Blakey's Fishing Blog

We fished Willow lake (the Middle lake on the top level at this complex). This match also included the Preliminary Round for the Summer Knockout competition.

Draw was made nice and early and I still messed up the money - Couldn't count to save my life £2 under - then Ok then under - but finally got it right Found the £2 when Janet (Bailiff) came for the Peg Money.

Olly & Ed drew each others again - Ed's Smiling - Peg 14 in the North East Corner and which way has the wind been blowing =- yes you got it from South West - Olly was over on the West Bank (PEG 7). I drew last and fancied mine (peg 16 with Kev Keeling to my right in 15 & Luke Hyde to my Left in 17, I would get some good tips on how to Match Fish today.

I set up for 11m, 9m and margins with the Pole, In Line Method on the tip. - A good depth of water but fish were showing on the top. Going to be interesting.

At the whistle (all-in) I went for the method and pellet - nothing, changed to corn - nothing changed to maggot feeder - nothing. So went to my Method Float Feeder at 12" depth nothing - perhaps over feeding a tad, so went on the pole at dead depth at 11 & 9m - Nothing - so came up in the water a few line bites but no real interest. So went on the pellet Waggler -

Kev was having small success with his small Method Waggler and Ed was picking off a few on what look like free lining pellet at 12" on the pole. I sprayed some small pellet and managed to pick off a small Common and Mirror in quick succession. I didn't really have the right size feed pellet - too small when compared with my hook bait - poor preparation Blakey ! So it went dead - only the fish were having the last laugh - slurping down the floating pellet in my swim.

I came into the margins after 2 hours of trickling in pellet and maggot feed. Loads of Roach & Rudd from a spot where it was reported that Dean Peters had over 100lb of carp out of on the previous Wednesday's Practice session.

Kev had come into the Margins and was Roach Bashing as well - His were of better Quality than mine though - I had the occasional 5 ouncer though. Ed was pulling them out at very regular intervals at around 11m.

John, Buck, Big John , Mason, Big Mick Byrne & Paul Hyde were regularly landing on a mixture of feeder and Pole, but Both myself and Luke were struggling as was Kev until around 1pm when the carp moved in to his margins to the right of the peg by the small reed patch. I was having nothing but Roach but did have a couple of 3lb carp spread over the two hours - I came to my right - no even any roach in there. Kev had really found them. Terry Middleton I noticed was also catching on a regular basis on the North Bank.

3pm - All out - except the whistle sort of blew - petered out - but at least everyone heard - I Investigated and found that a maggot had found its way down the inlet stopping the correct flow of air to activate the pea. - Once out all working again.

Come the weigh-in some good weights on the South bank - in the thirties when we got to Mason's - Could not believe it - there must have been around 50 pairs of white carp lips feeding on the surface in Mason's swim - apparently had been like it most of the afternoon but all he kept getting was liners and foul hooks - Not surprised - Jacuzzi springs to mind.

Pretty even weights until we get to the corner - Ed and Kev way out in front. Whilst weighing in I received a phone message from my Son that My Football Club (Southampton) had survived for another year in the championship - so it was not too bad a day - Caught fish, dry sunny and almost windless and we did not get relegated and was even further surprised when doing the results sheet that
I like my club had scraped thorough to live another in the knockout competition - Finished in 16th - the last qualifying place !!

All I can say is it is a good job my Pairs Partner (Ed) is winning - 227 points between us so far - my contribution = SEVEN !!!! Hey but I'm in the lead on something !!!!