Monday, June 16, 2008
Big Johns Sunday League Match - Colemans Cottage Pathfield Lake - 15th June 2008
25 Anglers fished Pathfield Lake at Coleman's Cottage in the latest Round of Big Johns Angling Summer League
I went straight-out on the maggot feeder - Tap tap from small roach - retrieve the Rig - full of detritus - Hmm !. Reposition - nothing retrieved filthy again - Tried to the left same result too much rubbish on the bottom - in the meantime I feed a trickle of pellets at 8m and in the margins and to the carp on the surface to my left- did not see any movement but gave it a try on the Pellet Waggler set at 18 inches at 8m- nothing so went up and down with the depth and different pellet types - nothing switched to maggot - a couple of small roach, the Carp are just not feeding - probably resting from the hammering they got on the match the previous day or an Oxygen problem (although Gerry the bailiff says not oxygen levels are good !)
Into the Margins nothing but small Roach and the very occasional Small Skimmer and Gudgeon. Change tactics I try to 'bully' the sun bathers into eating something firing maggots at them - Then a Visitor comes into the swim just below the surface a Common of around 4lb This looks more like it - perhaps he is on the hunt I wonder- Sprayed a few maggots and he-pursues them - I go with a Size 16 with single maggot set at 12" as high as I can be under fishery rules on the pole and intercept him on the way through - several attempts later he' s on the elastic Pulls out and a spirited fight its safely in the net.
Dan Keeling came round to se how it was going and was amazed by the carp in the swim- especially the one under the platform on peg 24 - I fired a few more maggots at him - I am sure I detected some movement - so I place a double maggot in front of him & bang goes for it on the drop and he's on - I called Dan back to show him - Got in in the net & went about 3 1/2 lb.
The only movement I had in the Margin's was from Roach. I tried all baits there only roach to maggot I'm Afraid.
In the end I achieved my goal of a Days Pleasure fishing which I hard to work hard but pleasurably having to think and experiment plus I finished equal with Steve Barrett in 9th Place to help reduce the relegation points difference to the next to bottom team - slow but steady progress - Mainly due to Mick Wagg finally scoring some useful points !. - Keep it Up Team - we are slowly coming back into contention.
Result Single Positions
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Today for me was always about chilling out and pleasure match fishing as opposed to going all out to get the best I can. So as luck would have it Drawing last which has become the Norm for me now - I drew Peg 23 - down the Southerly end and with nobody to my left and two free swims to my right - Plenty of room to explore there then.
Today for me was always about chilling out and pleasure match fishing as opposed to going all out to get the best I can. So as luck would have it Drawing last which has become the Norm for me now - I drew Peg 23 - down the Southerly end and with nobody to my left and two free swims to my right - Plenty of room to explore there then.
Got the my peg (I remembered my nets this time), loads of carp of 2-3lb on the top but looking a bit lethargic - Looks like the North wind has blown then down here and they can't be fussed to swim away. When I was plumbing up I could actually place the plummet on their heads and they did not bat an eye lid - Hmm! Worrying this - If they are there is there anything in my swim that I will be able to catch - My days pleasure match fishing may just look like a frustrating day - But lest see what else in in here. I plumbed up at 8m and in the margins - I could reach the Island with my 11m extension but my Middy Hot spot is too heavy for that. So set the maggot feeder on there and to the 'wall' to my left
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Well we had a late start as the popularity of the on-site Café caused a delay as the 'porky's (looks at the pot calling the kettle black!) waited for the Breakfast - that Meant a 0930 all In - I duly blew the Whistle as Ed says the Only thing BJ has to do and he can't find his whistle.
Well we had a late start as the popularity of the on-site Café caused a delay as the 'porky's (looks at the pot calling the kettle black!) waited for the Breakfast - that Meant a 0930 all In - I duly blew the Whistle as Ed says the Only thing BJ has to do and he can't find his whistle.
I went straight-out on the maggot feeder - Tap tap from small roach - retrieve the Rig - full of detritus - Hmm !. Reposition - nothing retrieved filthy again - Tried to the left same result too much rubbish on the bottom - in the meantime I feed a trickle of pellets at 8m and in the margins and to the carp on the surface to my left- did not see any movement but gave it a try on the Pellet Waggler set at 18 inches at 8m- nothing so went up and down with the depth and different pellet types - nothing switched to maggot - a couple of small roach, the Carp are just not feeding - probably resting from the hammering they got on the match the previous day or an Oxygen problem (although Gerry the bailiff says not oxygen levels are good !)
Into the Margins nothing but small Roach and the very occasional Small Skimmer and Gudgeon. Change tactics I try to 'bully' the sun bathers into eating something firing maggots at them - Then a Visitor comes into the swim just below the surface a Common of around 4lb This looks more like it - perhaps he is on the hunt I wonder- Sprayed a few maggots and he-pursues them - I go with a Size 16 with single maggot set at 12" as high as I can be under fishery rules on the pole and intercept him on the way through - several attempts later he' s on the elastic Pulls out and a spirited fight its safely in the net.
That was the pattern of the day wait for some to come in and intercept. I had one carp under the flotsam by peg 24 that was sat there for most of the morning I kept trying to provoke by spraying maggots it but was not interested. The others would slowly amble around my swim taking around 30 mins to do a lap, I could even place a bait on their heads - amazing - they even had the audacity to come into a sit on top of the keep nets slowly gulping air and looking directly at me and putting up the preverbal two fingers or in their case the pectoral fins to me. I am sure that I could have scoped them up with my landing net - Believe you me I was tempted !
Dan Keeling came round to se how it was going and was amazed by the carp in the swim- especially the one under the platform on peg 24 - I fired a few more maggots at him - I am sure I detected some movement - so I place a double maggot in front of him & bang goes for it on the drop and he's on - I called Dan back to show him - Got in in the net & went about 3 1/2 lb.
The only movement I had in the Margin's was from Roach. I tried all baits there only roach to maggot I'm Afraid.
At the weigh-in and the usual banter of each of us did how we did it etc. IT was a hot / cold end as far as the weights were concerned - No nee to ask where end I was at ! And vastly different stories regarding what the fish where and where not having - From paste working to not working two pegs apart - Masses of fish in the swim but not taking one bait but another and having to strike at a certain point of float dip to ensure fish were not foul hooked.
In the end I achieved my goal of a Days Pleasure fishing which I hard to work hard but pleasurably having to think and experiment plus I finished equal with Steve Barrett in 9th Place to help reduce the relegation points difference to the next to bottom team - slow but steady progress - Mainly due to Mick Wagg finally scoring some useful points !. - Keep it Up Team - we are slowly coming back into contention.
Result Single Positions
Team Positions
Labels: Big Johns League Match
