After a crap days fishing I usually say that "At least it was better than working or sitting around at home" but yesterday, I wasn't so sure it was !
Having caught only one fish last wednesday, I was really looking forward to yesterday's match as we arrived to find the sun shining and a forecast of bright sunshine and very little wind. After sundays weather it would be nice to top up the tan and dry my gear out properly.
With only nine of us fishing (a few of the regulars are still down at Whiteacres) someone made the decision to fish Pittance Lake instead of our usual Top Lake. I wasn't worried where we fished but must admit that it made a pleasant change to sit and look at a different lake for 7 Hours !
For those ethat know the lake, I drew Peg 7 up the dam end, a peg I didn't mind but the anglers to beat were likely to be Don on Peg 5 and Ian Covey on Peg 12 as historically they have been the best pegs being either side of the lake facing each other with the end of the island to chuck to.
It is difficult (and quite painful) to write much about a match where you have only two bites in seven hours ! However, I fished the waggler at full depth in front of me (which made a pleasant change) with a variety of baits, paste on two lines at 8 metres and an edge swim. I had one ghostie of about 5lb on one of the paste lines and another ghostie of 4-8-0 in the edge with about an hour to go - and that was it !
Don gave a very impressive performance of casting to the island and finished up with 15 carp for 60-12-0 on a pellet feeder with hair rigged pellet on the hook. Whilst Mick Keeper was down the other end of the lake on Peg 16 and finished second with 53-8-0 fishing down towards the corner on the lead.
Nearly everyone else struggled although some did catch a few fish in the last hour but for me it was my most boring days fishing for a long time but at least all my gear is dry again as the weather was absolutely gorgeous.
Mick the Bookie took on everyone for a pound and after a start of three carp in the first hour it looked like he was going to clean up. However, his peg soon faded and despite a couple of late fish, he finished up with 25lb which meant he beat three (including me for the third match running) but finished up losing 5-3.
Not sure where I am this weekend, the River Mole Championships is on and although I have won it before, I'm not sure I can be bothered to sort out all my river gear in the hope of a decent draw but the river should be spot on. So, I might be back at Willinghurst or there was some talk of someone running a match at Gold Valley. Come back Monday to see where I ended up.
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.
