With some time off accrued at work, I had no hesitation in booking in for the weekly, "Old Boys, unemployed, sick, lame and lazy persons match" at Willinghurst and spent a lovely hour or so Tuesday evening stood in the kitchen pushing 5 tins of Lidls finest catfood through a riddle to make my Catfood paste.
As Plummers can't sleep, he again picked me up at 6.30am and within 25 minutes we were waiting outside the unopened cabin at Willinghurst, waiting for the 9am draw !
It did however give us a chance for a wander around most of the lakes and when walking round Top lake I really fancied Pegs 1,2,12,13 and any of the back spit - Pegs 22-26. However, having seen the pegging (fortunately we managed to stop Brian Wharton pegging it, as he does about as good a job as Stevie Wonder would), the only pegs I really didn't want were 16 and 18. Fortunately I managed to avoid those two pegs and drew Peg 10, not really a form peg but I did think I would catch a few fish in the edge late on.
After last Sundays comedy of errors, it was just nice to fish a half sensible match where my worst problem was that my cap blew off 5 times in the strong wind - in the end I tightened the cap so much that it started to give me a headache and I had to take it off.
For me, Willinghurst in the Summer is an out and out paste attack, so my Plan of action was to fish in the edge both sides about 5 metres to my left and 10 metres to my right (against the rushes) and also fish a line at about 8 metres, at 10 o'clock so I could fish "Down the wind". I had three carp early on then as usual with Willinghurst, the fish seem to stop feeding until about 3 o'clock when everyone would start to catch a few. Yesterday was no exception as I started to catch a few fish on the 8 metre line just after 3pm and then caught a few more in the edges as the match neared it's 5.30 finish.
Matthew (whose surname I don't know as he is new to Willinghurst), drew Peg 21 and following his second place last week, went one better, catching on and off on the feeder for most of the match and weighed 126lb. My 15 carp went 96-13-0 to finish well ahead of Plummers in third place on 78lb as I took his pound yet AGAIN !
Sunday sees us at Moorhouse Farm on the Sidewinder lake and as I don't think any of the club have fished it before (and I can't find anyone on the forums who has, it will certainly be an interesting match.
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.
