Blowing the cobwebs off at Langate Lodges

Arranged to meet my Dad Eric at 9am on the carpark at Langate Lodge. When I arrived dad was just getting his tackle out of his car but we was the only ones there which was a bit of a surprise . I chose to go on peg 29 and dad dropped onto peg 28. I was surpised when I got to my peg that they had taken the cages out of the middle of the lake but I can understand as it should make the lake a lot fairer in matches.
I set up a new feeder rod that I got for Christmas a Drennon Puddle Chucker and the rod is superb, if your after a tip rod for under a hundred quid then look no further. Anyway I set up the Preston method feeder using 90% micro pellets and 10% super gold fishmeal with a grain of corn on a hair rig. Hook was a size 16 PR36. I was ready for off and first chuck in the tip went round and I was in (easy ain't it), it was a skimmer about a pound an a half. Not a bad fish for my first of the year. It soon slowed down after that with only one other skimmer in the first hour.
Dad in the meanwhile had fared better than me having caught a five pound carp and a proper bream on 8mm hard pellet. The second hour came with only a hybrid to show for it but then again I was never any good on the tip. Brian the secretary of Garswood Hall came round for a chat and told me corn wasn't doing much so a switch to pellet got me another good skimmer straight away. Dad added another carp under he's belt. It soon slowed down for me again so I began to set up the pole. The pole rig was a 0.6 Mick Wilkinson tapered diamond to 0.15 line. Hooklength was 0.12 to a PR36. I caught plenty of bits the rest of the session on pellets but no bonus fish. Time to wrap up but couldn't resist one last chuck on the feeder. Out it went and two minutes later I put my landing net under a bream. The afternoon had also slowed down for dad and he had only one other fish.
It felt great to be back on the bank, I'm off work on Friday and if the weather is half decent I'll be out again. I'll leave you with a photo of Langate Lodge

Cheers
Gary

First Blog

Welcome to my blog page. it's a new learning curve for me and I hope to post on here my fishing trips around the Wigan area.
My name is Gary and I'm a pleasure / match angler. I've been a member of Trevalyon Angling Club for about twenty years and roughly the same with Garswood Hall. Our club matches kick off 1st of May at Cunneries Fishery but hoping to squeeze in one or two matches in at Langate Lodges.
 Haven't been fishing yet this year BUT that will all change starting tomorrow. I'm going to Langate Lodge (run by Garswood Hall) with my dad Eric.
 The reason I've not been out so far this year is that I simply hate fishing in the winter, yes I know I'm a wimp but the fishings crap and it keeps me keen having a break every winter. It also gains me brownie points off my wife. Anyway back to tomorrow I can't wait and only fellow anglers will understand when you haven't been for a while. Got my new fishing licence today to so thats out the way.
I'll leave you with a photo of myself taken back in September on our annual pilgrimage to Whiteacres near Newquay.

Cheers Gary