Well its been a long time since I last put a blog together!
With lots going on at home and a general lack of an outlet for my ramblings I decided to knock it on the head for a while, but its time to start waffling again.
No point in putting 18 months worth of chitchat so here are a couple of highlights:
The last time I blogged, I would have been defending my Eight Bells A.C. club championship crown. Unfortunately I have not been able to re-claim that title and Warren won both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Coming back up to present day, it has been a difficult few months. Having broke my ankle in November, I only managed to start getting back on the bank in February so it has been a difficult winter personally.
However being laid up allowed me to reflect on my fishing and I have decided to strip things back and make my fishing even more simple than I used to. I am now sticking with a core couple of patterns of floats on the pole and stick with what I know works well for me.
2017 so far:
Back on the bank and walking very gingerly my first attempt was on my R.A.D.A.S. club water. Small fish were the order of the day and 2lb 3oz of bits and a bonus skimmer got me 2nd spot. My mate Bob won with 2lb 15oz so a good start back out.
Ice breakers was next on the list and with missing 3 of the rounds I was never going to be in the running for the title, but needed to get back to grips with F1 fishing. Extension was the pool and I drew an absolute flyer on peg 22.
Long story short I fished a horrible messy match, trying too many different things and trying to get my gear sorted. I got battered either side with 49lb on peg 24 and 41lb on peg 21. My miserly 19lb actually got me the section by default so every cloud and all that.
Next round was back to Tunnel on the top pool. Peg 1 was home for the day.
A reed bed to the right got me a couple of early dobbed bread fish. But I struggled to get a decent run together and felt the island at 14.5 metres across might hold a few fish. I had a cold wind blowing in my face so hoped the island might have gave some sanctuary. 3ft was perfect and a couple of pellet fish came from that line. Open water at 13 metres gave a few fish on Expander over 2mm but I was really hoping the Maggot would work the last couple of hours where I had been trickling Maggs in.
Two hours to go and it was time to look at 6 metres, a few fish were sat there and confident so I felt I got my tactics half right this time, but I was a few fish off the main framing places. 38lb 6oz put me in 5th and another section win...again by default.
It's been over a year since I visited Partridge lakes and a little 10 peg knock up on the Spey canal was next up. Peg 14 was a new one to me and like everyone else I really struggled until the last 90 mins. I managed to put 15lb in the net but the cold rain the previous night really hit sport. I beat either side of me and actually felt I fished a nice tidy match, I just couldn't seem to find any in those first few hours. 46lb won the match so I was miles away but not dis-heartened in the slightest.
And finally this week took me back to Packington Somers on the Little Geary's pool with the Ice Breakers. Temperature was going to be up to a barmy 15 degrees and there was a nice Southerly wind blowing down the lake. I knew there would be a weight and set myself an ambitious target of 90lb if they had a chew.
A pellet feeder line across was only for desperation as I felt the only way of putting a weight together would be to catch shallow or down the edge. I was certain the fish would want a munch so it was a toss up as to maggots or pellets (I would have gone with Caster had I had any) and decided on pellet.
Two pole lines...both at 13 metres. The left hand side was negative with just micro's being fed and an expander over the top. The right hand lane was positive with 4mm cupped in and regular 4mm pinged over the top.
Two short lines were also placed close in. 6 metres to the right at the bottom of the near shelf where Maggot and a little black swim stim was fed. And in 3 foot next to the roots down the bank where micro's and corn were fed.
Rig Wise involved a 4 x14 Malman Benni float, tied on .15 - 11 NGauge with a Guru F1 Pellet hook in a size 18 completed this rig. The close in Maggot line involved a 4 x 14 Preston Chianti with the same line and an 18 Guru Maggot hook.
Kicking off on the Maggot close in gave plenty of bites off palm sized skimmers and little stocky 5oz carp, this ticked over the first hour whilst the pellet lines settled.
Going long the negative line was certainly the best picking up better F1 around the 1lb mark. This was how I anticipated the peg to work and I was expecting the positive line to kick in with a couple of hours to go. I was catching odd fish but certainly not motoring so I tried to force the positive line. A couple of fish on a banded pellet on the bottom gave me some confidence and after getting some line bites I went in 2ft with a 6mm banded pellet under a preston tyson float. The laccy ripped out straight away and I thought it was game on.... it was game over. I couldn't muster another fish shallow, despite searching from 12inches down to 3ft.
However I always had confidence in the 3ft margin line. A piece of Corn over micros saw me catch steadily if not amazingly for the last 90 minutes. 63lb gave me 4th overall and another section win, but with two weights over 100lb I cannot help think I could have done better.
Well done to AJ and Jez for their ton ups. Not bad for early March :)
I am really looking forward to getting stuck into this year's fishing. As I have said in the past, if I cannot get out fishing then the next best thing is to write about it. If anything I write gets you a couple of extra bites or just whiles away a little bit of time...then job done.
Tight Lines Dave.
With lots going on at home and a general lack of an outlet for my ramblings I decided to knock it on the head for a while, but its time to start waffling again.
No point in putting 18 months worth of chitchat so here are a couple of highlights:
- July 2015 saw the final of the Garbolino Club Angler of the Year. Myself and John Berry both fished at Barston and despite a great practice the previous day, we both struggled to make inroads in the torrential rain. My 40lb of skimmers was a good day but 6lb or so off winning the section.
- September 2015 saw me visit Lindholme lakes for the very first time. I had a great weekend catching over 400lb. The highlight being 4th overall on a 100+ peg charity match across all lakes. A hectic 164lb of F1 and Barbel on Bennies lake gave me a new personal best match weight which I still haven't passed. We visited again last year and I had another great weekend, so Lindholme is definitely now a firm favourite.
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| With Lumps like this, I have become a big Lindholme fan. |
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| Loco - Crazy |
- Another highlight was with partner and club champ Warren Kirby in September last year. We managed to win a pairs match ran by my old mate Harry Warren at the Glebe Fishery. If you read my previous blogs you will know this is something I have wanted under my belt for some time. Wazza's section win (And match win overall) along with my section 2nd gave us the 3 points needed for the win.
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| Power Pairs Winners 2016 |
- My usual Spring Festival at Docklow pools was also a relative success. Despite blowing out on day one with 6 points I followed it up with 3 section wins that left me on 9 points and 6th overall with a total of 236lb. Weirdly I think I fished the remainder of the week with little pressure on my shoulders and I fished better for it.
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| Docklow Spring Invitational Festival 2016 Results |
- Winter 2015/16 also brought success. It was back with the Ice Breakers A.C. in the midlands with matches covering, Packington Somers, Tunnel Barn Farm and Barston lakes. Although I opened up the league with a win on High Pool at Tunnel, I couldn't muster anymmore but managed to stay consistent for the remainder of the league and pick up the title. I also managed to bag the pairs title with partner Sue Kettlewell so all in all an enjoyable winter and well ran by Keith Hanley.
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| Winter 2015/16 saw me take the Ice breakers title despite only winning once. |
The last time I blogged, I would have been defending my Eight Bells A.C. club championship crown. Unfortunately I have not been able to re-claim that title and Warren won both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Coming back up to present day, it has been a difficult few months. Having broke my ankle in November, I only managed to start getting back on the bank in February so it has been a difficult winter personally.
However being laid up allowed me to reflect on my fishing and I have decided to strip things back and make my fishing even more simple than I used to. I am now sticking with a core couple of patterns of floats on the pole and stick with what I know works well for me.
2017 so far:
Back on the bank and walking very gingerly my first attempt was on my R.A.D.A.S. club water. Small fish were the order of the day and 2lb 3oz of bits and a bonus skimmer got me 2nd spot. My mate Bob won with 2lb 15oz so a good start back out.
Ice breakers was next on the list and with missing 3 of the rounds I was never going to be in the running for the title, but needed to get back to grips with F1 fishing. Extension was the pool and I drew an absolute flyer on peg 22.
Long story short I fished a horrible messy match, trying too many different things and trying to get my gear sorted. I got battered either side with 49lb on peg 24 and 41lb on peg 21. My miserly 19lb actually got me the section by default so every cloud and all that.
Next round was back to Tunnel on the top pool. Peg 1 was home for the day.
A reed bed to the right got me a couple of early dobbed bread fish. But I struggled to get a decent run together and felt the island at 14.5 metres across might hold a few fish. I had a cold wind blowing in my face so hoped the island might have gave some sanctuary. 3ft was perfect and a couple of pellet fish came from that line. Open water at 13 metres gave a few fish on Expander over 2mm but I was really hoping the Maggot would work the last couple of hours where I had been trickling Maggs in.
Two hours to go and it was time to look at 6 metres, a few fish were sat there and confident so I felt I got my tactics half right this time, but I was a few fish off the main framing places. 38lb 6oz put me in 5th and another section win...again by default.
 |
| 38lb 6oz blows the cobwebs away. |
It's been over a year since I visited Partridge lakes and a little 10 peg knock up on the Spey canal was next up. Peg 14 was a new one to me and like everyone else I really struggled until the last 90 mins. I managed to put 15lb in the net but the cold rain the previous night really hit sport. I beat either side of me and actually felt I fished a nice tidy match, I just couldn't seem to find any in those first few hours. 46lb won the match so I was miles away but not dis-heartened in the slightest.
And finally this week took me back to Packington Somers on the Little Geary's pool with the Ice Breakers. Temperature was going to be up to a barmy 15 degrees and there was a nice Southerly wind blowing down the lake. I knew there would be a weight and set myself an ambitious target of 90lb if they had a chew.
A pellet feeder line across was only for desperation as I felt the only way of putting a weight together would be to catch shallow or down the edge. I was certain the fish would want a munch so it was a toss up as to maggots or pellets (I would have gone with Caster had I had any) and decided on pellet.
Two pole lines...both at 13 metres. The left hand side was negative with just micro's being fed and an expander over the top. The right hand lane was positive with 4mm cupped in and regular 4mm pinged over the top.
Two short lines were also placed close in. 6 metres to the right at the bottom of the near shelf where Maggot and a little black swim stim was fed. And in 3 foot next to the roots down the bank where micro's and corn were fed.
Rig Wise involved a 4 x14 Malman Benni float, tied on .15 - 11 NGauge with a Guru F1 Pellet hook in a size 18 completed this rig. The close in Maggot line involved a 4 x 14 Preston Chianti with the same line and an 18 Guru Maggot hook.
Kicking off on the Maggot close in gave plenty of bites off palm sized skimmers and little stocky 5oz carp, this ticked over the first hour whilst the pellet lines settled.
Going long the negative line was certainly the best picking up better F1 around the 1lb mark. This was how I anticipated the peg to work and I was expecting the positive line to kick in with a couple of hours to go. I was catching odd fish but certainly not motoring so I tried to force the positive line. A couple of fish on a banded pellet on the bottom gave me some confidence and after getting some line bites I went in 2ft with a 6mm banded pellet under a preston tyson float. The laccy ripped out straight away and I thought it was game on.... it was game over. I couldn't muster another fish shallow, despite searching from 12inches down to 3ft.
However I always had confidence in the 3ft margin line. A piece of Corn over micros saw me catch steadily if not amazingly for the last 90 minutes. 63lb gave me 4th overall and another section win, but with two weights over 100lb I cannot help think I could have done better.
Well done to AJ and Jez for their ton ups. Not bad for early March :)
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| Part of my 63lb on Little Geary's |
I am really looking forward to getting stuck into this year's fishing. As I have said in the past, if I cannot get out fishing then the next best thing is to write about it. If anything I write gets you a couple of extra bites or just whiles away a little bit of time...then job done.
Tight Lines Dave.
