COVID UPdate

 We have been informed that match fishing is allowed to commence after the 2nd December.

Our next fixture is at Summerhayes on Sunday 6th December, Longs Match Lake. The draw will be done on Friday evening at 7.00pm.

Please ensure you contact Steve Warren 07702 676869 to book your place by Wednesday evening.

If you live in a tier 3 area then unfortunately you can not cross the border into Somerset and therefore will not be permitted to fish.

Please ensure you bring your correct fees (£16 ) and arrive in plenty of time. Face mask are compulsory. 

No following scales, once you have weighed, please make your way home. Results will be available as per normal on the blog. Any winnings will be given the following week.

The Christmas Match (20th December) is still scheduled to go ahead and for those who have not paid and wish to fish, please can you bring your monies this week.

Shiplate 01.11.2020

The venue for todays match was the popular Shiplate Fishery which has recently been sold for 1.8million and contrary to the rumors it was not me who purchased this as I could only raise the 1.6million but it could be a joint effort of Steve Warren and his dodgy banking deals and John Wolstencroft following them taking a nice early retirement payout.  The main lake was our home for the day  with other fishing clubs on the snake lakes.

In what could be the last matches of 2020 due to the announcement made by the Government on the evening before the match we had 17 booked in for today, then a last minute drop out put us down to 16. The weather on Friday predicted heavy rain and windy conditions  but cometh the day the winds were moderate and only a couple of showers were forecast and everyone was upbeat.  Everyone was there nice and early and Steve gave the payouts to those who framed last week. 

George, his normal happy self on a Sunday morning (needs to go to bed earlier on a Saturday night ) was moaning about anything and everything and was once again the brunt of the banter. It was funny how all the framers from the previous week mentioned to George (obviously social distancing comments) about him not having a nice envelope and Danny, in the thick of things taking his pound off of George for the past 15 weeks was laying into the old Bolton Bottler. It was great banter to be part of and to be fair to George - he wasn't moaning - much!!!

Now for someone who wasn't moaning who drew peg 14 he wasn't happy, although for all the times I've fished at Shiplate, he's reminded me that he held the Silvers record from this peg up until recently. He was armed with 3 cans of sweet corn today put he didn't mention if they were full or empty.
The draw was done on Friday evening with the normal suspects around to witness the draw and Bob was owning up to buying  a new rod ready for Sunday. Phil who was self isolating was also making notes even though he couldn't attend.

Golden peg was drawn - nos 8. This has been producing well  of late which won again on Wednesday with around 100lb.

Peg - 

1 - Paul Bowyer
2 - Dave Tunstill

3 - Tony Fry

4 - Bob Pascoe

5 - no show

6 - Tony Newell

7 - Rich Coles

8 - Eric Searle

10 - John Bradford

11 - Steve Warren

12 Danny Donahay

12a - John Wolstencroft

13 - Martin Western

13a - Steve King

14 - George Fletcher

14b - Nige Coram

15 - Dave Allen

Now I thought I got to the fishery nice and early and was walking around the far side only to find that those anglers from pegs 12A - 15 were already at their pegs. They must have had some inside information and filled with hope they must have run around - with the exception of Martin who I couldn't see running anywhere to be honest.

A quick hello to Dave Allen on the end and he had that smile that he was happy, didn't need to say much, just the smile. Next to me was George who from his walk had a mood change. He was happy as Eric gave him some casters and even Steve couldn't wind him up on the Corona Virus Tongue that started this pandemic. So lots of time to set up, have a cup of tea and a natter, then the thud of heavy feet or was it a heavy foot and George showed ne the caster that Eric had given him which were all floaters, good one Eric. Not to be deterred, he gave then to Danny who never refuses free bait and the smile was back on Georges face.

Results

Overall 

1st - Steve King             - 125lb - 06oz

2nd - Dave Allen           - 107lb - 07 oz

3rd - John Wolstencroft -  105lb - 03 oz

Silvers

1st - Martin Western      - 28lb - 10oz

2nd - Dave Tuntsill        - 26lb - 03 oz

3rd - Rich Coles             - 23lb - 12 oz

So some very good weights today from all over the lake which in contrast to how the fishing has been in previous weeks and especially last week its good to see the fish on the munch before they also go into lock down.

I would like to say next up is Avalon; however with the guidelines of only 1 person seeing 1 other outside of households then its very unlikely and I can not personally see the r value coming down that much that we will be back before the new year, but i would like to be wrong.

In the meantime, please keep an eye on the blog, as when I receive any info I will update. In the mean time, stay away from those illegal raves and keep safe.  

25.10.20202 - Viaduct

Todays match was at the popular viaduct venue. Weather conditions have changed and has got a lot colder over the past couple of weeks and fishing on all venues has been hard. Hopefully for the 19 anglers booked in, today would carry on where they left off last week. 

The draw was done on Saturday Morning on zoom with Phil, Nige and Steve in attendance.

Golden peg was 115

110 - Simon Gardener

111 - Paul Bowyer

112 - Dave Tunstill

113 - George Fletcher

114 - Steve King

115 - Danny Donnahay

116 - Tony Newell

118 - Graham Burbidge

119 - Roger Coombes

123 - John Wolstencroft

124 - Eric Searle

125 - George Fletcher

126 - Bob Pascoe

127 - Dave Allen

128 - Tony Fry

129 - Martin Western

130 - Brian Chivers

131 - John Bradford

132 - Steve Warren

Results Overall

1st - Tony Newell - 69lb - 12oz

2nd - Eric Searle   - 67lb - 11oz

3rd - Tony Fry       - 44lb - 09oz

Silvers

1st  - Danny Donnahay  - 10lb - 06 oz

2nd - Paul Bowyer         - 8lb - 00 oz

3rd - Bob Pascoe            - 7lb - 10 oz

Well done to all the framers today and what appeared to be a very hard match with only just over half the attendees weighing in. Well done Danny in winning the Golden Peg but more Importantly winning that golden nugget from George again.

We hope that the fishing improves next week when we are at Shiplate on the main lake. Please book in with Steve if not already done so.

Our best wishes go to Graham Burbidge's wife who has been diagnosed with symptoms of Covid. Graham is self isolating in accordance with government guidelines. Please note we need to take this virus seriously and I remind you all to make sure you have your face mask with you, you ensure social distancing of at least 2m - there is no following the scales after the match, go to your car and go home after you have weighed in. If you can not lift very much then do not put much in your keepnet, it is your responsibility to lift your fish into the weigh sling for the persons doing the weighing.

Lets keep Angling going for as long as we can and follow the rules so we don't follow in the foot steps of those in the Northern areas of our country and lets stay safe.

18.10.2020 - Todber Manor

The annual 1off "away day"  eagerly waited by many had arrived, and the prospect of catching fish which for many of us of late has been difficult. We were on Hillview and a venue where Martin Western seems to have a particular liking after winning the last 2 outings there and actually winning the last 3 "away days", could he make it four on the trot or could someone else win. He was in with a good chance as having a nice empty peg and a the end of an island to throw to as the unlucky Paul Lock had car problems. This year the club decided to do it differently and probably fairer. There was an overall winner, a silvers winner, then 3 section winners with a golden peg in each section, albeit you had to be the overall winner to get the golden peg.

Weather at the start of the week was cold and had some rain but it changed mid week onwards and we all hoped for a dry day. The gods were on our side for once and although it was overcast we did have some sunny spells and no rain and very little wind. 

An early start for the day but it was only just over an hour away for most and with most fisheries fishing hard Todber seems to produce fish and lots of bites for everyone. Everyone was there early and eager to set up and decide their tactics for the day and everyone seemed to be in good spirits with the banter free flowing when setting up and throughout the match although some of the rubbish that comes from peoples mouths is mind boggling, was it the excitement of fishing a different venue or just high testosterone levels. Even George was in good spirits today but there was one bad grumpy sod our very own Mr Grumpy - Steve Warren who couldn't get  bite, now I think he forgot to tie any hooks or as George says "ooks" on his rigs as from the off every one was reported to be catching. To be fair he was taking the mickey out of himself and joining in the banter but he did have a very good second half of the match.

Section 1

34 - Danny Donahay
36 - Nick Selway

38 - Dave Tunstil

41 - Steve King 

43 - John Wolstencroft

44 - Tony Newel

45 - Bob Pascoe

Section 2

46 - Phil Beards

47- Shane western

48 - John Bradford

49 - Shaun Larkham

50 - Colin Lambert

51 - Nige Coram

52 - George Fletcher

53 - Steve Warren

Section 3

55 - Steve Coles

56 - Paul Bowyer

57 - Rich Coles

58 - Dave Allen

59 - Martin Western

60 - Paul Lock

61 - Tony Fry

Results

Overall weight

1st   - Martin Western - 192lb - 02 oz

Section A - John Wolstencroft

Section B - Steve Warren

Section C - Steve Coles

Silvers

1st - Paul Bowyer         - 22lb - 10 oz

Section A - Nick Selway

Section B - Colin Lambert

Section C - Rich Coles

So, he done it again, Lord C can surely only be know as Lord of the Manor with his 4th consecutive away day win and 3rd on the trot at Todber. I'm sure that winners trophy will sit pride of place on his mantle piece and we hope he shares his winnings with Paul Lock for freeing up his peg.

Well done to everyone who made the effort to attend and contributed towards an enjoyable day, well organized and fairly divided pegging. Thanks to those who helped with the weigh in.

Next week the match is at Viaduct - Cambell lake if not already done so please book in with Steve.

The draw will be live on Friday at 7pm, email or contact Steve Warren if you want to join.

 

11.10.2020 - Sedges - Tile Lake

 After last weeks disappointing results and weather conditions all anglers were hoping for  a much better day . Would it remain dry, would it be windy we could only hope that our prayers would be answered, but the most question we wanted answering was would the fish be biting. A mixed week of weather leading up to the day, showers and colder nights and a northerly wind to throw into the mix. Layers of warm clothing was definitely at the top of the list for us sat in the shade.

20 anglers were booked in,  many with wet gear from last week and these were hoping to get it dried out this week and dust off the damp mold growing on their gear.

All car parks on every fishery seem to be packed at the moment with fisheries holding many matches and  with Anglers probably attending more matches with the possibility of another lock down and wanting to get out. We are lucky at HLS, with mostly committed members turning up each week and often have to leave a few on the reserve list. This week was no different with a match on the Canal Lake and pleasure anglers on Brick.

As per normal the draw was held on Friday evening

Golden Peg nos - 

Peg

21 - John Wolstencroft

22 - Phil Beards

23 - George

24 - Tony Newell

25 - Brian

26 - Steve King

27 - Dave Tuntsil

28 - Rich Coles

29 - Danny

30 - Martin

31 - Nige

32 - Colin

33 - Steve Warren

34 - Tony Fry

35 - Shane

36 - Graham

37 - Dave Allen

38 - Roger

39 - Eric

40 - Paul

Results

Overall

1st - Martin Western - 96lb - 04 oz

2nd - Steve King       - 91lb - 13 oz

3rd - Tony Fry           - 88lb - 06 oz

Silvers

1st - Rich Coles     - 21lb - 08 oz

2nd - Paul Bowyer - 20lb - 00 oz 

3rd - George           - 11lb - 02oz

Well done to all the framers again and to Danny, Martin and Steve for weighing in.

Next week is the away match at Todber. Draw will be done on Friday evening again. Please remember to bring your face coverings for the weigh in. After the weigh in their is no waiting, results will be on the blog.

Slightly different this year as no pools - all monies paid out with overall and silvers winners and also section winners, golden peg in each section, so there's all to play for, including the Away Day Overall winners trophy, currently Martin has won the last 2 years so can he be knocked off of his perch.

Meet at normal time - before 8.30. Face mask required.

04.10.101 Trinity -Woodlands

Today’s  meeting of 23 keen anglers was on Woodlands lake. A very popular venue for many which has not been fishing very well over the past few weeks. With the weather turning cooler and heavy cold rain over the previous few days, we were going to be in for another hard days fishing.

A day of wet Windy weather was not what was hoped for and for many a day of brolley fishing and battling the elements didn’t warrant a comfortable days fishing.

The wind blew, it rained all day, only person with any sense was Graham, he paid his fees and went home. As predicted it fished really hard along with the rain and uncomfortable conditions it was a really horrible poor day.

The draw was done on Friday evening

Golden peg nos 6

Peg no’s

1. - Nick Selway

6 - Sausage

7 - Bob Pascoe

8 - Stan 

9 - George 

10 - Roger

11 - Graham

12- John Wolstencroft

13 - Nigel Coram

14 - Martin Western

20 - Tony Fry

21 - Phil Beards

22 - Dave Tunstil

22 - Shane

24 - Danny 

25 - Colin Lambert

26 - Rich Coles

27 - Eric Searle

28 - Dave Allen

29 - Brian 

30 - Steve Warren

31 - Tony Newell

32 - Steve King

Results

1st - John Wolstencroft - 59lb - 14 oz

2nd - George Fletcher - 29lb - 10 oz

3rd - Tony Newell       - 28lb - 00 oz

Silvers

1st - Rich Coles           - 19lb - 06 oz

2nd - Danny Donahay - 18lb - 08 oz

3rd - Bob Pascoe         - 8lb - 11 oz

Next up is the sedges - Tile lake - book in with Steve as per normal. Anyone who wants to see the draw then let Steve know and he will send the link. Just a reminder that all fishing times are those set in the constitution and any changes on the day must be confirmed with the match secretary. Duration is a maximum of 6 hours. Don't forget face mask for weighing in.

I saw the below in the Angling Times, sounds like they been reading my blog from a few weeks ago at Viaduct

THOU SHALT NOT… SKYLINE 

A real no-no on the match circuit, but equally applicable to pleasure angling. To skyline someone is to stand in their peg above their seated position and give the fish the chance to make out a large silhouette against the backdrop of the sky. So, if someone’s fishing in close, or up in the water, don’t come bounding over the horizon like the Jolly Green Giant. 

THOU SHALT NOT… HAVE BITE ALARMS ON FULL VOLUME

Shocking as it may seem to some anglers, all buzzers have an off switch, and many have a mute button. So, please, for the sanity of those around you, use one of them. Setting your bobbins with the alarm still screeching is like playing a Nintendo in church There’s nothing more annoying than alarms being set on full volume 

THOU SHALT NOT… LIGHT UP THE WHOLE LAKE 

Hands-free miners’ lamps are great for organising yourself at night, but do consider nearby anglers when using any form of after-dark illumination. A head-mounted beam of light points where you’re looking – and if you swivel to investigate a passing angler just remember not to blind them!

THOU SHALT NOT… OFFLOAD UNUSED BAIT

Much like failing to flush a public toilet, dumping a load of unused bait into your swim just before you leave can give the angler following in behind you a nasty surprise. By all means tip a few bits and pieces into the margins but unloading pints of maggots and kilos of pellets in the edge is poor form

THOU SHALT NOT… GO IN THE VERY NEXT SWIM

To continue the toilet analogy, just like you wouldn’t squeeze into the adjacent urinal unless there’s no other option, you don’t plot up in the next-door peg on a small venue. It might be frustrating if the fish are there but give each angler some space and cultivate your own area, unless it’s the only peg left, or the space between you is large enough.

THOU SHALT NOT… PRY FOR INFORMATION

One of fishing’s most delicious sub-plots is the extraction of information from other anglers. Getting a tip-off is a key part of the sport, but how you delicately tease that information from a stranger is an art in itself. Don’t shout across a match to the angler in the lead, ‘what you catching on, mate?’ but do consider how you might phrase an open-ended question in another scenario that secures you the vital nugget of information that you seek.

THOU SHALT NOT… GIVE AWAY HOTSPOTS

A contentious one, but an issue that strikes to the core of angling etiquette. Helping other anglers is great, and those who are willing to share the secrets of their success should be universally applauded… unless it jeopardises the hard work of others. If you know your hotspot is still being fished by someone else, don’t assume it’s okay to spread the word.

Though SHALT NOT… BE GRUMPY

We could all learn to be a bit cheerier on and off the bank – whether that’s in helping inexperienced anglers, dealing with dog-walkers and canoeists or evaluating the merits of other anglers’ catches. Remember, your dreams and benchmarks may not be the same as the next person’s.

THOU SHALT NOT… EXAGGERATE 

It’s tempting to round up the ounces or deliberately forget to take off the weight of the sling, but falsely elevating the weights of your fish will do you no favours in the long run. And when you haven’t got your scales, it’s always best to estimate a cautious weight when recalling the capture to your mates later on.

THOU SHALT NOT… ABANDON YOUR PEG

Not a widespread problem, but a bone of contention in larger winner-takes-all matches. If you draw a poor peg in a match you’ve agreed to participate in, it’s only fair to fish it rather than slink off home before the all in – if only for the balancing effect it has on the venue as a whole and the advantage it would give to the adjacent angler

27.09.2020 - Landsend

Todays trip was to Landsend Fishery. Set in a lovely area, peaceful and pleasant. That's all that cab be said about it really. Water levels are too shallow, they continue to batter the match lake with matches so the fish don't feed and if a club is paying decent money to fish then it needs to be managed properly so people can actually catch fish. there's a few good lakes so why not alternate the lakes, so if the match lake gets fished on a Saturday the use the speci-lake on a Sunday or even 1 of the other lakes. Don't get me wrong, fishing shouldn't be easy, but at this time of year it shouldn't be so difficult either. Barely a fish seen topping all day or swimming around it was really poor. 

Draw was done on Friday and we had a special guest in Bob Pascoe (must have been his wife setting him up on Zoom as I can imagine Bob doing this)

Golden Peg 19

Draw

Peg 

1 - Little Titch 

2 - George

3 - Tungsten Dave

5 - Steve Warren

7 - Dave Allen

8 - Lord C

9 - Tight Git

10 - Queenie

13 - John Woolenscroft

15 - Colin Lambert

16 - Sausage

17 - Bob

18 - Silver Fox

19 - Steptoe

21 - Nige

22 - Mario

24 - Eric

1st - Steve King      - 44lb - 09 oz

2nd - Eric Searle     - 21lb - 05 oz

3rd - Tony Newell   - 19lb - 01 oz

Silvers

1st - Danny                  - 6lb - 01 oz

2nd - Paul Bowyer      - 2lb - 14 oz

3rd - Dave Allen         - 2lb - 00 oz

Well what does that tell you absolutely rubbish.

Next week - Chilton Trinity, please book in with Steve if not already done so.

Todber - applications now closed. Dont forget payment for Christmas Match ASAP.

Reminder - all weigh ins will require protect face mask as this is now the normal procedure.