The Oaks, Sessay - Alders Lake 18th May

After the disappointment of my last two matches I thought I'd have a break last weekend, recharge the batteries and re-tie some rigs. The match today was to be on Alders, up at the Oaks, Sessay, North Yorkshire. Alders is a 41 peg rectangular lake with an island running the full length. Due to mass confusion we only had pegs 11-41 and there was another match on the first 10 pegs. The first 8 or 9 pegs can all be reached easily with the pole at probably just over 13m where as the rest of the lake varies between 15-25m to the island. This was in the back of my mind when getting all my gear ready, I knew I might not be able to pole fish the island so I'd have to take some rods with me too! I didn't bother with the waggler as I've not used one in years so thought it best to stick to what I know and just take the feeder rod with me as well as the pole.

After speaking to a few people, the main attack would be to fish to the island with pole if possible and pick up a few carp, before coming shorter and fishing shallow for the abundant Ide population.

So for once I felt extremely prepared and was hoping for a good days fishing, I was about due one! So I woke up at half six and had the obligatory half an hour snooze whilst watching the news, then at 7am all I had to do was load up the car and make my flask. By half seven I was on my way up the A1 and I arrived there at about 8am. I quickly joined the breakfast queue before it was out of the door and then went for a stroll around the lake with butty in hand!

Whilst walking round there were a few fish topping and a few reeds nudging on the island but mostly in the wide pegs. Apparently you didn't want to draw any of the three pegs at the top end because there always in the shade and they've never thrown up any weights in previous matches.

So, once everyone had paid in and the football card had been done it was time for the drawer, as usual everyone surrounded the draw bag like vultures and I probably only had half the pegs to pick from, I was to be on peg 18 for the day, only two pegs down the straight from pegs 'you didn't want to be on'.

What I like about the oaks is that you can drive right to your peg, so I didn’t even need to take the barrow today, I tend to be worn out after lugging all my gear to my peg and need a 10 minute sit down to recuperate!

When I arrived at my peg it looked quite good, I must admit, on first glance I thought I might just be able to reach the island so that would be a welcome bonus!

Whilst setting up I couldn't see any more fish rolling as there was a little more cloud cover but my mood was still fairly high. First things first, level the box and then straight out with the pole to see if I could reach the island...... and yes I could, be it a full 15m away which meant even the dolly butt would see daylight! Now I knew I could reach I knew I wouldn't need the feeder and so proceeded to pump my hookers and start setting up some rigs.

Bait for today was very simple, micro pellets for feeding to the island, 4mm expanders for the hook, and two pints of maggots for fishing shallow. I only bought two pints in the hope that I’d get a narrow peg and that I’d be able to fish pellet for half the match. However if I got a wide peg I could have still got some more from the onsite tackle shop.

I set up plenty of rigs for hopefully every eventuality,

Rig 1 - 0.7g body down roach float on 0.11 Powerline to a size 18 Colmic hook, with a Garbolino yellow hollow, this was to be my down the track bottom rig for the Ide, I set it up with a 'shirt button' shotting pattern to hopefully find where the fish were.

Rig 2 - 4x10 Preston Chianti on 0.11 Powerline to a size 20 Colmic hook, again with Garbolino yellow hollow. this rig was to be used over the deeper Ide line, at half depth, I had a couple of the same rigs in my tray but with a size 14 hook, I’d been told that often you can get pestered with small roach but they can't get the size 14 in their mouths! Crude but you’re not going to compete with small roach today!

Rig 3 - 0.2g BGT shallow float, this was on 0.18 silk shock to a size 18 PR36 tied with a knotless knot. The elastic for this was Middy 12-16 Pink Hollow. I know 0.18 sounds a bit heavy but it was quite snaggy with reeds to the left of the peg and other vegetation lining the bank so I opted to beef up in order to not get run ragged all day! This was to be used on the deck tight up against the island in about 3ft of water

Rig 4 - the same as rig 3 but half depth once again in case they came up.

The all in was sounded and I quickly fired three pouch fuls of maggots to 9-10m out for my Ide rig, I then went out with Rig 3 over to the far side with a 4mm expander and a kinder pot of dampened micros. My float settled and after a few seconds shot under, I struck and to my dismay it was an Ide of about 4oz, this was quickly followed by another. I was continually firing maggots out to the Ide line but went back out to the far side. This time I double kinder potted in the hope that the Ide would shove off and let the carp move in. then, nothing, I couldn't buy a bite, twitching the float, lifting, slapping, brought nothing.

With the first hour gone and only 2 small Ide in the net t was time to target them properly; I swung Rig 1 out with double maggot and watched the float, motionless once again. Up until the start of the third hour I had managed another Ide and a small roach. Looking around the lake I could only really see to my left as there was a tree and bushes on my right. I could see Nigel on peg 22 catching a few carp and Terry on peg 20 had had a few also.

Something needed to be done, what it was I didn't know, but it needed doing! I decided to go back out to the far bank with Rig 3 and sit it out for the carp. I went back out with an expander and another pot of micros, this time the float shot under straight away and carp number one was in the net! Although it was only about 1lb it was more than welcome.

I fished the rest of the match in this swim, and with it being at 15m I was shattered by the end of the match! I managed to put a good run of fish together over the lat four hours and finished with around 20 carp all the same size as the first with one bonus mirror of maybe 8lb. I also had 3 or 4 skimmers and even a perch succumbed to the 4mm expander!

By the time of the all out I was feeling fairly confident as I hadn't seen many catch through out the match, although I couldn’t see the start of my section from my peg.

As we were all packing up a few people asked how I’d got on, and for once I didn’t really have a clue, I knew I had more than 20lb but wasn’t sure how much more? When the scales came round disappointment struck, the pegs at the start of my section had all done very well; in fact the whole of my section pretty much out fished the rest of the lake.

By the time the scales arrived at my peg, John Livesey was winning with 51lb; there was a 40 odd in there and a couple of 34's. There was also a DNW and the bloke next to me had about 15lb I think. Paul Cooksy on my left had tipped back as he'd had a shocker of day to be fair, although I wouldn’t have fancied his peg due to the aerator not giving you much scope on where to fish.

I managed to weigh in 31lb 4oz, so my best result of the year but seeing as all the weights had come from my section I didn’t get a pay out.

The other side had struggled and one section was won with about 18lb.

Still, I was still chuffed to bits as for a change I’d done well in a match, I did lose a few but so did everybody else probably, or at least I hope I’m not the only losing so many fish!

After we were all packed up it was back to the onsite cafe for the full result, I met Rob Minikin and we decided to have a couple of hours pleasure fishing on Maple lake, I thought I’d be able to learn a bit, which I did as Rob is top of his game when it comes to pellet fishing tight to islands, I just didn’t realise how good until we got fishing.

I plumped for peg 50 and Rob went on 51, we both only set up one rig for the island to fish expander over micros. To cut a long story short, I had a very good couple of hours in my book, catching 18 carp before it got dark for about 40lb. My result was cast deep into the shadows though; Rob amassed 50 carp for over 100lb in two hours! We didn’t fish too dissimilar or at least I didn’t think we did but all the tiny differences Rob had over me all added up to effectively 32 fish!

We had to pack up at ten past nine as the gates get locked at half past, talk about cutting it short! I didn’t get home until about 10pm and it was shower then straight to bed and try to stretch my back out, 8 hours fishing at predominantly 15m takes it toll to say the least!

Woodlands Lakes Thirsk - Kestrel Lake 4th May

After the disappointment of my first club match of the year I was hoping for a good result today or at least a good weight for a change. So far this year my fishing hasn't really got going, yet!

Today we were fishing on Kestrel up at Woodlands lakes near Thirsk; I woke up at 6:45, made my flask, packed the car and sorted out my bait. I was on the road by half seven and arrived at about 8 o' clock. With the draw not until 9am I decided to have a quick walk round with a couple of the guys. Kestrel is a simple rectangular lake with rushes and sedges over hanging the 'boards' that line the lake. On first glance the peg I'd have loved to have been on was 35 (or the end peg near the entrance, think it was 35!) When fishing in the corner pegs you have a feature to fish to, or not so much a feature but the boards that line the side of the lake. The wind was pushing strong into this corner, and it looked to be the peg to be on for the day. The opposite corner was flat calm without a breath of wind! After we'd finished walking around, a quick sausage butty and then into the onsite tackle shop to get some pellets. At Woodlands there are bait limits, and many other rules that in all honesty confuse the angler more than anything else!

Bait for the day then was two pints of meat, two pints of hemp, two pints of 6mm pellets and a handful of 8mm hard pellets and also some 6mm expanders. Up at Woodlands the rules state you’re only allowed 3 pints of pellets including your hook pellets, you also have to use Woodlands pellets. This doesn’t bother me too much although for them to distinguish that your using their pellets they put in a small handful of tiny pink pellets, no problem there you might think, I’ll explain later on!

So to the draw, I drew peg 24, it was at least on the bank that the wind was pushing on so I wasn't too disgruntled. The corner pegs hadn’t even been put it in, I presume to make it a little fairer on everyone. I got to my peg and started to set up. Methods for today were to include a 6m line at 10 o' clock, a 13m+ line at 12 o' clock, two margin lines (left and right) and a simple running bomb to finish off the array of tackle.

My margin lines comprised of 0.17 Powerline straight through to a size 14 PR36 tied with a knotless knot. The float was a BGT shallow 0.2g and elastic was Middy Pink Hollow (14-16). This rig was perhaps a couple of feet deep and was to hopefully cope with the big boys that move into the margins towards the end of the match.

The 6m line was 0.15 Powerline direct to a size 16 PR36. The float was a 0.4g BGT shallow long float and the elastic was a solid Middy 12-14.

The 13m+ line was the same as the 6m line but with a Preston PB13 4x14.

The bomb set up was a Ron Thomson 11-13ft heavy feeder rod, used at 11ft, with a Shimano Catana loaded with Ultima Power Match 0.20. To this I had a simple quick change running bead with a half ounce lead. A 12 inch hair incorporating a pellet band finished off the setup.

At the all in I potted a 250mm cup of hemp, meat and 6mm pellets to both sides and also on the 13m line. I then went out on the 6m line with a 6mm expander and kindered a pot of 6mm pellets and hemp over the top. after a couple of lifts and drops the float shot under and I was into my first carp, although only about a pound it was more than welcome, seeing as though I’d blanked the last match! I went back out again and caught a skimmer of about 3oz, how they get a 6mm pellet in their mouths I’ll never know. I managed to pick up 3 more carp of a similar size and a dozen more skimmers in the first hour but it wasn’t hectic by any means. I decided to try the 13m line and went out with double meat, the float immediately shot under with hardly enough time for it to settle, a skimmer of 4-5oz was soon in the keepnet, I then caught three or four more skimmers before re-feeding the swim and going back on the 6m line (I might as well catch milk bottle tops at 6m rather than 13!)

I persevered for another half an hour before going out on the bomb, I’d been firing 6mm pellets quite sparingly at about 25-30m and so banded up an 8mm pellet and launched the bomb out, after a couple of liners the rod wrapped round and I was into another carp, carp number 5, although once again it was only around a pound. Now, here’s my qualm with the fishery own feed pellets and then little pink ones. When your firing 6mm pellets 30m away, where do the pink ones go? That’s right, not 30m but 8 or 9m out, where you’re not feeding! Brilliant!

For the rest of the match I predominantly fished the 6m line catching 3-4oz skimmers, no matter what I did, 3 bits of meat, 3 6mm pellets, I couldn't not catch a skimmer. All through the match I’d been throwing bait down into the margins and so when the last hour arrived I sat it out down the boards.

With feeding both sides I fished ten minutes on one side before swapping to the other, I dropped down with two 6mm pellets and the float sat there stationery for ten minutes. I swapped to the other side and bingo! The float shot under and my elastic was being ripped out at a rate of knots, the fish jumped up twice in the next peg scaring the bloke sitting there half to death! Any way to cut a long story short it ran and ran until my rig came back with a giant scale attached to it, foul hooked then!

I hadn’t really seen anyone else catching, the bloke to my left hadn’t caught well all match but had 4 or 5 carp from the margins in the last hour where as the bloke to my right had suffered a similar fate to mine although he was catching 2 fish to my 1.

When time was called I was actually quite relieved as once again my match hadn’t gone as planned and I was thinking what had I done wrong this time? (Answers on a post card please).

At the weigh in I estimated I had around 14lb made up of skimmers, and the five carp. When the scales got around to me I weighed in 13lb8oz so not a bad guess. The match was won I think with just over 72lb, the winning peg was somewhere around 6, 7, 8 I think. Apparently the winner had fed 3 pints of caster shallow all match. So completely what I wasn’t doing then!

After a quick cuppa and a chat in the cafe it was time for off and time to reflect on how poorly I’d done again.

This weekend just gone I’ve had a break, mainly due to hangovers on Saturday and Sunday morning, but I’ll be back on the bank on the 18th for another club match up at The Oaks, Sessay on the Alders Lake. See what I can manage!