Recent match results/event info

Gary's day

After a cold and wet week we were heading to Beggar's Hall today. The recent Wednesday match had been patchy so we were expecting it to be tough.

With 2 pegs left in the bag and all the ones I fancied having been drawn a trip to peg 22 was not what I was hoping for. With the water being so low I ended up putting my box below the platform which gave me a bit of help keeping fish from the right margin's bushes should I hook anything. What this meant though is I could not see another sole with only Phil's pole occasionally lifting above the bushes.

It was a very slow start and with not even a nuisance small perch on maggots - it was not looking good. After a bit over an hour I finally had a bite on the method feeder and a good carp of around 10lbs was in the net. The pole proved a waste of time for me but a few of the others caught on it especially Mark on peg 10 and Darren on peg 19.

By searching around the peg with a method feeder I slowly ticked up a few more bites and by 1.30 I had 5 carp in the net and was doing a lot better than I expected.

I then made the fatal mistake of putting in another net and que a biteless 2 hours. A final smaller carp with about 20 mins to go was my sixth and final bite of the day.

I felt that I had done OK from my peg but was expecting to have been thoroughly thrashed from the other end of the lake as that seems to fish better as we get into winter. On sticking my head above the bank and wandering along it became clear that the favoured pegs had done OK but not run away with it.

It was a lot closer than I was expecting with less than 6lbs (one carp) separating the first 4. Mark's final carp on the whistle and Kevin's lost carp made the difference to 1st and 2nd with Mark on 52lbs and Kevin on just under 50lbs. And I needed 1 more fish as Darren pipped me to 3rd with 46lbs 12oz (including 3 bream) to my 46lbs 3oz. Picture today is peg 22 during a sunny spell.

Rob's day

Back to Hall Farm today after a lot of rain recently and into a cold snap – 2 degrees this morning driving in and was met at the lake with a cold wind blowing into the car park.

A good turnout today again with 14 on the bank – I drew peg 18 in the deeper water but maybe that’s where the fish wanted to be today. Started on the feeder but no signs so went onto the pole at around 7 meters on maggots. After a few small perch I hooked and landed the first carp at around 4lbs. The wind at the start was not so bad (although pouring with rain and sleet) but an hour into the match it started to really blow and made the pole difficult at any length. Back to the feeder and had a few liners followed by a carp.

Looked to be difficult over the low bank – especially the deeper pegs – Phil on peg 1 seemed to be getting a few though – even though this peg at the moment is very shallow – less than a foot off the reeds. A few early baths today as the wind was not getting any better and feeling really cold. Talking of early baths, bit of a disaster an hour or so in – a strong gust lifted my brolly up and deposited it in the lake. After a quick rush round to the margins I managed to grab hold of the brolly's pole before the brolly sunk into the depths. Not easy to drag out as it filled with water but wading up to my knees just managed to save it. Spent the rest of the day with a boot full of cold water – not ideal.

Anyway, back to the fishing – back on the feeder and a run of 3 carp in about 15 minutes cheered me up a bit. Alternating with the pole when the wind dropped a bit bought a couple of more carp – including one good one around 8lbs – but getting presentation right was difficult. One more carp at the end on the feeder short put my weight to 40lbs 10oz – pleased with that with the conditions – but sure there were more carp on the pole line if the wind had dropped.

On my bank a mixed bag with 4 DNWs but Gary doing well from dreaded peg 13 (least a bit sheltered) with 26lbs 12oz for third and Steve taking second place with 31lbs 6oz from peg 22.

Same story on the low bank – but maybe the fish wanted the shallow water today – Phil weighing in a good 65lbs 4oz to easily win the bank and get top weight on the day. Next to him on peg 2 Jeff secured second spot with 24lbs and Tony’s solitary carp of 8lbs 4oz gave him third place from 12.
Hopefully next time we come to Hall Farm the wind will be a bit kinder. Todays photo is Peter with one of the larger roach – weighed 1lb 2oz

Gary's day

Today was a trip back to Home Farm's small lake. Thankfully the predicated day of drizzle did not materialize but the wind was cold. Out of the bag came peg 3 for me in the middle of the lake. The carp had certainly followed the wind and Tony's peg 1 was lifting with them. We all thought we knew where the winner would come from today.

The water was still painfully low and I had just over 18 inches at the deepest. More pole rigs were trimmed down!

The first hour passed quickly with no signs on either expanders or maggots and I was not alone. Despite there being small roach topping at our end of the lake and carp going nuts near Tony only Rob had a couple of small roach. Another 30 mins in Darren finally had a carp on and a decent 8lber waddled into his net. After a couple of hours I finally had a roach - blank saved. Surely a carp would be next any moment?

Tony was having a very frustrating day with the carp ignoring his bait but after losing one he finally had one in the net around the halfway point.

Despite trying all over my peg I never seemed to manage more than 1 bite in a swim before I needed to move to get another bite. The rest of the lake was fishing very hard too and the last hour was pretty much biteless for us all with Phil losing a carp later on. My dozen or so roach were getting me nowhere today.

And that is how we finished - Darren's early carp making him a run away winner today with 9lbs 10oz, with Tony's carp coming in at 2lbs 15oz for second and then Rob's net of bits 3rd with 2lbs 2oz. Photo today is Darren.

Rob's day

Back at Beggar's today – mild for the time of year but with the promise of showers throughout the day which never materialised. 14 on today for the second round of the Winter League, 7 on each bank. I drew 17 – so was hoping for a few bites today but this time of year who knows. Set up a few feet above the water level as too dodgy to put my box in the water. Two feeder rods and a couple of pole rigs – one at 6 foot deep at 11m out and one at 4 foot deep at around 6 feet away from the edge.

A couple of hours in with the feeder casting along the island produced nothing – then a bite out of the blue and an 8lb carp in the net. Bill in the meantime had had a couple on the next peg (16). A try on the pole and maggots caught a few roach and perch but needed carp. No bites on corn so back to the feeder across and to my left – not a touch. Back to the pole produced one carp on corn then no more bites. Looked to be hard on the other bank – not a lot of activity and Peter on peg 13 had only silvers.

Into the last 30 minutes and Bill next door was having a good day – on about 7 or 8 carp mainly caught on the waggler. Desperation now creeping in, only thing to do was to pack away the pole (always gets a bite) – in fact had 2 in the last 20 minutes to boost my weight to 31lbs 12oz but way behind Bill who weighed in 64lbs 5oz for an easy win – Phil second on the High Bank from peg 18 with 35lbs 15oz and me third. The rest of the High Bank fished hard with a couple of DNWs

It was difficult on the Low Bank with Graham topping the weights with 15lbs 2oz from peg 3 – Ray second with 11lbs 9oz from peg 2 and Bob third from peg 6 with 9lbs. The rest struggled with just a solitary carp or silver – Peter included a 3lb bream in his catch. Not often that pegs 2 and 3 finish first and second on this bank.

Hoping for a bit of rain soon as levels still painfully low – no doubt we’ll complain when it does rain though! Photo today is bagger Bill.

Gary's day

After another mild week it was back to Hall Farm's large lake with the water still very low but a bit of colour left. It was to be peg 20 for me today pretty much in the middle of the high bank. With some space near me it looked a pretty good draw, not a flyer but should be good for a few fish.

I set up rigs for out long on the pole in 10ft of water, closer in 6ft and near the margins in 3 1/2 ft. I had forgotten how deep it gets in these pegs even with the low water. A try on expanders on the 6ft line was pretty useless with not a wobble of the float. Jeff over on peg 10 was off to a flyer though with a carp in the first few minutes. A try out long brought a few bites but shipping 13m of pole for a 1 ounce roach was not much fun.

A try shorter was also full of small silvers. It looked like I was in the nursery peg today. Everyone else seems to be having similar issues with small fish. Phil though was having none of these issues with his maggot feeder catching a steady run of carp. Mark on 26 was also having a good run on the method feeder.

Finally at around halfway the float went under on the long line and it was not a tiny roach. Not the biggest of F1s but worth a lot of the roach I was getting. Next drop in the float went under again and a nice crucian was also in the net. Had the carp rocked up? Sadly not, I had another couple of smaller carp but the swim then filled with mini roach.

Darren on peg 8 was now starting to get a few carp on the pole and it looked like it was between him and Phil. Peter on fancied peg 2 also had a couple of carp later on but was having the same issue with silvers.

A try towards the margins to avoid the mini roach was mostly a swap for micro perch although I did get 1 more carp and lost a couple more that were foulhooked. A very frustrating day with the wrong fish finding my maggots.

My lost couple of fish did not make a huge difference but it was a tight finish with 3 on around 40lbs. Heading the 40lb pack was Darren Cope with 45lbs 4oz and then a battle of ounces with Mark coming in second with 40lbs 13oz just fending off Phil with 40lbs 6oz. Photo today is Phil who I thought had the match sown up.

Rob's day

At Hall Farm today for an Interclub match with Abbey Cross. 17 on the lake today so pegging a bit tight at places. Lake looked ok – a bit clear but temperatures around 14C promised and little wind to start, so hopeful for a few fish to come out today.

Drew peg 9 on the Low Bank – not the best peg and not usually put in being at the start of the deeper water. Thought it would be difficult to match the end pegs – 1, 2 and 12 and that’s how it turned out to be.
Set up a feeder but would concentrate on the pole at 9m where it is around 10 foot deep. Also a couple of rigs for closer in with 4 foot in case the carp came in. Started off getting instant bites, mostly from gudgeon and perch but with a few better roach. One hour in hooked the first carp and hoped this would be the start of a few, but sadly not. The wind then increased blowing left to right making things difficult. Had one more carp on this line but no more.

Elsewhere all looked quiet on the far bank with most of the lower number pegs struggling, although Gary after losing a couple (looked to be on a relatively light elastic) landed the next 2 or 3. The odd carp also being landed although couldn’t see up to the car park end pegs.

Tried the short line and after a quick carp and then losing one (foul hooked) no more bites. Ended the match with 13lbs 2oz. As expected, pegs 1 and 2 dominated with Phil’s 34lbs 12oz from peg 1 just beating Peter’s 33lbs 11oz from the next peg. Steve’s 28lbs 6oz from peg 12 getting him 3rd place on the Low Bank and included one carp of 12lbs 8oz (pic) caught near the end of the match.

Unusually the 3 top weights on the Low Bank were the best on the lake with the High Bank (especially the higher number pegs) not producing as normal although Bill did well to top the High Bank with 27lbs 10oz from peg 25 – Martin 2nd with 20lbs 13oz from peg 22 and Gary 3rd from the usually unfancied peg 15 with 20lbs 2oz. Team wise Bishop's Stortford came out top 57 points to 70 (lowest points total wins)

Well done to our team for a solid performance and a thank you to Abbey Cross for the match and Martin for helping with the weigh in – assisted by Gary I believe.