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Friday 28 August 2009
Greenhills Farm – Stevens Tackle Club Match
17 Fishing
Me, my bro, Shaun, Phil, James, Steve and Gary all managed to get on this match on the old lake as Shaun from the shop had low numbers. After stopping off at moorlands for a breakfast and having a good old look through a porno we went in for the draw, James drew peg 1 (FLIER) Shaun was on 14 (FLIER) Josh was on 4 (FLIER) Phil on 5 (FLIER) Steve was on 17… and I was on 11 with Gaz on 16.
My plan was to fish shallow at 11m but getting to my peg I had a bush to my left which I guessed would be my main catching zone. The only problem was Shunter on 10 was quite close to me and if we both started feeding the bush heavy we would split the fish.
My rigs for shallow were 0.1 Grizzlys on 0.20 to 0.18 Silstar with number 2 175 hooks. My rig for ‘the bush’ was a 0.2 Wilkie Power diamond as it was about 4 feet as tight as I could get. This was a real snag pit so I used 0.22 Silstar straight through to a number 4 175 hook. My bait was 2 pints of castors and 5 tins of corn (MISTAKE 1!!!).
At the all in I threw 2 handfuls of corn in the bush peg (you can’t use pole pots at Greenhills) and pinged some castors at 11m. I went out with double castor on the deeper of the 2 shallow rigs. The fish were just swimming into the bait and then out again they really didn’t want to feed. I changed to my shallowest rig and set it to 8 inches. I flicked it in a few times and then hooked a roach. After 2 hours I had hardly anything, Shaun was bagging and so was James, from the other end of the lake. I tried my bush swim that I had been feeding regular and had a carp about 5lb followed by a roach on double corn! Back to shallow and mugging the odd carp. My dad had now come down and sat behind me watching me catch f*** all! I decided it was all or bust so I tightened up my elastic and threw in a load of corn and castor in the edge, after 5 minutes I was into fish in the bush. With an hour and a half to go I still thought it was possible to do a ton, I had 2 fish in a minute at one stage and my little bro even timed that I caught a fish after 8 seconds! It was solid but as I was feeding very positive I was quickly running out of bait, I nicked some more castors from Josh and continued to bag, I had one really big fish about 8lb that I had in the net after 30 seconds from a snag pit! Shunter was now fishing the bush the same as me and catching a few fish and applying feeding heavy the same as me. Come the last half an hour I had no bait and didn’t put another fish in the net.
Shaun won with 115lb, James took 3rd with 100lb, my bro took his section with 87lb and I won my section with 76lb. Out of 6 prizes our lads had done well! I should have more bait, I wont be making that mistake next time I’m there!
Me, my bro, Shaun, Phil, James, Steve and Gary all managed to get on this match on the old lake as Shaun from the shop had low numbers. After stopping off at moorlands for a breakfast and having a good old look through a porno we went in for the draw, James drew peg 1 (FLIER) Shaun was on 14 (FLIER) Josh was on 4 (FLIER) Phil on 5 (FLIER) Steve was on 17… and I was on 11 with Gaz on 16.
My plan was to fish shallow at 11m but getting to my peg I had a bush to my left which I guessed would be my main catching zone. The only problem was Shunter on 10 was quite close to me and if we both started feeding the bush heavy we would split the fish.
My rigs for shallow were 0.1 Grizzlys on 0.20 to 0.18 Silstar with number 2 175 hooks. My rig for ‘the bush’ was a 0.2 Wilkie Power diamond as it was about 4 feet as tight as I could get. This was a real snag pit so I used 0.22 Silstar straight through to a number 4 175 hook. My bait was 2 pints of castors and 5 tins of corn (MISTAKE 1!!!).
At the all in I threw 2 handfuls of corn in the bush peg (you can’t use pole pots at Greenhills) and pinged some castors at 11m. I went out with double castor on the deeper of the 2 shallow rigs. The fish were just swimming into the bait and then out again they really didn’t want to feed. I changed to my shallowest rig and set it to 8 inches. I flicked it in a few times and then hooked a roach. After 2 hours I had hardly anything, Shaun was bagging and so was James, from the other end of the lake. I tried my bush swim that I had been feeding regular and had a carp about 5lb followed by a roach on double corn! Back to shallow and mugging the odd carp. My dad had now come down and sat behind me watching me catch f*** all! I decided it was all or bust so I tightened up my elastic and threw in a load of corn and castor in the edge, after 5 minutes I was into fish in the bush. With an hour and a half to go I still thought it was possible to do a ton, I had 2 fish in a minute at one stage and my little bro even timed that I caught a fish after 8 seconds! It was solid but as I was feeding very positive I was quickly running out of bait, I nicked some more castors from Josh and continued to bag, I had one really big fish about 8lb that I had in the net after 30 seconds from a snag pit! Shunter was now fishing the bush the same as me and catching a few fish and applying feeding heavy the same as me. Come the last half an hour I had no bait and didn’t put another fish in the net.
Shaun won with 115lb, James took 3rd with 100lb, my bro took his section with 87lb and I won my section with 76lb. Out of 6 prizes our lads had done well! I should have more bait, I wont be making that mistake next time I’m there!
Moorlands Farm Night Match 9/8/2009
15 pegs
After a nice result the previous day I decided to get on the moorlands match as I thought it might fish ok and I was in some form. After arriving at the fishery I noticed that it was on Meadow Lake which I hated but being a night match it should still fish. I drew 54 which I thought was a decent peg and was quite pleased with it. I elected to fish 4 metres out with pellet and down either edge. I set up just 3 top kits my first one for fishing 4 metres on the deck with pellet, it incorporated a MW pellet on 0.18 to an 0.16 hook length Silstar and a number 3 Tubertini 175. Down the edge I had 2 Ackoo margin floats set up on 0.20 and number 3 175’s all rigs were on double number 8 elastic.
At the all in I fed a full cup on pellet and corn in both edges and half a cup of pellet at 4 metres. I dropped in my pellet and had a roach after seconds. I swapped from feeding softened 4mm’s to feeding 6mm’s and after 20 minutes I had a bream about 4lb I then re-fed about 50 6mm pellets and then after 10 minutes of waiting I had a carp about 5lb in the net. Nothing was showing down the margins at all. And 2 hours in I only had 2 fish. Finally my float buried at 4m and a bream flew out the water and back in, as it went back in my number 4 just snapped in half. I managed to hold the bream on a tiny piece of carbon to keep my top kit. I was really annoyed now and just concentrated on my edge. I lashed in a load of corn and saw some swirls, I dropped in some double corn and hooked a fish in an instant about 12lb but that was it…Gutted. I packed up and went home! 89lb won from the middle of the lake.
After a nice result the previous day I decided to get on the moorlands match as I thought it might fish ok and I was in some form. After arriving at the fishery I noticed that it was on Meadow Lake which I hated but being a night match it should still fish. I drew 54 which I thought was a decent peg and was quite pleased with it. I elected to fish 4 metres out with pellet and down either edge. I set up just 3 top kits my first one for fishing 4 metres on the deck with pellet, it incorporated a MW pellet on 0.18 to an 0.16 hook length Silstar and a number 3 Tubertini 175. Down the edge I had 2 Ackoo margin floats set up on 0.20 and number 3 175’s all rigs were on double number 8 elastic.
At the all in I fed a full cup on pellet and corn in both edges and half a cup of pellet at 4 metres. I dropped in my pellet and had a roach after seconds. I swapped from feeding softened 4mm’s to feeding 6mm’s and after 20 minutes I had a bream about 4lb I then re-fed about 50 6mm pellets and then after 10 minutes of waiting I had a carp about 5lb in the net. Nothing was showing down the margins at all. And 2 hours in I only had 2 fish. Finally my float buried at 4m and a bream flew out the water and back in, as it went back in my number 4 just snapped in half. I managed to hold the bream on a tiny piece of carbon to keep my top kit. I was really annoyed now and just concentrated on my edge. I lashed in a load of corn and saw some swirls, I dropped in some double corn and hooked a fish in an instant about 12lb but that was it…Gutted. I packed up and went home! 89lb won from the middle of the lake.
Hillview Lakes – 8/8/2009
21 anglers turned up to this one with a lot of new faces, which is always good to see. The big weights from previous matches was obviously attracting more and more anglers. It was a red hot day and I didn’t think it would be a mad bagging day as the carp were all on the top. After a mahooosive breakfast I was at the front of the queue for the draw… peg 17. Smack on the money! I wanted to be on this bank as I was planning fishing past close in on my top 2.
Arriving at my peg it looked perfect for fishing shallow… so I set up loads of rigs to cover everything. 2 rigs for shallow, 1 2 foot deep and 1, 1 foot deep both Malman Thickos 4x10 on 0.16 Silstar with 0.14 hook lengths attaching a hair rigged bait band and a size 16 animal hook. These rigs were on double number 6. I then got 2 identical rigs set up for paste on my top 2, 0.20 Silstar straight through to a size 12 PR36 and Ackoo self cocking paste floats. My last 2 rigs were for down the edges left and right with the same depth. These were also on 0.20 straight through, Ackoo margin float, and a number 3 Tubertini 175. I set up a lot of duplicates just in case I am really bagging a fish a chuck and have a break I can just drop right back in and not lose any rhythm. I have done this more so lately at Hillview as I know soon the record of 280 odd is going to tumble so I want to be prepared just in case I’m the lucky one to be on all those fish!
Back to the match, I had fed a cup of pellet on my top 2 line and fed both edges with a full pot of corn and pellet, I was also throwing some 6mm on my shallow line about 7m. After an hour on the paste I had one lump about 6lb and a skimmer about 1lb. It was tough and no one seemed to be catching much. The amount I was foul hooking was a joke so I quickly got a double pollyball rig out to try it shallow, first drop in I had a carp around the 5lb mark but that was that. I fed it, and my margins and went shallow.
Slap, slap, slap and my pole was yanked from my hands, the regular feeding in the first hour had made it rigid with fish and as I hooked one the surface exploded with fish. I netted a carp and threw about 5 6mm’s in straight away, a few more as I half shipped out, then, slap, slap, slap and again I was into yet another fish. I soon saw almost everyone around the lake go shallow. Steve and Phil on the next pegs went 13m but just couldn’t compete with how fast I was catching at just 7m and I didn’t even need to chase the fish out. I bagged a fish a chuck for the rest of the match between 1 foot and 6 inches deep. I went on to win with 115lb and 2nd place having 90 odd. Result.
Arriving at my peg it looked perfect for fishing shallow… so I set up loads of rigs to cover everything. 2 rigs for shallow, 1 2 foot deep and 1, 1 foot deep both Malman Thickos 4x10 on 0.16 Silstar with 0.14 hook lengths attaching a hair rigged bait band and a size 16 animal hook. These rigs were on double number 6. I then got 2 identical rigs set up for paste on my top 2, 0.20 Silstar straight through to a size 12 PR36 and Ackoo self cocking paste floats. My last 2 rigs were for down the edges left and right with the same depth. These were also on 0.20 straight through, Ackoo margin float, and a number 3 Tubertini 175. I set up a lot of duplicates just in case I am really bagging a fish a chuck and have a break I can just drop right back in and not lose any rhythm. I have done this more so lately at Hillview as I know soon the record of 280 odd is going to tumble so I want to be prepared just in case I’m the lucky one to be on all those fish!
Back to the match, I had fed a cup of pellet on my top 2 line and fed both edges with a full pot of corn and pellet, I was also throwing some 6mm on my shallow line about 7m. After an hour on the paste I had one lump about 6lb and a skimmer about 1lb. It was tough and no one seemed to be catching much. The amount I was foul hooking was a joke so I quickly got a double pollyball rig out to try it shallow, first drop in I had a carp around the 5lb mark but that was that. I fed it, and my margins and went shallow.
Slap, slap, slap and my pole was yanked from my hands, the regular feeding in the first hour had made it rigid with fish and as I hooked one the surface exploded with fish. I netted a carp and threw about 5 6mm’s in straight away, a few more as I half shipped out, then, slap, slap, slap and again I was into yet another fish. I soon saw almost everyone around the lake go shallow. Steve and Phil on the next pegs went 13m but just couldn’t compete with how fast I was catching at just 7m and I didn’t even need to chase the fish out. I bagged a fish a chuck for the rest of the match between 1 foot and 6 inches deep. I went on to win with 115lb and 2nd place having 90 odd. Result.
Tuesday 18 August 2009
Hillview Lakes - 29/07/2009
6 Pegs
The weather was dreadful today with none stop rain which resulted in hardly any one turning up which was dissappointing but meant there would be some good weights due to the space.
I didnt really mind where i drew for this one as i knew weights would come from all over moorhen which is always the case when there is a lot of space available. Peg 19 it was which was on the deep bank. I actually waited half an hour to see if the rain would slow down or stop, it didnt so i proceeded to set up.
I got hardly any pole out and went for the all or bust route purely and simply as i didnt want to get everything drenched! I got out just 2 top kits both housing double number 8 elastic. My first rig was for paste which was a Preston Durafloat on 0.22 silstar to a size 12 PR36 hook. I was literally fishing in between my keepnets on my top 2 (half a top kit i was fishing). The next rig was for the margin to my left by the hay bale. This again was on 0.22 silstar but with an Ackoo Margin Mugger (which are mega strong and needed for fishing close to snags) with a number 4 Tubertini 175 hook. My bait tray was simple, 1 pint of paste, 3 pints of 4mm pellets and 2 tins of corn.
At the all i moulded a rather large piece of paste and filled my toss pot with 4mm's and lowered it all in. Within seconds my float flew away and a carp was hooked in 30 seconds, unfortunately it dropped off. I just re-baited and again lowered in my rig. My float was dancing around, up and down all over the place until eventually it buried and my first fish was in the net, a skimmer about 1lb. More pellets in my toss pot and another piece of paste, again the float flew away but this time an angry carp about 6lb was in the pan. This carried on until about 12 o' clock where then i started to lose a few fish, so i decided to finally feed my edge with a full pot of corn and pellet and leave it 10 minutes. After half an hour on my paste i was catching really well again so i potted in my margin again and left it.
Half 2 soon arrived and i had been trickling bait in my margin whilst bagging on the paste short. I had come even closer to my feet where it was shallower still (about 2.5 foot) to reduce foul hookers and it was working a treat as every fish i hooked was hooked in the mouth and 9 out of 10 ended in the net. It was solid. I decided to rest the paste line and see if i could catch quicker down my edge, so i fed 2 full kinder pots of pellet and went down the edge baited with a lump of paste and 10 grains of corn in the pot, before the float had even settled the elastic was pulled out. This continued for the rest of the match and i was having a fish as soon as the paste was lowered in. The fish were about 2lb a piece (the new stockies that were put in not long back and have really put the weight on fast) but i was catching them a lot quicker than on paste in front of me.
The last half an hour i changed back to my paste short and put 5 more carp in the net, one pushing 15lb. At the all out i was shattered...And soaked! I was first to weigh in and put 193lb on the scales which was my personal best. I was gutted though as i was so close to the 200lb but still pleased as i had won comfortably with the next weight being 140lb and i also put the best weight of the year on the board!
The weather was dreadful today with none stop rain which resulted in hardly any one turning up which was dissappointing but meant there would be some good weights due to the space.
I didnt really mind where i drew for this one as i knew weights would come from all over moorhen which is always the case when there is a lot of space available. Peg 19 it was which was on the deep bank. I actually waited half an hour to see if the rain would slow down or stop, it didnt so i proceeded to set up.
I got hardly any pole out and went for the all or bust route purely and simply as i didnt want to get everything drenched! I got out just 2 top kits both housing double number 8 elastic. My first rig was for paste which was a Preston Durafloat on 0.22 silstar to a size 12 PR36 hook. I was literally fishing in between my keepnets on my top 2 (half a top kit i was fishing). The next rig was for the margin to my left by the hay bale. This again was on 0.22 silstar but with an Ackoo Margin Mugger (which are mega strong and needed for fishing close to snags) with a number 4 Tubertini 175 hook. My bait tray was simple, 1 pint of paste, 3 pints of 4mm pellets and 2 tins of corn.
At the all i moulded a rather large piece of paste and filled my toss pot with 4mm's and lowered it all in. Within seconds my float flew away and a carp was hooked in 30 seconds, unfortunately it dropped off. I just re-baited and again lowered in my rig. My float was dancing around, up and down all over the place until eventually it buried and my first fish was in the net, a skimmer about 1lb. More pellets in my toss pot and another piece of paste, again the float flew away but this time an angry carp about 6lb was in the pan. This carried on until about 12 o' clock where then i started to lose a few fish, so i decided to finally feed my edge with a full pot of corn and pellet and leave it 10 minutes. After half an hour on my paste i was catching really well again so i potted in my margin again and left it.
Half 2 soon arrived and i had been trickling bait in my margin whilst bagging on the paste short. I had come even closer to my feet where it was shallower still (about 2.5 foot) to reduce foul hookers and it was working a treat as every fish i hooked was hooked in the mouth and 9 out of 10 ended in the net. It was solid. I decided to rest the paste line and see if i could catch quicker down my edge, so i fed 2 full kinder pots of pellet and went down the edge baited with a lump of paste and 10 grains of corn in the pot, before the float had even settled the elastic was pulled out. This continued for the rest of the match and i was having a fish as soon as the paste was lowered in. The fish were about 2lb a piece (the new stockies that were put in not long back and have really put the weight on fast) but i was catching them a lot quicker than on paste in front of me.
The last half an hour i changed back to my paste short and put 5 more carp in the net, one pushing 15lb. At the all out i was shattered...And soaked! I was first to weigh in and put 193lb on the scales which was my personal best. I was gutted though as i was so close to the 200lb but still pleased as i had won comfortably with the next weight being 140lb and i also put the best weight of the year on the board!
Monday 10 August 2009
Sion Farm 18/07/2009
15 Pegs
After a dreadful result on the fish o mania qualifier at Moorlands I was back to the places I like to fish, today was Sion Farm. I was hoping for a nice draw as the good pegs mean you can fish positive on the pellet waggler and straight lead. I drew peg 8, it wasn’t the peg I wanted but it was one of the good pegs on side.
I set up 2 rods, 1 13ft Preston Innovations Carbonactive rod with a Shimano Stradic 4000 reel loaded with 5lb Maxima. I was using a Middy Pellet Popper pellet waggler using a cralusso attachment with no shot on the line. Hooklength was 0.20 Silstar and then a hair rigged band and a size 14 PR36. The other rod I set up was Trabucco sygnum 12ft version medium action again with 5lb Maxima with just a free running lead and a quick change link and an 0.18 hooklength and a size 14 PR36. My bait for the day was 4 pints of 8mm pellets and a handful of 10mm pellets for change bait.
At the all in I fed 5 pellets at 10 second intervals to get some bait in and hopefully attract some fish quickly. It was looking grim as no fish were showing on the top, after an hour of fishing I had only foul hooked 1 carp and lost it. I finally hooked my first fish on the waggler about 7lb and safely deposited in the net. It then slowed yet again with no bites for half an hour, I changed the feed to more regular but cut back to 2 or 3 pellets. It just wasn’t happening. I banded a 10mm pellet on my lead rod and chucked it over the same line. I pinged some more pellets and sat on my hands..
The rod tip rattled and then gradually went round slow as you like, I thought I had hooked a big skimmer how slow it was just plodding in. As I joked with Gary that it was a bream and as I said that a big 8 pounder popped up and was in the net. I fed again and chucked out as fast I could, I literally bagged for an hour until it slowed again in the last hour when the sun came out, I went back on the waggler and had a nightmare losing 7 fish in the last hour, I was fuming. I thought I had done enough to win but all would be revealed.
50lb odd was winning, Gary weighed 61lb 12oz I then weighed in 72lb 15oz which did win. As pleased as I was I was still annoyed at the amount of fish I lost in the last hour and should have
After a dreadful result on the fish o mania qualifier at Moorlands I was back to the places I like to fish, today was Sion Farm. I was hoping for a nice draw as the good pegs mean you can fish positive on the pellet waggler and straight lead. I drew peg 8, it wasn’t the peg I wanted but it was one of the good pegs on side.
I set up 2 rods, 1 13ft Preston Innovations Carbonactive rod with a Shimano Stradic 4000 reel loaded with 5lb Maxima. I was using a Middy Pellet Popper pellet waggler using a cralusso attachment with no shot on the line. Hooklength was 0.20 Silstar and then a hair rigged band and a size 14 PR36. The other rod I set up was Trabucco sygnum 12ft version medium action again with 5lb Maxima with just a free running lead and a quick change link and an 0.18 hooklength and a size 14 PR36. My bait for the day was 4 pints of 8mm pellets and a handful of 10mm pellets for change bait.
At the all in I fed 5 pellets at 10 second intervals to get some bait in and hopefully attract some fish quickly. It was looking grim as no fish were showing on the top, after an hour of fishing I had only foul hooked 1 carp and lost it. I finally hooked my first fish on the waggler about 7lb and safely deposited in the net. It then slowed yet again with no bites for half an hour, I changed the feed to more regular but cut back to 2 or 3 pellets. It just wasn’t happening. I banded a 10mm pellet on my lead rod and chucked it over the same line. I pinged some more pellets and sat on my hands..
The rod tip rattled and then gradually went round slow as you like, I thought I had hooked a big skimmer how slow it was just plodding in. As I joked with Gary that it was a bream and as I said that a big 8 pounder popped up and was in the net. I fed again and chucked out as fast I could, I literally bagged for an hour until it slowed again in the last hour when the sun came out, I went back on the waggler and had a nightmare losing 7 fish in the last hour, I was fuming. I thought I had done enough to win but all would be revealed.
50lb odd was winning, Gary weighed 61lb 12oz I then weighed in 72lb 15oz which did win. As pleased as I was I was still annoyed at the amount of fish I lost in the last hour and should have
Hillview lakes – 3/6/2009
This was a Wednesday open and they are usually ace matches to fish. The weather was looking very good but very hot. It may be difficult if the fish just decide to bask in the heat. After a nice breakfast I was in for an early draw with 18 fishing. I pulled out peg 3 and to say I was happy is an understatement. Peg 3 is an end peg on the bank closest to the café, next to an aerator. It had been throwing up good weights for weeks and I was really looking forward to it. My good mate Gary had drawn peg 1 and would be difficult to beat from there (even more so as I sorted him out with the tactics!).
Getting to my peg I didn’t know what to do as there were fish showing absolutely everywhere but the main bulk of them being on the top just splashing about. My margin also looked solid though next to a cut in, in the reeds. My plan for the day was to start short fishing paste for a couple of mug fish, feeding my shallow line and then drop down the edge later on in the match.
So with the plan of attack sorted my first rig to plumb up was a 4x14 Durafloat on 0.20 Silstar to a size 12 PR36 hook matched with doubled number 8 elastic. My rig for the edge was beefy and was taking no chances as it was a ‘messy’ edge peg it consisted of a Ackoo margin mugger on 0.22 straight through to a number 4 Tubertini 175 hook matched with double number 10. Finally I set up 3 rigs for fishing shallow using Malman Thickos 4x10 and 4x12 on 0.16 to 0.14 Silstar hook lengths and 16 B911’s with a hair rigged band, on doubled number 6 set soft. My bait was simple, paste, 2 pints of 6mm pellets for shallow, 2 pints of 4mm pellets for down the edge and paste lines and 3 tins of corn for feeding down the edge.
At the all in I put a full pot of pellet and corn to my right edge on my top 2 + 1 section, then put half a pot of 4mm pellets at 4m on my paste line. Before I put some hook bait on my paste rig I started to ping a few 6mm’s on my shallow line I continued to do this, feeding 4 pellets every minute or so. After 10 minutes I missed my first proper bite on paste so guessing there were some fish in the peg I put a bigger piece of paste on before the float had settled properly it was taken by a big fish that shot off to the middle of the lake, as I held it on my 2 sections, the fish turned and a big 8lb fish was in the net and I was off to the perfect start. I managed to put another 3 decent carp in the net in the first 45 minutes until it went dead. Gary was struggling fishing shallow and only had 1 carp so I decided to try my edge. I lowered in a small piece of paste and my float flew away and a small stockie was in the net, next drop the same happened, and next cast, and next. . . It was solid with the new fish that had been put in the lake. This was good as I was catching but the fish were quite small and I was hoping for bigger fish. At the halfway stage after fishing the 2 lines I had about 30lb, I finally decided to try shallow as my margin line was slowing.
I banded a 6mm pellet and set my rig to just 1 foot. I fed some pellet and shipped my pole to 11m, slapped the rig on the water and my pole literally ripped out my hands before I could feed again, I guided the fish back to 7 metres and then fed the peg with some more pellet to line the next fish up. The last part of the match was great regularly putting plump 2lb fish in the net with the occasional lump.
At the all out I thought I had about 75lb I knew Gary would be close to me but didn’t no a lot else that had been caught. I weighed in 81lb 10oz then Gary weighed 81lb 6oz, he was gutted! But I was then beaten by a 89lb, balls! Oh well a great day fishing in the sun and some more coin!
Getting to my peg I didn’t know what to do as there were fish showing absolutely everywhere but the main bulk of them being on the top just splashing about. My margin also looked solid though next to a cut in, in the reeds. My plan for the day was to start short fishing paste for a couple of mug fish, feeding my shallow line and then drop down the edge later on in the match.
So with the plan of attack sorted my first rig to plumb up was a 4x14 Durafloat on 0.20 Silstar to a size 12 PR36 hook matched with doubled number 8 elastic. My rig for the edge was beefy and was taking no chances as it was a ‘messy’ edge peg it consisted of a Ackoo margin mugger on 0.22 straight through to a number 4 Tubertini 175 hook matched with double number 10. Finally I set up 3 rigs for fishing shallow using Malman Thickos 4x10 and 4x12 on 0.16 to 0.14 Silstar hook lengths and 16 B911’s with a hair rigged band, on doubled number 6 set soft. My bait was simple, paste, 2 pints of 6mm pellets for shallow, 2 pints of 4mm pellets for down the edge and paste lines and 3 tins of corn for feeding down the edge.
At the all in I put a full pot of pellet and corn to my right edge on my top 2 + 1 section, then put half a pot of 4mm pellets at 4m on my paste line. Before I put some hook bait on my paste rig I started to ping a few 6mm’s on my shallow line I continued to do this, feeding 4 pellets every minute or so. After 10 minutes I missed my first proper bite on paste so guessing there were some fish in the peg I put a bigger piece of paste on before the float had settled properly it was taken by a big fish that shot off to the middle of the lake, as I held it on my 2 sections, the fish turned and a big 8lb fish was in the net and I was off to the perfect start. I managed to put another 3 decent carp in the net in the first 45 minutes until it went dead. Gary was struggling fishing shallow and only had 1 carp so I decided to try my edge. I lowered in a small piece of paste and my float flew away and a small stockie was in the net, next drop the same happened, and next cast, and next. . . It was solid with the new fish that had been put in the lake. This was good as I was catching but the fish were quite small and I was hoping for bigger fish. At the halfway stage after fishing the 2 lines I had about 30lb, I finally decided to try shallow as my margin line was slowing.
I banded a 6mm pellet and set my rig to just 1 foot. I fed some pellet and shipped my pole to 11m, slapped the rig on the water and my pole literally ripped out my hands before I could feed again, I guided the fish back to 7 metres and then fed the peg with some more pellet to line the next fish up. The last part of the match was great regularly putting plump 2lb fish in the net with the occasional lump.
At the all out I thought I had about 75lb I knew Gary would be close to me but didn’t no a lot else that had been caught. I weighed in 81lb 10oz then Gary weighed 81lb 6oz, he was gutted! But I was then beaten by a 89lb, balls! Oh well a great day fishing in the sun and some more coin!
Friday 7 August 2009
Hillview Lakes Open – 21 Pegs
It was red hot today and I didn’t think the fish would be feeding much, unfortunately half of the heron had to be used as there was 21 so to give us plenty of room Keith pegged 7 anglers on heron with the other half being occupied by pleasure anglers. I really didn’t want to draw on heron as all of the weights had been coming from moorhen, needless to say I drew 24 heron! Right next to a pleasure angler on peg 23, thank god he was a nice old chap!
Today I knew I wasn’t going to win from this lake so it was all about winning the section and having a few fish hopefully. I wanted to fish shallow but being a corner peg it might not be as productive like the middle of the lake.
I set up 3 rigs for shallow fishing at 13m+ all using Malman floats in size 4x12. All of these rigs were using a bait band with an 18 B911 and 0.14 hook length with 0.16 mainline. All Silstar. The difference being the depth, I had one at 4 feet deep one 3 feet and one shallow at only 1 foot. The last rig I set up was an edge rig for fishing in the corner at 11m, this was on 0.20 using a Ackoo margin mugger and number 3 Tubertini 175. Elastic for shallow work was double no. 6 and double no. 8 for down the edge. My bait was 3 pints of 6mm pellets, 2 pints of 4mm pellets and 2 tins of corn.
At the all in I fed my margin line with a pot of 4mm pellets and then started pinging 6mm’s 13m. I picked up my 3 foot rig and set it to 2 foot deep. I slapped my rig in and my elastic come streaming out so I pinged in some more pellets and netted a bream about 2lb. Next cast was very much the same apart from this was a carp about 7lb and it came in easier than the bream! I fished a steady match, pinging 6 pellets, shipping out pinging 6 more pellets, slapping the rig, then pinging 6 more pellets hook fish, ping 6 pellets... tiring stuff!
The last 2 hours I had to try much harder and ended up at 16m! Then the last hour I had a good hour of catching stockies out of my margin swim on a single grain of corn. I finished the match feeling pleased with how I’d fished, I also knew I had done enough to win my section which is always good but then I also knew that I was know where near the top weights on moorhen.
I was right when I weighed in 57lb for my section next best being 32lb and right again when 99lb won the match from moorhen. Oh well I got my money back, and got a nice tan!
Today I knew I wasn’t going to win from this lake so it was all about winning the section and having a few fish hopefully. I wanted to fish shallow but being a corner peg it might not be as productive like the middle of the lake.
I set up 3 rigs for shallow fishing at 13m+ all using Malman floats in size 4x12. All of these rigs were using a bait band with an 18 B911 and 0.14 hook length with 0.16 mainline. All Silstar. The difference being the depth, I had one at 4 feet deep one 3 feet and one shallow at only 1 foot. The last rig I set up was an edge rig for fishing in the corner at 11m, this was on 0.20 using a Ackoo margin mugger and number 3 Tubertini 175. Elastic for shallow work was double no. 6 and double no. 8 for down the edge. My bait was 3 pints of 6mm pellets, 2 pints of 4mm pellets and 2 tins of corn.
At the all in I fed my margin line with a pot of 4mm pellets and then started pinging 6mm’s 13m. I picked up my 3 foot rig and set it to 2 foot deep. I slapped my rig in and my elastic come streaming out so I pinged in some more pellets and netted a bream about 2lb. Next cast was very much the same apart from this was a carp about 7lb and it came in easier than the bream! I fished a steady match, pinging 6 pellets, shipping out pinging 6 more pellets, slapping the rig, then pinging 6 more pellets hook fish, ping 6 pellets... tiring stuff!
The last 2 hours I had to try much harder and ended up at 16m! Then the last hour I had a good hour of catching stockies out of my margin swim on a single grain of corn. I finished the match feeling pleased with how I’d fished, I also knew I had done enough to win my section which is always good but then I also knew that I was know where near the top weights on moorhen.
I was right when I weighed in 57lb for my section next best being 32lb and right again when 99lb won the match from moorhen. Oh well I got my money back, and got a nice tan!
Hillview Lakes Open Match – 30/05/2009
20 fishing
Back to my regular fishery Hillview and I was looking forward to catching a few fish as it had been fishing rather well in recent weeks. Pegs 1 – 5 had been doing a lot of the weights but back up weights were coming from all over. After the best breakfast in the midlands I went in for the draw and pulled out peg 8. Not been in the frame for a while but I still fancied a few fish from it.
Arriving at my peg I was relieved to know peg 9 wasn’t in and neither was 7 so I had ample room for fishing the edges. I set my stall out to fish paste as short as possible so my first rig out of my box was a paste rig comprising a Durafloat 4x14 with 3 No.8 Stotz on 0.20 straight through to a size 12 PR36 hook. Elastic was a double number 8. I only planned to fish 4m. The only other rigs I set up were for down the edges either side, I set up 2 as they were both different depths, to the right I had 3 ½ foot by the pallet and then 3 foot to my left right on the pallet, even still the 2 rigs were Identical. Both rigs again were 0.20 straight through to a number 3 Tubertini 175 hook using Ackoo margin mugger floats in 0.3g. My bait for the day was 2 pints of 4mm pellets, 3 tins of corn and a pint of paste plus some more paste powder in case I ran out.
At the all in I cupped a full pot of corn to my left margin swim and a full pot of pellet and corn to my right margin swim. In front I filled my large toss pot with 4mm pellets and moulded a piece of paste on my hook and within minutes I had a small stocky carp in the net. This pattern continued until I hooked a much bigger fish about an hour in and gave me the run around, just as I thought I had it beat it had one last dart under my pallet, I yanked and yanked but it had done me and come back around the other side just to say bye! My rig was trashed, the fish was lost and I was gutted! After sorting back out and finally getting back into gear I could not catch a fish from my short line, I was fuming!
After another biteless 20 minutes on my main line I decided to try my edges, result, first cast my float buried and I had… a ROACH! I fed this line and moved to my other, after a long wait my float danced around and finally went under resulting in a carp about 2lb. The fish just weren’t there in numbers for any period of time and I finally decided to try paste in the edge which proved disastrous as I fouled hooked everything. The last part of the match was a night mare. I had about 30lb with half hour to go, peg 4 had blitzed it 1 and 2 had caught so no money was at stake so I tried an extra metre past the pallet to the left with a soft expander, in 5 casts I had 5 fish in half an hour, I was gutted! I weighed in 47lb with 99lb winning…
Back to my regular fishery Hillview and I was looking forward to catching a few fish as it had been fishing rather well in recent weeks. Pegs 1 – 5 had been doing a lot of the weights but back up weights were coming from all over. After the best breakfast in the midlands I went in for the draw and pulled out peg 8. Not been in the frame for a while but I still fancied a few fish from it.
Arriving at my peg I was relieved to know peg 9 wasn’t in and neither was 7 so I had ample room for fishing the edges. I set my stall out to fish paste as short as possible so my first rig out of my box was a paste rig comprising a Durafloat 4x14 with 3 No.8 Stotz on 0.20 straight through to a size 12 PR36 hook. Elastic was a double number 8. I only planned to fish 4m. The only other rigs I set up were for down the edges either side, I set up 2 as they were both different depths, to the right I had 3 ½ foot by the pallet and then 3 foot to my left right on the pallet, even still the 2 rigs were Identical. Both rigs again were 0.20 straight through to a number 3 Tubertini 175 hook using Ackoo margin mugger floats in 0.3g. My bait for the day was 2 pints of 4mm pellets, 3 tins of corn and a pint of paste plus some more paste powder in case I ran out.
At the all in I cupped a full pot of corn to my left margin swim and a full pot of pellet and corn to my right margin swim. In front I filled my large toss pot with 4mm pellets and moulded a piece of paste on my hook and within minutes I had a small stocky carp in the net. This pattern continued until I hooked a much bigger fish about an hour in and gave me the run around, just as I thought I had it beat it had one last dart under my pallet, I yanked and yanked but it had done me and come back around the other side just to say bye! My rig was trashed, the fish was lost and I was gutted! After sorting back out and finally getting back into gear I could not catch a fish from my short line, I was fuming!
After another biteless 20 minutes on my main line I decided to try my edges, result, first cast my float buried and I had… a ROACH! I fed this line and moved to my other, after a long wait my float danced around and finally went under resulting in a carp about 2lb. The fish just weren’t there in numbers for any period of time and I finally decided to try paste in the edge which proved disastrous as I fouled hooked everything. The last part of the match was a night mare. I had about 30lb with half hour to go, peg 4 had blitzed it 1 and 2 had caught so no money was at stake so I tried an extra metre past the pallet to the left with a soft expander, in 5 casts I had 5 fish in half an hour, I was gutted! I weighed in 47lb with 99lb winning…
Woodlands View Fish O Mania Qualifier
This was my first experience in fish o and I was really looking forward to it, after getting up late, as always, I made my way to meet my mate Wayne at the café. Wayne reckoned deans would win again, which made me want to draw a peg on back deans, preferably a corner. I knew it was all going to be down to how much room you have.
Arriving at Woodlands, it was packed, no spaces anywhere. So after loads of driving around and eventually parking up I had a good walk around. Ghost pool looked good for a few fish and was solid on top peg 12. Neither of us fancied a draw on Hay or Barley, so deans or ghost would do… Ghost peg 22 it was and yes, a corner peg! My arse was twitching like a rabbits nose when I got to the peg and I could see fish absolutely everywhere!
I set up duplicates of most rigs as I thought I was in with a chance and didn’t want to take any risks. I set 2 rigs for 5m, both MW Diamonds on 0.18 Silstar to an 0.16 hook length of the same material to a size 12 PR36. My main attack was down the corner so I set up 2 rigs at about 7m, using Ackoo margin muggers on both rigs with 0.20 Silstar straight through to a no.3 Tubertini 175. Elastics on all rigs was double no. 8.
On the all in I didn’t cup any bait in down the edge and just concentrated short on a big 8mm pellet cupping in just 10 6mm feed pellets, after half an hour I had my first fish about 3lb then went very quiet. After another hour fishing this line I put a lighter rig up for fishing a smaller pellet fishing for everything, using a MW Pellet float, 0.16 to 0.14 hook length and a 16 B911. I had 6 fish in 6 drops, only small but I thought I had sussed it, wrong I was as it died again… Finally I fed my edge peg and after half an hour my flat vanished and I was into a fish about 4lb. I now had about 15lb in my net at the halfway stage and still thought a weight could be on the cards if they showed up in my edge swim. Instead of dumping in bait I shipped out my piece of corn with 10 pieces of corn in a toss pot, as I missed a bite a massive bow wave flew across my peg DAMN! Knowing it was a big fish I put in another 10 grains of corn and waited again, my pole literally was dragged out my hand as an angry carp fled out of my margin a carp about 4lb was safely netted.
After a few more fish my peg dried up completely and I only managed to put a 5 more fish in the net to 5lb and was disappointed, I didn’t hang around for the weigh in as I needed to drown my sorrows so I tipped back around 40lb of carp and was left scratching my head. . . The match was won with over 100lb from one of those stupid sausage lakes!
Arriving at Woodlands, it was packed, no spaces anywhere. So after loads of driving around and eventually parking up I had a good walk around. Ghost pool looked good for a few fish and was solid on top peg 12. Neither of us fancied a draw on Hay or Barley, so deans or ghost would do… Ghost peg 22 it was and yes, a corner peg! My arse was twitching like a rabbits nose when I got to the peg and I could see fish absolutely everywhere!
I set up duplicates of most rigs as I thought I was in with a chance and didn’t want to take any risks. I set 2 rigs for 5m, both MW Diamonds on 0.18 Silstar to an 0.16 hook length of the same material to a size 12 PR36. My main attack was down the corner so I set up 2 rigs at about 7m, using Ackoo margin muggers on both rigs with 0.20 Silstar straight through to a no.3 Tubertini 175. Elastics on all rigs was double no. 8.
On the all in I didn’t cup any bait in down the edge and just concentrated short on a big 8mm pellet cupping in just 10 6mm feed pellets, after half an hour I had my first fish about 3lb then went very quiet. After another hour fishing this line I put a lighter rig up for fishing a smaller pellet fishing for everything, using a MW Pellet float, 0.16 to 0.14 hook length and a 16 B911. I had 6 fish in 6 drops, only small but I thought I had sussed it, wrong I was as it died again… Finally I fed my edge peg and after half an hour my flat vanished and I was into a fish about 4lb. I now had about 15lb in my net at the halfway stage and still thought a weight could be on the cards if they showed up in my edge swim. Instead of dumping in bait I shipped out my piece of corn with 10 pieces of corn in a toss pot, as I missed a bite a massive bow wave flew across my peg DAMN! Knowing it was a big fish I put in another 10 grains of corn and waited again, my pole literally was dragged out my hand as an angry carp fled out of my margin a carp about 4lb was safely netted.
After a few more fish my peg dried up completely and I only managed to put a 5 more fish in the net to 5lb and was disappointed, I didn’t hang around for the weigh in as I needed to drown my sorrows so I tipped back around 40lb of carp and was left scratching my head. . . The match was won with over 100lb from one of those stupid sausage lakes!
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