Sunday saw me and Don back at Willinghurst for Round 3 of the Molesey Pairs League run by Malc Fowler and his glamorous assistant – Jeff Dickinson ! With the weather turning milder we both hoped to fare better than in previous weeks although I think as a pair we already required snookers to finish in the top places in the league following our double blank in the last round !
As usual Don drew for us both picking himself Top 8 – a decent peg and me Horseshoe 16 – a peg that everyone says is a flier, but has only actually produced a couple of times in the past 5 or 6 matches. In order to get amongst the top places in the league, we really needed to win our lakes today so for me it was going to be shit or bust. All the top weights I have ever seen from the peg over the years have ALL been caught fishing in the edge either along the bank or along the end bank. Mick Farrington had won from the peg a few weeks ago catching four big carp for 44lb on the maggot feeder against the end bank – so that was to be plan A. Plan B was to fish two pole lines in the edge, one along the bank next to a bed of rushes and the other at 16 metres to the end bank. With carp being the target, my pole rigs consisted of a Malman 4x12 Cedar float to 0.16 G line and a size 18 B911 hook. On one line I fished dead maggot and the other fed a few micro pellets and corn and fished corn on the hook.
Having fed both pole lines I then fished a maggot feeder for half an hour and despite a few nipped maggots from small roach I was still fishless. A switch to the shorter of the pole lines with double maggot resulted in one very small roach which I missed the keepnet with having unhooked it – much to Alan Harrington’s amusement. Another small roach followed next put in so at least I could now weigh in. Alan then hooked a bit of a lump on his roach rig and after a lot of phaffing about finally put his net under a right munter which went 16-10-0 when we later weighed it separately.
I’ve not got much to say about the rest of the match, I kept switching between the maggot feeder, straight lead and both pole lines, and went for a quick walk up to top lake to see Don who was blanking – although he did manage one carp with 5 minutes to go !
I finished the match with 2 tiny roach which Ian Summers on the scales very kindly gave me an ounce – which took my total weight for the three pairs matches to 2-9-0 ! The lake was won by “Bag Up Bob” with 21lb of F1’s from Peg 7, followed by Alan Harrington on Peg 14 with his carp and a few roach for 19lb.
Back at the cabin Haisman arrived with his hand extended to take my pound and with a big grin on his face so I knew he’d caught a few. Four carp for 26lb gave him a lake win and even better for him, his partner for the day, Brian Wallin had won Pittance Lake with 22lb so they’d also won the pairs. Current league leaders Mick Farrington and Brian Green probably had the best draw possible - Pittance 12 and New 10, finished second on the day and I don't actually think that anyone can catch them now with one round remaining - Well Done chaps.
On Wednesday we’re off to Sumners Pond but this time we’re on the Match lake instead of the silvers lake so hopefully we’ll catch a few carp. I’m going to take some paste with me as I caught on it last winter and now they’ve taken out thousands of the tiny crucians in the lake that used to home in on it and bash it to pieces, I think it might work.
On Sunday we have another match I’m really looking forward to, it’s the Total Fishing Southern Xmas Match on Bury Hill Fisheries Milton Lake, where I will not only be fishing with a great bunch of blokes.......and Haisman but will hopefully get a few bites as well.
Have a great xmas and come back on Monday to see how both matches went.
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.
