First of all I need to apologise to Mick for not covering last weeks match on the blog. However you do not have a lot to write about when you have 2 bites all match, one from a skimmer that came off half way back and the other from a crayfish that do not count. So a blank for me and 19lb for Mick from Peg 6 was enough for Mick to take a 2-0 lead in the MK Nugget stakes.
So onto today's match, a change of lake and hopefully a change of luck. Pines Lake has been a bit patchy during the lead up to this match but with some sensible pegging, everyone was hopeful of a few fish. Mick had drawn his usual flyer, Peg 5 whilst I was happy with Peg 22 on the dam wall. I had not fished the lake for a good 6 months, so set up a maggot feeder and waggler rod to fish past the pole line. A 12.5m rig fishing deep with pellet. A rig for top 4 and a margin rig with a longer than normal length of line above the float. I had a change of depth at top 6 at an angle.
After feeding my pole lines I started on the waggler with a 6mm pellet and after 15 minutes for no bites I switched over to the maggot feeder over the same line. Another 15 minutes passed and I was having visions of the previous fortnight. I could see Mick and he had already had a carp first chuck on the maggot feeder and was playing his second.Trevor Price had one, but apart from that it was quiet.
Out to 12.5m and nothing on pellet, a switch to maggot and nothing. A look to top four and I did not expect a bite but it dipped and fish number 1 was on. Nothing else followed so I decided to fish the top 6 line at an angle. After 5 minutes I had another fish in the net. A quiet spell followed so I shortened the rig and went to 12.5m down the edge. A small common around 1.5lb came but yet again nothing, I could not string two fish together. I decided to re- feed and went back out on the waggler and maggot feeders for 1/2hr to give the lines some rest. Back in on the pole lines I managed to sneak another couple of fish, however I was having to wait for bites. A good spell around the 4th hour saw a few more fish grace the net, but everyone else was catching now. Charlie and Mick were getting one a chuck, Charlie down the edge and top four and Mick on the maggot feeder. Del was nicking a few on the pole as was Jim Stubbings and I felt I was getting overtaken. A couple more fish towards the end of the match boosted my weight.
Overall
1st Charlie Lancaster 96lb 2oz
2nd Mick Wright 88lb 14oz
3rd Derek Smith 67lb 4oz
4th Trevor Price 66lb 4oz
5th Jim Stubbings 55lb 10oz
6th Keith Ashby 51lb 4oz
Well it was not to be today but at least the float went under, Mick has taken a 3-0 lead and is fishing well, hopefully I can pull it back went the Marsh matches start in April.
Tuesday 21 February 2017
Wednesday 8 February 2017
Drennan Alders Farm Ash Lake 07 02 17
It seems an absolute age since I wrote anything about fishing. I have not ventured out apart from a couple of pleasure days in good company. I suppose the lead up to Christmas was always going to be frantic at work, coupled with the frozen lakes afterwards just put paid to any thoughts of wetting a line. However the shakes had set in, and I was looking forward to getting out, even if I had done no preparation.
I had booked into the Tuesday Open at Alders Farm and could not wait. Mick had agreed to resume battle again for the thrashing he was given last season and the MK Nugget was back on for another year.
Having only seen the results on various forums, I was a little unsure on how it was really fishing. I fancied a peg with some depth, so anywhere from peg 6 to 21 would be good. A chat with Trevor Price saw me stocking up with some fishery micros, maggots and 4mm fishery pellets. I had come prepared to fish the pole, leaving behind the rods, mistake number 1. If nothing else, I should have taken them. Once on the bank I think everyone else had either a waggler or feeder rod set up.
After a cup of tea it was time to draw, Peg 3 stuck to Micks mitt, still manages to draw a flyer, even after such a long lay off. Whereas I was left pondering whether I should have left it another week when peg 16 was pulled out of the box.
Peg 16 can be a good peg on its day, but will not compete with the other pegs on the dam wall and with a 79lb weight coming from peg 11 on the Sunday Open, I was not too hopeful walking to the peg.
Having plenty of time to tackle up, I set up a rig for 2+2. A .3g DT Diamond with a size 16 B911 F1 hook to .16 line. I never thought I would catch on this but it was a back up line.
I also set up a .4 DT Diamond for fishing at 11m where it was a bit deeper than at 12.5m. Again a B911 F1 to .16 line. Mistake number 2. My third rig was a standard margin rig for fishing corn or maggot down the edge.
At the all in I cupped in a small pot of micros with a few 4mms mixed in on all the lines and fed a pot of maggot down the edge. I started at out at 11m and after ten minutes the float dipped and white hydro was controlling a nice plump 3 1/2lb carp to the waiting net. Despite changing baits and trying further out I could not buy a bite and after 45 minutes biteless I switched to the 2+2 line, more in desperation than anything else. Thirty minutes on this saw no bites. A look down the edge and again nothing.
Back out to 11m and a switch to double maggot saw another carp end up in the bag. 2 hours in and two bites, things were not going well. But a 100% completion rate. A positive.
The light was now playing havoc, I was struggling to see my float in the ripple and I seemed to be fishing further away from the feed area. Bite number three came in the fourth hour, this time on a 6mm pellet.
I realised that the float was moving slightly from left to right, only a little but enough, I added another few inches to the rig and held it still, bang a bite and a lost fish, next put in a liner. Was that where it was all going wrong? Mistake number 2 was not fishing a heavy enough float on the day. I think with a heavier float I would not have needed to go over depth and perhaps would have caught more. Lesson learnt.
Fish number 4 came right on the whistle and another pristine winter carp.
My weight of 14lb 4oz was never going to trouble the leaderboard, but I was happy to have just got out and done a bit of fishing. Learnt a bit more.Mick had also struggled and managed just 6 fish for 19lb to take an early lead in the MK Nugget Challenge.
Overall
1st Trevor Price 83lb Peg 2
2nd Graham West 71lb Peg 20
3rd Lee Newsom 69lb Peg 4
So mistake number one, not taking a rod with me. Nearly everyone had a couple of fish on the feeder or waggler. I may or may not have done but was definitely not when they are in the house.
I had booked into the Tuesday Open at Alders Farm and could not wait. Mick had agreed to resume battle again for the thrashing he was given last season and the MK Nugget was back on for another year.
Having only seen the results on various forums, I was a little unsure on how it was really fishing. I fancied a peg with some depth, so anywhere from peg 6 to 21 would be good. A chat with Trevor Price saw me stocking up with some fishery micros, maggots and 4mm fishery pellets. I had come prepared to fish the pole, leaving behind the rods, mistake number 1. If nothing else, I should have taken them. Once on the bank I think everyone else had either a waggler or feeder rod set up.
After a cup of tea it was time to draw, Peg 3 stuck to Micks mitt, still manages to draw a flyer, even after such a long lay off. Whereas I was left pondering whether I should have left it another week when peg 16 was pulled out of the box.
Peg 16 can be a good peg on its day, but will not compete with the other pegs on the dam wall and with a 79lb weight coming from peg 11 on the Sunday Open, I was not too hopeful walking to the peg.
Having plenty of time to tackle up, I set up a rig for 2+2. A .3g DT Diamond with a size 16 B911 F1 hook to .16 line. I never thought I would catch on this but it was a back up line.
I also set up a .4 DT Diamond for fishing at 11m where it was a bit deeper than at 12.5m. Again a B911 F1 to .16 line. Mistake number 2. My third rig was a standard margin rig for fishing corn or maggot down the edge.
At the all in I cupped in a small pot of micros with a few 4mms mixed in on all the lines and fed a pot of maggot down the edge. I started at out at 11m and after ten minutes the float dipped and white hydro was controlling a nice plump 3 1/2lb carp to the waiting net. Despite changing baits and trying further out I could not buy a bite and after 45 minutes biteless I switched to the 2+2 line, more in desperation than anything else. Thirty minutes on this saw no bites. A look down the edge and again nothing.
Back out to 11m and a switch to double maggot saw another carp end up in the bag. 2 hours in and two bites, things were not going well. But a 100% completion rate. A positive.
The light was now playing havoc, I was struggling to see my float in the ripple and I seemed to be fishing further away from the feed area. Bite number three came in the fourth hour, this time on a 6mm pellet.
I realised that the float was moving slightly from left to right, only a little but enough, I added another few inches to the rig and held it still, bang a bite and a lost fish, next put in a liner. Was that where it was all going wrong? Mistake number 2 was not fishing a heavy enough float on the day. I think with a heavier float I would not have needed to go over depth and perhaps would have caught more. Lesson learnt.
Fish number 4 came right on the whistle and another pristine winter carp.
My weight of 14lb 4oz was never going to trouble the leaderboard, but I was happy to have just got out and done a bit of fishing. Learnt a bit more.Mick had also struggled and managed just 6 fish for 19lb to take an early lead in the MK Nugget Challenge.
Overall
1st Trevor Price 83lb Peg 2
2nd Graham West 71lb Peg 20
3rd Lee Newsom 69lb Peg 4
So mistake number one, not taking a rod with me. Nearly everyone had a couple of fish on the feeder or waggler. I may or may not have done but was definitely not when they are in the house.
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