Tuesday 02/09/2025 - Harescombe Fishery - Hobnobs on Match Lake

Back to Harescombe with Glenn and Geoff Francis. On arrival noticed Geoff's clean plate that previously held a fat bastard breakfast. Glenn and me had the small breakfast which was excellent and good value.

Nice to see Jock again. Lovely man - for a Scot 😂

Seems that every year at the beginning of September there is a sudden change in temperature, as it was today, needed fleece and Gore-Tex jacket. Luckily only a few small showers of rain even though Gary and the rest of the fishery managers have been doing rain dances every day. Think their worse worries are over for another year.

As Glenn and Me travel together it would be helpful if we were on the same side of the lake. It hasn't happened yet, but we were opposite today (pictured Glenn and Barry packing up).

Into the draw bag and peg 9 for me and next to Dave peg 8 who years back ran the Bridgewater AA matches on the Huntspill and Sedgemoor Drain with  Geoff Francis on peg 11.

Just the usual set up of two paste rigs. However, with the water cooling down would it be as good? So all my eggs in the one basket. Choose to fish initially at top set plus two then back to one barrel then margin with the bullet rig in the last knockings. Cutting back on the feed was the order of the day. So just a few micros kindered with the paste on the long line and had my usual quick six Carp/F1's before it slowed. Came to the conclusion that it's mainly the F1's who cause the slowing rather than the Carp, this because of how hard they initially speed off scaring the other F1's off. So question of keep a bit of feed going and being patient today. Tried the short line and it felt as if wasn't going to produce so binned that, with the margin producing one F1. Only place producing was the long line and hadn't lost or foul hooked any fish. Five minutes from the end hooked a Carp which was the first fouler of about 2 lb plus which came off with Glenn shouting out that could have been a "Game changer". He was right cost me the match win.

Weighed 55 lb 8 oz for third place only  1 ln 5 oz from first!! Very enjoyable steady days fishing. Great match fishing when it's this close.

The match was won again by Richard Rogers (pictured with his catch) 56 lb 13 oz from peg 12. Richard is well known for setting up the one feeder rod and fishing the tea bag throughout his matches. Well done.

Unlucky Tony Hobnobber.

Now here's a thing. Richard frames most matches here, mostly winning. Other than the odd angler dabbling in the tea bag most fish the pole. So if the tea bag is the winning method why isn't everyone using it? My answer would be; It's not the winning that's the most important thing but having a good day fishing using the methods you enjoy the most - feeder fishing is not for me not busy enough, have never fished the Method.

Back to the White Harte for a pint and a Himalayan curry with Geoff and Glenn. Very nice first time for a Buttered Chicken very tasty.

Weigh Sheet: