Alvechurch Fisheries

Peg 13
72lb 12oz
Won lake (by an ounce)
Won pairs

I've had a great run at Alvechurch lakes, I've drawn some great pegs too, you can't have a great runight without been lucky.  And today I've drawn peg 13, which is normally a good area.

Was chuffed to win the lake by 1oz and win the pairs by a few points with Gary Donachie.  Gary fished really well, as he's never seen the Colmic Canal Lake.

Edge Fishing

Fishing down the Edge

Fishing down the edge has been a life saver for me on the last couple of matches.  It's great as you normally, not always, tend to catch a lot bigger fish. 

I was lucky enough to catch some decent fish on my Dad's Memorial match at Bourton. 

Ive done a couple of basic videos below on margin fishing.

Small video at Alders Farm Fishery 

Liam Dennick talks through his margin rig at Manor Farm Leisure.

British Pole champs

Peg 66
51lb
Got battered

A long drive to Hayfield Lakes, especially after another long day yesterday on Div 1 National yesterday.  Only applied for two Maver Match This tickets this year and drew a flyer at the Glede, peg 79, felt the peg was worth more and should be in the final.  Never mind, will have a go next year chasing rainbows. 

Today's match saw me draw peg 66, which looked like to could to tough.  As five pegs were all in a line.  So maybe up against it in a good area?  

I struggled from start to finish, and got a sore neck as they were all catching to my left..... enough said.

Division One National

G8
1kg 70 grams
22nd out of 49
Team was 8th overall

This years National was the Shropshire Union canal, as I decided to fish a few more natural venues, I thought this would a good venue to go to and it's not too fair away.

I feel I peaked too earlier on the practice matches as I won my section first visit and unfortunately it went down hill from there, as my other two practice matches were a little rough, lack of bites and no lucky bonus fish, depsite giving it a proper go... I learnt a few things on the way

Chop Worm

This was like a lot of venues I fish.  First hit (feeding) is normally always your most productive.  Topping up normally becomes weaker.  No issue with this.

However, rigs were so wrong, soon realised that 1 gram rigs are better, fished over depth with PROPER lines and hooks.  Eels were big and a few landed and more lost.    Bait droppers also important.  Potting weren't a good idea.  One thing I'd like to say, I never hooked or got an eel.  But speaking to locals (very helpful), you can see this was right. 

Colmic Stream floats  (1 gram)

Bread 

Know I wrote this off, as I felt the canal was too coloured and too many boats.  Again I was wrong, and this potentially cost me my section on the Individual national, as the guy next to me on the Individual National caught more roach than the whole section put together.  But he caught them against the far bank,  so got caught out?  However, come today, I had two gudgeon on it and only managed managed a couple of roach on squatt..... also either side never caught many roach.  Shaun Townsend fished bread down middle of canal on today's match and never had a bite.  Thanks for three punch, despite never having a bite on it.

Double leam mix

Targeting gudgeon at 2 meters with the hardest balls of leam with a few dead pinkies was a good through away line and good for a couple of fish and good way to rest lines and hopefully put some fish in the net.  49 people in the section, grams to count.  I got done by 10 grams and another 100 grams would of gave me 5 more points.  Massive across a team of ten.....

Squatt line

For me, normally find two of water and that is your squatt line for roach.  

You are able to see the results for the National below...

Results

Alvechurch Fisheries

Peg 36
114lb
2nd
14 fished

 

I do always look forward to fishing Alvechurch, especially the Horseshoe lake

 

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Maver Match This

Peg 79
147lb
3rd overall
109 fished?

This is my second visit to the Glede, last time I fished the Glede was years ago on a MFS match.  So my knowledge of the venue is very limited.  Some it was going to be a pellet match for me and maggots down the edge..... simple.

The event for the Maver Match This was a sell out, as always, so ensured I got my ticket early.  Drew peg 79, lake 5 and Andy Kinder said it was a good draw.  So happy days and on arrival peg 78 was empty, so was chuffed to have an empty peg, so was happy with that.

Started on cage feeder and caught two early carp and then dropped on the pole line short and had a steady run of small carp and then this faded and spent too long waiting for bites and pulled out of three carp in a row?!  Went on long pole and caught steady on lasso 6mm pellets.  Edge was poor, was too bright, only managed 4 carp down the edge and pulled out of one.  Wish I stayed on the past line at 5 meters.  Funny bites on paste.

Disappointed not to do better, but third overall was still quite good. I wish I could have another go at it again.  Peg was worth 200lb.

Gear used

Colmic Airon F66 pole

Pellet Rig
0.2 gram float Jon Walker
0.20 Colmic Spider
0.165 Colmic Stream

Paste Rig
0.3 gram float.  Jon Walker
0.209 Colmic Spider straight through

Shropshire Union Canal

Peg 123
1kg 310 grams
Third in section (10 pegs)
160 plus fished today

On the Individual National today, good practice session for the team event the following week.  However, lobs worms is my key bait today, as I'm fishing to win.

Unfortunately my float only went under once. 1 perch.

Don't want to go into detail about my match.  As I don't wanna give anything away.  Will do a decent write up in a weeks time.

Alvechurch Fishery. Horseshoe Lake

Peg 11
157lb
1st place
14 fished

Mick Telling Memorial Final

Bourton on the Water
Peg 9
113lb
1st
12 fished

Me and my Mum

Obviously been my dads match it means a lot to me, as you can imagine.  Years ago, when I was a boy I used to fish it with my family and then for my Uncles memorial match too (uncle john, had to be "uncle John").    So I had so back ground knowledge was good, but haven't fished it for years so was unsure how it was fishing.  Laurie Lang was help to us, as he run matches (opens) prior to the event, so people could practice if they wanted to.  Unfortunately for me, just couldn't get the time off with two jobs!!!! So I was going in blind.

For me, I was going to be very narrow minded, as I was told that Rudd were a problem, so I was going to fish paste short and maybe long (10 meters) and maggots and mircos down the edge.  I brought a gallon of reds to unsure I wasn't under gunned.....

My second best mate (Frank Donachie) was watching me and the paste presentation was a nightmare, couldn't present it right and was concerned I was missing out on the early "mug" fish.  To cut a long story short, I switched to maggots over depth and feed mircos and maggots long and this helped me no end, then the wind dead down and then fish hard pellet and caught steady after a rally poor 1.5 hours!!

Big potting down the edge was awful, and toss potted maggots and mircos and waited for bites, this was SO MUCH better, so fed next to nothing.  Basically it was a match where the less I feed the more I caught.

Was very pleased and relieved to win the match, as it was tough and got me thinking and I pulled it back from 5.30, and caught some decent fish down the edge which help me pin Jamie.  So I only best Jamie by 14lb, which was only two fish.  So close match.

Congratulations to all finalists for getting to the final 

Many thanks to D&J sports for donating the trophies and thank you to Colmic for donating the rod and clothing.

1. Chris Telling 113lb 2oz
2. Jamie Read 98lb 15oz
3. Gary Donachie 79lb 14oz
4. Nathan Reeves 72lb
5. John Williams 65lb 7oz
6. Martin Price 64lb 4oz
7. Martyn Howard 60lb 9oz
8. Daddy price 53lb 1oz
9. Stephen Partington 52lb 2oz
10. Jeremy Benson 50lb 10oz
11. Martin Wickens 49lb 8oz
12. Andy Burns 41lb 8oz

Just qualifier will be end of June 2018 (last weekend) at Marlborough canal.

Jamie Read

Gary Donachie

Mick Telling Finalists 2017

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Shropshire union canal

J34
1lb 1oz
No good
140 ish people fished the match