Giants Hall Practice 28/04/11

With our clubs first match on Sunday at Giants Hall, I thought I'd get a practice session in as I've not been there for a couple of years. My work place is only a five minute drive away so at 4oclock it was straight to Sam's tackle shop for a couple of pints of white maggots with a few red hookers, then onto Giants Hall. I was fishing for quarter to five!
  Now Giants Hall used to be all about fishing tight to the reeds for the tench and crucians and it hadn't changed. First put in a roach, then a crucian, then a skimmer, then a tench. Soon the crucians and tench were lining up to be caught, even with four local kids around me! All I was fishing was my top two plus one, with a couple of sections of pole handy to get the fish away from the reeds sharpish. It was three foot deep at the side of the reeds so used light drennan float to 0.12 line and a 18's hook. Bait was just a single red maggot. I wrapped up at 7.30pm and must of had about 20lb of smallish tench and crucians. A mate of mine Dave who is a  former members of Trevalyon Anglers and is fishing as a guest on Sunday came for five minutes and was rubbing his hands after watching me catch a couple of tench. But as we all know once them keepnets get thrown in on Sunday these fish do a runner! Roll on Sunday.

PS Giants Hall is a cracking little fishery and is only £2 a day. Joe the owner is a friendly fellow who will tell you exactly where to fish. No pellets, boillies or groundbait.

Wag & Mag Sat 23rd April

Today I was determined not to use the pole and get out the waggler rod as it doesn't see daylight enough these days. I called at Dave's Tackle Shop and bought two pints of White maggots with a few reds for hookers. It was straight on to Langate from there and when I arrived I was surprised to see only two other anglers fishing. I decided to go on peg 30 as there is plenty of room to cast. Conditions were perfect for the waggler warm and hardly a breeze. I set up the waggler with 4lb maxima to 0.11 hooklength with a 18's B611. Float was a 2AA drennan crystal insert.
I set it up about two feet deep, put a single red on and first chuck had a small roach. Second chuck it got even better a carp which I managed to lose. The rest of the session was a bite a chuck usually within ten seconds of the float hitting the water. It was mainly small roach but did get perch, rudd and skimmers. My best fish was a hybrid of about a pound and a half. A cracking days sport on a method I hardly fish now.
  Next session I'm hoping to get a practice on Giant's Hall before our first club match next Sunday.
That's it for now.
Gary

Match At Langate Sunday 17th April

First match for me this year and I almost wish I'd stayed in bed. Arrived fifteen minutes before the draw and the lake looked good for a few fish, although a club match the day before was won with only six pounds.
Now these matches are rover matches so if your number one you get first choice and so on, I drew number twenty out of twenty two so there wernt many pegs left! I went for peg 15 and set up a rig for down the side of the reeds, a rig at 13 metres on the deck and another rig for up in the water. At the all in I cupped in some 4 mm pellets at 13 metres and went straight over it on a 4mm expander pellet. Nothing! Tried different sized expander pallet and corn. Nothing! After an hour I tried down the side and was rewarded with a couple of small roach. Back out and I started to get a few more small Roach and a hand sized skimmer. I was pinging a few pellets all the time so was hoping for a few up in the water but didn't have a bite.
At the end of the match I tipped maybe a pound back. I don't know what won but 6pm odd had come off the channel which is the next lake to Langate.
In hindsight I was lazy. At 13 metres I fished 0.15 to a size 14 PR38 and should of scaled down. I also should have sorted some casters out the day before but thought pellet and corn would have been ok. Oh well there's always next time.