Mathern Mill Open 8/2/2020

Short drive today to Mathern. 24 fishing and both lake were being used. Into the draw bag and peg 11 on Motorway lake comes out. Useually a very good silvers peg , but as I didnt go into the silvers pool that spoiled things. I will keep this very very short. The lake fished CRAAAAAAP. Hardly anything caught from what i could see. All I had was two big skimmers and lost two at the net, but fishing with carp gear the elastic was probably too heavy. I also lost one of the lake huge carp that did its best to pull me in before the hook got straightened out. And apart from that I missed one bite. packed up with an hour to go as I just couldn`t see anything improving. When you see anglers of the caliber of Craig Challingsworth and Gabe Scarba packing up way before me you know its bad. Didn`t hang around for the results so no idea what won it. I was home drinking coffee before rhe match ended. Winter league at Landsend next week. Hope thats a bit better.

Landsend Winter league round 4

Lake three today for round four and the wind was blowing a hooligan. I was last in the line for the draw and was left with peg 70. Its a decent draw on its day but the weights have been coming from the other end of the lake lately. I needed to do well today as Im at the top at the mo but might miss the next match so cant afford to drop a result yet. I was glad to see the wind that was pretty strong stood up on the bank wasnt doing anything at water level. I set up to dob bread along the end bank, and fish short with meat short and close to the weed bed to the right, plus an edge rig to my right. Started at 14 1/2m in the corner by the spit and had a good first hour taking 7. But I did loose a few too and with them wrapping around the post along the end bank it spooked them and they dissapeared. So I came into the edge and took one straight away. Then had a double first drop on the short meat line, but that was the only bite there. 3 hours and 50lb in the net. Doing ok. It slowed up a bit for ages. I took a couple more plus some roach down the edge and a couple on meat close to the weed bed. Then in the last couple of minutes another from the dobbing line. Thought I had low 70`s at the end. The far side of the lake was first to weigh and Rob Watts on 55 was well ahead with 84-10. Didnt think I could beat that. Rod Wootton on 62 had 57-02 and John Hawkins on 66 had 59-10. I was last to weigh and was surprised when I put 89-08 on the scales for the win. My guess was well out today. That put`s me a few point ahead overall with two to go. Full results below.

Overall standings.
1st Stu Barnett  7 points, 308lb
2nd Lee Williams 15pts, 239-10
3rd Steve Seager 18pts,  213-04
4th John Hawkins 19pts210-09
5th Rod Wooton 22pts, 191-03

Mathern Mill saturday open 25/01/2020

Off to mathern today for one of Norm Sterrys knock ups. had last peg in the bag and I was on 22. Pretty happy with that. Was hoping to catch on wag with bread or bomb and pellet to the island today as this works well in this peg. 40 minutes swapping between the two and never ha a bite. id been feeding maggot to the airator at 14 1/2 meters and dropped in on that line. thie float settled and kept going. but after a minute in just pulled out. Came back with a scale on the hook. Over the next two hours I lost 5 and landed 1 on this line, mainly foul hookers, but nobody was catching much so I stayed on it as there were obviously fish there. I did chuck a bomb on the same line to try and stop the foulers but had just one skimmer on that. So 3 hours and one carp and one skimmer. Not going well. The fact I was struggling to see my float at times through the mist didnt help. Then I started to land a few and they just got bigger, with the first 4 going around 50lb, with the biggest weighed at the end at dead on 20lb. By the end I landed 10, all on double maggot, for 100-6 including the skimmer. Some big boys in that place. That got me first place on the day and the first time I had picked up any coin here for 18 months I recon. Not been doing any good for ages at Mathern Second was fishery regular Rich Heatley with 58-4 from peg 7 on pole and maggot. Third was  Andy Gard from peg 10 with 46-12.  Full results below.

Landsend saturday open 18/1/2020

First frost for ages today and the night temp was zero compared to the 8`s and 9`s of the last couple of weeks. I thought 12 fished but the weigh sheet only shows 10. Lake three today which is ok as the winner can come from anywhere. Into the draw bucket and 55 sticks. corner peg top end of the lake. happy enough with that. Opposite I had the resident Silverback in the shape of Rod Wootton for company on peg 58.

And with Steve Seager at the other end it was gonna be  some load piss taking today. I wasnt setup in time so I chucked the bomb out, with a popped up wafter, to the end of the island, and before I could do anything the rod was almost dragged in. Landed it and chucked it again. Got my bait out and off it went again. Nice start, 17lb in 10 minutes. Got sorted and the tip never moved agian. Started on the  pole at the spit but only got one perch. A good one of 1-05.

Fished a silvers line on maggot at 10 meters but never had a bite on that line. so after an hour came into my short meat line at 7 meters slightly to the right. Sat on it for ten minutes fe ore the float went. A big boy around 12lb in the net. Next drop in the same. long wait then a decent carp. It went quiet so switched to the right margin wher Id fed meat and 6mm`s. Same again long wait then a carp netted. Rod had a very slow start but had started to get the odd fish. Bites were far and few between but by switchuing around my meat lines I didnt miss many and landed everything I hooked. At the end I had 12 good carp and the one perch, and it was hady getting a 6 pounder on the whistle as Rod had a strong last 2 hours and it was close. Too close. He has 71-08 and I just pipped him for the win with 73-14. Third was Dan ? on 61 with 47lb. Two weeks in a row ive not lost a single fish. Must be getting better at this game. High light of the day is always taking a quid off of Russ Peck. Cheers mate.

Still foggy when we left so couldnt resist the piccie.

Full results below

Landsend winter league round 3.

Round three and we were back on match lake today. I was lying second after the first two rounds so a good draw was paramount today. Into the draw bucket early while all the good stuff was left and out pops peg 15. Very happy with that. Its a nice consistant peg that usually feature in the results.The water was very clear today so I didnt think it would fish too good on the top shelf but I still set up a rig to fish against the island. ya just got to try it. A rig for down both edges though I did fish bottom of the first shelf in about 3 foot. And two rigs for doen the track. One for silvers and one or carp over the same line. I also set up a bomb rod to chuck out when it was coffee time. Or when I get in my usual tangles. Started in the soft pellet over micros to see what was about but 20 minute and one tiny roach ws enough of that. Over to the island ẁith 6mm banded as id been pinging 4`s. Didnt take long and I hit my first carp. Not big but I was off the mark. Nick Duckett to my right had two in the net by then. Rod "Silver back" Wootton was struggling and not getting any bites. After an hour Id had three small carp for about 10lb but was well behind John Hawkins who was off to a flyer in peg 11. It went quiet across. Infact I never has another bite across all day. So I switched around from the edge to the track but only another roach in the next hour. Then I got my first fish down the left edge for about 7lb. Simon Hawkins in 13 started to get a few down the end bank and John was still catching regular. Down to my right was very quiet. I fancied a coffee so I chucked the bomb into the deep hole 14 meters to my left that Id been feeding. I fished it with a wafter popped up about an inch off the bottom. I was on my second biscuit when the tip ripped round and carp 4 was landed. But no more action after that so back to swapping lines. Half hour later and tangle number one so chucked the bomb again while I rigged up. Tip flew round again and abother in the net. Then I had three down my edge on corn before it went quiet there. no bites anywhere for a bit so the trusty bomb went out. Two fish in ten minutes and a missed bite and I though it was worth dropping a rig over it with corn on. I started to get a few but it was hard work dragging them round from 14 meters to my left. Nick And Rod were catching well now and both were catching me up. Nick was getting a fish most drop in`s on meat short. John opposite had a bad last two hours so it was going to be close. It did help when I had a 12 pounder at the end. When the scales got to our side of the lake I was surprised to see John had 86lb. Id though he had well over a ton but he did have the end bank fish that can be a bit small. Simon, who was fishing his first ever match had 43-01 in peg 13, so well done to him. I was guessing on 75lb and was very close with 77-10 for second on the day. Nick had a flying finish and was very close to catching me with 69-05 for third. And Rod sneaked a few more than I though for 64-01. The second place puts me top now with my dropper still to go, so all`s good so far. Three weeks to the next one so a couple of practices are in order. Full results below.

Mathern Mill saturday open.

A quick 5 minute drive tody to Mathern. 20 fishing so it was run as 2 matches over the two lakes. I didnt mind where I drew on either lake as long as I avoided pegs 24 or 25 on the motorway lake. it seams its all I draw there and a different view would be nice. So I dive into the draw bag first. Peg 25 on the motorway lake comes out. Well theres a surprise. I should put money on it. Last time I fished it, it was a silvers match and caught nothing but carp so I was hoping today was gonna be the same. it was just gonna be a maggot day today, after an enitial go on bomb and pellet to the island. Half hour on that and no pull rounds but I did get a couple of liners so i was hopefull id get some later. Out to the airator which is suspended from a rope that is only 2 meters to my left, that makes it a very narrow peg. but that was biteless as well. so I went to 13 meters to the sunken weed bed to my right. that was after a word with the guy to my right that though it was ok to cast his bomb 40 meters to where I was feeding a spot to fish 13 meters to. It took about 15 minutes to get a bite but when I did I knew id hooked one of the lakes big boys. In 5 I barely got it off the bottom and was seeing tail paterns in 6 feet of water. I did get it close in but my elastic was bottomed out and with a shake of its head it snapped me off. Next drop in and I had a big skimmer close to 3lb. I was off the mark after 90 minute. To my left Rob jones was also struggling on the pole and had 1 carp at that time and a few tiny silvers. My line went quiet so it was back to the airator where I did take one carp and another skimmer. Rob took a couple more carp. But it went quiet again for him. I went back to my right and hooked another carp, I think Frankie Dettori was on his back, and I struggled to get it in the net. Two carp for a good 25lb. the pattern continued with another skimmer then nothing. Very strange. this happened 5 times during the match. It was like they were buddying up. And that was all I had. Rob next to me hit the jackpot, as he switched to punch bread fished mid depth on the wag, of which I had neither of to follow him, and cleaned up big time the last two and half hours he couldnt go wrong and I recon he put 150lb in the net in that time and he finished with 207lb for an easy win. Well and truely spanked off the next peg. I finished with 5 carp and five skimmers for 66lb. Norm sterry was second on our lake with 140lb plus. Top lake was won with 99-01. full results below.

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Acorn new years eve open.

It was off to Acorn for me today for the last match of the year. pulled up at the venue and found the carpark full so a good turn out. Then I was told I had to book in which i hadnt done. two weeks ago the tuesday match attracted 6 of us so I had no idea I had to book in. But Mike Chapman said we could fit a couple more pegs in as I wasnt the only one. Anywhere along the House bank would do me today as its where the fish live at the mo and i havent drawn down there for ages. But no Peg 24 for me. Not impressed. This wont be a long blog. I started on 2+2 and maggot over micros to see what was about. 15 minutes in and no bites. so it was across to the island where Id been pinging 4mm pellets. I had a carp pretty quick and it was followed quickly by 2 more and one lost. $0 minutes in and I had 13lb in the netb and was probably infront at that time. Well the next 4 1/2 hours produced another 3lb of silvers and one was a big skimmer over 2lb. Talk about going tits up. Hardly any bites anywhere. I ended up with a total of 16-04. Steve Howell to my right caught a few under the bridge after a decent start catching across and put 26-10. and Mark Bartlett went for silvers all day and had 5-10 to my right on 26. the match was won by Bob Smith on peg 5 with 63-4 catching across to the island and down the edge late. second was W Mitchell on 6 with 51-08 so all the weights were in the same area again leaving us at the top end struggling. About time those fish learned they can swim and move araound the lake. Happy new year to all and see you on the bank in 2020.