TackleUk Win, Win, Win! League Round 3

So today was round 3 of the league at Todber Manor Fishery on Park Lake. This is home soil for me so I had no excuse to not do well. I drew peg 2 (permanent peg 3) which I was happy with as all the weight from Thursday had come from that side of the Oak Tree. I had options here. I had a great edge line, 5m line, 13m line at the bottom of the far shelf and a far bank line.

I set up a Matrix series 2 .30g rig to 12 hollow elastic for the edge line and the same float for across but to 10 hollow. Hook lengths were 4lb Power Micron to a 16 Carp Bagger (edge line) and and 18 Carp Rigger to 3lb Power Micron with a banded hair. At 5m I set up a Series 7 .30g to 3lb power micron and a 18 carp bagger. Also had a kit set up with a Pencil 6 in .4g to a 18 rigger hook and banded hair rig to 3lb line.

My plan was to ping pellet across and fish the shelf first. I would occasionally ping some to the far bank to prime encase the 13m line didn't produce. donw the edge and 5m would be fishing with meat fed every 20 minutes (roughly 5 6mm cubes). 

I started off well and landed 2 Carp at 13m quickly at roughly 6lb a piece. Roach and Skimbobs soon followed. Still pinging pellets to the far bank I noticed the fish were swirling and topping as soon as the feed hit the water. I picked up the far bank rig and went straight over there. I stuck on this line until the last 2 hours as it was F1 after F1 to roughly 1lb. I did sneak the odd Carp to 4lb as well but as not many fish were being caught I stuck at this. I still kept the meat going in at 5m and down the edge ready to do some damage.

2om soon arrived and I went straight to my 5m line and continued to feed the far bank. Within seconds I had a good carp on and in the net very quickly. Returning I was again into another good Carp. I had 3 quick fish on this line but it soon went quiet. I fed a cupful of meat and went to my edge.

Like the 5m line I was in to good Carp very quickly. I was bagging now and doing some damage. I kept feeding and then I started missing bites. But I managed 2 more fish to round off the day.

I estimated around 70lb in my nets. I was happy with that. I was also very happy with how I fished. A big morale boost today. Glen arrived and I sat him on my box and handed him my Nemesis, He was rather impressed with it. As was I. It is an incredible piece of kit and worth every single penny!

The scales came around and I weighed in with 69lb 12oz (not a bad estimate of 70lb hey!?) which I felt may well be enough to win my section. As it turned out it was enough to win the section so I was well chuffed.

Glen weighed in with 106lbs! He beat me again! But fair play to him.That weight also won him his section and the match. So both of us won our sections which will go down well with the owners of TackleUk.

My Peg

Nemesis Is A Great Piece Of Kit

Final Standings

Next up for me: Two Counties Fishery League 4th Round

League Match Round 2

So after a awful start to the League at Summerhayes, where I weighed in with 4lb 1oz, we found ourselves at Lands End Fishery at Wedmore in Somerset. We fished the Specimen Lake and I was 5th to arrive after 1 or 2 wrong turns!

Lands End Fishery

So the draw was a little behind as we were awaiting on a few instructions from the owner. After these few rules were discussed we made the draw. I drew peg 26 which I thought was an end peg but it turns out that 25 was. The good thing was I had the point of the island where as John, who drew 25, only had open water and two edge lines.

Peg 26

So after arriving at my peg and helping out my colleague Glen, who forgot the handles to his shuttle so I let him use mine to transport his gear, I set up 3 pole lines. 1 down to my right in the edge with a Matrix Series 2 .30gr to 0.14 Power Micron and a 16 Matrix Carp Bagger hook tied to 0.12 Power Micron. Considering the size of fish I still wanted to fish lite as I would be in for a hard day. I set up a Matrix Series 7 0,30gr to fish down the track to 0.12 mainline and 0.10 hooklength. This was to a 20 Carp Rigger with a banded hair rig. My third line was the same float but to 0.14 line a 0.12 hooklength and a size 18 Carp Rigger, again with a banded hair, to fish across as close to the island as I could. I couldn't reach the island so as a back up I set up my 9' carpmaster rod with an Ultron 300 reel loaded with 0.23 Submerge Feeder Mono with a Evolution Pellet feeder. To that I attached a 18 Carp Bander hook fitted with a Bait Aligna to 0.14 line.

Float Choices On The Day

On the all in I started down the track feeding micro pellets and fishing a 6mm hard pellet on the hook. I soon found some nice F1's and had 2 rather Quickly. I was feeding small amounts of micro via toss pot and was soon the peg was fizzing. I then hooked a skimbob to around 1lb. This line then went quiet after and hour so I went out to 16m and pinged 6mm pellet. Unfortunately nothing came on this line so I put it down and went down the track. I picked up another F1 and then again things went quiet.

I then started feeding my edge line in preparation for the last 2 hours. I fed a mix of hemp and meat, I wanted to bulk out the meat but not fill the fish and hemp is a great holding bait, and kept topping up every 25-30 minutes with a small handful.

My Edge Line To My Right

Unfortunately people fishing at my end of the lake just couldn't find fish. I returned to the track and had nothing for 20 minutes. I picked up the Carpmaster and flicked the pellet feeder to the island and after a couple of minutes Fish on! Another F1 but its weight. I had 3 in quick succession but then that died.

Just under 2 and a half hours to go I topped up my edge line and went in hoping for some lumps! After 5 minutes the float went under and bright orange elastic, Matrix hollow 10, soon stretched out. After a few minutes I had a fin perfect carp to 10lbs in the net.I potted in a handful of hemp and went back in and straight away the float buried but lifted into nothing only to see two swirls where I'd spooked the fish, I was kicking myself! 

I went back on to the pellet feeder and managed to sneak 2 more F1's. I thought I'd have around 10lb of silvers and F1's now so better than the first round. I went back to my edge line and soon hooked into another brute! It tore off down the swim with elastic pouring out. I kept my pole low and was patient and I got the fish under control and shipped back to my puller kit. Stripping away elastic the fish had other idea's once it's head popped up and saw the net coming for it and flew back down the swim. I thought my power was going to snap at one point but I managed to get it back and wrestled with for 5 more minutes before it's head popped up and I folded it into my landing net.

Nothing happened after that and soon after the all out was called. I went over to Glen to see what he weighed in with, hoping I had more to even the scores between us to 1-1, and he weigh 35lb 3oz. The scales came to me and I weighed 16lb 12oz of Silvers and my two lumps went 20lb 12oz! My total weight 37lb 8oz's just beating Glen by a couple of pounds.

Ian won the match with 106lb exactly off the flyer! TYPICAL!

Not my best performance but I simply fished for bites as I was told the fish are always down the opposite side of the to me.When we return I hope I drawn down there!

All in all Lands End Fishery was great. Clean tidy toilets and a shop for bait plus net dips!.Couldn't grumble at the place and look forward to going back.

Next up: League Match Round 3: Todber Manor Park Lake April 26th

Final Standings

Oh, you little Tinca!

Right then, so today I went to Two Counties Farm for the day and stumbled across a match that I didn't realize was on. Awkwardly went to leave and I was asked if I would like to fill in for someone who couldn't make it. Lucky for me it was an open and not a club match.

Anyway I drew peg 24 and set up 2 pole lines. One for down the track at top 2 and 3 at the bottom of the shelf and an edge line down to my left at the same length. Rigs wise. Track line was a Matrix Pencil 6 .40gr, mainline 0.12 (3lb) and hooklength 0.11 (2lb) to a 20 Matrix Carp Rigger with a banded hair. Edge line was 0.14 (4lb), hooklength 0.12 (3lb) to a Matrix Carp Bagger size 18. Float was Matrix Carp Series 7 .30gr. I had also set up my 9' Carpmaster with a Evolution Pellet Feeder for across to the island with 18 Carp Bander and bait aligna.

After 45 minutes of nothing on the pellet feeder I decided to put it down and fish down the track. I fed some softened micro's and fished a 6mm pellet on the band. I was soon putting some small Crucian's in the net whilst almost everyone that I could see was sitting on the tip rods and not catching. I also started feeding my edge with 3 grains of corn every 20 minutes.

After half hour the track line died so I fed more micro and had a look down my edge. The float buried and I soon netted a fine Tench around 4-5lb. after this they kept coming around 15 minutes apart. I had 9 fabulous Tench around 4-5lb in total and I kept topping up with Crucian carp including one of around 2lb.

After the whistle I was confident that I had won. I only saw 1 person catch anything to weigh in double figures. 7 didn't weigh and 6 did. I came in with 49lb 6oz, 2nd came in with 12lb 9oz. I spoke to people and all of them said "we stuck to the method", "we didn't even consider Silvers". I know one thing, I bet they regret asking me to fish now haha.

It was a good day out and I caught some great fish. Spring must be here if Tench are showing, Right?

Not The Best Of Camera Positioning but 49lb 6oz!

Matrix 1st Order, Health, Fishing & Looking Forward!

I was fortunate enough to receive my first Matrix order at the end of last month. I had ordered just a little bit of kit. To be fair most of it was terminal tackle with the odd bigger piece of equipment or luggage. I'm very happy with everything and I am now awaiting my second order which contains mostly bits and end tackle.

Most recently I have been hit with almost everything bad health wise (not literally). I had a bad reaction to a sauce which had me off work for 3 days, made me miss my Dad's birthday meal, miss The Big One fishing show and miss the opening match on Sherborne Lake. Now I have recovered from that I have a chesty cough and a cold. I'm not letting that stop me and I have been to work and I fished today. I was itching to get out on the bank so I went haha.

Today I fished Higher Farm Fishery on the Higher Lakes. It is a simple lake with a small island and a big island and is packed with fish. No pole today as I set up a tip rod and focused on the Method and Pellet Feeder.

My set up was: 9' Matrix Carpmaster with a Matrix Ultron 3000 reel and 5lb line. to this was a 25g Small Matrix Evolution Pellet Feeder to a 0.12 hook length (3lb Matrix Power Micron) and a size 18 Matrix Carp Bander fitted with a Bait Aligna. The tip did not stop going round and I was in for a good day. I was catch plenty of carp around 1lb so I swapped over to a Small 23gr Evolution Method Feeder and upped the feed to try get the bigger carp interested. I picked up a couple of bigger Carp to 3lb and kept putting the 1lb carp in the net. It was a  nice days fishing and it was enjoyable to watch a tip bend round for a change.

Higher Farm Fishery

Looking forward this year is going to be a good year.Just started a new league and that is going well. Got a big day at work on August the 15th, stay tuned for more on that in the coming months! Work is doing very well and myself, apart from the health side of things, I'm doing pretty good. Roll on the summer!