Finally it was looking like we might have some decent weather at the weekend and I was really looking forward to fishing Todber again although I’m having a bit of a lean spell at the moment and I had a horrible feeling I was due a draw at the near end. After a NPB (Next Peg Battering) of epic proportions last Saturday when Mike gave me a proper spanking using the maggot feeder, I had a rod and reel with me this week (although I had to buy some maggot feeders in the shop as I haven’t used one for probably 25 years!).
After the usual cracking breakfast, it was time for the draw and JC was in charge of proceedings today. I decided to stick with the tactic of having one of the last pegs in the bucket as it’s been working pretty well and when I opened the ticket, I was on 70 which is exactly where you need to be. My neighbours for the day were Adrian Dew on 69 who wanted his pound back from last week and Martin Fuller to my right while Nick P drew 74 and Parker ‘The Pole’ was on 67.
I set up the usual rigs, a Preston Innovations F1 Maggot for 13 metres plus a 0.2 gram rig to fish through the water and then as I began assembling the feeder rod, word had obviously got around as for several pegs either side, crash helmets and tin hats were being put on and a no fly zone was advised for low flying aircraft! On the side tray I had a few disco pinkies, lots of maggots and some Bait-Tech Special G F1 Dark.
We got underway and I fed the 13 metre groundbait line quite positively and began pinging maggots at the same distance to the left before starting on the maggot feeder. First cast I missed a bite and then second chuck the tip pulled round and I was into a decent fish which turned out to be a 2lb skimmer! A couple of decent roach followed and I was getting loads of indications. Ade and Lee Jan to his left were also catching on the feeder although all three of us were missing some really good bites.
I was getting some lovely ide between 12oz and a pound and after an hour I was on 18 fish for 8-10lb and doing well. Bites were coming within seconds of the feeder hitting the water and on several occasions, if I missed one, I could put the rod on the rest again and have a second bite (pun intended) of the cherry. The second sixty minutes saw me add another 13 fish (mainly ide) and I was up to 45 by the end of the third hour.
The missed bite madness was insane though as they were almost pulling the rod off the rest and you’d pick up and there was nothing on! Ade had a couple of no balls and a wide where he lost feeders and had to spend ages setting up again while Lee and Martin had started catching some big skimmers on the pole and with Matt Skyme on 72 also catching really well, it was difficult to gauge how you were doing.
I had a look on the pole and had two lovely roach but was also getting quite a few small fish and it felt like I was losing my way so I fed three pots of groundbait at 14.5 metres and went back on the feeder to let it settle. I was getting odd fish but also pulled out of several and was waiting longer for bites while the anglers on the pole seemed to be getting one a bung.
Back on the pole I had one half decent skimmer but it seemed to take an age between bites and I wasn’t putting much in the net at all. As we headed towards the end of the match, the pole anglers seemed to be catching in spells whereas I hadn’t got my pole lines to work at all. With just 15 minutes remaining, I gave my head a wobble and went back on the feeder. Four big ide in as many chucks and with time running out I could hear the buggy with the scales making their way up from the shop so quickly cast out without filling the feeder and the tip went straight round with another ide. I safely netted that one and they still hadn’t beeped to end the match so chucked it back out and was into another which I landed after the all out.
The scales started at our end and when they reached Martin next door I went to have a look, Pete Neate on 75 had weighed 24lb 4oz, Nick had 17lb 2oz, Tony Gilbert weighed 25lb 15oz and Matt Skyme was leading with a brilliant 38lb 2oz. Martin had some big skimmers for 30lb 12oz and then it was me, I had 65 fish (plus some smaller ones I hadn’t clicked) which I thought might go 32-34lb if they averaged 8oz apiece. I emptied both nets into the weigh bucket and it was called at 40lb 9oz, a lovely day but I still wasn’t sure it would be enough to frame!
Tony had 25lb 15oz which included some big skimmers on 73*
Matt Skyme had a lovely net of fish for 38lb 2oz*
Martin had 30lb 12oz of mainly skimmers on 71*
I caught ide, skimmers, roach and hybrids for 40lb 9oz*
Adrian had 24lb 4oz so the pound ceremony took place once again and Lee had another great net of skimmers for 31lb 6oz. Steve P had 7lb 8oz, Dave G weighed 11lb 4oz and then Mark Brennan had some big skimmers/bream for 34lb 14oz to put him third so far. Mike H on 64 had another nice day with 26lb 10oz, Karl weighed 12lb and Andy Akehurst did brilliantly on 62 with 30lb 8oz. Photos courtesy of Todber Manor* and Adrian Dew**
Adrian weighed 24lb 4oz*
The pound exchanging ceremony!**
Lee had another brilliant net of fish for 31lb 6oz*
Mark Brennan had some big skimmers/bream in his 34lb 14oz*
Mike on 64 weighed 26lb 10oz*
Andy A did well on 62 to weigh 30lb 8oz of mainly ide and roach*
1 – Jamie Rich (Bait-Tech/Colmic) – 40lb 9oz
2 – Matt Skyme (Todber) – 38lb 2oz
3 – Mark Brennan (Todber) – 34lb 14oz
I had a nice pick up of £90 for winning and it had been a superb day from start to finish with a lovely breakfast, brilliant fishing, top notch banter and plenty of laughs in great company. If I’m honest I got away with that one somewhat as I lost my way mid match and should have spent more time on the feeder as 45lb+ was on the cards and in the end, that last 15 mins was crucial!
The sheer number of bites I missed was silly and I wonder if hair rigged or banded maggots might have helped, also I’m going to try a different hook pattern next time as I had issues with the points blunting today. It’s fantastic fishing and so nice knowing your not going to hook loads of carp (there are still a few in there). With decent weights coming out at both ends along with numerous 30lb+ and mid twenty pound nets, hopefully the fish have spread out now with some milder weather. The fishing could be awesome with lots of methods/baits coming into play as some fish are starting to come out short and in the margins and it’ll be really interesting to see how it changes as it warms up.
£2 from Nick P and me plus Adrian’s nugget saw the Nugget-O-Meter rise to £186.
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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