Saturday 5th March

Manor farm open - I drew myself peg 34 on windmill pool. 

Never fished this peg but I know it's the shallower part of the lake. 

I was feeling optimistic as this peg fished well on Thursday in the mid-week open. 

Set my Colmic Airon F33 up at 13m and set up 3 rigs. 

2 pellet rigs set at dead depth and one rig for looking around the peg. 

All 3 rigs consisted of 0.15 spider line to an 0.11 hook length, fishing a banded pellet. 

I also kitted up 2 edge rigs as I had around 3.5ft at 14.5m down to my right. 

Started off by feeding my 13m line with around 30 pellets before chucking out bomb and bread to see what was about, 10 mintues past and I didnt have as much as a liner so had a quick look on the pole. 

I began catching steadily but the fish were only small and the wind was making presentation quite hard! 

I thought that the anglers down the other end would catch carp so I thought I needed to! 

After around 2 hours in I had about 25lb but bites were beginning to tail off. 

On this peg there's a nice long margin with about 3.5ft of water and with it bein so coloured I decided to fish it, 

2 rigs for fishing this were: 

0.15 spider line main - 0.13 hook length. Size 18 Hooks.

0.19 - 0.15 hook length size 16 hook. (Mans rig) just Incase it was solid. 

I fed a bit of micros and corn down there and after 20 minutes I shipped my Colmic Airon F33 out to 14.5m and had a look down the edge, Clunk!!! 

I then began catching a few down here and at one stage couldn't get it quick enough, 

Ended up fishing this till virtually the end of the match and with around 15 minutes to go managed to hook a late fish, weighing 20-8-0!!! 

I was amazed at how strong my Colmic pole was!!! Because I was fishing so tight to "the jungle" I had to hook them and just drag them to my left, this is where the mans rig came into its own! 

0.15 Spider line takes some breaking!!! 

I spoke to Gary Donachie who was on peg 22 (the other end) and he said he'd caught all F1s to my surprise! 

At the scales my mixed bag of carp + F1s went 103-4-0. 

Awesome day and really enjoyed using my pole down the edge!!! 

Another mirror I had... Weighing about 12 - 14lb. 

Sunday 28th February

Open at manor farm. 

A really good turn out, 30 people fishing. There were 4 lakes in so we were all spread out. 

I drew peg 25 Middle. I had a feeling the match would be won from middle but which peg is a different question. 

I didn't know what to expect so kitted up a few pole rigs and 2 rods. 

Started on the bomb and bread and had a carp around 6lb 15 minutes in. 

Decided to have a look on the pole and began catching steadily on pellets. 

At about 12:30 bites were getting further apart so set up a line to my left slightly at 15m. 

Caught a few fish on this before going onto my original line in the last hour and had a few more. Had around 20 fish to weigh 74-0-0 enough for the win! 

Had an awesome day, really enjoyed catching on the pole, haven't caught properly on it for ages!!! 

Saturday 27th February

Manor farm open - peg 23 island, this can be a good area and fancied it really as it's quite deep. 

Started on the bomb and had 1 early fish. 

Saw a few people beginning to catch around me so looked on the pole and caught steadily. 

Around half way through the match couldn't get a bite on anything until the last hour I put about 5 fish in the net. 

Finished with 52-4-0 for 5th overall. 

Sunday 21st February - manor farm open

Drew peg 11 on Middle pool. 

This lake can be so deceiving so didn't really know what to expect so just kitted up rods. 

Started catching well on the bomb and then alternated between this and a little feeder. 

Had a mixture of carp and F1s to weigh 92-8-0 putting me 2nd overall. 

Had a really enjoyable day despite the wind howling in my face! 

Saturday 20th February

Manor farm open. 

Not a lot to say really, wind in my face made things really difficult! 

Caught on the bomb to weigh 17lb for nowhere! 

Manor farm open -Sunday 14th February

After learning a lot about yesterday's match I knew it would be a difficult day. Middle and island pool in. Normally you need to be on Middle to win but sometimes island can produce! 

At the draw peg 27 Middle stuck to my hand. Can be a good area so was feeling optimistic. 

Kitted up a pellet rigs for fishing at 13m and 2 rods. 

Started on the bomb and bread like I normally do to see how my day was going to go, and also watch other people and see how there pegs respond. 

Around 5 minutes in a few indications on the tip turned into a pull round and Landing a rather chunky common. Then couldn't get a bite on this so had a look on the pole... 

A few minutes of waiting and lifting and dropping I started to put a few fish together. 

Going into the last hour things went quiet so chucked the bread again and had an F1. 

Decided to finish the match on the pole as on Middle pool sometimes you can catch well late on the pole. 

I then continued to put another 3 f1s in the net. 

At the all out I had around 14 fish. A mixture of carp and F1s. 

I weighed in 46-0-0 putting me 6th overall. 

Must try harder! 

Roll on next weekend! 

Manor farm open - Saturday 13th February

Middle and boundary pools were in for today's match and with some good weights coming off Middle lately I wanted to be on there! 

In the draw bag... comes out with peg 10 Middle. Can be an ok area but middles always the same. You just can't predict where it'll be won from. 

Kept the approach dead simple: 

2 pole rigs

2 rods. 

Started on the bomb and bread was having indications, next minute... Drop back fish on! I wound into an angry mirror that was soon in the net, weighing around 12lb. 

I then put another 3 big F1s in the net also on the bread. With an hour and 30 minutes in things went dead quiet and had a quick look on the pole line... Not a bite! 

That was that for the rest of the day... For the remainder of the match I stuck it out on the bomb and didn't have another liner or anything! The whole lake just switched off! 

My carp and 3 F1s went 25-0-0 putting me around 7th overall. But that's winter fishing!!!