Tyram Hall, Doncaster

First match of the season with Robin Hood AC, Leeds was upon us.

We should have been at Moorfields, Goole but due to a mix up, I made some calls and managed to get a match on Horseshoe Lake at Tyram Hall, Doncaster.

I had not seen the place before nor was I sure where it was.

I arranged to collect new travelling partner Darren 'Front-Row' Harrison at 7.00am, then a quick drop in to Nursing Home for a brekkie and we were on our way.  A few new members have joined the club this year including Chris 'Lurch' Moorhead and also Mick 'Dumptruck' Aveyard.    The 'Dumptruck' came from the name of the Japanese Sumo wrestler of the same name.  Although UK Dumptruck puts him to shame.

We arrived at the draw to find 16 of us fishing. Tyram gave us the full lake and we pegged on the spit from pegs 1 - 30.  I went and did the pegging, and again, and again.  This was due to complaints regarding various pegs being underwater.

I drew peg 28 with Dave Wath on corner peg 30, Eric 'The Viking' on peg 26, Dave Horsfall on peg 24.  New recruit Lurch was on peg 13, Front-Row on peg 11 and Dumptruck was on about peg 19.  The lake was a funny colour ad resembled looking like very strong black tea (very peaty).  The water was also very cold.

I set up two rigs - one to fish at 13m to my left and the same depth at 10m to my right.  This was a 4 x 16 Colmic float set about 7.5ft deep on Daiwa White Hydroelastic.  My second rig was to fish top 5 down the edge in 3-4ft of water using Preston green 13h.

I then set up an 11ft feeder rod with the method and a 10ft bomb rod.

For bait, I had 1 pt mixed red/white maggots, 6mm expander pellets, 4mm expander pellets, micro pellets and some sweetcorn.

The all in was called at 10.30am and we were fishing until 4.00pm.

I potted some micro's and a pinch of both 4mm and 6mm expanders in at 13m and put the same with some maggots in at 10.  I then threw about 6 - 8 grains of corn down the left hand edge on 6m.

I put two grains of corn on a Korum baitspike on the bomb rod and launched it as far over to the opposite bank as possible, which was a good 50 yard chuck. Some 10 biteless minutes later I re-cast to a different area.  10 minutes later - still nothing.

I decided to chuck the method out to the same spot to get a little bait out there giving it about 5 - 10 minutes between chuck. - 30 mins later, the keepnet was still empty.   I did 3 more quick chucks on the method to get a bit of bait out and went onto the well primed pole line.

Looking around the lake, There were odd 'plips' topping now and again.  A quick shout up and down the lake and it appeared to be hard going.  No-one near me had a bite or a liner.

I baited up the deep rig with double white maggot, shipped out to 13m and settle back in anticipation. I got so settled and comfortable, I could have nodded off.  No bites. EEEKKK, this was going to be damn hard today.  Horsfall had caught a 'plip' small skimmer the size of a postage stamp. I put on a .10 hooklength with a size 20 hook to try to buy a bite. I fed a few more grains of corn and micro's down the edge.

Still nothing.  Could not buy a bite.

I then decided to try to catch a 'plip' so set up a 4x12 Chimp float set to fish on the drop in 6ft of water on top 4 kit.  I managed to snare 4 roach over the next couple of hours.  Rumours were going round the lake that Paul 'Pid' Farley had a carp on peg 16 and the lad on peg 17 also had a carp.

Time to go all out for the win!

I went down the edge on the pole.  Nothing.  Now there were only 30 minutes of the match left.  I chucked the bomb back over to the far side and proceeded to pack away the gear.  This tactic usually generates a response.  TIIIMMMMEEEE!!.

The scales appeared and the results thus far were Pid - 10lb, Frank Brook - 7lb, Paul 'Woofer' Clough 5lb 3oz, Barry 'Alan do you want a sandwich' Hunter 4lb 14oz, Lurch had 3lb odd and Front-Row had 2lb 13oz.  Dave Horsfall was winning my 8 man section with 7 roach for 9oz.  I emptied my net and registered a mighty 7oz.  Crap!!.  Eric the Viking tipped back one plip and Dave Wath weighed in 1 plip for 1oz (as he was in a knockout match).  Dumptruck walked past with about 5 minutes to go and asked if I had caught anything.  I replied 4 bits.  He said that he had tipped back about 1.5lb from peg 19.  'What ever Trevor!'. All of the weights came from pegs 1 - 17.

Talking with lads on the Island Lake that had also fished hard with 25lb winning and one lad having one bite = 1 x 12lb carp.

I would like to go back when the weather is better and the fish are feeding.

A couple of months ago, I received a parcel in the post.  I was not expecting anything.  There was no return label or anything.  I tore into the packaging to find that I had received a nice assortment of GURU items including Guru method feeders, line, boilie/bait stops, line, braid scissors, QM1 hooks in sizes 12, 14 and 16, baiting needles and other nice sundries, all of which have been hiding away until the weather gets warmer and I am able to put them to use.  I will let you know how I get on.

Our next match is at Moorfields on the 1st lake that you come to.

Tight lines for now.