Blakey's Fishing Blog

My peg !

My 1st match Fishing experience in the Garden of England (I've only had a weekend's Pleasure Fishing in Kent before) was rewarding in more ways in one.

An early start again for the trek across the Thames and down the M20 to Monks Lake. Arrived in overcast conditions with a slight 'high' mist and joined the back of the BJ convoy. If I had planned to meet up with everyone at that precise moment it would never of happened. To get into the Car Park you have to queue and pay your dues before entry - A bit like a Macdonald's Drive-Thru but with a barrier and minus the food (although around the other side was a Clean & Tidy Food van cooking breakfast - I had a Sausage & Bacon Sandwich which was 10 times better than a MacDonald's Brekkie.

Less of the frivolity and onto the main reason why we are here - 2nd Match of the Big John's Summer series. We were fishing Match 1 lake which was the highest Lake and had demanding views over the Quite extensive complex. A bit exposed as well - I hate to think what it would be like here in the winter in the wind, rain or snow - Brghh! Apart from a brisk North Easterly wind the weather was kind to us we even had some watery sunshine for a long period of the Afternoon & Bright sun for a whole HOUR !

I decided that I would wait to last to draw my Peg as there would still be a choice - Peg 26 Ed Pearce was sure that was the hot end peg next to the aerators. Ed & Olly Wagg drew each Others Peg's as per normal - Olly had Peg 28. Peg 26 was not the hot Peg next to the Aerator that was Peg 23. Nobody had drawn Peg 27 so Olly and myself had quite allot of water to work with. The Swims here are nicely laid out with good solid and importantly wide platforms and the Point arm swims that back on to each other and interlace enabling Poles to shipped back with no fear of Pushing the angler behind into his swim ! Plus also interlaced with the opposite swims across the water.

I set up on the Pole with Three lines in Mind at 11m , 7m and margins, Plus Maggot Feeder and Pellet Waggler - My rationale being that this is a heavily fished & stocked water it should fish well on all methods - a matter of finding the one for the day. Reported stock was mainly small carp to 3lb with the odd bonus fish to 8lb. Ide & Chub of reasonable size as well. So all rigs were Light Size 18/16 to 2 1/2 lb Line.

At 0845 my phones rings - Who's calling me now ? - I have not finished setting up yet - arggh!! - I grovel around to find the phone in my front pocket - looks at the screen - it's Ed !!! So I wave to him (left opposite from where I'm at) & answer at the same time - what an odd thing to do !!! Upshot is that BJ has forgotten his whistle so do I have one ?- Yep so it's down to me to Start/Finish the Match.

I blow the whistle 4 times in each direction just to make sure everyone heard it this time!.. I'm go with the Pole @ 11m with single Red Maggot not a touch - I noticed Olly is the Pellet Waggler So I give that a try - nothing. I try the Pole at 7m - nothing - hmm! Nothing - A quick look around not much else going apart for Mason Mills two pegs down on my left who was having some luck on the Pole.

So when all else fails get on my trusted old Maggot Feeder - Heavy small In-Line Fox in this case - Loaded with Mixed and a single Red Maggot on size 18 12" 2/12lB Hook Link. Fire out to Mid lake , instant success - Pull round within 30 seconds and a nice little Common graced my net. I clipped up on my next cast (small Fish so no real danger of smash up's) I kept going like this for a 1/2 hour and I noticed Olly had set up and was now using the Maggot feeder and having success also - Copy cat ! - Boozy who was opposite to right slightly was on the Pole at 11m with maggot and was getting the occasional Fish or what seem to be occasional.

All went quiet on the feeder tried a few positions but the fish seem to have moved off. So I came into the margins to my right which I had been feeding at regular intervals with small pellet & Maggot/Casters. No sooner had I dropped in then the float sunk and tore off and pulling the elastic - Great Fight from a Lovely Looking Barbel of around 1 2/lb. I then had a couple of Ide then more Barbel until I'd killed that swim off for the time being. So it was back out on the feeder, the Pole at length was not an option - I just cannot handle it in a strong cross wind.

I found that where I was clipped up that it would catch on what appeared to be a snag on the drop and had to pull it clear but as I was catching it seem to work- Went quiet again after another good session on bringing in more carp and One Barbel. So back on the Margin swim and a few more Barbel and Ide and a couple of small carp. Did not last as long this time, back on the feeder but lost the clip an was overshooting the mark and not getting much there,

In the mean time Olly was still pulling them in on his feeder. I lost a sizable fish when the 5lb main line snapped - It was not that a bigger fish, big then after setting up again with a bigger feeder, I came a little shorter and discovered something that I should have figured out 5 hours earlier there is a shelf down the middle and once I rolled down to the bottom of the shelf on my side I got into a lot of fish (or was it more feed ?) - if only I had found it earlier - in the last Hour I put 20lb of small carp in the net!. (I wonder if it was a gravel bar and nicked the line on the 'snag'' which caused the line to break - most feasible answer me thinks!)

Time for one more cast before the whistle. I'm sat there counting down - 10 secs left and the rod pulls round - Whistle in mouth blows the whistle, then announces Fish On which Olly retorts 'you can't do that'- Another tidy little Carp of around 2lb.

I Packed up with just the nets in the water attached to my seat box so I don't do a Rob Blackburn. Go up to watch the weigh-in which was already underway - Only to Find out that Boozy was in the lead with 62Lb. Where & when did he catch them I wondered ? and asked if he had brought them with Him. When we got to Ollys' peg and I was surprised that he did not have more- I even Checked his nets to make sure there was no hole in them !

I was up next and I was really chuffed that I had 55lbs, enough for 2nd place but with some really good anglers to come I jested to BJ that I will end up like Moses again - coming 4th or Beyond.
Mason - well what can I say - Poor S*d suffered with a Migraine midway through the day and had to go walk about and lost some valuable fishing time at least 45 mins I reckon. With his weight of 52lbs he really would have been in contention for the Prize Money if he had fished for that time.

As we got to Steve Barrett on one of the hot pegs and he weighed in well short with 42lbs (one up to Boozy !). I thought I am with a chance for some Money here, but Kev Keeling was going to 2nd last weighing-in . Biggest laugh of the day came when BJ weighed in - with Ed weighing it as well - was a close thing with BJ pipping Ed by 12ozs so Big Macs on Ed for a change. BJ rubbed salt into his wounds by phoning Mum and telling her that her Son's a Loser. I think someone will be eating Humble Pie ( sorry paying for Apple Pies to go with the Big Macs) in the not too distant future.

When Kev Keeling weighed in 42lb 12ozs. I was going to be to in the Money .
So Congrats to Boozy - I still don't know where & when he caught the Fish - (probably at the same time as me - why I did not notice) and I was as singing I'm in the Money loud all the way back to my peg to pack up the nets and load my cart.

So to top off the day a treat I did not even have to queue to go through he Dartford Tunnel and was home within the Hour !! With some additional money in my pocket - Don't tell the Missus though !-

I have identified what I'm spending it on - A Mega Tray for my Seat Box - Why - At around 1pm I had decided to give the margins a rest and go back on the feeder so I could have a bite to eat and drink but alas no sooner that I had a cup of coffee in one hand and a Pork Pie in the other I was having to put both down somehow and play a fish, but nowhere to put in my side tray - no way was I giving any of them up, So Pie in mouth, Rod in right hand only did I place the Cup in one of the Maggot bait boxes and I was OK - - No I need bigger tray !

Results:

Look how close the weights are ounces in it in some cases - I think we will be visiting here again next year.

I can't believe our team (2) is still bottom of the Team Competition after the excellent day we had as a unit - Just goes to show what a poor 1st Match we had at Newlands

Oh and I will be interested to see the results form the Fish O'Mania Qualifier that will fished at Monks this Coming Wednesday 23rd April

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Without wishing to sound like a stuck record but a preceding week of warm South Westerly’s and Mild temperatures – Yep it’s time to go Fishing at the weekend – Weather – Cold North Easterly with Snow. Common theme starting to develop here or what!


Anyway – This was my 1st Match as the Club’s Sunday League Organiser, so an earlier than normal departure from Home for me (picking up Mick Scoles on the way) to get there early and have a look around the lake which I have never fished.

Even though I arrived a 6:50am a number of members where already there tackle on trolleys under the outside Sheltered area of the Lodge (Smoker’s Paradise). - It had now started to snow!

A look round the lake twice as the Snow fell heavier – I decided to take out pegs 24 & 31 – Access and condition on platforms and not to use the a, b & c Corner Pegs at the North End.

Draw made (pegs on result sheet) off we trudged in the snow. I forgot to pick up my Landing & Keep nets so had to go all the way back to lodge to pick them Up – Brghh!! But at least the wind was not blowing – yet!

Having earlier discussed the best methods with the Bailiff – I decided Pole on maggot would be the best bet for the day. So I set up on the Pole at 8m (mid way to the Island on peg 20.

Soon after the off both Terry Middleton to my left and the Two Mick’s (Scoles & Wagg) opposite were all into carp on the feeder, had I made the right decision as all I was getting were Gudgeon. The Snow persisted and time to put the Gloves on as the wind stared to increase as well. The carp dried up for Terry & the Two Micks’ and I had shifted Hook size to 14 from 18 with 6 maggots to try and see off the Gudgeon but they were still having it along with a few nice Size Rudd.

Finally the elastic was pulled out – carp on board – a nice little Common of 3lb safely in the net, then 2 drops later another of 2lb then nothing. The snow did not relent until Midday then we still had the occasional light snow shower.

In fact the six of us down this South end were bite less from 11am until Steve Barrett landed a small Carp at 2pm then I had another at 2.30pm just as I was thinking about packing away and prepping for the weigh-in to enable swift get away and into the warm. During that time I decided that if more experienced anglers around me were struggling that given the cold I decided to stick with the Pole. The 1st time ever that I have stuck with one method for the entire duration of a match.

We had no clue what was going on up the other end but the weigh-in revealed all – It was clear the fish were shoaled up in one area between {Pegs 12 & 14) – Luckily my New pairs partner for the season – Ed Pearce was on the middle Peg 13 – which proved lucky for him as he amassed an amazing 102lb with Olly Wagg next on peg 12 chipped in with 55lb – Arthur Morkunas made a long overdue appearance on the Podium with 3rd place from peg 14 with 25lb – whilst the rest of us struggled into double figures

A total of 483lb was caught (36lb Silvers, 447lb carp including some nice ‘Ghosties’ caught by Olly Wagg and John Buck). To put this into perspective Olly & Ed caught 33% (1/3rd) of the total, lifting the average to 22lb - without them it would have only been 16lb per Angler.

Result is on the Colemans Cottage Website at:

Still not all doom & gloom I am in 2nd Place in the pairs (thanks to Ed) to Arthur Morkunas & Luke Hyde who lead

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