Tuesday 15 September 2009

31/08/2009
Greenhills Farm
18 Pegs

On this match I was really looking forward to catching a few fish as the place was solid and id had a decent day Saturday so the confidence was high! Arriving at Greenhills, after a breakfast at Moorlands, I really fancied the top end of the pool in the middle of the bank.

In for the draw, I rubbed shoulders with young Jim (Phil Cobb, the best at drawing in the world!) and I pulled out the exact peg that I wanted. I literally ran to my peg I was that excited. Even when the regular at the venue said to me that the fish where in the middle of the lake and down the bottom end of the lake, I was still in the thought I would empty it!

I set up a rig for 3m fishing corn (0.4 Ackoo Pellistix, 0.20 Silstar, size 14 b911), a rig for fishing shallow (Malman Thickos 4x12, 0.20 Silstar, size 16 b911) and 2 edge rigs (0.2,0.3 Ackoo margin muggers 0.22 Silstar and a size 12 b911). All bottom rigs where on doubled number 10, shallow rig was on doubled 6.

Bait wise I had 4 pints of castors and 8 tins of corn with a bit of meat for on the hook.

At the all in I fed a handful of corn in either edge along with a handful of castors in each edge. I planned on doing this every 5 minutes or so to keep the fish interested. I then laid my 3m rig in baited with one grain of corn and fed a handful of corn here also. I expected to get a bit straight away… I didn’t and after 20 biteless minutes I moved to my right edge and within seconds I had my first carp of the day in the net about 3lb but it was much slower than expected. I alternated between my right margin and left for 2 hours but was really struggling, fish were constantly crashing in the reeds about 3m past my bare bank margin. I eventually got so annoyed I went for it and tightened up my elastic slightly and lowered the rig in right in the middle of the reeds….BANG!!! That was me hooking a fish, fish getting snagged and me pulling so hard trying to get it out the 0.22 breaking!! I tried again though and had a few until they again backed off. It just wasn’t happening at all.

George and everyone in the middle of the lake were sacking I reckoned going into the last hour I had 50lb and it didn’t get much better than that as I weighed in 66lb. 180lb won. I really believe the fish just weren’t up our end in any numbers as the lowest weights all came from up my end. Oh well.

MUST TRY HARDER!!!

Hillview lakes open match 32 pegs 5/9/2009

32 turned up and everyone was worried about pegging etc but Keith did a good job and gave people plenty of room including 2 pools and a canal. As for my match it just didn’t happen I drew corner peg 33 which hasn’t produced for yonks and got an absolute battering off my bro on 31 (all the fish were up that corner!!). Nev won the match from fancied peg 42 with 129lb catching everywhere he dropped his bait in, 90lb made second and my bro made 3rd with 87lb, well done bruv!

MUST TRY EVEN HARDER!!!

Hillview Lakes Open 28 Pegs 12/9/2009

After last weeks abysmal match I set my stall out of not f-ing up again! After a real nice breakfast compliments of my dad I went in for the draw (or waited for the last few pegs) I pulled out peg 7, a peg I had wanted to draw for weeks and weeks. Neville was on end peg 25 and would be hard to beat so I had my work cut out. I was planning on fishing meat short and down the edge but arriving at my peg the fish were definitely shallow and I knew my balaclava rig would be a major part of my match today!

I set up 3 shallow rigs (two duplicates, Malman Thickos 4x12’s on 0.18 to 0.16 incorporating a pellet band on all rigs with a size 14 b911) these 2 rigs were set up to fish a foot deep with 2 foot above so I could get my slap on! The third shallow rig was a new self cocking dibber from Ackoo and it was set at 6 inches deep with the same gear as above. All three of these were on 14-16 Middy Pink. I also set up a rig to fish on my top 2 (where I thought id bag!) with 0.18 Silstar to an 0.16 hooklenth of the same material and a size 12 b911. I used a 0.5 MW Power Diamond here as it was about 5 feet. My final rig was to fish up the bank to my right margin where I had 3 feet of water. This was a 0.2 Margin Mugger on 0.20 to 0.18 and a size 12 b911, no prisoners! These 2 rigs were on double 10 elastic. Bait wise I had 3 pints of 4mm pellet (1 pint I soaked for feeding short and down the edge, the other 2 were left dry for fishing shallow) 1 tin of corn, a bit of meat for on the hook, some RS Elite expanders (if any one knows where I can get more of these lights let me know!!!) also some 6mm hard pellets for banding.

At the all in I baited my top 2 rig with a piece of meat and laid it down the shelf fully expecting to get an instant bite, but all I got was liners from the fish shallow. After 15 minutes and only foul hooking one fish that I lost I went shallow.

I pinged about 10 pellets twice, shipped out and slapped slapped, which resulted in a flurry of fish about 8 inches deep. It was solid. Also every time I saw a fish cruising near by I slapped the rig in front of it, 9 times out of 10 it would snaffle it. I continued this rhythm at 11m until it went a bit quiet, I decided after constant feeding of my edge to try it. I really needed to rest my shallow swim and with only 2.5 hours left I needed my edge to work. I baited up with a 6mm expander trying to catch what was there hoping it would be lumps. My float dinked and I foul hooked a carp about 6lb that I got out but it was definitely not the method on my lake. I fed it and decided to persevere fishing shallow. I added another section to chase the fish out and upped the feed to make something happen (up to about 15 pellets). This really did work as I started to have some much bigger fish. I did notice a big fish cruising about 7m so I grabbed the balaclava rig quickly switched kits and mugged the beast! After a ragged fight I netted a carp about 12lb! I was well pleased and absolutely love how mad the fish go when there trying to catch a tan! I went back to proper shallow fishing and continued to catch, I did occasionally try meat but I just got bitted out, it was very strange. I was now on my shallowest rig so I could hit the quick bites easier and it was working a treat and I really motored in the last hour but did end up at 14.5m, I did also stop slapping in the last hour as I felt the fish were backing of it a little (may sound stupid but it certainly worked). The best weight on my pool was 70 odd lb Nev was winning the match with 139lb I knew I didn’t have that and weighed in 128lb. 117lb made third from heron and 112lb 4th also from heron. I definitely think I made the right choice of fishing shallow on my lake as I easily won it and nearly had Neville! I didn’t lose any fish apart from the one foul hooker at the very start of the match so don’t feel I could of done anything differently apart from not bothering with the edge for one fish, but think if I hadn’t I wouldn’t of rested my shallow line at all!?!? Oh well 2nd place and an envelope with a nice bag of fish.. I really cant grumble!

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