Reids Tackle Stoneham Championship -Salvo from Salvi

The thing with being an average club angler is the inconsistency.  It drives me mad; currently I take one step forward and one back.  Last week a section win and this week midsectionblues again. I will say that I cant put my finger on it, but I am not enjoying fishing at the moment.  I think the irritation is borne out of a lack of ability, the frustrations of a club angler.  I don't mind losing if I think I have done the best I can, but just lately my mind is elsewhere - work, home life, etc etc.

Anyway enough bitching.  Stonehams today.  I don't like the venue myself its a long way to go and very peggy.  I hope I draw the bottom lake at last that is consistent, and its my type of fishing.  Top lake is carp based or long feeder/method fishing.  Trouble with Stonehams, is you have to take a mile of kit and bait because you don't know what you will draw.  Will it be in the shallows (3-5 feet) boilies for carp or will it be long feeder fishing method or ground bait in 12 feet at the dam wall.  Caster Worm maggot corn  your knackered before you get to your peg.

Quick summary, picked up Dave Moody in Salisbury whizzed down M27 get to Stoneham, 58 adults and juniors booked in for this club match

 I had dreamt I had drawn peg 27 (bottom end of bottom lake) and bagged up on carp all day down the edge.  Shook Pommys golden hand(boy the man can draw well) but the luck didn't rub off.  Drew widest part of the top lake. DM drew the bottom lake lucky git.  Pommy , well surprise surprise end peg top lake carp flier.  Short walk to my peg on the top lake!; and I dig out the rods first. 

 

My mind can't settle on a plan (John Dewberry sat on my shoulder telling me to keep it simple and don't confuse yourself)  !!! Sorry John, ignored you today and cocked up. 

 

So I set up, pellet waggler, method feeder, caged feeder, 13 foot maggot waggler, deep pole rigs (I had 11feet at 11meters). Mid depth rig and shallow rig phew nearly out of time.  Went to flick out the method rig so I could clip up at the right distance; when the line wrapped around the tip and splintered it. Taped it up with a little electrical tape from Karl Salvi on the next peg. 

 

The all in is shouted and I fling the cage feeder to the middle - the normal start - and hope to draw the bream in.  Fed ground bait mix at ll meters leave for half an hour and sit on tip.  Recast every five for half an hour, if no joy leave for half an hour go on pole line.  You've guessed it no joy.  The pole line is no better, nothing on the bottom but a few roach mid water and shallow.  Clearly the fish are in the warmer thermal layers.  Another hour on the tip, fish are smashing the feeder at mid depth, so I start pinging a few pellet with a view to trying the pellet waggler.  Fish are pairing and getting into threesomes as the circle mid lake and about a foot under the surface.

 

With an hour to go a team of Environment Agency guys turn up and go peg to peg checking we all had our rod licence for this season.  Dug out mine and showed it.  As far as I know all members were on the right side of the law.

 

The trouble with Stonehams is roach wont be enough its big fish or nothing.  Geoff Rowlands is bagging on the end of the dam wall.  Everyone else in my section is struggling with like me a few silvers.  It ain't gonna win the match.  Guys on the top of their game seem to have the patience to stick at a method (and as my mate John says - the fish will come Gary- be patient and they will come) but today I have been all over the place never doing one thing well. Karl on the next peg is struggling.  He pleasure fished the very same peg days ago and bagged up on the feeder or pellet up in water.  Half an hour to go and a couple and news comes down that Geoff on the end peg is winning the section.  The rest of the top lake is doing well with carp. (shallower sections). But with half an hour to go I feel I am in with a shout of section by default. 

 

Gloom descends and I feel section or even match points disappear as the last 30 minutes sees the Carp come on the feed.  A double salvo from Karl Salvi on the next peg as he lands two carp for 26.5 lb to add to his only other fish a 4oz skimmer.  Dave Calver lands a 7 lb carp to add to his 2 lb of skimmers.

 

Alan Hillman end peg to my right lands most of his 20+lb in the last 30 minutes three carp and two bream, bemoaning the all out had come too early.  Me, well best of the silver fish guys(several 4lb and a couple of 2lb weights) midsectionblues with just over 7lb.

 

My section

Geoff 31 lb carp and Bream

Karl 26 lb+ two Carp (above pic)

Alan Hillman 20 lb + small carp and big bream

Dave Calver 9 lb one carp 2lb silvers

Me 7 lb

 

Fair play to Karl he stuck it out all day pinging pellet.  I was convinced he was flogging a dead horse; but not for the first time I leave stonehams annoyed that i have fished hard with no reward.

 

The journey home with a jovial Dave M , happy he had one his section with 32+lb of silvers (he wins a Reid's Tackle voucher!!) and carp.  The top three were all carp weights in the 50lb + (yes Pommy was second of the flier).

Final round of the Toyota next week at Withy.  I am torn between building on my good start with Pewsey and ditching the Toyota.  But have plumped for the Toyota; it will be interesting to see if I can maintain my promoted place in div 1 or will be relegated back to div 2.  Either way It will be better than rank last which is where I started.

 

Just hope the enjoyment comes back....................at this moment I could kick it in to touch and go back to pleasure fishing.