Saturday 30/09/2017 - Viaduct All Winners Final - Campbell, Carey, Lodge and Match Lakes

Two days coming up at Viaduct, today was the All Winners final and tomorrow the one I was really looking forward to, the start of the Viaduct Silvers League. I travelled with Two Pots and his balls of paste. We met up with Tim Ford at Canards Well for a mediocre breakfast. Two Pots had Man Flu and was coughing and sneezing for most of the journey.

Into the draw tin and out comes peg 74 thought it might be OK as I like fishing for the bigger Carp in margins that have plenty of escape routes! What I didn’t realise that Steve Long had started deforestation of the Willows around pegs 109 and 74 with whole trees still in the water – work in progress. The picture right is looking from peg 109 (somewhere under the branches) to my peg 74. Arriving at my peg there was no way of sensibly fishing down the RH margin and expecting to get any decent size Carp in the net – Scaffold pole and wire sprang to mind. So it was a margin rig for the LH side then a paste rig to fish again to the left at 11 o clock towards the tree at 10 metres and a meat/corn rig towards the end of the Willow tree again at 10 metres.

Fed all lines and first drop in with the paste I had a small 5lb Common. Here we go I’m thinking. That was it for an hour until I foul hooked a munter which broke me. The paste appeared not to be working and could see Two Pots on peg 130 behind me who at half way had two Carp, so I kept an eye on him in case he threw the towel in, especially with him unwell. Bob Gullick also behind me on peg 111 had only one Carp. Cripes, so switched to the corn by the end of the tree which was tentatively knocked about by small Silvers. Striking at one of these nibbles in desperation I struck into the wrong end of a Carp which ended up the other side of the tree luckily I got the rig back less the 0.16 hook length. The upshot was I started another swim straight out in front with meat and foul hooked another five Carp. I decided to have a practice for the Silvers league but couldn’t catch many of them either; meat was having the most interest but didn’t have any Caster with me to try properly. Had my second Carp with 30 minutes to go after which I threw in the towel.

Only three of us weighed in the section with me being third with 17lb 12oz!!! I can’t see this peg fishing well for sometime until the work has settled down. The work well over due I think.

Two Pots threw his catch back as he was “Over Powered” on the next peg 129. Tim Ford on peg 117 won his section with 100lb and only two of them weighed in.

The match was won by Andy “I don’t like this peg” Power (pictured right with some of his catch) with 206lb 13oz. Andy caught on various lines with the end of the Spit being the most productive. Andy fished meat hook bait over potted Hemp and a few cubes of meat feed. Later Andy ran out of Hemp and a period of serious foul hooking pursued and some scrambling for replacement pole sections. Well done matey.

The top six pictured below.

 It was back to Winston’s Fish Restaurant for a Fish and Chip supper. Two Pots looked shattered, but at least his nose had stopped running.

Full Result:

1. Andy Power 206-13-0 peg 129
2. Phil Harding 153-05-01 peg 77
3. Jack Billet 148-03-0 peg 110
4. Gary O’Shea 147-10-0 peg 94
5. Dan White 131-04-0 peg 47
6. Dab Squires 120-12-0 peg 49

Weigh Sheets:

Thursday 28/09/2017 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's - Bridge Pool

Whilst walking around the pool with Hughie I had a phone call from Chris Rolfe who lives in Portishead explaining that he was running late due having to patch up bullets holes in his car.

Whilst walking around there were plenty of signs of feeding silt pigs, but was apprehensive whether the Skimmers would feed because the pool was flat calm and that combined with the predicted bright sunshine would not be conducive for catching Skimmers.

In to the draw bag and out come plastic counter number 18. This is one of my favourite pegs especially when Carp count because I could spend have the match on the Silvers then switch to the Carp because this is an area the munters live. For company I had “Calamity James” Norris on peg 19 who wasn’t feeling that positive about our pegs as he was on 18 last match and didn’t fair that well. I have found if the wind is blowing into this end the Silvers don’t respond, but with no wind I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case.

Steve Dawson had drawn peg 3 again the peg he won from last match however, this week he had two empty pegs each side so game over for the match win.

I set up a 4x10 Speedy for the LH margin a metre from the overhanging tree. A 4x16 to fish top-set plus three out in front in 8 foot of water, finally a 4x14 to fish in 6 foot on the top-set. Simple.

One large ball of GB laced with DR’s and caster was potted on both long and short lines and twenty casters down the margin. Starting on the short line I started to catch small Perch on single DR. Theses small fish weren’t going to get any coin however, everyone else was struggling for a bite, so ounces makes pounds and pounds make…. I did expect to catch some Ronnie’s and a Skimmer or two on this line but it wasn’t happening. So my predictions wrt the conditions was proving right, to check the Skimmers weren’t having it I went on the long line where there was no indications of feeding fish. First try and a 4oz Skimmer on double DR, alas that was it, only catching small perch. Time to try the trusted caster down the LH side and I had a few better Perch to 8oz and some 8oz Hybrids. I then hooked a Tench which broke the surface before going under the tree which I retrieved and was about to net it when the hooked pulled probably due to the earlier bullying from under the tree. Going to cost me today? After pulling myself together it was back in again and straight away the float buried and another Tench which after a tussle in the weeded margin it was netted along with a lot of weed. Phew. I then had a run of big Perch to 1 ½ lb but managed to lose four with one blunting the hook point. It didn’t end there as later I was to lose two more Tench and I don’t know why both times the hook pulling. To add to these woes I hooked and landed a 15lb Mirror Carp which more or less left me struggling for a bites for the remainder.

I finished with 13lb 13oz for sixth overall and a free days fishing. Those lost fish cost me third place I think.

Bridge Pool is definitely lacking of Roach which is probably due to the netting of the smaller fish a couple of years back. Shame, hope this doesn’t happen again.

As predicted the match was won by Steve Dawson (pictured right) with 32lb 4oz from peg 3. Steve initially caught about 18lb of hand size Skimmers at 10 metres using expanders on the hook fished over GB laced with micro. Half way the swim died so he switched to his margins with maggot hook bait where Steve had been loose feeding maggot and caught 8 bream. Well done matey.

Full Result:

1. Steve Dawson 32-04-0 peg 3
2. Alan Jones 24-11-0 peg 11
3. John Fry 16-0-0 peg 10
4. Paul Barnfield 14-10-0 peg 14
5. John Smith 13-15-0 peg 26
6. Mike Nicholls 13-13-0 peg 18

Weigh Sheets:

Thursday 21/09/2017 - Shiplate Fishery - Cost Cutter - Main Lake

Thought I would try Shiplate Fishery today as I have heard good reports about the Silver fishing in particular the Roach and Skimmers. I travelled there via Chew Magna and found it relatively easy, so I arrived in plenty of time thinking I would be first there, but not Mike Owens was already sat in the office as was Jim Thomas and Our Mark all sipping tea.

I got Mike Owens to walk around the fishery to refresh my recollections. The wind was blowing into pegs 13-15 so I didn’t fancy them. In to the draw bag and out comes peg 5 happy with this as it was wind free. To be fair you can’t be unhappy with any peg on this great well kept fishery – manicured jumps to mind.

I set up the Ronnie rig where I found 4 foot. I then set up a 4x14, plumbing up I found that the shelf dropped off into 7 foot at top-set plus four sections. Due to the wind blowing down the Lake was towing against at a rate of knots so switched to a 4x16 which presented much better.

I fed the long line with two big balls of GB laced with caster, micro and DR’s. Starting on the Ronnie rig with single caster over loose feed I caught straight away Ronnie’s from 2oz to 4oz – happy days. After a good first hour during which I added a large Perch the bloody wind completely changed and was now blowing in at me at 11-o-clock – bugger. Presentation was severely effected by this but slowing the catch rate but not by much the main problem was loose feeding the peg rather than the keep net! At half way I hooked my first Carp which broke me. So decided to give the Ronnie line a rest and try the longer line with double DR’s. I had a couple of 1lb Skimmers but found it slower weight wise than the Ronnie’s, so switched back. I stayed with this for the rest of the match landing one 6lb Carp losing another five, which caused the catch rate to slow. The wind buggered it up for me a bit today.

My one Carp weighed 6lb 14oz and my Ronnie’s 30lb 9oz. Beaten into third in the Silvers by Dave Wride on end peg 6 by 1oz!! Thinking of all those Ronnie’s I dropped.

The match was won my Mike Owens (pictured upper right with some of his catch) with 98lb 7oz from peg 1. Mike caught most of his fish on the GB method feeder with 8mm banded pellet. Mike later caught a few from his RH margin.

The Silvers was won by one of the three Wickham’s pictured right with 41lb of Skimmers to 3lb. Nigel caught at 13 metres using worm over worm and corn fed in GB.

It was another great day out fishing. I love Ronnie’s.

Full Result:

1. Mike Owens 98-07-0 peg 1
2. Tich Williams 90-08-0 peg 13
3. Mark Jones 87-14-0 peg 11

Top Silvers:

1. Nigel Wickham 41-0-0 peg 14
2. Dave Wride 30-10-0 peg 6
3. Mike Nicholls 30-09-0 peg 5

Weigh Sheet:

Saturday 17/09/2017 - Ivy House Open - Match Lake and Kingfisher Canal

Another day out with son Steve this time we decided on a closer venue – Ivy House. The match was scheduled for the Match Lake but with 18 fishing today it was decided to split into three sections – two on Match Lake and the third on Kingfisher Canal. Both Steve and I were hoping for the canal, alas not I pull wooden ball 13 – unlucky for some and Steve wooden ball 17 – even unluckier. Sandwiched between us was Andy “Just in Time” Gard on peg 15.

Most anglers wanted peg 10 if not peg 11 on Match Lake. Well the results certainly contradict this.

Start as you finished the last match and the last time I fished Match Lake was 02 Jan 17 when I weighed 8oz for third in the Silvers!! So set up a 4x 14 to fish in the deepest part of the peg at top-set plus three, the Ronnie rig and a paste rig for the margin at top-set plus 2 ½. Bait tray – casters, maggot, micro and 4mm expenders and some GB.

I potted the margin with a big pot of a mix of DR’s and micro, the long line with a smidgen of micro and started to loose feed caster over the Ronnie line. Starting on the long line with 4mm expander I was soon loosing small foul hooked Skimmers. I was getting plenty of indications landing three very small Skimmers (last years spawn I think).  I then had a 5lb Common Carp. That was it on this line even though I tried forcing with some extra feed. I’m a busy angler and can’t sit there and wait for a bite, sometimes I wish I were, which was probably what was needed today – perhaps sit on corn? Knowing that at the moment it is a tall task to compete with Kingfisher for the Silvers, I had to get bites so on came the Ronnie rig. With single caster over the loose feed I caught Ronnie’s for the remaining five hours. They were averaging 3oz so 5 -6 to the pound. With an hour to go I was certainly winning the Silvers on the Match Lake and began to think “what if the Canal Skimmers didn’t feed either”.

Wishful thinking my single Carp weighed 5lb 2oz and the Ronnie’s 24lb 8oz for a total of 29lb 8oz for double second! The section lost by 2lb and the Silvers by much much more. The Match Lake fished hard with my total weight coming third! Steve was just behind me with 25lb 4oz who is the patient one sitting on paste for the last hour.

“If you chase two Rabbits, you will not catch either one”

The match and the Silvers was won by Jason Gooch (pictured below) with 45lb 6oz of Skimmers and a total of 102lb 14oz from Kingfisher peg 4. Jason caught over, down his left and right margins primarily using corn hook bait over corn.

 As can be seen from the weigh sheet Kingfisher fished really well – as can expected with six anglers spread over the 15 pegs. On hindsight it may have been a better if the numbers been reversed between the Match Lake and Kingfisher.

A great day Ronnie fishing and my fishing appetite full and was my stomach after Steve and I dined in Eastern Spice - Curry and Kingfisher - nothing better to end a perfect day.

Full Result:

1. Jason Gooch 102-14-0 peg 4 Kingfisher
2. Jason Robinson 81-04-0 peg 8 Kingfisher
3. Frank 79-12-0 peg 2 Match

Silvers:

1. Jason Gooch 45-06-0 peg 4 Kingfisher
2. Mike Nicholls 24-08-0 peg 13 Match

Weigh Sheet:

Thursday 15/09/2017 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's - Bridge Pool

I had breakfast at Hungry Horace’s, another good one nice and hot. Fishing around the region has generally been poor of late especially the Silvers, so expectations were low, lets blame the weather and change of seasons. I had a walk around the Pool where there were little signs of feeding fish. However, the bottom end seemed to have more signs.

It was a good turn out today with 23 fishing. I know pegging this venue is difficult, but there are pegs to avoid – peg 20 (peg 19 is better) peg 25 (peg 22 is better).

In to the draw bag and out comes counter 10, very happy with this one. For company I had Dave Wride on peg 11 and Mike Taylor on peg 8. With Mike being partially deaf and Dave being well – uncommunicative, it was going to be a quiet match, Barny had different idea because he wasn’t catching today moaned for the next five hours everyone could here him from peg 32, Steve Dawson who was opposite was lucky he had some ear plugs with him.

Due to the variation of lighting on the water I was forced to fish either long or short so easy set-up - one, 4x16 to fish at top-set plus three, (long) a 4x14 to fish top-set plus the Ronnie rig. As expected the fish weren’t bait chasing so the Ronnie rig was to only add 3oz to the net and spent the match being blown about on the roost. Starting short with GB and DR’s I caught small Skimmers (4oz), Perch and Ronnie’s for about an hour when the swim died except for the odd micro Perch. I would have liked to have stayed close for at least half the match, but decided to go on the longer line earlier, still not sure this was the right thing to do because I found it just as slow. Again with GB and DR’s I kept plugging away trying to get the rig working properly in the skimming wind and the ever changing light. It wasn’t until the wind dropped and veered a bit that I got it right and started to add the Skimmers in quick pairs. I slowed again due to disruptive Carp, one 3lb and the other 4lb were both were landed, cripes these Stockies have really grown on. The Skimmers returned and I had a 20 minutes purple patch catching some better Skimmers. I had a 2lb Skimmer fly off due to the way the fish came out of the water catching the connector over the pole negating the elastic. The last 30 minutes was painful only adding one more 4oz Skimmer.

I finished with a dead 18lb for second overall.

The match was won by Steve Dawson (pictured right) with 25lb 14oz from peg 3. Steve fished maggot over kindered/bait dropped maggot.

It was back to the pub with the usual suspects including Banana Head.

I often see the younger angler trying to fish fast “Fast is fine, accuracy is everything”

Full Result:

1. Steve Dawson 25-14-0 peg 3
2. Mike Nicholls 18-0-0 peg 10
3. Alan Jones 15-06-0 peg 21
4. Ken Morgan 14-08-0 peg 30
5. Huge Evans 13-14-0 peg 6
6. Dave Gillard  13-02-0 peg 7

Weigh Sheets:

Sunday - 10/09/2017 - Windmill Open - Match Lake

Bela and I originally booked into Ivy House but Bela picked up Easy Jet Flu from a Pensioner he knows well, so the lightweight cancelled. With the crappy weather lately I thought I might also give fishing a miss, but with conflicting weather forecast I chose to fish Windmill and met up with Geoff Francis for a cold breakfast at Wetherspoons – Kingswood.

Fourteen of us fishing today which was reasonable considering the promised weather. Terry Smith looked shattered having just driven back from France coming straight to run the match. He’s away again next week taking the England and Wales kit to the world championships in Hungary – only a ten hour drive. I must admit I was tempted to tag along with him.

Into the draw box and outcomes wooden counter with number 2 on it. I would normally be happy with the peg but not today the wind (and rain) was favouring my bank blowing into my left shoulder. I’m sure somewhere near by this venue there is a wind amplifier. A least my car wasn’t far away behind me. Geoff drew his usual area peg 24.

I set up a very short Ronnie rig to fish caster to my right into the wind but was somewhat sheltered by the ever increasing Sedges growth. I decided to give paste a rest as I thought the water temperature had dropped. So set up a 4x14 winter to fish in five foot of water on the top-set out in front t for anything that swam. Then a margin 4x12 winter rig, well margin is a misnomer as it was 3 ½ foot as close as I could get to the sedges this my comfort rig as I could sit with the wind almost off my back to my left, to fish top-set plus one – nice clean bottom.

I fed a small amount of 6mm meat with a mix of micro down the left margin, some loose casters down the right and some micro out in front. I started out in front and could pick up a bit of the trip against and with 4mm expander on the hook. A couple of small Skimmers later I foul hooked and lost my first Carp. Next try I had my first one in the mouth and in the keep net. I then tried the Ronnie rig with caster and after fifteen minutes had one tiny fish. So the Ronnie’s weren’t out to play then. I made the decision to forget the Silvers and focus on the Carp. So I concentrated the rest of the match on the right hand margin with meat – due mainly to my survival instincts as the wind had picked up. The upshot was I had a spell stringing a few carp together, but was pestered by foul hookers which were certainly due to the combination of depth I was fishing, presentation and tow. The scores were 9-1 to the foul hookers. I did legally land eight small Carp and a few more Skimmers and one fin perfect 1 ½ lb Crucian. With 45 minutes to go the wind veered and my swim when flat calm very eerie but  which assisted my catch rate.

My Silvers weighed 6lb 9oz and my Carp 35lb 15oz for 42lb 8oz for halfway. Apparently the pools payout has changed now for the fifth time and today paid 2 overall and 2 in the Silvers. I wish I knew this before hand.

Do the simple things well.

The match was won by Geoff Francis (pictured right with some of his fin perfect Carp – must say the Carp are in excellent condition - the picture Dave Haines didn't want to see) with a PB weight of 121lb from peg 24. Geoff caught on paste over micro fished at top-set plus two. Geoff also had problems with foul hookers as did many others today.

The Silvers was won by Dave Willmott who magic 11lb 1oz of Skimmers and Roach using maggot and caster. Dave will be please to hear that next Sunday's match is on the Carp Lake - will he be there?

Full Result:

1. Geoff Francis 121-10-0 peg 24
2. Mark Summerhayes 93-04-0 peg 13
3. Joe McMahon 80-12-0 peg 28

Silvers:

1. Dave Willmott 11-01-0 peg 21
2. Dave Haines 8-02-0 peg 22

Weigh Sheet:

Thursday 07/09/2017 - Ivy House - Cost Cutter - Kingfisher

According to the BBC Bela’s work would be rained off, so fishing it is then. I tried to book into the Viaduct cost cutter but left it too late due to the limited number of pegs available on Lodge and Match the match was full. So I booked us into Ivy House - Kingfisher Canal. Bela usually does well on this Canal so far drawing the same three pegs 5, 6 & 7.

The turnout was a bit disappointing, but I guess this is due to the general decline in match fishing, but more so to do with small clubs forming with limited membership fragmenting the potential larger matches. Into the draw coffee tin and out comes end peg 15. I was told it was an out and out Carp peg. In support of this I have seen some better Carp caught from the peg, so was hoping I could catch a few. I was expecting a good result. Bela’s drawing arm didn’t let him down pulling peg 7 - again, a good Silvers peg, we wanted to swap.

What I like about this Canal is the way Andy has pegged it with the prevailing winds off your back and the sun behind lends it’s self to comfortable fishing. It’s hard enough as it is in these recent times with the rain and wind battering us.

I didn’t have any company today as Val was too far away on peg 13 to have any form of conversation. I set up a Speedy to fish the margins with maggot, a 4x14 Winter (extra two foot of water had been delivered) to fish the 4mm expander at top-set plus one, the final rig a 0.3g paste float to fish at various lengths along the end bank where I expected to catch some lumps. Meanwhile Val had to return home to get his top-sets, good job he lives close by and not in Bristol.

I fed two places along the margin with a pot of hard 4’s and started to loose feed reds down the RH margin. Starting on the 4mm expander over micro resulted in a couple of small carp but found I had to re-bait four times due to missed bites before actually hooking one – very frustrating. I’ve not had this before and was eager to find out what was causing this – liners, Ronnie’s, Perch I couldn’t come to any conclusion that was until we were driving back and now believe it was the small carp taking the drop shot mistaking it for micro. Next math I will test this by pumping up some 2mm expander. To end the frustration I switched to paste and caught on the top-set to the end bank and had about 20 small Carp. My calculation was I could put 60 of these Carp to be safely under the fishery limit of 50lb. I thought I needed to catch some of the bigger Carp so went top-set plus three along the end bank but could only catch similar small Carp. Fishing paste this long for small Carp isn’t sensible if you can catch then shorter. So tried the maggot rig and was surprised to start catching Silvers in a peg I was assured there wasn’t any! In 20 minutes I had a bout 15lb including four Tench and two decent Skimmers and a host of Perch. I had been having problems with the elastic in one of my top-sets and should have changed it but, you know how it is. I lost the lost on another Tench. Luckily Adrian on peg 6 retrieved the float for me. The upshot was I messed about with paste and maggot until the end catching only one decent Carp on maggot.

I weighed 22lb 2oz of Silvers (where there are none, should have fished for them all match, but wouldn’t have beaten the Silvers winner). My 40 Carp weighed 29lb 8oz for a total of 51lb 10 oz, a decent days fishing with plenty of bites and action.

The match was won by Bela (pictured below with the Silvers winner) from peg 7 with 71lb 8oz. Most of his larger Carp coming from his LH margin using triple maggot (two side by side an upside one) fished over DR’s.

The Silvers was won by Andy Gard with a decent weight of 41lb 8oz from end peg 3. Andy caught on worm over GB laced with chopped worm. Well done matey. I thick Andy regrets not spending some time fishing for Carp as he was on for a double bubble pick-up.

With a bit of drizzle on the way to the fishery and some on the way home seem to nullify Bela’s guilt for not working today. The Pinky Ponk also helped in Bar-Gar-Age I think – another memorable day out. The van now has four double bubbles and a single with me dipping out today.

Finally, I hear that Martin Rayett whilst fishing peg 17 at Acorn Fishery on the Tuesday cost cutter that whilst shipping back over the fence behind him had the end of his MAP 901 pole bitten off by the resident horse. The funnier part was he expected the owner to compensate him!

Result Overall:

1. Bela Bakos 71-08-0 peg 7

Silvers:

1. Andy Gard 41-08-0 peg 3

Weigh Sheet: