Having blanked on Sunday at Gold Valley, I was hoping for a few bites on the Summers pond match for “Those who were stupid enough to go out in the freezing cold” !
Ross has started to go into hibernation until it warms up again and Don picked me up at 6.50am on what in Fetcham (where I live) was a surprisingly mild morning, without any frost at all. However, as we made our way to Horsham, the cars temperature guide was showing 0 degrees, then -1,-2 then finally -3 as we pulled in to the fishery.
I left Steve Gardener and Don to peg the lake and with only 8 of us fishing, they just pegged five pegs in the deeper water on the left hand bank and three on the right hand side. The shock at the draw was that Steve drew on the right hand bank as in the 5 or 6 matches I have fished there recently, he has drawn every time in the same 4 or 5 pegs on the left hand bank. We did offer to draw him a map of how to get there but as it was only 20 yards from where we were standing, he politely declined our offer.
My peg, also on the right hand bank was actually clear of ice for the first 8 metres or so and I cleared the rest up to 12 metres with my pole cup as the ice was only thin. Having cleared the peg, I set up two rigs, one to fish with corn for carp and a lighter maggot rig to fish for “anything that swims”. I caught on and off all day on the maggot rig, mainly small roach but with a couple of bigger 6 or 7 ounce fish plus a couple of “bonus” half pound chub. I was actually quite pleased with the way I fished as I don’t usually do Silver fish and although I couldn’t really see how the others were doing, I thought I might even finish in the frame – Yes, I know it was a silly thought !
Terry Harrison turned up – like a bad smell, with an hour to go, just so he had time to wander round and take the P out of everyone. He thought God was likely to win (as Terry said he had over 20lb) with Dave Churchward filling second place with his fine net of small crucians, all taken on pellet.
Little did he know ! as on the whistle, I grabbed the scales and went weighing in.
Neil Jakes was first to weigh and his impressive roach net went 18lb with a lot of his fish coming at 5 metres with the rest at 13. Dave Churchwards net of small crucians which all looked like peas in a pod went 14lb and Steve Gardener then put 16lb on the scales. I was last to weigh in and was quite disappointed to only weigh 8lb as I was sure I had at least 12lb. Terry commented that I seemed to have more “Big” fish than anyone else and it wasn’t until I was putting my net away that I noticed a biggish hole in the bottom section – which is probably why I didn’t have many small roach !
Result
Neil Jakes 18-4-0
God 16-6-0
Dave Churchward 14-8-0
Donald Garnish 11-10-0
Mick Keeper 8-4-0
Dave Pearson 8-0-0
Barry Upperton 3-0-0
Paul Williams Frightened to Weigh In
With Xmas fast approaching, I have a match at Sumners again on Saturday, followed by a Total Fishing.com match at Wood Lane Farm (a venue I’ve never even seen, let alone fished before) on the following Friday.
If you don’t return here before the 25th, have a great Xmas and a Happy New Year !
JPZ's from Marukyu - "The Dogs Danglies"
Jordan Whitby with a PB Carp of 18lb from Newdigate
Maggotdrowning.com
Exclusive Pictures
Fred Davis with his personal best chub of 7-2-0 from the River Lea
and his 6-8-0 tench !
Neil Humpage with part of his 89-10-0 match winning chub catch from the River Wye
Mike Spragg with his personal best Barbel from the The Wye, a whopping 10-1-0.
Davey P's Locker - Tackle I would recommend
Drennan Lake Floats - I used to use these floats for crucians and have recently started using them again for my silvers fishing, The cane bristle makes them especially sensitive.
I use this hook for nearly all my carp fishing from Size 10's with paste, 14's with the knotless knot on the lead and 18's for Hook in the loop rigs and they have never let me down.
How smart are this lot - Andy May and his wife with some of the motley Total fishing.com crew. There is a small pond just out of the picture and they fished a small sweepstake between the wedding ceremony and the reception ! Andy May won, Haisman was last - no change there then !
Myles Levy and his mate Chris with a 59lb catfish from France.
When I was writing in the Angling Times I promised some friends that I would try and get "Fish Cakes" mentioned in an article. However, as I was sacked before I could do so, I thought I'd put them on here ! So Mick and Karen Jones, here they are as promised !
At least one member of the Baxter clan can catch fish ! Young Dylan with a 4lb bream.
Hathers at Stafford Moor - Let this picture be a lesson to you all, those last couple of drinks the night before are never a good idea !
World Exclusive !!!!!!!
Andy Toplis playing a fish.
Ryan Hughes with part of an 80lb bag from White Springs Fishery in Wales
Mick Bull wont have received many points for this dive - but having just won the Fisho Final and £25k I don't think he really cared !
Another exclusive for Pikey's Progress - Terry Molloy not talking ! Oh yes and with a decent River Thames Pike.
OK Own up - who lent Mick The Bookie some fish to pose with ?
Martin Harper with a superb 8lb tench from Farlows Lake
Young match star Tony Curd with an 11lb barbel from the River Kennet - he didn't say where, these spessy hunters are so secretive !
Total Fishing's Justin Laundon with a fine net of fish from Lindholme Lakes
Fred Davis with 3 chub over 5lb and a small one from the River Lea.
http://www.carpvader.com/index.asp
Jeff Moors took part in the recent Catfish Challenge and caught this one - more of a "kitten" than a cat really !
And here are some proper ones that the winners had.
BNF - with part of a near 100lb haul from the Glebe
Scone - Angling writer, float maker and all round good egg !
"Hathers" with his 3-8-0 roach from Timsbury Manor - some claim it was really a hybrid, I couldn't possibly comment !
"Fordy on the Telly" with 40lb of prime River Kennet chub.
.........and this one weighed 5-2-0
Alan Dove with a small Skimmer Bream of 15-8-0 from Walthamstow Reservoir
Fred Davis plied Alan Dove with coffee all day then when he went to attend to a call of nature caught this one with his gear !
Colin Ormston (Billy no Fish) with the reason that some anglers still fish rivers !
Phil Stone (Pebs) with a fine net of roach and rudd from Witherington Farm
Total Fishing.com ventriloquist Gary Haisman with his two new dummies - Billy No Fish and Pebs.
