The Hopeful Match Fisher
I think there is an interesting psychology with match fisherman about the bloke in the next peg, or either side. I'm trying to work this one out, but I've noticed a few things about myself recently that I've found surprising. I'm sure that if some psychoanalysis was done across the range of match fishermen, successful or not, interesting patterns would emerge.
One of the things I often read about in articles is 'confidence'. So I might be confident on a particular water, or method, or I might be confident about a peg I've drawn or how I think I will do against the anglers either side of me. There is also confidence in the equipment you use or a certain bait. For example, I'm always confident with meat and 8mm pellets, but that has only evolved through experience and use. On the opposite side, I'm less confident with paste and boilies. My point is that regardless of which water, peg, method or bait I've got there is a feedback loop going on which might effect how I fish. What gets affected is my attitude towards making changes in the match or just sitting on a certain method. Less confidence could also mean less concentration and alertness. However for some less confidence might mean extra concentration!
In a recent match I fished there were eighty-one anglers at Gold Valley and, as many commercial fisheries are, there were anglers fishing back-to-back on two different lakes. On my own peg, on Gold Lake, were were catching carp and generally having a great time whereas on Middle Lake, to my back, they were having a nightmare. Even by halfway in the match anglers were strolling, packing-up and chatting. We all know that feeding fish can switch on and off during the session and indeed they did on Gold Lake, but that didn't seem to figure.
The only other sport I've ever had any sort of competence in is snooker, although many years ago now. With snooker you just play the table in front of you. In fact the general advice for a snooker player is to switch-off your opponent in your mind. Stephen Hendry was a great one for staring at the floor when his opponent was at the table. But have you noticed how as match anglers our actions are affected by the angler in the next peg? Switching swims, feeding, picking up odd fish often make us follow the bloke next door, or they follow us.
I had the frustration once of getting well ahead of a superstar angler to my left on pellet waggler while they sat on a method feeder. With three fish in my net he could stand it no more and soon joined my on the surface - the trouble was he then started catching steadily whereas I fretted and tailed-off as he caught me up and overtook. At the end of the match he had double my weight. Now what happened there in my head? It's interesting to speculate.
Obviously to win your section or the match you need to beat the anglers on either side. I find all too often that I don't manage that but that adjacent anglers win the section or get in the frame. Now I'm not saying that I only lose to match and section winners, but I do wonder if an angler doing well next to me brings up my own effort and performance? Is it good to fish next to superstar angler or those who go on to win? I've noticed a lot of anglers, particularly in team matches, are on the phone to others on the lake and seem to 'fish the lake' rather than fish their peg (if you know what I mean). Watching what is going on is surely important, not only what other anglers are doing but also what signs there are from the fish.
All sorts of thoughts and ideas here, but one thing is for certain - there is a bit of a mind game going on in a match which seems to affect performance regardless of the peg and fish.
Hopeful
Wednesday 24 December 2014
Saturday 20 December 2014
The Christmas Match at Gold Valley - 20th December
The Hopeful Match Fisher
Back to Gold Valley today and hoping for a better result than last week (a blank)! It was a coldish day with some sun, but a fairly blustery west wind.
The Christmas match at Gold Valley is a jolly affair with 81 anglers this year. There are no fees but you need to provide a raffle gift (in my case three bag of groundbait :) With that many anglers the pegs were from Syndicate, Middle and Gold. I knew it would be all about the draw so my hand went in to grab peg 53, which I was an unknown quantity. I've hardly fished Gold lake this year, so it nice to throw the line into a different spot.
Considering the wind and the swim itself there was little option than to work the method or bomb. As it turned out it was all bomb, which didn't really surprise me. Now peg 53 is near the clubhouse end and the lake is quite wide at that point. A chuck-out to the centre rope is possible but I saw no reason to concentrate only on that line. Personally I recon it's better to cast around and try various spots to seek where the fish might be. Recently I've taken to timing my casts and bite, and I've found that 10-15 minutes is about right before casting onto a new patch.
I began on the pellet feeder because I can control the amount of bait much better than with a straight method. I used my trusty old Dynamite Betaine Green micros, with a 8mm pellet on the PR36 hair. Forty-five minutes in I'd had a few liners, so the fish were there, and the guy in the next peg was getting the same treatment. I switched onto a pop-up and that got more liners, but just after the hour I got a reasonable pull-round and took a carp of around 7lb. The next chuck-in followed up with similar fish, and so I was pleased to be two carp up after 90 minutes.
I'd been feeding a short line, about 20m out, with pellets but I didn't want to switch onto it too early so threw out a pellet on a bomb with a small PVA bag attached. After an hour or so that I got pretty good wack-round and another carp of about 3lb. As time went on seemed that the carp had just switched-off. Other anglers who had been having a few were also now looking bored on their boxes. Now the short line came into play, and it gave a decent response quite quickly. A 12oz skimmer, another carp and another 12oz skimmer were added to the weight. Beyond that a final hour was completely dead, almost as if the fish had just switched-off.
At the whistle I had 26lb to put against my name, which got me 11th from the 81 who fished - not too bad and I feeling happy enough. Someone on middle lake had 80lb to weigh-in, so I was not in the frame on anything like that.
Learning points are that I think I need to refine down my terminal tackle a bit more. I'm going to try a lighter pattern of hook (PR434 or 456 with a hair) and better ways to attached leads. It all just feels a bit too heavy. Anyway I'll see.
So that's me signing off another year, what with a week away in Devon after Christmas I'll not be on the bank again for a few weekends.
Hopeful
Back to Gold Valley today and hoping for a better result than last week (a blank)! It was a coldish day with some sun, but a fairly blustery west wind.
The Christmas match at Gold Valley is a jolly affair with 81 anglers this year. There are no fees but you need to provide a raffle gift (in my case three bag of groundbait :) With that many anglers the pegs were from Syndicate, Middle and Gold. I knew it would be all about the draw so my hand went in to grab peg 53, which I was an unknown quantity. I've hardly fished Gold lake this year, so it nice to throw the line into a different spot.
Considering the wind and the swim itself there was little option than to work the method or bomb. As it turned out it was all bomb, which didn't really surprise me. Now peg 53 is near the clubhouse end and the lake is quite wide at that point. A chuck-out to the centre rope is possible but I saw no reason to concentrate only on that line. Personally I recon it's better to cast around and try various spots to seek where the fish might be. Recently I've taken to timing my casts and bite, and I've found that 10-15 minutes is about right before casting onto a new patch.
I began on the pellet feeder because I can control the amount of bait much better than with a straight method. I used my trusty old Dynamite Betaine Green micros, with a 8mm pellet on the PR36 hair. Forty-five minutes in I'd had a few liners, so the fish were there, and the guy in the next peg was getting the same treatment. I switched onto a pop-up and that got more liners, but just after the hour I got a reasonable pull-round and took a carp of around 7lb. The next chuck-in followed up with similar fish, and so I was pleased to be two carp up after 90 minutes.
I'd been feeding a short line, about 20m out, with pellets but I didn't want to switch onto it too early so threw out a pellet on a bomb with a small PVA bag attached. After an hour or so that I got pretty good wack-round and another carp of about 3lb. As time went on seemed that the carp had just switched-off. Other anglers who had been having a few were also now looking bored on their boxes. Now the short line came into play, and it gave a decent response quite quickly. A 12oz skimmer, another carp and another 12oz skimmer were added to the weight. Beyond that a final hour was completely dead, almost as if the fish had just switched-off.
At the whistle I had 26lb to put against my name, which got me 11th from the 81 who fished - not too bad and I feeling happy enough. Someone on middle lake had 80lb to weigh-in, so I was not in the frame on anything like that.
Learning points are that I think I need to refine down my terminal tackle a bit more. I'm going to try a lighter pattern of hook (PR434 or 456 with a hair) and better ways to attached leads. It all just feels a bit too heavy. Anyway I'll see.
So that's me signing off another year, what with a week away in Devon after Christmas I'll not be on the bank again for a few weekends.
Hopeful
Sunday 30 November 2014
Winter League Match - Saturday 29th November
The Hopeful Match Fisher
I was very pleased to be out on a match on Saturday, which was a lovely in the sunshine. 13deg in November was just fine for me :)
If you have read any of my other posts you will be aware that I'm concentrating on Gold Valley at the moment, purely to bed down my skills in a reliable way. I figure it's better to go that way than dashing around all over the place.
So back on to Syndicate in the peg next door to the last time I was on Syndicate - 115. Funny how the draw goes sometimes. Once again I was making up the numbers as a sub for whatever team needed one. This time I was dropped into Perry Stone's SPRO team.
I knew the sunshine would bring the fish up in the water so I was first in on the big float, which very quickly grabbed me two fish in the first thirty minutes before there was a slowing down and the topping fish seemed to get wary. Onto the bomb with pellets was the obvious next move, and I was into action once again. The problem was that the next three fish were all lost - two to line breakages and on to a hook pull. I was rather pissed-off about that.
Those losses precipitated a change. I'd fished a bit lighter for the bomb (0.15 main) considering colder water, but I think it may have been too light. I changed up to a 0.20 Drennan Supplex line, but that seemed to have pretty negative effect. The bites dried up and I had only another three fish until the end of the match. At the weigh-in I had 35lb, which got me fifth in a ten man section.
The line issue needs a bit of thought. I don't know if the thicker line was at fault or the visibility. Perhaps both, or it may have been a slow down for other reasons. I'll swap the line anyway, and see how it goes.
One thing which was an eye opener was that the peg to my left was an end peg. The guy the frame in second with 104lb. I couldn't believe the difference to my weight. He was vastly more experienced than I was, but even so it the biggest difference I've known in a match between myself the and my neighbours.
So onto the next match, probably next week.
Hopeful
I was very pleased to be out on a match on Saturday, which was a lovely in the sunshine. 13deg in November was just fine for me :)
If you have read any of my other posts you will be aware that I'm concentrating on Gold Valley at the moment, purely to bed down my skills in a reliable way. I figure it's better to go that way than dashing around all over the place.
So back on to Syndicate in the peg next door to the last time I was on Syndicate - 115. Funny how the draw goes sometimes. Once again I was making up the numbers as a sub for whatever team needed one. This time I was dropped into Perry Stone's SPRO team.
I knew the sunshine would bring the fish up in the water so I was first in on the big float, which very quickly grabbed me two fish in the first thirty minutes before there was a slowing down and the topping fish seemed to get wary. Onto the bomb with pellets was the obvious next move, and I was into action once again. The problem was that the next three fish were all lost - two to line breakages and on to a hook pull. I was rather pissed-off about that.
Those losses precipitated a change. I'd fished a bit lighter for the bomb (0.15 main) considering colder water, but I think it may have been too light. I changed up to a 0.20 Drennan Supplex line, but that seemed to have pretty negative effect. The bites dried up and I had only another three fish until the end of the match. At the weigh-in I had 35lb, which got me fifth in a ten man section.
The line issue needs a bit of thought. I don't know if the thicker line was at fault or the visibility. Perhaps both, or it may have been a slow down for other reasons. I'll swap the line anyway, and see how it goes.
One thing which was an eye opener was that the peg to my left was an end peg. The guy the frame in second with 104lb. I couldn't believe the difference to my weight. He was vastly more experienced than I was, but even so it the biggest difference I've known in a match between myself the and my neighbours.
So onto the next match, probably next week.
Hopeful
Tuesday 18 November 2014
The Probabilities of Match Fishing
The Hopeful
Match Fisher
Last
week I caught up on a few old back editions of Tight Lines, which I get as an
edited video podcast onto my computer. I've been a fan of the program
mainly because they cover some of the big match events and also get some decent
guests in to talk about their experiences.
On
one such recent episode Callum Dicks was on and Keith Arthur was talking to him
about the recent Parkdean Masters match, which is considered one of the most
prestigious titles in the match fishing game. As far as I know, in order
to fish on the Parkdean Masters you have to qualify by good results at the
White Acres Festival, which runs the week before. I think they take the
top twenty-four anglers, based upon results in their sections. By all
accounts there are something like five matches to gain qualification points,
about 180 anglers each all in. Now here comes the rub: according to
Callum Dicks you cannot finish less than second or third in your section on any
of the five matches and then expect to qualify for the Parkdean Masters.
Sounds tough! Yet what I found when I looked at who had made it through
to Masters was a list of mostly the same faces who seem to do consistently well
in the commercial match fishing world.
Now if you are still with me, what I'm aiming to work out here is not the obvious (the best guys always do well), but rather how it is that these characters manage to do it so consistently. There are so many variables to take into account when match fishing (or any sort of fishing for that matter). So how is it that these few are yet able to rise to the top so regularly?
There is of course a simple answer: 'experience'. Or perhaps it could be 'ability', but these basic answers are just too simple for my inquiring mind. I'm sure we have all heard that preparation is the key to success: it's that old 'fail to prepare - prepare to fail' adage. I believe that is true, but it's still to generalised for me. In a previous life I was software engineer and I so I'm just always trying to discover how things work by reverse engineering them!
It seems to me then that the best match anglers are able to achieve consistency by lessening the odds of success in a number of key areas of preparation and performance. By doing so they improve their chances over other anglers. There are of course some random factors involved, such as the peg draw, over which no amount of preparation and performance can influence the result at the point you put your hand into the draw bag. However, many other factors might be predicted to be within certain limits so that an angler could make preparations to cope with the range of possibilities. I believe that it's good decision making within this array of possibilities which gives one angler an advantage over another.
So what are these key areas? Well to be fair I'm not sure I could find them all, but here is a go:
Weather
The weather has a huge effect on fishing. It's not just a case of basic temperature, but also temperature change. That of course is linked to air pressure, which can determine the direction of the wind. All of these can make a huge difference on the day. There is a practical angle to this. For example turning up for a match on a very windy day prepared only to fish a long pole is not a good decision. But as we all know, sudden changes in temperature can be devastating, even in the height of summer. These days we have good weather forecasts to ever greater levels detail, and they are becoming ever more localised. Surely having some idea of the weather trends can help in preparation. For example, if there is to be a lot of rain overnight then a lot of cold water, which is denser then warmer water and therefore sinks, is going to mean deeper swims may not be popular with bottom feeding fish. Yet as we know the forecasters can also get it wrong, so packing rigs and tactics to be able to cope with a sudden change can be a good move. The point is that the successful angler won't leave it until the whistle before deciding how to fish the match.
Fish Behaviour
An
understanding of fish behaviour can also lessen the odds - sometimes called
watercraft. It's amazing how apparently similar days can fish entirely
differently on the same water! What is it that makes fish go on the feed,
or puts them off? How are fish governed by their body clocks? How
do carp, caught multiple times, react to a common bait like pellets? How
can fish be made competitive, to seek out feed in a sort of frenzy? What
puts fish off? I'm sure most of these factors can vary from water to
water, yet there are some common patterns species by species. A
successful matchman will be able to make some good choices to rule out or rule
in certain approaches on any given day, to improve the odds.
Bait
I
think bait choice works in two directions: positively and negatively.
It's about offering acceptable baits and avoiding unacceptable ones. We
all know that some baits seem to work well for certain species, and we also
know that some will help us to avoid others. So when approaching a water
where a good head of bream exists, or carp, roach, tench, etc, there will be
some choices that can narrow down and improve your chances. But I think
that in commercial waters the choice is less about what the fish are happy to
eat and more about what makes them feel safe to feed. It's also worth
noting (again in commercial waters) that there is likely not enough natural
food to satisfy the fish population. Also, just like animals reared
in captivity, if they are released to rely on their natural state they may not
have the experience to cope. My point is that fish have to eat, and
therefore make subliminal decisions about risk verses need.
I
like to increase my chances of a good catch simply by carrying a variety of
baits to the peg. I've got a decent size bait bag, which usually gets
packed with various pellets, meat, corn, worms (sometimes) and premixed
paste. In my garage I've got two large plastic crates overflowing with
baits and groundbaits because I like to prepare my baits at home. I
prefer to keep a stock of many varieties ready to pick and stuff in the
bag. I never leave bait choice to the point I get to the water or buy my
ticket.
Clearly
experience, local knowledge and confidence will come into play here.
Decision making about when to change baits is also key on match days.
Perhaps one of the most important and critical skills is loose-feeding
behaviour, which is another whole article in itself, but we all know that the volume
of feed and timing are the main variables. I think this is area where the
top matchmen can pull away from the rest of the field - not simply by employing
dry knowledge of what works, but rather because they can 'feel' and interpret
what is happening in front of them and then make good decisions.
This
is a complex area, perhaps the most complex of all the areas considered, but a
lot of the probabilities and uncertainties can be narrowed by carrying a
variety of baits and by having some local knowledge about what has or hasn't
worked well in recent matches.
Angler's
Effort
We
have all done it. You sit bored on your box after lobbing out a method
feeder hoping for something to happen, which it hasn't done for the last three
hours! Patience is not a virtue for the match angler. My wife still
thinks I go fishing to relax. Hard work is surely a part of match
fishing, linked to making decisions and taking risks. If you don't put in
an effort then you are not going to improve your chances by trying alternative
methods and approaches.
Equipment
Equipment
can mean options - options for methods and approaches. But for me the point
here is good use of equipment. It's about technique. A few weeks
back I fished a match where I had an island at about 60 yards to fish up
to. The guy next to me had much the same to aim at, except he seemed to
have a more suitable feeder rod for getting an accurate and consistent drop-in
where it made the most difference. I was hitting the sweet-spot less than
half the time. His equipment and techniques were a big difference between
us and in the end he was a decent way ahead of me at the weigh-in. Having
the right equipment in our boxes and bags is important, but more important is
learning to use it well. Practice is a big deal in this area.
Freedom
to Innovate
I'm
sure this is an important factor. Anglers follow each other where gear and
techniques are concerned, for reasons of 'tried and tested' and fashion (I'm
well guilty of the second of these). But I'm sure there is an edge to be
had by trying new things. Sometimes it can be a tiny change or maybe a
whole new approach. Steve Ringer always seems to be talking along these
lines: he often seems to be experimenting with some new way or other.
Obviously when you work in the tackle industry you have to be innovative, but
new idea shouldn't be the preserve of the professionals. I'm sure that
those who are prepared to take risks and think out of the box can improve their
odds tremendously.
Confidence
Everyone
knows that practice can help. A trip to the water to have a look, ask
some questions and walk the match length can surely narrow the
probabilities. Internet searches might highlight results and often some
information about what has worked well for the winner. The Angling Times
is also a mine of match intelligence waiting to be dug through.
I
find that confidence comes from good preparation and some familiarity with what
has happened in the past, by me or by others. We've all had the experience of
throwing our tackle together at 10:00pm the night before. I’m sure that leads to a 'oh well whatever
happens' mindset, which just ends up hoping for luck.
Multiple Probabilities
Let me sum up a bit. If you have ever bet on a six horse accumulator or played the National Lottery then you will have come across the effect of multiple probabilities. For each 'ball' there are many different possible outcomes, just like for each of the factors I've outlined here. If there are several possible baits, or way the fish might respond, methods and rigs, then these can work together to give whole range of possible approaches on the day. Perhaps only a few of these approaches might get an angler into the winning weights, and perhaps these will have to change at different points in the match. So for example, fishing a long range method with a certain mix and hookbait might catch some fish, but perhaps on the day more can be had up in the water on a 14m pole, with light feed. Or it could be both, or some other of the hundreds of possible approaches! The best match anglers will be able to narrow the possibilities down, and therefore give themselves the best chance.
As
I've already written, some factors, such as the peg draw, seem to be
random. But even then there are ways to improve your chances. In a
recent 40-peg match I fished the draw could have put you on either of the two
lakes reserved for the day, which are quite different and need a different
approach; I prepared accordingly. Yet most of the other factors are under
much easier control. I'm sure that with experience and bit of planning
you can help yourself a lot. You almost need a planning checklist to
force yourself into asking some key questions the night before. The most
consistent anglers get themselves into the winning lane even before they get to
the water!
So
if you think it through, there are actually very few truly random factors in
match fishing. Certainly that is a very long way from complete certainty,
but somewhere in between is a scale of predictability which can be improved by thought,
planning and experience. Whenever I have done well or badly in a
match I can see how other choices could have improved my chances, or indeed did
so. It's about turning those understandings from hindsight after the
match, into preparations before, and good decisions during the five hours by
the water.
Well there are a few thoughts! I just hope if can put them into practice to improve my own results.
Hopeful
Saturday 15 November 2014
The Saturday Open at Gold Valley 16th November
The Hopeful Match Fisher
So back to Gold Valley today for an open match, on what was predicted to be a miserable day by the weather girls. Actually it turned out to a fine day to be out.
The match itself needs a little explaining. It was a Winter League 4-man team match (which I think is every week or two?) Now I'm not in a team, but when I booked in John Raison said to turn up anyway and he would drop me into a team which was under manned. I ended up in a team which seemed to be some of the guys from Daiwa Dorking.
The match was split between Middle Lake and Syndicate, and I expected it would be a mostly a pellet/method/feeder job. It has been most of the time recent and was again today. I decided to work with micro pellets rather than a method mix, which seemed to work okay on the day. It was the first time I was using the Matrix Evolution feeders, which I've converted onto recently from the Preston feeders. Following some inspiration from Steve Ringer I prepared a batch of nice bright yellow 6mm pellets, which contrasted well against the darker Dynamite 3mm Green Betaine pellets.
I drew peg 116 on Syndicate, which is approaching the far corner on the near bank. I was happy enough with that draw, having been on the far bank a lot recently. There seemed to be a lot of fishing topping, so like most other anglers I set up a waggler, along with the method and a pole margin rig. I started on the method, but clearly my pellet mix was too loose, as I scattered 3mm pellets all over the margins on the first cast! After a few adjustments I was in for the first drop, which after a couple of minutes thrashed round the top for a carp of about 4lb. A decent start. I kept on the method and happily picked up four fish in the opening ninety minutes. The guy next door had much the same and I think between us we led the way on the section.
One rather irritating occurrence was the loss of two fish and two method feeders, both at the point of pulling into the fish. Not sure why, but it was to happen again towards the end of the match too. My only explanation is that it was failing in the quick change bead, but I don't know what the matter was or why it happened so consistently. I'll have to keep an eye on that. Over the whole match I lost four fish I would otherwise have expect to net.
Into the third hour it all quietened off, so I put on a heavy pellet feeder in order to bang it out to the centre rope, which runs right-to-left. It was a good move because I grabbed another three fish in quick time. But then it slacked off again so I dropped into the margins, which was just as dead. So back out onto the pellet feeder which yielded only one more fish until the all-out.
I put 45lb 7oz on the scales which put me in the middle of the section, about half the section winning weight of 90lb. I wasn't 100% happy because the lost fish would have put me at 65lb - good enough for second or third in section. It's annoying because the losses were down to terminal tackle failure alone.
Another thought was that I found my feeder rod struggling to get a decent distance accurately, so I might be in the market for another feed rod better able to drop a feeder better on a 50-60 yard cast.
Until next time.
Hopeful
So back to Gold Valley today for an open match, on what was predicted to be a miserable day by the weather girls. Actually it turned out to a fine day to be out.
The match itself needs a little explaining. It was a Winter League 4-man team match (which I think is every week or two?) Now I'm not in a team, but when I booked in John Raison said to turn up anyway and he would drop me into a team which was under manned. I ended up in a team which seemed to be some of the guys from Daiwa Dorking.
The match was split between Middle Lake and Syndicate, and I expected it would be a mostly a pellet/method/feeder job. It has been most of the time recent and was again today. I decided to work with micro pellets rather than a method mix, which seemed to work okay on the day. It was the first time I was using the Matrix Evolution feeders, which I've converted onto recently from the Preston feeders. Following some inspiration from Steve Ringer I prepared a batch of nice bright yellow 6mm pellets, which contrasted well against the darker Dynamite 3mm Green Betaine pellets.
I drew peg 116 on Syndicate, which is approaching the far corner on the near bank. I was happy enough with that draw, having been on the far bank a lot recently. There seemed to be a lot of fishing topping, so like most other anglers I set up a waggler, along with the method and a pole margin rig. I started on the method, but clearly my pellet mix was too loose, as I scattered 3mm pellets all over the margins on the first cast! After a few adjustments I was in for the first drop, which after a couple of minutes thrashed round the top for a carp of about 4lb. A decent start. I kept on the method and happily picked up four fish in the opening ninety minutes. The guy next door had much the same and I think between us we led the way on the section.
One rather irritating occurrence was the loss of two fish and two method feeders, both at the point of pulling into the fish. Not sure why, but it was to happen again towards the end of the match too. My only explanation is that it was failing in the quick change bead, but I don't know what the matter was or why it happened so consistently. I'll have to keep an eye on that. Over the whole match I lost four fish I would otherwise have expect to net.
Into the third hour it all quietened off, so I put on a heavy pellet feeder in order to bang it out to the centre rope, which runs right-to-left. It was a good move because I grabbed another three fish in quick time. But then it slacked off again so I dropped into the margins, which was just as dead. So back out onto the pellet feeder which yielded only one more fish until the all-out.
I put 45lb 7oz on the scales which put me in the middle of the section, about half the section winning weight of 90lb. I wasn't 100% happy because the lost fish would have put me at 65lb - good enough for second or third in section. It's annoying because the losses were down to terminal tackle failure alone.
Another thought was that I found my feeder rod struggling to get a decent distance accurately, so I might be in the market for another feed rod better able to drop a feeder better on a 50-60 yard cast.
Until next time.
Hopeful
Friday 31 October 2014
Back to Gold Valley 31st October
The Hopeful Match Fisher
Three times a week the guys at Gold Valley run a 'cost cutter' match for £15. I ran along today for the Friday match, which was on Syndicate Lake.
With the clocks back for GMT the draw was at 8:30am for a 10:00am whistle. The day was very fair; a little wind from the south put the temperature up to 18deg and the sun was out all day. Sixteen hands went into the pot and I pulled out 141, which is an end peg. Strangely, the last match I fished on Syndicate had me on the end peg at the other end! John Raison, the owner, had assured me that the same peg at produce 117lb to win the just two days before.
Recent matches on Syndicate have been dominated by feeder tactics, supplemented by lead and margins. I didn't expect it to be any different today, so I set up accordingly. Bait-wise I've done quite well lately with Krill flavourings, so I brought along some pellets and flavoured meat. Half a pint of dead maggots and some ready mixed paste completed the side tray. Then I made a mistake.
In my garage I have a crate full of groundbaits from which I pulled a bag of Dynamite Baits Red Krill, a favourite of mine. It's quite a fine mix so I added in half a bag of Sonubaits Match Method in order to make it a bit more compliant for a method feeder. At the whistle I went in for a chuck to the centre rope, but found that I couldn't keep the mix on the feeder too well. Adding in a bit of pellet binder it settled down for a while but it soon became rather sticky and wouldn't come neatly out of the method mold. I realised I'd messed up the mix just because I want to use my favourite groundbait - which isn't designed for the method feeder! Idiot. I switched to a cage feeder, but felt like a bit of a twit.
As a second swim I kept a few 8mm pellets dropping into the far left margin to try and stir up a bit of interest. It's tactic that's worked well on end pegs for me before. The usual margin setup completed the set. I honestly felt happy and confident.
The first hour was very quite, which is another way of saying that it was completely dead. The guy to my left had about the same level of excitement. Undaunted, I kept on making various tweaks and tunings. There was a few pleasure anglers opposite who had a few fish, so I was not too concerned. Well into the second hour I had yet to see a proper bite, and the guy on the next door peg came over to compare notes. He toddled off down the lake to see what was happening further along. The news was that it was all about the first two or three pegs at the far end and little else for the other anglers. Into the second half of the match not much else happened as I began to feed the margins.
Into the last 90 minutes I saw a tell-tale fish tail following a few cubes of meat I'd plopped in. I dropped in with some paste and had a firm bite within ten minutes. A decent fish fish ran off and struggled for a couple of minutes before the hooked pulled. On such a quiet day I didn't need that. Frustratingly that set the tone, as I failed to connect to at least three other decent bites. That is a problem I need to look into. As a final throw of the dice I dropped a method feeder into the near margin and almost instantly had a solid pull-round and a 6lb carp in the net. It was to be the only fish of the day.
At the weigh-in there were plenty of dry nets, and silvers made a significant difference for most of the lake. I think 100lb-odd won it from one of the end pegs. We all know that fish move around, but for them all to go off the feed or congregate in one place seems unusual on such a well stocked lake.
So to pick the bones out of the day there are a couple of points I think:
1. Use a method mix for a method feeder!
2. Find out why I was connecting so badly with fish in the margins.
I was never on the fish, but it was nice to be out anyway.
Until next time!
Three times a week the guys at Gold Valley run a 'cost cutter' match for £15. I ran along today for the Friday match, which was on Syndicate Lake.
With the clocks back for GMT the draw was at 8:30am for a 10:00am whistle. The day was very fair; a little wind from the south put the temperature up to 18deg and the sun was out all day. Sixteen hands went into the pot and I pulled out 141, which is an end peg. Strangely, the last match I fished on Syndicate had me on the end peg at the other end! John Raison, the owner, had assured me that the same peg at produce 117lb to win the just two days before.
Recent matches on Syndicate have been dominated by feeder tactics, supplemented by lead and margins. I didn't expect it to be any different today, so I set up accordingly. Bait-wise I've done quite well lately with Krill flavourings, so I brought along some pellets and flavoured meat. Half a pint of dead maggots and some ready mixed paste completed the side tray. Then I made a mistake.
In my garage I have a crate full of groundbaits from which I pulled a bag of Dynamite Baits Red Krill, a favourite of mine. It's quite a fine mix so I added in half a bag of Sonubaits Match Method in order to make it a bit more compliant for a method feeder. At the whistle I went in for a chuck to the centre rope, but found that I couldn't keep the mix on the feeder too well. Adding in a bit of pellet binder it settled down for a while but it soon became rather sticky and wouldn't come neatly out of the method mold. I realised I'd messed up the mix just because I want to use my favourite groundbait - which isn't designed for the method feeder! Idiot. I switched to a cage feeder, but felt like a bit of a twit.
As a second swim I kept a few 8mm pellets dropping into the far left margin to try and stir up a bit of interest. It's tactic that's worked well on end pegs for me before. The usual margin setup completed the set. I honestly felt happy and confident.
The first hour was very quite, which is another way of saying that it was completely dead. The guy to my left had about the same level of excitement. Undaunted, I kept on making various tweaks and tunings. There was a few pleasure anglers opposite who had a few fish, so I was not too concerned. Well into the second hour I had yet to see a proper bite, and the guy on the next door peg came over to compare notes. He toddled off down the lake to see what was happening further along. The news was that it was all about the first two or three pegs at the far end and little else for the other anglers. Into the second half of the match not much else happened as I began to feed the margins.
Into the last 90 minutes I saw a tell-tale fish tail following a few cubes of meat I'd plopped in. I dropped in with some paste and had a firm bite within ten minutes. A decent fish fish ran off and struggled for a couple of minutes before the hooked pulled. On such a quiet day I didn't need that. Frustratingly that set the tone, as I failed to connect to at least three other decent bites. That is a problem I need to look into. As a final throw of the dice I dropped a method feeder into the near margin and almost instantly had a solid pull-round and a 6lb carp in the net. It was to be the only fish of the day.
At the weigh-in there were plenty of dry nets, and silvers made a significant difference for most of the lake. I think 100lb-odd won it from one of the end pegs. We all know that fish move around, but for them all to go off the feed or congregate in one place seems unusual on such a well stocked lake.
So to pick the bones out of the day there are a couple of points I think:
1. Use a method mix for a method feeder!
2. Find out why I was connecting so badly with fish in the margins.
I was never on the fish, but it was nice to be out anyway.
Until next time!
Monday 20 October 2014
A Match at Gold Valley on 19th October
The Hopeful Match Fisher
After a long lay-off I was able to get out for an open match on Sunday down at Gold Valley. It was their usual Sunday open. Also on the same day was a winter league open with about 70 anglers, so the place was packed! It's good to see so many others sharing my same passion.
This was the first time I've fished an open and Gold Valley, and only the third time I've ever fished on Syndicate Lake, so I was a bit of a 'fish out of water' (if you know what I mean :) There were twenty-five anglers on the list, although not all turned up. Besides that it was a really nice sunny day, with a fair wind too.
I don't think Syndicate is the largest of the lakes, but it's a fair stretch of water to have in front of you. I ended up drawing peg 119, which is a corner down at far end. On arrival I was initially bit worried about the anti-cormorant lines that were laid out, and which gave me very limited space to my left. Nevertheless I had a lot of margin to my right to work with, so I was happy for that much. At the draw I asked about the peg and was told that it had been rather quiet at that end of the lake recently, but I knew the wind was that way so I felt sure it could produce something.
The previous night I had prepared my bait bag. I knew that the method feeder would dominate, and in fact a recent report had been of a mid-week match that was won with 180lb, mostly on method. I mixed up batch of 50/50 Dynamite Baits Krill and Bait Tech Super G Green, although it started off a bit on the sticky side. For the hook I packed 8mm course pellets (which I've found that the carp at Gold love), 6mm meat dry-dusted with the groundbait, 6mm krill pellets, and some paste.
In recent weeks I've started to fine-down my terminal tackle a bit, but what with the warm days we had been having in the preceding days and the sunshine, I felt the carp would be well on the feed. I stuck more or less kept to a summer rig. The guy to my left had a very long chuck to a margin, which he had done well to pick out, although I think he used up his entire stock of method feeders in the process! My own margin was to the right, running all along the far end of the lake, so there were various options for me. I could see a few interesting looking bays in the bushes, although one of them I knew had a sunken tree stump in it. I opted to fish the far bay to begin with, and clipped-up accordingly.
On the first blast of the whistle I cast out confidently, hoping to make a fast start. It was not to be. In fact within the first half an hour I had amassed a single 4oz roach, which had rudely swallowed the puffed-up 8mm pellet. The guy to my left had little else apart from a skimmer, so I was not too worried. However into the second hour he began to get his swim moving and was catching carp steadily while I was staring at motionless tip. I began to feed an 8m pole line in the hope of getting a bit of life somewhere in the peg, but not much seemed to be happening. I switched to a bomb, which often works well at Gold, wondering if the carp were method shy today. Nothing. I couldn't understand why there would be so little life in the peg, and considering the wind being my way it seemed odd. To be fair I got a bit frustrated over it.
Half way through the match I decided to press the reset button. I started firing 8mm pellets into the margins and bushes to get a bit of noise going and changed my bait to two pieces of 6mm meat present on a hair rig. I also started to double-skin the method feeder to get a bit more feed going into the swim, and with regular chucks every few minutes. It didn't take long for something to start happening. The tip drew round to a carp and I began to feel a bit better, although I couldn't be sure it was anything other than a solitary wandering fish that just happened to cruise over my bait at that point. Nevertheless, within fifteen minutes I had another, and then steadily on until I had nine carp in the net over the final couple of hours.
I did feed the near margin to my right (very deep on Syndicate!), but there was no sign of life there, so I left it. In fact I was drawing in fish reliably up until the last minutes. At the whistle I was pleased to have at least had something worth weighing in with, and I was sure I had beaten the guy to my left at least in the second half of the match. At the final tally I had 41lb, against his 46lb, so I had caught up well! 56lb won it from the swim at the other far end. I was placed seventh out of the twenty-odd anglers.
Switching my approach had made a difference, but I can't be sure that there were fish in the peg beforehand. I think the increased noise helped, and the meat was more acceptable. Could I have done better if I had switched earlier? Maybe, I was three fish off the win. One thing I am certain of is that I needed to be more accurate with my feeder placement, and especially considering I had a useful margin to drop in against. I need to work on that one.
So there we are, I was left wanting more - which is always a good sign! Until next time I'll be tying-up lots of lighter hook lengths and practicing a bit more on my casting accuracy.
Bring on the next match :)
After a long lay-off I was able to get out for an open match on Sunday down at Gold Valley. It was their usual Sunday open. Also on the same day was a winter league open with about 70 anglers, so the place was packed! It's good to see so many others sharing my same passion.
This was the first time I've fished an open and Gold Valley, and only the third time I've ever fished on Syndicate Lake, so I was a bit of a 'fish out of water' (if you know what I mean :) There were twenty-five anglers on the list, although not all turned up. Besides that it was a really nice sunny day, with a fair wind too.
I don't think Syndicate is the largest of the lakes, but it's a fair stretch of water to have in front of you. I ended up drawing peg 119, which is a corner down at far end. On arrival I was initially bit worried about the anti-cormorant lines that were laid out, and which gave me very limited space to my left. Nevertheless I had a lot of margin to my right to work with, so I was happy for that much. At the draw I asked about the peg and was told that it had been rather quiet at that end of the lake recently, but I knew the wind was that way so I felt sure it could produce something.
The previous night I had prepared my bait bag. I knew that the method feeder would dominate, and in fact a recent report had been of a mid-week match that was won with 180lb, mostly on method. I mixed up batch of 50/50 Dynamite Baits Krill and Bait Tech Super G Green, although it started off a bit on the sticky side. For the hook I packed 8mm course pellets (which I've found that the carp at Gold love), 6mm meat dry-dusted with the groundbait, 6mm krill pellets, and some paste.
In recent weeks I've started to fine-down my terminal tackle a bit, but what with the warm days we had been having in the preceding days and the sunshine, I felt the carp would be well on the feed. I stuck more or less kept to a summer rig. The guy to my left had a very long chuck to a margin, which he had done well to pick out, although I think he used up his entire stock of method feeders in the process! My own margin was to the right, running all along the far end of the lake, so there were various options for me. I could see a few interesting looking bays in the bushes, although one of them I knew had a sunken tree stump in it. I opted to fish the far bay to begin with, and clipped-up accordingly.
On the first blast of the whistle I cast out confidently, hoping to make a fast start. It was not to be. In fact within the first half an hour I had amassed a single 4oz roach, which had rudely swallowed the puffed-up 8mm pellet. The guy to my left had little else apart from a skimmer, so I was not too worried. However into the second hour he began to get his swim moving and was catching carp steadily while I was staring at motionless tip. I began to feed an 8m pole line in the hope of getting a bit of life somewhere in the peg, but not much seemed to be happening. I switched to a bomb, which often works well at Gold, wondering if the carp were method shy today. Nothing. I couldn't understand why there would be so little life in the peg, and considering the wind being my way it seemed odd. To be fair I got a bit frustrated over it.
Half way through the match I decided to press the reset button. I started firing 8mm pellets into the margins and bushes to get a bit of noise going and changed my bait to two pieces of 6mm meat present on a hair rig. I also started to double-skin the method feeder to get a bit more feed going into the swim, and with regular chucks every few minutes. It didn't take long for something to start happening. The tip drew round to a carp and I began to feel a bit better, although I couldn't be sure it was anything other than a solitary wandering fish that just happened to cruise over my bait at that point. Nevertheless, within fifteen minutes I had another, and then steadily on until I had nine carp in the net over the final couple of hours.
I did feed the near margin to my right (very deep on Syndicate!), but there was no sign of life there, so I left it. In fact I was drawing in fish reliably up until the last minutes. At the whistle I was pleased to have at least had something worth weighing in with, and I was sure I had beaten the guy to my left at least in the second half of the match. At the final tally I had 41lb, against his 46lb, so I had caught up well! 56lb won it from the swim at the other far end. I was placed seventh out of the twenty-odd anglers.
Switching my approach had made a difference, but I can't be sure that there were fish in the peg beforehand. I think the increased noise helped, and the meat was more acceptable. Could I have done better if I had switched earlier? Maybe, I was three fish off the win. One thing I am certain of is that I needed to be more accurate with my feeder placement, and especially considering I had a useful margin to drop in against. I need to work on that one.
So there we are, I was left wanting more - which is always a good sign! Until next time I'll be tying-up lots of lighter hook lengths and practicing a bit more on my casting accuracy.
Bring on the next match :)
Wednesday 15 October 2014
Waiting and Practicing
The Hopeful Match Fisher
It's been a frustrating month. Work, hospitals, and other unpredictable matters have kept my weekends well clear of any possible matches. However, I have been able to get a few useful practice sessions done.
As the weather has become colder and water the cooling off I've thinned everything down a bit and also drawn the feed area of my swims into a more confined space. Sessions at Gold Valley and Willow Park on long and short pole were very encouraging. As ever, my aim is to get some level of control where I've got fish feeding consistently in front of me so that I can get a good weight in a short time.
On another note I've also picked up a new Trolley (excellent Preston product), and a mega rod holdall with a facility for made-up rods (Matrix - my favourite brand). Every session is intended to try something new and deepen my experience.
It's been a frustrating month. Work, hospitals, and other unpredictable matters have kept my weekends well clear of any possible matches. However, I have been able to get a few useful practice sessions done.
As the weather has become colder and water the cooling off I've thinned everything down a bit and also drawn the feed area of my swims into a more confined space. Sessions at Gold Valley and Willow Park on long and short pole were very encouraging. As ever, my aim is to get some level of control where I've got fish feeding consistently in front of me so that I can get a good weight in a short time.
On another note I've also picked up a new Trolley (excellent Preston product), and a mega rod holdall with a facility for made-up rods (Matrix - my favourite brand). Every session is intended to try something new and deepen my experience.
Monday 22 September 2014
Questions I Have - Experts Welcome
The Hopeful Match Fisher
I recently sent in a question to the Angling Times about festivals, which I was grateful that they printed, but I can't do that too often.
So any helpful souls out there?
1. Do I need a margin pole? My current pole can handle up to grade 20 elastic and is made as a carp pole (Preston 460).
2. Is there an advantage in buying worms bulk? Will they keep ok for weeks? I don't have a spare fridge.
3. I'm using traditional shot for pole rigs. Why would I move to Olivettes other types such as stots?
4. What size and pattern of hook is best for pellet waggler? I've been using 8mm pellets with a PR27 size 14/16. I seem to have issues connecting up with the fish.
5. Is premixed paste (in those little pots you get from Dynamite, etc) better or self-mixed?
Any help gratefully received!
Hopeful
I recently sent in a question to the Angling Times about festivals, which I was grateful that they printed, but I can't do that too often.
So any helpful souls out there?
1. Do I need a margin pole? My current pole can handle up to grade 20 elastic and is made as a carp pole (Preston 460).
2. Is there an advantage in buying worms bulk? Will they keep ok for weeks? I don't have a spare fridge.
3. I'm using traditional shot for pole rigs. Why would I move to Olivettes other types such as stots?
4. What size and pattern of hook is best for pellet waggler? I've been using 8mm pellets with a PR27 size 14/16. I seem to have issues connecting up with the fish.
5. Is premixed paste (in those little pots you get from Dynamite, etc) better or self-mixed?
Any help gratefully received!
Hopeful
Sunday 21 September 2014
Mates, Pairs and Teams
The Hopeful Match Fisher
Having been out of the match game for a good while I'm very much a one man band. My old fishing sidekick moved away a few years back and we rarely meet up these days.
There is a winter pairs league coming up, but I just don't know anyone yet, so looks like I will miss out. Also I'm dead keen to get some festival bookings in and perhaps a week over to Ireland.
I need someone as keen as me to fish with!
My problem is that because I work a lot of Sundays there is no point me joining a club because they usually fish Sunday matches. I'm likely to fish the Saturday matches at Gold Valley and Willow, at least until the spring.
Hopeful
Having been out of the match game for a good while I'm very much a one man band. My old fishing sidekick moved away a few years back and we rarely meet up these days.
There is a winter pairs league coming up, but I just don't know anyone yet, so looks like I will miss out. Also I'm dead keen to get some festival bookings in and perhaps a week over to Ireland.
I need someone as keen as me to fish with!
My problem is that because I work a lot of Sundays there is no point me joining a club because they usually fish Sunday matches. I'm likely to fish the Saturday matches at Gold Valley and Willow, at least until the spring.
Hopeful
My First Match for Ages
The Hopeful Match Fisher
I finally got around to getting my first match booked up (well at least the first for about 20 years anyway). What allowed that was that I got my keepnet setup sorted out and found a free Saturday.
Willow Park is well known to southern anglers and it's one of the old commercial fisheries, which many would describe as a natural venue (at least to look at). The Saturday open matches seem to alternate between the small lake and middle lake. The small lake is considered to be better for weight than the middle lake and it's float only. I'm grateful to Willow Park for putting some details about match results, pegs and winning methods on their website. I mined the info to see what intelligence I could get about it.
The small lake at Willow Park is well lined with trees and willows in some of the corners. It was one of these corners that I drew from the bag, peg 1 in fact. A couple of the regulars were quick to point out that it was a fruitful peg but would be hard to get the lumps out of the jungle. So it was to prove.
The layout of the corner was such that I had a lot of my own water. I therefore opted to fish a longish pole (10m) out away from the corner where I potted in feed on 10o'clock, 12o'clock and 2 o'clock lines. I also regularly pinged a few pellets out to see what interest there might be up in the water.
First drop in on banded pellet hooked into a lump which charged out into the lake, which i was happy about (away from the roots), but then made for the jungle as I drew it in. Lost. There was evidence of a lot of fish rooting around on the feed, so I was confident I could get something moving. Looking around lake I couldn't see an awful lot happening so I was pleased to have some obvious activity.
Over the first hour I worked out a succession of skimmers and hooked into the odd carp - all with the same effect: lost fish. Hours two and three were very quiet and I reverted to silvers on corn to try build some weight. Around three hours I managed to get mirror of 5lb into the net, but now the problem was connecting with any carp at all, let alone getting them to the net. With around ninety minutes to go I fed both margins and the lumps moved in with a vengeance. Much to my frustration I lost all but one up until the hooter. I weighed in 11 pounds although I not sure why I bothered.
I recon I managed to get more carp on the end of my piece of string than most of the other anglers, but the peg and my approach just didn't allow me to get the buggers landed. I've fished pegs like this before and done better, but I concluded that my gear was not up to the job. My margin rig was a latex 16 elastic with 0.21 to 0.17 bottom. Most of the losses were bottomed-out hookpulls rather than breakages.
Anyway I enjoyed the experience and went away with some clear ideas about what to do next. A practice session a couple of days back saw me with purple hydro, 0.21s bottom and PR38s. I did a fair bit better.
Next match is on 27th September.
Hopeful
I finally got around to getting my first match booked up (well at least the first for about 20 years anyway). What allowed that was that I got my keepnet setup sorted out and found a free Saturday.
Willow Park is well known to southern anglers and it's one of the old commercial fisheries, which many would describe as a natural venue (at least to look at). The Saturday open matches seem to alternate between the small lake and middle lake. The small lake is considered to be better for weight than the middle lake and it's float only. I'm grateful to Willow Park for putting some details about match results, pegs and winning methods on their website. I mined the info to see what intelligence I could get about it.
The small lake at Willow Park is well lined with trees and willows in some of the corners. It was one of these corners that I drew from the bag, peg 1 in fact. A couple of the regulars were quick to point out that it was a fruitful peg but would be hard to get the lumps out of the jungle. So it was to prove.
The layout of the corner was such that I had a lot of my own water. I therefore opted to fish a longish pole (10m) out away from the corner where I potted in feed on 10o'clock, 12o'clock and 2 o'clock lines. I also regularly pinged a few pellets out to see what interest there might be up in the water.
First drop in on banded pellet hooked into a lump which charged out into the lake, which i was happy about (away from the roots), but then made for the jungle as I drew it in. Lost. There was evidence of a lot of fish rooting around on the feed, so I was confident I could get something moving. Looking around lake I couldn't see an awful lot happening so I was pleased to have some obvious activity.
Over the first hour I worked out a succession of skimmers and hooked into the odd carp - all with the same effect: lost fish. Hours two and three were very quiet and I reverted to silvers on corn to try build some weight. Around three hours I managed to get mirror of 5lb into the net, but now the problem was connecting with any carp at all, let alone getting them to the net. With around ninety minutes to go I fed both margins and the lumps moved in with a vengeance. Much to my frustration I lost all but one up until the hooter. I weighed in 11 pounds although I not sure why I bothered.
I recon I managed to get more carp on the end of my piece of string than most of the other anglers, but the peg and my approach just didn't allow me to get the buggers landed. I've fished pegs like this before and done better, but I concluded that my gear was not up to the job. My margin rig was a latex 16 elastic with 0.21 to 0.17 bottom. Most of the losses were bottomed-out hookpulls rather than breakages.
Anyway I enjoyed the experience and went away with some clear ideas about what to do next. A practice session a couple of days back saw me with purple hydro, 0.21s bottom and PR38s. I did a fair bit better.
Next match is on 27th September.
Hopeful
Making Choices
The Hopeful Match Fisher
I tend to think of my fishing from the bait upwards. A lot of care is put into sorting out decent bait, appropriate hooks and balanced hooklength lines. Tying up length and storing a variety of patterns is important to me, so I picked up a number of storage options for various types. After reading and experience of different possibilities I've settled on Preston's Reflo Power for hooklengths and Preston and Tuberitini hooks. I like the Preston line because its got a good balance of stretch and bounce (if you know what I mean) I also find if quite durable, and it ties up nicely. I think I've got a spool of every diameter expect the highest and lowest options.
The Preston PR and 400 series hooks are great, particularly the PR36 and 456 patterns. They seem really popular amongst anglers and I'm always seeing them get a mention. What strikes me about the PI range is that it is not so wide, like the Drennan and Kamasan offerings. I find I just get confused and paralyzed by too many options, so PI have got the balance just right I think.
My routine is to keep five of every chosen pattern I think I will need, varying on line and length, plus also whether I will give it a looped hair, long hair for bigger baits, a pellet band or a quickstop. I guess I have around 40 patterns and 200 hooklengths in store at any one time.
Another story is groundbait, and once again I'm looking for a range based on match needs rather than sales needs! What I sometimes find a pain is that companies (Dynamite and Marauku for example) have so many overlapping variants that I just can see the correct choice. I've tended to settle on Sonubaits and Bag 'Em because the ranges are better defined and described, and I can see the logic behind the choices. I particularly like the 2kg Sonubait bags, which I find more practical and better value. I also love the resealable bags which I keep to store pellets! Again the Bag 'Em range is also quite narrow but the groundbaits are distinctive and careful aimed at certain usages and conditions. The works in my brain! The fact that successful and respected matchmen have put their names to them also resonates with me.
The one thing I've not yet had a hard look into is purchasing of bulk worms (Willyworms being an example). I'm not clear on worms as winter bait yet, so as it begins to cool down I'll give it a try. I just want to be able to buy in bulk and store what I don't use. I'm not sure how long worms will live in their sealed bucket for. Any advice greatly received.
Lastly, I've built up a fair collection of liquid additives. A lot of these are for pepping up groundbait for bream. I'm keen to push along on additives and see how I get on with them.
Hopeful
I tend to think of my fishing from the bait upwards. A lot of care is put into sorting out decent bait, appropriate hooks and balanced hooklength lines. Tying up length and storing a variety of patterns is important to me, so I picked up a number of storage options for various types. After reading and experience of different possibilities I've settled on Preston's Reflo Power for hooklengths and Preston and Tuberitini hooks. I like the Preston line because its got a good balance of stretch and bounce (if you know what I mean) I also find if quite durable, and it ties up nicely. I think I've got a spool of every diameter expect the highest and lowest options.
The Preston PR and 400 series hooks are great, particularly the PR36 and 456 patterns. They seem really popular amongst anglers and I'm always seeing them get a mention. What strikes me about the PI range is that it is not so wide, like the Drennan and Kamasan offerings. I find I just get confused and paralyzed by too many options, so PI have got the balance just right I think.
My routine is to keep five of every chosen pattern I think I will need, varying on line and length, plus also whether I will give it a looped hair, long hair for bigger baits, a pellet band or a quickstop. I guess I have around 40 patterns and 200 hooklengths in store at any one time.
Another story is groundbait, and once again I'm looking for a range based on match needs rather than sales needs! What I sometimes find a pain is that companies (Dynamite and Marauku for example) have so many overlapping variants that I just can see the correct choice. I've tended to settle on Sonubaits and Bag 'Em because the ranges are better defined and described, and I can see the logic behind the choices. I particularly like the 2kg Sonubait bags, which I find more practical and better value. I also love the resealable bags which I keep to store pellets! Again the Bag 'Em range is also quite narrow but the groundbaits are distinctive and careful aimed at certain usages and conditions. The works in my brain! The fact that successful and respected matchmen have put their names to them also resonates with me.
The one thing I've not yet had a hard look into is purchasing of bulk worms (Willyworms being an example). I'm not clear on worms as winter bait yet, so as it begins to cool down I'll give it a try. I just want to be able to buy in bulk and store what I don't use. I'm not sure how long worms will live in their sealed bucket for. Any advice greatly received.
Lastly, I've built up a fair collection of liquid additives. A lot of these are for pepping up groundbait for bream. I'm keen to push along on additives and see how I get on with them.
Hopeful
Saturday 20 September 2014
Practice and Pleasure
The Hopeful Match Fisher
I always went fishing for pleasure and I still do, but I enjoy competing with myself when I go. Every session has a plan, or a least an intention to try and improve on some method or other. My strongest suit is stillwater waggler or long pole for bream. I tend to connect with bream and I usually manage to get a decent swim going.
I think I'm trying to achieve one thing - control. You know that feeling when you have sorted out the method, got the fish in front of you, and you have them predictable and reliable as you fill your net. If I can't achieve that then I at least try to get a few methods working to keep the fishing coming from different swims in the peg. I can catch fish on any method you like, but I've not mastered each one to the extend of being able to get to that bagging-up stage. For instance I can catch on pellet waggler, but I've not yet managed to get it motoring long as I've seem other better anglers manage.
So I get out to the lakes at least once each week, I try to get a practice session in as well as a match. Each time there is a target method to practice, as long as conditions allow. It's a system which works for me and I analyse everything and work out what I might do different next time.
I never go fishing without a purpose, and I always enjoy it.
Hopeful
I always went fishing for pleasure and I still do, but I enjoy competing with myself when I go. Every session has a plan, or a least an intention to try and improve on some method or other. My strongest suit is stillwater waggler or long pole for bream. I tend to connect with bream and I usually manage to get a decent swim going.
I think I'm trying to achieve one thing - control. You know that feeling when you have sorted out the method, got the fish in front of you, and you have them predictable and reliable as you fill your net. If I can't achieve that then I at least try to get a few methods working to keep the fishing coming from different swims in the peg. I can catch fish on any method you like, but I've not mastered each one to the extend of being able to get to that bagging-up stage. For instance I can catch on pellet waggler, but I've not yet managed to get it motoring long as I've seem other better anglers manage.
So I get out to the lakes at least once each week, I try to get a practice session in as well as a match. Each time there is a target method to practice, as long as conditions allow. It's a system which works for me and I analyse everything and work out what I might do different next time.
I never go fishing without a purpose, and I always enjoy it.
Hopeful
The Media Circus
The Hopeful Match Fisherman
Match fishing is no different to any other sport in that it has its own media merry-go-round and established companies and characters. But what I have found so useful is the huge range of instructional videos on YouTube that they produce. Recently I had a 10-day holiday in Gozo (just off Malta), to which I took several match fishing magazines, books and download videos onto my laptop. It kept me going for ages on the long boring days by the pool or on the beach.
There is much to be learnt, and certainly when coming back to match fishing after 20 years. I get the mags - Pole Fishing, Match Fishing and the good old Angling Times which is a must-read each week. I also watch, ask and drag around on the net looking for tips, ideas and generally absorbing as much info as I can.
So just a few words about guys I've found full of wisdom and well worth watching or reading:
Andy Findley - Has an angling brain the size of a planet. He seems cool as a cucumber and always has options. The Steve Davis of match fishing I recon.
Darren Cox - Another bloke who just always seems on his game, a fount of knowledge on everything.
Mark Pollard - I've got a great book he wrote (the Fox Book of Commercial Fishing) which is distilled wisdom.
It's always good to have some guides to follow, so thanks to these few.
Hopeful
Match fishing is no different to any other sport in that it has its own media merry-go-round and established companies and characters. But what I have found so useful is the huge range of instructional videos on YouTube that they produce. Recently I had a 10-day holiday in Gozo (just off Malta), to which I took several match fishing magazines, books and download videos onto my laptop. It kept me going for ages on the long boring days by the pool or on the beach.
There is much to be learnt, and certainly when coming back to match fishing after 20 years. I get the mags - Pole Fishing, Match Fishing and the good old Angling Times which is a must-read each week. I also watch, ask and drag around on the net looking for tips, ideas and generally absorbing as much info as I can.
So just a few words about guys I've found full of wisdom and well worth watching or reading:
Andy Findley - Has an angling brain the size of a planet. He seems cool as a cucumber and always has options. The Steve Davis of match fishing I recon.
Darren Cox - Another bloke who just always seems on his game, a fount of knowledge on everything.
Mark Pollard - I've got a great book he wrote (the Fox Book of Commercial Fishing) which is distilled wisdom.
It's always good to have some guides to follow, so thanks to these few.
Hopeful
Friday 19 September 2014
Ok I'm a Tackle Tart
The Hopeful Match Fisherman
I am a tackle tart and not ashamed of it. Having decided to replace all my crabby old gear I am now offended by the thought of having anything other than nice sexy looking cool gear. Decent bring confidence and that is no bad thing when competing.
Having made the decision to replace it all I dragged together £1,200 - just the start of it. After a lot of reading, Internet research and talking to local tackle shops I took a trip to Crowthorne Angling (Berkshire) and came away with a Matrix Superbox, Preston Pole, a Maver Powerline rod for pellet waggler, some luggage and a whole load of bits and bobs.
Since then I've added rollers, a Maver method feed rod, more luggage, a lovely Preston PXR reel, three keepnets and all I need to setup a good collection of hooklength and winders. I now have the necessary kit to fish a range of methods for matches on commercial fisheries! I suppose it's been about £2,500 so far - not even enough to by the most expensive pole! I've still got a long way to go.
Don't get me wrong, I well know that it's not all about the tackle, that won't be enough to do well. But I'm more confident with reliable and quality gear. Also, as a scuba diver I'm used to taking my kit very seriously because in that game your life depends on it when you are down on a shipwreck at 40m. Thankfully match fishing is not a dangerous....
Thanks also to my very tolerant wife......
Hopeful
I am a tackle tart and not ashamed of it. Having decided to replace all my crabby old gear I am now offended by the thought of having anything other than nice sexy looking cool gear. Decent bring confidence and that is no bad thing when competing.
Having made the decision to replace it all I dragged together £1,200 - just the start of it. After a lot of reading, Internet research and talking to local tackle shops I took a trip to Crowthorne Angling (Berkshire) and came away with a Matrix Superbox, Preston Pole, a Maver Powerline rod for pellet waggler, some luggage and a whole load of bits and bobs.
Since then I've added rollers, a Maver method feed rod, more luggage, a lovely Preston PXR reel, three keepnets and all I need to setup a good collection of hooklength and winders. I now have the necessary kit to fish a range of methods for matches on commercial fisheries! I suppose it's been about £2,500 so far - not even enough to by the most expensive pole! I've still got a long way to go.
Don't get me wrong, I well know that it's not all about the tackle, that won't be enough to do well. But I'm more confident with reliable and quality gear. Also, as a scuba diver I'm used to taking my kit very seriously because in that game your life depends on it when you are down on a shipwreck at 40m. Thankfully match fishing is not a dangerous....
Thanks also to my very tolerant wife......
Hopeful
The Old Gear
The Hopeful Match Fisherman
Do you remember Bennetts of Sheffield? I loved this tackle shop although I never went there. For more years than I can remember they ran a regular back page on the Angler's Mail listing out all the gear they had for sale. I used to spend ages drooling over the possibilities of new gear. When I got my first full-time job aged 18 I phoned them up and placed a big order for gear, all of which I paid for with a weekly payment book. How times have changed!
In fact that gear was to last for a very long time - 26 years in fact and I still have most of it in my garage. But in order to step up as a match fisher I finally had to replace it, and with a little sadness. My old kit list is an exercise in angling history and many of those my age will nod knowingly from their own experiences.
For years I sat on the old Shakespeare seatbox. I think it was indestructible. Even with two side trays it still only consisted of four parts. I don't think there has ever been a seatbox with more storage space. I also got hold of a Shakespeare Omni pole, 8m and all glass. It weighed a ton and lasted about a year. Rods were a Normark Silver Medallion, which served me faultlessly (even for Pike!), an ABU wand, Daiwa and Mitchell Match reels (which was heavy even back then), Steadfast nets and Nash bags. Like everyone I had stacks of Drennan hooks, feedlinks and Maxima line.
All this was used faithfully for years, right up until May this year when I had its last outing - a fitting catch of over 100 pounds of bream from Gold Valley. The whole collection is still sitting in the garage and I can't bring myself to get rid of any of it.
Hopeful
Do you remember Bennetts of Sheffield? I loved this tackle shop although I never went there. For more years than I can remember they ran a regular back page on the Angler's Mail listing out all the gear they had for sale. I used to spend ages drooling over the possibilities of new gear. When I got my first full-time job aged 18 I phoned them up and placed a big order for gear, all of which I paid for with a weekly payment book. How times have changed!
In fact that gear was to last for a very long time - 26 years in fact and I still have most of it in my garage. But in order to step up as a match fisher I finally had to replace it, and with a little sadness. My old kit list is an exercise in angling history and many of those my age will nod knowingly from their own experiences.
For years I sat on the old Shakespeare seatbox. I think it was indestructible. Even with two side trays it still only consisted of four parts. I don't think there has ever been a seatbox with more storage space. I also got hold of a Shakespeare Omni pole, 8m and all glass. It weighed a ton and lasted about a year. Rods were a Normark Silver Medallion, which served me faultlessly (even for Pike!), an ABU wand, Daiwa and Mitchell Match reels (which was heavy even back then), Steadfast nets and Nash bags. Like everyone I had stacks of Drennan hooks, feedlinks and Maxima line.
All this was used faithfully for years, right up until May this year when I had its last outing - a fitting catch of over 100 pounds of bream from Gold Valley. The whole collection is still sitting in the garage and I can't bring myself to get rid of any of it.
Hopeful
The Hopeful Match Fisherman - Getting Going
The Hopeful Match Fisherman
So off we go with a new blog. I'm delighted if anyone wishes to read my ramblings, and any comments will be very well received.
I am a fisherman (or angler if you like) and have been for 40 of my 44 years so far. At times I've been keen to the point of obsession, and at other times just very interested. I grew up on the River Thames in Kingston and fishing a few of the lakes at Bushy Park or Old Bury Hill. Although at times I've toyed with specimen hunting (most notably for barbel) I'm not really single minded enough to concentrate on one species or chase a certain weight for a single fish. I watched with interest as the carp-boom got going in the 1980s but it never felt like it was for me.
In a recent interview the great matchman and England team manager Mark Downes said, when asked about his biggest fish, 'I'm not sure and I don't care really, a carp I think about 20 pounds'. His point describes me well - I'm about lots of fish, not always large mind you, but lots in a single session! The draw of fishing for me is about working the piece of water in from of me to get the most from it. Be that river of lake I am looking to master the fish not once or twice, but tens or even hundred of times. Drawing the fish in and keeping them catchable in one place is a skill, and my fishing life is spent trying to do that at any time in the year, and in many different and diverse places.
This is why I am moving towards match fishing because that is what ever match fisherman is trying to do, just better than all the others. I would much rather catch 10 pounds of dace than a single 20 carp, and by the way, the dace are very much more difficult to catch!
I'm not new to match fishing mind you, I was once in a club (Epsom and District) 20 odd years ago, and I would also fish opens on the Thames and Kingston and Molesey, often on summer evenings. I didn't get far, and of course I ended up putting more into work, girlfriend, getting married and furthering my IT career. Fishing was just an occasional thing in those days.
So what has changed that now at 44 years old I'm finally getting round to starting my open match fishing career? Well it's not that easy to say really. But one main thing is that over the last few years I have been a very keen scuba diver. In fact I'm well qualified in the sport! But the problem has been that it's an unreliable pass time. You can't just go diving anywhere you like and at any time. Weather and tides determine everything and that makes it a hit and miss affair. I just get tired of planning diving only to find it's called off and I'm stuck at home again. I need something more accessible and predictable.
Also was the comment from my wife back in February who said 'what is the point of that direct debit for a fishing license? You never go anyway.' That stung me a bit actually and I realized that something which has given me so much pleasure in the past had been hardly touched. In fact in the last four years, two of them I didn't even go fishing once!
So this is me returning the old sport I love and now with new impetus! I feel like an excited kid again.
Hopeful
So off we go with a new blog. I'm delighted if anyone wishes to read my ramblings, and any comments will be very well received.
I am a fisherman (or angler if you like) and have been for 40 of my 44 years so far. At times I've been keen to the point of obsession, and at other times just very interested. I grew up on the River Thames in Kingston and fishing a few of the lakes at Bushy Park or Old Bury Hill. Although at times I've toyed with specimen hunting (most notably for barbel) I'm not really single minded enough to concentrate on one species or chase a certain weight for a single fish. I watched with interest as the carp-boom got going in the 1980s but it never felt like it was for me.
In a recent interview the great matchman and England team manager Mark Downes said, when asked about his biggest fish, 'I'm not sure and I don't care really, a carp I think about 20 pounds'. His point describes me well - I'm about lots of fish, not always large mind you, but lots in a single session! The draw of fishing for me is about working the piece of water in from of me to get the most from it. Be that river of lake I am looking to master the fish not once or twice, but tens or even hundred of times. Drawing the fish in and keeping them catchable in one place is a skill, and my fishing life is spent trying to do that at any time in the year, and in many different and diverse places.
This is why I am moving towards match fishing because that is what ever match fisherman is trying to do, just better than all the others. I would much rather catch 10 pounds of dace than a single 20 carp, and by the way, the dace are very much more difficult to catch!
I'm not new to match fishing mind you, I was once in a club (Epsom and District) 20 odd years ago, and I would also fish opens on the Thames and Kingston and Molesey, often on summer evenings. I didn't get far, and of course I ended up putting more into work, girlfriend, getting married and furthering my IT career. Fishing was just an occasional thing in those days.
So what has changed that now at 44 years old I'm finally getting round to starting my open match fishing career? Well it's not that easy to say really. But one main thing is that over the last few years I have been a very keen scuba diver. In fact I'm well qualified in the sport! But the problem has been that it's an unreliable pass time. You can't just go diving anywhere you like and at any time. Weather and tides determine everything and that makes it a hit and miss affair. I just get tired of planning diving only to find it's called off and I'm stuck at home again. I need something more accessible and predictable.
Also was the comment from my wife back in February who said 'what is the point of that direct debit for a fishing license? You never go anyway.' That stung me a bit actually and I realized that something which has given me so much pleasure in the past had been hardly touched. In fact in the last four years, two of them I didn't even go fishing once!
So this is me returning the old sport I love and now with new impetus! I feel like an excited kid again.
Hopeful
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