The Glorious Glebe

With the theme of my blogs all about improvement, this month of May took me back to one of my favourite waters... Mallory Park Fisheries in Leicestershire and more notably the Excellent Glebe Complex.

Last year I took part in a doubles match at the complex and drew an end peg catching a couple of Carp on the Feeder and a number of fish on the pole down the Margins on Corn and Paste to weigh 102lb 2oz for 6th in the Match. My only regret on this match was not attacking the margins earlier.

Having enjoyed that day and being really impressed with the complex, I bit the bullet when Maver announced the complex was to be used as a qualifier for their "Match This" event and bought a ticket.

Cutting a very long story short.. I got my "Hat nailed on"!! by a regular angler to my right who weighed over 140lb for 6th overall in the contest. My Miserly 35lb gave me real food for thought. This guy caught the majority of his fish tight across on Lake 7 using the feeder, casting very accurately inches from the bank.

With the complex being membership only, it is difficult to have a practice. But when Fishery Owner Roy Marlow invited me back the following day I wanted to try and put into practice a mixture of Feeder and Margin fishing. I wanted to prove to myself more than anything my tactics were not way off the mark.

The Session
Just like last year's doubles match I decided to attack an end peg on lake 6 of the complex. Weather was a pleasant 14 degrees with a nice breeze blowing into my bank. The previous day the Margins did not really produce on any lakes and with the wind being a North Easterly, I was a little nervous about the edge swim.

Lake 6 on the Beautiful Glebe Complex was the chosen venue for the day

Bait wise I wanted to keep things simple and use a Cage feeder set up with a mixture of groundbait and loose offerings. Marukyu EFG 161 was the chosen mix.

Of all the available Marukyu range the most popular seem to be EFG 131 and 151 and for good reason. But for me the 161 is massively under rated. It is labelled as a method feeder mix, but I find the red tinged mix versatile for anything. So I intend to use this both in the feeder and down the edge.

Tutti Frutti flavoured corn, natural corn with hemp and dead maggots made up the hookbaits. Potentially a little early in the year, but I also mixed some Marukyu AFP 310 Paste which has a beautiful sweet almost marzipan smell, this was to be used down the edge. I also had a cap full of SFA450 Sanagi additive in a cap to glug my baits if things went stale.

The bait tray was kept simple with everything based around EFG 161 Groundbait

Feeder Tackle :
Maver Powerlite 11ft Feeder rod
TDX3012 Reel loaded with 6.6lb Daiwa TDR Line
15 inches 0.18mm Hooklength to 16 Korum Barbless Carp hook
20g Prestons Mesh feeder

The complex enforces a very strict "No Method" rule and the bait must be presented a minimum 20 inches away from the feeder. Everything at the complex is geared towards the safety of the fish and the environment. There is an element of "Traditional" fishing and values at the complex and that really appeals to me. I know there will be times during the session I wished my hooklength was a mere 4 inches from my feeder, but its a rule I must overcome.

My Anti tangle feeder rig

The rig consists of the feeder running on a simple bead and snap link, a rubber float stopper is used as a buffer. Below there are is a 5 inch loop, into which I tie 3 more loops. This creates a stiff link that kicks the hooklength away from the feeder on impact reducing tangles. The hooklength is simply attached to the final loop. I had 2 x 15 inch hooklengths made up, 1 with a quickstop on a hair and the other with the hair cut off to simply straight hook dead maggots.

The peg was around 35-40 yards to the far bank. I had the inviting corner but after a few practice casts it became clear the bottom was very snaggy. However my main plan was to fish to the post which each peg has on the far bank. Remembering my lessons from the previous day, the local angler used this as a marker to drop literally inches off the bank. I clipped up and made a number of practice casts to get as close to the bank as possible.

Margin Tackle :
Daiwa Tournament X pole
Rig 1 Corn : 4x12 Jim Standish Margin Float .16 Silstar Straight through to 16 Drennan Margin Wide Gape hook
Rig 2 Paste : 4x10 J-Series Wire Stem .17 Guru Ngauge Straight through to 14 Kamasan B911 hook
Black Hydrolastic

Left: Paste rig. Right: Corn rig.

Around 10 metres to my left was an inviting inlet pipe, plumbing around I found a small flat bay just beyond and another submerged pipe with around 2 feet of water at 12.5 metres. Here would be my main pole attack. Again learning from last years match, would the fish feed earlier with the wind blowing into this area, or would it be the same story as the previous day's match. I decided to attack it from the off and let it settle for an hour or so. Here I introduced 3 pole cups of loose EFG161 laced with dead maggots and a few grains of hemp and corn.

Margin line just beyond the inlet pipe

I kicked off on the feeder introducing 3 quick feederfuls of my groundbait mix with 5 dead maggots on the hook. I wanted to get bait in as I felt the previous day I did not cast enough and keep the fish interested. Line bites began after 4 or 5 casts and my first real wrap around came 35 minutes into the session. A procession of good stamp carp averaging 5-6lb came to the net, including a stunning Ghost Carp. Things then became a little more finicky with a few foul hooked fish. So it was off with the normal hooklength and on with the hair-rigged quickstop with double tutti frutti corn. My thinking was the heavier corn would sit better on the deck rather than wafting up as the dead maggots would. The trick worked and after around 2 hours I had around 50lb in the net.
Foul hooking became a problem again, and I felt there were too many fish feeding on the groundbait. I decided to only fill the feeder every 2nd fish, this brought another steady stream of fish over the next 30 minutes.

Time to look on the pole and with double corn fished an inch overdepth, I was amazed when the float disappeared immediately. A small carp around 2lb was the culprit. This became a theme with a number of small fish coming from down the edge. A change to the Paste rig and a large lump of AFP310 wrapped around a grain of corn. In this depth of water I don't like to use any shot down the line and just use the weight of the paste to set the float. The J-range float has a thick wire stem ensuring the line stays straight in the breeze whilst shipping out. First drop on the paste and wallop! A much larger stamp carp around 7lb came to the net. Alternating between a double corn hookbait and the paste the theme was the same...Small carp on Corn, Lumps on Paste. The AFP310 definitely sorted out the bigger fish.

This Beautiful Mirror of around 9lb fell to the AFP310 Hookbait

I got into a rhythm of feeding a pot full of loose crumb after every 2nd fish and if the bites dried up, I would have a quick look on the feeder looking to nick the odd fish. Bearing in mind It was only 2 and a half hours into the session (around 1.30pm) when I went onto the margin line, I was surprised even with the breeze blowing into the bank, how many fish had come over the feed. Its all too easy to think the fish only come in close towards the end of the day.

Conclusion: 
It is never easy learning from a battering off somebody else, I could have easily let my chin drop and think to myself I didn't have a clue about the Glebe and how to approach the venue. And although I was essentially pleasure fishing, with more accurate casting and a more measured approach to the margin line I put together way over 100lb of Carp, tench and Bream.

I believe that the under rated EFG161 and its lovely red tinge and over 40 attractants made a real difference. After all Marukyu products are designed to be fishing bait and not just fish food. The paste almost certainly pulled out the better stamp down the edge and my balanced rigs on both pole and feeder meant I lost very few fish... and these fish pull back!

One thing is for certain I cannot wait to get back!

Thanks goes to Roy Marlow at Mallory Park Fisheries for allowing me to do this feature.
For more information on Marukyu products visit www.Marukyu.co.uk for your nearest stockist.

A selection of the fish from my 100lb+ day on the Glebe

P.s. The following day I used the same feeder tactics and similar margin tactics to record 93lb 8oz on the Marukyu Media match. Again not enough to worry the locals, but a distinct improvement on the Match This result.

Tight lines.

What a difference a month makes!

Thermals and Silly Hats even in April

It was just over a month ago when I attempted to use a chopped worm and caster approach for a mixed silvers bag in sub zero temperatures...oh how I wished I had done that feature this week!

Spring has arrived at last! This Months blog looks at my latest festival attempt and how I have tried to improve my fishing.

As I have stated previously, for me Match Fishing is all about improving. I do not have the natural gift of making the right changes at the right times during a competition. I have to learn each time on the bank and use what I have learnt in any given situation.
For me the old saying "practice makes perfect" really is true.

Let me give a little overview of what I have been up to in April.  Since the snow melt at the end of March Temperatures have steadily been improving and with the longer daylight hours the fish were waking up, However I still felt a cautious approach was needed.

April Action :

First up was the second match of the year for my Eight Bells Angling Club. Around 25 of us visited Orcheton House Fishery in Lancashire. Known for its Carp, Barbel and Trout! Upon arrival I heard the the aerators had been working all night to keep the ice clear for the match. I knew instantly it would be a small fish match as the cold water turning over all night would be bad for sport, turning the lake into a cold soup.
My thought process was justified, fishing 3 feet deep in 12 feet of water I placed over 60 roach on the scales for 7lb 4oz and 2nd place using maggot.

The middle of the Month took me to Boldings Pools for the 2nd Fish O Mania qualifier. I drew on the stock pond at the back of the complex with 10 of us crammed on... it was never going to be a winner.
Grant Albutt won the lake with 46lb. I managed 21lb of Silvers and a couple of carp for nowhere, but had plenty of bites. Again up in the water.

Crane Hall near Blackpool was the next venue for the Eight Bells A.C. Skimmers and Carp would be the target but with Gale force winds and cold rain I decided on a "fish for anything" approach. A double bulk rig with maggot fished over Marukyu EFG 140 Tanishi caught me a nice carp and double figures of small skimmers for a 4th overall and section win with 17lb 3oz.
(I did note my feeding was a little erratic and I should have fished a little more tidy)

And lastly I wanted to re-visit a water I really enjoyed last year and enter the Saturday open at Blundells Fishery in Manchester. Trio Pool is known for its weights of F1 carp and this is where I chose on this rover match.

I sat on a peg I have not fished before, but really enjoyed a days fishing catching good stamp F1s over EFG 120/130 mixed 50/50 with Corn on the hook. This lovely fluffy mix I am sure attracted a bigger stamp allowing me to place 76lb 8oz on the scales for a section win and 7th overall.

With weights on the up it was time to think more positive for my upcoming festival  ....

The Dave Jack Invitational Spring Festival
Docklow Pools, Leominster, Herefordshire.

Format : 
60 Anglers. 4 Lakes : Match Pool, Farmer Jack, Stock Pond and Snake Lake
(Snake weights not included on countback)

Each Lake divided into 3 sections of 5 anglers. 1 point for a section win up to 5 points for last in section.

This Festival has been running in one form or another for over 20 years and with Dave Jack and Phil Hoad at the helm for such a long time it was down to the brothers Bozward (Jonathan and Simon) to do the admin side of things allowing Dave and Phil more time to enjoy their fishing.

Essex and the South of England make up the majority of the competitors on the festival, with a few holiday makers and regulars also invited to fish. Of the 60 anglers around 40 of these would be good Club/Open standard. The atmosphere is very light hearted where tactics, information and stories are all shared readily in the bar or restaurant of an evening where the draw takes place.

Although this is no Parkdean or big sponsored event, the standard is high and the prestige that goes with the title is what its all about. Pride and status is always at stake.

In 2012 I finished 18th overall, the format was different with the whole lake being 1 section with points going from 1st to 15th.

I also finished 9th in the October Festival with the newer smaller section format so wanted to improve. My Aim was for a top 10 placing.

Preparation involved making rigs, tying hooklengths, cleaning poles, checking reel lines, elastics, feeders, buying bait etc etc ... the list is endless.

My draw put me in group D which had a rotation of Day 1 Stock Pond, Day 2 Match Pool, Day 3 Farmer Jack and Day 4 Snake Lake.

Day 1 
Stock Pond Peg 6

Pegs 17-21 are noted good pegs on the opposite bank with pegs 2,4,5 being the best in my section. Peg 6 is not a great draw, despite the inviting looking  island opposite the stock pond is full of F1 carp and it really can be a speed race, 16 Metres is not really viable.

I decided on a maggot approach hopefully catching on a top kit only. Also corn and meat as a change bait to my left down the edge may snare a few late fish.  One thing I did decide to do was wear headphones and listen to music. A bit of a strange one but I knew I would hear a lot of splashing to my right from the noted pegs in my section. I really did not want to be distracted by this.

I found 2-3ft of water at the end of my top kit and caught well for 4 hours or so with a mixture of F1, Ide, Skimmers and Roach. The key was to not panic when after 5 minutes the F1s had backed off. Just up the feed and bring them back. (I used 3 pints of Maggots)

I did have a throw away 6 metre line with micro pellets and JPZ fished over the top, this did allow the short line to rest for a few moments and caught extra fish. All the while I was feeding grains of meat and corn to my left for late on, this worked well, however In hindsight I should have not fed by hand and instead potted in with 2 hours to go. I feel I may have split the shoal as the 2 swims were a little close together.

Weight 93lb + 2nd in Section 2 points

Dave Jack Jr caught well from one line all-day to weigh a superb 104lb and win the section.

Day 2
Match Pool Peg 2

Match Pool Peg 2

The match pool had fished well on day 1 with good weights of carp coming down into the margins late in the day, with some fish caught on the lead/method during the middle of the match. Pegs 8 and 10 were in my section and were the ones to beat, with 100lb + off peg 10 the previous day.

The Match Pool is a real mixed water and you can almost have too many options. I decided on a chopped worm and caster approach at 13 metres with the view to catching silvers, in turn attracting carp. Upon arriving at the peg there were many big fish cruising around at my end of the lake. This sent my mind racing and I quickly assembled a 4grm Waggler with a view to catching some of these big fish from under the surface. A straight lead was also assembled as just beyond peg 1 I had a lovely margin and a noted feature called "The Christmas tree". I would feed with 2 hours to go down the margin with Corn and hopefully add some extra weight.

The plan never really panned out on the long pole and a number of Ruffe and Skimmers were all I could manage. I decided to concentrate on the waggler and it paid off with several fish caught fishing a single piece of 8mm meat 18 inches deep and literally casting to the fishes nose. I also caught a number of F1 carp on the lead from the inviting Christmas Tree. If I was to fish the peg again, I would have fished a Method feeder in both Open water and towards the Tree to introduce more bait and wait for the margins late on.

My Margin I fed very aggressively with 4 pots of Corn to 2 sides. But I felt I chose an area too deep and foul hooked a number of fish. I only managed one carp around 8lb where as pegs 4 and 6 were catching well... I would learn from this going forward.

Weight 53lb 10oz 3rd in section 3 points.

Mervyn "Wag" Waghorn used the Method and margins to great effect for a terrific weight of 92lb+ from peg 6 to take the section.

(After day 2 I was lying in joint 18th. I needed 2 section wins from the final two days if I was to make my aim of a top 10 finish)

Day 3
Farmer Jack peg 35

The Farmer Jack had been fairly consistent the previous 2 days. My peg had produced 27lb and 35lb respectively. I was a little worried as this was the final day to put some more weight onto my total. I needed to be aggressive against solid pegs 39, 43 and 45 which were also in my section.

Whilst tackling up I noticed again a number of carp on the surface moving in packs. I expected everybody to follow my lead the previous day and set up wagglers. But whilst listening to the usual bankside talk I kept hearing the same line " Ignore those on the top, they are not feeding". Now I agree with this to an extent. The temperature was up to 18 degrees and a beautiful day. But present a bait on their noses and sometimes they will instinctively eat it ... It worked the previous day so the waggler was out first!

There is a healthy head of F1 carp in the Jack so a pole line at 13 metres with pellet and Chopped Worm and Caster at 11 Metres to the right was my opening gambit. I plumbed the margins and found found a perfect 2 feet to my left and again a slightly deeper edge to my right. Today I had to put right how I mucked up the edge on the Match lake.

Again the long pole just did not work. A couple of Stockies and bits on both pellet and Worm was all I could Muster. I also tried feeding 6mm pellets long with a view to fishing shallow, but to no avail. So again the waggler was out, I am reasonably accurate when casting the rod and line from the old days on canals and rivers and every cast was on the Money.

I soon snaffled a double figure carp with 5 maggots on the hook. Another one followed and then I lost one whilst in the landing net... These were big fish and I struggled to lift the net, in turn it flipped back into the water and broke me. Shortly after another fish so powerful broke me under the rod tip.... time to beef up!

Final couple of hours and rather than dump lots of bait in at once like the previous day, I decided to feed to my bites and after each fish. The left Margin was to be my main line with Meat and Corn. Right hand all my left over Chopped worm and Casters would be used. Worm can be deadly down the edge and is often overlooked.

All the time I am fishing the waggler, lady Angler Muriel Wadsworth on peg 39 was catching steadily from the margins all-day (Had I slipped up or would the final burst work?)

The plan worked with a succession of Stocky Carp, F1, and larger carp coming to my net. I knew it would be close, so in the last 20 minutes I changed from a Grey Hydro elastic to Black to hopefully land these powerful fish a little quicker. Again the trick worked with a double figure common being landed just before the final whistle.

It was interesting the left hand margin was by far the most productive line. It could have been the meat and corn rather than the worm, but more likely that more comfortable feeding depth of 2ft.

Weight 81lb + Section Win 1 point

Muriel fished a fantastic match on peg 39 to weigh 75lb+ and if it was not for my late plan to change elastics, she may well have pipped me for the section.

(After day 3 I sat in Joint 2nd on 6 points leading on weight. Two others are sat on 5 points. A section win on day 4 and a slip up by the other 2 could crown me champion)

Peg 40 on the Snake ... My Nemesis ! 

Final Day 4
Snake Peg 40

The Snake like is a canal type venue which is split into 2 sides. 1 section would be on the "carp side" where there is a number of F1 and bonus carp to target as well as silvers. I drew peg 40 on the opposite "Silver side" on a not very good peg.  4lb+, 12oz and 8lb+ had been the previous 3 days weights so I was not filled with confidence. Pegs 43 and 49 have been consistent.

For me the Snake is to be fished exactly the same as a Canal. It takes me back to my teens on the Rochdale, Huddersfield Narrow, Bridgewater and Sankey Canals. 2 distinctive shelves with lots of cover across the far and near sides. Light lines and frugal feeding is needed. The snake fishes progressively worse as the week wears on, but catch it right and 30-40lb of silvers are on the cards.

I must win this section off a bad peg, so what is the plan! I chose 2 lines on the far bank, one on the shelf in 2 feet of water and one in a nice hole under a tree at the bottom of the far shelf in around 4 feet. I also chose a track line at 7 metres, the water is very clear so 3 ft between the float and pole tip. I also had lots of space to my right, so a track line 15 metres down to the right was put in. Chopped worm would be fed with a squirt of Murukyu Krill Liquid. Red Maggot to be the hookbait.

A small Chub and Roach from the hole under the tree settled the nerves. Although a couple of ounces a piece my doubled 4 elastic was needed to make sure nothing bolted into the overhanging brambles and every fish would be netted. A couple of skimmers from the track at 15 metres were also taken. But it was the track line at 7 metres in nearly feet of water where Ide, Tench, Crucians, Perch and Roach were taken in a quick 45 minute burst. I estimated around 5lb in the net after 2 hours.

I could also hear fish being caught to my right (Should have worn the headphones again!) and with the snake traditionally being difficult in the last 2 hours I expected a nervous wait for bites. With 2 hours to go and only a few more small roach to show, I started a new line at 9 metres towards the far shelf in the track. I added extra water to my Chopped worm to create more of a sloppy cloud and hopefully draw some fish from the far side cover into the depths of the track to feed.

The plan worked and 2 good stamp Ide around 1lb a piece soon came to the net. But with 30 minutes to go...Disaster! another Ide around  the same stamp did its usual flappy dance on the surface and my 6 elastic sprang back. Gutted!

There was nothing I could do but hope. Bill Taylor on peg 49 was first to weigh and although Bill is not so good on his legs anymore he is a former winner of this very festival and weighed a staggering 11lb 3oz. I was dumbfounded and knew I could not match that. It made the loss of the Ide that little bit less painful. Other weights in section weighed 5lb 8oz. 6lb 10oz. 9lb 8oz and then my turn.

I couldn't believe it when the scales read back 10lb 8oz. I had missed the section by a mere 11oz. The Ide had cost me dearly! I felt some comfort in that I had the best weight off a poor peg all week, but that extra point in the final standings meant I  was unlikely to win the festival.

Weight 10lb 8oz 2nd in Section 2 points. 

Total 4 days Cumulative Weight 229lb+ (Excluding Snake) Total of 8 points

After 4 days fishing a variety of methods and tactics I finished on 8 points. As it happened so did a number of others, but luckily my weight of over 229lb meant that I sealed 6th place overall in the festival, which is an improvement on my past festivals. My good mate and housemate for the week Sean Stewart also finished on 8 points but with a weight of over 250lb pipped me to 5th place.

Collecting my 6th place Prize from specialist angler and top bloke Des Taylor

A big Well done to Barry Rodgers from Essex who won the festival with a total of 6 points.

2nd place went to Harry Hales also from Essex.
3rd place came Keith Harris from Swindon.
4th place to Andy "Pants" Barrow from Essex.
5th Place Sean Stewart from Birmingham.

The great weather and company made for a fantastic festival and a big thank you to all staff at Docklow Pools. For the full weights and breakdown of results as well as more info on the venue visit : www.Docklowpools.com or email Jonathan Docklowpools@hotmail.com

Final Day : Snake Lake Silvers Open

Just to finish off this Month, I was glutton for punishment and on my final day entered into the open on the Snake lake. After 4 days of fishing I expected it to be difficult, but enjoyed a lovely day on Peg 34 catching Ide, Perch, Crucians, Chub, Tench, Roach and Skimmers using similar tactics to Day 4 of the festival. 16lb 1oz gave me 3rd spot.

1st Brian Clay Yorkshire 29lb
2nd Eric Davies Staffs 24lb 10oz
3rd Dave Eastwood Manchester 16lb 1oz
4th Steve Greaves Bury 15lb 15oz

Here is to a fish filled May.
Dave

My Final Day in Herefordshire 16lb 1oz of Silvers

Winter/Spring Commercial Silvers

Venue : Docklow Pools Herefordshire - Mickey Mouse Lake

Tackle/Bait : Daiwa Tournament Pro X Pole. Silstar Match Team line, Drennan Maggot Carp Hooks, Jim Standish Pole floats.

Fishery 2mm Pellets, Red Maggots, Dendrobena Worms, Casters, Marukyu JPZ, Marukyu SFA 450 Liquid Krill.

The Session :

Spring and Autumn time is normally my favourite part of the year as one of my favourite baits comes into its own .... worms! 

Its the last week in March and officially Spring time, but with these Arctic conditions we have been facing it doesn't feel very springlike with cold easterly winds giving the daytime temperature around -3 chill factor. With snow melting into the water I was wondering if I would get any bites, let alone demonstrate catching something.

The water in the Mickey Mouse lake at Docklow normally has a nice tinge of colour to it at this time of the year and the fish will usually feed as they think about Spawning. But the water clarity is very clear and I imagine spawning is the last thing on their minds.

In normal conditions I would look to fish a mixture of Chopped Worms and Casters with a glug of Liquid Krill around 8-9 metres in a nice flat area to try and kick start the swim and get some fish in the net. I would also loose feed casters regularly at around 5 metres at an angle and look for signs of fish shallow. 

Today is a different beast with the weather as bad as it is....indeed the Docklow Classic Final was fished the previous day on the adjacent Match Pool and 20lb was all that was needed to win. So today I will look to fish long. 13 metres is fed with Fishery Micros and a few red maggots. 9 Metres for the worm and caster at an angle away from my main long line. One thing I always do is take a reading of the water temperature. And despite the freezing conditions I was surprised the water temperature was 7 degrees, which gave me some encouragement.

The thinking behind the 9 metre line was to feed regular maggots over the top (3 or 4 every minute) and gauge how the fish were feeding. Worms and Maggots are relatively instant baits and it would give me a good idea. 2 rigs were made up for the 9 metre line both .10 main line to 0.8 hooklength. The first rig was for fishing on the bottom an inch over depth and was a Jim Standish Chianti Style float of 4x10 in 3 feet of water with the shot strung out, aiming to search the whole depth and find the fish, this was connected to Pink Hydro.

 The 2nd rig a 4x8 Float set 18 inches deep, just in case the fish were sat mid-depth connected to doubled Preston 4, nice and soft as I do not want fish splashing on the surface if I did find them shallow.

My Long line contained a 4x12 Jim Standish Slimzee with a slightly larger 18 B911 F1 hook fished on 0.10 straight through to Blue Hydro. This line I was hoping to attract some Skimmers and better roach over the Pellet and catch on the bottom, maybe even the odd F1 would make an appearance. Regular small toss pots of micros would be introduced and I would then feed to bites (If I got any!)

First put in over the worm and I caught a small chublet on a single red maggot. A good sign if the chub arrive in numbers, but they did not. Despite plugging away regularly loose feeding maggots to keep a trickle of bait dropping through the water, I could only manage 3 more chublets and a small perch...I knew it was going to be hard. In normal conditions I would have expected to catch Roach towards the bottom over the worm and a better stamp up in the water later. 

After 45 minutes or so it was time to look over the pellet line, again things were slow, but by plugging away I found a few Roach and Skimmers and started to put some fish in the net, with a few fish there I put some of my chopped worm mix in over the pellets and a couple more better Skimmers were tempted. I also like to chop up JPZ into almost Mis-shaped pellets which tempted a couple more bites, this trick has caught me a few extra fish over the Winter.

 I did bump a large Skimmer which I thought had spooked the shoal and a 10 minute quiet spell began...until I then pricked a carp which tore off through the swim. After 2 hours of sub zero temperatures I called it a day and was just glad to put a few pound of fish into the net. 

Light lines, frugal feeding and long pole lines are still the order of the day despite it being "Spring" Keep things tight in this Weather and it wont be long until the good old "Choppy" gets the silvers going again.

Jim Standish Slimzee Pole Floats

Hand made pole floats have grown in popularity in the last couple of years, the main reason being build quality. Many shop bought floats did not seem to be up to the job. 

Admittedly the big manufacturers have upped their game and the choice in a tackle shop now is pretty damn good.

I turned to hand made floats for a slightly different reason. I could not quite find the ideal pattern I wanted for the Winter. I was looking for sensitivity, but also robustness.

Scouring the web I came across a local chap in the North West called Jim Standish. 

A Maintenance Engineer by trade, Jim had been maintaining the very machines that made commercially available floats for years. With that background, knowledge and 40 years angling experience, Jim decided to design and build his own float making machinery and has been producing his own range for over 2 years now. 

The difference with Jim is that he offers a bespoke service...essentially tell him what you are looking for and he can make it! 

I was looking for something like a classic chianti style with an element of Malman Dusty and the strength to handle hard fighting F1's and the odd Bonus carp. I needed this to be able to withstand a breeze and allow me to lift and drop a pellet or double maggot offering... The JS Slimzee was born! 

The Slimzee body is made from best grade balsa with a 0.8mm clear fibre glass stem (You can have carbon if prefered) 

1.5mm Hi Viz hollow tip available in Yellow, Red, or Black

Available in sizes 0.2 and 0.3grm

A finesse ultimate spring eye is used, but can be supplied without an eye if requested. 

Finished in 4 to 5 dipped coats of laquer purposely made for floats, which results in a hard durable finish but with an element of flexibility reducing the risk of cracks.

I initially started using the Slimzee in October and with a few minor tweaks the pattern is perfect for depths upto 4 or 5ft. Sensitive enough for silvers but robust enough for carp. Jim is also in the process of putting together some superb margin floats and a wire stem range of the Slimzee. 

Drop Jim an email at Jim.Standish@ntlworld.com to order the Slimzee or discuss your requirements. 

Prices range between £1.50 - £2.00 which represents great value considering the time Jim spends crafting the perfect float for you. 

Dave 

Winter - Wonderland or Waste of time?

Winter time for me has always been about going to different venues and trying to winkle a few fish out here and there with the odd match thrown in. Last Winter I spent the majority of my time at Blundells Fishery as it is relatively close to me and there were always a few bites to be had.

This time around I decided to concentrate solely on one venue... Docklow Pools near Leominster in Herefordshire.

I have been visiting the venue for around 3 years on holiday and regularly visit during Summer, and so this year decided to enter the Saturday individual Winter league and the Sunday "Docklow Classic" league.

Rather than enter one-off open events where it all matters "there and then" I wanted to pit my wits against the venue regulars and see how I fared over the whole Winter period. In this second blog I talk about the venue, tactics and baits I have adopted these past 3 months. Now I am no Match Fishing Guru, but if anything I write helps put a few more fish in the net...then that will doo for me. Similarly if you have been fishing a league or have any stories/tips to share then leave a little message :)


Docklow Pools : Not your traditional commercial venue! This year celebrates 40 years of Docklow, making it one of the oldest commercial fisheries in the UK. Over those 40 years the lakes have matured into a stunning venue. The thing I like about the place is that it is not just all Carp, Carp, Carp! And that is important because once that water temperature drops below 8degrees Mr and Mrs Carp like to have a rest. The winter has seen me target Roach, Chub, Perch, Skimmers, Ruffe, Ide and the reliable F1's.

The Winter leagues have concentrated mainly on two of Docklow's lakes... The "Match Lake" and "Farmer Jack" Lake. Both have similar stocking levels but with the Match lake probably having more silver fish and the "Jack" having more F1 and stocky carp.

Docklow Match Pool

The Farmer Jack

I like to approach both venues on the pole, unless I draw a noted Feeder/Lead peg. Even then I reluctantly pull the tip rod out. I have never been a fan of "Leger" fishing in any form as I much prefer float fishing be it pole or waggler... but needs must!

Docklow only allows 6 baits...Maggots, Casters, Hemp, Meat, Corn and the Fisheries own Pellets, Additives can be added to bait but must be liquid.

For the silvers it has been largely Chopped worm and caster (With a squirt of Marukyu SFA 450 Krill/or VDE Predator Plus for Perch) up until around December, with Maggot being used now. A Jim Standish Chianti style float of 4x10 in the 3ft water, strung out Stotz on 0.10-0.08 Silster Match team finished off with a 18 or 20 Drennan Carp Maggot hook (Red). What your looking for is to feed off the tiny Silvers aim for Quality Roach to build a decent weight.

This good stamp Roach is what I am looking for throughout Winter.

For the F1's and odd Rogue Carp I will always put in a Pellet line. 2mm wetted down fishery pellets with a couple of grains of corn well away from my maggot line will often draw a few F1's in. Its interesting that on the Match Lake at Docklow the F1's seem to love Cover...Islands, Dense Margins and features. Where as on the Farmer Jack the F1's can be caught in Open Water.

Rig Wise I use a Jim Standish "Slim" Float normally of 4x12 as I like to use a positive Bulk with a single dropper 4 inches from the hook. Hooks will be a 16/18/20 Kamasan B911 F1 again tied up on my trusty Silstar Match Team. 0.12-0.10. If Carp are around or expected then 0.12 straight through. Hookbait wise for Winter I have caught F1's on Maggot, Corn, even the odd piece of meat slipped on, but by far and away the best bait has been a Marukyu JPZ Red. I have now lost count of the amount of fish these little jellied beauties have caught me. They may be 6quid a pot but they last ages and definately work. I expect the green variety to come to their own in warmer weather. The Black I am yet to test.

One of my favourite days was around November/December on a Sunday Classic Qualifier Match. I drew peg 35 on the Farmer Jack. With air temperature of 2 degrees, water temperature at 5 and a heavy frost, I was nervous of a very tough day. This peg has an island around 22 Metres away and is almost a canal shape.

I kicked off catching small Perch, Roach, Chub and Ide on my usual Worm approach whilst I waited for the F1/Carp/Bonus pellet line to attract some Fish. After around 2 hours and a couple of F1 arrived, by switching between my lines I managed to end with a real good last hour and weiged over 28lb for 3rd on the lake. I read a lot of articles about chasing the F1s around and some anglers using upto 30 different lines. I dont think this works at Docklow and it pays to stick to 2 or 3 lines and make them work.

My F1 Set up

As I have already said, I am not a huge fan of watching a motionless tip. Although the straight lead can be deadly in the Winter I love nothing more than spending the first 30 minutes of a match fishing a waggler into open water. What I am looking to do is land on a carp or two that have shoaled up and may just see my piece of corn drifting in front of its nose... and Bosh, fish on!

I use a straight peacock waggler, with the weather/wind dictating its size. Normally 4lb reel line to a 0.14 hooklength and a 16 or 18 B911 hook. Some of the guys at Docklow would fish this all-day looking for only 2 or 3 proper carp and would normally frame if they showed up. For me I am more comfortable aiming for silvers and F1s. If I snaffle a bonus or two in the first or last hour then great.

My Winter Waggler set up for Bonus Fish

On the Waggler I fish at dead depth with a single or double corn with only a small size 20 swivel. This acts as a dropper and prevents my hookbait spinning on the retrieve. As we know there is no Miracle bait or additive and the Corns bright yellow appearance makes it stand out in the clear water brilliantly. But I add a splash Marukyu Sanagi liquid additive to give the bait a new dimension. The carp are well accustomed to plain Sweetcorn on the lakes and I take that familiarity away by adding the SFA 430. It looks like Corn, but it smells and tastes like the Silkworm Chrysalis Sanagi comes from. It gives me great confidence doing something a wee bit different.

So how am I getting on? Well I have had 2 wins, 2 seconds and multiple top 5 finishes in both leagues. So I am really happy I made the decision to concentrate on Docklow!

I try to keep my fishing as simple as possible and have put my tactics on here in their rawest form. As with any angling... where to fish your lines, how to feed, when to scale up or down etc all come down to the actual peg and conditions on the day.

My Winter leagues will continue until March and then I will be back out and about with my Eight Bells Club as well as chancing my arm at Fish-o (If I get tickets) and Maver Match this qualifiers.

For more information on Docklow Pools visit www.docklowpools.com

For the hand made floats I use on the pole email Jim Standish for bespoke designs and quotes at Jim.Standish@ntlworld.com

Tight lines and good luck
Dave

Eastwood Angling - 2013

To start the new year I wanted to do an online blog to accompany my weekly paper column.

To introduce myself to those who do not have access/recieve my column.....

My name is Dave Eastwood and I am by very nature a Match Angler. Competing on the local club matches in North Manchester with my Eight Bells A.C. Club and a regular on the open scene in the North West such as Blundells and Brookside Fisheries.

I write a small weekly Angling Column in the Oldham Advertiser newspaper, where I report on local Match Results, catch reports and anything Angling related in the area.
This paper column only works with input from local anglers and hopefully this blog is another tool for all local anglers be it Match, Specimen, Sea or Game to share stories, tactics and spread the word for our Sport.

I am also a member of the Marukyu Bait Team where I along with the rest of the testing team put Marukyu Baits through their paces in a variety of conditions across the UK. This gives a comprehensive overview to help develop and improve the great portfolio of Groundbait, Pellets and Additives available. Visit www.Marukyu.co.uk for more info.

Through the blogs I aim to update on my Match Fishing escapades, as well as give information on Venues, tactics and Bait.

You can email me: EastwoodAngling@gmail.com with any questions, match reports, catch reports and pictures for the Oldham Advertiser.

Cheers Dave