A Sneaky Session in France

It was never really going to happen, a week completely away from fishing. As I loaded the car for our family holiday in France I just ‘came across’ a SPRO globe trotter rod and a reel that were lying around’ in the garage, I added another telescopic rod for good measure and my spare terminal accessory box and hid them in the car, just in case you understand!

Well the opportunity arose when a friend of the family we were staying with called around for drinks one evening. He was going fishing on the River Blavet the following morning and asked if I wanted to join him, I think I had answered before he finished the question. The next morning he picked me up and we were off to the local tackle shop to buy some maggots. I would have loved a longer look round the shop as it was full of interesting items of tackle, and very well stocked, next time though.

Lovely river

Before long we were at a very picturesque river Blavet, but immediately I felt under gunned as it was very wide and clear and weedy. The feeder looked the right option and it was apparent that my 6’ rods were not ideal. The only feeders I had were some small in line methods so that’s what I set up. The other rod was made up with a Rocket light waggler. My two companions set up with more conventional open ended feeders. But for me it was nice to be on the bank but strange without all my normal gear around me. Before long I had my first bite and a ‘La Gardon’ was soon swung to hand I couldn’t help but think that this was probably the first Roach that had been caught on the ‘Thod’ on the Blavet! A few more followed but I felt it was time for the waggler, feeding with small balls of groundbait containing a few maggots I found some more Roach fishing at around mid depth in the 8’ swim.

Martin was above me and closer to the weir pool, after a slow start he was suddenly playing a big fish which turned out to be the first of dozen Bream, mainly around the kilo mark but a couple were a bit bigger, he had a really nice days fishing. I enjoyed myself but it was made all the better when my 7 year old daughter joined us and caught a roach on the waggler, seeing her happy face will stay with me for a long time.

Back Home

We arrived home at 10.30pm on Friday and at 9am I was at the draw for the Angling Times County Championship semi Final at Trewaters, I was looking forward to the match but actual felt whilst I was in the car park that I was somewhere else, not the ideal way to prepare for a match. My dip in the bag of dreams gave me peg 41 on the bottom lake; I had no complaints with the draw but in an ideal world wanted to be on the top lake. To my right on peg 43 I had Andy Dare and in form John Shirley to my left who won the previous weeks practice match.  It looked like we were in trouble as Andy was telling us all of his problem trying to plumb his right margin, it was full of carp! When he was plumbing in front of him at 4m he suffered from line bites, I watched has his float just kept going under! I just could not help but hum Andy’s signature tune ‘There may be trouble ahead’

Good start for the neighbours

The match started with Andy and I on the method feeder and I noticed John went straight down the edge on the pole. Andy was into fish immediately as was John! It took me around 5 minutes to get my first bite which was a small carp taken on 6mm pellet, feed was micros and a little groundbait. I was feeding 6mm meat on my 4m line which was looking like a good option as I was falling behind my neighbours who had one purpose on their minds, and that was emptying the lake! I seemed to catch one and lose one, as well I was finding the most innocuous looking twig or plant that was overhanging the bank, but they were strong, I lost a few hook lengths in the process! Mustn’t grumble must we..

Pole time

I had a look on the pole line where a .4 gram float was my choice with a simple bulk shotting plan, to a .14 hook Cralusso length and size 14 T213. I had a small carp first put in followed by an F1, now I was feeling happier and was hoping to catch up with the great start from either side. It was not to be though as small Perch moved in. Oh Man, it was solid with them one a bung even on the drop, I was going nowhere. I started feeding at 9m and had a look shallow on the pellet under a J13 .3gram float, before long I was catching small carp and the odd F1. It seemed to me that every time I felt I had it sorted it went wrong, the shallow line was no different as it got harder. Meanwhile Andy was catching very steadily on the pole and at the same time telling both Boz Phillips who was to his right and myself that we were beating him? Man, I had to laugh, he was probably catching two fish to my one I couldn’t see Boz nut suspected Andy was also beating him.

I managed some down the edge on Corn and a few more on the method but I was still having problems with the vegetation that seemed to have magnetic qualities that attracted my thod, in the end I threw then rod up the bank in frustration with an hour to go and concentrated on the edge, that was entirely the wrong decision!

The sales of truth

The scales came around and I managed 60lb which put me in front of John but Andy was still proclaiming that he had around 70lb however; he thumped the scales down to 102lb. He does make me giggle, that reminds me I still owe him a Mars Bar! Boz managed around 55lb but Pete Thomas had 74lb to take second on the lake and the last qualifying place for the final.  I have no complaints my swim was good enough to qualify from and its one of those days when you just have to put your hands up and say ‘I didn’t do it well enough’

Congratulations to the lads that qualified and will make up the Cornish Team that will fish the final, I sincerely hope you bring home the trophy! Clint Elliot (127lb peg 31) Andy Dare (102lb peg 43) Mark Cullerton (peg 19) Chris Hancock (peg25) Pete Thomas (peg 51)

Oh man, a match at Mawgan Porth!

I had a look at the Mawgan Porth website on Monday evening and was surprised to see 11 anglers booked in, I was on the phone in a flash as in my opinion there have just not been enough matches on this fabulous fishery, I just don’t know why anglers are not turning up as it is fishing really well. Janet told me that I was now the 13^th and I hoped it was not going to be unlucky!

Overnight the weather turned autumnal with a drop in temperature, some heavy rain and gales, I just couldn’t believe it, the forecast was for it to clear as the day progressed so I braved the rain and loaded the van. When I got there Janet told me that a group of eight anglers had called and said that they were not coming until the weather changed at 12 noon! Well, the five that had made it couldn’t believe it and quite rightly didn’t want to hang around for two hours. So after a quick discussion it was decided to have a sweep.

When I had my dip it was the last peg in the bag and I was left with peg 31, I have not been on that peg for a very long time. Janet assured me that part of the lake was fishing well; I was more than pleased to see that I could shelter under the brolly! The peg is just about where the lake changes getting deeper to the right. I had a weed bed in front of me at around 4.5m. The edge was nonexistent, in as much as it was overgrown and I couldn’t get anywhere near the edge! Not that it worries me as I much prefer to fish in open water. I wanted to fish away from the weed to start with and found my normal 4 x 10 J3 float was perfect fished at my top kit plus one section. I also set up a shallow J13 .30g float just in case they wanted it shallow. Bait wise I had some garlic micro pellets, and some 6mm pellets for feed and hookers. The last time I was here I found 6mm worked well and I didn’t get so many small silver fish which are a real nuisance; I hoped it would work again.

Let the baggin begin!

The match started and the guys opposite on pegs 46 and 47 were into fish immediately as was Glen on peg 42 my peg started a little slower but I was soon catching on the deck. I was soon into a rhythm, hook a fish feed around a dozen pellets, land the fish and in again. The carp were not coming very fast but it was very steady and in that first hour I had around 30 with a couple of better samples. The second hour was similar and in the third the fish came up in the water for a brief period and I caught really well but unfortunately they didn’t stay. During the last couple of hours I had to seek them out by fishing a different part of my swim but continued to catch. I finished off with 125 fish which weighed 199lb 10oz which left me with the feeling I should have tried harder! Never mind it was a great match which I enjoyed, it was just a shame that it wasn’t a bigger field. Mawgan Porth is fishing very well at the moment, the other weights were 153lb with 121lb coming third. Glen recorded 119lb from peg 42 which is another peg ticked off in his quest to catch 100lb from every peg.

Do you fancy…..

I had an interesting phone call on Friday night which resulted in a mad weekend of planning and driving. It went something like ‘What are you doing next week, any plans?’ No, not too much a midweek match at Mawgan Porth and a bit of work, why?’ ‘Fancy coming to Enniskillen to fish a team match?’ Oh man, are you serious? Well he was and at the moment I am waiting to board the Irish Ferry to Dublin. I let you know how it went next time!