Saturday 25th January - Chicken and Currie at Acorn

Clevedon Match Secretary Adie Baker sent out a text during the week reminding everyone there are Open Matches every Saturday on our Club Match Lake within the Acorn Complex at Kingston Seymour. I had not planned to go fishing this weekend but with the wife working it would be rude not to, so a response back to Adie on the Friday informed him I would come along. I have not fished Paddock Lake since the Club took it over back in July last year, I knew the numbers had dropped a bit during the winter but it was to be expected and there wer also other matches being held on the Sunday. Adie won the last match with 54lb so knew I would not need that much in the way of bait. Micro's and soft pellet, some left over maggots, worm and bread would do me. Saturdays weather forecast seemed reasonable as opposed to Sundays. I got there about 8:15 and could not see anyone else, then about 8:30 Adie turned up and a couple of Club regulars Lee Williams, Glen Calvert and Mark Walsh supplemented by by 2 other guys and a phone call from Andy Guard confirming he would be coming so someone draw a peg for him. That was it I think, 8 in all. £13 entry fee including the Golden Peg and paying top 2 only. Golden Peg was drawn - 37, I drew about 5th and pulled out 37, a bad omen. The Golden Peg only stood at £18 anyway. The bridge pegs usually produce more than any other on this lake, Adie, Glen, Andy Guard and another guy who I don't know all drew bridges.

Adie was on 22, Glen was on 34, Andy was on 33 and the other chap was on 40.

Like I said the weather forecast was reasonable and it was nice and mild but the wind was due to come in later in the day. Look at my peg, flat calm at the start, it did not look anything like this at 14:00.



I only set up 2 rigs, 1 for down the middle and 1 to fish across in 2 palces just at the bottom of the far shelf, nothing complicated with kinder pots on each top 2 to feed lightly although I did put in some groundbait through a pole cup down the middle at the start.

To say the action was slow was an understatement, I think Andy Guard was first to catch a carp as far as I could see, then after an hour I could see Adie on 22 landing something. Adie did catch in between long periods and they all looked like carp, he had one on for what seemed like ages. I saw Glen land a couple but it was hardly fast and furious. About 2 hours into the match I got a dip on the float struck but nothing there, think it was a liner. Another long wait before an indication, struck and a small roach came flying out of the water attached to my line then fell off! Although I kept concentrating I was not enjoying it and started swearing at the chickens who were climbing all over my gear, nicking bait and getting tangled up in my top 2's and puddle chucker that I had set up. I did try the straight lead with bread a few times but nothing.

Heres those pesky chickens, peacocks were also wandering around directly behind me looking for food and chasing the chickens after they nicked some of my bait!

The wind really started to get up around 13:00 but in bursts and not all the time, I was catching the odd roach and managed a crucian as well about 1.5lbs, so would they come late....!

Rain began to come down along with the increased wind, a piece of wood under a canopy on a caravan parked in the construction yard free'd itself and went hurtling skywards towards the nearby M5, I looked across to Aidie and he was off his box putting some of his gear in the car, it was beginning to be impossible to hold the pole and the risk of a break was high. I then saw the Net Dip lid alongside Adie come off and head towards Mar's lol. Adie came around about 14:45 and we all agreed to abandon ship. I packed up quickly, put my fish back, 3lb tops. Adie was weighing in but I did not stay but he sent a text with the results, and as follows....

1st Adie Baker 25lb

2nd Lee Waller 20lb 2oz

3rd Glen Calvert 14lb

So that was it. Youngest daughter home from Uni next week for her 20th Birthday so will not bother fishing.

Sunday 19th January Clevedon Club Match Apex Lake oh no it's not try Wildmarsh Trinity Waters

I love fishing Apex Lake in the winter for the skimmers and was really looking forward to the match. I had my down the track canal rigs from the last 2 weeks which would do nicely along with a couple of freshing tied spares. I was probably second to arrive in the lake car park and could see Rib Fogg talking to a couple of guys. Just after my arrival he came up to me and said it's unfishable! Unfishable I said, a lake, for a moment I thought he was on the wacky baccy lol. He then went on to explain the levels were up and above the platforms which meant on the far bank pegs you would need chest waders to go down the dip into the water and then up on the sunken platforms. Once a few others arrived we went to have a look (to confirm he did not need detained under the mental health act)and he was right. There were a couple of pegs you could fish near the car park but not enough for the 10 guys booked in. Kev Perry phoned Misca at Trinity waters to see if there were pegs on Wildmarsh Lake available as it was perceved it would be a silvers day. Soon it was established Wildmarsh was available, John Wostencroft decided it was not for him so headed home, Simon Carvello really wanted to stay and fish one of the few fishable pegs on Apex but reluctantly went with the flow and headed down to Bridgwater in convoy with the rest of us. Alough it appeared to be a nice day if you were looking out from a warm house it was freezing.We got down to Wildmarsh about 08:45 and decided to fish the back pegs in a row where there wasn't any pleasure anglers fishing was to be 10:15 - 15:15, pay your £20quid and pick a peg, simples. Peg 52 was mine which was much the same as the rest of them except Simon Carvello was to my left and set back in a corner and more or less around the corner was Phil Decon. If was pole only not much of a problem but if we all fished the tip we would be casting to the same spot and risk snagging up with each other, if one of us got a bite n=on the tip we all would! As luck would have it Simon decided not to use the tip so it was a case of me poaching as much as I could get away with in front of Phil.

Peg 52 my Office for the 5 hours

There is a good head of silvers in this lake but quite a few carp, in the summer 60lb - 70lb is needed to win. Most of us were convinced it would be silvers only that would feed today so everyone had the same approch i.e out on the pole, fish light feed light. I set up 3 lines, all were the same depth at around 7 foot, 2 at 13 meters either side and one at 14 meters straight out in front. Bait was caster, pinkie, maggot and worm. After setting up I decided to get the puddle chucker out and set it up with a small cage feeder and a 16 on a hair for bread. I had plently of bread left from last week and as Simon wasn't going to fish the tip then.... why not. On the other side of me was carp slayer Rich Lovering, still not sure why he turned up for a match at Apex, not really his bag.

At the all in the lines were fed, after that I went straight out on the bread casting about 30 meters, Phil Decon looked up but didn't say anything (got away with it), he had plently of room down his left anyway as the nearest angler on this sid of him could barely be seen. I looked down at the tip immediately after it settled and seen what looked like liners, very small at that, then after 5 minutes the tip sort of moved more positively, what the heck, I lifted into it and felt something solid which started to move and bend the small puddle chucker rod double, carp on. It was soon noticed by the other guys around me and word soon got about that I was in. 5 minutes or so later a 5lb carp was netted, nice. I stayed on the bread for the next hour but that was it. Nothing else had been caught either side of me. Simon was struggling and did not have a bite.



Simon after an hour thinking.... should have stayed on Apex

I put the pole out at 13 meters to my right and it buried immediately and a small roach about 2 oz graced the net. At the same time I could see the elastic from Phil Decons pole coming out and he was playing a carp, he had it on for ages and landed it after what seemed to be 15 minutes, it looked a right lump. Ah well second place now. For the remainder of the match I did not have another bite on the pole, anywhere. Rich to my right was getting the odd roach and Simon also started to pick up the odd (very odd) very small roach. At about 12:30 Phil had another lump on the pole and a few skimmers. Rich also had a carp on light gear and did well to land it on 5 - 8 elastic. It was now around 14:00 so I decided to stick it on the tip the rest of the match. First 20 minutes back out on the bread and nothing, decded to change to groundbait and pinkie with 3 reds on a 16, within 2 casts I had 2 good skimmers and that was it. Phil Decon was first to weigh, here is his catch.

3 lumps for 20lb 4oz and silvers weighing 2lb 4oz

Simon decided not to weigh, so next to weigh was me.



1 carp, 1 roach and 2 skimmers 9lb 10oz

Rich was next, when he pulled his net out I knew he had done me.



Rich weighed 11lb, carp was slightly bigger than mine and his silvers made a good back up weight

Paul Nichols followed Rich and put 5lb of silvers on the scales then it was Paul Faires as some other did not weigh, Paul had 4lb 10oz and that was it, just half the field weighed in.

1st Phil Decon 22lb 8oz

2nd Rich Lovering 11lb

3rd Ivan Currie 9lb 10oz

So that's another one over, not sure about next week, I have some jobs at home to catch up on but the wife is working so who knows!

Sunday 12th January - Commercial House League Final Round Kennet and Avon Canal Bathampton to Claverton

This was the final round of 6 for the Commercial House League which has used the following venues, 3 on the Lower Bristol Avon, 1 on the Upper Bristol Avon and 2 on the Kennet and Avon Canal between Bath and Claverton. 13 Teams of 6 were in the competition this year, 78 anglers per match which just goes to prove there is still (thank goodness) an appitite for fishing natural venues. This was the first time I had fished this league and with a newly formed Team (Maver Cadbury Angling. To say I enjoyed it is an understatement.
The effort that is put into organising this league was second to none and the hospitality offered from the Stoddard and Pitt Rugby Club where nearly all the draws and results took place was fantastic. I also met up with some old friends and made a few new ones. The League is made up of 2 Divisions A and B, the 2 Teams that finish in the top 2 in Div B get promoted to Div A, so I guess the bottom 2 in Div A get put into Div B, lol had to write that train of thought down (my excuse is I come from Ireland). Here is the League positions before the last match.

As you can see we were lying in 1st place but with only half a point to spare from the next 2 teams and not much from the team in 4th place, talk about tight.
We did win the previous weeks B Div league on the canal and were pretty upbeat even though it was much colder and there had been a hard frost unlike last week. When the draw was made Chris our team captain came back with peg 13, oh dear. I am still trying to work out how individuals are placed, the team captain does not do this as there is some form of rolling section allocation so we were all in different sections as opposed to last week, even then the pegging was changed with Darling Warf left out and the pegs over the aquaduct at Claverton put in which are very good. I was place in E Section commonly reffered to as 'diggers'. A quick exit from the draw was in order so as to get parked ok.

Chris and I had to park in the same area, diggers yard so I followed him. When we got there you couldn't swing a cat in the car park, it looks like some sort of boat maintenance yard with supplies also provided for the huge boating community that now live on the canal. We both decided to exit the yard and park in the layby 300 yds back towards bath as did a few others, it is dangerous as its on a fast road, taking up most of the carriageway with angling trolleys is not the safest thing to do but we made it back down the road and onto the canal.
I got to my peg after a very long walk, thank goodness its all on the flat. First impression was 'this looks good', here it is.

E13

Directly behind me someone had erected a kiddies swing from the branch of a tree so you can guess how many families stopped when walking along the towpath on a crisp winters day!

When I plumbed up I had about 2 feet over on the far side but the bottom felt like concrete so no real natural shelf, in the middle I had about 4 feet. I fed a couple of different lines on the shelf and the middle, chop and caster far side, chop and dead pinkie in the middle at 10 o'clock, bread at 12 o'clock and groundbait and dead pinkie at 3 o'clock. The canal was very clear and I was sure I could see the bread on the bottom. After 15 mins no bites and the guys on either sid of me said at the same time this was going to be rock hard. Over the course of the 5 hours I had 10 ruff and 2 very small perch. Nothing on bread and next to nothing in the middle. On peg 1 in F section he weighed in 27 fish for 13oz, I weighed in 12 for 5oz and the angler to my right weighed in less than a pound. I think you would describe that as a rock hard day. I was not last in the section as one of the teams lying 2nd to us DNW!.

I met Chris back at the car and he had won his section with 2lb 9oz. When we got back to the Rugby Club the rest of the guys gave us their results, Lewis had weighed in 6lb odd of skimmers from F Section for 2nd in section, we also had 2 x 2nds and a 4th. It looked promising but it was so tight prior to going into the match any one of 4 teams could win our Div.

The results were anounced and we won the day in our Div again, then the overall position for our Div were given, 6th place Cardiff Nomads, 5th Chippenham Angling, 4th Thornbury Angling, 3rd Frys, 2nd DWB and 1st Maver Cadbury Angling. What a result and sees us fishing against the big guns next year.

Here is our team result for the series.

I missed a match and had a bit of a bummer on this one but believe me those 5oz made all the difference in a tight finish.

On the day 14lb odd of skimmers came from F Section as expected, there were quite a few blanks as well.

Thatchers A won the A Div and fellow blogger Tim Ford (who has had a great river season) won the individual league so well done to him.

See Tims view of the match and league at http://cluckerspeg.blogspot.co.uk/

Next match is a Clevedon Club Match on Apex Lake Highbridge this Sunday.

Clevedon Saturday Open Matches

Sunday 5th January - Commercial House League Round 5 Kennet and Avon Canal Bath to Claverton

This was the last but one match in the series and a text from Team Captain Chris Hook (great surname for an angler)early in the week confirmed I was in the Team. The final 2 matches were scheduled for the Kennet and Avon Canal from Darlington Wharf in Bath to Diggers up near Claverton. I cannot remember the last time I fished the Canal so had to do a piece of homework on Canal fishing and look at old reports from various fellow bloggers on how it was fishing.
I was asked if I wanted some bloodworm and joker but as I never fished it before gave it a miss. Instead I planned my approach with bread, pinkie, caster and chopped worm. Picked up my bait on Friday afternoon, total cost £7.50, bargain. Due to having to take my daughter back to Uni in London on the Saturday I stayed up late and tied 6 rigs for the Canal using 0.09 and 0.08 dia line with 20 and 22 hooks, wasn't sure of the depth so done a few at 4.5 feet and a some at 3 feet. Bread from the previous week was already in the freezer so by 11 p.m. on the Friday I was ready. Weather forecast in terms of temperature was OK, rain forecast for around lunchtime and winds light to moderate. After reading some of the most recent reports I knew it was going to be a mixed bag with some sections fishing good and others extremely poor. On the Sunday I was up and out the door by 7 a.m. as the draw was at 8 a.m. I arrived in good time and had a couple of bacon rolls with a cuppa and met up with the others although Sam and Sean arrived just on the draw due to thinking it was 8.30, anyway a full team which is crucial. Team today was Chris Hook, Sam Johnson, James Gunter, Lewis Walker, Sean and myself. Looking at the individual results after 4 matches I was 35th out of 78 and 2nd in the Team, not bad as I had to miss a match. Our Team Maver Cadbury Angling was 3rd in B Div due to crashing on the Avon back in Nov. So a lot to do today with only 2 matches left. Chris done the draw and placed me in C Section which was at Bathampton a fairly mixed area, personally would have preferred to be at the end of the match stretch at Claverton. I was one of the last to leave the draw HQ, not sure how this happened but it did so was faced with a parking problem at Bathampton, I am not good at parking but did manage to get in a very tight space, luckily the angler I parked closest to was not worried about getting into his boot to load until I came back myself. There were a lot of boats on the Canal moored up due to the river being in full flood and these boat owners also have cars and take up the normal parking area's anglers use. I got to my peg, C9 which was situated between 2 moored boats, 1 hadn't moved for years so that was good and the other had some coming out the chimney, the owner was not moving either, happy days. The peg looked good with a bramble hedge for far bank cover, 13 meters would reach the far bank. The towpath is extremely busy with walkers and cyclists so you have to ship back the pole along the side of the Canal rather than straight back which is really awkward but at least you don't get your pole broken. In C10 was a Cardiff Nomads angler who nearly had a cyclist go head first over him pole as she only saw it at the last minute due to him shipping straight back, the odd thing it he did not do anything different afterwards! Here is the view I had across and the boat upstream the pile of scrap it the start of the mooring ropes of the boat downstream.

A kingfisher kept going up and down, more on it later. 3 rigs were set up, bread on top 3 in front, track lines at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock and a far banker I was just about ready when the all in was shouted. Fed all lines first, bread in front, chop and caster at 10 and 2 and caster and pinkie across. First put in with bread the float sailed away and a small roach was swung in , 2nd put in another then dead so thats it for this line. Fishing pinkie down the track produced some more fish almost instantly but did not hammer it so lightly refed and went acorss after an hour. Again put in and the float sailed away before settling and nich 3oz raoch followed by an 8oz skimmer. I chopped and changed lines all day getting regular bites. I was bringing a small roach across the top when suddenly the kingfisher came up the canal and divied at it but it did noty get the fish. I have had this before with seagulls but never a kingfisher! Most of the fish were in the 1oz to 2oz range but was happy getting bites and catching I could see the CardifF Nomads angler was struggling. Most of the fish came on the 13 meter line but it was a real pain shipping to one side and very slow apart from the 8oz skimmer I had no bonus fish. The rain persisted down as per the forecast and the wind got up as well but thankfully only lasted about an hour. At the all out I had no idea what weight I had due to the size of the fish. Our Team had the scales and Cardiff Nomads the board. We weighed from 13 back, first 4 weighs top weight was the Cardiff Nomads angler with 1lb 11oz! and the pegs looked no different to mine. I was 5th to weigh and put 3lb 5oz on the scales so at least I would not be bottom. The weights got better towards the lower pegs and top weight was 5lb 12oz in my section / Div, I ended up 2nd in the section so job done for the Team. I was the first member of the Team back at HQ soon followed by Lewis who had had a good first hour with 5 skimmers, as the others came back there was more good news .... as follows.
Chris 1lb 2oz Section 1st
Sam 6lb 12oz Section 1st and 6th overall on the day.
Lewis 6lb 8oz Section 1st and 7th overall on the day.
Ivan 3lb 5oz Section 2nd
James 2lb 15oz Section 2nd
Sean 2lb 6oz Section 5th

What a result and put us top on the day and in the League top of our Divison but very tight. So one more match to go, can we stay at the top and fish against the bigger guns next season. I think Lewis is only in his early 20's, maybe not even that so it's good to bring on some young blood, here he is.

So looking forward to Sunday. See Tim Fords blog for his experience on the day.

 http://cluckerspeg.blogspot.com/