Trewaters, Trelawney and a Costly Hiccup!

I had been looking for a local mid week match for some time, I was not worried about how many were fishing I just wanted to be fishing at a good venue and hopefully catch some fish! Last Thursday there was just that match at Trewater’s Farm, the only problem for me was that I was on the M5 travelling back from London on a pre arranged business meeting, I was thinking of them fishing all the way home! The next day I bumped into venue owner Mike O’Gorman and he was telling me how well it fished and how Harry had won with 38lb with back up weights of 30lb and high 20’s I really couldn’t wait until next week to have a go myself.

Thursday came and the weather was again atrocious, I found myself doubting my sanity as I loaded the van, the wind was incredible and it looked like it was going to pour down, I had been really looking forward to the match so in reality I was keen to get going. When I arrived the lads had sorted out the pegs on the top lake and had kept us out of the wind as much as possible. I was first to have a draw and was pleased to pull out end peg 35, more so because it was the shortest walk! I had Harry for company on peg 34 so was assured of a battle.

I decided that it was going to be pole only for me and only assembled two rigs to fish at the bottom of the shelf at about 5m. The great thing about this line is that if you need to change lines to fish further out you can as the bottom is as flat as a snooker table, sure cuts down on rigs!

Today I had chosen two new floats that I had just received from Spro they were .4 gram versions of their mid water team float. (I wish they had a simple name) The float has a slim profile similar to Chianti but with a plastic bristle but it looked perfect for the job in hand. I was fishing light as the main species are F1’s which can be finicky feeders. Hooks were middy T63-13 to a 0.08 Xedion hook length.

It didn’t take long to get ready with such a small amount of tackle to prepare. I threw out the thermometer and that caught Harry’s interest, he came over for a look and we were both surprised by the temperature reading of 9C. That was not the only thing to catch his interest my Yorkshire Baits garlic micros and hookers were soon getting the ‘Billing examination’ and a few were soon on their way to peg 34! The rest of my bait comprised of maggots and a bag of Swimstim Groundbait.

At the start I fed a ball of GB on each of my lines at 5m and started with double red maggot on the hook. I noticed Harry was fishing at 11m and before long he had a fish on that ‘let go’ whilst he shipped back. It wasn’t too long before my float buried and I had the first of half a dozen quick fish from my right hand swim. I didn’t want to spook the fish so I had a couple of minutes on my left swim, I had no bites so was soon back on the right track. I was catching F1’s and small tench I suppose averaging 8oz each, I was getting them on maggot or garlic pellet. Harry was now fishing closer and catching in spells. I managed to keep fish coming for most of the match by alternating swims but, I did feel that I was slightly behind Harry. Going into the last 90 minutes my swims just died and I was forced to try a new line at 11m. I caught a few more F1’s from here but knew that the last part of the match had cost me.

Great weights

The scales came and I weighed 44lb which is my best weight from Trewater’s, as I was first to weigh I was winning the match until Harry put 57lb on the scales so that was short lived! I remained second until the scales reached Mark Lazell on the other end peg and he pulled out an impressive net of fish that eventually weighed 65lb for a great victory, well done Mark.

I really enjoyed the match there were no moans and groans, everyone just enjoyed the fishing on this great water. In fact Billy Arch summed up the day for me when he said he didn’t mind at all coming last with just under 30lb what a great days fishing!

Success!

There was no match for me on Saturday but I did go to Mawgan Porth to watch Kernow Match Group in action against Exeter in the Angling Times Super cup. It made a nice change watching and taking a few photographs even though it was freezing cold. It was a tight affair with some sections changing hands in the last minutes of the match. In the end each team had won four sections so it was to be decided on weight. Kernow MG took the verdict by some 40lb and are through to the next round! Well done guys I wish you well.

Winning pegs?

Siberian Sunday saw the Kernow Match Group squad at White Acres for the latest round of the Real Cornwall Winter league and it was a strange old day to say the least! Pete Thomas did the draw for our team and he came out smiling as he had drawn the pegs that the White Acres team had on the last round, and they were convincing winners. Pete had flyer peg 23 on the match lake, it’s the peg where most of the lakes resident carp have shoaled up for their winter holidays! Harry was told he was on peg 3 Jennies and I was told peg 9 on Trelawney. Quick chat and we were off to our homes for the day.

The wind was a little tricky on my peg right to left and facing with some strong gusts it was a really cold wind. The air temperature was 3c and the water was showing 7.5c so I guessed it would be a hard match. It was one of those days when you had to cater for a lot of different situations and I did seem to have a lot of tackle assembled by the time I was ready. I had a straight lead which I intended starting with, I also had a light carp rig to fish at 12m, an edge rig and a rig for silvers. I must admit that I hoped I would be able to sit on my hands and wait for the tip to pull round but that is just not my kind of fishing.

At the start I cupped some casters and a few 6m pellets at 12m fed a few casters at 6m and also some on bait down the edge. I started on the straight lead with some magic bread just short of the island hoping for an early carp but it didn’t come. I fished the lead for an hour for no bites alternating between magic bread and pellets. I had been pinging the odd pellets on my 12m line along with some casters short. After the hour I had a look down the edge and I caught a few perch and small roach but there was no sign of any carp. Putting a couple of red maggots on my long pole rig I shipped out to 12m and within a couple of minutes the float buried and I was attached to an angry common. I was pleased to see it though, especially as it was around 6lb. No more bites on that line so I cupped some more casters and took a couple more perch down the edge.

That’s Magic

The match was really all about rotating lines and taking the odd fish from each. The silvers were not really having it and I was aware of a few carp coming out in the section so I felt I had to concentrate on them. I did manage a small carp on the long pole and a few perch. I decided with 90 minutes to go that I was going to concentrate on the straight lead and that’s what I did. I pinged single 8mm pellets over towards the island and fished a pellet or magic bread on the straight lead. I had one further carp on the bread and two on the pellet. I missed one bite which was in all probability a liner and lost one fish when I picked the rod up without seeing a bite!

When the scales came I recorded 20lb plus and have to say that I was beaten both sides. Andy Dare had 37lb to win the section from my right and Mark Lazell had 24lb to my left. I did however finish in 5th place in the 9 peg section so not that much of a disaster.

I heard that Pete Thomas was winning the match lake with a load of carp. I met Harry after the match and he had won Jennies with around 25lb so with two section wins and my 5th we thought we had won the match and had the individual winner in Pete. I left before the results as I was suffering with arthritis in my right foot and was in a fair amount of pain. The journey home was made bearable with the knowledge that we were progressing up the league.

All Change!

I had been home about an hour when Harry called, I was thinking he was going to confirm our earlier thoughts. I couldn’t believe it when he told me that both of us had been disqualified for fishing the wrong sections! It turns out that Pete had made and honest mistake when he told us which sections we were on, so there we were first to last in a nanosecond. As I write I still am not sure how I feel about the day, it is certainly not a good feeling having been disqualified but have to say we both fished the sections in the belief that were on the correct pegs. Understandably Pete is mortified about the mix up and it will be a lesson learnt. Pete it’s only a fishing match so don’t let it get to you, there’s nothing a few beers won’t cure!