I've not been to Harescombe for three years, during that time I've heard many rumours, so thought it time to return to a venue I really like and find out for myself. I had a chat with Andy Price - fishery manager (
pictured right sorting the coin) Apparently, they have stocked it with small Carp and F1's to try and simulate the existing head of bigger f1's to feed. Andy also explained that they were building a Silver fish lake down the road - pass the Harescombe turning a few hundred yards and the next on the left. Thirty plus pegs and currently installing platforms, so won't be fished now until the winter. Worth a visit then I think. The fishing on the match lake has been very much up and down.
Andy's wife is now doing the breakfasts, definitely an improvement!
Met up with all the regulars, in this respect very little has changed, I was sadden to hear Gordon had passed away Christmas. Roy (Jock) Liddle doing his usual holding court, always a good laugh.
I was drawn peg 1, which I was told wasn't fishing that well. Terry Jones had it last match and had 16lb. I got to the peg and found I was hemmed in somewhat and although I had an empty peg to my right I couldn't fish to it unless I stood up - not doing that nonsense. Andy had made a right pigs ear of cutting the tree down to my right, but wasn't to affect me really. The stream was running really hard so decided to fish short, in any case there is no far bank boards to fish to. I also noticed fish spawning under the tree.
One 4x12 to fish the inside second shelf on both sides on the top-set and a 4x13 to fish top-set plus one barrel out in front - simples. Now for the difficult bit - which baits. Roy kept telling me they have been catching on allsorts!! So I decided to feed micro and use a variety of hook baits. The upshot was I could only catch to my right on the lighter rig with 6 mm expander which was initially getting ragged by Gudgeon and tiny Skimmers. I did catch a few Silvers on it though and was soon foul hooking F1's but landed a couple of decent ones hooked proper. The feeding was a nightmare to sort - which in reality I didn't. With the line completely drying up and with two of the five hours left I decided to chance my arm by going down under the tree with corn over corn which did produce a few small stockies, plus a couple more Skimmers and a few more foulers - of which I landed zero.
My catch weighed 21lb 4oz for a close fourth and a section win - didn't expect that.
The match was won by Phil Auger (pictured right collecting his coin) with 43lb 5oz from peg 6. Phil caught at 14 metres using banded caster over loose fed caster - sound familiar at the moment? Well done matey.
Result:
1. Phil Auger 43-05-0 peg 6
2. Mark Woodridge 25-07-0 peg 22
3. Martin Hook 21-14-0 peg 12
4. Mike Nicholls 21-11-0 peg 1 - section
5. Russ Baker 21-06-0 peg 25 - section
6. Tim Hadland 21-01-0 peg 16 - section
Weigh Sheet:
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