There are a couple of weeks each year that I really enjoy, the first is a week away with the lads from Milton Keynes and surrounding areas, the other is the week with the Yam Yams. Both are really good week's. Due to the MK party splitting up and wanting to try somewhere different this year, only 3 from MK went. Derek, Vic and myself, however it would be a waste of space in the lodges if we did not fill them up, so we invited some of the Yams Yams for a sneaky practice.Along come Nobby, Dave and Steve O.
Vic arranged to pick me up on the Saturday morning, with a pre-arranged breakfast stop at Amesbury Services we would meet up with Del and travel the next hour together.
Arriving at the fishery we were met with some of the best weather we had seen for month's. Glorious sunshine had arrived. Both Del and I decided to just drop into a couple of pegs by the lodges. It was just a chance to get some gear out of the car whilst Vic went for a stroll around the lakes.It was slow going but you could hear the fish crashing around the edges on the far bank and suspected they were spawning. I set a line to fish 14m (around 3m short of the far bank) and an edge swim under a tree to me left.
I had a couple of skimmers on the far line and a single carp around 7lb down the edge before the rest of the party turned up. It had been 10 months since our last meeting and it was nice to have a chat, so was not really focussed on the fishing side of things so packed up and left Del to it. He also had a couple of skimmers midway across and a carp before breaking a topkit on a fish around 10lb.
Sunday
Sunday saw the start of the proper fishing and again the sun was out, along with every pleasure angler in the south west. We managed to secure some pegs on Spring Lake as the fishery was holding a league match on Campbell, Cary and Lodge lake. I found myself on Peg 6 in the corner with peg 7 out and Del on 5, Nobby on 8 Steve O on 9, Dave 10 and Vic on 11. I started off at 5m fishing corn and 6mm pellet catching around a dozen skimmers and odd rudd, before moving to the edge at around 7m. I hooked a good carp down this edge which beat me up, good and proper, smashing the rig to bits it the brambles and tree. 1-0 to the carp. Up to .18 and a size 14 PR38 and red hydro. When after around 10 minutes a mother and son decided it was the only peg on the lake left to fish and sat on peg 7. Not another bite. Their feed and casting was everywhere and on many occasions in my peg.After around 2 hours they were off. In the meantime I threw the bomb and pellet waggler for no bites. Back to the edge and I hooked another 3 carp, all of which were BIG fish (15lb+), each time it would take me into the tree and if I got them out they would go into the brambles. These fish knew where to go. 4-0 to the carp. Another pleasure angler then sat on the empty peg and that was my lot. Nobby won the knock up with 8 carp all down the edge fishing meat or 8mm banded pellet.
Monday
Monday saw us have our first proper day on Cary and we managed to get 6 pegs in a row, 96 to 101. I drew 97. There was less pressure on the lake as most people were back to work, so a good day was hoped for. Vic was on 101, Del 100, Nobby 99, Dave 98 and Steve on 96. I decided to fish the bomb at around 40m and 60m with the nearer line also being used for the pellet waggler. I was using a 2/3oz bomb with a 15" hooklength of .18 Stroft to a size 16 QM1 with a short hair and a banded Jupiter. Steve started catching well on the bomb and waggler lines before it died, Both Dave and I were struggling to get proper bites, I had a couple of foul hooked fish which came off half way back. Nobby was catching odd fish including one which took him round his platform and with the clutch set tight he was able to manoeuvre it out and into the landing net. Del had a couple of fish and had the fizzing on the top in front of him on the waggler line but could not hook anything over it. Vic was having a mare, hooking 9 fish only to land 4. Both Dave and I persisted with our approach and were rewarded with fish late on but was too far behind Steve and Nobby to compete in the knock up. Steve winning the day.
Tuesday
Tuesday saw us on the opposite bank and it was supposed to be fishing better than the previous day. I drew a good peg 77 with the fallen down tree to me left. This would be my main target area, but again I set up the bomb for the first hour. Steve drew 74, Nobby 78, Del 80, Dave 81 and Vic 85. Nobby got off to a flyer fishing the bomb, having 3 fish in the first 20 minutes fishing just past the aerator and the rest of us were playing catch up. Del had also got off to a good start with 2 carp on the bomb to the end of the spit. I had one on the bomb before looking at the pole line. Double corn accounted for a good carp around 15lb, which I thought would bring me level with Nobby. Another on the pole and I was in front. Steve was nicking odd fish but I could not see or hear Vic or Dave so did not know what they had. I was having to go closer and closer into the branches of the tree to get a bit, but only lost one fish in the snags today so was fairly comfortable with how I had fished. After a slow start, I had accumulated 8 fish, 7 on the pole and 1 on the bomb for 102lb, a match win and my first ton of the week. Del came second on the day with 89lb and even managed to recapture his top kit that popped off with a fish on, played the fish and landed it.
Wednesday
Wednesday we managed to secure a match on Campbell Lake. We were all hopeful of a good days fishing as it had not been fished since the Sunday. We decided to fish with 3 anglers each side to give ourselves some room. Om my bank I again had Nobby and Steve either side of me whilst on the far bank Vic was on 110 with Del on 112 and Dave on 114. I expected both Dave and Steve on end pegs to do really well whilst the rest would have a days fishing. I planned to fish a 5m line today with corn. It had worked in the past and I knew the others may not try it, so had it all to myself. I also set up a line down the edge as the fish can sometimes come inside early and if they do you can catch quickly there. Again I set the bomb up and would fish this for the first hour. I started on the bomb and had a couple of fish quite quickly before it died. A look at 5m saw a few skimmers and one odd carp so had a look down the edge for a couple of tench. Another chuck on the bomb line saw another carp. Back to 5m and this is how my match panned out. Rotating lines and spending around 20 minutes on each before switching. However, I got the feeding wrong on the 5m line and only worked it out late on. At the end I was cupping in feed and sitting on it. If I fed regularly either by hand or toss pot I was getting skimmers and tench but a big pot brought in the carp. Lesson learnt.Dave won the match with 179lb with Steve second on 178lb, Del had a net disqualified as he was 2oz over the 80lb limit which would have given him 160lb. I had 128lb, Vic 96lb but had a fish dropped back in which would have given him the ton, Nobby had struggled until late on when the fish moved into his edge peg.
Thursday Open Match
Thursday is the regular Open match at Viaduct and we were all hoping for a draw on Campbell. It was fishing well and with a few lessons learnt from the Wednesday we were hopeful of a good draw. This is were my luck stopped, Peg 85 on Cary Lake was to be my home. Vic was on 94 with the wind blowing in. Del was on 102 with Nobby on 80. Dave was just up from the previous day on 116 Campbell and Steve on 119 Campbell. I again set up a 5m line for the corn, with a plan to dump bait in and sit over it, A bomb line at 60m and a shorter line at 40m for both bomb and waggler. I also set a margin line at 11m to the old pallet to my right.At the all in, I cupped in my pole lines and started on the waggler, this was soon up the bank as the wind was making it a mare to fish, so onto the bomb line at 60m. After an hour I had my first carp of around 7lb. Another hour goes and his mate comes to the net. The wind had changed direction so gave the waggler another go and by fishing 2ft deep I snared another carp on this line. No more bites so a look on the pole lines, Nothing, not even a skimmer. Down the edge brought a couple of small tench but no carp. Back onto the waggler and another couple of carp before again the wind changed. No bites on the bomb so switched to the margin for the last 20 minutes. A solitary common around 15lb graced the net to give me 6 fish at the whistle. These weighed in 69-05 for nowhere in the match. Vic had done well catching 9 fish, 4 on the bomb and 5 down the edge for 110lb and 5th overall.There were 3 weights on Campbell over this and one on Cary from 78. Unfortunately, none from our lodge.
Friday
Back onto Cary for our final session of the week, with the pegs just moved up from the Monday to 95 to 100. I wanted to try to catch on the waggler today, the bomb fishing was not going too well and although the wind was blowing from my right to left and it would be hard to control, I needed the practice and you never know, it might even go. Just for a change I had Steve on end peg, myself on 96, Nobby next door, Vic on 98, Dave on 99 and Del on 100. I started on the bomb, this time with a lasso rig to enable double hookbaits and this saw my first fish in the net after around 15minutes. I had been fishing 60m and 40m lines and it was the longer of the two which brought the most indications, either small plucks on the tip or liners, at least there was fish in the peg. A couple of skimmers to 2lb followed with were placed back but no other carp. Time for a look an the waggler. After around 10 minutes I was into my second fish of the day. Nobby had a couple of fish on the bomb, whilst Steve was picking up odd fish by fishing bomb or pole shallow. Dave and Vic were both picking up odd fish on the bomb. Del was busy catching silvers. By switching between bomb and waggler I nicked a eight fish throughout the day to finish with 78-05. Dave won with 103lb, Vic had 79-05 to do me by a pound. Nobby 55lb with a couple of 5m paste fish. However Steve had caught 79-15 to come second which included 5lb of silvers. I knew I should have weighed in my silvers, they would have given me 2nd overall. Another lesson learned.
Overall
What a great week, the fishing was not too prolific and you had to work for your fish. The company was excellent, again with a new friend made in Steve. It always amazes me the you make friends with people from all walks of life and that should never be underestimated. The nightlife was again spot on with some really good food in the Unicorn, before back for a dabble on the poker table, I even managed to win a hand. Steve and the team at Viaduct make your stay very welcoming and with a new lodge built and planned to open in June, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Just a shame I will have to wait another 6 weeks before doing it all again with the Yam Yam Festival.
No comments:
Post a Comment