Widdows Flash 19/06/11

Only thirteen of us turned up for this match at Widdows and when I arrived a couple of the lads said fish caster as the carp are not showing. Well as I didn't have a caster on me that was out of the window so pellet it was.
I drew peg 11 and had big Dave Brown for company to my right who is white hot at the moment and an empty peg to my left. Dave said look for twenty pounds to get a place as it's not fishing well or something like that.
I set up three rigs the first at fourteen & half metres set at full depth which was a 0.4 Hillbilly Shindig to 0.14 line to a 16s PR36. The second (and my main rig) was a Hillbilly Shady Shallow set 14 inches deep to 0.14 line to a size 16sPR38. The third was a Small pea float set 10 inches, to 0.14 to a 16s Animal hook.

My Peg

The all in and I went shallow on the Hillbilly rig and after two minutes I had a skimmer of about 12 ounce. Good start, then Dave had a skimmer followed by a carp. Better start! After an hour I'd had a skimmer a roach and a ghostie of about 4lbs. Nobody was doing much and it looked has if the rumours were right, it wasn't fishing well. The rest of the match I alternated fishing up in the water and at full depth getting the odd carp and the odd skimmer. I managed to lose three carp as well!
The biggest drama was Dave shipping out and his top five came off! However I managed to lasso it and bring it back in. Dave if you read this you owe me one!
I couldn't see most of the pegs but reckoned I might be close and so it proved, when the scales came 18lb was winning off Lee Gerrard. I knew I'd beat that and put 26lb 14oz on the scales. Dean put 20lb on peg 19, then Jonny Mawdsley on last peg 20 put 27lb 14oz to just edge me out into second.
  Our next match is at Hampton Springs on the tenth July. Bring it on!

Jonny, being weighed in by Lee

Alf weighing in.

Highfield Fisheries Beech Pool 12/06/11

I've never laid eyes on the place before but heard and read nice things about the fishery. After a couple of wrong turnings me and me Dad arrived to be greeted by the rest of the lads. In all seventeen of us had turned up. I went to the cafe / bait shop and bought some 6mm pellets (which I didn't use) as you have to use their pellets. The owner told me 80 odd pound had won the day before but with wind and rain forecast I knew we wouldn't get close to that.
 Our club had the first twenty pegs and I drew peg eight. I had Alf Beckett for company on peg nine and an empty peg on seven so was pretty happy although when I arrived Alf's peg looked the dogs!

Peg 1 Onwards, Beech Pool, Highfield Fisheries

My peg had a fishery keepnet waiting for me (good rule) and was about 15-16 metres wide to the rushes across and I made up four rigs, the first for the bottom of the near shelf, then two up in the water rigs (caster rig and pellet rig) and one for on the deck at 13 metres. I had two pints of casters with me and was hoping to catch all day on them with pellet being the back up if I was falling behind.

On the all in I fired in two pouches and went straight out on the caster rig at 11 metres (Preston PB1 float to 0.12 to 18's PR36 set a foot deep), after only a couple of minutes I was playing my first fish an ide which was the best part of a pound. Good start! Alf next door soon got in on the action and was playing his first carp caught on the meat. Soon I was playing my second fish a carp of a couple of pounds which gave me the runneraround on the white hydro. After an hour I had a about 10lb in the net and was setting the pace from the anglers around me. It could have been more but a great big ide over 2lbs slipped the hook at the net and I threw a 10 ounce ide back into the water instead of my net! Aghh. The second hour was getting even better untill the rain moved in and the wind picked up. This was making my presentation a lot more difficult but I was still getting bites and was still in front of the lads around me so carried on with the caster. At the all out I was piss wet through and reckoned I might just have forty pounds. Highfield Fisheries does all the weighing in (another nice touch) and I wasn't far off, I weighed 41lbs 4oz and thought that might be enough to win but big Dave Brown who was around the bend is white hot at the moment caught close in on corn for 57lbs. Thats the third win on the spin for Dave and is looking a shoe in for the league title. Alf next peg was 3rd with over 24lbs. He'd lost a lot of fish foulhooking and was bothered with bits believe it or not on meat. Considering the weather it had been a cracking day putting over 40lbs in the net on caster(my fave method). Must mention Highfield Fisheries is a cracking fishery and look forward to our next match there next year.

Gary 

Langate Lodges Wednesday Sweep 09/06/11

Decided at the last minute to fish this match so it was littery get in from work, throw tackle into car, back out to Langate. Its only a five minute drive to the place so I soon arrived and saw my mate Daz from our fishing club Trevalyon Anglers there. He'd only had one roach last week but was still keen and was hoping to get peg 30. I wasn't sure where I wanted so when John shouted the draw I got number 7 so with this being a rover I got seventh choice. I chose peg 1 as its a decent pole peg and a short walk!

Peg 1 Langate Lodges

View From Peg 1 Langate Lodges

I set up two rigs, one for in the corner which was a Mick Wilkinson Dinky to 0.16 line to a 14s PR38 and a second rig 11 metres out, about five feet away from a line of trees. On the all in I cupped half a pot of pellets at 11 metres and then looked in the corner for the first 5 minutes. Nothing there so out to 11 metres with a 4mm expander on the hook and after missing a couple of bites Igot a skimmer of about 8 ounce. I then added a couple more pastie carp inthe first hour but was going nowhere fast. I kept having a look in the corner but did not have a bite. After two an half hours I had 3lb in the net and with half an hour to go I connected with my first proper fish, a bream of about 3 lbs. Now if only I could get a big lump I might have a chance of a place in the frame, then ten minutes left the float shoots under and I'm connected to the lump. The elastic comes right out and then its gone. F*** I mutters to myself but bringing the rig back in theres a big scale on the hook so don't feel as bad. On the all out I tips my 6lb back as it wasn't going to be enough. Billy Kelly won the sweep with 16lb odd and 11 lb was needed for third.

Gary

Middle Place Garswood Hall 02/06/11

Decided to go to middle place for an evening session as today had really warmed up and I hadn't fished the place this year.
 Now Middle Place has three lakes, dirty ditch, motorway and the big lake and it is only for senior members so its usually nice and peaceful, and it was the big lake on the far bank corner with my back to the Asda Distribution Centre that I chose.

Middle Place

With it being a nice warm day I suspected the fish would be off the bottom but I set up a full depth rig which was a Mick Wilkinson Diamond Taper 0.6 to 0.12 line to size 18s PR36 hook. I also set a shallow rig 18 inches deep which was a Preston PB1 float, 0.14 line and a size 16's Animal hook.
 I started off with half a drennan pole pot of 4mm pellets, then firing pellets over the top at 11 metres. I got an tench early on put started getting liners, came up and it was a fish a chuck. They were mainly small roach and skimmers but did get five carp with the biggest nudging 4lb. Good fun on the white hydro. Then on my last put in I caught a bream of about 3lbs.
 A lovely peaceful evening in the sun with just three anglers having the whole lake. I should really go more often.
Gary

Latham No 4 Match 29/05/11

After the practice on Wednesday were I'd hammered them fishing shallow on the the top two and one I was mega confident of a good result. All I wanted was a decent draw hopefully somewhere towards the middle, but not the carpark bank. Well my golden arm drew peg 3 on the carpark peg so it had to do and there is plenty fish all over the lake.

My Peg Latham No 4

 I was easily ready for the all in as I'd only set up the same (freshly made up) two rigs as Wednesday which were a Preston PB2 float set 18 inches deep to 0.14 line to 16s Animal and a Preston PB1 float set 12 inches deep to 0.12 line to 18s PR36. Bait was again 4mm pellets with Ringers 4mm expanders for the hook. Nice and simple.
 On the all in I went out on my top two and one on the shallow rig and promptly caught my fist fish. After the first fifteen minutes I'd caught five F1s which wasn't at the same pace as Wednesday but still quicker than most. Then a cross wind started picking up more and more and presentation became more difficult. After an hour I'd caught 15 which was proving how difficult it was as I'd caught sixty in an hour on Wednesday. Everybody was struggling in the wind apart from the bank were the wind was blowing over there backs. I could see Big Dave catching all the time on one of those pegs but apart from Dave I thought I might have a chance of a place as no one else was running away with it. Rambo on the next peg, peg 4 was catching regularly but he's did look a smaller stamp than mine. Every now and then the wind would ease and you would catch again but after five hours I was glad to hear the all out, I'd caught 63 F1s for 38lb 4oz. I knew it would be tight with Rambo and so it proved with him putting 36lb on the scales. Sharpy on the golden peg was even closer with 37lb and I was winning untill the last four pegs weighed. Daz, Rambo's son tipped 42lb on the scales which was a brilliant result considering he caught them all on the tip. Big Daves turn to weigh in and we all knew he'd won it was just a matter of how much. After two weighs 71lb was recorded, a cracking weight from the best angler in the club. Finally Chris weighed in and put 39lb on the scales for 3rd and nudge me into 4th.
 Thats three matches in now and best result is 4th! Not the start I was after but a long way to go yet to move up the leader board. Our next match is in two weeks at Highfield Fisheries Beech Lake and I know nothing about it. Looks like at the moment I'll be taking casters then.

Gary

Latham Fisheries No 4 Practice 25/0511

Was on 6-2 shift at work so had the fishing tackle in the car. Dad rang and said he fancied it so it was a detour to dads, then straight on to Latham Fisheries. When we arrived there was only four other anglers on the lake so we picked the bank with the wind going over our back.

Dad In Action!

Now I've a good record on this lake and in three matches I've had two wins and a third all catching F1s up in the water on caster first time then on pellet. Today was going to be no different all I had was 4mm pellets for feeding and Ringers 4/6mm expanders for the hook. I set up two rigs, one 18 inches deep 0.14 line to a 16s animal and the other was set 12 inches deep 0.12 line to a 18's PR36. Float choice was Preston PB 2 for the deeper rig and PB1 for the shallower rig.
  We was fishing for 3:30pm and I started off on the deeper rig and within a minute I was into my first F1. This continued fish after fish and they were averaging two to the pound. I went onto the shallower rig and caught even quicker! I was keeping count and at my fastest cught 60 fish in 59 minutes. Not bad going for a clubie! At the end of the session Id had well over 200 F1s for over 100lb and it couldn't have been any easier. I couldn't fail on the match on Sunday could I?