About time for an update.


In the last few weeks since my last match I have fished at Hosticks, Cudmore (Arena), None-Go-Bye, Oaks, Sessay and Woodland View, so here goes.


I managed to get on a match at Cudmore on the Arena pool with a club from around Leeds. I put up a thread on Total Fishing discussion forum asking for a little bit of advice and Steve May told me to give Jellybaby a ring to find out what to do. I spoke with Andy, who advised that I fish the Method feeder for the first hour, then go in on the pole at 14m with meat on the hook. The lake is full of barbel in the 1lb bracket.


Including pools and the coach hire, it only cost me 20 quid. Whilst waiting for the club to organise the draw, someone suggested a £1 winner take all. I suggested that we make it a £2 winner take all, just to add a bit of fun. There were 20 of us there for the match on a 30 peg lake. I was left to sort out the pegging on a peg 2, miss one basis. We were ready. I put my hand in the cap and managed to draw peg 20. I walked to my peg and made a quick call to Andy May to just find out a little bit more about the peg. Jellybaby said that peg 19 is a flyer, but I should do ok off it. I asked about Jasper’s peg (peg 30) and he said that he was on a good silverfish peg if he fished chopped worm and caster.

I set up according to what Jellybaby said so I had:

Method/Bomb rod. I have just loaded the reel with .18 Ultima Power Plus. I attached the method and tied on a .16 Ultima Power Plus hooklength. I attached a snap swivel allowing me to pre-load a method feeder whilst one was in the water. It would also give me the option of clipping on a bomb at a later stage.

I set up 3 pole rigs, one at 6m to my left, one down the edge and one for the 14.5/16m line.

The 6m rig was a .3g Garbolino DC 6 on .16 Ultima Power Plus line straight through to a size 14 Gamakatsu pellet/corn hook. The depth at 6m was 3.5ft deep.

The inside rig was a .1g Garbolino DC6 float tied direct to a size 14 Colmic B500 hook. I plumbed up down the side until I found 1.5ft of depth, this was about 1m from the bank.

My final rig was a .5g Drennan Roach set up on .13 Preston Powerline straight through to a size 16 Colmic B500 hook. At 15m, I had 4.5ft of depth.

At the start of the match, I loaded the method with a bit of Browning Champions Choice Groundbait. Baited up with 3 red maggots on the hook and lobbed it about 1m off the island (it was that far from where I was sitting). I then proceeded to catapult some casters/hemp and meat to the pole lines.

After 5 minutes, I wound the method feeder back in, reloaded and fired again. I proceeded in this manner all the time waiting a little longer in between casts (I would have said bites, but I didn’t have any!!!). After feeding the pole line for about 45 minutes or so, I decided it was time to have a look.

By this time, Catkiller Hawkins on the next peg had managed to snare 3 large carp for an estimated 20lb or so and I hadn't had a fish on the method. But, according to the game plan, there was still time.

I caught a barbel first put in. Then another, then another, the peg was solid. I had a quick drop in at 6m to see if I could either catch a bonus carp of to see whether or not I could the barbel closer.

After about 5 minutes and nothing, enough was enough. I continued to bait the margin swim with neat meat (no hemp or casters – and for those down south that read this, that may be said as caaaassters).

I went back out to the 15m line and plundered the peg. I swapped the method feeder to a straight bomb and every so often I would chuck the bomb just past the pole line and snare another barbel. Craig at the next peg was struggling as was Jasper. Daz ‘Coco the clown’ Harrison was catching the odd fish which included carp to 8lb. He managed to get his rig snagged and the float shot back and went into his thumb. Diddums!!

Catkiller hadn’t managed to snare much more to add to his initial tally. That was it. Match over. I don’t know how I have faired as I can only see about half of the lake and I haven’t been watching them all match. I packed up and followed the scales. Steve ‘Captain Mainwaring’ Hargreaves was moaning about the tails swirling down the side, but he was too scared to drop his pole rig down the side – WUSS!!!

Pete Cressey set the standard by plonking 37lb on the scales, which included a double figure zoo creature. Coco had a couple of weighs and managed to snare 46lb – how the bleeding heck had he done that? I had seen him catch a couple of fish, but not that many. Daz ‘Tombstone’ Aveyard was a DNW again – might have to start calling him Empty Net.

I was next to weigh. I lifted my first net out and plonked 27lb and a few ounces on the scales. This was my heaviest net. I got my second net out – I needed 19lb or more. It was looking close. I plonked the fish on the scales and watched as the needle swung round past 18lb, then 19lb and finally settled at 20lb odd for a combined weight of 48lb dead. Catkiller managed to weigh in 25lb. There was only Glenn ‘Nightwatch’ Crossthwaite left to weigh who I had seen catch some fish. Nightwatch fished a tidy match and managed 39lb of silver fish and barbel by fishing chopped worm.

I had won, including the £2 optional.

I had enjoyed today. I had caught a few fish, won a few quid (which I shared with Jasper) and had a nice relaxing day.

More blog to follow.

Tightlines

Big Pellet.