Sunday 28th January - Clevedon Club Match, Main Lake, Plantation Fishery Kingston Seymour

I had some bad news from our Team Captain Chris Hook on the Friday evening. Chris had received a letter from Maver saying they would no longer be supporting us. I was not totally surprised but gutted for Chris as he has managed the account with them since 2006 and the deal we had with them was very good. I have closed our Team Facebook Page now but not without thanking Maver for their support over the years first. Views within the Team are mixed but whats done is done and I don't think we are the only Team to be dropped. What happens next remains to be seen but we will do our best to continue in some form.

So... on to today. I was hoping to fish the Taunton Open on the River Tone but the rain in the week suggested it would be in flood so I booked into my Clubs Match at Plantation Lake just outside Clevedon.
I have fished it a few times but not within the past 2 years or so. Not many matches are held on it and if so only in the winter. Apart from the carp there is a big head of skimmers, roach and specimen perch.

At the Club AGM this year a rule was passed that allows you to invite a non member friend to fish a Club Match but only once during the year. Team mate Sam Johnson asked if I could book him in which I did.

We met in the Fishery Car Park for the draw and 16 were booked in but one dipped out. We had the whole lake so there would be plenty of room. Match Secretary Adie Baker had it all well organised as usual. The wind was quite gusty and I fancied a peg up the top end of the lake 16 or 17. Those pegs were not in but I did pull out 19 which was right at the top of the lake with an island chuck.

The wind was blowing across left to right so I set up the pole at 8 metres to fish 2 lines with a 4x14 to 0.10 hook length and an 18 hook. I planned to fish soft pellet over micro. A small method feeder was set up to fish to the island. 

Both pole lines were fed on the all in and then a chuck with the method tight to the island. 

After 10 minutes and the second chuck the tip slowly went around and I had a big skimmer on a white wafter. A few liners later I got bored and went on the pole. It didn't take long for a bite and it was a quality roach. From what I could see the action was pretty slow both sides of the lake so just stuck on the pole drip feeding micros through the pole pot. I was quite happy catching roach but really wanted the skimmers. They finally arrived just over halfway through the match and were taking the pellet mainly on the drop.

Word came around that Lance Tucker down on the other end of the lake on peg 38 was having a good day.  

I did get a carp on the pole, a decent one at that, over 5lbs but that was the only one.

I had a busy match and enjoyed it but came no where.

Lance did win the match by a comfortable margin made up of 10 carp and a great bag of silvers.

Here is the weight sheet......

Just look at those weights, average per angler worked out at 31lb.

Well the gears all cleaned up now as I am away all of February so next outing will be in March and hopefully we will have sorted out the Teams future plan. On a personal note I would also like to thank those Teams who have approached me as well as putting out a welcome hand for my Team mates.

Tuesday 23rd January - Tuesday ''knock up'' Paddock Lake Acorn Fisheries

There was nothing on at the weekend, just as well as it persisted down all weekend so I had a tackle maintenance day on the Sunday.
I did plan to fish the Tuesday ''knock up'' at Acorn Fisheries run by Mike Chapman and Ray Bazley, not my scene really but nice to have a bit of company and all very friendly.
It was nice to get out again and the weather forecast was reasonable for most of the day.
Only 7 turned up so we were well spread out around the 40 pegs on Paddock Lake (Snake Lake). It had been fishing very hard but with a rise in temperatures to a barmy 11 or 12 degrees we were hoping for a few fish.
I drew peg 40 which is right near the car park and by a bridge.

The peg does through up a few weights now and then but not recently. The wind was blowing right to left so I set up a dobbing rig to fish along the middle of the bridge as the carp usually lie under it. Another rig for just up off the bottom of the far shelf and finally one for down the track at 5 metres.

Micro's with a few dead pinkies for the track and far line and no feed for along the bridge. I also set up a bomb rod for fishing popped up bread.

Dan Hurley the joint owner of the on site Tackle Shop was on the other side of the bridge, peg 6 and Mike Chapman was on 37 to my right. The only other angers I could really see was Ray on 34 and Eddie Wynne on 9.

I fed my track and far line on the all in and then went on the dobbing rig fishing 6'' off the bottom. After 20 minutes not a sniff on the bread but during this time Eddie managed at least 3 carp right across.

First put in down the track I had a small micro tench and then some small roach. I also had an F1 around 2lb before resting the line and going across to a line I hadn't fed in the corner were the bridge meets the bank. A couple of small pasty carp around 10oz each came quickly before bites dried up.

Going on the the far line I had fed I connected with a lump but it came off halfway across. I had another decent fish on within 10 minutes or so and it came up to the surface before coming off as well, it was a big skimmer.

I could see Eddie continually landing fish so followed suit by re-plumping and going further across about halfway up the shelf. Quite a few pasty carp came on this line and I also had a decent carp of around 4lbs. 

Unfortunately the wind got up and it became impossible to present so had to stay down the track or up against the bridge nicking the odd small fish.

A helicopter appeared just to the north of the fishery following the motorway up, a big yellow one, might have been a Western Power aircraft, thought it was going to land it was that low.

Just before the match ended the heavens opened and it lashed down again so did not waste any time packing up.

Mike to my left also struggled today and tipped back around 4lb fish.

As expected Eddie done enough to win by a comfortable margin. I ended up with just over 13lbs.

Eddie with his catch made up with F1's

Results as follows:

1st     Eddie Wynne. 46-02 
2nd   Ray Bazeley. 28-14 
3rd    Mike Owens. 24-05 
4th    John Barker. 17-09 

Silvers
1st    John Barker. 6-02 
2nd   Ray Bazeley. 3-04 

Was going to fish the Taunton Open at the weekend on the Tone but due to all the rain and more to come I thought it would be called off so booked in on our Club Match on the Main Lake Plantation Fisheries. 

Sunday 14th January - Bristol Commercial House League, Final Round, Kennet and Avon Canal Bath to Claverton

I think I speak on behalf of all the anglers that took part in this League when I say a massive thanks to Mike and Nicola Goodhind, Vince Lunn and all those who pegged out in order to make this League happen. Your time and effort before, during and after the match does not go unnoticed and it is very much appreciated. Thanks must also go to the Crown Pub in Keynsham for their hospitality, they have been brilliant.

So onto the final round........
Our bloodworm and joker for the previous weeks match was ordered through Tim Ford and Ian Pauly but after the match we were not aware if anyone locally was putting in an order for anyone who wanted it as Tim was not fishing the final round. I suggested we try putting an order through ''Taffy'' at the Bolton Angling Centre. The Team left it to me and on the Monday I spoke to ''Taffy'' who gave me a good price including a courier fee, he scrapes his own bloodworm. Order was placed and it duly arrived Friday morning in tip top condition and we will certainly use him again.

One Team member change this week due to Sam being on call. Team as follows:
Chris Hook
Ivan Currie
Jack Jones
Leigh Wakefield
Lewis Walker
Steve Hutchinson

I was up at 06:00 as I had to sort the team bait out plus unbox and load a Maver order which I picked up from Cadbury Angling for Leigh.
Arriving at the Crown in plenty of time I sat with the Sensas Nomads guys until the rest of the team arrived. Young star Andrew Cranston had pegged out the day before and there were a couple of different sections in compared to the previous week. A guide to the pegging was provided so well done to him.

The two changes were a section at Darlington Wharf and two out towards Claverton. Most agreed about Darlington (B Sect) but as the canal is not fished much out towards Claverton (E & F Sect) there was mixed views.

Leigh and I had a short practice session during the week (3 hours) at Meadow Farm and it was hard, I had around 2lb and Leigh 1lb but we tried a couple of different things and were able to discount an approach we thought would give us a few more fish.

Draw done and I found myself on C4 one peg away from the same as I had last week but the other side of a bridge, Leigh was also in the same section (B) he had and on the other side of the bridge.

Chris was at Darlington, Lewis (D), Steve (E) and Jack (F).

Fishing today was 10:30 - 15:30 due to the long drives and walk out at Claverton.

I got to my peg in plenty of time and it was just at the end of a mooring station. There was one boat moored up towards my peg on my left and not enough room for another so happy days I thought. It was all natural bank to my right. Next to me was Sensas Nomads angler Paul Rigby, above him was Vince Lunn (Mosella Bathampton) and above him a Thatchers Angler who came in from the opposite end and I couldn't really see him. I knew this section had fished rock hard the previous week with a couple of anglers ending up walking the bank!

No real features in the peg but a nice reed bed across. 3 rigs today, 0.4grm pencil float for down the track left and right, 0.9 fluro hook length to a tubertini 18 bulk shotted with two number 10 droppers, 0.4 grm choppy for the bottom of the far shelf left and right again bulk shotted with two droppers to 0.9 fluro and a drennan 22. Another far shelf rig by way of a 0.3 grm float shirt button style to 0.9 fluro and a drennan 20. This latter rig to be used when the canal was still and after drip feeding joker.

I did plumb up the near shelf but it was full of rubbish and very clear so discounted that.

I planned to fish bread down the track to my right, pinkie or worm over choppy and caster down the track to my left, bloodworm over joker left and right bottom of far shelf and leave the bottom of the far shelf alone at 12:00 until later in the match.

When the guy in the boat next to me opened his door just before the match started a cloud of strong smelling wacky baccy came drifting over me which would have been more than enough to fail a drugs test at the end of the match!!

He also told me he would be moving off (away from me later on).

I shouted the ''all in'' and fed two pot of bread and then proceed to put one pot of feed on my other three chosen lines.

Starting off on the bread line with a 6mm punch I had a sail away bite straight away and missed it. next put in a small blade roach was swung in. Over the next 20 minutes I caught around 4 small fish but it wasn't doing it for me. I did give it another 10 minutes but nothing. 

Paul above me was clearly struggling as I hadn't seen him catch. 

Rather than put on a bloodworm I went across to my left with a fluro pinkie and it was not long before I had a dumpy roach. Sticking with the pinkie I had a few more as well as a 10oz hybrid. The bites stopped on this line so I topped up with a little joker and went on to my far right hand line with double bloodworm. I added a few more roach and a perch before the bites tailed off so topped up again.

At 1.5 hours in I was happy the way things were going.

I tried a piece of bread punch on my lighter far bank rig to my left and the float sailed away and another roach came to hand (dobbing for roach). I did have one more on this method and approach.

A look now and then over the chopped worm and caster line down the track did produce a couple of small perch but it was ages until you got a bite and I felt it wasn't worth the wait. 

Nicola Goodhind came walking past and said quite a few were struggling but some were admitting to 2lb ish. 

The boat beside me went off nice and gently and did not cause me any problems. I kept nicking the odd fish across left and right until the second boat went through and the bits slowed. It also began to get a lot colder. I potted in a very small amount of joker across directly opposite me for the first time and went over it straight away with a small piece of dendra tail. This was on my light rig and it had just settled when the float sailed away and a dumpy roach was netted. 

Vince came walking past me with all his gear on the trolley, he had had enough, only 2 small fish and the Thatchers angler was in a similar position.

The last hour produced the odd small fish, I did try the bread again late but nothing. 

I had the board and Paul had the scales but we didn't need to weigh in the anglers above us, Vince had gone early and the Thatchers guy went off without saying anything.

Paul weighed 13oz, my net went 2lb 7oz 8drms.

my catch today, sorry bit blurred for some reason

I was happy with that weight from a hard area. The other side of the bridge did fish better with Nigel Wyatt weighing 3lb 110z to win B Div Section and Martin Barrett with 5lb odd to win A Div Section.

'C' Section A & B Div board

I was happy with my 3 points from 4.

Darren and Martin caught a lot of fish short i believe.

Back at the pub it was soon apparent we had done well again as a team.

Chris and Lewis won their sections and Steve had 7lb plus for joint 3rd on the day overall.

Team sheet as follows.......

Section weights today were (some by default) .........

          A Div                    B Div

  A     4lb 11oz                5lb 14oz

  B     7lb 9oz                  4lb 15oz (Chris)

  C     5lb 0oz 8drm         3lb 11oz

  D     6lb 4oz                  2lb 6oz (Lewis)

  E     6lb                         5lb 12oz

  F     2lb 12oz                 7lb 9oz

Top 3 on the day

1st    Paul Purchase 13lb 1oz 270 roach and a couple of skimmers on the bread E Sect

2nd   Nicky Johns 9lb 13oz

3rd joint Steve Hutchinson and Steve Skelton 7lb 13oz

Teams on the day

          A Div                                         B Div

1st     Mosella Bathampton A              Maver Cadbury Angling

2nd    P I Thatchers B                          M & N Electrical 

3rd     Mosella Bathampton B             Sensas Nomads
4th     D W Builders                             Stand and Deliver Promotions
5th     P I Thatchers A

Final League positions

          A Div                                          B Div
1st     P I Thatchers B                           Maver Cadbury Angling (A Div next year)
2nd    Mosella Bathampton A              M & N Electrical
3rd     Mosella Bathampton B              Sensas Nomads
4th     P I Thatchers A                          Stand and Deliver Promotions
5th     DW Builders (B Div next year)

Knock out winner
Martin Barrett

Individual winner on weight
Martin Barrett

Biggest fish of the series
7lb 6oz bream

Well thats it A Div next year for us, we have a more stable team now so lets hope we do well. In this series of matches we won our Div 5 times and came 2nd on the other.

As a team our next event will be the Gloucester Canal Spring League.

Not sure were my next match is....Tone?

Sunday 7th January - Bristol Commercial House League Round 5 Kennet and Avon Canal, Bath to Bathampton.

As I sorted the van out at 06:40 the temperature was 1 degree, there was only a light frost on the windscreen but there was a cutting breeze. I was soon on my way to the Crown Inn at Keysham for a big breakfast which would keep me fuelled up for the day ahead. I got to the pub around 07:20 and there was quite a few anglers already there tucking in.

Team today was ......
Chris Hook (capt)
Sam Johnson
Jack Jones
Leigh Wakefield
Steve Hutchinson
Me

This would be our first match as a Team since mid November, we were leading the league in B Division having had 3 wins and a second and have usually done OK on the canal. Bloodworm and joker was ordered via Tim Ford and being brought to the draw by Ian Pauley. Ian was running late due to a slow puncture so the draw was put back 15 minutes and fishing 10:15 - 15:15.
Chris done the draw and came back with peg 5. I found myself in C section which was at Meadow Farm downstream of Bathampton Village. I had been out there last winter and did not do any good, but it was colder then believe it or not. Still with a match pack of blood worm and joker (thank you Tim and Ian) I headed off full of optimism.

After 10 miles or so I was parked up and soon heading down the hill with the trolley and my peg was right of the bridge at the end. C4 was just downstream of the bridge, a noted good peg and mine was about 4 boat moorings past it. Below me was Nicky Goodhind on C6 who helps run the league with hubby Mike.
As I was setting up Nicky came up and asked if I could take a tree branch out of her margin as she had no boots. I obliged and while I was there set her box up a bit lower to the water to get her off the towpath.
I just needed to set up two rigs today, a 0.4 gram pencil float for down the track where is was about 4' deep with an 18 to 0.09 for initially fishing punch over liquidised bread.  Across it was about 3' deep at the bottom of the slope going up to the shelf. A 0.3 gram choppy float was spot on for this with a 20 to 0.10. The same rig and depth was also OK for my nearside bottom of the shelf.

On the ''all in'' I cupped in two balls of bread and fed to lines across with joker, a few casters and a bit of chopped worm were put in by the boat to my right.

Starting of on a piece of 7mm punch in the hope of a skimmer picking it up soon became a nightmare as the sun came round and blinded me. I could not see the float at all. Pulling the peak on the cap right down and squinting I did pick up a bite about 15 mins in and after feeding another pot of bread. It was a very small roach but happy days blank avoided. I think I saw Nicky swing on in as well. The wind got up and with the sun against there ripple I had to give up on that line for the moment.

Double blood worm fished across to my left brought an instant bite and it was a small perch. A few more followed but it was hard to present the bait due to the wind and the skim on the surface. Fishing a few inched over depth just caught leaves and weed.  I persevered and kept putting the odd fish in the net, nothing big but very welcome. 

I am not familiar with fishing blood worm and joker so was feeling my way through the day feeding a little as a top up in damp leam. The bites dried up on my far left hand line and as the sun had gone around I was able to see the float when I went across directly in front of me. A few decent roach soon came and then a boat went through which seemed to disperse them. Another little ball of joker and a look on my nearside line, nothing after 15 minutes.

A look on my far left hand line produced a good bite and I bumped the fish, it felt like a tidy perch. 

Not sure what time it was but team mate Leigh rang me, he had not had a bite nor the angler next to him. He was in Richardson's turning bay with a lot of water to go at.

Other than giving him the phone number for the Samaritans I simply said,,,, pick two lines which are comfortable for you and stick at it.

Rich Lacey came walking down from the other side of the bridge and reported they were all struggling. He carried on walking down the section and when he came back up said the guys below me were also finding it hard. This gave me a bit more hope and focus.

I had a real good spell catching roach and perch on both the far lines, single or double bloodworm but it was a pain breaking the pole down 3 times to avoid all the walkers and cyclists behind me. 

Rich came walking along for another warm up and not much had changed so I thought I was doing well compared to the others although Rich said Mike Withey on C4 was admitting to 3lb ish.

15:15 came around quick and I packed up as well as helping Nicky get her box out of the water. The scales came my way and the best was Mike on C4 who had tried the bread again late snaring a skimmer in the process, he had 5lb plus. I knew I didn't have that but was pleased with the 3lb 5oz.

My catch

I followed the scales down to Kevin Blotz who was also in my B Div Section. Kev weighed 12oz so I had 3 points from 4 and second in the A and B Div Section overall.

As I was pushing the gear back up heart attack hill team mate Sam came down to give me a hand (care in the community) and I tell you it was very welcome. Sam had won his Section with ..... 4ozs !

Back at the pub our results started to come in. 

Chris, 3 points from 4

Sam, 4 points from 4

Jack, 4 points from 4

Leigh, 2 points from 4 (he did catch...1oz)

Steve, 1 point from 4

Me, 3 points from 4

17 points in total from 24

Section weights as follows (except D as it was too noisy)

               A Div          B Div

A            3lb 3oz        5lb 8oz

B            6lb 8oz        0lb 4oz 8drm (Sam £40)

C            1lb 8oz        5lb 4oz

D            ?                  ?

E             3lb 5oz        2lb 9oz (Jack £40)

F             0lb 14oz      2lb 0oz 8drm

Top 4 on the day.....(paying top 4)

1st     Craig Pinker 7lb 6oz

2nd    Mike Withey 5lb 5oz   ...... so I got £40 Section payout by default

3rd     Nicky Johns 4lb 14oz

4th     Steve Long 4lb 6oz

Teams on the day

A Div

1st        Mosella Bathampton B

2nd      Mosella Bathampton A

3rd       DW Builders

4th       P I Thatchers B

5th       P I Thatchers A

B Div

1st       Sensas Nomads

2nd      Maver Cadbury Angling

3rd      M & N Electrical

4th      Stand and Deliver

Teams after 5 Rounds

A Div

1st       P I Thatchers B

2nd      Mosella Bathampton A

3rd       P I Thatchers A

4th       Mosella Bathampton B

5th       D W Builders

B Div

1st       Maver Cadbury Angling

2nd      Stand and Deliver

3rd       Sensas Nomads

4th      M & N Electrical

So another good performance on a tough venue and I must have been in the top 10.

Final round of the league is next week, back on the canal.

Will be fishing the Acorn Lake Tuesday Open next.

Tuesday 2nd January - Acorn Fisheries Open, Paddock Lake

After I retired 21 months ago i intended to fish the Tuesday Opens at this fishery for a bit of banter and company but only fished one of them up until now. I am not a ''Commercial Angler'' but due to my Club having a few matches on the venue recently and I did quite well decided to attend this first one after Christmas and New Year was done and dusted.

The matches are run by veteran Bristol match angler Ray Bazely and Mike Chapman on behalf of the fishery. No need to book, just turn up with the draw at 08:45 and fish 10:00 - 15:00.
Only 8 attended today and they all know the fishery very well as they fish it sometimes twice a week.

Entry fee is only £12 all in (peg fee included) so its a knock up more than a match although 20 odd attend when the weather is better.

The fishing has been very up and down despite the milder weather.

There had been 45 mph winds during the night and rain was also forecast but the rain was due to go off from around 10:30 but not the wind.

Pegs were put in to try and give us as much shelter as possible. Into the bag and I pull out ping pong ball 27 which is right down the bottom of the lake. The nearest anglers to me were Eddie Wynne on 11 and Mike Chapman on 31.

Billy no mates on 27

The rigs that I had for my Clubs Christmas and Pairs match were still OK.
Bread dobber for halfway down the far shelf left hand side were it was around 3 foot. Bottom of the shelf right hand side at around 4 foot, middle down the track to my right (same rig) and right hand margin 2.5 foot.
As I was plumbing up across to my right I hit a carp which tore off with my plumet so must have got caught in its fins. Well at least there was a fish around.

On the all in I started off on my dobbing rig and fed nothing anywhere else to see how it went.
Not a sign of a bite or a fish in the area I had targeted and I moved the rig up and down along a 6 foot piece of bank and altered the depth. I decided to feed a few micros with dead pinkies over were I had hit the carp while plumbing up and persevered with the bread another 10 minutes or so. I had a good view up the lake and couldn't see anything being caught yet.
Bored with the bread I brought it in and went over where I had fed the micros and pinkie. I suppose it had only been in 5 minutes when the float dipped and it was carp on. Not a bit fish but at around 3lb it was welcome. I then put some bait in down the track and right hand margin before going back over to try and nick another fish. I feed just a few micros every 5 minutes via the pole pot with a dead fluro maggot on the hook and was rewarded with another carp 20 minutes later a bit better at just over 5lbs.

I decided to rest this line now and had a look down the right hand margin.....nothing, looked down the track.....nothing.

Going back over on my dobbing line but at full depth with a fluro maggot on and the shot still spaced out as the last shot registered the float gently sailed away and carp number 3 was on. it seemed quite angry but I knew the 0.13 hook length and the 16  PR434 would handle it. A good scrap and it was safely netted.

We were about 1 hour 30 minutes in when Ray came walking around. When he asked how many I had and I told him he said I was ''pissing it'', he had one f1 and everyone else was struggling, it was rock hard.

Personally I don't mind it when its like this as its a great leveller.

Well the wind direction changed and it got stronger meaning I could not present across so had to settle for the right hand margin and down the track line. I only added 9 oz of sprats the rest of the match.

Fortunately my 3 early carp were still enough for the win on the day.

Out of 8 anglers only 6 carp were caught.

Result as follows:

1st    Ivan Currie Maver Cadbury Angling 12lb 5oz
2nd   Eddie Wynne Over 55's 6lb
3rd    Mike Owens Sensas 88 5lb 3oz

Sunday 7th Jan see's me on the Kennent and Avon Canal in Bath for the 5th Round of the Sensas Bristol Commercial House League.