Pleasure session on Barneys peg, followed by working party

Monday 17th sees me at Witherington Farm.  I have a day of today and try to combine a number of things with fishing.  I have hours to kill between 9.00 am and midday.  Of to Withy on this cloudy but warm morning.  Arriving I find Barneys peg (peg 3 on Barnmoor Lake, called Barneys peg as only he manages to draw it!!) is empty.  Never fished it before and despite wanting to draw it in a match clearly never done that either.  So I lay my stall out and decide to start on the splodger to the island.

I need the practice, I don't use the splodger much.  I now own a little Browning wand at 8 foot long, it is perfect for the short chuck on commercial type fisheries.  In fact it is called a commercial king wand.  Starting on the method mix with a banded pellet the bites are finicky, and it takes a little bit of chopping and changing to realize its Rudd and Roach, not really having it.

I am reliably informed that Barney uses maggot, so I roll a couple of maggots on my thigh and ping the dead maggot with pleasing accuracy to the same spot time and again. A little bit of experimenting brings the realisation that yellow maggot is picking out the bigger skimmers ahead of red maggot.  This results in semi positive bites (not whacking round) but several 10 oz skimmers.

I have been pinging a little bait down the edge which results in a big swirl.  So I put on the tiger paste and drop it in. Bang straight away and the yellow hollow 17 stretches out.  Not the expected carp though it was a Bream, a proper Bream, thick enough in the shoulder to stretch my grip.  Black, really black and very gnarly /scarred.  Clearly an old fish.  I estimate between 4 and 5 lbs.

Nothing after that so out on the splodger again but the skimmers have left.  I keep feeding the edge, and go out on a choppy line at 6 meters.  The worm gets pulled side to side by small stuff until a proper, flying skimmer stretches the red 11 hollow elastic.

Three more 1.5lb skimmers then that line goes dead.  Meanwhile the edge is swirling again and in I go to repeat the Bream incident, another blackish  bream between 4 and 5 lb. So similar it could have, may have been the same fish!

Both lines are now quite. So back out on the tip to the island, and with no method mix left (didn't mix a lot for the short session), I am using sticky pellet powder on micro pellet around my 15 gram feeder.  Semi pop up pink krill pellet results in 3 quick fire "pasty" size carp around a pound , very silvery in colour and beautifully scaled.  This was followed by two more pound skimmers then nothing.

As the time had crept on past my planned midday finish; I decided to drop in the edge and use the last of the tiger paste, which resulted in a lovely reddish carp around 14/15 lb, a lovely fish to finish on.

1.30 pm. Popped into Reid's tackle, ordered my bait for Saturday collection (Canal on Sunday). Jumped in the flyer and sped away to complete some chores for the wife.  After the chores, I cooked tea (ate mine, put hers in the microwave) walked the dogs, fed the chickens and then went to pick up the wife from work.

Dropped her at home loaded the van with sledgehammer, spade wheelbarrow and other tools and sped of to Pewsey, to a work party on the Lake.  A few willing volunteers embarked on much chatting general banter and working in repairing broken and sinking platforms + building steps down to pegs.   Good three hours was had in waders or on the bank cutting scaffold poles or manoeuvring the heavy blue clay soil around.

 It is hoped that after a bit of work and a restocking of the lake; this century old club can rebuild a dwindling membership, so its a good cause.  Whilst I don't mind the work, I would rather be fishing so roll on Sunday and the match on the Canal at Lady's Bridge - Pewsey Versus Calne AC.

Dire Straights at Stonehams BBQ match

BBQ match at Stonehams today 1pm kick off till 6pm.  On this miserable fathers day, the rain accompanied DM and myself down to Stonehams.  Drew Peg 70, that's three matches in a row I have been in the damn wall section.  Its weird, winter time when you want the deeper water I draw the shallows, and vice versa in the summer I never draw the shallows.  This match is also where the trophy's for last year are dished out.  DM drew peg 80 on the muddy bank nice little cut out bay edge swim to his left.  Me, well I did try for the skimmers with no real joy.  Ended up with a few bits for 4 lb 8 oz third in section (threw back a 5lb pike and two eels around a pound a piece - eels and pike do not count).  Mick Hawkins to my right has had three skimmers and some bits for second with 5 lb 10 oz.  The section was won with one carp of 7 lb 6 oz.

DM won the match by 2 oz  with 27 lb something (two carp for 17lb, and 10lb of silvers).

Dave "Budha"Moody enjoying post match BBQ

So with picking up cash for first place, + cash for placing in last years Stonehams Championship; and the over 50's trophy a good day for DM.  The boy can still do it.

 The Trophy Table, a good spread of silver the Eastleigh motto being Nulli Secundus.  

And finally the scores on the doors. A dire day for all.

 Next week back on the canal at Lady's Bridge with Pewsey.  Might have a day at Withy tomorrow depends on the weather.  Oh a little higher than midsectionblues 3rd place today. Many didn't weigh in and most had only one fish a carp.  One day I will catch a carp at stoneshams

Army 8 Groundhog day at Witherington Farm

Army match 8.  Witherington Farm.  This match and this venue is where I have cocked up the last couple of seasons, needing minimum 5 points or lower, but getting 9 and 10 respectively.

The day started cloudy and wet, and when I got to Withy I was greeted by a long queue for breaky and Tony Beeney struggling on his own with trying to sell and cook breakfasts.  Rolled up my sleeves and got stuck in, taking money, making brews and buttering bread rolls.  The lads remained patient and we got through the 30+ breakies.  Barely had time to wolf my own breaky down before the match brief and draw.

If I had a choice I wanted peg 44, consistently a good peg.  Peg 24 was drawn for me, a reasonable peg, of out of the wind nice little bay at 14.5 meters, I was chuffed.  That is of course till I walked to my peg.  Talk about section of death.  Mayo, Chris Perry, Mike Poolman, John Dewberry, Keith Armstrong and the in form Mick Craddock.  Still I am coming in off the back of a win, confident and with some local knowledge from the ever helpful Reid's tackle, I set about my task.

The match starts and I go across to try and mug a carp.  Micro pellet choppy worm and a little corn.  Four quickfire 10 oz Crucians and then nothing for 25 minutes.  My mate John is already bagging with some early skimmers.  I come back down the track and settle over a meat line I have been feeding.  Nothing.  Flip right and go over a maggot line.  Maggot down the middle has been doing well and I have 3 very quick roach.  Then nothing.  The advice is to keep feeding maggot use a light skimmer rig with a heavy duty on hand for when the Carp arrive.  John is into his first big carp, he thinks its foul hooked.

As I click the shutter John bumps the fish

Back across and 7 Rudd around 5 oz one after another then nothing.  That's how it went for the next hour rotating around the swims trying different baits.  No movement on pellet, corn taking a couple but worm and maggot being the most successful.  Mike Poolman walks along to John, to see how hes doing, as Mike only has a few silvers.  Keith next to me is getting tiddlers like me and Mick Craddock to the left of him has just had a couple of Carp.  But from Peg 18 round to 26 we are in a Carp desert.

The rain turns the day into a miserable drag as I try up in the water, laying on.  Lighter lines, smaller hooks but no Carp. Just the irritating rudd and roach.  Not even a goldfish.  The last time I fished this peg I had over a hundred pound, I just don't understand it.  I keep the maggot going in as advised surely the Carp will feed soon, but just more roach come to the net.  Before I know it, there is only an hour left, so I come into my edge swim which I have been drip feeding all day.  With half an hour to go no further bites.  So time to pull out the tiger nut paste, always a sure fire winner.  Not this time. Worm down the edge to finish but still no movement on the float.  All out is shouted and we have all struggled round the bend pegs Mick C has done well and John says Mike Poolman had, had a good second half to the match.

The weigh in.........

Mike Poolman has taken the section. Mick Craddock and Mayo third and Chris Perry not far behind

A Section inner snake, has fished patchy, oddly the same corner us on the outer snake produced very few Carp either; Peg 86 Dave Farragher taking it.

 Mark Higgins  to the left of Mick Craddock but in the next section wins B section , clearly the carp were in the middle of the leg not at the corners.

I manage to pip Keith and Gary Black either side of me, and I equal my Jedi masters (John Yoda) silvers weight; but his one carp keeps him ahead of me.  

Mike wins the match of Peg 16, with 24 kilo 150 gramms.

For me it really is Ground hog day again.  Army match, its raining, no Carp and Midsectionblues again. One ray of light 5 points for the team

Pewsey Lake - Just a Perfect day..........

You will recall my previous blog explaining the need to catch up in the Championship points stakes with Pewsey & D A A.  So game face on lets do it.  Drew peg 9, mid way down the lake.  Not the end peg (where the carp are).  Full house despite a couple of the lads swanning off to Ireland on a bagging trip.  Will T was adapting local equipment too get his kit to his peg, bringing a new meaning to the term "fishing barrow"

a real "fishing barrow"

  The Pewsey Lake is  a funny place , its only the second time I have fished it.  Its fairly featureless, canal like in shape about 18 meters across at my peg, 3 foot ledge either side and seven foot in the middle.  I started on the choppy worm as it was rumoured biggish perch were the order of the day.  A ground bait line sprinkled with pinkie for the small stuff and the splodger across the far shelf.  First and only mistake of the day was to forget to bring two nets (one for silvers and one for carp).

Jimmy hollered the all in and I dropped in over the choppy line.  10 minutes in and apart from the float being pulled from side to side by tiny, tiny fish too small to pull the float under or take even the smallest piece of worm.  From memory in my first match here six weeks ago; Ian Spanswick built a weight of silvers (tiny silvers) to frame.  So I decided to "canalise my set up" and risk missing the bonus fish.  Couldn't risk it, needed fish in the net and definite points not blank net and what could have been again.

Proceeded not to miss a bite for the rest of the match.  Well, I say match, the first two hours because between 12 and all out at 3pm I had two bites and they amounted to around two ounces.  But in those first two hours it was tiny fish after tiny fish, and I reckon I had around two pound.  Rumour has it, Ian and Simon Burden were catching down in carp bay; but every one else was struggling to get the float too move.  Mid day saw bites slow, and the float just gently and slowly started to go under.  It was like the float was waterlogged and gradually sinking it was so slow.  I let it almost go under and struck.  Damn it got the bottom, hang on a minute the bottom is moving right and the number four elastic is stretching out.  5 Minutes later and I have a nice tench around a pound and three quarters.  I cant believe it me with a bonus fish , wonders will never cease.

10 Minutes to go and I here Will Tapper has a carp. Bugger that's torn it still I might still frame, I reckon I might have 3 and half pound.  The weigh in begins , and as normal Simon Burden 2 lb 2 oz, and Ian Spanswick (local superstars) weigh in.  Luckily no bonus fish, but as normal a mass of tiny fish (Ian had 102 fish) for 2 lb 4 oz.

Scores on the doors

Kev managed to exactly match, Ian and Jimmy (club chairman) managed to exactly match Simon so tight all round.  Wills last gasp one and only Carp, took second with 2 lb 9 oz.

Me well I had one Tench 2 lb 2 oz and 1 lb 13 oz of tiny silvers.  Yes you are reading this correctly I,ve won the match! Not only that I picked up the silvers pot and the section as defaults are not paid on the lake.  I cannot tell you how happy I am.  Thanks to my mate John for his faith, that one day I would get there.  Well John I did, I actually won a match.

Will Tappers Carp, 2 lb 9 oz the only Carp of the day.

Left to right - Ian and Kev tied for 3rd, Will T second, and yours truly the winner

PS Maximum 8 Points No Midsectionblues this week.

Stoneham Championship no progress made despite 50 fish

First , what a wally after posting the last blog "playing catch up" I realised I was wishing my time away and was one week premature.  I was at Stonehams (Eastleigh) today not at Pewsey.

You will know from previous blogs I am not keen on the venue; but I will keep plugging away one day I will suss the place.  I wanted to draw the bottom lake but once again drew on the big lake at the top.  Peg 74.  Not a bad peg, high bank behind covered in sharp holly and brambles , not easy for shipping the pole.

Some would say why bother with pole, as the tip long with method / mini boilie / pellet or cage feeder sweetcorn or maggot is the local attack of choice.  

On this beautiful day, the woodland surrounding is full of azalea's. I had the golden peg to my left and Rich Penney to my right.

 I banged out the tip with a method feeder on and a semi buoyant pellet.  There was about 50 nice size bream and carp circling half way across just under the surface. Should I try for them?  I am reliably informed half an hour of casting every five minutes is enough time to put in enough bait to get them going.  It never has worked for me yet.  A bite less hour later, nobody is catching apart from Dave Moody and Tappy across on Trojans bank, racing each other  with roach.  Rumours are drifting down the bank from the dam wall shallow end peg and the muddy bank that some carp have been caught.

Fifteen minutes with the pellet waggler chasing the surface fish and not a touch.  You could see the fish swim up to your float, get around 18 inches away then spook away.  So off the method and fishing cage feeder with dead maggot.  Another bite less hour.  Long pole now with ground bait in ten feet of water.  No bites on the bottom but I am getting knocks on the drop.  Take the deep rig off and stick on a mid water rig.  Fix a toss pot and start sprinkling caster.

  Rich Penney to my right (not in my section) has just had his skimmer after nearly three hours on the tip.  This was followed with similar size skimmers x 5 every 20 minutes or so finishing with around 26lb. Me I had a a reasonable final hour and a half with fish after fish in mid and shallow water.  Problem was they were all small; I couldn't buy a skimmer or even a fish over 4oz.  Surely one day I will catch a pound + fish in this lake!!!  Did try last 15 minutes on pellet wagg again trying to hook a big surface fish; but ended up with 50 fish for 6 lb 12 oz. Midsectionblues again 4th out of ten.

  The section had three DNW including two blanks to my left.  As normal the end peg in the narrow shallows one the section with Carp.  Rich Allen had a 7 1b of silvers and a couple of bigger fish.  Maurice Townsend had a few big fish.  Peg 59 had a late Carp.  Perhaps I should fish, float only or Silvers on this venue.

Our section was probably the lowest scoring, other sections fared better with 40 lb weights taking the section.  I think 50 lb + of Carp won it but I am not sure, as DM had, had enough and wanted to go home.  He was puffing well and didn't look at his most healthy.

And yes it is Pewsey next week followed by a mid week Army match at Withy; then back to Stoneham for the late afternoon evening BBQ match.

Playing Catch up.............

After a good start with the Pewsey Championship I was third after two matches.  Problem is as I had booked into other competitions previous to the start of this championship.  So I have missed one Lake Match ( fishing the Toyota missed out on a possible 8 points); and one Canal match (Fishing Blakeys festival missed out on a possible 15 Points) and I have dropped to tenth place!

I probably wouldn't have won either, but I am confident I would have picked up some points, and thus denting other competitors totals. Still no use crying over spilt milk.  Chin up and crack on.

So back on the Championship hunt and playing catch up big style.  On the lake this sunday.  Tough venue, decimated by cormorants and eastern European fish thieves (allegedly)ounces can bring good points.

Name	Overall	Position
Ian Spanswick	37	1
Mike Marsden	34	2
Leo Pocock	30	3
Chris Rushton	29	4
Simon Burden	28	5
Kevin Chubb	28	5
Jimmy Broomham	26	7
Steve Hiscock	24	8
Will Tapper	24	8
Gary Williams	18	10
Martin Arris	17	11
Paul Giddings	15	12
Robin Pearce	12	13
Steve Dean	10	14
Gary Perryman	9	15
Kevin Moore	9	16
Nick Worter	8	17
Roly Phillips	6	17
James Carty	6	17
Gary Hay	3	20
Darren Tapper	0	21
Neil Pegrum	0	21
Pete White	0	21

Tackle Trade Match - Reids Tackle - Viaduct

Another enjoyable day today.  I was very kindly invited to join Dave Moody to represent Reids Tackle at the Viaduct (Somerly Somerset).  Formerly the Diawa Tackle Trade open.  It was now just the South West tackle trade open.

Sunshine accompanied myself and Dave as we motored down the 303 in the flyer (had her up to 78 at one point).

First order of the day was breakfast at Woody's.  We were joined at the table by Mike "Buzzer" Bernstein from Challis Tackle in Andover.  Nice for me to listen to the experts talking through the old and new match fishing scene, and the current ups and downs of the tackle trade.  Although I spend 98% of my coin in Reids Tackle always have done; I do also use Challis Tackle as I am a big fan of Garbolino floats.

The Happy Couple

The draw was at 9 am and I was a little surprised to see we were fishing 10 till 4 pm.  Not much time to set up.  All the pegs were on Campbell lake.  I drew 129 and Dave drew 130!  Buzzer on 124.

The all in was whistled at 10, and I wasn't ready.  Drawing 129 Meant I had the spit to my left.  This had complicated my simple plan of straight lead, to the middle and ping pellet. Eventually fishing pellet waggler up in the water.  Now I was setting up a shallow rig , meat rig for the bottom, and a worm and caster rig (for silvers).  There was no mention or at least I didn't here a mention of silvers pool at the brief. More on that later.

Cupped in some hemp and 8 mill meat at the point of the spit.Some caster choppy worm  and ground bait at 8 meters to my right at 2 o clock.  Sat on the spit line for 30 minutes without a movement.  Came over the caster line again 15 minutes and nothing.  Back over the meat line by the spit all the time pinging 11 mill to the middle.  12 noon saw no bites of any description.  DM had, had a tug on his worm but the skimmer was off before it was properly on.  Dave was cussing the lack of bites, as were most people round the lake.  The guy to Dave's right on Peg 131 had a few fish including Carp. So he was leading (our) A section.  I gave up on the pole and went for it with the straight lead.  Being nibbled out by thousands of fry, was not going to win today.  A few people over the far side and the match organiser in the corner peg were catching down the edge.

12.30 and the first movement on the rod tip, but all a bit half hearted, no ripping round Viaduct style. I had fished Viaduct 10 days ago on scary Carey and 11 mill Donkey Chokers were the order of the day.  Not today though it was all a bit tentative. Pushed the carp rod up the bank and got out my 11 foot Steve Gardner Milo bomb rod out.  Tackle 8lb main line, 3/4 oz arlesley bomb, 15 inch 6 lb hook link to banded 8 mill red robin pellet. Clipped up and fired out.  Pinged 6 pellet about every 2 minutes.

Frightener as the rod almost went in, just as I was catapulting in.   Grabbed it and hung on.  The line was down to the clip and everything was straining - and the fish was off.  After losing five carp in my last match on Monday, I looked heavenwards and asked the gods of fishing (Ivan Marks, Ray Mumford, Ian Heaps etc)  what I had done to offend them.

Didn't lose my temper, this time didn't swear, just fired it out again and carried on. 10 minutes and another ripping bite and after a steady pull I gently coaxed a 6lb carp over the net. Then a run of 4 lb fish, hope was rising.

DM was questioning what I was doing.  Which was no different to what he was doing but; he want getting bites on the tip.  He came over his 14 meter line and dropped a worm in, a carp took it and was on then off.  Both DM and myself agreed he could probably bag up on silvers, but with no silvers pool whats the point.  DM had a tench and then a skimmer, but couldn't buy a carp bite.  The guy to his right had a couple of big lumps and few smaller carp.

The Silverfish kid

Me I was starting to catch the bloke on Peg 131 (to the right of Dave).  Bites had slowed but I was getting one about every ten minutes.  A check of the time on my mobile made me think I was not going to catch enough to win anything.  My 8 meter swim was fizzing like a can of Vimto.  What to do??? Come in over the caster ground bait or stay on the lead. 20 minutes to go.  I come in over the short line and watch the float literally bob around in the mass of bubbles and small swirls and vortex's.

A couple of missed liners, and a nudge from DM to put the pole away, and get back on the tip saw two more fish in the last ten minutes.

The all out is whistled and I guess I have got 65 maybe 70 lb.  I was disappointed to find I had 59 lb 6 oz.  The bloke to Daves right had 61 lb 2oz. Bugger pipped for the section by a pound and half. The decision to go on the 8 meter line for 10 minutes may have cost me.

 Dave had a creditable 23 lb which was 2 carp and the rest was silvers.  Buzzer came along to say he had not weighed in his 4 carp,and just weighed in his silvers around 15 lb.  This was when we realised there was a silvers pool after all!!!!"

I am sure DM would have smashed everyone on his silvers , he really had them going.  But not realising there was a silvers pool he wasted time trying to catch carp when they were not having it in his swim.

Thanks to Dave (Reids Tackle) for the invitation, disappointed at coming second in the section, it was really a red letter day for me.  To have DM and Buzzer in the same section and beat them both is a day I wont forget for a while.

I was seventh overall, the top weights coming from the corner swims.

 1st  110 lb, 

2nd 104 lb and 3rd 90 lb. 

 Fourth was 75 lb,

 5th 66 lb 

6th 61 lb 2oz then me 59 lb 6 oz.  Yippee it is possible to land Carp after all.

Pewsey club match this weekend.