An 8 Match Fun Filled Festival Fishothon

Well what a week! Since my last update just over a week ago I have been on what can only be described as a massive Fishothon! 8 matches on the spin and I have to say I am physically and mentally drained... But oh how I enjoyed it!

I mentioned how I was heading off down to Docklow Pools in Herefordshire for their annual Docklow Championship festival. This competition has ran for many years in various formats and is open to those who have holidayed at the complex this summer & been invited, syndicate members, caravan owners or those who have a winter let. There were some very good anglers on show and I could not wait to test my metal.

Here is my 8 match marathon of a week (Advanced apologies for some poor bankside photography!)

Sunday : Eight Bells Angling Club, Fur and Feather :
Bradshaw Fisheries Lake 9, Bolton, Lancashire.

Id not fished this lake previously but the talk from the lads in the club was that it would be a small fish affair with small carp, F1, skimmers and various bits and bobs. The water was a snake type and I quite enjoy these venues. I drew peg 7 on the point of a bend with lots of water to go at.

With wails of "Flyer" ringing in my ears I trudged off to my peg and must admit it looked the part...almost too many options to go at. A Track line, and a couple of carefully selected features across (One tight over and one in deeper water) were my plans of attack. If ever I am unsure of a water I always use Worm and Maggots on one line to give me an idea of what is around as it is fairly instant. Groundbait is allowed and my ever faithful Marukyu EFG 131 was introduced, again something I turn to when I am unsure of the species.

I soon realised I needed to beef up across as a number of F1 were straight into the reeds when hooked. I soon found a rhythm of small fish including ... Around 30 Tench, Chub, F1, Mirror Carp, Roach, Skimmers and Gudgeon. I kept busy but I couldn't quite deliver the much needed win which has become a bit of a hoodoo. 28lb 10oz gave me another 2nd place in the match.

It also ensured I finished 2nd in the club championship race for 2013. Five second spots and an overall second has a bit of a theme really! However I have won the big fish trophy for my 9lb 10oz Common at Heronbrook :)

After Bradshaw is was foot on the pedal (A steady 70mph ;) to try and make the draw for the festival.

2nd place at Bradshaws and some bad camera work by Bob Price!

The Docklow Pools Championship Festival :
Docklow Pools, Leominster, Herefordshire.

Format :
60 Anglers. 4 Lakes. Match Pool, Farmer Jack, Stock Pond and Moby Dick

Each lake divided into 3 sections of 5 anglers. 1 point for a section win upto 5 points for last in section.

Essentially this is the exact same format as the Dave Jack Invitational in May with the only difference being the Snake Lake being replaced with the Moby Dick. This I was very excited about because the Roach fishing is Excellent. With a 9th last October and a 6th in the Dave Jack Festival I really wanted to emulate this form, but as Always draws would play a part.

My draw put me in Group B which had a rotation of Day 1 Match Lake, Day 2 Moby Dick, Day 3 Stock Pond and Day 4 Farmer Jack.

Day 1 Monday :
Match Lake Peg 2

I could not believe it when I drew out the same peg as on the Dave Jack Festival. On that day I caught a number of cruising fish on the waggler. Temperatures were not upto those heights but I remembered my lessons from last time... I needed to find a shallower Margin line and should fish a method feeder by the christmas tree to my left rather than a straight lead.

Peg 2 on its day can produce but I believe it is always up against noted pegs 8 and 10 in the section, with 6 regularly showing good form. I also had Yorkshireman Brian Clay and Wayne Wardle who has been fishing the place since god was a boy to contend with. Unless I landed some real lumps my plan was for 3 points. I decided against a long Chopped Worm and Caster approach and instead feed Caster down the Margins looking to catch Roach and Chub shallow. Also an 8mm Meat line at 6 metres aiming for Carp and Skimmers.

My Method feeder practice was pretty much useless as I ended up straight into the Christmas tree on my first chuck, despite clipping up (Must try harder). Whilst waiting on the method I am constantly throwing Casters looking for swirls of the Roach and let them build their confidence. I also regularly feed Meat by hand ready for later on in the Match.

I caught a number of Silvers on my top kit, along with 4 F1 carp on the method, but felt I was going nowhere. I needed either my long left hand margin (Careful plumbing found a slightly shallower spot) or my meat line to produce. And it was the Meat that caught me a run of skimmers along with carp. The Margin gave one or two F1 but nothing major.

36lb 7oz and 3 points on Day 1 

36lb 7oz gave me third in section which I genuinely thought was the best I could get. Wayne was 2nd with 44lb from peg 8 and as predicted Brian Clay smashed the section with over 74lb on peg 6.

Day 2 Tuesday:
Moby Dick Lake Peg 5

Word around the Bar at the draw for Day 2 was that Moby Dick had fished terrible. I have to admit I had only fished this water once in all the time I have been visiting Docklow and I thought it would be the one to trip me up due to lack of knowledge. I had ordered 4 pints of Caster thinking the Roach and F1 fishing would be great as it usually is. But upon inspection of the water I could see that it was Gin clear and the fish had probably gone into the spring fed Mickey Mouse which links together.

 I drew a peg which produced 1lb 6oz on day 1 and was told it was a good draw! I have to say I was brimming with confidence and knew this would be my chance to steal a section and get back in the race. Being brought up on tough northern canals and lakes has its advantages and weaknesses. A plus point is when the going gets tough I can stand up and be counted and can often pluck a fish from nowhere. The downside is that when it comes to big weights and aggressive fishing I struggle to compete.

You may notice on the picture there is a willow tree to the right hand side and an island across. I set up a light waggler to fish in the open water and towards the island, along with a maggot feeder. Pole wise I knew the chap the day before caught small fish by the willow up in the water. Out came a long line 4x8 tiny rig and a poly ball tied to 0.08 and a 20 hook. I literally just needed a few fish to get me going.

At the start of the match there were a number of shoals of roach swimming through the peg and I literally mugged one on my first chuck with a single red maggot. But the 20 hook to a 6 elastic didn't feel right and I bumped the fish. One or two fish started finding the net fishing 18 inches deep on the polyball and feeding nothing.

The shoals soon dispersed though and I was left to try the waggler and the maggot feeder. Eventually I decided to "Work the treeline". Essentially moving along the tree from 5 - 14.5 metres with a single maggot and trying to find the odd roach. Over the next 5 hours I had to work my socks off trying different areas, different depths etc. I scaled up to an 18 hook and changed to a yellow Hydrolastic and literally got into the zone. Trying everything I could to muster fish. Some wouldn't have been an ounce, but it had to be done.
I really needed something like a 2s elastic and .06 line with a handful of pinkies, but nobody expected the fishing to be so tough.

6lb 4oz of hard earned Roach and 1 point section win

I managed around 70-80 fish for 6lb 4oz and a comfortable section win. Although quite a physically demanding session I really worked hard and felt rewarded for the effort I put in. 2lb was second in section, followed by 13oz and 2 blanks. Tough going for many.

Day 3 Wednesday:
Stock Pond Peg 6

Looks very different from April !

Amazingly I again draw the same peg as the Jacko Festival! On that day I managed over 93lb. Again word was that the Stock Pond was fishing poorly and the previous day my peg had only yielded 7lb! The highest being Monday's 30lb. With Brian Clay again in my section he was going to be a tough one to beat, but I fancied my chances despite the poor previous weights.

Tactics as always were my usual Maggot and Pellet approach. Top kit and follow the fish out. Meat and corn approach down the edge and hope for a lump. I kicked off very well with around 5 fish in the first 20 minutes. But I became nervous when the quiet spells didn't produce Ide, Roach or Skimmers. Just quiet blank spells with very hard to hit bites. A move out to 7 metres over Pellet with a pinch of worm pulled a few quick fish, but I was left frustrated with a number of foul hooked fish and VERY finicky bites.

F1 are notorious for shy bites but no matter what I tried I just could not hook them. Only thing I did not try and looking back maybe I should was to have a bulk very close to the hook and act as a sort of Bolt rig.
38 fish gave me 38lb. Brian Clay played a blinder off Peg 2 and claimed the section with 58lb. Ian Cooper battled with him from peg 3 claimed 2nd spot with 50lb. Both managed a couple of lumps which I was missing.

After day 3 and a total of 7 points I am lying in 19th place, however with a number of people still to fish the Moby dick which was finding many people out, there was a chance with a section win on day 4 I could sneak a top 10 finish.

A wet and shaky 3 points with 38lb

Day 4 Thursday
Farmer Jack Peg 6

Apart from the Moby draw where a couple of fish had been caught. I could only consider this the first "decent" draw so far of the festival. Probably the best peg in the section and with the only ton weight to come from this peg so far in the festival. 30lb came off the peg the previous day which didn't suggest that many fish were still in the area, but the 100lb+ weight came from the margins and the chap on Wednesday apparently did not attack there.

I decided on a Caster approach at 13 metres in the open water, but the day was very windy with a bitterly north wind. This made presentation difficult. I also put in a 13 metre line to my left down the lake with the wind, here was Caster and Chopped Worm. The worm had not really produced so far this week, but it can take time for the fish to get a taste and I felt this could be the day.

I was proven right with the caster line ahead only producing the odd Skimmer and Roach, where the worm line along with very aggressive feeding produced a number of plump F1 and a decent carp. The Margins felt too deep for me with over 3 foot of water and although I attacked this with my favourite Hemp and Corn with Marukyu Credence liquid I could only manage a couple of F1. I was left to keep searching over the worm line and working hard in the wind.

48lb 5oz and a section win on the last day

48lb 5oz of F1 and Skimmers gave me a comfortable section win with 30lb in second place. I needed more weight to boost my cumulative total, but overall I felt I did OK.

With an 8 point total this equalled both The Dave Jack Festival and the 2012 October Docklow Champs, so I am happy with my consistency. If only I could find a more consistent approach for the match pool then I would be pushing that bit further.

With 7 of us sat on 8 points I finished in 12th position due to my relatively low weight aggregate of 129lb. I was only 14oz behind 11th which was frustrating. But overall 2 section wins and my 12th place paid enough to cover my entrance fee, so better than a poke in the eye with a stick.

A massive well done has to go to Brian Clay in my group who recorded a perfect 4 section wins to become the 2013 Docklow Festival Champion. Not only is Brian a top angler, but also a top bloke and I cant fault him, I only wish I could find a Mrs like his lass Elaine who loves to sit by him and read a book :)

Docklow Champ 2013 Brian Clay presented by Simon Bozward

2013 Docklow Fesitval Championship Result

1st Briay Clay (Yorkshire) 4 points 212lb 10oz
2nd Paul Jennings (Manchester) 6 points 168lb
3rd Steve Greaves (Bury) 6 Points 138lb 13oz
4th Gary Davis (Swindon) 6 Points 92lb 12oz
5th Bill Rathbone (Cannock) 7 Points 144lb 4oz
6th Greg Herbert (Herefordshire) 7 Points 129lb 8oz
7th Keith Harris (Swindon) 7 Points 94lb 5oz
8th Dave Chipperfield (Essex) 8 Points 225lb 8oz
9th Kevin Bell (Wetherby) 8 Points 223lb 6oz
10th Phil Mason (Herefordshire) 8 Points 146lb 3oz
11th Bob Lindsay (Manchester) 8 Points 129lb 14oz
12th Dave Eastwood (Manchester) 8 Points 129lb

Paul Jennings 2nd Place

Steve (Oh Noooo!) Greaves 3rd place

Me Collecting 12th Prize and Sections off Simon Bozward of Docklow Pools

Day 5 Friday Pairs Event :
After the Festival there is always a bit of a fun match whereby pairs are drawn at random. One fishes the Farmer Jack and one on the Match Pool. Unfortunately I drew a chap who finished 58th in the festival and wasn't having much luck. I played my part weighing 44lb 10oz on peg 5 of the Match Pool which was 4th best on the lake. Meat at 6 Metres and a couple of lumps down the margins put a weight on the board. My Partner struggled for 9lb on Farmer Jack so alas it was not to be.

When 4th and 5th in Festival are drawn together as a pair, this is what happens. Well done Bill Rathbone and Gary Davis

Day 6 Syndicate Members Match :
Docklow Members are invited to fish the syndicate matches on the 2nd Saturday of every Month. This month it was a teams of 3 event again names drawn at random over 3 separate sections. I drew peg 24 on the Match pool which can be one of the best pegs on the lake. The first hour on the method feeder produced some F1 and a nice Common. But my Pole line was a nightmare where I lost 7 foul hooked fish over the Meat line. I didn't feel they were feeding properly and the effectiveness of meat is probably wearing off after a week of pressure and the drop in temperature. I really wanted to fish the Chopped Worm, but I didn't have enough to do it effectively. 36lb left me nowhere. However I wasn't to let the team down too much though as one on the Farmer Jack struggled for 2lb.

Day 7 Brookside Fisheries Open :
Brookside Fisheries, Stretton, Cheshire.

I headed home after the syndicate match, but in a moment of madness rather than have a lie in after 7 matches, I decided to try an open at Brookside Fisheries near Warrington. I haven't been for around 8 months, but do like the place as its maggot fishing and lots of species.

Peg 5 on Snake one left me with an aerator to the left hand side and lots of cover on the far bank. By fishing Maggot over little nuggets of EFG 131 I managed a storming first hour with a nice big Mirror around 6lb and a number of smaller ones. Chopped Worm and Marukyu Credence by the Aerator accounted for some Skimmers and a number of start up lines along the track with 2mm Jpelletz kept the odd F1 coming. 50lb 4oz gave me joint 4th and a section win. So a good end to the week.

Final Thoughts :

Festival Fishing is hard work with the amount of preparation needed. If I am honest I didn't really have as much time as I would have liked to prepare this time around, but I did my best. With a little more thought and just try and keep things a little more simple on the Match I think I could have nicked 2nd in section. The same goes for the Stock Pond as I should have had a "Plan B".

As for fishing 8 matches on the bounce, well I am knackered. I imagine it is every match anglers dream to fish for a living, but for me there would be two certainty's...
1. I would be permanently mentally drained.
2. I would probably starve!

Enjoy your fishing! :)

(P.s. Thanks to Tom Mackay for taking pics of my ugly mug after every match)

Action Update - August & September

It seems like forever since I last put fingers to keyboard as it were so an update is in order ....

My last blog reported on a Club Match situation where I managed a 2nd place spot on Dunham Fisheries with 43lb of Crucians, Skimmers and Carp. Here is what I have been up to since ....

August Action : 

It was towards the end of August when I managed to sneak out for another club match. This time on Bradshaw Fisheries in Bolton on the famous Number 4 Lodge.
This lake has a real mixed bag of Roach, Skimmers, Carp, Chub and a few Barbel. It normally tends to be a Pellet Waggler affair and this day was no different.

The big difference was the fish were not responding as they normally do. I kicked off around 30 metres fishing an 8grm Garbolino Pellet Waggler with an 8mm hard banded Pellet. Regular casting and feeding along with twitching the bait gave me 2 Mirror carp early on. But it was a case of chopping and changing between the Waggler and a straight lead with a long tail to account for a couple more carp.

 I did have a plan B in place though and this was in the form of hemp and corn over EFG 151 at 4 metres at the bottom of the near shelf in around 5ft of Water. The lake is very silty and if you fish the pole at any distance the fish do their usual frustrating digging in the silt and you sit there bite less. By fishing on the hard slope with double corn I managed to land my biggest mirror of the day along with a number of Skimmers for another hard earned 2nd place with 35lb.

Another 2nd place at an out of sorts Bradshaw Fisheries

September Action : 

Into September and I am lying in 3rd place in the Club Championship race. It is vital that I have a good result this time at HeronBrook Fisheries in Staffordshire. I have a bit of a mixed record at the venue where I have enjoyed some good success but also blew out. This time we was on the Canal lake which I had not fished previously. The weather was a pleasant 20 degrees and it was overcast so conditions looked great. I drew Permanent Peg 28 which was not good. Anywhere between 2-15 are the main areas.

Still I needed a good result. The first couple of hours were very slow and I needed to make a change. I decided to feed hard nugget sized balls of Marukyu EFG 131 across on the far shelf on a flat spot. A quick burst of 8 F1s got my confidence up.

 I also had a separate mix of EFG 151 and with a spare peg to my right I fed 6 cups of the over-whetted mix along with Hemp and Corn with 2 hours to go. Not many anglers actually think about the groundbait mixes they use. If we take the Marukyu range as an example the EFG 131 is a great all round feed for any weather. The EFG 151 is for warmer temperatures and full of feed aimed at big fish. I am looking for big fish down the edge so I feed the big mix! It makes sense and as the groundbait only takes a couple of minutes to mix with no riddling needed it really isn't a big deal.

The plan worked and adding to a few more F1 were 5 Carp and a Barbel over the 151 mix with Corn or Worm on the hook. One of the Carp went 9lb 10oz and that has me in the lead for the big fish trophy so fingers crossed I can lift that come the end of the year. 44lb 7oz was a good result in a tough area and gave me a section win.

The latest match on Dunham Fishery was a shadow of the venue where I had a great day in July. Using similar tactics to the last blog I could not find any Carp or Crucians and I ended up fishing for small roach up in the water to weigh 5lb 14oz. The venue really switched off and only 12lb was needed for overall 3rd.

Lovely Luxus :

Although I have not been out as much as I would like, I always try and sneak out for a couple of hours to try new things if I get chance. Last month I decided I needed to practice the method feeder a bit more. I have stated previously any form of lead fishing I don't particularly enjoy, but I have to start putting that right if I want to progress. I recently realised I needed a shorter rod for small chucks and when fishing to overhanging branches or indeed casting underneath branches. So I treated myself to a little wand (albeit second hand) and I wanted to try it out.

You know how it is when you get a new piece of kit you cant wait to get it used. Well I had a spare couple of hours so nipped up to my local club water. The plan was to just practice casting the little rod and also have a try with the new Marukyu Luxus method mix. As I don't fish the method often I haven't given the stuff a go as yet. I wanted to see how it mixed and broke down and what consistency was needed when mixed with pellets.

The water has a number of Skimmers and Small Tench, but if I am honest I didn't really expect to catch anything! It was howling a gale one minute, pouring with rain the next and sometimes blazing sunshine! The water was also very clear with this being a natural water I decided to add some Black plain crumb to the  Luxus to take the pinky coloured edge off.

Tackle
Rod : Tri-Cast XRS 2k4 power wand 1oz tip
Reel : Team Daiwa 3000 loaded with 4lb Maxima
15g Preston small method feeder - 4inch 0.12 Silstar Match team - 18B911 with quick stop.

A simple running set-up

50/50 Luxus/Black Crumb and 2mm Jpelletz

Maggot and 6MM jpz for the hook

The plan was to chuck the small method to an island around 20-25 metres away and hope I could snare a couple of skimmers. The little rod was a joy to use and the Luxus Mix with 2mm Jpelletz held together perfectly (Although I would recommend riddling this mix, unlike the EFG range) Although the fishing was difficult (and wet!) It was nice to practice my casting and use the new groundbait mix. Surprisingly I caught a nice Ide nearing 2lb and lost an even bigger one at the landing net. A couple of Skimmers, a Roach and a little Crucian made the couple of hours all the worthwhile, all on a JPZ hookbait.

A couple of hours casting practice was worthwhile.

This weekend sees me back to Herefordshire and Docklow Pools for the Autumn Festival. It will be the same format as my "What a difference a month makes" blog from May. With a couple of decent draws and a splash of luck I can do well, We shall also see if my Method practice has helped. No doubt my next write up will be filled with festival tales. Until then .... Tight Lines.

Summer Lovin - Had me a blast

Wow what a month July was! Temperatures into the 30s and tons of fish being caught everywhere!

Unfortunately for me due to work commitments and a little holiday to Spain I did not get out anywhere near as much as I would have liked. However when I did it was rewarding.

July Action :
I kicked off July with a weekend at Docklow Pools in Herefordshire. Simon (Shed Shed Shed) Bradford has been running a short series over the Summer and although I could not fish the league enough to qualify, I decided to fish the Saturday match as a one off.

Peg 2 on the Match pool was exactly where I drew in the Festival in April and it looked completely different with everything in bloom. Weather was hot and a short meat line and margin provided me with 40lb 4oz which left me halfway in the section. Around 95lb won at the opposite end of the lake known as "the bowl".

No Joy on Sheds Summer Series 40lb

It was the Sunday Open on the Stock Pond I was really looking forward too. Peg 5 was my home for the day and again with temperatures around 27 degrees I was hoping for a weight of F1 carp up in the water along with some Ide. My first and second hours went well fishing maggot short. However I then lost touch with the fish until the last hour which cost me. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I should have had a line around 6 metres to chase the fish out. However 84lb 8oz gave me a welcome 3rd place especially against noted pegs 18,19 and 20.

Gawsworth Hall was a place I had not visited before and was my next port of call with my Eight Bells A.C. 25 degrees and sunny conditions greeted us all and I was faced with 17 metres across the serpentine canal and a deep 6ft of water across. Fishing Over a mix of Marukyu EFG 131 and 151 with a piece of meat I soon found out that the resident carp were crazy, knowing exactly where to take you.
Whilst leaving my margins and far lines to settle I plundered Roach, Skimmers and Rudd shallow. A heavy rig was needed across to get through the silvers and down to the carp. Dump potting did the trick. 21lb gave me 2nd spot at a very pleasant venue.

After my holiday at the end of July it was back to the Glebe for a pairs match in the first week of August. I drew Lake 1 which I really fancied after my lessons learnt in June. However my feeder line never really got going and I relied on a short approach of Hemp and Corn and EFG151 down the edge with dead maggots. 88lb 12oz gave me 4th in section. I only needed 92lb for 2nd in section so it was a close affair. Our end of the lake did not fish particularly well with 109lb being the best weight (And that's a bad day at the Glebe!) As for the pairs result, lets just say my partner had a mare!

And so onto my latest feature for the month. I Wanted to do something a little different and record an actual Match situation so here goes.

The session:
Venue : Dunham Fishery, Cheshire
Weather : 18 degrees, sunny spells with occasional showers.
Match : Eight Bells Angling Club 18 anglers fishing
Prize : Club Trophy, pocket money, pride and bragging rights
Target Species : Small Carp, Barbel, Chub, Skimmers, Crucian Carp.
Bait : 2mm Jpelletz, 6mm Nori JPZ, Caster/Worm, 6mm Luncheon Meat, Corn, Hemp.
 (Groundbait banned)

I had heard the venue had a number of Crucians and Skimmers which responded well to pellet. But I also heard the venue can be tough at times. So I decided on 2 lines down the track, one with 2mm Marukyu Jpelletz with Jpz and expanders over the top. Secondly a worm and caster line to maybe attract some Barbel or if it is tough....anything. Heavier baits in the form of Meat, Corn and Hemp were to be fed across at 16 metres and down the margin respectively.

First let me show you how I prepare plain expander pellets to give them a little twist.

1. Ingredients : Bait Tech 4mm Xpander pellets. Marukyu SFA 450 Krill liquid. Mainline Tru Color Red dye

2. Pour the dry pellets into the pump and add a glug of SFA 450 and a tiny sprinkling of TruColor.

      

 3. Fill the pump with around a quarter of bottled water (I don't like using tap water) and pump as normal until the expanders sink. 

         

        4. Once all the pellets have sank, keep the water for mixing groundbait or mixing paste or pour                      away. The pellets will take on the colour and krill flavour whilst being pumped, but I like to bag the                pellets up with some of the remaining water and leave in the fridge overnight for perfect red krill                    infused expanders.    

         

The bottom of the lake flattened out at around 9 metres and this is where I would fish my track lines at around 5ft deep. A Jim Standish 0.3grm Wire Slimzee was the float of choice. A bulk of no 9 and 2 no 10 droppers on 0.12 Silstar with a 18 Drennan carp maggot hook was the choice for both lines as it was the same depth in both spots. 6-8 Drennan Carp Bungee should subdue anything that comes in the open water.

The peg I am faced with at Dunham Fishery

Although the bait tray looks a little full and maybe too many options, there was some thought process as I do not know the venue. Also if you don't take it... you cant try it! 

I have a nice looking margin to my right around 4 metres, its a little deeper than I would like at 3ft but here I will feed Hemp and Corn. Nice and heavy baits to ensure the fish feed hard on the deck and avoid foul hookers.  Rig here is a 4x12 Jim Standish Pencil float with 0.15 Guru N Gauge to a 16 Drennan wide gape margin hook. Grey Hydrolastic is the buffer.

At 16 metres across I can see the fish knocking the reed line. Here I will feed meat, again big positive baits aimed at carp. I do not want to be pestered by small fish when I am fishing so long. 

Disturbingly it is over 4 foot tight to the sedges, and with it being quite breezy I will need a largish float in the tow and ripple to present correctly. A KC Carpa 4x14 with 0.15 Guru N Gauge to a 16 drennan wide gape margin hook. Again Grey Hydrolastic is the choice.

To kick off the match I started on a worms head over a pot full of caster and chopped worm which contained a glug of Marukyu SFA450 Krill. I expected this to be instant whilst the other lines settled, and it was... with 1oz Roach! 

A look over the Jpelletz line with one of my red expanders saw me into small Crucian Carp instantly. Around 6oz a piece they were welcome. Everybody around me had decided to start across, which I knew would be inevitable. I didn't want to plunder this line too soon and preferred to build it up and gain the fishes confidence. 

I cracked on catching small crucians with the odd skimmer for the first hour. Small toss pots of Jpelletz with either an expander or a 6mm Nori Jpz brought a fish nearly every chuck. Both anglers either side of me had some joy across catching Small carp, but I wasn't panicking. In fact I was having a lovely time! 

Every hour on the hour I would have a look on the Margin line. I managed a carp around 1lb 8oz after hour one. I felt I was keeping up with those around me. Second hour and time to look on the meat across. Instantly I hook a fish as my hookbait drops through the water, the Carp were shallow and intercepting my loose offerings. The problem was the rushes, before I had chance to strike they were already in them making a bid for freedom. Lesson learnt from Gawsworth...dump pot, get them down. This worked and I nicked a couple of stockies. 

This then became the theme of the day. The worm and caster never really materialised. So I decided to keep catching Skimmers and Crucians at 9metres on Pellet. And dump the Meat and fish it out nicking one or two fish before the commotion disturbed them. All the while potting in Hemp and Corn down the edge. 

With 90 minutes of the match to go I had plenty of fish in the net, but only around 6-7 stocky carp. I had faith in the margin though and I was proved right. Fish after fish came to the net in the last hour down the edge. 

Averaging around 2-3lb I have never caught such stamp of fish that fight so hard. Such was the power I actually lost a couple and one broke me with 10 minutes to go at the net.  It was weight building stuff simply feeding a pot of feed after every fish and fishing 2 inches over depth. 

I had a busy days fishing and really enjoyed the sport on offer. As I have said before we do not have a Docklow or Glebe on our doorstep in the North West, but these pretty little waters around Cheshire may not produce ton weights but lots of busy, thinking sport. 

I weighed 43lb 10oz for 2nd in the match. The third time this year I have been the bridesmaid in the Club Season. 

43lb 10oz for 2nd place and a lovely days sport

Conclusion

Although I had a relatively cautious approach to the match, I think this helped me along the way, especially on a water I hardly know. Here are my key learning points from the match : 

• Feeding 2mm rather than 4mm jpelletz seemed to hold the Crucians well
• Using my red krill expanders. These were perfect in coloured water
• Doing something different to everybody else and not plundering the far line
• Having faith in my margin approach with heavy baits
• Not being tempted to fish shallow across next to the rushes, this would have been snag central

With another Match next month on the venue I now feel better prepared and can hopefully go one step further.

Now we are in August it looks like the temperatures are back to average and fingers crossed I can keep up the good form. Good luck. 

Old Skool Vs the New Skool

Is it me or has June been a really strange month? With temperatures up and down and fish spawning late every session has took some real working out.

I kicked off my month on Partridge Lakes for the Fish 0 Mania qualifier and when I pulled out Ribbon Lake I knew I had no chance. My peg offered me only 11 metres of water across to an island and no margins to target. Still I had a days fishing for small carp and silvers for 35lb.

Next up was Whitmore Fisheries in Lancashire on the East canal. Quite a large snake type venue with over 50 pegs ensuring we had plenty of room. Here was a match where I needed a mixed approach. The venue I was told had a few small carp up to a 1lb with a few bigger specimens, but the majority of fish would be Skimmers, Ide and Roach. I decided on Pellet for the Carp tight across to the island and Worm/Maggot for the Silvers. 2 carp around 1lb a piece and lots of tiny Ide and Skimmers gave me a section win with 10lb 5oz.

I never moan about draws as there isn't much you can do about it. But my next two outings to Blundells Fishery and Heronbrook, my drawing arm really let me down! Blundells is a rover match and although I drew ball 43 (Not great!) I was missed out and ended up choosing what was left at the end. 35lb of Ide and a couple of Carp was enjoyable but never going to compete for the section.

Heronbrook I drew the area I really didn't want to be in. Only 35lb was needed to win the section and my 23lb left me cursing a number of lost fish.

I got to thinking about my local venues and the miles I have travelled hoping for a good draw. Around the Manchester area the match scene is strong. However for a good commercial water I have to travel over 30 miles to Blundells, Partridge or Brookside Fisheries. There is a real need for a quality well managed fishery to the North of the city. However what we do have is an abundance of "Natural venues".  A local club I recently joined is one such place. No big carp weights or heavy stocking. Just a natural stock of Roach, Perch, Skimmers, Tench, Crucians and the odd wise old wily Carp.

So this Month I wanted to target these natural fish with a mix of old and new; both bait and tactics.

The Session

I have only fished this water once and knew it was around 4-5ft deep with a nice flat bottom. As it was an evening session I decided to take minimal tackle. Sticking with the Old Skool theme a whip would be my main approach. Weather was overcast and a pleasant 18degrees. I would fish 6.30 - 9.30pm.

I picked a lovely looking peg with lots of cover

Bait is where I wanted to do a little test. I would fish 2 lines the maximum length of my 8 metre whip. Bit of a gamble as these shy fish may back off, but I was hoping that with only me on the lake I could build the swims nicely. Line 1 at 11 o clock in 4 feet of water I would be feeding "natural" baits, Maggot/Worm over a traditional Sweet Bream groundbait, darkened with some purple crumb.

Line 2 at around 2pm I would be feeding "Modern" baits. 2mm Marukyu Jpelletz would be fed and a 6mm red JPZ  over the top. I am 99% certain these fish would never have seen these products before! A few Grains of corn for a change of hookbait completed the bait tray.

I would also introduce a mixture of the two under the tree to my right. Watercraft tells me there should be shoals of Perch and Roach under the tree with hopefully some bonus fish lurking in the shadows. Jpelletz and red maggot would be the combo here in 3 feet of water. It would be interesting to see what cropped up with such light tackle :)

Natural and Modern baits for 2 lines

Tackle :

8 Metre Daiwa Airity System Whip

Rig 1 Shallow/Tree line : 4x10 Ben Scott Pencil .10 Silstar straight through 20 Kamasan B911 F1 hook. Preston Slip elastic no5

Rig 2 full depth : Jim Standish Slimzee 4x12 .11-.10 hooklength 20 Drennan Carp Maggot hook. Preston Slip elastic no5

Rig 3 Shallow : Flick tip with small blob float .10 to an 18 Drennan Carp Maggot hook.

Left : Rig 1      Right: Rig 2

As I am tackling up 2 more club members come onto the water and both choose to sit either side of me! Now I felt the Matchman inside me start creeping out. I now had feed going in either side of me which would now dictate my own feeding strategy.

Line 1 I introduce 3 tangerine balls of groundbait by hand laced with a little chopped worm. I then planned on feeding maggots over the top. This may encourage some big roach or skimmers to feed shallow later.

Line 2 I introduce 2 toss pots full of 2mm Jpelletz. I use the trees on the far bank as markers and use the white water as my target area so I am always accurate.

Line 1 at around 11 o clock Old Skool.                                            Line 2 at around 2 o clock modern baits

I decided to start on Line 1 with a small piece of worm. I had only a few collected from the garden and only 1 pint of Maggots so a relatively cheap evenings fishing. I expected at least a 10 minute wait after the groundbait settled. But as I am rolling a cigarette my float lifts signalling a Skimmer lifting the bait off the bottom and 2 feet of elastic sees me netting an 8oz Skimmer. Great start! I am fishing an inch overdepth with a spread bulk. I decide immediately to bulk my shot together 18 inches from the hook and place my 2 no10 droppers above the 6 inch hooklength and add a little depth. Essentially a double bulk rig. Next chuck and bang another Skimmer. A few Roach and Perch make me decide to top up with another golf ball of Groundbait.... Time for the Pellet line.

The Jpelletz had sat there for at least 30 minutes and I expected a bite instantly.... nothing!

After 2 or 3 minutes I was starting to get concerned thinking these new Marukyu products would be too alien to the fish. After around 5 minutes the float sank down the hole, my 5s elastic is streaming out. The whips bend and the fact I sneakily placed the elastic through a small puller bung allows me to manage a Tench around 2lb. A sprinkling of pellet through the toss pot and my hook loaded with another JPZ again a 5 minute wait, but a Skimmer over 1lb. Next cast same again.

All the while fishing pellet I am pinging Maggots over the groundbait line. I decide to have another look and am instantly greeted to another skimmer around 6oz. There is a clear theme emerging that I have to wait longer fishing the JPZ but the stamp of fish is significantly larger. I manage 2 Tench over the groundbait but they are babies around 8oz a piece. Some fish begin swirling for my maggots so its time to have fun with the flick tip. A number of Roach between 2-6oz are the culprits along with a 12oz Skimmer which was fun on the light gear.

Tree Line

Coming into the last hour and its time to look under the tree to my right hand side. I had been feeding the area by hand all evening with a pinch of pellet and a few red maggots.

How very Fishy!

A single red maggot hookbait is flicked into the open water and my rig dragged back under the canopy of leaves. Instantly a Perch snaffles the bait .... Inevitable. A few more Perch so I decide to cut out the Maggots but feed solely Jpelletz, and try a double Maggot offering on the hook. Amazingly 2 chucks later the float goes down the hole and a small Tench is landed. 3 more follow until I foul hook and lose something much better... had the old Carp moved in? Next chuck and WALLOP! 8 feet of number 5 elastic and my whip bent double under the treeline, I gingerly add a couple of sections and after a 5 minute battle a beautiful Tench of around 3 and a half pound is in the net. A roach of around 8oz then follows before I call all out to myself and my imaginary match. 

Conclusion

Around 18lb of Skimmers, Perch, Tench, Roach and the odd Tommy Ruffe (Proof of a natural venue!) were managed by fishing the 3 swims. Groundbait was certainly instant and the attraction given off from the worm and maggot gained lots of small fish attention. Had I upped the feed maybe I could have attracted a larger stamp? However the Jpelletz certainly attracted a larger stamp of fish in a relatively short period of time, the bites took a while but were worth the wait. 

A combination of natural baits, old skool sweet groundbait, scientifically developed pellets and good old watercraft made for an enjoyable evenings experimentation.

A lovely mixed bag

Why not go to one of these forgotten waters and give the carp and F1's a miss for a change. And don't be afraid to experiment with pellets, flavourings and modern groundbait. Marukyu products are designed to target all Cypranids... no matter where they live! 

(This Month's Blog is dedicated to Billy Anderton of my Eight Bells Angling Club in Manchester who sadly passed away on the day I did this session. He will be missed by many RIP Billy x )

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