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
 

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

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