Double Top Needed!

I woke at 8am for a 9am draw, my head was still fuzzy from last night’s presentation at White Acres. Fortunately I had loaded the van and only had the bait to sort out, it was then off to visit Roland for a quick breakfast that I ate on route! I arrived just before the draw, it was a good turnout of 25 anglers for the Mawgan Porth Christmas match that was jointly organised by lake owner Janet and Simon Poynter. I paid some pools and just stared at the carnage in the back of the van, how can one person need so much stuff for a week’s fishing, it was certainly causing some amusement to some of the other anglers in the car park.

Beans means Heinz!

Time for the draw and word was that since the cold weather it had been fishing quite hard, it was now time to come good at the draw bag. I had my dip and out came 57. Now normally the highest number peg is 47, I just gaped at the number in my hand, the only 57 I could think of was in the woods at Porth reservoir! It was no good I had to ask. It’s on the bottom specimen lake in the corner I was told. I had no idea that they were using two lakes today, but I have to say when the penny dropped I was over the moon as it is a peg I have fished before and won from! I couldn’t think of a better peg on a hard day. Talk about putting pressure on yourself! The specimen lake is a kidney shape and my peg put me at one end I could reach a feature on both banks to my right and left with 11 metres of pole. I also decided on a line straight in front of me at seven metres. My rigs were 0.2 gram Cralusso Capri’s. I also decided to scale down on line diameter and use some 0.12 Xedion hook lengths to size 16 Middy 7313 hooks. Bait was going to be caster feed introduced by toss pot and maggot hook bait. I chose to fish slightly away from the bank in about 2’ of water. The seven metre line was about 4’ deep, the temperature was showing a balmy 7 degrees so I was confident of catching.

On the whistle I changed my mind on how to feed and cupped a few fishery micros and caster on all my lines before shipping out two maggots to seven metres. There were indications for about 10 minutes then despite the float dotted to a mere pimple I thought I saw it move slightly, I lifted and was into my first carp of about a pound. Man that was a shy bite. I had another couple which gave similar bites before I had one of about 4lb which was a great bonus. I was using J Range yellow lastix which is rated at 7 – 10 and found it was absolutely perfect for these winter carp. I had nine fish before I stopped getting bites or indications. Time to look down my right margin, first drop in and I foul hooked a fish which I lost. I then had a two pounder before losing one at the net of about 6lb! I wasn’t impressed and felt that was going to cost me, especially as it was my fault for losing it, I had pulled a little too hard!

Carp search

Looking over to my left I had four fish quickly before the bites dried up. I then could not buy a bite on any of my three lines, I searched around them for about 40 minutes for practically nothing. Simon Poynter wandered around and told me that Chris Whitehead and Trev Conroy were catching with a similar amount of fish to me so I had no alternative but to try another swim. I plumbed at 14 metres near to an overhanging bush and fed some caster via the toss pot. After a few minutes I had a small carp about a pound followed by a session of hooking an underwater snag! Eventually I found a clear area and I started getting carp on a regular basis, in fact it was solid! The bait just hit bottom before the float dipped and another one was coming to the net. I had an hour of this it was absolutely fantastic fishing to say it was winter. I counted the last 15 minutes and I had nine carp it would have been ten but I tangled my rig and I am afraid it was terminal! Not bad speed to say the fish were at 14 metres though.

Moment of truth

The scales soon arrived and Chris had 101lb despite saying he had 60lb! Man the guy needs an L shaped bed to sleep in! I thought I had a ton but was now rueing that lost 6 pounder. My first net weighed 67lb so if I had been putting the fish in equally I should be ok. I lifted the second net out with a lot more ease and immediately knew it would be close! The scales settled at 37lb giving me a 104lb total and the narrowest of victories. We didn’t have it all our own way though as Gordon Luck was still to weigh, he was another man that was claiming about 60lb. Well his 60lb soon became 95lb at the moment of truth. Another one that needs a new bed! Joking aside it was a very good match with prizes for all, I know it was hard for some but that’s winter fishing for you. Oh, I had two dips for the golden peg which was worth over 300 pounds but failed miserably so the pot is still safe until next time.

Winter Wonderland!

Sunday saw Harry and I arrive at White Acres for the second round of the winter individual league. White Acres was an appropriate name as we had a very severe frost, in fact the place looked like a winter wonderland! However the sun was up and it was looking like becoming a very nice day. Both Harry and I felt exhausted after fishing seven matches in eight days, my back and shoulders were really giving me some grief, come to think of it nearly as much grief as the wife was giving me!After the weights in the silver festival everyone was up for it and eagerly awaiting Clint to start the draw. I was asked where I fancied and jokingly said I wouldn’t mind another go at peg 2 on Sycamore as I would love to fish it again. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I actually pulled it from the bag! It’s great going to your peg with a clear plan on how to fish, I often decide when I get to the peg but having only fished it a few days ago I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I just hoped the fish were still in the same frame of mind! This time I only mixed one ground bait mix and that was Mosella All Round Select and Euro Cup. For bait I had two pints of casters, some maggots and a kilo of worms.

My plan was to change things slightly from the silver fish festival and only feed one line at just over 11 metres directly in front of me. I was going to put the short fourth section in my pole instead of the long one which would enable me to swing roach to hand easily, and more importantly I would be able to ship back with ease. Rigs were very simple I had a 4 x16 Mosella float and a .75 gram Cralusso Capri both to 0.10 Xedion line and a PR21 18 hook to tackle the 6’ deep swim. They both had bulks well down the line as I wanted to try and drop straight through the numerous small Roach and Rudd in the venue. I also set an edge rig to fish under the tree to my left. Just in case it fished completely different I also set up a 4 x10 up in the water rig.

Give em some!

At the start I fed very positively feeding four balls of ground bait that only just fitted into my 250ml cup, they were packed with chopped worm and caster. I did have a slight doubt in my mind as I cupped in the last one! I was feeding more like I would in an autumn match, it was in now and nothing I could do about it. I put a worm head on and shipped out and waited. Meanwhile I noticed that my next peg neighbour Steve Maynard was taking things a little more conservatively and feeding a close line with casters after putting some crumb in on the long pole. What’s more he was catching on this line and I had completely ignored it after last week! All I could catch was tiny roach andI was starting to doubt myself! Slowly the better fish started to make an appearance and I started to put a bit of weight in the keep net I was pleased to net a1 ½lb skimmer and some good roach.

A little while later I lifted into a bite and loads of elastic came out of the pole, a perch of about 2 ½ pounds surfaced a minute or so later followed by his brother an hour later. The fishing was fantastic I stayed in the same line all day just topping up when I got plagued with small roach that seemed to bring the bigger fish back. I had a couple of looks down the edge to my right but had no bites there.

When your lucks in!

I had one bit of luck during the match, after I had struck into a bite I had yards of numbers six elastic stream out of the pole and I convinced myself it was a carp. I played it very hard so I could get back to the serious job of catching roach, I couldn’t believe my eyes when a 3lb tench surfaced! I played it a little more carefully after I saw it.

There was I moaning that I couldn’t catch a bonus fish last week! Just goes to show if your names on it you will do well! The match drew to a close and I have to admit to feeling happily exhausted! That was the 8th match in 9 days and it had taken its toll on me. Would I have changed a thing? No way man! I enjoyed every single one of the matches that I have fished recently but I am certainly not fishing anymore this week! After I packed up I had the task of weighing in Sycamore lake Steve and I started at the far end and worked back towards our pegs. After weighing the other anglers Steve was leading with a level 20lb I knew I was in front of him but I have to say I was delighted to record 37lb 10oz to take the section and second overall in the match.

That man Harry Billing spoilt what would have been a perfect weekend for me by recording 38lb 12oz from Jenny’s, shame it would have been my first weekend double. Do you think I mind? Not in the slightest, I have just had one of the best weeks fishing anybody could have hoped for recording over 245lb of fish in the middle of winter, in the words of the angling prophet ‘we are truly blessed with the winter fishing in the South West’.

A quick word about Steve Maynard, he gave up match fishing some 15 years ago and has just returned to the game, this was his third match of his comeback. He has drawn next to Harry at Trewaters and myself on Sycamore and I have to say he has impressed us both with his ability, he will be one to watch, especially when he comes up to speed with the modern methods.Just one match for me next weekend as it’s my daughter’s birthday on Sunday and if I’m not at the party words will not describe the grief I will get! I do have a cracker to look forward to on Saturday though as it is the Kernow Match Group team of three on Jenny’s Lake, I cannot wait!