp for the section as he had 40lb.

So beware, think double figure Carp in this peg and not F1’s – today anyway.

The team had a good draw and managed to muster 61 points for 6^th elevating us to 11^th overall. Adrian Jeffreys played the captain's role well landing an 18lb carp last cast.

The match was won by Rich Ahearn (pictured right) with 143lb 2oz from Lodge corner peg 53. Rich initially started on the pole with bread catching a couple of small Carp. Switching to the waggler along the corner end bank with corn up and down subsequently caught well. Rich caught most of his fish between the two posts losing a couple of Carp that had the sense to do the maypole on him. Seems to me Rich fished a great match.

The Silvers was won by Dave Romain (pictured right) with 24lb 8oz from peg 124. Not sure how Dave caught.

Full Result:

1. Richard Ahearn 143-02-0 peg 53
2. Steve Seagar 131-14-0 peg
3. Jason Radford 119-12-0 peg 113
4. Andy Neal 119-11-0 peg 66
5. Steve Tucker 113-04-0 peg 129
6. Craig Edmonds 92-14-0 peg 127 

Top Silvers:

1. Dave Romain 24-08-0 peg 124
2. Ken Rayner 17-01-0 peg 24
3. Simon Hebditch 15-04-0 peg 12

Weigh Sheets:

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Fifty One

Thursday 26/01/2017 - Ray's Rip-off - Windmill Fishery - Match Lake

My Apprentice Pensioner Geoff Francis had a day off today so to fish Ray’s Rip off. Paul Haines recommended we try “The Café” In Hanham Road but he did say the breakfasts were a bit on the big side. I intentionally didn’t pass this Intel on to Geoff who went for the Big One. Geoff struggle a few time to “regroup the troops”. He’s no Bela.

Donald Trump has talked a lot of nonsense especially about a wall on the Mexican border, doesn’t he realise there is already a bloody great high laser wire fence already erected! But today he at last worked his way on to my page; whilst the Islamic Scum Bags cut heads off innocent people we give them three meals a day – a wide gap.

Credit where credit is due Ray Bazeley does organise a good cost cutter and today it was another of Ray’s Rip off’s at the Windmill Fishery. I decided to peg the match as I think I now know enough about the venue, plus some peggers don’t take notice of the weather conditions which was predicted to have a freezing cold wind from the SE. I wanted to peg 32/31 round to peg 22 where all the fish seemed to be at the moment, plus most of us would have the wind off our backs. However, I got shanghaied by Dave Haines who wanted peg 21 in. Sorry Ray that you drew peg 21, the only DNW.

I drew peg 24 lower down than I would have chosen, but without doubt a great summer peg. I initially only set up one rig the same as Sunday where I had the same 9 foot of water at top-set plus three. I also fed the same DR’s with a smidgen of wetted micro and with double DR on the hook I spent 30 minutes trying to present in a veering wind, I then noticed for the first time in three months a few small fish topping. So out came the Ronnie rig with an 808 size 20 hook and with single Pinkie on the hook had a 1oz Ronnie first cast. The loose feed was also Pinkie but noted they were sinking very slowly and with a strong tow on against the wind I had to work out where I put in. The upshot was I caught about 130 small Ronnie’s and Rudd occasional trying the long line which was regularly topped up. I could get quicker bites on this line from the small Silvers but most came off the hook due to the compromise elastic. I did have a difficult hour where I couldn’t get a bite on the Ronnie rig which I think this was due to me feeding a predator in to the peg.

My Ronnie’s weighed 4lb 8oz for one out of a pick-up, but was pleased to see those small fish feeding again, essential for a winter match lake. Bloody freezing nearing the end I had difficulty baiting up.

The match was won by Dave Haines (pictured right after buying a round in the after match visit to the pub) with 10lb 2oz from peg 29. Dave caught on the straight led to the far bank using red maggot hook bait. His catch consisted of three small Carp.

The Silvers was won by Dave Willmott with 5lb 8oz from peg 28. Dave did a Harry Houdini 30 minutes from the end so no details.

Full Result and Weigh Sheet:

Match Fishing Pools

Back in the early 70’s before commercial fisheries, there was no peg fees but you may need to have joined a club of which there were many around the region. The main source of a decent match was the South West Winter League where the pools were 1/- (5p), 1/6 (7.5 p), 2/6 (12.5p), 5/- (25p) and 10/- (50p) all adding up to £1. The difference from nowadays is that the league took 15% levey on the pools for fees.Some said unfair as the pools were optional. The payout was based on percentages e.g. 50%, 25%, 15% and 10%. This proved to a big payday if you won a match I know that Mike Jones had two good years picking up £5,000 each year which back then £5,000 could buy you a detached house today equivalent of £400,000 so £800,000 equivalent over two years, can't do that nowadays. Where did it all go Mike? Because of all the variables with who went in which pool, working out the payout was a frightful affair especially BC (Before Calculators) I’m sure some guessing went on.  I have witnessed one organiser trying work the pools payout for a 240 peg match when three sheets to the wind very amusing but kept us in the Barge Inn for hours. No defaults back then. The pools were collected by the match organiser. I remember one match where I had custody of over £1,000 and found this off putting as to where to keep it whilst fishing – it stayed in my tackle box which I refused to leave, even for the call of nature. I remember someone losing the pools with us all searching fields for hours until dark and the occasional car break-ins. Once the Winter League changed from overall weight to section points a section pool was introduced, at the same time league fees were introduced with the pools being 100% paid out.

Along came commercial fishing, about 30 years ago for me. Some fisheries left the pools collection and payouts to one of the regulars, just collecting the peg fee at the end of the match. Many fisheries still work this way. The pools were normally a Main and Section. These pools varied from £10 to £15. Then some bright spark of an Angler decided that a “Super Pool” would help boost the payout and the match organiser or his Gimp would go around with a scrap of paper asking if anyone wanted to enter (why does Dave “The Drain” Lewis spring to mind). At no time was this intended or has ever been a WTA pool. The match organiser would at the start announce how much was collect in all the pools and how it would be paid out to prevent dissent later. The Super Pool (SP) has always been paid out as near as possible to mimic the main pools e.g. pay three in main then try and pay three in SP, but again depended on numbers entering the SP. A check must always be made to ensure the winners were in fact in the SP (I have known organisers accidentally pay a SP in error).

The important thing to remember the Pools belong to the anglers fishing and not the fishery management or owner so organisers should always gain consensus of participating anglers as to the pools and the payout of said pools.

Currently expect to pay £20 around the country. The pools are broken down in various ways with some being optional. Commercial fishery Managers recognise their livelihood depends on getting as many anglers peg fees as possible so the need to cater for all pockets and standards of angling and getting that important consensus. One elderly angler said to me recently at the Windmill Fishery that he looked on the pools as an expensive day ticket as he couldn’t compete with the better anglers, but felt it value for money because of the camaraderie, important to remember these anglers.

There is some thought that higher pools attract more and better anglers. In the South West this has been tested. Paul Greenwood then Fishery Manager at Viaduct increased the cost of the Wednesday Opens to £25. At around the same John Bradford aka The Gimp started a Thursday cost cutter at Viaduct which was intended for the over 55’s. Well the Wednesday Open attendances fell with the cost cutter attendances rising in popularity to 40 or more on a good day and remains popular today, the Gimp still moans that his match was shanghaied which is now open to all comers.

It has become traditional in the South West to have a Silver Fish payout which is paid out of the main pool and is usually paid by default. Some say this should not be defaulted; for example The Sedges Fishery pays out both if you win both. I can see both arguments, but side with default as I think this can benefit the lesser angler and spreads the money further. The Silver pool payout is usually about the same value as third place. The value can be more than a third spot payout but should never be the same as this avoids arguments as to who gets what when the Silvers winner is also third.

Viaduct has got its Thursday cost cutter right with peg fee plus £6 pools. This comes from having an owner who is a top match angler.

The total cost of pools should be £20 negating the need for cash change. Typically:

£6 peg fee

£8 main pool

£5 Optional Super Pool. This is not a Winner Take All and should mirror main pool payout – subject to numbers that enter)

£1 Golden peg Optional. I am not a great fan of this one for open matches because regulars can pay in for weeks and a one time attendee wins it. But if a fishery runs it I would make the change that the payout for winning the match from the designated peg is £100 maximum and if the Silvers is won from the peg instead then a maximum payout of £50 i.e. 50% of Golden peg money.

The main pools payout should be spread out with a typical 20 pegger where all anglers had paid all pools. Try and keep the highest payout to around £100 maximum.

Main Pool: £160 

1^st £50

2^nd £40

3^rd £30

Silvers:

1^st £25

2^nd £15

Super Pool: £100

1^st £40

2^nd £35

3^rd £25

The pools payout I quite favour is those created Colin Golding for the Over 55's at Huntstrete. Currently £4 peg fee and £8 pools with the payout equal for both Silvers and overall and each framers get £25. So on a typical pay-out the top four would each receive £25 as would the top four Silvers weights. I would like to see this be applied to other cost cutters. Simple to manage and administer.

Sunday 22/01/2017 - Windmill Fishery Open - Match lake

First stop the Beefeater at Emerson to be welcomed by the notice plastered on the front door - pictured right. Apparently the dish washer had broken down! However, Geoff Francis flashed his eyes and smooth talked us in. Glad I’m no longer a share holder in Whitbread.

I previously agreed with Geoff that if my ice breaker bounced we would go straight to the pub. Arriving at the fishery it was only pegs 26 to 29 that were iced. In to the draw box and out comes peg 26 for me and Geoff peg 28 - umm. Based on previous form re-ice I predicted that the winner would come from this end of the Lake. I broke my ice first before handing the 4lb lump hammer to Geoff for him to clear his. The first thing he said was “what do I do with this” – enough said, I think it was the hammer that confused him. Chris “Have you heard the one about” Davis aka Chris Shipp was opposite on peg 32 where the ice was reasonably clear.

I cleared my swim to top-set plus four but planned to start at three sections where the depth was the same at 10 foot, so a 4x16 Malman F1 black top was the selected float. The rig consisted of 0.14 GLine to a 20 808 hook with double DR on the hook to fish over DR’s and a few grains of micro. I waited a while without any indication so decided to feed again only to find most of my initial feed stuck in the pot! So a swish the pot around this time and soon after I landed my first 4lb Common which was in absolutely perfect condition. I had five more Carp before the wind started to move the bulk of the un-cleared ice over my swim, this buggered my for a while in the meantime Chris on peg 32 was catching regularly. I tried tapping the ice with the pole pot but it was too thick and moving too fast, so went for a tea break around the fishery. On my return I could now reach behind the ice towards peg 27 at four sections so re-fed there but I had little confidence that I would catch here. After wasting an hour since the last fish the ice clear in front so switched back but keeping at four sections. I then had a great run with Carp to 8lb and at one time I thought I might catch up on Chris who had now slowed. It wasn’t until the last 15 minutes that the match was decided with Chris catching three to my one. The ice done me I think, but well done to Chris.

I weighed 62lb 7oz for second overall.

The match was won by Chris Davis from peg 32 (pictured upper right with his catch) with 67lb 12oz. Chris caught at 13 metres fishing triple red maggots over loose fed scrounged (from Geoff) hard fours.

The Silvers was won by Geoff Francis (pictured right with his catch) with 3lb 9oz of tiny Skimmers from peg 28 fishing singled red maggot over GB at 9 metres. Well done matey.

We both went to the Holly Bush for a de-brief and a pint, yet another great day out fishing.

Full Result:

1. Chris Davis 67-12-0 peg 32
2. Mike Nicholls 62-07-0 peg 26

Top Silvers:

1. Geoff Francis 3-09-0 peg 28

Weigh Sheet: and Danielle Smith - The Boss

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Fifty

Thursday 19/01/2017 - Thursday - Bathampton Silvers League - Round Two - Bridge Pool

After recent mild weather it was a very hard frost this morning – very disappointing, best put the breaker in just in case, plus I might make some money hiring it out. Alas not the case.

Next stop Hungry Horace’s where I met up with Pete UTG Greenslade and after a reasonably priced breakfast it was an early arrival at the fishery. As per usual a few of us congregated on the Bridge between the Main Lake and Bridge Pool and we spotted what resembled an Otter swimming around in the middle of the Main Lake, by the time I got the camera from the car it had disappeared - as they do, its head was far too big to be a Mink.

It was back in B section for me with the same anglers as last match. Alas not, Glenn Bailey had wintered off to Jamaica and John Smith to Barbados with Rich Coles unfortunately in Bridgwater getting over an operation on his water works. So after drawing reasonable peg 8 the section went from peg 11 – Pete Greenslade, Jimmy Norris (Rich) peg 10, welcome to the Dark Side Craig Fletcher (Glenn) peg 7, Paul Haines (John) peg 6, organiser Chris Rolf.

With wall to wall sunshine and little to no wind predicted and because we were south facing Chris Rolfe quite rightly said our worse enemy would be the sun. I had left my clip-on Polaroid’s home so used the ones in the seat box which hasn’t quite got the focal length required to select the best hook bait!

I set up two of the best float ever made – a Malman F1 winter 4x14 – one black tip and the other yellow. The Back top initially to fish at top set plus three out in front, the yellow top-set plus four at 2 o clock. I fed the black line with GB laced with DR’s and the yellow line with DR’s and soaked Micro. As expected it was a slow start for everyone. With DR’s on the hook I had three Ronnie’s on the black tip, when this slowed I tried the yellow tip with again DR’s on the hook and had one Ronnie and a Perch of about 1lb. This settled things down. Although I kept topping up the yellow line I only had one missed bite on this line. The upshot was I kept a few Roomies and decent Skimmers coming in fits and starts on the black line until the last 45 minutes when I did my usual over-feed trying to force some bigger Skimmers to the net, but only, managed to attract Carp which buggered the dying part of the match.

I finished the match with 10lb 10oz for a cash section win plus a match win and a promissory bond from Veals Tackle – pictured upper right.

Full Section Results:

A: Tony Rixon 7-05-0 peg 32

A: Dave Gillard 4-11-0m peg 3

B: Mike Nicholls 10-10-0 peg 8

B: Chris Rolfe 4-02-0 peg 5

C: Dave Wride 6-12-0m peg 15

C: Mike Owens 6-10-0mpeg 14

D: Callum Dicks 9-12-0 peg 26

D: Chris Ollis 8-14-0 peg 29

Weigh Sheets:

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Forty Nine

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Forty Eight

Sunday 15/01/2017 - Windmill Open - Match Lake

First stop the Beefeater with Geoff Francis. Geoff was below par today resting a few times through his breakfast, first time he slowed I thought I should call an ambulance! Cant believed I finished before him.

Fourteen booked in today good to see that the pools have more or less reverted back to what old Terry was doing. Pools paid and into the draw box and peg 8 staring back at me again. Before I got excited I checked if it was end peg again, alas not as both pegs 10 and 13 were in the box, and then I found out that peg 8 was also golden – another curse of the golden peg then – hopefully not.

On my right occupying peg 6 was Bob the Bread who had started on a large feeder and for a few casts I started to run for the life belt! Bob tried his Mummified pole a few times remaining biteless all match.

I had won both the Silvers and match from this peg last week and had a bit of learning to apply. So same rig and same, same - hook bait and feed. My experience over the years has taught me never to expect the same results from any peg, match angling is not prescriptionable. As last match I didn’t expect to catch early and I didn’t taking 45 minutes before I netted my first Carp on double DR’s, next put-in another Carp so 10lb now in the net. John Osborne on peg 10 had also had two Carp. I then struggled for any kind of fish whereas John Osborne just kept catching Carp after Carp. I went for one lap of the lake to get rid of the rigamortis that had set in. I was amazed that only three anglers had caught any Silvers. Last year I could catch at least 5lb from any peg – strange. Back in the saddle and two more bites which only one was hooked properly so I ended the match with no silvers which wasn’t through trying and three Carp for 14lb 5oz and no where.

The match was won as I suspected very early by John Osborne (pictured upper right with some of his catch of Carp) with 129lb 2oz from peg 10. John caught at 16 metres out in front using double DR’s over kindered potted DR’s. Well done John you fished a tidy match I know as my neck is still aching. Interestingly new terry said that the only peg frozen over yesterday was peg 10, start theorising.

The Silvers was won by Steve Sewell (pictured right) with 6lb 7oz from peg 27. Steve caught at 13 metres with maggot hook bait fished over crushed expander feed. Well done matey miles ahead of the rest of us.

Full Result:

1. John Osborne 129-02-0-peg 10
2. Gerry Walsh 50-12-0 peg 25
3. Andrew Cranston 35-08-0 peg 29

Top Silver:

1. Steve Sewell 6-07-0 peg 27
2. Ade Crawley 1-11-0 peg 32

Weigh Sheet:

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Forty Seven

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Forty Six

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Forty Five

1971

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Forty Four

Sunday 08/01/2017 - Windmill Fishery Open - Match Lake

Today was the first match of the new fishery regime. I met with both Tom and Terry the fishery management team (pictured right the long and short of it), plenty of enthusiasm from both and were saying all the right things, except I don’t understand why they want to net it to remove small fish. Hope it’s not the biomass syndrome that is slowly killing some match venues. Let’s be clear small fish do not affect larger fish feeding as the small fish are soon bullied out – ask any match angler. Need to decide if it’s a pleasure venue or a match venue where all fish are welcome irrespective of size or creed. However, I do wish them both well with their endeavours and they get the budget they want from the fishery owners.

I had breakfast with Geoff Francis at the Beefeater. I did get my moneys worth today! After delaying the draw to 09:00 for those that aren’t on Ass Book, luckily Dave Haines arrived which probably got me out of being head peg selector, bloody hard venue to peg.  I suggested to Dave he leave peg 20 out, which surprised Geoff Francis, however, another angler arrived so peg 20 went back in. In to the draw box and out comes peg 8 for me and peg 20 for Geoff, serves his right. Happy with my peg as it was an end one.

Arriving at the peg and during setting up the one 4x14 Malman F1 Winter I noticed the reflection of the overhead power cables out in front and because there was absolutely no wind the reflection was like radio waves (pictured right) it made watching the float difficult. It was a first experience for me. A couple of times the wavy lines appeared to rise above the water!

The one float did all within a margin of 6mm. Initially I fed a knub of GB laced with some dead reds at top-set plus two expecting to catch some early small Skimmers. I also fed a micro pellet line at top-set plus three off to the right at 2-o-clock. Well an hour passed by on the GB short line with single dead without any indication, whilst opposite Geoff Francis had landed two Carp, as did John Osborne on next peg 6, but more worrying John Barker opposite was catch small Silvers regularly. So out on the pellet line and a 10lb Common came easily to the net. Perhaps Carp were backing off the Silvers. I stayed on the pellet line without any further indications. I then decided to feed a new Silvers line also at top-set plus three which had the affects of switching on the lights. I caught Skimmers to 2lb regularly for about 2 hours toping up with a knub of GB laced with dead reds after each fish. After 12 Skimmers the swim slowed so tried the pellet line which I had been topping up and had a 6lb Mirror Carp, which fought really hard. I tried the Silvers line again but reckon a large Carp was sat over the dinner plate. So went to top-set plus three with the GB and maggot and caught another 3 decent Skimmers before the all out.

My two Carp weighed 16lb 8oz and my 15 Skimmers 23lb 3oz totalling 39lb 11oz for both a Silvers and match win (Silvers net pictured right). I must say this is unusable to catch this many big Skimmers at this venue and is probably a one off due to the recent weather conditions changing from -7 to 10 degrees etc… Celsius in just a few days. I thoroughly enjoyed fishing this flyer today. Plus it was back to the Holly Bush with Mr ever improving Francis.

Finally: Ray Bazeley is running a series of Thursday matches at Windmill starting this week. If you don't kn ow his pone number just turn up.

Full Result:

1. Mike Nicholls 39-11-0 peg 8
2. Paul Baker 37-03-0 peg 28
3. Mace Graham 34-10-0 peg 30

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 23-03-0 peg 8
2. Mace Graham 7-0-0 peg 30
3. John Barker 6-10-0 peg 22

Weigh Sheet:

Thursday 05/01/2017 - Baththampton AA - Silvers League - Round One - Bridge Pool

First match of the Bathampton AA Silvers League and as fate would have it, the coldest night of the year so far and as anticipated ice breakers at the ready. I started my day in Hungry Horace’s with John Smith and Pete Greenslade.

Twenty Four booked in to the league and only one no-show matey Rich Coles who had a bad back – all comes with old age. I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of stand-ins Craig Fletcher who I fished with for many years on the river, he reminded me of how I use to fish dried blood in GB to catch Eels, and Graham Beevor (pictured upper right) whom I haven’t seen for 12 or so years, he haven’t lost it, Graham is still smashing poles! Hope to see more of these guys.

In to the draw bag and out comes tripled stapled and glued peg 10. Happy with this and amazingly would have been next to Rich Coles on my left and on the right was John Smith and next to John Pete Greenslade. On my left also was Dave Wride (pictured right) with whom I had some great conversation for once, but still couldn’t get a smile. Although an excellent peg I worried I had too much room/ice where the fish could back-off into.

After swinging the 4lb Lump Hammer around tied to 11 metres of blue very cold and wet rope I eventually warmed up, although my hands were freezing. The ice was about 10mm thick so not too bad. What didn't surprise me was that pulling the hammer along the bottom it didn't colour the peg - due to no silt! I usually go for a 4x16 float on this venue but because of the conditions I set up two 4x14 Malman F1 Winters – one with a black top to fish in front and a yellow top to fish at 10-o-clock both to fish at top-set plus four. However, this size proved to be a little light as the small pieces of floating ice was holding up the float – but we persevere.

Set my mind for one dinner plate on the black top rig. So initially fed a knub of GB laced with a few dead reds where I would fish either a single dead or double Pinkie. Amazingly I had an indication first dob-in, however, it took a15 minutes before I netted my first 2oz Skimmer. It was fishing very hard. The upshot was I caught 24 small fish during the match and got worried in the last 15 minutes when Chris Rolfe had his first bite – a big Skimmer and then John “Jammy” Smith a 2lb 8oz Skimmer. Luckily I held out weighing 3lb 7oz for a section win.

There is no overall payout with the exception of a Veals £25 tackle voucher which ironically was won by Callum Dicks. Dad Paul had a chuckle – expect some restocking of his shop soon! Callum (pictured right) caught seventeen Skimmers for 9lb 2oz from peg 21. Callum caught on maggot over GB at 13 metres. As he said we were all handicapped by the ice having to fish the broken channels.

As the result show that the Pool lacks small silver fish.

Finally back to the pub for a warm up with the usual suspects and Craig Fletcher. 

Full Result:

A Section: Paul Barnfield 1-10-0 peg 32

A Section: Tony “where was Judith” Rixon 0-08-0 peg 33

B Section: Mike Nicholls 3-07-0 peg 10

B Section: John “Jammy” Smith 2-09-0 peg 8

C Section: Graham Beevor 6-09-0 peg 14

C Section: Mike Owens 6-09 –o peg 15

D Section: Callum Dicks 9-02-0 peg 21

D Section: Craig Fletcher 4-14-0 peg 29

Weigh Sheets:

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Forty Three

Monday 02/01/2017 - Ivy House Open - Match Lake

I was absolutely dismayed to read that Bathampton are yet again planning to put Siltex (or similar) in all of the three Lakes at the Dave Crookes Fishery. Yes it may not harm fish, but I am certain it seriously affects the fishing. For their reference there is no silt in Bridge Pool, so please don’t waste member’s subscriptions.

I decided to take Geoff Francis to Ivy House Fishery today. I did warn him it would be hard. A very heavy frost, plus we were to have wall to wall sunshine, not promising especially as the venue hasn't been fished or fed for a week. All the pre-match talk was about drawing peg 19. After breakfast into the ball box and out comes peg 16 on the causeway of Match Lake. No emotion. First time I have drawn next to Geoff who was on peg 18. I planned to fish for the Silvers so set up two rigs both 4x14 Malman F1 winters, one with black top and the other yellow. The upshot, I was right, it was rock hard. I caught six Ronnie’s at 10 metres over GB laced with dead reds with single dead on the hook.

I weighed 8oz for third in the Silvers!

I like this fishery because you get paid out if you win both Silvers and overall. You enter both so should get paid for both.

The match and the Silvers was won by David Halliday aka Baggy (pictured below with his good wife) with 19lb 1oz from peg 5. Baggy caught on the straight lead with a four foot tail with double soaked red on the hook. Apparently the name “Baggy” is a family given name going back many years to a great uncle who had an interview for a job (rare back then) and had to borrow his Dads trousers. Nice £100 payout matey – don’t tell the wife!

The day wasn't quite written off as Geoff and I had a couple of pints in the local on the way home, plus Geoff beat me today catching a 3lb Carp on the maggot feeder, well done matey great company.

Full Result:

1. Baggy 19-01-0 peg 5
2. Chris Timms 14-10-0 peg 4
3. Eddie Marsh 12-03-0 peg 6

Top Silver:

1. Baggy 3-12-0 peg 5

Weigh Sheet:

Colin Golding's Scrap Book - 1950 to the Present Day - Page Forty Two