House Lake - Wylands 31st Jan 2009

We decided to try the House Lake at Wylands as we have a match booked there later this year, off we went for a practice session.

Well this morning started very slowly firstly missing the alarm going off, then having to go get the car load and load it up, however I must thank the idiot who knocked Rob's bike over causing around £300 worth of damage well you idiots, hopefully you'll get something in return.


Anyway we arrived at the House Lake at around 8.30 ish, there was only two very cold looking carp anglers on the lake so we decided to fish the pegs near the road.

Both Ade and myself decided to use the ledger rod first and was going to swap to the pole later that morning, I prepared some 2mm feed pellets and set-up. I baited up with a 8mm banded pellet, hanging down from the pellet feeder about 4 inches.
First cast towards the island I had a good bite and the tip went round and Bream no.1 was soon in the net. Over th next few casts I soon was landing my sixith bream of the day.

I already started to feed another swim straight out in front at around 6 meters. MT Net came and introduced himself and told us that the House Lake fishes better at 6 meters on the pole. I setup a 6 meter line on the pole, it's aroung 5 foot deep, I continued to feed around 20-30 maggots every puttin and soon the skimmers was on the feed.

Only having around a pint of mixed maggots, I was told that red ones worked best I knew that this wouldn't be the day of the best results.

I had around 8 skimmers and a handfull of roach on this line.

According to MT Net (Trevor) you need around 4 pints for an average match, and also some corn which I tried and didn't have any good results on however with the wind blowing from the east at around 20mph this kept the tempature well down to near freezing.

I'm going to have another day on the House Lake in the very near future, where I'm going to try a few more methods, I used to fish a bream venue some years ago and so I'm going to try float fishing with a waggler float and try some different baiting method.

Maver Pairs 2009

After a chat over a few beers we're going to enter the Maver Pairs 2009, this will be the first time we have fished as a [air, however I don't think there will be any problems. A few practise sessions and we'll be away.

The qulifier is to be held at Monk Lakes, near Maidstone and I've got a few matches already lined up there this year.

I've just got confirmation of our place at Monk Lakes near Maidstone on the 2nd May 2009.

Fish OMania 2009

I've applied this morning for my place at the Fish O Mania 2009 to be fished at Monk Lakes, near Maidstone on Wednesday 13th May 2009.

Hopefully I'll be there along with another 100 anglers, all trying for the chance of winning the big prize of £25,000.

So over the next few months it'll be over to Monk Lakes for a practise on all the lakes, with different methods and tactics.

Bodiam Castle River Rother Jan 09

Well I must have been mad it was -3.5c when Ade picked me up, as we headed through Hastings so we headed to Buckshole a club water I'd had a look the day before and it wasn't frozen.

Well it was frozen solid this morning, so out with the map and club book to find a river, back in the van we had decided on the Bodiam Castle stretch, when we arrived another club was having a match so we just fished at the end of the match.

Both ade and myself set up feeder rods, I went for the cage feeder and Ade for a 1/8oz bomb with maggot.

The temp was going south all the time, ade had a small roach within a few minutes and I was getting bites but missing them constantly. Finally I hit one then snap lost it.

I changed to a size 16 hook with 4lb hook length and still bites however I still couldn't hit them, I tried leaving them, striking early and still nothing. Ade caught another roach and I noticed the odd fish from the people fishing the match.

Finally I had a bite that I connected with the fish was on I got it to the bank and into the net it was a chub just over the pound mark worth waiting for.

I was still getting bites however not fish so we decided to give it up as a bad job.

When we packed up and went back to the van the temp read -7.5c I told you we was mad.....!

Monk Lakes Xmas Open 28th Dec 08

Woke up on the Sunday morning took a look out the window and did it look cold out there yes it did. Anyway I had decided to go regardless of the weather.

As Monk's is about 40 minutes drive I left with plenty of time to spare, when I arrived there was already a few people there, as I'm new new to the area I didn't know anyone, which didn't bother me. I paid my money and waited for the draw, then it was my turn to pick, well there it was peg 35 on Lake 1 as I'd only fished Monk's once before on Lake 4 last summer, I knew this would be a good learning curve.

So out with the gear from the car and off to the peg, when I got there it was a second to an end peg for this match, the wind seemed to be getting up and the cold of the day I knew I would probably be better on the bottom with the feeder. I also set the pole up for around 11meters and a margin rig, however when plumbeting I noticed it was rather shallow at this end of the lake.

I noticed I'd left the maggots at home in the fridge (Thinking of that the fridge was probably warmer), the guy next to me gave me a handful of maggots, the whistle blew all in.

I fed a the margin area and the 11mtere I when went straight for the feeder rod with a banded pellet, cast out about half way.

I sat there and waited, a few fish was caught from other pegs, however nothing for me. Rebaited and cast out still nothing, after about hour and half I had my first bite, bang the tip went, I hit it it was on at last a fish, in the net it was a smallish carp around a 1lb.

I rebaited up and nothing for another hour, I changed off pellet onto corn and carried on feeding with micro pellets in the feeder, still nothing, with over 3 hours gone I changed to double red maggot, and cast out with a couple a minutes I had a bite, it was on and soon in the net, I cast out again with double maggot again the tip went round within minutes and another carp in the net. Then a third carp within next few minutes, I hope this was going to be a start of something, however it wasn't.

Disaster one gust of wind to much the pole rolled off the roller and smashed the 4th section, thank goodness for short 4's

Then finally another bite which resulted in a small skimmer bream also in the net, as the cold and wind dropped the temp I had a cup of soup and would you beleive the tip shot round I missed it, well that was the last of the bites and fish.

I was glad when I heard the whistle for all out I knew I hadn't done to bad as I had caught as I did notice numberous people leaving early. At the weigh in I had 4 carp and a skimmer for 8lb 8oz not bad for a hard day

Trout Fishing Before Christmas 08

Yet another cold december day, so we was off to the local trout lake as someone (me) had a good idea of lets get some trout for christmas and we can smoke our own. Sounded good after a few pints.

I picked up Pete about 12.00 and headed over, when we got there the wind was blowing I knew it was going to be a hard day.

Pete stayed down by the car, and me decided to go and walk round the lake, after about 30 minutes I had a nice 3lb in the bag and had noticed Pete caught a trout also, I wondered round a bit further and the wind was blowing straight in my face totally no good however I did manage to hook a little perch of 4oz.

I walked back to where Pete was fishing and saw him hit into a good fish, it was good when he got it into the net , it was a nice 6lb 6.5oz his largest to date.(see pic).

So I had a few casts and caught a couple more fish, we had both caught our limit, so back in the car to the pub to warm up.

Wishing Tree Practice Session Dec 08

Had nothing to do one monday so thought I'd take myself over to Wish Tree a local club water, having seen the report in the local paper I knew it had been fishing well.

Monday morning arrived had to take the other half to work, then off to the lake, get there about 8.30ish to my supprise their was no one on the lake, the lake to my self.

I headed down to the dam end setup the feeder rod with pellet feeder and 3in hair rig, as I wanted to get the method nailed I was only going to do one thing all day.

I soaked the 2mm feed pellets and banded a few 6 and 8mm pellets ready for the hook, finally finished setting up.

Acast around 40yards was the first target, I started getting the next feeder ready and bang the tip sailed round, I struck and it was on this seemed a nice fish, a few minutes later a 5lb in the net. Next cast came another carp around the same size, and then another. Things where looking great 3 fish 3 casts.

I carried on catching carp between 4-8lb for the next few hours although it did slow down a bit.

Then bang the tip shot round I hit into it and almost immediately I knew this was a better fish, after a good battle the common carp was in the net, this was the first double of the day a 12lb fish.

Thought it was time for a coffee, I baited up again and back out, then thump again this felt a really big fish, I changed my hook length to a 6lb since the last time I was on this lake, and was I glad of this.
I finally saw it I knew from that the moment this was my largest carp I had ever caught, so I had to be carefull. After what seemed an age it was finally in the net, and weighed in at 18lb 1oz. From that point I wondered if the day could get any better, I didn't caught anything bigger , but I contiued to caught carp. As time was ticking on I knew I had to start packing up.

So last few casts I thought, cast out the tip sailed round again, thisd time to my surprise it was a double figure mirror carp, I'd only ever had these in the 1-2lb range before.
So last cast as I had to go and get the other half soon, it went round again, this was a huge fish as it took off about 50 yards up the lake, this carp was having none of it, but I wasn't giving up also, so we had a fight on, after about 15 minutes I saw it, now this was the biggest carp I'd ever hooked, this must have been in the twenties, just as I got the net ready, the hook length snapped, I was gutted.

However looking back on the day I managed to get the rig sorted , and I'd had 55 carp, 4 in double figures the best being my 18lb'er and a nice mirror carp, this totalled upto to around 200-250lb of carp from a club water in just under 6 hours not a bad session......!

1st Wylands Match Nov 08

I decided to give one of there Sunday matches a go. Turned up on the day it was over cast with a cold wind blowing.

Waited for the draw, and drew peg 163. After I found the peg it was about 8-9 meters wide with a large over hanging tree straight in front. A nice left hand swim in the margins and to the right another over hanging tree.

So with a three swim option I set up my rigs for margin and another the far bank. I started at the all in on the far bank rig with paste, I baited the other swims with pellet and corn. after about 30 minites I still hadn't had a touch, I decided to try maggot on the hook, instant success, the pole float shot under, I struck this wasn't a big fish, however it was a fish. I swung it to hand it was a pumpkin sunfish( a first for me). Back out on the far bank and another bite, yet another Pumpkin Sunfish. I must have had all of 4oz's in the net now.

I put another 6 small pumpkin sunfish in the net, maybe a pound if I was lucky, I tried the right hand margin line and nothing there, I kept feeding and still nothing. After about 2 hours with still no real fish in the net I noticed the guy on the next peg land a carp around 6lb. The float shot under and I just lifted the pole thinking it was another small pumpkin sunfish, well I was wrong the elastic shot out of the end of the pole about 20 feet it was a carp , after a few minutes I managed to get a look at it, it was around 8-10lb and it was on a silly thin elastic after 20 minutes finally in the net .

That was the end of the fish that day apart from having to rescue a 4th and 5th section of the pole as the wind threw it in the water for me.

First Time at Wishing Tree (Hastings) Nov 08

Arranged for a early Sunday morning with Ade, however the usual 15-20 minutes late, when we arrived there was already a few anglers down there.

I decided to fish at the end of the lake by the reeds, having just bought a MAP Parabolix STi bomb rod, well it had to be used. Well tackled up with a method feeder size 16 hook and 3lb hook length with 6lb main line.

After about 20 minutes has my first bite, the tip nearly flew off the rod rest, I struck into a nice fish, ah not for long it was off across the lake 30seconds it was gone.

Baited back up and waited again, then bang round again, this time it felt a bit better, the rod was bent round double after about 10 minutes it was in the net. A nice common carp of 15lb, not a bad start.

Then baited back up and out again, nothing for a while, had a few more casts then bang right round into another Carp, this felt alot smaller however it was fighting well a few minutes later another common carp in the net this was around 6lb.

Out with another cast and nothing for an hour,then a small bite I struck, it was on then ping see you later.

We decided to pack up around 12.00 we had other stuff to do.

Welcome

Hi,

Welcome to Fishy-Fingers Blog, I started this to keep a record of my match fishing attempts starting in late 2008.