Obviously throughout such a long period of time things have changed, but the sense of camaraderie exists for us all. This year we had friends coming from as far away as Holland, Tiverton, Hemel Hempstead as well as Milton Keynes. Unfortunately planning so far in advance we could not all agree on the exact date as it needed to coincide with other things going on in our lives. But a date was set and this was the 7th June. Venue was to be Todber Manor fisheries near Shaftsbury, North Dorset. A mix of specimen fishing with big carp and catfish, as well as three prolific match lakes. Todber Manor has received some great reviews via social media with regular big weights from the matches and lots of good sized carp from the Specimen lakes. There are, in total around 9 lakes. 4 5 on site including a 6 peg snatch pond, ideal for beginners. A lake over the road from the complex with fish to 26lb, a couple of specimen lakes and the original Whitepost Lakes a couple of miles away.
The bonus is the accommodation is on site and this helps when planning the fishing between us. We had booked the Barn, capable of sleeping twelve people we settled on having only eight anglers as that way no one would be sharing a bed.We are friends but not that close.
Friday 7th June
My day started with an alarm clock set for 0430, I was going to travel down on my own as only three of us would make the agreed breakfast stop at Solstice Park Harvester near Amesbury, I was planning to leave around 0600 but after having a couple of cups of tea, putting the rubbish out for the bin men, loading the car with food for the week, too much fishing tackle just in case and the excitement of a week away. By 0530 I was off and making good strides past Buckingham, Bicester, Oxford and Andover. I was soon pulling into the Harvester, to be met by Derek, A good friend from Hemel who had the same idea of missing the traffic. By now it was raining and this was to be the scene for the rest of the week, rain, rain and a bit more rain. Flood warnings were issued for the local area around Todber and puddles never seemed to disappear. Pete had arrived from Tiverton for breakfast, driving past Todber Manor to get fed and watered.
With food out of the way, we drove the 40 minute journey to Todber Manor. First impressions always count and I was impressed with the layout of the buildings, with cottages of different sizes to accommodate different group sizes, a large tackle shop catering for all the well known brands and styles of fishing. Everything you needed in one place. A large car park with external toilet block with showers and washing machine facilities. The lakes on site were up a slight hill but a road takes you there, and with ample parking behind most pegs.
We booked in at the tackle shop and was asked to come back later as the Barn was not ready, we expected this so had a days pleasure fishing on Hillview Lake, each of us doing something different. Pete fishing expanders and bits of paste, Derek fishing the tip and pellet waggler to the island in front of him whilst I had a go shallow and down the margins. We all caught well, with the average carp going 2.5lb on pellets being the main catch. Good skimmers and roach were intercepting baits on the drop and it was easy to see why such large weights of silvers were to be had.
Darren had arrived from Holland via Harwich and after meeting up was getting used to fishing English style and getting the odd fish on the tip. Kris was the last to arrive and after a chat with cousin Darren and the rest of us decided on not fishing. Instead getting the key to the Barn and sorting out the sleeping arrangements.
I must admit the accommodation lived up to expectation, clean, tidy and well decorated with all mod cons and plenty of room.
So now we were up to five, kit all sorted and with a pub a few miles away it would be rude not to go out for a meal and a couple of pints. Troy and Mick would arrive on the Saturday, with Vic coming down on the Monday for a few days.
Saturday 8th June
Saturday saw Derek, Pete and myself fish the open on Hillview and Ash Lake, whilst Darren and Kris went off to see Whitepost lakes off site. The draw was held opposite the Barn so we were able to pay our monies and then have a cup of tea in our own "home".. The pegs we drew in all honesty meant nothing to us, it was a case of see how it goes. The wind had got up and it was blowing a gale into the pegs 40 to 43 on Hillview, where we practised the day before. I had drawn peg 44 with the wind coming from right to left and it was strong. It was also raining. I did not have an island chuck either. It would be a case of short pole and the edges. Derek had drawn 61 on the same lake but could fish the pellet feeder to the island and had a couple of decent looking edges. Pete was on a different lake, Ash and was in the middle of the lake peg 67. This was a snake type lake approximately 25m across.
I set up to fish top two plus two and had a .75g rig and a 1g rig set up. Both seemed under-gunned for what I need as the wind and tow was just blowing it through the peg, holding them back and going over-depth allowed a modicum of presentation. I also set up a couple of edge rigs but felt I could not reach the area I wanted to fish and had to fish shorter than I wanted.
The guy next to me stated it was not a good area to be in when the wind was so strong, he expected 43 to do well but not mine. I started off fishing the .75g rig 3 inches over-depth with a strung out shot in the last 2ft of water, Pellet on the hook and feeding 4mm sinkers, first mistake, I had approximately 4ft of water in front of me and the rig was still pushing through, I foul hooked my first two fish after 20 minutes, a skimmer around a pound meant I had my first match fish at Todber and this was soon followed by a couple of stamp carp around 2.5lb each. These had come from the bottom of the peg and I soon realised I was feeding some 8ft away and the wind was dragging the feed away from where I thought it was going. I switched to feeding 6mms instead of 4mms and the bites were coming further up the peg. However due to the wind I was struggling, Fishing the 1g rig helped a lot as the wind got even stronger, with a run of stamp fish and the odd silver showing. All fish taken on 6mm or 8mm pellet. I had nothing in the edges. At the weigh in I had 44lb for nowhere but I learnt a lot and although wet the Halkon Hunt clothing I bought stood up to the test well and I was completely dry inside.
Pete had enjoyed himself on Ash catching carp across on the tip and a few silvers on shorter pole lines for 69lb. Derek fished the tip to the island nearly all day with just odd looks down the edge for 110lb, again for nowhere in the match. Peg 75 on Ash won the match with 215lb and there were plenty of 100lb weights across both lakes.
Darren and Kris had fished Whitepost lakes and caught well, although they did say it was only shallow and it took a while for the fish to arrive. Troy had met up with them and now our numbers were up to 6. We went out for a meal at a different pub and a few pints before Mick arrived in the evening.
Sunday 9th June
Seven anglers and a knock up on Homeground Lake was arranged between us. The staff at Todber had agreed we could use keepnets and let us have the back bank. When we arrived there was a slight breeze blowing out of the pegs and over our shoulders, there was still a hint of rain in the air but whilst tackling up it managed to hold off. For company I had Pete on one side and Derek the other, Kris was in the middle with Troy, Mick and Darren furthest away.
Homeground has a good mix of carp and silvers with bream to 10lb plus. I set up to fish 11m allowing to go further if they backed off a bit. A line at 2+2 where there was a slight depression to the right hand side of the peg. a line at the end of my keepnet and a left hand margin swim. Bait would be pellet or corn but this time I would fish groundbait on my long pole lines. I started off fishing long at 11m with a 8mm pellet and a couple of quick stamp fish were soon in the onion sack. I started pinging a few 4mms over the top of the groundbait and tried my margin rig over the top and had another couple of fish on a 6mm pellet but the 8mm bottom attack seemed to be better.A look on the 2+2 line saw a few silvers coming but I would catch a few then carp would show up, Apparently Mick was catching one a chuck (no surprise there) but there was a separate silver pool to have a go at. I was now fishing at the end of my keepnets with an expander on the hook. I started catching a few small skimmers and then had a couple of 3lb bream, again the carp showed up and spoilt things. I could see both Pete fishing the edges and Derek switching between bomb and waggler catching well, but felt I was just in front of Pete but behind Derek Troy was catching well on the pellet waggler.
I had a go in the margins for a double figure carp but could not get into a rhythm of catching. It was always a couple of fish, move, couple of fish etc. At the end I had 76lb overall and shared the silver fish pool with Derek. Both of us having 20lb exactly of silver, whilst Pete missed out with 19lb 8oz. Mick won the knock up with 135lb and take another nugget off me. Both Troy and Derek had broken the 100lb mark for the day.
We had booked into the Crown pub for a carvery and a few pints, excellent food and company. Oh and it rained but the wind was a lot less.
Monday 10th June
Another knock up, this time on Hillview Lake. We were able to get onto the spit, this was where a lot of good weights came from on the open, the previous Saturday. Pete drew 43, Darren 44,Kris 46, Me 48, Troy 49 behind me, Mick 51 and Derek 53. All good pegs with a gap between them. Vic was arriving at some point and could fish wherever he wished between us. The weather was set for some heavy showers and little wind so would not be too bad. The HH clothing was standing up well to the constant deluges. My peg consisted of a bank of reeds stretching out to 11m before turning round the end of the spit. I planned to fish open water to start with before fishing two parts of the edge at 11m and 5m, corn on the short line with pellet long. The open water was again 11m and 5m with pellet and corn but the depth was quite different. I had 5ft at 11m and only 3ft at 5m. Kris next door got off to a flyer and I felt completely out of it, disorganised and not ready. I decided to take 5 minutes out and sort out my gear without fishing. Correctly placing rollers, keepnets and other items of tackle left me feeling in the correct frame of mind. Once this was done I was ready, it was early in the match and Kris was 10-1 up at one point, slowly I started pulling him back, fishing the long pellet line for the first three hours, I was soon back in it. Vic had arrived and had settled in between Derek and Mick who were both catching well, although as they were behind me I could not see the size of fish and likewise. I only fed these edge lines when bites slowed, but managed better fish to 8lb on the short 5m edge line on corn, but again as on previous days, you would only get a couple of fish and then need to move. At the all out I managed 160lb for the win, with Mick, Derek and Kris all having over a ton.
Darren won the Silvers pool. I also managed to win back the MK Nugget from Mick
With another person on board we decided on a meal out at the Crown and a few pints to celebrate the win.
Tuesday 11th June
Tuesday was a bit of a pleasure day, nothing planned but we were hoping for a session on Homeground again, chasing the double figure bream. However it was not to be, a match was booked on it and this left us with Ash or travel off site. Darren, Troy and Kris were having a family day on one of the specimen lakes. This left Mick, Derek, Pete, Vic and I on Ash lake. To be honest I just parked the car along the strip pond and settled into the nearest peg, 66. It was blowing a gale down the lake towards the end pegs where Vic and Derek had settled into. Mick had gone to the extreme other end and the sheltered flat calm water of peg 75.Pete had settled into peg 69 and whilst tackling up, his umbrella blew inside out, the heavens opened and he knew it was not meant to be, packed up and went back to the Barn and called it a day.
My peg would allow me to only fish 7m and it was deep, a good 5ft. I also could fish a 4m line and this is where I started, catching a few skimmers to start with on pellets or expanders. Carp soon moved in and with fish to around 5lb, they were good weight builders. I was feeding around 8 to 12 pellets every put in and this seemed to be working. I fed 3 balls of groundbait to 7m and fish corn over the top for a lot of small tench to a pound, strangely enough no carp.
Vic had had enough and decided on calling it a day after a few hours, not before reversing his car into Derek's when it was probably easier to drive forward. Mick was catching well on the end peg trying out different things. Derek was also in fine form fishing corn regularly and catching skimmers and tench up in the water and carp on the deck.
After a couple of hours and 60lb plus on the clicker I was done and cut short the session. A John Wayne cowboy fest was beckoning on the telly. And this left two on the lake, Mick was not far behind me, but Derek stayed on for a few more hours, still catching on the corn. Troy had managed to catch a 15lb carp from the Specimen lake, but there day was about catching up and reminiscing about times gone past.
Two steaks for £12 beckoned in the pub along with a couple of pints rounded off a good day where everything got soaked or blown around the peg.
Wednesday 12th June
Four of us were booked onto the open on the Wednesday, we were pools fodder for the locals,we knew that, but every day is different and if you can draw well, you have a chance. We all managed good pegs at the draw. Pete end peg on Ash 75, which won the previous Saturday match, Me 43, section winner on the same match, Derek 46 a 100lb weight from it during the same match and Vic 48 where I had 160lb from a couple of days earlier. The other four went off to Whitepost lakes again.
I was a little fortunate that on the Saturday open I was able to see how the section was won from my peg, the guy started off 2+2, probably due to the wind on the day. Coming closer as the day wore on and fishing the edges. So in the spirit of copying him, I set up the same. My only slight change was to start off at 3 sections for a couple of quick fish before they drifted out. a few more at 2+2 before it went quiet. The guy on peg 42 was chucking a pellet feeder to the island (I did not have that option). The young lad on peg 44, my peg from the Saturday was getting a fish a chuck fishing long into the corner. I had a few fish fishing the edge before I started foul hooking a lot of carp. I tried the edges short but could only get a bite at 11m on corn.
I was well and truly battered and my weight of 110lb was one of numerous "must try harder" weights on the lake. Peg 42 weighed 223lb to win the match, 50 fish on the pellet feeder before coming down his edge for a few fish late on. Peg 44 was second with 197lb all caught down the edge long. Vic had 153lb to win the section with Derek close by with 148lb. Pete had struggled on Ash lake for 60lb.
Troy Darren and Mick had all caught well at Whitepost and if we go back to Todber again it is definitely worth a visit. Kris needed to get home so fished a couple of hours and returned in the afternoon.
A take away and a few pints in the Barn was the general order of the day.
Thursday 13th June
Last days fishing for me, a long drive after fishing is alright if you have someone sat next to you, but when you are on your own anything can happen. Tiredness can kill. Derek Pete and I planned a silvers knock up on Homeground. The fishing was that enjoyable on the previous match that we decided carp do not count.
It was a rover on one bank and Derek and Pete both selected the end pegs 76 and 82. I went into 77 as it was near the car. Mick had decided to fish Firs lake, a small 6 peg lake rumoured to hold some good perch. Vic had driven home as he was having windows installed on the Friday and he needed to get everything ready. Darren and Troy needed to buy presents for family members and again spend some bonding time.
I set up to fish 2 plus 2 with corn over groundbait, Pellet at the end of my nets and my right hand edge where I fed heavily with groundbait. Starting off I had a couple of small 5oz skimmers fishing a size 18 hook to .13 hook length before a carp smashed me up. A new hook length .15 and another carp landed this time. Out to 2+2 and a few small tench on corn before I saw a tail in the margin.
A few minutes later a 4lb bream was in the net from the right hand edge. Another followed after another 10 minutes before it went quiet. Back to the short keepnet line and the same thing happened, a couple of small silvers then carp. Out to 2+2 again and small tench. By rotating each line i was able to keep fish coming. Carp were most definitely an issue though, I would catch a couple of silvers then carp would be caught. I was not clicking fish or weight but both Pete and Derek were. Pete ending up with 62 carp and 28lb of silvers.
Me 28lb of silvers and lots of carp but the star on the day was Derek with 235lb of carp and 49lb of silvers. We all missed out on the 10lb plus bream but hopefully it will be there when we go back.
Mick had a really enjoyable day culminating in him catching a small kitten on the pole.
Again like us he missed out on the big perch but tomorrow's another day..
Overall impressions of the holiday
I must say a big thank you to all the staff at Todber Manor Fisheries, nothing was too much trouble. The accommodation was superb for our needs and excellent in every manner. The fishing is spot on, a perfect mixture from beginners to the more serious match angler or specimen hunter, it caters for everyone.The only downside is the wind but they are planting trees to combat that for the future, so it goes to show this is a long term venture. Great vision and a lot of thought has gone into the layout of the lakes and surrounding lands.
Our friendships have been forged for many a year and these holidays cement them even further, we all have different stresses in life and its important every now and again to take time out from them.
Me and Mick have won a match each so the tally is 7-3 to Mick.
As I write this, my gear is drying out in the garden and I have been informed I am a Grandad again. Welcome to the world Emily Grace weighing in at 8lb 1oz. Mother, Son and Granddaughter all doing well.
I started on COPD Herbal treatment from Ultimate Life Clinic, the treatment worked incredibly for my lungs condition. I used the herbal treatment for almost 4 months, it reversed my COPD. My severe shortness of breath, dry cough, chest tightness gradually disappeared. Reach Ultimate Life Clinic via their website at www.ultimatelifeclinic.com I can breath much better and It feels comfortable!
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