Alders Farm Pines Lake 15 07 14

Having changed shifts at work, today was the first chance I have had to wet a line since coming back from Stafford Moor. And it was on my favourite lake on the Alders Farm complex, Pines.
Mick was going to be absent today due to family commitments, so no MK Nugget to fish for.
I had practically smashed my Tourny Pro to bits at SM, so thought it was time to dig out my carp poles, A Daiwa G8 for fishing longer than 8m and a Garbolino Margin Manager, probably the strongest margin pole I have ever used, for shorter distances.
After dipping nets and getting some fishery pellets for feed along with a tube of Pineapple Gel from the on site tackle shop, I was ready, at least for a cup of tea.
With a cuppa in my hand and monies paid, I drew peg 6, a decent peg fully capable of breaking the 200lb mark.
For bait I had 2 Kilo of corn and 8 tins if needed. Some of which I "stinkyed up" and another pot of "Gelled" corn. It would be interesting to see which worked better on the day. I also had a few 8mm coarse hookers as a change bait.
I have had reasonable results fishing corn at 2+2 recently and saw no reason to change what was working. I plumbed up a line at 2+2 straight out and also to my right where I had a large tree protruding from the bank. I also set up a line 3m to my right and left where I could find a foot of water. I would feed both these lines with fishery 4mm pellets and try a grain of corn over it if I saw signs. I did not set up to fish long but could use my short rigs to cover it if needed.
At the all in I threw a dozen grains of corn onto 2+2 and a handful of pellets into each edge, I deliberately did not feed the tree as I wanted the fish in the open water swim and thought the fish would stay under the tree if I fed there(no reason to come out). Going out with a single grain of gelled corn the float buried straight away and fish number 1 was in the net, only around a pound but over the next hour I managed to land around 25 of them between a pound and two pound. All taken on the Pineapple Gel Corn. I have found that when it is like this, you need to fish them out and get to the better fish, if they come early then a big weight is on the cards but if not, they will arrive at some point in the match, just depends when. Hour two saw me continuing catching on the Gel, although I felt it was dying a little towards the end. Hour three, and Stinky Corn was catching fish of a slightly better stamp, but I was waiting longer for a bite. I was feeding regularly corn at 20 second intervals and varying the amount each time. However the float was dipping, strangely, as if they were liners, I shallowed up with various depths but still could not connect with a run of fish. Back to the bottom and I would catch a few but miss loads and talking to Charlie Lancaster after the match, he said the same. Strange. However I had around 100lb in my four nets and was ticking over.
Carl"Noddy" Williams on peg 2 was catching very well on paste, Charlie was getting a good few on peg 4 whilst Steve Dorks on 8 was also catching well on maggot. Terry was also catching a few on 16 but was bemoaning that they were small fish. Same problem I was having. Colin Spencer, complete with flip flops was emptying it on 17 fishing down the edge and Trevor Price who had abandoned his edges to fish long and up in the water was also getting a few on the maggot.
I felt I was doing ok, but needed bigger fish to compete. I could hear splashing around me and was matching them fish for fish but could not get the larger fish. Hour four and five, I came closer and snared a few 4lb fish but then again the 2lbers came in and frustrated me. It seemed the peg was stuffed with these fish and no matter how I fed or what depth I fished I could not get the missed bites to connect regularly enough. Sticking at it knowing I was going nowhere fast, I fished through to the all out.


Overall


1st Colin Spencer        441-12           Paste
2nd Carl Williams       399-04           Paste
3rd Trevor Price          374-03           Gelled Maggot
4th Steve Dorks          310-00            Maggot
5th Charlie Lancaster 303-05
6th Terry Lancaster    227-14
7th Keith Ashby         216-11


A frustrating day was had, I only lost two fish all day which was good news however those missed bites severely cost me. I had enough bites to compete, but that's fishing and not catching.
Also Colin was guilty of leaving his nets hanging on the platform. Only to return to find one in the water which he estimated had 100lb in. This net weighed 28lb. A lesson learnt. Luckily it did not cost him in the end.