Weight – 5lb 7oz
Catch – 23 Roach, 4 Skimmers
Weather – Frosty & foggy. Later bright & breezy.
Water Temp – 5.5c > 5.5c
Match – Winter League - 36th overall, 4th section.
Another cold start and scrapping ice off the car windscreen, but fortunately the lakes only had a bit of cat ice
After 2 cancelled rounds due to the weather it was good to get the series started again and I was looking forward to getting good points. Ideally I wanted to avoid drawing the bottom end of match lake, which has been fishing terrible, so peg 22 wasn't great. The usual suspects described it as a flyer, but looking at past results showed it hasn't produced much recently, in fact reviewing last years winter league it was the worse performing peg on the lake. Dale did manage nearly 11lb of skimmers yesterday from peg 23, so felt I could at least target these and just hope a carp turns up.
After an hour the writing was on the wall. Adrian on 24 and Mark on peg 1 hadn't a bite. All I could muster was a few small roach, whilst Tom on peg 21, Mike on 19 and Dale on 18 had all caught carp or decent silvers.
I managed 2 skimmers on pellet, but I had to go as a far as I dare towards Toms peg. I caught very little to my right over my pellet swim and only small roach came from my caster swim. I could have stuck with the roach, but I needed another 10lb, simply to gain another point, so I spent more time on pellet, hoping for a skimmer or a carp without any luck. As the wind picked up I changed to heavier 4x18 float, but this didn't improve matters.
With 2 hours to go I had to try something different, so started flicking 4mm pellet to my left to try and draw some carp from Toms swim, but that didn't work either.
Very disappointed with the result, but I genuinely don't know how I could have done better. Adrian finished the match not getting a bite, whilst Mark only caught in the last hour. This end of the lake simply seems to be devoid of fish. I'm not sure whether the bright conditions put the skimmers off feeding properly, but Dale on 18 had the best silvers weight with 10-13, made up of mostly F1's and only 1 skimmer. Yesterday the reverse was true.
The only good thing to come out of today was a section pick up after a triple default! Tom won our lake with 30-11, whilst Mike was 2nd with 29-1. Sydney's was the lake to be though with 4 out of the top 6 coming from there, whilst Vince Shipp won the match from peg 62 on Johns lake. The next round is in 3 weeks and hopefully the worse of the weather will be behind us.
As a footnote, a couple of you have commented that my blog is always late. Suffering from dyslexia means I need to take care when blogging, otherwise the grammar will be worse than Tony's - lol
Monday, 25 January 2010
23/01/10 - Lands End - Match Lake
Weight – 26lb 10oz (11lb 2oz - silvers)
Catch – 7 Skimmers, 7 Roach, 4 Carp, 1 Tench, 1 F1, 1 Perch
Weather – Frosty start. Mostly cloudy & still
Water Temp – 5.5c > 5.5c
Match – Open - 2nd overall (1st silvers)
It made a pleasant change to go fishing and not de-frost the car. However, when I left Bristol the car temperature read 4c, but my the time I got to Lands End it was 0c and there was cat ice across the whole of peg 1 – typical a week of reasonably mild weather and come the weekend more ice. At least the water temperature had increased.
I found myself on 15, where Tony won the Wednesday open with 31lb, so at least there were a few fish around and hopefully I would get a few bites. I intended to make use of the spare pegs either side, feeding caster at the top & bottom of the shelf straight in front and micro pellet @ 14m at 2o'clock.
Started on corn, searching the swim for signs of life and got a couple of slight liners to my left at the bottom of the shelf. 10 mins later a 4-5lb carp was safely netted, but except for a couple more liners, no more fish. So decided to feed a few casters, just enough to keep any carp interested.
The top of the shelf only produced a few small roach and was soon given up as a bad job. So after nearly an hour it was time to try the pellet swim and soon caught a couple of skimmers on 4mm pellet as well as pulling out of a decent one. As the match progressed the pellet line became the best area of the swim and a couple of carp also put in an appearance, but that just upset the skimmers and I couldn't catch another.
The caster swim only produced a few small roach and a big perch, whilst another carp and a golden tench came from the LH swim on corn.
The last hour was very quiet, despite trying other areas of the peg. Talking to Tony on Friday, he said he couldn't get a bite on pellet, yet I caught most of mine on pellet or corn. Perhaps the heavy rain on Thursday had an effect.
Mike won the match from 19, with 27-12 (6 carp & 3lb of silvers), although I could have won hadnt I pulled out of a decent skimmer or landed a carp that I lost at the net after my elastic snagged on the branches above me. 3rd was Dale with 10-14 of skimmers from peg 23 and he collected the silverfish prize by default.
It was nice to catch a few, but I cant wait for the weather to start improving because for most it was a struggle today.
Catch – 7 Skimmers, 7 Roach, 4 Carp, 1 Tench, 1 F1, 1 Perch
Weather – Frosty start. Mostly cloudy & still
Water Temp – 5.5c > 5.5c
Match – Open - 2nd overall (1st silvers)
It made a pleasant change to go fishing and not de-frost the car. However, when I left Bristol the car temperature read 4c, but my the time I got to Lands End it was 0c and there was cat ice across the whole of peg 1 – typical a week of reasonably mild weather and come the weekend more ice. At least the water temperature had increased.
I found myself on 15, where Tony won the Wednesday open with 31lb, so at least there were a few fish around and hopefully I would get a few bites. I intended to make use of the spare pegs either side, feeding caster at the top & bottom of the shelf straight in front and micro pellet @ 14m at 2o'clock.
Started on corn, searching the swim for signs of life and got a couple of slight liners to my left at the bottom of the shelf. 10 mins later a 4-5lb carp was safely netted, but except for a couple more liners, no more fish. So decided to feed a few casters, just enough to keep any carp interested.
The top of the shelf only produced a few small roach and was soon given up as a bad job. So after nearly an hour it was time to try the pellet swim and soon caught a couple of skimmers on 4mm pellet as well as pulling out of a decent one. As the match progressed the pellet line became the best area of the swim and a couple of carp also put in an appearance, but that just upset the skimmers and I couldn't catch another.
The caster swim only produced a few small roach and a big perch, whilst another carp and a golden tench came from the LH swim on corn.
The last hour was very quiet, despite trying other areas of the peg. Talking to Tony on Friday, he said he couldn't get a bite on pellet, yet I caught most of mine on pellet or corn. Perhaps the heavy rain on Thursday had an effect.
Mike won the match from 19, with 27-12 (6 carp & 3lb of silvers), although I could have won hadnt I pulled out of a decent skimmer or landed a carp that I lost at the net after my elastic snagged on the branches above me. 3rd was Dale with 10-14 of skimmers from peg 23 and he collected the silverfish prize by default.
It was nice to catch a few, but I cant wait for the weather to start improving because for most it was a struggle today.
Monday, 18 January 2010
17/01/10 - Lands End - Match Lake
Weight – 10lb 4oz
Catch – 10 Roach, 5 Perch, 2 Carp, 1 Skimmer
Weather – Cold start. Sunny & mild.
Water Temp – 4.0c > 4.0c
Match – Open - 1st overall
At last the big thaw and I along with everyone else was glad to see the back of the ice and snow. I had intended to fish the river at Bradford with Mark, because it had been fishing well despite the cold weather, however following heavy rain a call from Mark yesterday afternoon confirmed the river was bank high – typical.
So, I booked myself in with Mike at Lands End. With league matches at Viaduct and Bullocks only 9 of us fished, but at least we were fishing. Up to yesterday the lakes were mostly ice free, but over night frost, meant the ice breakers had to come out again. Fortunately it wasn’t too thick and I managed to cut a channel up to 11.5m on peg 21, but I fully expected the ice to melt away during the day.
Despite the thaw the water temperature was still very cold due to the melting ice, so decided to fish for bites and see were it took me. 2 rigs were set up, a 4x12 jolly, .08 bottom & 22 silverfish hook and 4x12 roach, .11 bottom & 22 B911, just in case I started to catch a few.
Initially started at 10m in the deepest water without feeding, but after 20 minutes, no bites were forthcoming, so a few pinkies with some atomic cloud was cupped in at 11.5m on the edge of the ice.
On the 45 minutes mark, I caught my 1st fish, a tiny roach, so at least I avoided the blank. Next put-in a few more pinkies were tosspotted in and the float sunk straight away. A 4lb carp was the guilty party and after 10mins I managed to land it on the light kit, fortunately it was so cold it didn’t fight that hard.
Over the next hour I had a few more blade roach, however my channel suddenly got very narrow as the ice melted as a big sheet of ice drifted into my swim. For about 45 mins I kept pushing it back and breaking it up as much as I could. Eventually managed to jam it into the platform on peg 20, where it stayed for the rest of the match.
With the ice melting, meant I now had more water to attack, so as well as maintaining my 11.5m line I set up another swim to my left fishing the bottom of the shelf, but I wasn’t really catching much. Time for a change, so a 3rd rig was set to fish just off the island. Some caster, with atomic cloud was cupped in. I wasn’t sure whether I would catch, but hoped the sun had warmed the water a little and 10mins later I had a 8oz perch on maggot. I tried caster, but couldn’t get a bite, so stayed with single red maggot.
As the match progressed, I started flicking caster & maggot towards the island, rotating my swims until the end of the match. The 11.5m & LH swim only produced more little roach, whilst my island swim produced another carp of 3lb, plus the odd perch & roach.
As the only 1 to catch a carp, everyone knew I won, however Beanie had the best silvers weight from peg 13 with 7lb 6oz of mostly perch.
As a footnote, Mike has started to chop down some of the trees on Match Lake, so the bank between pegs 1 & 24 looked very bare. However, by opening up the lake to the elements, should improve the fishing, creating more water movement, so hopefully the lake won’t go clear so quickly.
Catch – 10 Roach, 5 Perch, 2 Carp, 1 Skimmer
Weather – Cold start. Sunny & mild.
Water Temp – 4.0c > 4.0c
Match – Open - 1st overall
At last the big thaw and I along with everyone else was glad to see the back of the ice and snow. I had intended to fish the river at Bradford with Mark, because it had been fishing well despite the cold weather, however following heavy rain a call from Mark yesterday afternoon confirmed the river was bank high – typical.
So, I booked myself in with Mike at Lands End. With league matches at Viaduct and Bullocks only 9 of us fished, but at least we were fishing. Up to yesterday the lakes were mostly ice free, but over night frost, meant the ice breakers had to come out again. Fortunately it wasn’t too thick and I managed to cut a channel up to 11.5m on peg 21, but I fully expected the ice to melt away during the day.
Despite the thaw the water temperature was still very cold due to the melting ice, so decided to fish for bites and see were it took me. 2 rigs were set up, a 4x12 jolly, .08 bottom & 22 silverfish hook and 4x12 roach, .11 bottom & 22 B911, just in case I started to catch a few.
Initially started at 10m in the deepest water without feeding, but after 20 minutes, no bites were forthcoming, so a few pinkies with some atomic cloud was cupped in at 11.5m on the edge of the ice.
On the 45 minutes mark, I caught my 1st fish, a tiny roach, so at least I avoided the blank. Next put-in a few more pinkies were tosspotted in and the float sunk straight away. A 4lb carp was the guilty party and after 10mins I managed to land it on the light kit, fortunately it was so cold it didn’t fight that hard.
Over the next hour I had a few more blade roach, however my channel suddenly got very narrow as the ice melted as a big sheet of ice drifted into my swim. For about 45 mins I kept pushing it back and breaking it up as much as I could. Eventually managed to jam it into the platform on peg 20, where it stayed for the rest of the match.
With the ice melting, meant I now had more water to attack, so as well as maintaining my 11.5m line I set up another swim to my left fishing the bottom of the shelf, but I wasn’t really catching much. Time for a change, so a 3rd rig was set to fish just off the island. Some caster, with atomic cloud was cupped in. I wasn’t sure whether I would catch, but hoped the sun had warmed the water a little and 10mins later I had a 8oz perch on maggot. I tried caster, but couldn’t get a bite, so stayed with single red maggot.
As the match progressed, I started flicking caster & maggot towards the island, rotating my swims until the end of the match. The 11.5m & LH swim only produced more little roach, whilst my island swim produced another carp of 3lb, plus the odd perch & roach.
As the only 1 to catch a carp, everyone knew I won, however Beanie had the best silvers weight from peg 13 with 7lb 6oz of mostly perch.
As a footnote, Mike has started to chop down some of the trees on Match Lake, so the bank between pegs 1 & 24 looked very bare. However, by opening up the lake to the elements, should improve the fishing, creating more water movement, so hopefully the lake won’t go clear so quickly.
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