What a random month May was!
The weather was rubbish and the fishing has been a mixture of ups and downs!
Fish O Mania Qualifier : Tunnel Barn Farm
I kicked off the month at Tunnel Barn Farm for the Fish O Mania qualifier. Having had some success a couple of winters ago I always look forward to "TBF". Stuffed with fish and you can park behind your peg...happy days.
I wasn't too happy when I drew the high pool though! My experience of this water in the past was very small fish around 6oz made up of F1 and little Barbel with the odd bonus fish upto 2lb.
I drew just off the point of the island and had my fingers crossed nobody was on that peg. Alas somebody rocked up and we had a bit of banter and fun with a bit of a fish race. Interestingly the chap next door kicked off tight to the island where as I cracked on with a top kit in the deeper water. The weather was a bit chilly so I thought across might get better as the day went on. We were fish for fish and at some points I was catching 2 to his 1 fish. But it was the last hour when I had to go across and he was definitely quicker than me. His ultra light elastic allowed him to throw his pole back...food for thought in the future.
Still it was a reasonable match with around 100+ fish for 62lb and 3rd on the lake. The lad on the point of the island did me by 8lb and won the section.
Eight Bells A.C: Bradshaw Fisheries Lake 3
I kicked off our Club Season at Bradshaw Fisheries in Bolton. We were on Lake 3 which we fished a few times last season. Last years result read...section win, match win and a fourth. So I felt reasonably confident. When I drew peg 4 on the "Chimney" I felt I had drawn well and knew the area would hold a few fish.
You can see the Chimney is around 9 metres to the left. Here there is around 7 feet of water which gradually slopes up left to right to around 5 feet. Here I fed a little Marukyu EFG131 and chopped worm.
I had a rig for next to the chimney where there was slack water as the lake had a real ripple on and a touch of undertow. A rig at 11 metres to the right in 5 feet feeding pellet and a shallow rig in case I could catch up in the water later. I also had a top kit line where I loosefed casters.
I kicked off on a small method feeder in open water in case the fish had backed off with the noise around the lake. No bites were forthcoming so it was over to the chimney, but I was concious I didn't want to abuse what fish were already present. There were plenty of small Barbel, Roach and Tench to be had but very small. My top kit yielded very little, it felt a little too chilly to bring the fish in close. Very odd F1 came to the pellet line. I could see the lads to my left were catching on their feeders in open water. I could sense the better fish were further out in the open water, but for some reason procrastinated switching. When I did with 90 minutes to go the fish were indeed "out there" and I was catching everyone up sharpish.
A 50/50 mix of standard feed pellets and my groundbait mix with a 6mm pellet did the trick, but I was left ruing my late switch, I should have gone with my gut half an hour earlier. 26lb gave me 2nd in section, just 2lb behind 3rd overall. Instead I came in a lowly 7th. Not a great start!
Wipe Your Tears Charity Match: Partridge Fishery Marsh and Spey pools
Next up it was to Partridge Lakes supporting a worthy cause with a charity match on Spey and Marsh pools. My drawing arm did me well with me pulling out Peg 8 on the Spey Canal. Ideally I would have preferred pegs 1-6 with the wind pushing down that way. But I was happy to have a bit of space to my left, I was just hoping the fish back off into the space.
Again howling wind and below average temperatures made presentation difficult across where I felt the fish would be comfortable. But I had two track lines with Caster and Pellet hoping to catch a few during any quiet spells. I was really hoping that I could snare a few on the meat as its getting to the time of year where it can fool a bigger stamp.
I plugged away with odd fish for the first couple of hours just trying to put fish in the keepnet, but I wasn't nervous. Over the last couple of seasons I have begun to realise how important the last couple of hours are. Not just margin fishing, but in general. A lot can happen on different lines and it is important to be confident in what your doing. I also believe I have got better at making things happen. In the past I have been guilty of waiting for things to happen, now I force the issue.
This match was a case in point where with 2 hours to go I chose an area on the far bank to the right of the rushes where I thought the fish would gather later in the day. I purposely left this for the final push. Micro pellets (I would have used hemp if I had any) and meat got the better stamp switched on and 60lb 2oz gave me 3rd overall. Around half of this was probably in the last 90 minutes. Proof not to panic and have that "late line" either primed or ready to start a fresh.
Check out a worthy cause: http://www.wipeyourtears.org.uk/
Next up it was time for the big one....
The weather was rubbish and the fishing has been a mixture of ups and downs!
Fish O Mania Qualifier : Tunnel Barn Farm
I kicked off the month at Tunnel Barn Farm for the Fish O Mania qualifier. Having had some success a couple of winters ago I always look forward to "TBF". Stuffed with fish and you can park behind your peg...happy days.
I wasn't too happy when I drew the high pool though! My experience of this water in the past was very small fish around 6oz made up of F1 and little Barbel with the odd bonus fish upto 2lb.
I drew just off the point of the island and had my fingers crossed nobody was on that peg. Alas somebody rocked up and we had a bit of banter and fun with a bit of a fish race. Interestingly the chap next door kicked off tight to the island where as I cracked on with a top kit in the deeper water. The weather was a bit chilly so I thought across might get better as the day went on. We were fish for fish and at some points I was catching 2 to his 1 fish. But it was the last hour when I had to go across and he was definitely quicker than me. His ultra light elastic allowed him to throw his pole back...food for thought in the future.
Still it was a reasonable match with around 100+ fish for 62lb and 3rd on the lake. The lad on the point of the island did me by 8lb and won the section.
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| High Pool was busy but the fish too small. |
Eight Bells A.C: Bradshaw Fisheries Lake 3
I kicked off our Club Season at Bradshaw Fisheries in Bolton. We were on Lake 3 which we fished a few times last season. Last years result read...section win, match win and a fourth. So I felt reasonably confident. When I drew peg 4 on the "Chimney" I felt I had drawn well and knew the area would hold a few fish.
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| Bad decision making at Peg 4 on Bradshaw No3 lake. |
You can see the Chimney is around 9 metres to the left. Here there is around 7 feet of water which gradually slopes up left to right to around 5 feet. Here I fed a little Marukyu EFG131 and chopped worm.
I had a rig for next to the chimney where there was slack water as the lake had a real ripple on and a touch of undertow. A rig at 11 metres to the right in 5 feet feeding pellet and a shallow rig in case I could catch up in the water later. I also had a top kit line where I loosefed casters.
I kicked off on a small method feeder in open water in case the fish had backed off with the noise around the lake. No bites were forthcoming so it was over to the chimney, but I was concious I didn't want to abuse what fish were already present. There were plenty of small Barbel, Roach and Tench to be had but very small. My top kit yielded very little, it felt a little too chilly to bring the fish in close. Very odd F1 came to the pellet line. I could see the lads to my left were catching on their feeders in open water. I could sense the better fish were further out in the open water, but for some reason procrastinated switching. When I did with 90 minutes to go the fish were indeed "out there" and I was catching everyone up sharpish.
A 50/50 mix of standard feed pellets and my groundbait mix with a 6mm pellet did the trick, but I was left ruing my late switch, I should have gone with my gut half an hour earlier. 26lb gave me 2nd in section, just 2lb behind 3rd overall. Instead I came in a lowly 7th. Not a great start!
Wipe Your Tears Charity Match: Partridge Fishery Marsh and Spey pools
Next up it was to Partridge Lakes supporting a worthy cause with a charity match on Spey and Marsh pools. My drawing arm did me well with me pulling out Peg 8 on the Spey Canal. Ideally I would have preferred pegs 1-6 with the wind pushing down that way. But I was happy to have a bit of space to my left, I was just hoping the fish back off into the space.
Again howling wind and below average temperatures made presentation difficult across where I felt the fish would be comfortable. But I had two track lines with Caster and Pellet hoping to catch a few during any quiet spells. I was really hoping that I could snare a few on the meat as its getting to the time of year where it can fool a bigger stamp.
 |
| Peg 8 on Spey lake is a consistent area. |
This match was a case in point where with 2 hours to go I chose an area on the far bank to the right of the rushes where I thought the fish would gather later in the day. I purposely left this for the final push. Micro pellets (I would have used hemp if I had any) and meat got the better stamp switched on and 60lb 2oz gave me 3rd overall. Around half of this was probably in the last 90 minutes. Proof not to panic and have that "late line" either primed or ready to start a fresh.
Check out a worthy cause: http://www.wipeyourtears.org.uk/
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| 3rd Place behind Chris Weeder Snr and Carl McCormack at Partridge |
Garbolino Club Angler of the Year at Tunnel Barn Farm
Next up it was time for the match I had been waiting for. Having finished club champion I really wanted to do well on this event and with 168 other anglers on the bank I wasn't too fussed where I drew, in fact I was almost hoping for a tough section as I felt this might give me the best opportunity to qualify. After blowing out last year I was ultra determined to fish a disciplined match and fish to my strengths. Also on the match was John Berry who finished 2nd in our Club Championship race in 2014.
Peg 38 on the New Pool stuck to my mitt. Mixed emotions went through my mind as I had never fished the water, but upon inspection of the peg I definitely fancied it. It was on the corner of an island with a spare peg to my right and an inviting bay to my left. It offered shelter from yet another windy day, but all the scum had blown down into the bay to my left and with only around 9 metres of water across in front of me I wasn't sure how to approach.
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| Peg 38 looked inviting but had loads of scum on the surface. |
My rough plan was to feed maggots regularly into the open water with a view to catching fish shallow later in the match. I quickly realised the maggots were not getting through the scum, even trying with 4mm dampened pellets I didn't feel comfortable the plan would work.
I managed a number of Ide close in to my left and some F1 across next to the reedbed on the corner of the island. I could see 3 other anglers and nobody was really emptying it so I plugged away. But again I had left an area directly in front of me and primed it (Just out of the picture) in front of some tree roots, I could see the bank was undercut. After two hours I got stuck into small F1 after F1 on JPZ over fishery micros. Whilst doing this I had my trump card to my right...a nice flat 2 and half foot of water in front of the reeds. Here I fed meat with overwet groundbait. It was here I went for the last 90 minutes and plundered a much better stamp of F1 with the odd carp.
I weighed in 87lb 10oz and looking at the weights it appeared I had done quite well and looked like I may qualify. Indeed that was the case and I also finished 6th overall. I was a little gutted as 5th and the main prizes was 87lb 12oz and I missed my keepnet with a 6oz F1! However qualifying was the goal and its onto Barston Lakes in July!
The other great thing is that John who drew on the Extension pool also qualified and finished 4th overall with 89lb. This competition has been good for the Eight Bells A.C. as our Club Champ of 2013 Nick Haymes not only qualified last year but finished 2nd Overall at Cob House pools. As I said to the other lads, we are not as daft as we all look. The Eight Bells has talent!
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| John Berry and I celebrate qualification to the Garbolino CAOY final at Barston. Bring it on! |
And finally to finish the month we were back on the bank with the Eight Bells A.C. at Cudmore Fisheries panama canal. Filled with confidence from Tunnel Barn I fancied catching a few wherever I drew. But the match was absolutely dire. One of our new members Matt James won with 29lb but back up weights were pretty poor. I struggled for 13lb and 8th overall!
In conclusion the month has been a mixed bag. In the bigger matches I have done well and performed, yet on my club matches I have struggled to make in-roads. If I am to defend my title and make the CAOY qualifiers again next year I must start picking up better points. Still there are 14 matches to go so no need to panic.
And last but not least, I have to give a massive shout out to the rest of the lads who fished a team competition at Tunnel Barn Farm. The match was sponsored by Argos and run the event annually. The club put out the strongest team possible to see if we can compete with the other teams that included some top open anglers.
The team consisting of Match Secretary Steve Brooks, Warren Kirby, Nick Haymes, John Berry, Eric Bagley and Chris "The Raider" Pickering won the team event overall by a decent margin. Nick Haymes also won the match overall individually from Extension pool with 175lb...Awesome!
Well done lads! Eight Bells got talent.
Until next month and Tight Lines
Dave
This months blog is dedicated to Eric Bagley who is recovering in hospital. Get well soon big man!
In conclusion the month has been a mixed bag. In the bigger matches I have done well and performed, yet on my club matches I have struggled to make in-roads. If I am to defend my title and make the CAOY qualifiers again next year I must start picking up better points. Still there are 14 matches to go so no need to panic.
And last but not least, I have to give a massive shout out to the rest of the lads who fished a team competition at Tunnel Barn Farm. The match was sponsored by Argos and run the event annually. The club put out the strongest team possible to see if we can compete with the other teams that included some top open anglers.
The team consisting of Match Secretary Steve Brooks, Warren Kirby, Nick Haymes, John Berry, Eric Bagley and Chris "The Raider" Pickering won the team event overall by a decent margin. Nick Haymes also won the match overall individually from Extension pool with 175lb...Awesome!
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| L-Warren Kirby. LB- John Berry. LF -Steve Brookes. Nick Haymes. RF -Chris Pickering. RB -Eric Bagley |
Until next month and Tight Lines
Dave
This months blog is dedicated to Eric Bagley who is recovering in hospital. Get well soon big man!
