Telling's Times: September 2012

Sunday, 30 September 2012

River Thames - Clifton Hampden

Peg 14
3lb 9oz
No good
28 fished

Twenty eight anglers fished the practice open ready for next weeks Angling Trust winter league. The river was up and moving, with slight tinge of colour, but it was pushing maybe too hard and only 5ft deep. The problem is that everything will get washed away or hopefully eaten by 20lb of roach waiting for me?!

No one had fished Clifton Hampden for a while and therefore no one knew how it was going to fish. So postive approach was applied, planned to feed as much groundbait needed, I carried two buckets full and there was a field of mole hill soil, which I took about 2kg mole hill to add to my 4kg of my ready mixed groundbait (had about 10kg's dry). So put 8 big soild balls of groundbait in, then would top it up at least every twenty minutes or when required if the fish were really having it. However, this wasn't the case, 6 roach in the first forty minutes wasn't good and tried the bolo over the top and run it right down the bottom of the peg which result in a bleak....... So balled it again to try and get a responsed, which resulted in a couple of tiny roach and bleak. But felt that I would have to hit it everytime to catch a few fish, and this wasn't going to do any good, as this wasn't a team event and therfore decided to fish my 50gram feeder to the far bank and hope to cacth some bream or chub. Nope, this didn't happen and only caught 1 small chub and a couple of real tiny "puppies". So was disappointed with 3lb 9oz. In reflection i should only fished the pole for 40 minutes to catch a few quick fish and then fished a bolo down the middle and a feeder over the top, also a maggot feeder to the far bank.

Paul Glenfeild with his 11lb 8oz (section win)

Top 3

Matt Herbert 20lb (17lb of roach and 3lb chub)
Tony Hobbs 17lb 4oz
Tom Hobbs 14lb 12oz

Sunday, 23 September 2012

Manor Farm Leisure - Boundary

Peg 40
35lb
No good.
17 fished

Manor Farm Leisure is one of my favourite venues that I fish. I like the fact you can park behind your peg, so no walking involved and that you can fish what you want (very little bans) and I am lucky enough that it is reasonably local to me, and these are all key factors why I enjoy fishing there. Also it is full of fish!

I haven’t fished Manor Farm Leisure much recently due to other matches and now with the return of the Saturday opens (they come back in October) then I will be seeing myself going there a lot more. Today’s open is on Boundary which in my opinion is the most challenging pool out of all of them. Also with Boundary, lots of different methods work and need to be flexible. The “baggin waggler” is without doubt a great method and works very well on this lake and on the whole of the complex. I will have to get me some of these special floats for next Spring, especially ready for next year’s festival.

I drew peg 40, which I think was a reasonable draw, as the wind was blowing up the lake in my direction. However, we all seemed to struggle around me, I caught plenty of small skimmers on Pellets, but couldn’t catch enough F1’s or carp and maybe to be honest I think I was way too negative and should of feed a lot more bait?! However, after speaking to Neil (match winner) he said that he fed very little, so to be honest came away a little confused on what I should of done differently. So will look forward to the next match on Boundary to see if I can sort something out, as I do feel that the peg was worth a lot more than 35lb!!

F1 fighting really hard on light elastic

19lb of small skimmers was enoyable, not no where near 47lb!

Match Results – Sunday 23rd September – Boundary Pool

1^st NEIL McKINNON 73-0-0
Preston Peg 34
2^nd PAUL CASSON 63-13-0
Ted Carter Preston Peg 17
3^rd DOUG LITTLEWOOD 47-0-0
Littleton A C Peg 36

Well done to Neil for winning

http://www.manorfarmleisure.co.uk/

Sunday, 16 September 2012

Thames Champs

D13 (Clanfield)
6lb 9oz
4th in 18 peg section

Thames champs is a team match that I always wanted win and was disappointed to left out of Gordon Leagues winning team last year, however was pleased to come 4^th individual overall. Anyway that was last year and this is year and the team was buzzing a little after winning the Turner 400 by 15 points!!

This year you are able to place anglers in sections which can make life a lot easier for people travelling together now 6 in a team and therefore 6 sections on the River Thames. 1 section at Radcot up, Radcot down, 2 sections at Clanfield, 1 at Rushy and 1 at Newbridge. The 2 sections at Clanfeld is the least favoured section, as it can be super tough and depths range from 3 foot to 15 foot so would need a mountain of gear to combat this. However, I have had gout and therefore I asked to go to Clanfield as you can drive behind your peg which is idea for me, as I have had a job to walk and Larford Lakes almost killed me on Friday. The another five sections were drew at random for my team mates, so Tony Hobbs had Radcot Up, Mick Denton had Radcot Down, Bubbles had Clanfield, myself Clainfield, Carl had Rushy and Tom Hobbs had Newbridge.

I drew in the eighty’s and my peg wasn’t permanently pegged. I got on the phone as I saw peg C18 and knew this was near where Micky Ellyatt, which was worrying as this area was devoid of fish. After a conversvation with Micky Ellyatt I discovered I was the peg above where he was, and 6.5oz came off it and Mick Ellyatt had 6oz and Mick is one of the best roach anglers I know. So was concerned about the area, however again this was the past and the river is more fishable than two weeks ago, but is very clear and is only 5 foot deep and the main flow was at 4 meters in clear water!! 16 meter I could touch the far bank easily and I didn’t plum up as I worried that I spoke the fish if there were any. No fished topped while I was tackling up with was 2.5 hours! I set up 9 top kits all with different ups. They ranged from:

0.5, 0.75 and 1 gram Lux

1 gram, 2 gram and 3 gram Stream float

2 gram Sensas Madunice for the chop

4x12 and 4x14 bleak rigs.......................

I set up a 15 foot bolo with 2gram.

I sent up some long lining rigs on my top 4 of Icon pole, which is like most top 5’s, so I could search the peg and also I can hold the pole high and keep it well away from where I planned to place the fish. If I was baggin, then I would 2g and 3g rigs with shorter line on top 4 and therefore could speed things up, but I haven’t bagged up at Clainfield for many years, and therefore would be happy with 5lb as that would be good points.

I cupped in 4 balls of groundbait at 5 meters and 1 ball at 10 meters. Started at 10 meters and caught a tiny roach (20 to the pound) after a couple of minutes and then another on my 5 run on my 2 gram rig. This wasn’t great and therefore went on 5 meter line with the 3 gram rig and caught 3 fish in three puts very quickly and then nothing. I knew the fish wouldn’t settle here as it was too close and way too clear. Therefore cupped in 2 balls at 10 meters and began to catch, but was slow and at this rate I was on off the pace for good team points, but I feel that I wanted to feel my way into the peg, as Martin Kirk was 30 yards below me, and was around the bend and therefore he was going to take the fish away from me and the peg above me was 100 yards So the fish weren’t going anywhere in my opinion and therefore why fill it in and only catch for a hour?? Or even worse blank and potentially cost your team an important match win.

The second hour I was flying and was catching almost very run though and would place the rig downstream on top of the fish, don’t see the point of running the rig down to them, as this wastes time. The fish were backing off at times and therefore would have to make some adjustments to presentation, like change rigs, the way you laid the rig in, change baits. I did work had and run a couple of my team mates to see how we were getting on, and things looked alright and everybody was catching to begin with. However, my section I knew two chub were caught, the chub at big now and they aren’t anything less than 4lb a piece and most more like 5lb! But my 6lb 9oz of all tiny fish was worth 4^th in 18 peg section, which was ok. Carl was 2^nd in his and Tom Hobbs was 6^th which was good. But unfortunately weren’t lucky throughout the team, as Bubbles hooked a chub on 0.06 rig and played it for ages and got it up the surface but did break him in the end. Mick Denton struggled along with Tony Hobbs, the Upper Thames is a cruel place at times. We came a respectable 6^th (we all were disappointed) out of 18 teams, but was 15 points off the winners.

Teams On The Day

Dorking 81
Turners 80
Allelsteins 77
Shakespeare 68
WB Clarke 68
Drennan Banbury Gunsmiths 66

Well done to Mark Malin for winning the match with 14lb 13oz and Dorking for winning the team event.

Mark Malin with his winning catch.

Larford Lakes MFS

Day One

Peg 32 Specimen (after some fun and games)
41lb
5th in my 15 peg section

Day Two

Peg 56 Match
51lb
4th in my section

Day one saw me draw the specimen lake, which is my favourite lake on Larford lakes as when that float goes under you never know what it could be!!! It could be a 4oz skimmer for a 20lb carp. I was a little disappointed with peg 32, as the wind is blowing the other way and normally, not always, this can be difficult area and fish do tend to follow the wind which will make it a tougher.

The match was tough, and I wish I fished chop worm and caster all match, as this cost me frame place in my section, as 70lb won the section and the bream did feed really well, and looking for a carp down the edge did waste time. I feel that I fished my edge line in too shallow water and should of looked for 2.5 ft of water. So lesson learned. Should of fished for bream earlier in the match and fished my edge peg in slightly deeper water.

Day two on the match lake, which I was looking foward to, as I haven't fished the match lake for a few years so was keen to get going. It was enjoyable match, caught 35lb of skimmers and the rest F1's and small common carp.

Thanks to Andy Kinder for running the match and all the other guys that made it happen.

see link

http://www.matchfishing-scene.co.uk/

Thursday, 13 September 2012

White Acres

Swindon go on Tour 2012

16lb common, hopefully catch some of these in the matches

Our annual trip to White Acres is always something to really look forward to, if I perfectly honest the fishing isn’t great as it is low weights because of the pressure on the venue but with 25 of us that go we always have a great laugh and if last year is anything to go by, then we are in for a good time. We plan to fish matches every day, eat well everyday (thanks to Neil Gordon Ramsey Richards) and in the bar every night.

So after travelling 200 miles which took a whopping 3 hours 50 minutes I was keen to get fishing, so me Mark Kimber and Phil Tipton were keen to get fishing. We were on hunt for some big ghosties and unfortunately none of us managed to catch any...... but today is Saturday and I leave on Friday therefore have plenty of time to try and catch one. However, I did manage of couple decent carp and this 16lb carp (didn’t weigh it) was the highlight of the session.

Gwinear 09/09/12

· Peg 9

· 49lb 4oz

· 1^st (41 fished)

· 7 carp, skimmers and f1’s

Weights were tight.

2^nd was 43lb 12

3^rd was 43lb 4oz Mick Lane

There was 9 pay outs and the 8 of our Swindon On Tour guys picked up.

My Match

I was pleased to draw Pharse 1, which is a good lake with plenty of silvers in the lake, good head of F1’s (8oz-12oz) and skimmers (6oz-1lb) and plenty of carp (average 2lb-3lb). So gished 0.8, 0.6, 0.5 gram floats in 5ft 6inch of water to 0.16mm – 0.125mm stream.

6 meters a slope, and then flat and the peg did come up 6 inch to my right and Mark Kimber next to me, his peg was a foot shallow.

Pellets was better for carp, 6mm pellet and positive feeding and then change lies. Dump move, however difficult today because no room and windy couldn’t fish long.

see link for further information on the venue.

http://www.gwinearfarm.co.uk/

Monday 10/09/12

Gold Match (Twin Oaks, Acron and Canal)

· Peg 8 Twin Oaks

· 47lb 12oz (lost section by a 1lb)

“Little Baz” doing some modelling again on peg 10 at Twin Oaks.

I was pleased to draw Twin Oaks, and Peg 8 was an O.K area, would have liked to be further down as for whatever reason this seems to be a lot more consistent. With White Acres there is a eight pint limit on bait, so decided to take 2 pints of caste, 2 pints of meat and 4 pints of pellet (4mm and 2mm) along with a kilo of worms and 1kg of worms. Unfortunately I realised that made a few mistakes, I shouldn’t of put my keepnet in to start with, as the guy next to me had a lump within a couple of minutes of the match starting on meat and the method was only good for the first twenty minutes of the match and bomb pellet and red meat over the top was a lot better, so I needed some 8mm pellet and to fish bomb, but already had my bait allowance and therefore I was stuck.

I could catch skimmers on the pole, but too small and not coming quick enough, I had an early 8lb carp on the method, but anglers to my left were catching well, and I was playing catch up, and these carp had stopped feeding after the first hour, and only odd ones caught. So decided to try and push the silver line which was reasonably productive, but not great. The last two hours I decided to fish paste, so made my groundbait into a slop (not ideal) and fished positively, this was rewarding as the first two puts result in two large carp. Therefore, I decided to feed another line, as I felt these big fish may not return to this line, as they would associate it with danger and not return to this line. However, not sure if this was the right decision as I only managed to hook two more and lost one of those! That lost fish cost me the section win, as I had 47lb 12oz and the winner next to me had 49lb. Lack of knowledge cost me section money and maybe a frame place. Never fished this lake before, so lesson learnt and hopefully I will remember a few of these little tricks that will give me a few extra important fish. So match win yesterday and blow out today.

I a bit gutted to lose my section by a 1lb, but pleased to win our random pairs with Fred Parker (aka Granddad).

Well done to Smithy for winning the match with 124lb!

Gwinear 11/09/12

· Peg 49

· 48lb 4oz

· 3^rd on the lake

· 7^th Overall out of 28

Very keen to do well, especially after loosing my section by a pound, however my foot as been killing me for last four days and I’m praying that it will clear up soon, especially for Thames Champs this weekend. Anyway, I have drawn peg 49 and my random pair is Steve Rich today drew peg 1. So we had a quite good draw and stood a good chance of winning the pairs.

I drew next to my winning partner from yesterday who was Fred Parker and had Dixey snr the other side. The match was hard and only weighed a disappointing 48lb 4oz, which again was a 1lb short off prize money!! Well done to Skully for winning the lake and “Big Baz” for coming 2^nd on the lake.

Well done to Mick O B winning with 70lb.

phil powell

11/09/12

Trewaters

82lb 4oz
Peg 29
1^st Place
18 fished

I was lucky enough to draw the top lake, as this fished a lot better in yesterdays open. We had booked both lakes for our private match and therefore all fishing against our mates, so plenty of friendly banter along ourselves especially as my random partner was Mick Lane, which also had drawn the top lake, so we looked good for the pairs. Normally there is a pole limit on the festivals here, but today, no pole limit, but was very windy and fishing 19 meters to the island would be challenge to say the list.

Strong winds and fished yesterday it was a tough match.

Thurday's ROVER

150th to draw out of 160.

Peg 1 Polly
35lb Perch and Barbel
No idea where I came...............

The “rover” match always has a buzz about this match, as you are able to choose where you go. So peg 1 gets to choose where he/she wants to go out of the whole complex. There is 160 people fishing today and I was unlucky enough to get 150^th and Jamie Dicks had 160, so it could of been worse. The problem, is with such an high draw you haven’t got a lot of choice and now you look at pegs that have got loads of room. So I decided to go “polly” 1, which isn’t the best of pegs, but I had so room and therefore I could have so chance. Hopefully catch some early and late carp and then fill the gaps with perch and barbel. However, unfortunately this didn’t happen like last year and therefore I had a disappointing day of 35lb of all silvers, despite all my efforts to try and catch some carp. The weights were low and 60lb was mega, and therefore a couple of carp would of put me right up there, but didn’t happen.

Well done to Skully and Mark Kimber coming joint 9th with 56lb

The random pairs

Monday

Fred Parker and myself

Tuesday

Phil Powell (aka Dawg) and Skully

Wednesday

Mick Lane and myelf

Thursday

Mark Kimber and little baz (mens fitness)

Mark Kimber

Alan

Big Baz

Mick Lane (my winning partner)

Little Baz

Thursday, 6 September 2012

Manor Farm - Island

Peg 22
97lb 4oz
3rd (23 fished)

Part of Neil's section winning catch.

Match Results – Thursday 6th September – Island Pool – Affordable Open

1^ST CHRIS CAMERON 151-8-0

Middy Peg 19

2^ND DAVID HOWARD 107-12-0

Leigh Tackle & Bait Peg 1

3^RD CHRIS TELLING 97-4-0

Colmic Peg 22

4^TH MIKE HUGHES 82-12-0

Leigh Tackle & Bait Peg 4

Martyn Howard

What a year Martyn Howard is having, he won the 2012 Match Fishing Team Championships on Warks Avon .

After drawing peg 27 Martyn caught abount of pound of bits on the pole before he went all out for barbel on an open ended feeder with crushed pellets and an 11mm hair rigged pellet on the hook. He had to wait two hours for his first bite, but it provided the first of four big barbel for a 39-12-0 total.

Sunday, 2 September 2012

Turner 400 - River Thames

Peg 15 Clainfield
5lb 12oz (6oz barbel)
2nd in my sub section, as I had Radcot up in my section, I think 5th or 6th out of 29.
Team won, 91 points

Turner 400 has been a good team match as long as I can remember and is an event that I really want to win again. I have won the event before with Drennan, Paz, Graham Godwin, Kevin Fowell and myself, so know fishing with Drennan again, I am very keen on doing well again. My team was Tony Hobbs, Tom Hobbs, Jeff Lewindon and myself.

I am concerned because I haven’t fished on a river all year!! So therefore was concerned that my river skills weren’t up to my team mates standard, and was concerned that I may forget something important. So I spent Saturday night sorting out my gear, ensuring that I was well organised. Spoke to Micky Ellyatt, and he advised me that the river is up and moving, but it clear and therefore could be difficult and not to draw Clainfield!

So me and Mick both drew Clainfield, I was on peg 15, and Dave Kirk (one of the best upper thames anglers I know) advised me “that he wouldn’t fancy it”. Sure enough on arrival to my peg, I was concerned, and feared the worse, as I had fished this peg before and really struggled. Had problems with boats hitting the far near and far bank (had to pull out my keepnet otherwise boat would of destroyed my net, that day Neil Richards lost his net to a boat that day, so be warned).

I spent a good 10 minutes pluming the peg, and the main flow was middle to far bank, and all the depth was across, it basically was on a slope, dragging the plummet on my heavy rig with number 4 elastic, as I was able to find the weed, and to be fair it was fine blanket weed. Not ideal as I want to lay some line on the deck. Also the peg shallow up to my left and was deeper on my right, by a few foot!

I kitted up a mountain of gear, rigs from 8gram to 0.75gram. Pole was going to be my attack, especially been a team match, and I have been told that very few chub have been caught at Clainfield and 6lb would be a mega weight, so with that in mind, I would be a little move negative in my approach:

Groundbait was:

· 2kgs Sensas Noire

· 2kgs Sensas Gros Gordon

· 1kg of Sensas River

Positive mix to help with the flow. Mixed up the night before with my left over hemp water, and then wetted up on the morning. The balls were all cupped in and were rock soild and slightly flatted so they don’t roll too far.

Bait was:

· 1 pt of bronze

· 3pts of caster ( just in case I drew a flyer)

· 1 pt of pinkies

· 2 pints of hemp

Started off well, catching tiny roach and dace at 9 meters on pole on maggots, then pinkies when thinggs slowed down. A difficult day on a diificult river, as it was pushing hard and very clear. Rotated rigs a lot to change presenation which postive results and got me some extra important fish and my first river thames barbel which took me all over the river on 4 elastic, and yet it was only 6oz!!

Gutted it came out blurry (maybe I look better) - I had my first River Thames Barbel, which was 6oz!

Richard Chave's 8lb 7oz catch for 6th overall.

Our winning team (from left to right) Jeff, Martin, Tony, Tom and Myself.

Teams:

Drennan Banbury Gunsmiths Red 91

Diawa Gordon League Gold 76

Fox Match Isis 73

Individual's:

J Hasler - Fox Match Issis 12.9

Gary Etheridge - Garbolino Blackmore Vale 11.0

S Townsend - Drennan Banbury Gunsmiths Blue 10.11.8