04/05/12 - Gold Valley - Gold Lake

Weight – 11lb 0oz
Catch – 4 Bream, 3 Perch, 1 Crucian, 1 Roach
Weather – Mostly cloudy, cold northerly breeze
Match – Garbolino Club Angler

Today was the southern qualifier for the club angler competition, where the top 15 would go through to the final at Lindholme. 69 anglers booked in, split 40 on Gold and 29 on Middle, with only 6 no shows.

Following last weeks practice match, I was feeling confident that given a decent draw I could qualify, so when I found myself on peg 12 on the canal bank of Gold Lake, I was initially quite pleased, particularly when I had 2 space pegs to my left.

Darren Cox from Garbolino came round to see all the anglers and suggested that I was in a good area for skimmers, which was pleasing to here and was more helpful than Will Raisons response of “you will catch on everything”.

On the all in I cupped in caster and 2mm pellet at 13m. After spending an hour on the feeder, I was bored with only 1 liner to show for my efforts. A couple of fish had been caught to my right, but generally it was slow going.

I’m not sure the cold northerly breeze was helping me and I had to put my second fleece on. A look over the 13m line produced a crucian, then a small perch. Looking around I thought that if I could get a net of silvers I could then get a few carp late on.

However best laid plans and all that, meant I struggled badly. I kept topping up the 13m, confident the skimmers would arrive, but other than a couple of skimmers and a few perch those fish were reluctant to feed.

I had been feeding 8mm pellet, 30m out hoping the fish would eventually turn up, but despite feeding all match, I only had 1 skimmer and qualification was becoming a distant dream.

As the match progressed and the need for snookers, it was now a case of feeding a lot of caster and meat at 6m and down the left hand margin. When I had a big bream (4lb 12oz) at 6m on meat I thought I got a chance, but that was the only fish from this line. The margin didn’t produce a single bite on caster or meat.

I didn’t hang around for the results, but have since found out that only 36-38lb was required to qualify. I don’t think anyone qualified from my area of the lake, with the angler to my left only landing 1 carp, on what is considered a good peg opposite the island. The most anyone had to my right was 4 carp.

In hindsight may be I should have just sat on the feeder all day, but it doesn’t suit my style of fishing and I didn’t have any confidence in it after that first hour, but with such a low qualifing weight I feel vindicated for feeding really positively in the last 2hrs to pull in some carp, since you can easily have 2 or 3 carp for 30-40lb

25/04/12 - Gold Valley - Gold Lake

Weight – 48lb 4oz (22lb 10oz silvers)
Catch – 7 Bream, 5 Carp, 4 Roach, 3 Perch, 2 Hybrid, 1 Rudd
Weather – Rain, rain, rain as well as a bit of wind!
Water Temp – 14.3c – 14.7c
Match – Match Fishing Scene – 4^th out of 17 overall

More traveling this time to Gold Valley in Aldershot. I had heard many stories and comments about the place, ranging from it’s a great a fishery, to its too peggy, as well as the rather strict rules on bank walkers and no peeing on the bank.

The reason for today’s visit was to practice for the Garbolino Club Angler southern regional qualifier on 4 May. On the drive down I was beginning to wonder whether it was worth the effort, with the wind and rain lashing down together with the heavy traffic. On arrival, the club house overlooks Gold Lake and I recognized some of the famous pegs you see in the magazines. The venue won’t win any awards for the best looking fishery, but it is well maintained with concrete platforms and a hardcore path around the lakes.

Today’s match was run under the MFS website banner, which included a number of locals, so it would give me a good idea of how it could fish. Gold Lake is roughly rectangular and fortunately we were pegged along the canal bank, which meant we were mostly sheltered from the worst of the wind, so umbrellas could be put up, which I was quite pleased about.

I drew peg 26 at the far windward end of the lake and on the day was 3^rd from the end. Must admit I was a little disappointed, because I fancied a lower number closer to the clubhouse where the wind was blowing in.

With no one on the far bank, I expected the carp to back away to the other side of the central rope, however I started on a customized pellet feeder with hair rigged 8mm pellet cast just short of the rope. After 90mins I had 4 carp and leading our section, but a further 3 casts without a bite and I got bored (unless the tip keeps going round I get easily bored) so switched to the pole.

From the start I had been potting caster & 2mm pellet at 13m every 20mins. I knew there were some big skimmers around so decided to be really positive to try and catch them. Unfortunately the first 30mins was very frustrating with bumped fish, tangles and not getting the presentation right. Eventually, I got it sorted and started to catch big skimmers up to 3lb on double caster, plus my best carp on the day of nearly 7lb. Everytime I got a roach or perch I dumped another pot of food.

I had also been feeding 8mm meat at 7m. But, again more bumped fish or they coming off after a few seconds was frustrating, although I did manage a big 3lb hybrid, plus a few smaller skimmers. I also lost an 8-9lb carp at the net, but I shouldn’t complain too much because it was foul hooked it the rear end.

Herbie who was pegged to my left and spend most of the day on the lead and occasionally the pellet waggler fishing at 30m had with 90mins to go about 3 carp, however by continually feeding 8s he managed to pull in a few late carp to pip me by 3lb. It was really useful to see Herbie catch late like that, although I had been feeding the same line I only gave it a couple of casts, but I wanted to see if I could still challenge on the pole.

Pleased with how the match progressed, in hindsight I should have spent more time on the tip during the last hour, however I lost enough fish to challenge 2^nd place. Speaking after the match, there were a few lost fish, with them being hooked around the month, so not really feeding properly.

1^st 88-12 – Chris N – p2
2^nd 69-14 – Ludders – p12
3^rd 51- 1 – Herbie – p25
4^th 48- 4 – Ken Rayner – p26
5^th 45-14 – Pikey – p22
6^th 43-10 – Happydangler – p9