Sunday 29/09/2024 - Ron Hardiman's All in Match - Westerleigh Shipp's Canal and Taylor's Pool

Weather forecast was awful looked out the window this morning to see a strange pink sky - red sky in morning etc...whats pink? (pictured). Well done to Ron who had the sense to reduced the match by half hour missing the down pour and the worse of the wind.

Into the draw bag feeling around for a blue disc (Shipp's Canal) and found one with peg 5 on it. Happy with this, but comes with a warning on which way the wind has and is blowing. Last match the early pegs struggled whilst my peg had 200 lb. Nonetheless, in for a day's fishing whatever. Found myself next to Mark Cook on peg 4 who DNW'ed as he had to rush off due to a horse standing on his wife's foot - stupid animals!! Our end was flat calm with loads of red colour.

Fished the same rigs as last match. Started on the meat at top set plus two barrels wasn't happy with the meat - not sinking fast enough with some floating? Had about 15 lb and a lost fouler before it died OR the Carp were up in the water waiting for the feed mid water. I'm going to try pumping it next time. Two choices of islands to fish to, the one to the right is overgrown and couldn't get to the shallower water. The island to the right has a nice depth but very stony so careful plumbing required. Could reach both islands with 11.5metres. Went to the right island having fed some 4's and corn with the response was instant catching a few small Carp, plus some foulers. It died far too soon. Had been feeding the RH margin and caught the occasional small Carp and F1's again on corn. Could see the other end bagging up with my end not so much.

Weighed 54 lb 4 oz for nowhere. As per usual enjoy it. Had some maggots and on hindsight should have tried them in the LH margin. Me pictured on the run to my peg. Is that Ron in the background looking stressed.

Our Pool and the match was won by Paul Elms (pictured with some quality fish) with 115 lb 9 oz from peg 1. Paul caught a few over and short but his LH margin was the most productive catching on maggot over maggot. Well done matey.

Bela once again took Taylor's pool from peg 15 catching mostly in his RH margin on meat over meat. Well done matey.

Considering the change in conditions the pools have gone through over the past week or so it fished really well with 50 lbs being par. Great little fishery, all down to Mark Taylor. Roll on the winter league.

Back to the pub with the usual suspects and for once I didn't by a round 😁

Weigh Sheet:

Tuesday 24/09/2024 - Bitterwell Lake - Silvers Open

After a day of heavy rain it was mayhem around the Westerleigh due to flooding. Paul Issacs had been running water off all night the levels were above the bank. Had ran off more than 2 foot before the match. The question was how would it fish - the answer was quite well under the circumstances.

A bit like Windmill I keep drawing in the 20's and today drew peg 27. Plenty of better pegs in the twenties than this one. For company on 28 TBone and Joanna on 25. I have never been keen of fishing pegs with Lilly Pads, unless the lake is full of them!

Same set up as last match. Fed the waggler line with some DR's at 20 metres. Fed some micro at top-set plus three barrels at 1 o clock and fed the two Ronnie rig lines with loose GB and LR's. Strted on the short Ronnie rig - no indications. On to the long Ronnie rig - no indications - cripes. Out on the long line with 4 mm expander and had a 1 lb Skimmer and two small one's, it didn't last long before the line died. Decided to switch the line to GB and Pinkie whilst it settled tried the waggler which accounted for one 1 lb Skimmer. Fished the Pinkie line for most of the match catching the odd small Skimmer - it was hard. Hour to go filled the line if with maggots and foul hooked two Carp. Tried the short Ronnie rig for the last 15 minutes and lost a decent fish in the Lilly's - probably another Carp.

Now here's a thing bought some Red maggots which were reddish when hooked but after a while turned white!! First time for everything.

Weighed a meager 6 lb 12 oz for nowhere. But as per usual enjoyed the day plus the traffic was fine going home.

The match was won by Mills Scaffolding part time photographer Ricky (pictured with his catch) from peg 4. Ricky caught late once he started to big pot maggots at 7 metres. Well done Matey.

Fished well overall considering the conditions. Unfortunately cant make the next match.

Left my Drink home luckily Matt Drinkwater came to the rescue, thanks Matey. 

Result:

1st Ricky Mills 24lb 12oz peg 4

2nd Paul Isaacs 21lb 4oz peg 15

3rd Ali Gibbs18lb 14oz peg 1

4th Kai Hurley 18lb 9oz peg 23

5th Matt Challenger 17lb peg 21

6th Martin McMahon 14lb 6oz peg 12

Weigh Book:

Tuesday 17/09/2024 - Bitterwell Silvers Open

Good to see a full house at Bitterwell today. Competition would be tough with Des Shipp and Vince Brown booked in. Nice to catch up with Clayton Hudson - how time fly's plus a few of our over 55's, great bunch of blokes.

Des went into the draw bag early and pulled peg 8 well known as the worse silvers peg on the lake - well it was!! Most found this amusing and all betting Des wouldn't pick up from the peg. For me not an angler to be underestimated. Peg 21 for me normally would be happy with the peg but was flat calm and bright, the only wind was blowing into peg 8!

Set up all sorts; 6 inch straight Drake waggler, 4x10 and 4 x12 Winter to fish ether two barrels or three to fish up and down, long and short Ronnie rig. Just felt it was going to be hard work so plenty of options needed.

All the rigs caught a Skimmer except the 4x10. It was strange old day, the other four rigs brought a Skimmer either first or second put in, then nothing. The waggler proved best with three Skimmers especially after switching to Pinkie shallow. Later the Carp started to take interest in the Pinkie loose feed on all lines. The Roach haven't really fed for some weeks, hopefully winter will change that. The upshot was it was bloody hard work switching around all lines varying the hook bait with double Pinkie most productive.

Weighed 12 lb 11 oz for 4th so happy with that. I must confess to my liking to hard silvers fishing. Enjoyed to today.

Lots of humble pie eaten today with Des Shipp easily taking out the match doubling the next weight with 32 lb 10 oz of Skimmers and one Tench. Des caught at 13 metres fishing single Pinkie over sloppy Pro Thatchers green and Marine green. Well done matey a class act as usual, only regret was me not taking bets of you not framing 😉. Great ambassador for Preston Innovation. 

Back to the Ringer with the over 55's for a pint, unfortunate no Babs only hard Tiger rolls. However, Lucy was there 😋 

Weigh Book:

Sunday 15/09/2024 - Laurel and Hardiman All In Match - Westerleigh

Geoff and me breakfasted in Wetherspoons, my small breakfast and coffee cost £4.55, now that's good value. We were joined by Willy Willmott who was off to Windmill.

Bela had made up new draw discs very pretty - blue for Shipp's and red for Taylor's 😂. With the match spread over both pools with the £26 pools paying 3 on each.

Eighteen fishing and a great bunch they are too.

Into the woolly hat and found peg 9. Right pond wrong side for a decent margin.

Knew there wasn't any silvers payout so - 4's, corn, micro and 6 mm meat. No GB or natural baits which gave the feeling that I had left something behind.

Set up a 0.3 gram RJ Slim which did the LH margin to fish top set with corn over hard 4's and over at 11.5 metres. However, would start at top set plus two with a 0.4 gram RJ Slim with meat. Had a few small Carp and F1's for about 20 lb before is completely died. Interestingly the silvers were taking a liking to the meat. Quick look in the margin where I had been dripping hard 4's and some corm for one better Carp, felt as if they didn't really want to be there, it's very rocky close in. So spent most of the match long as my neck can testify. Kinder potting 4's and corn with corn on the hook. Found the Morrison's corn very soft, the skin soon peels away making what I think if a more attractive hook bait. Picked off 2-3 decent Carp and the odd F1 before resting in the margin but only ever catching one there at a time.

Finally got weighed as only one set of scales, weighing 84 lb 1 oz for third on Shipp's Canal. Happy with that but my body isn't up to this Carp hauling at long distances. Back to Silvers fishing Tuesday at Bitterwell. 

The match was won by Vince Shipp (pictured) with 180 lb from peg 5. Vince started slapping long around his peg catching regularly on pellet. Later switched to both margins with corn to keep the fish coming. Vince only brought two nets, assumed both were Carp which by my reckoning had more than filled them both after 4 hours. Vince borrowed a net from Chris Fox (who on earth comes to a Westerleigh match with just 2 nets?). Vince soon filling the third net. Vince was in my eye line and my estimate was over 180 lb. Indeed, Vince went over the 60 lb limit in all his two nets and Chris's and could have weighed 202 lb if he had more! Well done Vince nice to watch. Ask Des for some more nets for the winter league.

Back to the pub with the usual suspects for a pint. Nice end to the day.

Weigh Sheets:

Tuesday 10/09/2024 - Bitterwell Silvers - Open

Nice to have that long hot summer come to an end with cooling high winds and rain 😁.

Hoping for any peg from 1 to 13 and 26 to 28 which would all be relatively out of the wind. Into the draw bag and peg 23 again. Was called a "draw bag" by a retired Scaffolder, to put the record straight I have drawn 23 and 24 twice. So will be in the wind again and again Pete Turner for company on 24, but out of communicating distance.

No doubts it was going to fish hard. So just maggot (LR's and DR's) and GB. Set up the short Ronnie rig, 4x12 on the drop rig and a 4x14 both winters to fish at either two barrels and 3 barrels.

I fed three lines Ronnie line with loose GB and LR's and the other two lines with with a tight knub of GB laced with DR's. Started on the Ronnie rig with single LR and didn't have a bite until loose feeding LR's. Clearly didn't want the GB. Loads of small Perch which I kept fishing for looking on the other lines in between. Hooked a Carp so rested the Ronnie rig to try the two barrel line and had two small Skimmers and more Perch. Tried the longest line where the tow was a bit aggressive, but interestingly it towed both ways due to the swirling wind. Was once a regular on the Gloucester Canal which often towed both ways during the matches, this due to large ship movements, the fishing would tail off and was told it was due to the fish having to turn around to face the flows! I soon relised that the fish didn't want the GB which may have been due to the tow and found the fish 8 inches off the bottom spending the rest of the match fishing the 4x12 on the drop on the long line feeding LR's through the Kinder pot catching some Ronnie's, Hybrids and Skimmers. Loose feeding with the catty would have been preferred but the wind would have spread to wide. Missed loads of bites which were either Hybrid's big Roach, had a suspicion might have been shot bites.

Weighed 14 lb comprising a nice mix of silvers (pictured) which put me second, happy with this especially having to battled the bloody wind and rain.

The match was won by Paul Staite (pictured) with 15 lb 6 oz from peg 13. Paul caught at 10 metres fishing maggot and GB. Well Done Matey.

Nice to see Stu Foale and Nick Milsom fishing today. Felt for Nick on 21 taking the full force of climate change.

Weigh Book:

Sunday 08/09/2024 - Windmill Open - Match Lake

Back to Windmill through rocky road. Although rain was in the forecast I knew different as just bought a new umbrella - Drennan Specialist - heavy and strong, definitely got the ability to do a Mary Poppins on me.

Peg 18 today - still cant get away from this side. Straight away the focus would be silvers until the last hour or so. For this cleared the left hand margin out right up to the bank, no way for the Carp to get behind the rig - pictured. Made me chuckle fed it all match and didn't attract one Carp there.

Set up the waggler hoping for some better Skimmers on the end of the island, short Ronnie rig and a 4x16 Winter to fish top set plus one barrel.

Started on the Wag and Mag and found the bottom was all over the place, but caught two quick small Skimmer's and some Ronnie's before foul hooking some munter Carp. Couldn't catch any silvers after this so spent most of the match switching between the two lines fishing single LR over GB catching small Perch, Ronnie's and Rudd, Did have three bonus Skimmers to 3 lb which heralded the arrival of the Carp on both silver lines, but not in my margin Carp trap!! Lost five landed two one nearing10 lb.

The two accidental Carp weighed 13 lb 5 oz and silvers 14 lb 2 oz for the silvers win - mission accomplished.

John Fuidge (pictured) took the match out from peg 1 with 161 lb 7 oz. John fished the pole long fishing pellet shallow. Well done matey.

The venue fished well for Carp today with some close 75 lb weights.

Weigh Sheet:

Tuesday 03/09/2024 - Bitterwell Silvers

Back to Bitterwell for the start of Autumn matches with a drive to the fishery in some drizzle, warm though. Sixteen fishing today ready for the draw - pictured.

At last a peg on the near side of the lake - peg 20. Good company with Pete Turner on 19 and Ali on 21. Cleared a bit of debris weed down the RH side and plumbed up there with the short Ronnie rig finding a decent depth and nice flat, clean bottom, thinking this was going to produce some bigger skimmers and perhaps a Tench or two. Long Ronnie rig, likewise nice depth and silt free. Set up a 4x12 Winter to fish 3 barrels again out of the silt.

I had decided to try expanders today and had 4's and 2's hookers and micro feed for the long line, so feed a few micro to start and both Ronnie lines with loose GB and LR's. Started down the right with single LR expecting a quick Skimmer, alas just tiny Perch and plenty of them with an occasional small Ronnie. Soon gave this up and tried the long Ronnie rig and found the same. Oh dear. Looking around every one looked static. So out on the 4 mm expander and had a small Skimmer and a small Tench. Kindering in small amounts of micro and couple more small Skimmers before it tailed off. Cripes it was fishing hard. Everyone appeared to be struggling decided to focus on catch what you can. Put the unopened meat back in the bait bag and concentrated on GB feed in various forms with LR's fished around the three lines. The RH margin had to be abandoned as it was full of Carp. Concentrating in the long line until the Carp arrived late on. Switching to the long Ronnie rig started to produce some slightly better Skimmers. Time of day or should I have focus here early - who knows?  

Weighed 13 lb 8 oz to scrape in 4th. Really enjoyed the scratching around today. Booked in for next week. My mixed bag pictured. The lake has not fished anywhere to its potential today - seasonal change perhaps.

The match was won by 17 year old Ben the Bagger (pictured with his catch) with 21 lb 4 oz from peg 17. Ben caught small Skimmers steady for the first hour or so at 7 metres with maggot over GB, before struggling like the rest of us, switching close in on a meat line late on produced well including a last gasp 4 lb Tench. The Tench clinched first spot by 10 oz from Charlie Issacs. Watch out match anglers Ben's learning to drive so may arrive at a match near you soon. Well done matey. Match angling need more of these young anglers.

Weigh Sheet:

 

Sunday 01/09/2024 - Alcove Club Match - The Clamp

As per usual this time of year (start of Autumn) the Clamp was mostly covered with a green film form the Ash trees. Apparently Graham Beevor tried mowed it but left the grass box off.

To say the least the match fishing here isn't great, - much better for pleasure fishing. However, there is something about the environment of the Clamp that I enjoy.

End corner peg 15 for me today (pictured). Although it was fairly clear of the film I really wanted to be from the middle to the top end. Very dour looking peg. Got worse to find it was only 30 inches deep. I cleared some of the left side out to get to the tree stump where I was told some F1's might be. In doing so spotted a strange pipe about 10 inches diameter with 3/4 inches diameter holes around it - it was made of either concrete of cast iron - very puzzling. 

Two rigs - short Ronnie rig and a 4 x12 (no 4x10's in the box) to fish all around as it was the same depth to a whisker all over.

Started on the Ronnie rig down to the left over GB and LR's and second put in hooked a decent fish which snagged me. three more puts in and each time snagged up, so abandoned. Had various lines all with GB and LR's (all the baits I had except a few worms), even one at 11.5 metres to the imitation island! The upshot was could only catch just out of the silt with the short Ronnie rig. Had small Perch, Ronnie's and Skimmers. Decided that I was going to need some bigger fish so spent half the match trying to catch a Carp down the left side but further out to avoid the snags on worm over worm and DR's. Surprising I didn't have any indications.

Weighed 3 lb 14 oz for nowhere. However, thunder and lightening and really heavy rain (pictured) arrived at the all out. So made use of the peg being so close to the car park and got my kit away dry.

The match was won by Tony Welsby (pictured with the silvers winner) with 7 lb 1 oz from peg 14. Tony fished a tidy match catching mostly with Pinky hook bait over kindered feed with some micro. His catch included some dumpy Crucians. Well done matey.

The silvers was picked up by Tony Cook with 5 lb 6 oz from peg 5. Tony caught on white maggot over hemp. Well done matey.

Weigh Sheet: