Recent match results/event info

Rob's day

Back at Hall Farm today for the 5th round of the Summer League – the forecast was to be thundery showers which never materialized so nice cooler weather to start although the temperature did increase by the afternoon. With the low water levels we needed to be careful with the swim selection today, we had 6 on the low bank and 5 on the high - leaving out the higher numbers which are a bit shallow at the moment. We also had a half time weigh in today.

I drew peg 20 which was in fact end peg so quite happy. Tactics were just to fish the first half shallow, then have margin rigs and a short pole line for the second half. Also a bomb rig if the fish went to the bottom on the shallow line. Started well on the shallow rig with a 6lb carp after a few minutes, then went over an hour biteless. Eventually had another small carp and an F1 shallow before a quick go on the bomb produced another small F1. Nothing on the short rig.

It didn’t take long to complete the half time weigh in as most struggled in the first half – Tony Heath weighed 10lb 2oz from next door peg 19 but apart from one fish from Graham no more carp caught on the high bank – mine went 14lb 9oz for a first half lead. Difficult on the low bank although Phil on peg 3 weighed in 17lb 40z – Bill on peg 4 3lb 1oz but that was it on the low bank.

Into the second half – no more fish on the shallow rig so went short on pellets. Three fish hooked but only one landed – one that came off looked a good fish. Maybe due to the conditions the fish seemed to go a bit crazy when hooked today. So onto the margins and again fish seemed really spooky, coming in but difficult to hook. A few splashes from Tony next door and a couple of big fish landed so he was definitely in front now. I eventually managed to land a few fish putting the rig tight into the margin reeds and finished with 45lb 2oz – a reasonable day but a few fish short I thought.

Tony Heath finished with 55lb 12oz for a good win (and golden peg) – reward for donating a keepnet and bag to someone at the draw. Bob Fox second with 47lb 6oz and mine third. The second half was also better for most on the low bank although Phil wasn’t having the best of times adding 15lb to finish with 32lb and third. He also deposited some of his pole in peg 3 which he retrieved at the end. I have the pictures of a stripped down Phil coming out of the water but I think I’ll keep those to myself (and Bill who took the pictures). Bill in fact had a good second half mainly down the margins to end with 53lb but was pipped to first place by Peter on peg 10 who had a great second half after being fishless at the half-way point finishing with 58lb 2oz.

Gary's day

It was Beggar's Hall today for us with us all along the low bank to get plenty of water over the nets and a half time weigh in. It was deja vue for me as peg 6 came out of the bag again. On getting to the peg though it was very different to my last visit 6 weeks or so ago with the lake a lot lower. Hopefully the rain will arrive soon.

There was the odd small fish topping whilst setting up but no signs of anything bigger which was odd given it is still quite warm. The plan was: a long pole line with hard pellets on the bottom; feeding some 8mms further out for bomb or pellet waggler; and then the margins with a few worms for the hook.

The first hour flew past and was hugely frustrating with all 3 carp I looked on the long pole coming off for no apparent reason. Mark over on peg 12 was having similar problems with plenty of bites casting a feeder to the island but getting them past the lilies proving tricky. Kevin on the other side of the willow to my right sounded like he was doing better with landing carp.

A swap to pellet waggler did not produce any bites but trying a bomb and pellet finally got a nice carp of about 7lb in the net and then a couple more before the line faded. A try back on the long pole produced another quick bite and another lost carp. One more carp on the feeder before the half time weigh took me to 22lbs. Kevin was leading with 44lbs and Mark with just under 20lbs.

After a slow restart there were suddenly some carp cruising around on the top and the pellet waggler was starting to come good. It was not fast and furious action but the size of the carp meant the weight was adding up quickly. Mark was also getting a few and it sounded like Kevin was too on peg 5.

With the last hour upon us it was time to try the margins. In went a couple of big worms over some micros and the float shot under promptly followed by a small perch flying through the air after an overly enthusiastic strike. A few more perch later something better finally ate the worms and a chunky carp was in the net. The small perch proved a real pain but 2 more big carp also took a fancy to the worms before the all out whistle sounded.

After the first half I had a bit of catching up to do and Mark was close behind. It looked like it could be a tight one as Mark looked to have been catching well and there were regular splashing noises from the other side of the willow for Kevin. The couple of late big carp helped me sneak out ahead of Kevin with 95lbs 11oz to Kevin's 89lbs 12oz and Mark coming in third with 50lbs 7oz. Photo today is Phil heading down the beach for his net on peg 3.

Rob's day

At Beggar's Hall today with the temperatures much lower than has been recently, but water levels very low at present as with most fisheries. The priority was to make sure the keepnets were submerged today – ok on the low bank as most pegs had a ‘beach’ but trickier in some of the high bank swims. No problem for me as drew peg 10 and easy to get into the water.

Plan was to start on the feeder across to the island and by the pads and then the margins on the pole. Had around 1 ½ foot close in both sides deepening to 4 foot a couple of meters out. Also set up a deeper rig by the lily bed further out in around 6 foot. No bites on the feeder at all so a quick go on the deep pole rig bought a nice roach, a rudd and a carp around 3lb. Couldn’t see much from peg 10 but Graham over on 16 looked fishless and Tony Heath on 12 seemed just to have one fish.

Into the last couple of hours and after feeding the margins noticed a few swirls from good carp close in. First try to my left under the willow produced an instant bite and a decent carp around 8lb. Strong gear on the pole prevented any chance of the fish getting near the pads. More fish seemed to be on the right margin so concentrated on that side. Couple of bites produced two good carp – both doubles. Nothing on paste or corn today – all on dead maggots.

Graham across looked to be having a good finish on the feeder near the island, not sure about anyone else. Finished with two or three decent carp by the edge – not too many fish today but of a good size. Just one fish lost today in the pads.

Weighed in the low bank first – Tony Heath 17lb 13oz, mine going 58lb 9oz, enough to top the bank, Bob Fox on peg 6 38lb 10oz for third which included 3 or 4 bream, Tony Cruci on peg 5 weighing 28lb 4oz, but had lost several fish today. Further down on 4 Peter weighed 23lb 13oz after a good start and Phil on peg 3 had a good match weighing 54lb 8oz for a close second on the bank.

Also close on the high bank with all catching a few, Tony Parker on inform peg 19 first with 49lb 6oz, second from peg 17 (again) Ray with 42lb 3oz and Fred third from peg 21 with 41lb 10oz.

Gary's day

Today was the monthly visit to Home Farm but on the Large Lake today. I was left with peg 13 opposite the island so a good draw and with room to my left - well until the pleasure anglers started showing up in the afternoon. Setting up there were a few carp moving around on top which looked encouraging and we were due for a much cooler day.

Rob got off to a quick start with a carp in the first few minutes. It was a bit quieter in my swim but soon there were a few signs where I had been feeding some 6mm pellets out at 5 sections. The float shot under and I completely missed it. A few more missed bites later a carp was in the net. I had a slow but steady run of bites but started foulhooking fish as they dug out the silty bottom.

Darren was also now catching a few carp fishing shallow out long. I had been feeding a few pellets near the island but nothing seemed to be doing shallow. Coming back short things had calmed down and I was now converting more bites into landed fish. Towards the top of the lake things were a lot less busy with Rob, Bob and Tony struggling for anything but roach.

With a couple of hours to go I fed the edge and it soon started colouring up. After a few more fish on pellets short and more signs down the edge it was time for a try. Despite lots more signs of fish all I could seem to hook cleanly were perch and roach. Some nice roach but not the target. After the match it sounded like I was not only the one frustrated by the margins today.

After staying down the margins for far too long without catching fish I had lost track a bit as to who was catching. Darren was having a strong finish but up the lake seemed quiet still. So it proved at the weigh in with the weights getting better as you came down the lake. Tony had 20lbs for third and then it was down to the last two with Darren and me to weigh. I had my weight at around 80lbs so, with Darren having three nets in I thought I had been overtaken. Darren ended up with 75lbs as some of the carp were on the smaller side and my 80lbs went 92lbs.

Rob's day

At Hall Farm today – another hot one – due to the weather and holidays, numbers down today so only six on the match today and it would be another half time weigh in. The level is right down at the moment and the first two pegs so shallow I left them out.

All on the low bank today so with pegs 3, 4, 6, 8,10 and 12 in I drew peg 8 somewhere in the middle. Hadn’t given fishing shallow a good runout at Hall Farm this summer so decided just to fish the jigger for the first 4 hours and finish in the margins. With little wind, good conditions for fishing out long and soon had a couple of F1’s in the net. Not easy but a take every 10-15 minutes or so kept putting something in the net.

Twelve a clock had the half time weigh in not knowing what had been caught although, as expected, a lot of fish showing in the early numbered pegs. Weights lower than I thought with Tony’s 18lb 4oz second to my 26lb 13oz at the half-way stage.

With the second half starting and no more shade with the sun appearing around the tree now on peg 8 carried on shallow although started feeding the edge. A few more carp and F1’s kept it worthwhile continuing shallow although not frantic. A few splashes being heard now down the lake and a few fish showing in the left hand margin so, with an hour to go, dropped the shallow rig and concentrated close in.

A few liners and a foul hooked fish showed it wasn’t going to be easy – I have had trouble catching the margin fish at Halls all summer. A quick change to the (dare I say it) feeder rod down the edge brought a couple of better carp but no more so back to the pole – groundbait and corn – had a couple more before I blew the whistle.

As expected the second half weights were better – Bob on peg 12 weighing 33lb after a fishless first half. Peter had a good finish on peg 10 to register 58lb 8oz and mine went 88lb 3oz. Further down Jeff took second spot with 72lb 15oz, Fred 34lb 9oz and Tony on end peg 3 came third with 68lb 13oz.

Very hot at the end but at least we all caught some fish today – hopefully some cooler weather and some rain to come soon.

Gary's day

Today was a visit to MBL with the hot weather and the charity match the day before meaning we were missing a few regulars. It was going to be another hot and bright day so not what you really want for bream or tench. Out of the bag came peg 17 for me which is usually a good peg. The options were pretty straightforward today: one line near the lilies to my left; and another as far out as I could get before hitting weed (about 10m). To the right was pretty much out of the question due to weed.

A quick try short on maggots whilst the groundbait on the other 2 lines settled produced a quick bite and a tench - but of just about an ounce. And that was the only bite I had there. A try by the near lilies produced a small perch but it was very quiet on what I expected to be my best line. Tony on peg 18 was getting a few small silvers on the other side of the lilies so this was very odd. Next bite I hooked into a small fish that suddenly became very big. When half a hooklength came back with frayed ends the culprit was clear I had a pike sitting where I hoped to be catching.

An hour in I was really struggling and then Fred on peg 3 had a bream shortly followed by Kevin too on peg 10. Mark and Tony were also catching a few and I was looking at the wooden spoon. A couple of small silver by the lilies had me hoping the pike had moved off until one turned into a pike again. After a couple of minutes it decided to let go of this rudd. It was clearly still hungry and I had another rustle with it again about 30 mins later when it snaffled the fish I had on.

Out long was no better with only the odd small rudd showing up. That was until I hooked something better which slowly moved off towards the weeds before breaking me. The fish just did not seem to like being anywhere near the lilies.

Fred by now had a tench and Kevin soon had another bream. With a couple of hours to go I set a float very shallow and started flicking it towards the weedy right and started to get a few small rudd of maybe 1/2 ounce. It was a long way to ship the pole for not much weight. Fred had by now managed another tench and Kevin had lost a good carp and a tench. It seemed like every decent fish hooked today was heading into the nearest patch of lilies today. Over at the far end Mark had also been having a steady day with a bream and small fish from the off.

It was a very close finish with less than a pound separating the top 3 today. Kevin's 2 bream taking him to the winner's spot with just over 9lbs; Mark with 1 bream and a good net of small silvers with just under 9lbs; and Fred's 2 tench and bream putting him in third spot. Today's photo is my peg with the pike filled lily bed to the left.