Licked at Lindholme!

Apologies for not updating my blog last week, but with only one match to report on it seemed better to group it all together with this weeks in a bumper addition!

Lindholme Lakes open match was my destination last sunday, and a thoroughly enjoyable match it turned out to be. I drew peg 2 on Laurels, not traditionally a good peg but I fancied it for a few fish, and with all the new stock fish having gone in on Laurels and Willows, I knew there would be plenty of bites to be had.

I was out of the wind, which was good from a heat preservation point of view, but not so good as the trout tend to follow the wind, and so I didn’t fancy catching many of them! I therefore based my attack around the venues F1 population, opting to fish pellets at 12, 13, 14.5 and 16 metres at ten oclock and two oclock. This was to allow me to follow the fish out if they backed off.

I set off like a house on fire taking six or seven good sized fish on pellet in the first hour, my first and biggest fish being a bream about 4lb! I wasn’t on the newly stocked fish however, and all the ones I had were better stamp ‘old timers’, I could see Daz Taylor and a couple of other anglers in a different bay bagging up on the smaller fish, and knew I would have my work cut out to beat them.

Nevertheless I had a really enjoyable day catching F1s on pellets, the fishing was really absorbing as I was constantly working to get bites. I lost a big fish, with the hook pulling out as it made one last bid for freedom bombing off down the edge. I think that it was probably foul hooked anyway as it was fighting very strangely. My 20 fish went 28lb, which was good enough for seventh or eighth in the 50 peg match, but sadly didn’t win me any money.

I was back the following Saturday and drew in the same bay as the previous weekend, pulling out peg 68. The match was slightly smaller than the previous Sunday, but was still full of stars, with Kev Baxter, Tommy Pickering, Johnny Howard, Steve Baraclough, Steve Rothery and Rob Hitchens to name just a few! The wind was a bit naughty, so I opted to base my approach around a short pole attack and chuck a small feeder just past the pole line. I also had a go down the side for the trout, which proved interesting!

I caught steady all match, taking 20 mixed carp and F1’s and five trout. I caught on the pole to start with, but as the day went on it got harder and harder, and I had to ring the changes catching a few trout down the edge, but taking most of my fish on the tip late on in the day. I know some people hate the fact that Neil puts the trout in these lakes, but I personally think it adds to the venue. Where else can you fish shallow down the edge with corn in December, and have yards of elastic ripped out of your pole? Johnny Howard had one 9lb in the open match the previous Wednesday! A fish like that has got to bring a bit of excitement to anyones day!

Corn seemed to be the best bait for both the trout and the F1’s, which is unusual at the venue, as normally pellet dominates, so I reckon the fish just fancied a change! I ended up with 39lb, which was good enough for second in the match and a handy £90 pick up. I was gutted on the other hand though as I was only 1lb of winning the match, and I lost a 2lb foul hooked F1 at the net., so close yet so very far away!

The next day was the third winter league round proper and I returned with Matt Godfrey, who was making his winter debut at the venue. The match was split over different lakes to the previous day, with sections on Bonsai, Oasis and Beeches. Alongside the league I also had the second round of the knockout to look forward to, with venue regular Andy Whitehouse to beat, while Matt had his first round tie to contend with.

I drew peg 48 on Bonsai, which looked a reasonable draw, though I was concerned as a strong wind was pushing down to the other end of the lake, and as the fish had followed the wind the day before I suspected they would do the same. Matt was bang opposite me and in my section, though at the time we didn’t know this as who was in whose section was a mystery until the end of the match.

With the wind being as bad as it was I decided to make the tip the mainstay of my attack, with a short pole line with maggots and casters my fall back line, I hoped to pick up some big ide and F1’s here. After a blank first half hour without so much as a liner I wasn’t overly enthusiastic, but three mirrors in quick succession towards the end of the first hour helped to settle my nerves. Corn again was my hook bait of choice, though I did keep trying pellets but to no avail. From what I could see, no one was catching a deal however, with the exception of Ben Fisk, who had a manic first hour on the opposite bank.

It is difficult to write to much about the rest of the match, as it was fairy uneventful, just a matter of sitting and waiting for the tip to go round. The wind made presentation on the pole difficult, and when I did get a bite it was from a roach so I quickly sacked it and got back on the tip! At the end of the match I had 20 fish, and looking around me I though I had done well in my ten peg section, the worst I thought
I could be was second.

I was disappointed then when I approached the board and saw that a 43lb and a 54lb had already been weighed in my section from the top end of the lake, I knew I hadn’t got anything like as much as that! Steve Donaghue weighed in 35lb which I thought would be close to the weight I would have. I pulled my net out and guessed I had 30lb, and so it was confirmed when the scales pulled round to 31-2-0, which put me a disappointing 4th in my 11 peg section. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you have done well and then finding out you haven’t!

Matt had a tough day, weighing 23lb for 6th in section. The only saving grace was that we both progressed through to round two of the knockout, with Matt’s adversary weighing in 9lb and Andy Whitehouse catching 21lb from Beeches. Next round I have none other than Tommy Pickering to contend with, so lets hope I can draw another flier!

I will update you next week on how I get on!