Yellow weather warning on the books for today, high winds. Wasn’t let down by the forecasters as it really was blowing and the gusts were lethal. Drew Peg 3 (permanent Peg 4) for today’s venue. I know nothing about this water so had no preconceptions as to how to approach it. Because of the wind I set 3 lines, all directly to my front;
(1) 10-12 Elastic. Left margin, GORTINI Mini Margin float, 0.18 mainline to 0.13 hook length 16 banded hook.
(2) 8-10 Elastic. 6 to 8 meters, GORTINI 4×12 round body float, 0.18 mainline to 0.13 hook length 16 F1 pellet hook.
(3) 8-10 Elastic. 14.5 meters, GORTINI 4×14 round body float, 0.18 mainline to 0.13 hook length 16 F1 pellet hook.
At the all in I didn’t feed any lines, dropped a bread disk in at the mud line and dobbed this for a minute, float disappeared but didn’t hit into whatever tried my warBURTons mighty white. Re baited and again the float disappeared, this time I had a runner! It took me for a walk right across my swim and was headed to the occupied Peg to my right, I pulled up on the pole and the hook straightened, fish 1 me 0. Dobbed for another 30 mins with no results. Switched to big red and pulled back off the mud line shelf, switched about the lines but presentation was just impossible with the wind and trying to hold the pole out at 14.5 meters was tiring. Had a swing out on the tip to the mud line with BURT BAITS Winter white 6mm on the band, BURT BAITS 50/50 choc orange, F1 sweet carp gb on the method, for an hour with no results, it did give me time to have a brew and some Branston pickle pork pies ☕🍞. Back on the pole at 14.5 meters and had a nice F1, an hour later a little Mirror then an hour later a nice 3lb Common. No dry net, 3 fish for 5lb 6oz and a thanks for coming.
Bait: BURT BAITS 4 and 6mm Winter White pellet. 50/50 Choc Orange/F1 Sweet Carp gb. 2mm F1 sweet Carp feed pellet. 6mm Expanders soaked in Winter White liquid.
I got to meet fellow BURT BAITS anglers, Ian Hayes (second in section) and David Howard (won the match) and the opportunity to fish another venue for the first time, I will be back.
1/12/19 The OId Hough Lakeside Open, Goose.
Twas cold and frosty morning and everything was white! -3C, but no wind and no rain 🤩. The drive down to Middlewich was uneventful and most drivers were being cautious due to the ice on the roads. Arrived in plenty of time and it had warmed up was only -1C at the venue. The shop and cafe was packed as it was also the start of the teams of 4 winter league, Eric Thomas (Burt Baits) was there with a team and they were a man down due to one of the team going down ill the night before. I had already booked on my open otherwise I may have stepped in for them today.
Turned out that only 6 showed for the Open and the teams of 4 had already gone to their lakes. Fished Goose on a rover, I pulled 5th pick! go figure. Chose peg 4 as it had less ice than the pegs that were left. the peg was clear of ice from the platform to 6m out, I walked over the bridge and broke the ice on the mud line opposite my peg out 3m or so. Set up 4 lines.
(1) 13m, GORTINI 4×12 round body to 0.18 main line, 0.13 hook length 16 banded hook. 1.4m.
(2) 8m, GORTINI 4×14 round body to 0.18 main line, 0.13 hook length 16 banded hook. 2.1m.
(3) left margin, GORTINI mini margin to 0.18 main line, 0.13 hook length 16 F1 pellet hook. 0.8m.
(4) right margin, GORTINI mini margin to 0.18 main line, 0.13 hook length 16 F1 pellet hook. 0.5m
At the all in I fed 8m line with BURT BAITS 50/50 F1 sweet carp and Black Betain, BURT BAITS 6 and 4mm Winter White pellet. Left margin Burt Baits 6mm Winter White pellet, Right margin Burt Baits 2mm F1 sweet carp.
Started by dobbing bread on the mud line at 13m for 30 minutes without so much as a knock. Tried double maggot and still nothing. Alternating between all my lines for 2 hours and not a show. Changed to a 20 hook on my 13m line and fished single maggot, this got me a brace of Roach, one of which I lost shipping back over the ice shelf, can’t afford to lose fish in these conditions. The day continued like this, just trying to find the odd fish. At the all out I had about 15 roach for maybe a pound, tipped back as everyone else had managed at least one F1 or Ide. Consolation was I came 6th 🙄🙄
24/11/19 The Old Hough, Lakeside Open. Prospect and Lucky Dip.
At the draw I pulled Peg 5 Prospect, not fished this ‘snake’ lake before so had no idea on how I was going to address it. Plumbed a line (1) at 15m to the mud line directly out front @1.2m, 2m back it dropped off the shelf to 2.2m. (2) at 10m @ 2.4m and (3) margin left and right top 2 + 2. At the all in I fed 15m and 14m with Burt Baits 50/25/25 F1 sweet, silver sensation, bream red with Burt Baits 2mm polony, caster and dead red in the mix, dropping a slack handful of Burt Baits 4mm F1 sweet Carp and 4mm winter whites in the margins.
(1) 8 elastic, GORTINI 4×12 round body yellow tip, 0.18 main line to 0.09 hook length 18 Guru F1 banded hook.
(2) 8 elastic, GORTINI 4×12 round body black tip, 0.18 main line to 0.09 hook length 18 Guru F1 banded hook.
(3) 12 elastic, GORTINI mini margin, 0.18 main line to 0.11 hook length 18 Guru F1 banded hook.
Dobbed bread on the mud line prior to feeding it and the 14m in the hope of picking up some early bonus fish, nothing after 20 mins so fed that line. Dropped a 4mm winter white on my 10m line and almost instantly had a 2lb+ Bream, from then on just a few roach, upped the hook bait to 6mm winter white but if there were more than 1 Bream they had left my swim. Over the next 2 hours I switched between the 14/15m line and the 10m line, constantly feeding these and my margins. Just picking off the odd skimmer and roach. 13:30 (ish) and my float buried on the 10m line, dropped my tip into the water but it wasn’t enough to stop the run, elastic run out and the fish straightened the hook and carried on with it’s day! At least I now know the carp are in my swim. Again switching my lines until again my 10m line float buried and same as previously I didn’t have any control and the hook length snapped. 25 mins to go to the all out and yes, 10m line, float buried and this time I had control of the carp took me 10 mins odd to land it but was rewarded with a nice 5lb common. Finished off with ~12lb odd which was good enough for 5th but well outside the winning weight, 65lb 12oz (Peg 1 Prospect). Had I landed the 2 carp I would have been in the mix for 3rd. My mistakes in fishing light, thinking winter means lighter, cost me. I know where I went wrong and I know how I need to remedy this. I am going to re-elasticate 4 of my top sections and re-make a selection of rigs with stronger hook length and hooks.
Bait: Burt Baits; F1 Sweet Carp 4mm and 6mm, Winter White 4mm and 6mm, Polony 2mm, F1 Sweet gb, Bream Red gb, Silver Sensations gb.
Newton le Willows A Asc Members Sweepstake, Havannah Flash 17/11/19
The day was very overcast and the forecasted rain happened shortly before getting to my peg. At the draw pulled Peg 18, happy with that, I have won and had 2 3rd places off this peg previously. Over the last week the water levels have been up and down and today they were pretty much at a ‘normal’ level although the colour was a consistent dark brown. Set up was going to be easy from this peg, out to 7 meters it is 1.5m deep then drops off to 2.5m out to 20m, starts to shallow up to the reeds on the far bank, but feeder or bomb have been fruitless on past matches from the twang (peg 16-21). Mixed up 70/30 Burt Baits F1 sweet Carp/Silver sensation with Burt Baits 2mm Polony, caster, pinky and big red. Fed 2 lines @ 7m and 9m. Started out at 13.5m big red on the hook and waited, and waited for not even a knock. 30 mins in switched to 9m and instantly had a 8oz skimmer. I thought this was going to be a deep joy line but it was a solitary skimmer and produced nothing for the next 30 mins. Started rotating 7m – 9m – 13.5m for the next 3 1/2 hours with not so much as a knock. 20 mins to go until all out and I had a roach at 7m, fed and played this line until all out with no more results. Not dissapointed as I really had to fish this peg, make decisions for change during the match and other than a poor weight I enjoyed the day. 12 booked on, 10 fished, those who got into Bream and skimmer were the only one’s to weigh, with first being taken on Peg 16 landing 2 Bream in last 15 minutes. But that’s winter fishing on natural venues for you. Peg 19 and 20 to my left had a ~1lb each and tipped back as well.
Bait: Burt Baits: F1 sweet Carp gb, Silver Sensation gb, 2mm polony pellet.
Big red, caster, pinky.
Set up 3 top 2’s;
1. 7m line: 3-6 elastic, 0.11 mainline to 0.06 hook length 22 wire hook. GORTINI 4×12 round body black bristle. Dead bottom.
2. 9-13.5m line: 5-8 elastic, 0.18 mainline to 0.11 hook length Guru 20 F1 maggot hook. GORTINI 4×12 round body black bristle. Dead bottom.
3. Shallow: 5-8 elastic, 0.18 mainline to 0.11 hook length Guru 20 F1 maggot hook. GORTINI 4×12 roundbody black bristle. 0.7m.
The Old Hough, Lakeside Open 10/11/19. Big Max.
Woke up to another below 0C morning 🥶. Packed up the car and headed off to the venue. A nice cup of tea and a bacon buttie welcomed me at Old Hough which was a great start to the day, at the draw pulled Peg 3, right on a corner and hemmed in on the left by an aerator and the cable and 2 small islands to them. Not concerned as my plan was to fish bomb and pellet 3/4 out to the centre island and cage and pellet on the mud line, with options at 10.5m, 7m and left margin. First hour switching between bomb and cage resulted in not even a knock, nothing was happening on the pegs to my left and right either. Decided to change up and target the silvers as the f1 and carp were just not this side of the lake. Balled up 50/50 Burt Baits f1 sweet and Burt Baits Xpander groundbait and fed 10.5m, 7m and margin. Burt Baits Polony 2mm at 10.5m and 7m with corn and Burt Baits 4+6mm F1 sweet pellet in the margin. Spent the rest of the match switching lines and feeding in the hope the f1’s would show. Roach was all that was showing, not even a skimmer. At the weigh in I clocked in with 4lb 2oz, nowhere near what I was expecting from this lake. I was the only angler from Peg 1 through 10 who weighed in, my Burt Baits surely giving me the edge. Winning weight was 19lb something with 13lb and 10lb all coming from the back of the lake pegs 22 – 27. No coin and just outside the frame, so not dissapointed at all.
Margin, 8-12 elastic, 0.13 mainline to 0.10 hook length, 18 banded hook. GORTINI 4×14 margin float.
7m, 5-8 elastic, 0.10 mainline to 0.08 hook length, 18 forged hook. GORTINI 4×12 round body float.
10.5m, 8-12 elastic, 0.13 mainline to 0.10 hook length, 18 forged hook. GORTINI 4×14 round body float.
Bait: Burt Baits; f1 sweet carp, Xpander groundbait. 2mm polony, 4mm and 6mm f1 sweet carp pellet.
Corn, dead red and worm.
Another huge milestone in my fishing presence.
I have been accepted as a sponsored angler by Burt Baits. I am hugely honoured to be selected to promote and support Burt Baits and the sponsored anglers who are part of this team. I was introduced to Burt Baits by a fellow angler and friend Ian Alexander who is also a Burt Baits sponsored team member. I have used the Burt Baits products since that introduction and have promoted them as my bait of choice in my Blog. This is huge for me and I hope I can promote Burt Baits as my sponsor and as a bait supplier who constantly display that their product is raising the game on the bank side.
Havannah Flash, club match 3/11/19.
After the torrential and persistent rain of yesterday I wasn’t expecting any great weights for today’s match. The Flash was up a good foot and some, a lot of the pegs on the front were underwater and the colour was like weak coffee. I pulled Peg 26 and wasn’t unhappy with that, I had framed a few times off this peg and also won from it, not disappointed at all. The peg is well in the trees and down a steep bank making it difficult to ship back on a long pole, the peg out to 16m was covered in leaves and as there was no wind they weren’t going anywhere.. Not withstanding, I set a 13m line a 9m line and a 3m line on my whip. Balling in ground bait has proved negative in my previous visits so I chose to feed from my cad pot and not put in too much too early. Setting up and plumbing my lines was about as exciting as it got! 2 hours switching lines and bait choice I hadn’t even had a knock, to my right neither had the other 2 anglers on this section, so I wasn’t alone with a dry net. After 2 1/2 hours John M to my immediate right had a small skimmer at 13m, If that is where they are going to show then I needed to be out there. Shipped out 13m line and spent the next 1/2 hour switching baits and feeding for nothing, John’s fish was solitary. 3 hours in and my peg was still filled with leaves making my presentation non-existent. I lifted my whip to change bait and I thought I had caught yet another leaf, but it turned out to be the smallest baby skimmer, foul hooked! for no weight. I didn’t even bother to put it in my keepnet. With 1/2 hour to go to the all out I threw in the towel and started to pack up my peg. Not a good day and one I will be happy to forget. 3 on our section and only 2 fish between us…
Fished with GORTINI 4×12 round body floats on Pole and GORTINI 4×12 chianti on whip.
Bait was; big red, caster, worm, 2mm expander, 4mm expander, Warburtons mighty white, for punch and liquidised.
Burt Baits; 50/50 Silver Sensation/Natural Silvers. Sweet F1 additive and spray.
