With nothing booked for Sunday I was pleased to get a call from Harry suggesting that we went to Stafford Moor. There was a silvers match on Tanners and it would be great to get a feel for the place before the Silver Maniac weekend which is worth a cool two grand to the winner. That match is the following weekend and as I hadn’t been there since the same weekend last year I was really looking forward to it.
Sunday morning came and the weather was atrocious when I picked Harry up at 6am, the wind was threatening to blow the van off the road! The 90 mile journey took a little longer than usual but we arrived to a cheery welcome from owner Andy Seery. He really does have the knack of cheering people up he is so enthusiastic about his fishery, rightly so as it is one of the best in the country.
A dribbling wind
After a coffee it was time for the draw and I pulled out peg 1 on Tanners, great says Andy, ‘You will do well off there the wind is just dribbling into that corner it will be perfect’ I left his office full of confidence looking forward to having a peg sheltered from the increasing wind. When I got there I couldn’t believe my eyes, I might just has well be fishing in the sea! The wind was pounding into my peg with a real vengeance; as it is an end peg near to the corner the waves were bouncing back causing quite a swell. As I was tackling up I actually felt sea sick the water was pounding under my platform causing it to rise and fall as if I was in a boat, I made a mental note never to believe that Hammers fan again!
It was obvious that I couldn’t fish the long pole today so I plumbed for two lines one at 4m and the other just short of 6m. With the rig in the water before the match I found there was no tow and I could get away with a .5 gram float and I chose a Cralusso Capri. I had a kilo of groundbait which was Mosella Select and Swimstim mixed, three pints of casters and a kilo of worms with me, well I did have a kilo until an extra strong gust sent half of them flying into the edge, Oh man was it windy Wait till I see that Mr Seery, wind just dribbling into the corner!
Shallow man
I fed a couple of balls of groundbait on each line and started on the close one but it was a slow start. Moving out and I started getting a few fish but again no fires were going to be lit. There were loads of fish topping and some looked a good stamp, it actually prompted me to get a shallow rig out despite the choppy conditions. Loose feeding casters I started getting some roach, they were not big but I couldn’t see much happening so I stuck to it catching quite quickly at 6m. There was the odd good fish amongst them as well which kept me interested. I kept potting in some caster and chopped worm to get something to the bottom for later.
There were a couple of bank walkers around and as there was a bench behind they stopped for awhile all told me what I already knew, that I was on the windiest peg on the complex! They also said that a few fish were been caught in the more sheltered pegs with possibly 20lb best weight. I figured I was just in double figures with half the match to go so if I could find a better stamp it was still game on.
The last two hours
Trying on the deck with worm and I had a good skimmer followed by a stamp roach, this made me change my approach and I put on a cad pot and gave them a capful of bait every drop in and it worked a treat I had some lovely fish until the last 30 minutes when it went a bit quite. I really enjoyed the match despite the wind nearly blowing me away! The scales came around to me ( I was last to weigh) with the news that Harry was winning with 37lb followed by Barry on the next peg to him with 31lb, There were two 20lb weights on my bank. I put 29lb of fantastic looking silvers on the scales to take third place. On the way home both Harry and I were full of praise for the venue we had a really good days fishing. Incidentally Harry was on peg 35 diagonally opposite me we both thought each other was struggling as neither saw us catch any fish!
Mawgan on Wednesday
After last week’s success at the prolific Mawgan Porth I couldn’t wait for Wednesday to come around I was really looking forward to getting amongst those hungry carp, even though it was a small match I just wanted to be there fishing. Walking around the lake before the draw blew any cobwebs away as the wind was belting down the lake straight on to peg 41 the one I was standing on, what’s more it was a cold wind that had some rain in it. I felt sorry for the person that drew this peg today as presentation was going to be a nightmare. Oh well never mind, none of that mamby pamby pegging people out of the wind at Mawgan Porth, to be fair it was windy on all of the pegs just one was worse than the others!
Mick Heacock talked me into that peg, he went on and on about how I always draw the windiest peg and that my name was on it, I couldn’t look when I had my dip, all I did was show him the peg in my hand, that simple act was accompanied by raucous laughter and I knew exactly where I was fishing for the day!
Arm ache, not by catching!
This was hard today I fished at 4m straight in front of me and was left scratching my head as I had not had a bite with 90 minutes gone. I knew that the fish would be in the weed but as that was 12m away really didn’t fancy fishing long. I was having problems throwing bait to 4m so I knew I would have no chance feeding accurately at 12m. Eventually I had no option but to go long. There was not a great deal being caught but if I was to stay in contention I had to go out to that weed.
First drop out feeding by cad pot resulted in a fish! It was a pesky skimmer that didn’t count but at least I had a bite! It wasn’t long before I had a carp followed by a few more. I just couldn’t feed regularly enough. Normally I am accurate with my catty but today it was going everywhere so was impossible. I managed around 20 carp after around four hours which for the time of year was very poor but kept at is as I could see that Mick Heacock was probably leading and I knew that I wasn’t that far behind him. Going into the last hour the weather brightened but I was now having difficulty seeing my float!
Changing lines and fishing at 5m to my left with caster and the fish started coming! Slowly at first but they built up to somewhere near normal Mawgan Porth pace, things start going through the mind should I have fished here earlier? Had they just turned up as the day drew on? Never mind they were there and I just tried to put as many in the net as possible. In the end I was 13lb short of winner Mick Heacock who had 79lb from peg 8. Shame that sun didn’t come out 15 minutes earlier! Well done Mick you deserved to win, fishing it well in difficult conditions. As for myself I really must try harder..
Billy no mates
Friday morning and a motley crew left Cornwall for West Devon and Stafford Moor it was the start of the Silver Maniac weekend with a practice match today. I had arranged to meet a few of the Kernow Match Group lads at the Little Chef just off the A30 near the Oakhampton exit at 7am. Now I was a few minutes late but there was no sign of the others. I went in and ordered a coffee delaying breakfast until they turned up. Getting on for 7.30am and the phone rang and it was Pete Thomas asking where I was? In the cafe where are you? Oh in the cafe we have had breakfast, I guess we are at the wrong place! Never mind I had a great breakfast on my own and set off for the draw. When I arrived there was no sign of the rest of the Cornish contingent so I had a coffee with Andy whilst we discussed a dribbling wind!
I was just about go down to peg 3 on Tanners when they all turned up lead by Wrong Lake who now maybe should add Road to his name! Tourettes Taylor was explaining in graphic detail how every time he comes to this place he arrives by a different route. It reminded me of my first few journeys here and how I now know every country lane within a 10 mile radius of Stafford Moor!
The calm before the storm
It was nice to see Tanners without the swell, there was a breeze but was much calmer than my last visit, the forecast was for it to pick up during the day. Today was going to be a pole day and I had decided that it was just two lines both at a comfortable distance. I was having my main line at 11m and fishing closer at 5m floats were Spro midwaters in .4grm to tackle the 5’ deep swim. They were standard rigs with a bulk and a couple of droppers to a .10 Xedion bottom and a size 16 Milo T213 hook. Bait wise I had a kilo of worms, three pints of casters and some red maggots a few expanders and some micros. I had groundbait but I was only going to feed this on the short line starting with three balls and potting some worm and caster long.
Starting the match on the 5m line saw a few small roach come to the net and it looked similar for those around me. Swopping between lines saw fish come for most of the day. Some were small and there were quiet spells but in between I found some quality roach and a few nice skimmers. I had a spell on the longer pole when it was a fish every put in. Unfortunately that didn’t last but I did a fair bit of damage in a short time. Fish came to the end of the match, unfortunately the wind and rain came as well and by the end my kit was absolutely drenched. I finished with 33lb odd which once again was good enough for third on the lake and some coin. I was starting to get a little worried though about this recurring number 3. I had finished third twice and was now on peg 3. It was a very interesting match and I felt I learnt quite a bit for the main event tomorrow when a section 1st or 2nd was vital to progress to the final and a chance at 2k.
Overnight, and a few beers
We were staying at the Rams Head Inn in Dolton a few minutes from SM with two nights booked I was looking forward to the weekend away. That night we had a few beers which are compulsory and a huge steak meal which I have to say was fantastic. As the beers flowed we were entertained by stories from team mate Boz Phillips and time just vanished. But I have some experience of nights like these and I left the lads in the bar! The next morning I was glad I left early as Tourettes eyes told the story! I have not seen anything like it in many a year, talk about beer goggles, I bet they looked worse from his side though! Even Wrong Lake had empathy with the others and had a hangover and he doesn’t drink!
The queue
With just short of 100 fishing today’s match the draw was going to take some time, even longer than you would expect as Andy likes to tell everybody about the peg they have just drawn so you can imagine. Still it gives time for those waiting to catch up with mates from all over the country who travel down to fish this match.
My time came and I had my dip in that bag of dreams and out came peg 3 on Pines, there’s that number again! I was happy enough with the draw as I have qualified before from this lake. Today was going to be hard as a certain Mr Des Shipp has drawn a flyer on the same lake! We all felt like we were fishing for the last qualification spot. I asked Andy what he thought would be needed to get through and he said 25lb possibly 20lb if it’s hard due to al the overnight cold rain.
No Wind!
I had an island in front of me and I was pleased about that as it stopped the wind which would have been straight in my face! I found the deepest part of the lake was at 7 sections and it was just past there that it started getting shallower towards the island. That was going t be my man line and I chose another at 4m. Tackle was the same previous matches and my tactics were the same as yesterday.
Starting on the short line I was getting small Rudd some taking the bait on the drop but at least I was putting ounces into the net. I had a nice skimmer of 10 ounce and the next put saw a steady amount of J range 3 -6 elastic come out of the pole. Just what the doctor ordered or so I thought until a common of about 10oz broke surface. I put it back as it is silvers only to get another on the next put in! That prompted me to go onto the longer line and I had a few skimmers and some roach. I really enjoyed this match; it is a great place to fish it was interesting trying to work out what they wanted but also frustrating as I could see the skimmers blowing but they were hard to catch. I did manage quite a few small carp up to 2lb on my longer line always the same when you don’t want them.
That number three
I finished the match with 24lb 12oz for third in section! That man Des won the lake and section with 35lb followed by my old mate Dave Schofield with 34lb odd so I was a fair way off but at least I had the best weight from my third of the lake. In fact third place was recurring as two others from Cornwall suffered the same fate, Harry Billing just missing out by a couple of pounds and Nigel ‘Tourettes’ Taylor missing out by one ounce to Callum Dicks . I will leave you to imagine how he described the match to me!
That night we stayed again at the pub and I have to say it was another good night. It was the Dolton carnival and the villagers came out in there droves for the event. We had a fantastic view of a firework display form our dinner table and another great meal a few drinks helped ease away the pain of not qualifying. Despite the landlord working to the early hours he still got up to make us breakfast before we set of for Cornwall to fish the opening round of the winter individual league. Bert, you are a star, if anybody is looking for accommodation in that area you will not go wrong by giving him a call.
Next week I will write about my match on Pollawyn Match Lake at White Acres and I have to say to was brilliant days fishing, plus I hopefully will have two matches at Gwinear including the second round of our mini winter league.
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