Friday 22 June 2018

Thursday 21/06/2018 - Harescombe Fishery - Cost Cutter - Match Lake

Geoff and me decided to on a return to Harescombe. The fishery is exposed to the wind from West round to North, so with a strong cold North Westerly blowing is was going to be difficult except the two pegs on the green bank.

After one of Andy's breakfast I had a walk down to the Lake to view the recent excavations. A gully has been dug to reconnect pegs 25 to 29. I'm not sure why, unless it was an aborted attempt to re-establish the Lake - pictured right.

Just about the right number fishing with 15 booked in. Into the draw bag and out comes brass counter 7. Over the time I have found the fishery about as fair as it gets and is really only affected by the weather conditions. So no emotion. Geoff had drawn peg 3 so no long walks. The wind was hacking straight down the Lake which ruled out fishing long. I was thinking that the Methodist would do well today.

With the F1's getting bigger I thought I would take some paste to give it a try. So I set up a paste rig to fish top-set out in front which was just down the inside shelf. The usual rigs of a 4x10 Speedy for the down wind margin for meat and pellet and a 4x12 F1 Winter for top-set plus three which was as far a I was prepared to fish in the wind to fish again meat and pellet.

I started by putting in a full cup of wetted micro on the paste line I  slipped a lump of paste on the hook and was getting indications straight away. I caught a few Skimmers all of them practicing their flying skills. I had one large F1 before I started to get liners which kept me preoccupied whilst putting very little in the net. The penny dropped, the fish, especially the F1's had come in the water feeding on pieces of paste falling off on the way down. knowing there was plenty of interest in the paste I decided to make up a paste rig for the upwind margin. I had a few Skimmers and a couple of F1's and was just  thinking I had it cracked when once again the fish were only interested in feeding on the paste jetsam. Having now wasted nearly two hours and noticing that the Methodist were all catching I switched to the meat on the long line and had a run of Skimmers and F1's. I couldn't get the feeding sorted though because after topping up it took and age for the fish to respond. So switched to the down wind margin and had a few F1's. So by switching between the two lines kept a few Skimmers and F1's coming. I was expecting the margin to switch on in the last hour but it didn't. I think the F1's were happy sat against the far bank boards in the wind.


My Skimmers and one Barbel weighed in at 16 lb and my F1's 37 lb 12oz for a sixth overall of 53 lb 12 oz. I felt I needed to try the paste even though it probably cost me a place or three.

Geoff had a great day and must have been in the Barrel peg catching eight (catch pictured right).

The match was won by Roy Liddell (pictured right) with 99 lb 7 oz from peg 21. Roy changed from Prodestant to Methodist for the day catching on the method over to the boards. Roy caught steady all match. 

Result:

1. Roy Liddell 99-07-0 peg 21
2. Brian Dix 89-11-0 peg 19
3. Tim Hadland 70-03-0 peg 25

All the above caught on the method. The fish seem to be fairly well distributed with most anglers getting plenty of bites. Bloody wind though.

I do like the 5 hour match very little fatigue afterwards and back in plenty of time for a pint. 

Weigh Sheet:












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