July 26th Woodlands Partridge

Well, it’s been rather a long time since I last blogged. Busy weekends and holidays have kept me off the bank for 5-6 weeks now so I was raring to go this weekend! I’d tied up plenty of hooklengths for the bomb and plenty of rigs to cover all eventualities and for once felt very prepared!

It’s amazing how quickly things change in fishing, during my absence Woodlands have lifted the ban on the method and Paul Cooksey’s had a match win and a second! Long time due, well done Paul!

I arrived at the fishery in plenty of time and thought I’d re-introduce myself to a Full English! Then a trip to the tackle shop to stock up on some fishery pellets and I was sorted for the day.

The draw was a little late and ideally we would have fished from 10:15 rather than 10 but with an evening match on straight after ours we were still to fish 10 while 4pm. This meant we only had 45 minutes to set up. I decided to set everything up as quickly as I could and the chuck the bomb out while I sorted everything else out.

I already had the bomb set up, an 11ft heavy feeder rod with 8lb Maxima lining the rings. I had a swivel bead with a 3/8oz bomb and a Korum quick change bead cushioned by a rubber bead. Hooklength for the day was a 12’’ length of Ultima Power Match 0.16, a Preston PR36 size 14 with a hair rigged band. I was experimenting today and had tied another band to the one on the hair in order to present two pellets at once.

I set up two rigs, keeping it simple with a rig at 6m to my left where I would feed 6mm pellets and corn and use either corn or a 6mm expander on the hook. My second line was at 13m where I would fish paste over a big pot of 6mm pellets.

The all in sounded and I was ready apart from making up my paste. I first of all fed the two pole lines and then lobbed the bomb out with two 8mm pellets, I fired a few around it and then got on with making my paste which was, as usual, pellet power+ on the medium to soft side. After a fruitless 20 minutes on the bomb I went on the 6m line and managed a carp of about 4lb first put in. Then I started to get silly sail away bites met with no resistance before I was rewarded with a roach, time to re-feed!

I then went out onto the 13m paste line. It took me half an hour of feeding (with the left over paste) before I got my first indication. I had a few more dips and knocks before I managed to put a run of fish together. A small Tench and 3 more carp had me sitting on about 16lb for the first 2 hours. I desperately needed to get into some more fish though as Tony and John were apparently catching on the earlier pegs.

I re-fed both lines again and went on the bomb. I’d been feeding the bomb line continuously all match and hoped there’d be a fish or two to have.

By constantly firing out 2 or 3 pellets I started to put a few fish in the net, I lost count at 12 carp for the day but thought I maybe had 16 even though a couple of them were less than 2lb.

There was on point during the match and I thought to myself ‘’I’m not doing too bad, I’ve not had any rig problems or breakages at all, makes a change!’’ at that moment the rod wrapped round and then sprang back, I thought it was far too vicious to be a liner, reeling in proved that I’d been snapped but with the quick change bead I was soon back in action. I must admit I’m quite impressed by them as they get you up and running very quickly in that sort of situation albeit they can be a bit fiddly to open with wet hands. Next cast and I was soon into another fish, just as I got it under the rod tip it pulled! I’d spoken too soon (or at least thought too soon!)

At the final whistle I reckoned to having 55lb in the net, Tony Koz on peg 6 reckoned I had more than that and he was admitting to 35lb. When the scales came round honest John was leading with a weight around the 80’s (I think) and Tony Minikin on 79lb. I knew I didn’t have that so was hoping they’d take the spoils and leave me with the section. T-Koz weighed 44lb, a slight underestimate but then my fish went 62lb 2oz so we’d both under exaggerated!

I was pretty pleased that my double banded pellet had worked too, whether they were just having it or whether the double bait proved too hard to resist only time will tell, but hopefully it will prove a worthy string to add to my bow! I might invest in one of the Mosella banding tools though as a couple of times, especially with wet hands I was faffing trying to get the two pellets banded, although with the quick change bead I could have spares set up on my side tray? Something to think about for next time!

There were some more big weights around the lake, Rab 83lb, Martin Whittaker (not sure but big), Paul Jones 72lb but undoubtedly the winner of the day was Vince O’Connor with 115lb. Vince was nearly opposite me and caught on the bomb all day. Nige directly opposite me had 75lb, all on paste including well over 20lb of skimmers!

It had also been noted that sticking to one method all day would generally see you reap rewards. Vince fished the bomb all day, not that far out by the looks of it, perhaps 20m and constantly flicked pellets over the top all day. Nige on the other hand had fished paste all day and come out with a section winning 75lb. Perhaps if I’d have stuck to the paste line and made it work or stuck to the bomb all day I’d have maybe caught a few more to push for the prizes? I was also fishing half way across which theoretically means it takes longer to get each fish in? A few small lessons learnt and hopefully I’ll push a bit harder in the next match at the venue!

Well, due to other high weights it meant no fluky pick up although I couldn’t be too down heartened as this is my biggest Starbeck Match weight and also my biggest weight at Woodlands which was previously 52lb on the pairs event last year.

I’ve a busy week this week, golf on Wednesday, cricket Thursday, work night on Friday and Thirsk races on the Saturday so I’ll see what frame of mind I’m in before booking onto Carp Vale this Sunday!