Tuesday 14/10/2025 - Hobnobs - Harescombe - Doughnut

Last time this year on the Doughnut for me and probably the last time at Harescombe for Glenn until the Spring when the paste starts working again. I'm currently thinking of fishing the silver matches on Thursday's on Field Lake.

Eighteen fishing today. Into the draw bag and peg 28 for me. Not seen this peg in before but explained by the numbers fishing today. Its the last number on the Nut, subsequently next to peg 1 occupied by matey Rich Powell. To my right had a decent gap to Tony Welsby peg 24 who started off like a train and thought it was on the cards for a win. Quite liked the look of the peg, very narrow. Flat calm though but the tow wind effected.

So just the one rig a 4x14 Winter to fish top set plus one barrel at 1 o clock with maggot - simple.

Fed a small pot GB laced with LR's with double LR's on an18 hook to 0.14 GLine in five foot of water. First put in had Carp catching me by surprise - usually got to wait a while for the first bite here, so, is a red letter day on the cards? Four tiny Perch later, the answer was nope! Everyone was struggling. With two hours gone and three Carp in the net faith in my method started to vane. So put on another barrel and added the 6 inches difference reaching full depth, but after five minutes regained my composure and reverted back to the one barrel 😕. Glenn came round with two hours to go who had just the one Carp and by which time my tally was five. Good job the exit gate was locked!! The last hour came and I started to string a few more Carp together and thinking I had another half hour refed the line only to here the all out - 3 o clock finish from now on. 

Finished with ten Carp and four Perch 😁 for 30 lb 15 oz taking 3rd spot. What was interesting the peg tow's in both directions probably due to being on the end on the Nut. Very enjoyable day, love this hard fishing after all I was brought up catching next to nothing on the rivers and canal fishing winter leagues etc...

Phil Auger came out clear winner by miles with a catch of 87 lb 1 0z from peg 14 (pictured with his catch and the mud bank). Phil caught long over the mud bank fishing 12 inches deep with maggot hook bait and feed. Will done matey

Back to the Lamb with the usual suspects to end another memorable day.

Weigh Sheet:

Tuesday 07/10/2025 - Hobnob's - Harescombe Fishery - Doughnut

Travelled on my own today which always makes the journey appear longer. Nice breakfast again with John S, Chris G and Pete G. Jock reminisced the three days he lost after fishing the super league for Swindon on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. Apparently he Disney drink anymore.

Hoping to be over the far side for a change and was rewarded with peg 19. As with last week on the Match Lake found myself next to Mick peg 18 and Richard peg 20 aka Teabag - little less coughing and spitting today.

There are lots of different baits you can take to matches which causes confusing and switching around resulting in reduced catches. I choose a bait and try and make it work. So far that has been paste here but have now switched to maggot, in my opinion the best bait if no silvers around.

At last conditions were good for the waggler so set up a 6" Drake. A 4x16 Winter to fish up the slope in nearly 5 foot of water at top set plus one barrel at 1 o clock and the short Ronnie rig. All to fish maggot.

Fed the inside lines and the far bank. Started on the waggler with double LR's hook bait with the depth set at 3 foot. Soon found that the far bank had collapsed with the depth being just a few inches. Shallowed up to 18 inches and was soon foul hooking Carp. Hooked three in the mouth and had lost five and time to ditch the waggler - at least got that one out of my system - bit ridiculous trying to fish a mud bank with a waggler - but fun. Thanks to Mick for retrieving my waggler 😁.

Had a short go on the Ronnie rig with single LR over loose feed which didn't feel right, so spent the rest on the match on the one barrel line and from there on had a steady day catching some beautiful looking Carp to 4 lb. Played about with the feeding which was informative, get it wrong and foul hooking follows. Can't emphasise enough how important it is to take time plumbing up on this lake.

Weighed 56 lb 8 oz which included a 1/4 oz Perch for second overall. Fed about 3/4 pint so not a lot of bait required. Enjoyed the day but did get a tad cold near the end.

The match was won by Rob Pass (pictured) with 66 lb 5 oz from peg 9. I'm sure paste played a big part for him today. Well done matey.

Chris Gay took our section by default, fishing 16 metres with worm over micro - cripes hard work that. Nice one matey.

Back to the Lamb with the usual suspects and another good laugh.

Weigh Sheet:

Tuesday 31/09/2025 - Hobnob's - Harescombe - Match Lake

Another visit to Harescombe with Glenn, just wish we had a fishery like this nearby, but well still, worth the drive.

Into the draw bag and peg 14 again for me. Hopefully the peg will fish a bit better with 28 lb to beat. Will be applying some learning from the last match which might help the cause.

Felt I was in the open end at the Mem facing the Thatcher's end with Pete Greenslade, Glenn Bailey and John Smith (pictured - that's him on the left - The one on the right looked like a Ginger!) opposite me in a line - UTG.

Thought I would try the 7 mm meat today so set up a 4x12 to fish top set plus two barrels. But would start on the paste to see if there was any longevity in the method with a 0.3 gram shotted paste rig to fish top set plus three barrels. Finally a short Ronnie rig for fishing each side with LR's.

Had the usual three early Carp and one F1 on the paste over kindered micro before it died. Didn't try forcing the line as it didn't work last time, so, switched to the meat line at 2 0 clock where I had been regularly loose pieces of meat. Expected initially to get pestered by small silvers. However, no indications but did foul hook a Carp up in the water, patience exhausted after 10 minutes so binned it in favour of the Ronnie rig knowing that I would have to face catching tiny Ronnie's before the Carp arrived. Went through the pain barrier catching Whitebait before the odd Carp arrived and had a decent couple of hours catching Carp to 7 lb. However, had to put up with Whitebait in between each Carp but as the match progressed the silvers were less of a nuisance, netting a a few bigger 3 oz Rudd and Ronnie's, but no Perch today.

Meanwhile John Smith was busy foul hooking and losing his first seven fish. John stayed strong taking the piss take on the chin, it would have broken most men💪.

Weighed 51 lb 8 oz for fourth overall and a section first. Really enjoyed it today, especially as didn't feed too many maggots. Took away from today that the paste on the Match lake will for me be mothballed until next Spring.

The match was won by "Stitch" (pictured) with 66 lb 9 oz from peg 2. Excellent weight on a difficult day.

Back to the Lamb for a pint with fellow GAS Heads. Glenn was pondering at his lucky polo shirt and realising he had it on inside out. 😂

Weigh Sheet: