Welcome to my first blog entry and thank you for visiting. I hope you find it a decent read!
Sunday finally saw us begin the NW Maggotdrowners Winter League after 3 postponements due to the lovely weather we've had since before Christmas! We did attempt to begin the league before Christmas at Bannister House farm however after 2 bite less hours for all but 3 anglers and the ice freezing up the lake faster than we could break it - the match as a league match was abandoned!
I did worry, that having fished my last 4 outings through ice, I may have forgotten how to fish without it - alas this was not the case. The day though didn't begin too well! As I have no storage space at home, all my gear is stored at my parents and I load up my car the day before. So after getting everything ready on Saturday night and a nice 6:30am alarm I left the house at 7:30 to arrive at the lake for 8am and have a good 30 minutes before the draw to wander round and check out the lake. This was abandoned however when only 2 miles from the fishery, I suddenly remembered my side tray was in the garage at my parents and not in my boot. Cue turn around and arrive 5 minutes before the draw so the day could really only go one way from here!
I had never fished at Charity Farm Lake 4 but have walked around so knew the layout of the lake and the fact that we'd be fishing for skimmers but not much else so didn't mind where I drew to be honest. So when I drew out peg 19 (see red circle above), it didn't mean anything to me other than I would be battling a right to left gale for the foreseeable future!
Upon arriving at the peg, I decided on a 3 pronged attack beginning with a small groundbait feeder toward the island in front, a long pole line at 13m and a short 2+2 line around 5m out. So after mixing up my groundbait (50:50 split between green Swimstim and BreamX with a few casters, pinkies and choppie) I set out setting up my feeder and pole lines. I fished a small running feeder within a loop above a further 2 loops on 0.16 mainline and a 10" hooklength to 0.12 and a PR29 18's hook. For my pole lines, I found around 7' of water at 13m which I chose a 4x14 Diamond bodies float for stability in the waves on 0.16 to a 0.12 hooklength with a PR29 18's hook to a doubled up number 5 latex. I found around 5' at 5m so fished a 4.14 round bodied float hoping the extra weight in the shallower water would assist with stability. This was on 0.16 mainline to a 0.12 hooklength with a PR29 18's hook to doubled number 5 latex.
I managed to get all my gear sorted with 10 minutes to spare so had a hot cup of tea and waited for Breamcatcher to blow his whistle. After cupping in half a pole cup of caster and chop on the 13m line and a quarter cup of flouro pinkie on the 5m line, I sat on the tip for 45 minutes which proved to be fruitless. A few liners but no real takes. So I decided to swap to the pole. After cupping in the same again and a small walnut of groundbait on the long line I baited up with a small piece of chop and had my first put in. 10 minutes later I was into my fish, a lovely pair of eyes on a hook, followed swiftly by another. I decided to feed positively as I was getting bites so put in a cad pot of 6 casters and a few pieces of chop every put in. Bites were steady and pairs of eyes were coming to the next regularly before a couple of nice skimmers approaching 1lb. A period a calm ensued before an 8oz perch and a welcome 12oz tench followed. More small roach came to the next and another skimmer before the swim went a little quiet at midday. A switch to the short line brought nothing on pinkie (strangely as the rest of the lake seemed to catch on pinkie and not a touch on chop!). I cupped in a marble sized ball of groundbait on the long line and a few casters and chop before giving the tip 20 minutes. The liners had gone and I didn't get a sniff so went back to my productive long line. DEAD! Nothing there. I had waited maximum of 5 minutes between 10 and 12 for a bite now nothing. Looking round the lake, not much was coming out - I knew someone had a tench around 3lb and a nice perch of 2lb had been banked and no doubt "I've only got 4 roach" wokkie would really have a netfull on the other side of the island but knew I needed more fish to be in with a shout. As much as this is a social thing for me and to enjoy the craic, I have never met a bloke who secretly competes in everything to win - be it the Christmas quiz at work, a 5 a side match or a winter league match in the middle of January and I am the same! I sat for the next 2 hours swapping between worm, caster, maggot and pinkie but couldn't buy a bite. Then with half an hour to go, 2 bites in 2 put ins brought me a roach of 1oz and another skimmer close to 1lb.
With the all out at 2:30 I thought I had a good chance of getting in the frame! Word came round that 5lb 15oz was winning (must have been 4 bloody big roach by Ray!!!) followed by 4lb something but the question was did I have enough??? As it turns out, I weighed in 5lb 10oz just 5oz short of 1st but as Breamcatcher says, may as well have been a million miles away! Match 2 of the year, first fish of the year and a second place to round off match 1 of the winter league and get me off to a flyer.
Off to Coppull Mill Lodge next on 30th Jan where I expect a strong performance from Breamy, Cyril, Wokkie et al seeing as its their home water!!!
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