I have to admit that when the alarm clock went off at 6am yesterday morning and I could hear the wind whistling through the trees outside, I think that if Don hadn’t been picking me up at 7 o’clock, then I’d have just turned over and had another couple of hours sleep !
We should have arranged a match at Sumners Pond really but with nobody doing so, we sort of just drifted off to Willinghurst for the day as nobody really knew what was going on. Anyway 6 of us turned up to fish and after a lot of discussion, we finally agreed to fish Horseshoe Lake and have it as a “Rover” where we all drew a number out of the hat and chose our pegs in that order. I don’t particularly like Horseshoe Lake mainly because I never seem to catch much on it – except in summer where I can catch on paste at 6 metres ! I had 4th choice of peg and with the better pegs gone I just chose to fish a peg on the back bank (Peg 11) mainly because the wind would be off my back and the sun would be shining on me !
My “Willinghurst Masters” captain Alan Harrington chose to fish next to me on Peg 10 as after my performance the previous Sunday, he said that he thought he could give me a bit of coaching ! Isn’t it amazing how cocky some people get when they get a section win !
I set up a couple of “Carp Rigs” to fish down the shelf and a “Silvers Rig” to fish long (13 metres) see, I do fish more than 6 metres sometimes ! After about an hour Alan was winning the match with 1 F1 that he had on the lead and I was second with 1 roach ! However, Mick Keeper on the favoured peg 7 started to get a few F1’s and a couple of hours later was well on his way to an easy victory. Mick fished at 12 metres with corn or pellet on the hook and finished up with 11 F1’s.
I spent most of the day fishing long with maggot on the hook catching roach and although it was nice to get a few bites, I knew it was a waste of time as far as finishing in the frame was concerned. I did have one bit of excitement when I caught an F1 and thought a big shoal might have turned up but unfortunately it turned out to be a “Billy No Mates” and it was back to catching small roach for me.
Ian Covey sat motionless for the majority of the match (infact we kept shouting across to him every twenty minutes or so, just to make sure he was still alive) on Peg 15 in the bay, before leaping into action and netting a 13lb carp and an F1 on the lead in the last 15 minutes.
Result
Mick Keeper Peg 7 22-0-0
Ian Covey Peg 15 15-2-0
Alan Harrington Peg 10 9-0-0
Dave Pearson Peg 11 8-0-0
John Clifford Peg 2 DNW – 3 F1’s
Donald Garnish Peg 1 DNW – 1 Roach
This weekend I’m off to Sumners Pond again – don’t know if it will be Saturday or Sunday yet but hopefully I’ll draw near a few fish.
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.
