Paul Alder had won the match on peg 21 the day before, and next weight was 12lb! Therefore a few groans from Shaun Little, who drew peg 6 Island, which is one of the best pegs in Europe ( not sure how he can moan??)!!
To cut a long story short, I couldn't catch and therefore sat it out on smelly meat and bread. Not the most interesting ways of fishing, but hoped it was going to pay off??!! Which it didn't....
Only had 2 skimmers on the pole and watched Mark Hemming bag up on peg 3!!!
Mark Malin Peg 9, Mike Robinson peg 11 and me on peg 20 never had a fish after 1pm!!!
Team mate Glen Picton caught well on the pole and pellet on Boundary pool. Glen caught little stockies (6oz to a 1lb)
Peg 21 Middle Pool
18lb
3rd on lake...... only 6 on the lake.
12 fished
No good again!!!
With Ian Giddens drawing peg 6 on Island Pool, we were all thought we would be fishing for second place.
Andy Taylor caught 3 fish (2 F1's and 1 carp) before I had my first bite, which was a F1. He was unlucky, as he got beat for 4oz for top spot! Andy weighed 47lb to win lake easily and Steve partington won the match with 47lb 4oz.
Caught all my F1's on the lead (6 of them) 4 skimmers on the pole (3 blades and 1lb 8oz). I fancied a few fish on the pole, especially as the wind was off my back!? But nothing.
Not sure on what else I could of done. Andy Taylor caught on pole and lead with bread! I just sat there like a muppet! No change there!!!
Need to draw better, hope I'm on a few tomorrow!!??
Gear used
Colmic Airon F44 pole.
0.4 Jonny Walker pellet
0.135 Colmic Spider line
0.103 Colmic Stream
18 Drennan carp match
Colmic white hollow elastic 1.5mm
Colmic Next Adventure 60 rod
0.20 Method Line
O.188 Spider Line
14 drennan carp feeder
Park your car behind almost every single peg on the lakes.
I've spent countless hours fishing Manor Farm Leisure lakes and been lucky to experience some fantastic days fishing, the odd bad one, but more good days than bad. This post covers all 5 match lake lakes in detail. Lots of hyper links to the relevant pegs, so if its BLUE or PURPLE, then click on it and it will take you to one of my match days on that peg.
I'm not one to blow my own trumpet on this venue, but you always get haters saying "what does he know?", therefore Manor has seen me catch carp over 20lb in matches, current match weight holder (353lb), highest festival weight ever caught (313lb) and won the May Festival 2019.
Also I have had 100's of photos of Manor Farm Leisure, so if you not a match angler, then this post may still help you target the right pegs for the species that you maybe after. Coarse pellets would be my number one choice of bait all year round.
Liam Dennick
Windmill pool
Windmill pool is my favourite match lake on the complex, as it has something for everyone. Theres lots of big carp, F1's and a massive head of silvers too. I love it.
This can be a fest or famine peg, and tends to be better in the warmer weather, spring to Autumn.
It is the end of the lake, so you need them to be there, as you don't tend to draw fish into your peg!
I would suggest fishing long against the reeds and ensure you fish heavy enough to pull them out!!
Pegs 2 and 3
No features, open water, tough draws in a match as there is so many feature pegs. Open water is normally about 5 foot. Skimmers, F1's and odd carp.
Peg 4
Point of island. A jungle peg. Pellets shallow long in the summer!! This peg I had 313lb in the Manor Farm Festival in 2016.
Peg 6
Is in the channel of the island. It is a bit of a snagie pit on the far bank, but is normally full of fish. However, sometimes catch a lot skimmers at 6 meters, and 13 meters to island. Normal water levels it's 2.5 feet against the far bank, with a steep slope. One match I had 50lb skimmers, and 60lb of F1's which was awesome days fishing
On point of island. 18 meters to island. 4 foot against island. If you fish a 45 degree angle off the island it's a steady slope. As peg 16 is 10 foot. I do like this peg, one of my favourites on the complex.
Peg 16s to peg 23 is deeper part of the lake, up to 11 foot, these can be brilliant winter pegs. Peg 22 is normally an end peg in matches and you can catch some units down the left edge.
Peg 24 is my favourite peg on the complex, it is opposite peg 15. It is only 12 meters to the point of the island, and it's about four foot deep on normal levels. I like to fish it at 13.5 meters infront, which 3 foot. This is a snagie peg! I've been lucky to drew it a couple of times. You can catch to the left margin which is only 4 meters away, therefore put your keepnets to right, so you cause less commotion when having lots of fish in your keepnets.
If you fish down the edge, you will have to fish heavy 0.20 and have been lucky enough to catch some big fish, up to 16lb on this peg.
Peg 25 is only 11 meters to island. Very narrow and a steep shelve on the far bank.
Peg 27 is set back a little in a bay as is peg 28. Open water pegs, would not be my preferred draw. But sometimes the fish do shoal up here in the winter, therefore they can be good pegs.
Peg 29 is a good peg. Comes out of the bay, and is more on a point. A big bush/tree to your left and is a good peg out. It's about 8 inches shallow to your right.
Peg 30 is beginning to come into shallower water.
Peg 31 is just on the point of island.
Peg 32 33 Peg 34 19 Metres to island if peg 33 aint in, its about 4 foot deep. About 5ft in open water.
Peg 34 Windmill
Peg 35 is in the corner, not normally pegged in matches
Island Pool
Personally I find Island Pool the most frustrating pool, as there so many different methods that work and I always seem to choose the wrong one. Method to Island can be very productive and 8mm pellet on the lead about 25 metres.
Peg 4
Is a shallower peg. Personally I've never done well off this peg, but it can throw up match winning weights! Fish have fins and do swim around! The cast to island is in a angle and if peg 5 is in, then it is going to be tight??!! The cast is around 45 yards (I haven't measured it, but is a fair throw)
Peg 5 on the rope. Good peg.
Peg 6. "Best peg in Europe"
A great peg. Looking to catch from the second milk float, to the island. F1's tend to be in the deeper water, especially in winter, and carp can be tight against far bank. Don't get me wrong, it can throw up on the pole as well. It is one of the best pegs on the complex.
Pegs 8 to 12 is a "bowl" and at times the no chuck rule can apply in the open matches. Please check. Ask Dave (owner). These pegs can be good as you can have some room, therefore good pole pegs at times. Pegs are 5 foot deep, which is nice depth.
Dave Bird (owner)
Peg 12/13 is on the point of the Island. The way the pegs have been done, they are pointing in the same direction. Be civilised and sort out who throwing where. Remember it's only fishing!!!
Peg 14 good area still. About 50 ish yard chuck to the island.
Peg 16 on the rope.
Peg 18
Peg 21 starts getting into the deep water.
Peg 23 I've got a love hate relationship with this peg, I either do really well off this peg or come last.
Peg 24 deep water on pole, 7 foot on normal winter levels. Can be great and can be void.... I've had good and bad days on this peg. Love hate relationship again.
Peg 25 is 23 ish metres wide, deep on pole line still. On the rope
Peg 27 is normally a great winter peg. Full of F1's
Peg 32 is normally great winter peg, as the F1's shoal up there other pole line. Peg 35. On the rope
Peg 37 is shallow part of the lake.
Middle Pool
Me and Gary Watts.
Middle Pool has the largest head of carp out of the 5 lakes, there is loads of F1's and some decent Skimmers. Not so many little fish or "nuisance fish". This is rectangle shaped lake, it can be wind dominated at times.
In the Summer margins can be really good, especially on the end pegs, or if you have every other peg in matches. Meat at 5 metres can be highly productive and if the fish are blowing lots on your feed, then paste can be awesome. Again pellets is a one of the best baits.
Peg 1 is on the narrower part of the lake.
Peg 4 has been a brilliant peg this winter (2020). The carp and F1's aren't always up this end.
Peg 6 on the rope, deeper edge to your left but your sat on it. Fish peg 7 over to 6 would be a good option if available?
Peg 7 is on left side of rope. Sometimes I wanted to borrow the rope and tie myself to a tree in the winter 2015!
Peg 12 is normally the end peg in matches and can be feast or famine peg. I would say this is the shallower end and has a bit of slit up this end. 5 foot at normally levels at 13 metres.
Peg 25 is on the rope, maybe one of the most consistent pegs on the lake, it normally always worth a few fish. Not saying its the best peg, as the lake in recent times (2020) has be dominated by one end or the other normally, especially in the winter. Fish do have fins and do move around, the beauty of the lake is there is a lot of carp, so you can catch a decent weight quite quickly.
Peg 26, is where I was lucky enough to do 353lb, which is current venue record to this day (20/04/20)
This is my favourite lake to pleasure fish, especially in the evenings after the matches, as there is loads of big carp in the margins in the summer. It has some beautiful fish in the lake.
Pegs 8 and 10 every good area of the lake. Sometimes in the winter the fish sit in the middle of the lake.
Peg 12 good corner peg, if it's an end peg, as in the opens peg 17 can be next peg. Dave tries to spread you around when he has the room.
Steve Marshall
Pegs 15, 16, 17
These pegs are facing up the lake, so be mindful where your casting, as it will get a little tight.
Peg 17 is the normally pegged in opens and have plenty of room. It can be a great peg when warm wind is blowing into your bank. Drew it a few times, would suggest priming the edge, as your may catch some great big carp.down.the edge. Some big ghost carp in the lake, they can be big and very wise...
Peg 18 is on the point, not normally pegged in opens.
Peg 38 My favourite peg on boundary, such a good peg. It's centre of the lake, and great pole peg! Peg 39Just going around the point, this is normally an end peg in the open matches.
Ash Pool
It's up to 7 foot, maybe 8 foot if water table is high! A great little lake. Massive head of skimmers and F1's.
Normally pegs 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20 are the most consistent pegs on the lake. Personally I think it's out and out pole lake for 80% of the time. Pellets and more pellets!! Spring time, worms and casters can be deadly and there is some monster carp, 20lbers,
Mark Malin catching 19lb 3oz carp from Ash Pool in 2015 festival
Peg 26 Island Pool
40lb
4 points
No good.
30 fished
I don't like making at excuses when I've done badly, so I won't start now. The Peg was worth 60lb, but I figured it out too late! Tried to fish the pole at 13 meters, there was fish there, but had 2 and lost 3 wasn't looking good. Fishing a 4 foot line between pole tipping float was worth doing, but didn't and couldn't read the bites correctly so unfortunately foul hooked a couple of big carp, but wasn't lucky enough to get them out!!
Bread 3/4 was pants!
Caught best 1 meter off far bank, on pellet feeder and when it went mega tough, fished smelly meat. Wish I done it earlier, but I felt smelly meat is better for lumps (carp) but the F1'S and a couple of carp too a shine to it.
Well done to Glen for winning the middle pool and coming second overall. Legend
It took an age to catch!!! Mark Malin had 6 fish to my 1 at the beginning of the match. It was very frustrating as I lost 4 carp, one broke me at the death on the pole, and 3 hook pulls on smelly meat! Proper fish. Cost me the match.
Peg 9 Field lake
67lb 6oz
2nd on lake
2nd overall individually
Won pairs
A bit of a strange match for me, first 6 puts saw me catch 6 carp, which resulted in a few friendly groans. However, it soon went a little tits up, as the fish switched off and struggled to catch. Caught a few good skimmers on pellets and some roach at 7 meters....
I had 10lb 1oz silvers and 57lb 5oz carp (didn't count about 15).
---
Mark Malin
Peg 11
2nd on lake
60lb 10oz
Mark Malin caught 8 carp and F1's in the first 45 minutes on bread. Then fished pellets long and maggots short.
Peg 25 island
67lb 8oz
Won section
2nd overall
16 fished
I didn't fancy peg 25 on Island Pool, especially with pegs 23 and 27 in. But there was some big carp on the pole line, so was lucky. 9 carp, 2 f1 and 2 skimmers for 75lb. But I was over in my net by 8lb and therefore got knocked back. But my good friend won, so.didn't really matter.
