Thursday 30/04/2015 - Rixon & Jones Cost Cutter - Avalon - Match Lake

The “Inbetweener” Glenn Bailey (neither fully retired nor fully working) couldn’t make the Wednesday matches at Hillview or Ivy House so Thursdays it was leaving either Viaduct or Avalon a fishery I haven’t been to for some time. I left it up to Glenn, with me finally choosing Avalon!! So a small breakfast in Shipham it was.

Arriving at the fishery I must say that Vic Bush has done plenty of work above water with the grass cut and trees trimmed.

Tony sorted the pegging with most of us with the wind off our backs, especially suiting the Waggler thrashers and lead chucker’s. Into the oversized draw bag which lead to taking some time to find a disc which was peg 5.  A short walk then, Glenn had further to go to peg 19, but still an easy walk. I was wondering why I had so much room to my Left – was it a bad area - then Clayton Hudson arrived late having drop his Children off at school – peg 7 for him.

“I had a plan” which was either paste for the Carp or my favoured method Semi- hard pellet for Silvers, plus the Ronnie rig if things got tough. So a 4x16 Jolly was set up at 10 metres with the 11.5 metres section behind as ballast. Interesting enough I had the same depth of 6 foot on the top-set!! A 0.5 gram PC paste float was set up over the same line. The usual Ronnie rig for the caster over caster, which didn’t get a look in today. A margin paste float was next, which was fished at 4 foot – too deep for margin work I was thinking.

The plan was to start on the pellet over micro and see which flag was run up the mast. After feeding a kinder pot of wetted micro and with 4 mm pellet on the hook shipping out a 2oz Ronnie took the bait. Out again and same happened – a Rudd! Finally I got the hook bait where I wanted and I foul hooked a Carp which was soon bow waving away with my hook length. Looks like a Carp day then. So picked up the paste rig and found some nibbling so switched back to the pellet and was soon in to hand sized Skimmers and Hybrids. It was one a bung for four hours, interrupted three more times by foul hooked Carp (and more

hook lengths changes) and five decent Skimmers. I had been feeding the RH margin with caster and later hard 4’s so gave paste a try and first put in had a Tench (pictured right with my catch). Next put in I hooked another Tench which Platformed me – bugger. I then had a near 5lb Bream followed by two small dark looking Carp. I wasted too much time after this in the margin, spending the last 45 minutes on the 10 metre line with semi hard's, adding one last big Skimmer and four Carp.

I finished the match with 36lb 12oz of Slivers for first in the Silvers and my six Carp weighed 19lb 5oz for a total catch of 56lb 4oz for 5^th overall.

I must say that this fishery has not only been drastically improved above water but also very much under water – well done Vic. Thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Travelling companion Glenn Bailey (pictured right with some of his catch) won the match with 109lb 8oz from peg 19. Glenn started on the waggler then switch to the lead together accounted for 9 small Carp. Glenn kept feeding his 13 metre line with soaked 4’s and switching over this line once there was some fizzing. Glenn then added 13 more big paste Carp to 18lb.

Full Result:

1. Glenn Bailey 109-08-0 peg 19
2. Tony Rixon 72-13-0 peg 23
3. Ray White 59-04-0 peg 3
4. Adrian Jeffery 57-04-0 peg 30
5. Mike Nicholls 56-04- 0 peg 5
6. Clayton Hudson 55-09-0 peg 7

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 36-12-0 peg 5
2. Mike Jones 31-08-0 peg 16
3. Tony Rixon 30-08-0 peg 23

Weigh Sheet:

Sunday 26/04/2015 - Ivy House Open - Match Lake

As we decided last year not to fish the Viaduct Spring League we thought we would see if Ivy House Lakes had come out of its winter slumber. We both like this venue – me the fishing, Bela the grub served up by Karen.

Looking around the venue both Karen and Andy are still improving the fishery and environment we fish in. I particularly liked how Karen’s garden is developing.

Whilst waiting for the draw Dean Malin rang in – over slept!

I looked through the last few results and peg 40 stood out head and shoulders for the Silvers – can I draw it. Unfortunately not, Mike Etheridge who was one in front of me drew it. However, in I went and out comes peg 42, happy with the peg for the Silvers. Bela drew end peg 14.

I set up four rigs an unusual amount for me – probably because I hadn’t been here for a while. The rigs consisted of a Ronnie rig, a 4x12 Jolly for the LH margin with caster, a Paste rig for also in the RH margin (this rig only got a couple of quick outings), and the most important rig a 4x14 Jolly to be fished at top set plus three plus one section behind as ballast out on front into the dark water.

At the same time that I started on the on the 4x14 Jolly I started to lightly feed the margin with caster. There was plenty of fish in the margin which were spawning - mostly Ronnie’s. First put in with 4 mm semi hard 4mm pellet over kinder micro I hooked a Common Carp in the mouth which decided it would behave like a Trout, jumping out the water twice which was enough for it to shed the hook. I then had a 1 ½ lb Tench followed by a run of small Skimmers to 1lb then a decent 3lb Skimmer. Following this I had a hectic forty five minutes hooking Carp to 8lb landing only four with two platforming me and two foul hookers breaking my hook length!! After this things settled down and I had three more big Skimmers. I then foul hooked another Carp and as I was eager to try the Ronnie rig I fed the line and had a go in the margin. It was soon clear that although there were plenty of Silvers around they weren’t in the feeding mood, I was getting plenty of liners. I did have another two big Skimmers losing two foul hookers because due to using too heavy elastic which I soon changed. And as usually happens I hooked a big Carp (which I thought and hoping was another big Skimmer) on the caster which after a torrid fight broke me – bugger. I added another 3lb of Silvers - mostly Perch before I went back our of the longer line catching another big Skimmer before I was once again waiting for  foul hooked Carp to break the hook length.

I finished the match with four Carp for 20lb 8oz and 23lb 6oz of Silvers for a Silvers win (pictured upper right with my net of Silvers) and a double bubble pick up with a third overall of 43lb 4oz. I think Andy gets the payouts right.

The match was won by one of the original Swindon Talisman Val (pictured right with the Silvers winner - totaling a 130 years) from peg 46 with 51lb 6oz. Although Val caught some Carp long on pellet he caught the lion share down his RH margin using maggot hook bait over potted maggot.

Both Bela and I had a good day, its fair to say that the fishery is on the up especially once the Silvers have stopped spawning.

Full Result:

1. Valentine 51-06-0 peg 46
2. Joe Thompson 51-02-0 peg 5
3. Mike Nicholls 43-04-0 peg 42
4. Sticky 41-04-0 peg 34
5. Red 40-04-0 peg 9
6. Dick Young 39-04-0 peg 1

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 23-06-0 peg 42
2. Gary Davis 20-0-0 peg 36
3. Joe Thompson 16-02-0 peg 5

Weigh Sheet:

Saturday 25/04/2015 - Hillview Open - Moorhen And Heron Pools

Firstly I must mention last weeks Hillview Festival which was won by Bristolian Craig “Trigger” Edmonds. Trig not only cleaned up with section wins and the overall pickup of £1,000 but he also cleaned up in the after match card games – well done matey.

Overall Festival Result:

Trig stayed at Hillview with Bob Gullick in one of Keith’s B&B. It must have been a nightmare for Bob because Trig took the blow-up Scarecrow back every night with him. I don't know what Trigger did but if any angler approaches her she starts screaming – see video below!

Steve and I weren’t sure whether to go to Hillview today because the fish would have had a right hammering spending most of the week in keepnets. However, it’s an amazing venue so we still decided to give it a go. Steve was hoping to draw away from Heron Pool end Bank – alas not, pulling peg 23! I was much luckier pulling peg 9 on Moorhen. There was still a chilly wind blowing in from the SW, luckily it was over my left shoulder.

I set up three tops set rigs – 4x12 Jolly for meat in the RH margin up to the bush; although I kept feeding this with meat I didn’t get a bite from it, probably because it meant facing the wind so some half heartiness involved. Next was a 4x14 Jolly to fish out in front in 4 foot of water with either meat or semi hard pellet. Lastly 0.3 gram PC paste float for the RH margin up to the hay bale (don’t hook the bale it wins the tug–o-war every time).

I immediately started to dribble in some hard 4’s into the paste margin but started fishing over kindered meat out in front with meat on the hook. As usually the first fish is always a 4oz Skimmer. It took a while to catch a Carp which was an F1. The fishing all round was starting slowly. The meat wasn’t working for me, so I switched to 10 o clock converting to pellet over micro. I did have a run of F1’s and four decent Carp, plus the regulatory 4oz Skimmers. The fishing was still slow so I decided to give the margin a look with paste. Surprising I couldn’t even get the nibbling from the Ronnie’s/Skimmers. Back out on the pellet and I added a few more F1’s. I decided to put ¼ pint of caster into the paste margin following up with the paste rig. It was a nightmare the first four put in’s resulted in four foul hooked big Carp – unusual for paste me thinks. My next decision was wrong, staying with the paste I should have kept going on the deeper pellet line. With the paste I stayed, foul hooking more than I landed – very frustrating. Maggot out in front might have been a better choice too!

I finished the match with 83-08-0 for 9^th overall. Steve ended with 50lb so another battering from Dad!

The match was won by Terry “Top Kit” King (pictured right indicating his peg) with 121lb 8oz. Terry caught some of his fish in the margin in meat, with most falling to maggot into the deeper margin. Terry fed about one pint of maggots throughout.

Full Result:

1. Terry King 121-08-0 peg 25
2. Huggy 110-08-0 peg 15
3. Paul Ennis 104-0-0 peg 31
4. John Woodrow 97-0-0 peg 26
5. Ian Chatfield 96-0-0 peg 16
6. Matty 94-0-0 peg 5
7. Billy Hill 94-0-0 peg 13

Weigh Sheet:

Thursday 23/04/2015 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's And Disabled - Bridge Pool

For me it was good to see that most of the trees and bushes on Bridge Pool have been removed. A change for the better I think. Bob Price will be pleased to be able to chuck the lead down into the corner on peg 18 (pictured right).

Arriving at the fishery I found it “Nipply” due to the bitter cold NE wind. In to the draw bag and out comes peg 2. I found myself opposite Tony Rixon who was on end peg 33. Tony was going to be cold because this peg is in the shade all day. Luckily for me the sun put in an appearance on my bank.

I was reasonably happy with the peg because Bob Price had a few Skimmers from it last match. However, he did say that he only caught for the first couple of hours. Take on the learning -  but what to do with it!

I set up the 4x16 Jolly and the Ronnie rig which only accounted for less that a pound. I did loose a decent Perch on it though.

I fished the Jolly at 9 metres for most of the match using semi hard pellet over wetted micro. Unusually it took a few minutes before I had my first bite a small Skimmer. Then things improved over the next two hours adding Skimmers to 2lb and two Tench to the keep net. The swim then all but died struggling for a bite. I tried various baits most of which was borrowed from Alan Jones who was on peg 3. The only effective bait was the soft pellet.

Due to the reasonably good weather for the time of year there was a lot of traffic up and down to Withy Pool (I think one angler must have had a stomach bug as he appeared to be going to and from the toilet) and with the ground dry I was getting covered in dust (see picture of my boots right). I also suffered with the dust getting in my eyes.

Having been biteless for two hours I decided to move out to 10 metres and feed two big pots of micro. This resulted in two small Skimmers and a flyer decent Bream and with five minutes to go I foul hooked a Carp which left me hook less.

I finished the match with 26lb 4oz which I was pleased with this considering the weights around me.

The match was won by Chris Rolfe (pictured right with some of his catch) with 88lb 5oz of Carp from peg 17. Chris caught on 8mm hard pellet fished over the same loose feed down his left hand margin. Chris fed about three pints throughout the match.

The Silvers was won by Dave Gillard (pictured lower right enjoying an after match pint) with 38lb 12oz from peg 27. Dave caught on 6mm expander fished over micro.

Full Result:

1. Chris Rolfe 88-05-0 peg 17
2. Dave Gillard 51-08-0 peg 27
3. Pete Turner 34-08-0 peg 29
4. John Smith 31-04-0 peg 5
5. Pete Greenslade 30-12-0 peg 18
6. Mike Jones 29-10-0 peg 14

 Top Silvers:

1. Dave Gillard 38-12-0 peg 27
2. Mike Jones 29-12-0 peg 14
3. Ray Bazeley 29-04-0 peg 15
4. Pete Turner 27-08-0 peg 29

Weigh Sheets:

Sunday 19/04/2015 - Tony's Short Pole Match - Round One - Woodlands

First round of Tony’s Short Pole matches at Chiltern Trinity – Woodlands Lake. So it was breakfast at Hilltops Café where “Two Chews” Bakos went for the Belly Buster – it’s huge and cost £8! Andy Neal and Lee Werret were in the Café on their way to Viaduct. Apparently Andy’s is on a diet and has lost a stone last week and was eating a skinny breakfast (The Frenzee advertising hording didn’t look any smaller to me). When Andy seen “Two Chew’s” breakfast he started so salivate, at one time I thought Andy was going to start eating it. Bela said after that he’d bet Andy’s has a Belly Buster next time he in the Café.

Bela ate all his breakfast before I was half way through my small one. On the way to the draw Bela said he was going on a diet in the week, so get out quick to the shops, as the prices of Bacon, Sausages and Steak are sure to fall!

Twenty Eight in the league so four sections of seven. There was a concern that this might be too many but the results tell a different story. That said there were two or three pegs that had more room that the others.

There was a nasty could NW wind blowing into the near bank pegs so was hoping to draw the opposite side. Luckily I pulled peg 15 and was delighted with it because it can be a good Silvers peg, plus with peg 16 not in because of repairs to the bank slide it made the peg all the better.

When we all had settled in to our swims in was a line up of the Silverfox Winter League team – me 15, Leon 14, Gordon 13 and Bela 12 – amazing how theses things work out. Bela was happy to have drawn the far bank I think it’s his first time because he had to get instructions how to get there. On peg 17 was Clint “Loose Lips” Wojtyle – No secrets in match angling!!

I decided to target the Silvers as there was £50 for the Silvers winner. I set initially set up two rigs – The Ronnie rig for caster over caster and a paste rig both to be fished on my top set. However, as I had 30 minutes left before the “all in” I set up a 4x16 Jolly to be fished at 4 metres. Neither the pole nor the rig got used wasting half a pot of hard 4’s in the process.

Starting on the Ronnie rig I caught right away 2-4oz Ronnie’s and Hybrids. I then added two Tench, a big Skimmer and a decent Hybrid. Clint landed a “F1” and asked Tony if it was a Silver, The answer of course is no. I know Genetic modifications are advancing all the time, but how can combining two Carp make a Roach or Skimmer? With an hour of the match gone and 14lb of Silvers in the net everything was going to plan and I was enjoying myself. The swim then went iffy and all but died – bugger.

Gordon Cannings started off like a train catching three Carp in his first three put ins at full depth on meat. Bela was thrashing around shallow at 6 metres, working off his breakfast, with a few Carp catching him. Leon was struggling a bit but kept adding a few Carp to his net.

So with the sole intention of ridding the swim of these predators I went over with the paste and within seconds I was playing my first Carp. I went straight back on the Ronnie rig but it was obvious there were some more Carp about, so decision time – a switch to feeding hard fours and paste it was. Over the rest of the match I caught 14 Carp in the last 45 minutes I added two better Carp boosting my weight by another 30lb. In any case during the match I knock over the rest of my casters so I was now committed to the Carp.

I reckoned I had 50lb in each net plus my Silvers net. I wasn’t far out as both nets gave me 103lb (pictured upper right) and my Silvers 14lb 9oz for first in the match and fourth in the Silvers.

The Silvers was won by Dave Evans (pictured right with the match winner) from peg 19 with 18lb 4oz of Skimmers. Dave caught on soft 4 mm pellet fished over loose fed soaked 4’s at 4 ½ metres. Good Skimmers weight on the day.

Bela thrashed himself into fourth place with 88lb and a section by default, so the van went home happy with another double pick-up.

Full Result:

Weight Sheets:

Wednesday 15/04/2015 - Hillview Rover Open - Pools and Canals

Travelling on my own today as Glenn was gardening? Off to Hillview Fishery. I am not particularly fond of Rover matches that said it’s another dimension to our sport.

After a juicy egg and bacon toastie it was time to get some idea which peg to select. The rules are that you cannot select a peg next to another angler, so with pleasure anglers on pegs 2, 22, 24 & 25 this limited the pegs on the pools further.

I walked around with Terry King. With 19 booked in we both agreed that an early draw was important today to get on one of the pools, both of which have been fishing well. The wind was as per Sunday but much lighter – a breeze in comparison, but still coming in from the SW.

In to the woolly hat and out comes draw number 17 – Umm last but two to select. Terry pulled peg 1!! Say no more. Terry did say if I couldn’t get on the pools go to Canal 3. This I had to do selecting peg 70. There were three of us on the third Canal each end and the middle.

I set up two top kits both with identical rigs – 4x12 Jollies (one reserve). The rest of the pole stayed in the hold which rested on the pole roller all match.

I plumbed up both sides and found the same depth. I decided that the left side would be semi-hard pellet over loose feed hard 4’s. The right side was reserved for meat. Simple.

At the start I fed both sides. I started on the right side with meat and the float wouldn’t keep still switching between each side all I could catch was Rudd and Gudgeon!! A lot of striking and re-baiting and very little entering the keep net. This is typical at the start at this venue. After 30 minutes or so of frustration I started to catch F1’s on the soft pellet, but was foul hooking some so I shallowed up and caught much better. The upshot was that once I caught a Gudgeon over one side I would swap to the other (believe me there are millions of starving Gudgeon in this Canal). I caught F1’s on the pellet and proper Carp on the meat. I did have a difficult 30 minutes after I lost on of my rigs on a snag. I fed ½ pint of Meat and Pellet throughout.

I finished the match with 87lb 8oz of F1’s and 50lb of Carp to 8lb for a total of 137lb 8oz or 6^th overall.

If you give Terry King first choice of pegs the match winner is decided, as it was today. Terry (pictured right indicating his peg number) caught 258lb 8oz on his top-set mainly from his right hand margin using his favoured 6mm meat. Thanks for the pint matey my turn next match. A Phenomenon.

Terry risked doing the supper pool today as he was pissed with Keith and Huggy taking his spoils.

Full Result:

1. Terry “Top Kit” King 258-08-0 peg 17
2. Lee Payne 224-0-0 peg 19
3. Matt Davis 179-08-0 peg 90
4. Andy Briton 163-04-0 peg 15
5. Huggy 146-0-0 peg 9
6. Mike Nicholls 137-08-0 peg 70

Weigh Sheet: (Neatest sheet I've seen)

Sunday 12/04/2015 - Hillview Open - Moorhen Pool, Canals 1 and 3

Back to Hillview Fishery with Bela who can eat one of Keith’s large breakfasts quicker than I can eat an egg and bacon toastie!! He was hungry – then he always is.

Another good turn out and early into the woolly hat and out cones peg 1. Other than a Canal peg this is one peg I would have chosen simply because I was sheltered from the high freezing wind, getting shelter from the pine trees, short walk too which helps the aged. For Company I had Josh and Jake.

Because of the wind I decided to only fish top-sets with the pole safely packed away. I decided on a 4x14 Jolly to be fished down wind at 11 o clock in about 4 foot of water with semi-hard 4’s over kindered micros with some hard fours over the top. This rig picked up the tow against the wind superbly. The down wind LH margin was reserved for the paste using a 0.3 PC paste float fished over hard fours. However, this meant clearing out a small marginal area of old weed and tree roots which were to still cause some issues throughout the day. The RH margin was for 6mm meat attached to a 4x12 jolly, but the wind was causing havoc with the presentation.

Bela had drawn peg 5 and Just before the start a gust of wind blew his hat into the pool. It must have been a one hell of a high gust to achieve that one!! Wind definitely from the SW as Bela’s hat was soon recovered by peg 16. Later Tony on peg 4 who had his partner sat with him had her chair blow on to his pole breaking it.

I fed a small pot of meat into the RH margin and some micro out in front and started to dribble in some hard 4’s to my Left. First put in with semi-hard 4 I had the usual F1. I was able to catch a 4oz Skimmer every put in so I started to loose feed some hard fours over the top and started to catch more F1’s to a near 4lb plus a few small Carp to 4lb. I then hooked a large Common Carp near 20lb which I seem to play for ages I couldn’t get it off the bottom, finally I had it beat only for the hook to pull just as was planning to net it – bugger. Having tried the meat margin a number of times without ant indication I abandoned it, the wind was making presentation too difficult. The plan was to start with the paste margin at 2 o clock leaving plenty of time to bag. On the dot in I went with the paste and it wasn’t long before I was getting liners. It started slow nicking the odd decent Carp then from 2-30 to 3-30 I had a golden hour getting a decent Carp regularly – on for some coin I’m thinking. Unfortunately during last hour it slowed, but I could see fish in the peg which resulted in some foul hooking. I decided to put a whole pot of dead reds in which did bump start the swim again taking the fish down.

I finished with 128lb 12oz fro 6^th overall 30lb of this was “Landsend Silvers” dubious F1’s – definitely Carp.

The match was won by Danny Bafer (pictured right indicating his winning  peg) with 215lb 8oz. Danny caught initially on the meat feeder over to the opposite island then later switched to the pole fished short, again using meat hook bait over loose fed meat.

Bob Gullick was here today practising for the forth coming festival which has already attracted 50 Anglers. However, it was Bob’s turn to get a battering off the next peg by “Top Kit” King. Terry is the epiphany of doing the key elements of fishing right – feeding and presenting – a phenomena. Because Terry is superstitious he doesn’t do the super pool concerned that this would lead to poor draws. However, Keith and Huggy pay the pools on his behalf and twice over the weekend they have earned themselves £25 each!  Terry was 2^nd on Saturday with 171 lb (pictured left with a small bucket of fish) and 151lb on Sunday sat facing into a horrendous wind (pictured right counting his winnings).

Bela having won last weeks Landsend match with a double he thought 80lb caught from peg 5 wasn't worth weighing in!!

Full Result:

1. Danny Bafer 215-08-0 peg 7
2. Terry King 151-12-0 peg 15
3. Trevor Chalk 147-04-0 peg 8
4. Huggy 142-12-0 peg 11
5. John Watson 132-12-0 peg 10
6. Mike Nicholls 128-12-0 peg 1

Weigh Sheets: