By Tom | No Comments
Last updated: Monday, April 14, 2008

I was only planning on fishing one day this weekend, and having Saturday off to prepare my gear for White Acres, but when Matt (Godfrey) suggested a run out to Little John Lakes to fish the open match I didn’t take much persuading!

I have only fished the venue once before, but was really impressed with it when I did. It is full of a range of species from small carp to ide and barbel, and it now also holds a load of chub that have swam into the pond from the neighbouring river in the floods of last summer.

The only downside with Maid Marion Lake (where the majority of the opens are held) is that the islands are 16 + metres away from the bank meaning that fishing up to the islands with anything up to 19 metres of pole is the most common winning method.

This way of fishing is not my cup of tea at all however, as it strikes me as a long way to go to come back with an six or eight ounce fish, when a winning weight of 50lb+ is normally required, so I always try to ‘do my own thing.’

Last time I went I fished shallow most of the match with maggots, and ended up second with 54lb of predominantly ide, though I did have a few small carp late on from down the side. The payout is normally decent, with around 25- 30 anglers fishing, so I picked up £60 that day.

With the weather still fairly cool, I felt a shallow approach would be a little too positive, so I decided to fish worms and casters instead. Speaking to venue regular Paul Emmingham, I found out that a lot of big barbel to 9lb, and bream to 5lb had been showing alongside the usual smaller fish, so I was happy with my approach as I felt it would catch whatever was in front of me.

I rolled up to Matt’s about eight o’clock, and had a fantastic breakfast prepared by his dad Kev. It was absolutely spot on, I recon he ought to apply for one of those cookery shows on telly, I’m sure he would walk it! What really made it for me was that he used proper Heinz beans, with nice soft shells, not like the cheap and nasty ones you get at most of the greasy spoon cafes.

We loaded the gear and after a few ‘detours’ (it wasn’t that we couldn’t remember the way)we arrived at the venue.

I had made the mistake of leaving a toy gun (one of those Nerf things that shoots plastic arrows) in the front of my car, my brother had given it me to take to work as me and a fellow salesman often have battles, and I had forgot to take it out. Matt found it, and it was love at first site, every time I got out of the car I would get an arrow on the middle of the forehead!

There was a decent turnout of around 25 anglers, and I was nearly last to draw, but was pleased to pull out peg eight, one peg above the place where I fished last time I went to the venue.
I decided to keep things simple and just fish one line. One of my chopped worm fishing mentors, Tony Bell taught me that this is often the best way to fish this method, as it is best to know what is going on over your worm line at all times, otherwise it is difficult to gauge how/ how much to feed.

I started off relatively well, taking around a dozen ide in the first hour for around 5lb, along with a bonus 2lb chub, and felt I was well up on the lake. Unfortunately, things seemed to be getting slower for me as the day went on however.

I half expected this to happen to be honest, as the last time I had fished the place the ide seemed to slow right down as the day wore on, it was almost as if I had caught what was in front of me as they were coming back with more and more maggots in there mouth suggesting there were fewer and fewer fish competing for the bait, where as if the shoal had moved off I would have expected bites to stop altogether.

I wasn’t overly concerned therefore, and was hoping that continual feeding might draw some of the venues resident bream or barbel into my peg, to boost my weight up into contention.

This never really happened unfortunately, and despite taking a few more ide and another bonus chub (later weighed at 4-2-0) I never felt my peg really got going. I weighed 23-15-0, which was fifth in the match, but unfortunately second in the section, I was beaten by somebody who had three bream a barbel and a carp for half an ounce more than me. Gutted! Especially as I had lost a couple of ide at the net!

So it was off to the pub for a consolidatory pint, as Matt had had a tough day as well, drawing what Paul described as the worst peg on the lake. When I dropped him off he managed to vent some of his frustrations with the nerf gun however managing another clean sweep of head shots as unsuspecting Tom walked around the corner! I got him back though!

The following day we had planned a trip to my favourite venue, Wetlands Fishery at Lound, for yet another days worm fishing! It was Matt’s first visit to the venue, and I had promised him great things, so I was hoping it would fish so he wouldn’t be disappointed!

Fellow Woodseats angler Paul Gorman was going to accompany us, and after a greasy brekkie at Janes café we were there in plenty of time for the draw. A look at the results from the previous couple of days showed that the venue was fishing fairly hard, and a good draw would be required to win any money.

Fortunately, I felt we all drew a peg which would give us a reasonable chance, Paul drew peg one, a decent peg with both an island and plenty of open water to go at. Matt was on peg 7, not a brilliant draw and just off where the fish had been showing, but still it was in the main part of the lake and a peg with plenty of options to go at. I pulled out peg 25, my favourite peg on the lake, I was well chuffed!

Chopped worm and caster was my bait of choice both days

After a biteless first hour, all dreams of a bumper bag of bream were starting to fade, and I couldn’t see or hear any of the 34 anglers on the match catching well. I took two bream in succession after an hour and a half, one being about 6lb and one about three. It was a false dawn however, and another biteless half hour went by, before a 2lb ide came to the net.

I phoned Matt to see how he was going on, and while we were talking about how badly we were doing I hooked a zander! Someone illegally stocked these into Wetlands a few years ago, and they breed prolifically in the water, so all that are caught are killed. Matt had never seen one, so I said I would save it him!

I plodded on with the worm but wasn’t pulling any trees up, I took a carp around 12 oz and an ide around 4lb, but with only the odd fish being taken on the tip I wasn’t out of the race, a good last couple of hours and I knew I could be right back in it.

A few fish turned up late on, and I managed three more bream and a skimmer, but they weren’t coming quick enough to put a weight together. I did lose one at the net however by making the most STUPID mistake I have made this year. For some reason, I decided to put a bit of pressure on to try and get its head up and the hook pulled .Why I did this, I have no idea. I wasn’t catching quickly, and I know from past experience that you have to take your time with the slabs, as they have soft mouths, so soft elastics and plenty of patience is the order of the day.

I ended up with 29-3-0 for sixth in the match and a section win. A bit more patience with said bream and I could easily have had the 32-10 required for third place. What a dipstick!

I made myself feel better by getting Matt with the Nerf through the car window, and thought that that would draw a line under the toy gun attacks. How wrong I was however, as I got out of the car he once again planted three missiles on my forehead! I retaliated by launching at him the dead zander I had saved. It hit him squarely on the back of the neck! Ha!

A couple of pints and a game of pool finished off another enjoyable weekend, the first real summery one we had. I feel I fished quite a good match both days, but should have took my time more landing fish. That’s not to say I have lost a lot of fish, but the ones I have lost have cost me if you see what I mean.

The nerf gun had added a certain aspect of suprise and unpredictability into the weekend, and as we got back into Kiveton we couldn’t resist one more gag. It was the perfect crime, we could see some kids that Matt used to know from school walking along the pavement. I slowed the car down, let down the electric window, and Matt took aim as we approached……before missing with all three darts! It’s a good job his casting is better than his shooting!

I’m off down to Whiteacres on Thursday along with Joe, Stewart, Mark, and Colin so the site might seem bear next week in terms of blogs. The good news is there will be festival updates daily from Matt, and a double dose of blogs the following weekend! Tight Lines until then! Tom