I really enjoyed fishing the feeder in a few matches at Dillington last year so was looking forward to my first visit of 2024. It was a Stoke charity match and Ilminster AA had very kindly let us have the venue for the day. After doing well on 18 last time, I fancied the pegs on the near side but was happy enough when I pulled out peg 7 on the opposite bank.
I set up my Guru 11ft N-Gauge rod with a little cage feeder, twizzled boom and a size 14 Guru Pole Special to 0.14mm which I was trying for the first time. Only one pole rig today, a 0.4 gram Perfect Gloucester to a 0.10mm bottom and a size 18 Guru Pole Special hook. On the side tray I had maggots, casters, hemp, worm plus Bait-Tech Pro Nat Bream Dark.
On the whistle, I cupped in a ball of groundbait at 13 metres and then had five casts on a feeder line angled to the right before feeding another line to the left more positively. Starting on the pole, it certainly wasn’t fast and furious and after 45 minutes, I only had two roach and a rudd. Les over on 14 netted a nice skimmer on the feeder which was all the excuse I needed to swap from pole to rod.
With three dead reds on the hook, I started on the negative line and first chuck as I tightened up, the tip just carried on going round! A big skimmer around 2.5lb was a great first fish on the feeder and over the next three quarters of an hour it felt like there were a few fish there as I had two more and missed a bite.
I tried the other line and was getting the odd indication but no positive bites, it was same back on the negative swim and from doing well I was now struggling. From what I could see, there was the odd fish being caught, Priv on 16 had landed a nice chub and Norts two pegs to my right was now on three skimmers as well.
Swapping to a window feeder, I made a sloppier groundbait mix in a separate bowl and had several chucks on both lines, trying to invoke a response. I did have quite a few rattles but I think it was small fish. Nick on peg 9 struck into a good fish on the pole and landed a nice perch and then had two chub in quick succession before losing one. Norts had a couple more big skimmers whereas I couldn’t get a bite and from having those three skimmers after ninety minutes, I’ve not had another fish for three hours!
Nick then had his fourth decent fish, a big skimmer, and then added another one not long after. With an hour and a quarter remaining the scores on the doors were as follows, Norts was on six or seven decent skimmers, Nick had two chub, two big skimmers and that perch, I had three skimmers, Les had landed a couple of decent fish as had Dave Nash and Paul Smith over on 17 and 18. Priv and Parker ‘The Pole’ both had at least one decent fish apiece and then you had Dave Pope and Bagger Burton on fancied pegs 1 and 2, who I couldn’t really see along with Fieldy and Terry on 22 and 23.
Then my tips flown round with my fourth skimmer, number five followed and it was beginning to get interesting with an hour still left on the clock. Dave ‘Bombardier’ Phillips on peg 6 decided it was ‘that time’ and the Dambuster’s theme started up as he unleashed a salvo of groundbait on his pole line before topping up with a liberal carpet bombing of pellets!
Another good bite saw me playing a skimmer carefully as it would edge me ahead of Nick and put me within touching distance of Norts. It was near netting range when it snagged me, I tried changing angles, letting the line go slack but it was solid and while I was faffing about, Norts had another fish to go even further ahead. Resigned to losing the fish and desperately hoping I wouldn’t lose the whole rig, I tightened up and went to pull for a break but then felt something give and the fish was free! It wasn’t a big fish, probably a pound or so but very welcome all the same.
Nick hooked a big fish that tore off and snapped him, so probably a carp and then Dave was into a decent chub which came to the top waving a white flag with a crash helmet on! Next chuck he had another shell shocked chub and then my tip went round again with skimmer number seven but as I looked right, Norts was in yet again and I just couldn’t close the gap on him.
With only a few minutes left, my tips gone again and number eight was on, I landed it safely and just about had enough time to chuck the feeder back out before the end of the match. After packing up, I went to give Norts a hand with the weigh in, Dave Pope on peg 1 had a big chub of 4lb 9oz plus a skimmer and bits for 5lb 11oz and then Bagger Burton weighed 5lb 1oz which included a nice skimmer.
Dave ‘The Chub Cuddler’ Pope weighed 5lb 11oz
Bagger Burton on peg 2 had 5lb 1oz
Norts was next and his ten big skimmers went 24lb 6oz, a lovely net of fish which would win today, Dave P had those two chub and some perch for 7lb 6oz, my fish went 17lb 7oz and then Nick weighed 12lb 15oz.
Norts had the top weight on the day with 24lb 6oz of skimmers
Dave Phillips had 7lb 6oz which included two nice chub
I was second with eight skimmers, two roach and a rudd for 17lb 7oz
Nick was third with a nice mixed bag weighing 12lb 15oz
Back at the results and Les had the top weight in the other section with a 5lb chub and some decent skimmers for 12lb 7oz, Dave Nash weighed 9lb 12oz which included a big skimmer, Paul Smith had three decent skimmers for 8lb 11oz, PTP and Priv both weighed 3lb 10oz and Fieldy and Terry didn’t weigh. Thanks to Terry Morgan for the photos*
Les had a big chub and some skimmers to win the section with 12lb 7oz*
Dave Nash weighed 9lb 12oz on peg 17*
Paul Smith had three big skimmers and some bits for 8lb 11oz*
1 – Chris Norton (Stoke) – 24lb 6oz
2 – Jamie Rich (Against Men and Fish) – 17lb 7oz
3 – Nick Payne (Ilminster) – 12lb 5oz
Sections
A – Les Braunton (Stoke) – 12lb 7oz
B – Dave Phillips (Stoke) – 7lb 6oz
Another good match with some nice bags of fish caught, I picked up £45 for second place and had really enjoyed fishing the feeder again. The anglers raised £130 for Stoke’s charity and Chris Haines also very kindly donated £20. A big thanks to IAA for letting us have the use of the pond and Charlotte at Ilminster Bowling Club for looking after us in the morning.
I had a pound off Nick and Norts took one off me, both were added to the Nugget-O-Meter which now stands at £132.
There’s still a great offer running if you fancy treating yourself to some new fishing gear, use the exclusive discount code AgainstMenandFish10 to get 10% off when you shop online at Somerset Angling
Also I still have copies of my book available from eBay here or Amazon here
And if you could spare five minutes to leave a nice review on Amazon, it would be very much appreciated.
Next up – Summerhayes
Coming soon – Lots more match reports
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