Tuesday 31 January 2017

Sunday 28th Jaunary - Alders farm

Decided to go to Alders Farm today.
I really do like this venue but have never had much luck there.
Especially on pines where the open was go be held today.
In the winter league last year I went on peg 1 twice and peg 28 once. There both right in corner and very feast of famine and just seem to be famine when I draw there!
Couldnt believe it when I drew peg 1 today!
Set up 2 lines.
Maggot and mircors at 14.5m
Maggot and micros to my left in 3ft of water.
Caught 2 early skimmers then had to sit and wait for bites. Its difficult becuase the fish have to be there as you haven't really got anywhere to draw fish from on there.
I ended ended up with 4 carp and 2 skimmers for 19-0-0 which was no good. 6th overall.
Lost a decent carp to after taking my time with it which has probably cost me 5th or 4th but thats fishing.
Im hoping to get to alders farm more this year as It is a long way away but its a brilliant venue!

Monday 30 January 2017

Saturday 27th January - Manor farm

Round 5 of the Manor Farm Individual winter league today.
I struggled the first 3 rounds only beating a few on the lake so not really in contention for the league.. unless a miracle happens.
Last round I was lucky enough to draw on some fish and win the lake/match with 90-0-0.
Onto today I thought there would be some real tough draws.
Peg 8 on Boundary pool stuck to my hand, this pegs had a bit of form lately so thought it could be ok.
Set up 2 pole lines.
Both at 14.5m.
Where id fish maggots and groundbait on one and pellets on the other.
Started on bread didnt even have a liner which was worrying.
I had a look on my pellet line but that didn't produce any bites either after giving it a good 20 minutes.
To catch something I had a look on my groundbait line and caught some stamp roach on this for the next half an hour.
Looking round the lake the odd F1 and carp was being caught so I thought catching silvers was pointless.
After not getting anymore signs on the pole on my pellet line I felt my time was best spent on the bomb.
I had to be really patient waiting for bites.
A little boilie was best, my longest cast was 45 minutes and reeling it in after that time is hard!
I ended up with 4 carp and 2 F1s which went 40lb plus my 5lb of silvers left me on 45-0-0.
This was only enough for second on the lake and 3rd overall in the match.
Those silvers are really worth catching, I think if I went properly for them, on a hard day there well worth catching. 

Sunday 22nd January - Manor farm

Manor farm today.
Been a struggle!
Drew peg 13 on windmill.
Broke the ice.
Caught some roach on maggots for 5-8-0 and 6lb won my section!
Not a great weekend for me!
Roll on next time!





Saturday 21st January - Hillview

Hillview open today.
Peg 9 on Moorhen.
Broke the Ice and got very cold!
Didnt catch a lot either!
I weighed 6lb of small skimmers. Which was no good!
Onto the next one!
Good or bad day I always do a write up!
Roll on tomorrow!



Friday 20 January 2017

Sunday 15th January - River Avon Evesham

Something totally different for me today.
I was asked to stand in for a friend of mine on the Pairs Winter league on the River Avon in evesham.
I drew peg 22 on the Common.
Decided to fish pinkies and grounbait at 14.5m and a groundbait feeder for on the far shelf.
Had 3 pinkie rigs.
2g.
3g
4g. All Jean Francoise floats.
0.11 Colmic F1 spider line to and 0.07 stream hooklength. Size 24 B911.
Cupped in 6 balls of groundbait at the start laced with pinkies and casters.
Didnt have a bite on the feeder so felt my time was best spent on the pole.
Managed 2 little skimmers and some roach all on pinkies.
I weighed 1-9-0. Which beat the 2 anglers to my right. And the 2 to my left.
The weights got better further to my left.
Despite not catching a lot I still enjoyed the day and it was nice to fish a river which I havent fished for well over a year!

Saturday 14 January 2017

Saturday 14th January - Manor farm

Today was the 4th round of the individual winter league at manor farm. 

I drew peg 3 on middle and fancied it to catch F1s. 
I fished pellets on the pole on two separate lines. And bomb and bread. 
Caught a few early on the bread then went onto the pole and began catching. 
Middle part of the match I rested my pole lines and fished the bread for 40 minutes and then caught quite well later on on the pole. 
I had 21 F1s and 4 carp and weighed in 90-0-0 which was enough to win the lake/match overall. 
With the table changing after today's results it's all to play for, with a few difficult draws last few rounds I was struggling but this 1 point has pushed me right up the table and its now all to play for! 
Roll on next round! 






Thursday 12 January 2017

Sunday 8th January - Harsecombe Fishery

Harsecombe fishery - Field lake.
I really like this lake. The fish are stunning and fight really hard showing there really healthy.
Also its full of silvers. So if your struggling to catch carp you can alway go for silvers.
I drew peg 10 which is a peg I drew about a year ago on here.
I came 2nd in that match so decided to fish it similiar.
2 pellet line.
And line down the edge to the roots at 14.5m where I had about 4ft of water.
I started of really well.
2 carp and some small skimmers in the first 15 minutes.
This soon died and I had a quick look down the edge and had an instant respone. A very hard fighting little barbel.
The lake as a whole was fishing quite well. The anglers in the little bowl around me were catching as well.
Going into the last hour I felt like I was doing ok but myself and all the anglers around me had stopped catching and the 2 anglers up the other end of the lake were sacking! I think they moved up there in numbers and they both couldnt get in quick enough!
I knew they were going to be first and second overall and I was hoping Id be 3rd...
I weighed 51-0-0  which was 3rd overall.
2nd had 72lb and the winner had 82lb.
I feel I would of struggled to have that but I enjoyed the day and I do really enjoy this lake.




Wednesday 11 January 2017

Saturday 7th January - Manor Farm

Manor farm leisure open
14 fishing. 
I drew peg 10 on boundary which has been a good area lately. 



I kept my approach simple. 
2 pellet lines, both at 14.5m. One straight in front and one off to my left.
Both rigs were the same. 
Map SD1 4*14 float, Colmic F1 spider mainline in 0.152
Stream hook length 0.10. 
Size 20 B911 with a lasso

One line straight in front of me and one off to my left. 

Bomb and bread rod. 
Colmic Next adventure 45 11ft rod. 
0.20 Colmic method line.
To an 0.152 spider hooklength. 

I was surprisingly ready before the start of the match so to kick it off I fed my line straight infront with 20 4mm pellets and chucked out the bomb and bread, with 2 10mm discs. 
Eagerly watching the tip for any liners or indications. I always watch the rod closely when fishing bread because I need to know if im fishing to far past the fish or if theres any fish in the area. 
No bites first cast so chucked it 10m further than where I did. 
2 minutes later an viscous liner turned to a nice indication and soon after a decent size F1 was in the net. 
I then continued on this and had another big F1 and a big mirror around 10lb and a small mirror. 
By now Frank Donachie was catching to my right but no one was really catching. 
Time to look on the pole. 
After around 5 minutes I hooked a nice skimmer on the pole which was a good sign. 
I perservered on the pole for the next hour and managed about 10 f1s. 
After around 2 hours I was doing ok but my good mate Frank Donachie was flying next peg and had probably 7 or 8 more fish than me, so I had to do something. 
I chucked out the bomb for 2 more casts after feeding both of my pole lines. 
Without an indiaction on this after half an hour I was soon back on the pole. 

For the remaining 2 and a quarter hours I decided to sit it out on the pole and got into a nice little rythmn. 

Id catch one on my left hand line where I had been feeding 15 4mm pellets via a cad pot and then go onto my other line and catch one where Id been pinging some bait straight infront of me. 

I feel pinging is better at manor farm as it seems to attract fish into the peg. 

Last hour seemed to slow right down and Frank didnt have a single bite and I had been plugging away catching the odd fish and felt now I wasn't to far behind. 
It was going to be close! 

Frank thought Id won and I thought he'd won.... 

I was right! 
Frank weighed 61-0-0 
And I weighed 57-2-0. 

Just needed my last hour to be a bit better! 
A big well done to Frank who won the match hes just awesome! 
Was great to have a bit of banter during the match which just makes the day better. 

My 57-2-0 put me 2nd overall and I really enjoyed the day!