Spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam lovely spam

With local knowledge still ringing in my ears a tin of spam was placed into the kit bag, slung into the polo and off I went. Light was just breaking and the temperatures were a mighty 5 degrees. Main car park open but already busy, fear struck that the mecca of the rocks would be busy. Lake looked like large plate with a series of monster green turtles placed evenly around it drinking from its lush cold waters, as the bivy brigade were still asleep and an hour or two from a bacon butty.

Same peg as the previous Saturday - black ops. Kept it simple with method feeder, green swimstim and failed pellet still on hook from Makins.

First cast, 3 minutes in and still sorting kit, the tip raced round as the rod arched before I even touched it. Its going to fly in one day!

Anyway a carp came to the net of 5lb. Changed hook bait to bollie, hooked another carp but bumped it close in. Bollie then produced a carp some stamp. What about the Spam?



On it went and almost immediately the tip went round yet again. Well spam bam thank you mam. Fish followed regularly including a hungry bream.



Simple really - distance, spam and fishmeal groundbait. 14 fish in total. Lost two finished at 1pm, could have had a hat full, fish on each of last two casts. Have we cracked it?

Flying Spiders, Al Fresco Dining, and Monkey Wee...

With winter approaching, temperatures dropping, and venues becoming increasingly difficult it was off to the Midlands Match Fishing Mecca for a few decent Carp and a decent late autumn session. Papa had chosen capitalism and realism over the delights of an 80 mile drive to meet with the two amigos......fair play and a winner it turned out to be.

With early M1 debris navigated and derek taking the m6 ( saved £6 on the Sat Nav by avoiding Tom Tom...spent £1400 in petrol correcting the routes...you live and learn.)

Derek clearly had his heart on the ' match lake' with 165lb winning the match earlier in the month. Fog and a temp of 4.5 degrees didnt bode well but with feeders, and a promise of Tesco 'butchers best' sausages it was a swift trip to our pegs with 14 &15 being chosen. As we walked past the ' catch everything' lake with fish topping everywhere we were in for a quality late autumn session.

The lake was very still and a heavy layer of mist hung in the air like Speckled Hen flatulence in a tent.....Nico was set on small method feeder with either pellet / boilie the bait, realising his baiting needle was in the Butterley kit didnt start the session well.

Derek set up a similar rig but had the bomb / feeder in mind from the off.....with a swift method feeder aimed at peg 15 it was the all in......

Banter exchanged and pegs comfy but with surfaces like ice rinks we sat and talked sausage, chief, carp, winter, sausage, music, utd, feeder rods, and baits.....this was only until the rods were wrenched from our hands all day....get the banter in early.....this is makins!!

2.5 hours later and with Derek producing a spiffing breaky we stilled awaited the first wrench.....still tips all round....

The sun came over the trees and a warmth descended on the lake.....sadly it didnt aid the wrenching and with time ticking all the usual post mortems began....' weather' ' rain last night' ' match last may' ' wrong baits'........you know the drill.....

It finished Derek 2 Nico 1 - with a Carp lost at the net......God help me it was poor.....

We were lost for words.....one of the worst......

Across the barricades - Black Ops

Commenced Operation Butterley Zero Six Hundred Hours.
Crossed enemy territory to find main RV chained.
Contacted Nautilus confirmed RV point two if needed.
Headed to RV point two in dark.
Changed into combat gear, loaded up and headed to base camp rocks.
Using torch light and ropes managed to cross to peg to left of Red letter
Red letter confirmed for Nautilus, could be a tight one for Coot Catcher
Heard Nautilus approaching from distance, using stealth and swearing as the main method for crossing the rocks. Covert not in his toolkit as beer laced air drops followed.



Usual targets sighted and feeders launched.
Nautilus - struck first nice and unusual for the venue Rudd.
Catcher caught a carp and then another, lost a carp and then another, plus a bream.
Nautilus lay low and took cover. Stealth mode , feeder with no bait 3 yards out.

Well CC hit a few more ending the session with 10 and Nautilus 1. Baliff came with some interesting intel, as usual. Fish to the left and use meat. Is he a double agent?

To the manor born

Well I grabbed me stuff from the shed and the dog looked at me through the mist as if I were mad me duck.

Tis a strong man that can face the dawn and not go down badly when its as cold as it were.

Car loaded and in need of some new fangeled model type navigation equipment to even find lake, as mist was all around thou.

Crawling and climbing to the rock, me back in pain and the mists still descending I set up.



Well what followed can only leave a common man in no doubt of the almighty's hand.

First two chucks and weather as it was, two fish followed, carp an all.



Well with me not expecting much and the weather all round thou, things just got better. Another carp and a few more bream followed.



Fished at distance with method feeder and shellfish bollie. Bloke on red letter informed me he'd had 8 carp, three bream and a crucian in the same time - can't be bad. All on dead red maggots!



Well with fish a biting when the sun wasn't a shining ended with 5 carp and 5 bream, which at a conservative 4lb each 40lb but nearer 50lb. Fished 8-12. Not bad at all bearing the weather and time of year me lord!



From cold Derbyshire morning defrosting windows to summers day burning. Madness really mid winter weather 3c to 22c when I got in the car later. Butterley is still the lord of the manor! Never expected to catch anything with such a cold night. Rocks seem to always produce. New baliff claims new pegs on high bank open in three weeks, excellent winter pegs. Think winter will make em shoal up and if you land on them away you go. Roll on Saturday to give it another blast, this time with some red maggots. Mad for it, a lovely well needed session on the tip!

Longford - A Real Cunundrum

Well after a Saturday of 30 degrees ( you read that right) in October and the promise of summer skies again it was off to Longford for a day where i quote ' 50lb easy and carp / tench mixed bag'.....

The two musketeers ( missing The Shropshire Dangler) arrived after a few scratches of the heads regarding directions, but also secretly relishing the new ' free' contact offered by Mr Jobs apple revolution as we travelled down the A38....



The Ostrich Pub a future visit is needed.....

Points to remember at this stage 1. Its dark until 6.45am.....2. its not normally like this in October...3. Derek had two pints of maggots .....

We jumped on the first lake as we arrived as Derek had read that in 1982 UB40 had first had the idea for ' Rat in my Kitchen' and apparently someone caught something that day....how profound it was to be.



We chose pegs and a few fish played the game by flapping as we walked down the lake. It was all going very well..sun was rising and shorts were a good choice.

Within an hour and with one fish between us.....( Derek being on maggot for 58 mins of that)...the confidence began to erode a little.....the usual " lake view" " butterley" " Makins" all had a claim but instead i watched a Rat swim over to my swim on its way to the Local Rat Boot Sale....

To be fair i had a carp or three and a few tench but nothing over 1.5lb and we started to rumble the day.....



I walked up to the Cafe and discovered two alluring sites...my large bacon and egg cob and the girl serving it....There was more to Longford than our pegs with almost all other anglers up on the bigger lakes .....oh well...

It finished very close....maybe 3lb each.....manic .....

we'll probably be back but not until we've forget how bad it is......

Autumn Crimewatch

The boys branch out with Fred

It's cold outside there's no kind of atmosphere! 4c as we finally meet in the car park of brailsford. Brother of Carlos is in the kitchen, bacon butties quickly abandoned and fishing focus all the way. Nico turns up. If its not one it's the other, night on the lash and belly full of chilli-good job he brought plenty of food and drink! After listening to local knowledge and taking on board the weather we headed to the small, yes small puddle called advent or something. Only us on it so the story is set. Lake next to us match won with 70lb. A few carp between us,goldfish and roach. Different day might be good and nets as well . Off to new pastures with Longford next sunday. Mad men.

They called it Peg 136

Its becoming so depressing. Checked out the webpage, match reports show peg 36 as a good peg. Nicknamed peg 136 due to the number of 100lb weights it produces. Fished cage feeder and method to the island. Had 5 fish and lost 2 due to maver hook links (don;t go there). At best steady. Biggest 7lb, one 3lb, one 2lb and two about 1lb. I need help. Two weeks on Sunday 18th Sept could be our last chance!

Bored

Springlea - The Long Way Home

The Butterley Plague Continues

If nothing else we battle on. Fished the viaduct. Fished consistently. Nautilus had 2 bream and a carp. Coot Catcher one carp!?!X?!"£"!"£? A few line bites here and there. Even the baliff had limited tales of bag up sessions, 16 pound roach caught on sun dried tomatoes, from the whistle stop cafe whcih had previously be dipped in the tear drops of a pregnant former Miss World who's child was fathered by the late Pope. Basically it was bollockS and we left at 11am. God its getting bad!



STRICTLY FOR MORALE PURPOSES ONLY!

Rose tinted Calvo

How the past can affect the memory. Warm summer evenings, a bite a chuck from small stuff, bream, chub, carp and fanatic tench. Ug at your arm asking for £4, monkey tennis and captain were born.

Year later probably our second to worst session this year, with Butterley blank first, however its a close run thing with Cudmore Royal wedding and a windy Lakeview.

Anyway to cut a long story short. Queued to get in, yes can you believe it, queued to get in, picked pegs, optimism draining every step. Same pictures of catfish, carp and moby dick from what must be 10 years since we fished it regularly and the photos were old then. The bloke who runs it now has a side kick who cleans up - should try stocking it and sorting the pegs. Mercedes Benz car and fishery, but hair a la Robinsons jam. A few bits and skimmers. Nico fished the waggler like a whip? Poor, poor, and yet again poor - come on fishing gods help!

A thesis in Butterley Blanks

A series of blanks, under the trees peg 50 something, on the viaduct etc etc. Warm weather spreads the fish around the venue, as Ringer pointed out better to fish May and Oct when fish shoal in deeper water. Lost with no where to fish. Need help and can;t touch EBAY. Obi Wan Nicobi you are our last hope!

Fish-o-minima

You've watched in on TV, you've see it in magazines and you've heard the fishermans tales.

The National Angling Centre, home of fish-a-mania, Andy May and many a Stoke angler.

Yes we finally got to fish the mighty arena. An early start, pegs selected, method feeder or cage to the island and pole for close in. Pellet, corn, meat and red maggot - the usual bait a plenty. Wait for it ....................... two tench, a few skimmer and the odd bit between us. Makes Spring Lea look like the universe fishing centre.

Some caught around us but for £10 a ticket and with the option of other lakes arena is a gamble.

Jury is clearly out along with this season which started so well.

After an Evening of Fine Wine, Women and Song....

After an evening reflecting on Johns mammoth inroad into the Festival target it was time to reconvene on the banks of Orfe for Day 2.

After a comfy evening in a Shrewsbury B&B the Notts lads were strangely refreshed and even had a cooked breakfast and shower.....times have changed.



Today was all about who could catch up, who might struggle, and who could hold their nerve. Pegs were selected with Nicholson taking the ' piper alpha' peg of a year or so ago. John to his left on centre peg and Derek on the end. With boxes set up and legs tightened it was whistle time and the all in.

The weather seemed a recurrence of two years previous with breeze / cloud / downpours all in the mix....so it was to prove.

Nicholson was considered in approach an plumbed at 9 metres with gentle cupping, Derek hitting the shallows and ' anything swims', John opting for feeder with pole as back up.

Derek started like a man possessed with approx 6/7lb on fish before anyone else had caught. John looked right nervously but had a good lead.

As the hours progressed it was clear the Nicos 9m line wasnt going to produce....with only random skimmers and a rudd taking corn!!

Derek ploughed on but John took the odd fish that kept a little distance between him and the pursuer......the rain came and went making conditions difficult

Nico reverted and got going the same Ide line that had served so well previously.....the only Carp being taken close in on pellet / corn with no pattern....feeding wasnt doing much...

As the epic drew to a close it was going to be tight. Nico had ruled himself out mid morning as the carp didnt show and already had a mountain to climb. It was a father and son Slam down!!!!

The fish were weighed and weighed again. It was absolutely equal over the two days. Derek and John were the Joint Holders of the 2011 Shrewsbury Classic.



Again - Good Banter / Company / Weather contributed to a good weekend - The Curry also helped Sat Night.

Thanks Gents - See you next year.

Black Hydro, Lost Keys, and the Dangler .....

The time was indeed upon us to revisit the Shrewsbury Festival. Preparations were ( as usual) mixed. The weather had graced us with around 3 weeks of consistent good weather on the whole, but in true Angling fashion had changed the week before with every website on the net ( i tried 6 at least) reporting heavy rains and storm type conditions......no change there then.

To be fair things got radical around weds with the Nottm Collective deciding 6 pints of maggots was the way to go. This, after health scares and Derek declaring life ' a bridge too far' in the precending days....work and a little monkey ( dog) were the culprits to this downturn in Human Spirit.

Anyho....6.30am sharp and after a quick shufty in the new residence ( nice) and a little cuddle of the new monkey ( she is lovely) we were away.....the kit went in the car ( a first).....A50 here we come....

Plans were hatched as the heavens opened and we comtemplated an afternoon at the cinema rather than at the side of Orfe.....the rain poured down.....both travellers needed a boost and a McD's coffee provided that....not the same as it used to be though? organic my arse.

Nicholls senior checked in very early with ' dry here' mmmm......was he there? can he tell the time?....is Shrewsbury in a time zone? ( apart from the obvious one)....The banter started early as we chuckled at the thought of the agony of being bankside under a brollie but not able to fish...( we were picking pegs)

The journey done after a brief tour of the agricultrual backwaters following a wrong turn we arrived and the conditions were identical to panzer division of 2 years ago....oh god. Greeetings made we selected pegs and only then did it become clear just how many maggots 6 pints really is!! THEN IT HAPPENED......

The clouds parted...is that blue?...eh? blue? the sky blue?.....it was as if from God himself....the warmth began to break the clouds and within 30 mins coats were thrown up the bank and polo shirts the order of the day.

Nichollso senior threw the feeder a method serving him so well in the past....Nico opted for pole and Derek went for feeder also...mmmm....

As Ide were tempted from the depths ahem...of around 6 inches Nico and Derek were struggling to get anything going but plugged away to get anything that swims in the net. John patiently picked up a couple of skimmers and a decent carp early on on the feeder but changed reacting to swirls all around him.





As the time progressed the process of looking to the right to see Black Hydro streaming from the Technium became a bit boring quite honestly but fair play to the 'Dangler' the margins were producing and a stream of carp to 7lb ish came to the net....Nico and derek couldnt get it back....try as they might ...... John took a decent lead into the second day.....well earned.

The Sun shone right through and red faces all round!

Technically Tench

Still not convinced that curry, beers, a 12.15am finish with the chief followed by a 5.15am get up is the best start to a fishing session, but we will stick at it. Arrived somehow by the agreed 7.30am, PC dressed for action and the wrong pegs chosen. We moved to about 8 oclock as you look at the picture below. Feeder the only option and with the threat of rain we set up. Weather warm, layers came off. Sausage cob and liquids helped ease the pain and off we went.

First cast 10 metres from the island led to bites and nothing. Then a carp 1-2lb. Fish then followed for both anglers continually. Mostly tench and barbel, very few chub and only 2/3 carp between us. Skimmers plagued PC, where as Coot Catcher had plenty of small tench and barbel in the 6-9oz range.




Overall the fish count was soon forgotten as we had so many. Weather a complete roller coaster rain, sun burn, cold, wind but generally very still. Crying out for waggler or pole with light elastic. Estimated must have at 40-50 fish, Pc 30-40. No stop really only a few quiter spots, very busy all day.

Red maggot only bait tried, soft pellet on pole might do damage. All fish on feeder at distance, pole should improve catch rate. Fish have definitely grown tench are bigger than the small bars of soap they were gone from 2/3 oz to 6-8oz. Enjoyable days fishing and good pre before festival. Would say we easily broke double figures 20lb+? Who cares pleasure session, house move, Butterley and festival awaits.

BURNING BURNING HOT

Finally got round to fish again after my disaster with Derek and Lucy (least said)
Peg 38 chosen on good old Orfe for my converlesense on a baking hot day it wasn't
long before the arms and neck were burning.But at least I was catching fish with the pole at 6m at 4ft. and size 16 hook I was bagging up.With 2 red maggots to start ide,roach,tench and stockies came flooding in but to no great size.A change to 4/6mm pellet brought gudgeon ugh!!!! so a change to 3 maggots was the plan. Ironically that brought the best 4 fish of the day carp all about 2lb aswell as more of the above with perch thrown in.Though the pole was to hot to handle at times it was a really good practice session for the Shrewsbury Festival.By the way you can see my version of Piper-Alpha as Orfe is so low ,lost count of the number of fish but weight was easily in the25lb region.Roll on saterday to give Cudmore a bashing.



PEG BUT NO FISH

Peggy Sue Got Married

Weather Cold
Red Letter Peg taken - invaders!
Fished 7am-11am
Knew it wasn't going to happen
Conditions against me
Fished peg just over the bridge on the Swanick side
Had 5 carp
Every time I catch one I think they are getting bigger
Not bad
Getting greedy
Cudmore Saturday?

American Egg Fishing

Well what a difference a few weeks and the red letter peg can make. 8am until 12 noon, initially cold, windy and grey. Comfortable with radio, limited kit and my own company. Fished at distance with cage feeder and shellfish bollie. As simple as you like with ground bait and a few handfulls of 6mm pellets. Ended with 5 bream, 3 roach and 12 carp for a conservative 70lb. I honestly spent more time playing fish than waiting with a fish every 10 minutes or so including playing, casting and unhooking time etc. Baliff popped by and said the Americans had developed a new type of bait that looks like a fish egg which is strong enough to stay on the hook bag up with them. Butterley Bait Innovations. He talks some shite! There were anglers on the other side of the viaduct when I arrive but no one when I left - this paints a picture. The rocks rock! When its on its on - Buttlerley is hard to beat on its day, could have had the tonne if time had allowed.

Roll on the festival small rudd and the odd gudgeon.

Practice will eventually make perfect

Two sessions on Orfe and a session on Horseshoe answered a number of questions. Key bait for those abundant skimmers, dusting off the waggler and the threat of Papa Chav.

Waggler on orfe delivered around 15lb only fished with maggots and only for a few hours. Carp showed but in low numbers.

Orfe on pole delivered 28lb mainly skimmers with carp only briefly showing. Princess bride caught 16lb mixed bag including a nice 3lb tench. PC struggled until chuck it and chance it gifted three carp to place 9lb on the scales, yes 9lb.

Horseshoe in the final session was hard. No carp, skimmers, roach and wind, cold up and down weather.

In all honesty the festival will need the best from all of us roll on the 16th and 17th July.

Pleasureless Lake and a Snake .....

After much calender planning with the EPO's fully briefed & the weather even looking to play ball. it was off to Lakeview after a glowing reports from Cecil the Electrician and his son Clive on their last outing. " chub galore to 2lb, Carp to 3, and nets in...."

Peg selection was all about where your pole wouldnt be snapped by God rather than features and reluctantly we settled on 12& 13....Guess which i had.

The wind was circling lakeview in a mini rage but with the Sun touching us we set about the mornings work.

On the way down there this ( not so) little fella was enjoying a bit of the morning sun and didnt seem at all adverse to foul language, heavy feet, or aimless banter. Fair play

First put in Derek secured what was to be his only Carp with Nicholson getting silvers a chuck on pellet and very little at all on corn.

After an hour it was clear itd be a grueller with both anglers struggling to put anything of note on the net. Pellet of any kind produced Rudd and tiny roach and Corn produced a Carp for Nico but then nothing for a long time.....It got to the stage where it was a search for bites in the margins.....awful.....

Very little else to say. Pellet and Corn were the baits, 18 hook, Small floats and 7 metre out due to wind....left hand margin didnt produce at all.

Nico struggled to put more together and finally hooked a third carp of around 1lb or so....it was to prove the decider. Scales went Nico 8.95 Del 6.25

First ' win' at Lakeview for Nico for a while ( it didnt feel like it). ......

DNW - Utterly Butterley Bobbins....

Struggling for words.....

After a night of heavy heavy rain it was off to Butterley the mecca of local Bream fishing and latterley Carp hauling.....weather overcast....15 degrees in car...Derek checked in.....Code Green...

6.46 arrive in Car Park and off to the match winning pegs of the week before....( you're ahead of me)

Both anglers had prepared....the weather held.....the pegs were available.......

I can spin it out no longer.....7.45am until 11.00am......Method and Cage didnt produce a bite.....

On the plus side....Ducklings fed....Man fell in after his rod....and Preston Trolley a winner...

In brief it was SH*T.....

Where it all began.....

Bizarre but Enjoyable.....

The alarm went off at 5.30am and i discovered something had been sat on my spine all night....stiff as a board as i made my way for a cup of cha....

Kit retrieved from shed and the royal wedding maggots were still very fresh and the meat also just this side of fishable....with kit loaded i arrived around 6.39am and there were already three bivvies and another guy fishing. ( turned out to be the bailiff)

Yesterday a 18lb common came out and 70lb bream bag from road on side to feeder worm / dead maggot.

I perched on peg 15 knowing this would be a short session as the EPO was bringing kids down for a top three on the pole session for bits. I mixed green swim stim a 50g large feeder and cast towards the island with a few casts i was within 10 yards albeit a good chuck...

i cast 7 feeders to start and then baited up with a ringers shell.....the tip never moved for the first 45 mins.....maybe a liner but nothing more

A change to oily pellet brought a bite that steadily pulled the tip and finally a 2lb bream nodded its way in....phew.....it was looking grim for a while

I rolled lots of maggots between my hands a la Mr May and it worked!!! these then went on the hook and in the feeder....Casting was dream like with new line hitting the I fed the 4m line in anticipation of Sam and Rhys causing chaos on arrival

2 more bream of a similar stamp were landed as well as 2 roach that all took the dead maggots.

The Kids arrived and then i caught 4/5 roach with them very close in throwing cloudy bait and a few maggots.....

Bailiff came and had a look ( id ok'd the kids having a go)....you could catch roach and perch all day here.....

I should have fished shallow with cloud and maggot a la orfe....

kids each caught a roach as did Kerry....not all bad...

Back to basics and lessons learnt

This is where I fished at Lakeview. One of the first pegs, nearest the first car park and on the pleasure lake.



A place that I have ignored over and over again, until I fished the pleasure lake last year with PC as all other lakes were full.

Anyway the long and the short of it was, fished just three sections out under the trees. Caught around 30lb of small chub and carp up to 3lb. At points it was a fish a chuck. Eventually they were all up in the water to the extent that they were going for the end of my pole and pole cup!! Could easily have caught a huge bag full. Only fished in this peg from 10.30am-1pm. Started in a different peg but the wind was just too much, pole snapping a risk, so had to moved around the lake. Would liked to have had two swims across to the island and the margins for full bag up. All on corn. Only one other person on the lake - strange for a bank holiday.

Bottom line a day on the pleasure lake, without gale for wind, is worth a session. Caught crucians, rudd and as many chub as carp. Some really nice pegs on the lake which could be feeder to the island, defiantly too far for even a 16 metre pole. Belief is that the pleasure lake is not hit as hard as the match lakes, where larger fish are wising up - perhaps we have been going wrong for some time here! Also many of the pegs you need to have at least a 14 metre pole to reach the island so less pressured. Enjoyed it just needed some competition with nets in.

The proof of the pudding is in the taste.....

A good days fishing.

Ingredients
1. A carefully selected and well though through venue.
2. A variety of fish species .
3. A quiet isolated spot away from noise and pressure of other anglers.
4. A mixture of bait to meet the feeding habits of the different species.
5. Good company.
6. Warm, dull and slightly breezy weather.
7. A variety of different equipment to meet all scenarios.

Well at least one ingredient was in placed into the pot as the boys headed to Cudmore. Which one? But as usual high expectations were soon dashed, starting with the 7am call 'where are you?' - 'we are meeting at 7.30am?', ' there is a queue of 30 cars', 'yes but we are meeting at 7.30am?'. At which point perhaps we should have turned around and headed for a day watching Will and Kate.



Nico's blue elastic tested to the limit!!!



PC loving very second



Anyway the optimism flooded in, in fact it over flowed as we headed to pool 1. The catcher opting for the unusual choice of method feeder resulted in a bite a chuck and eventually the loss of a carp. Captain Nico and PC headed for tried and trusted poles. Soon all three anglers had a carp a piece. Then nothing. 3 hours past and apart from temperatures plummeting and the odd gudgeon - zip, nothing, zilch.



Anyway a fairly uneventful series of events unfolded. In short changed lake, ended up on Brewsters which has been emptied. Small stockies followed and then home. Disappointed and uninspired for this blog. We need more and plans were formulated on the journey home. Can't win them all or bag up every time! Until the next session OAO

Soft Cell, Kelly Jones and a man called Headache...

In a last gasp manner Nico joined derek for a Butterley evening session after chucking in a couple of hours hols last minute.....

It was 'light kit' derek advised and Nico took this to the extreme after a near heart attack last time out on the rocks.

Typically the weather had gone from ' bream perfect' to ' crust on top' with brightness and heat gathering pace after lunch ( the two weather descriptions arent paint colours)

Nico seated his chair after a jaunt across the viaduct ( its good this travelling light) and proceeded to simply cast out ( the rod was already made up - genius)



10 minutes in and a carp was on its way in.....Derek looked on.... drinking orange squash faster than i believed possible, and then standing to urinate against the bank....this was a 15 min cycle for the whole match

Despite looking like an abandoned garage car cleaner Nico began to put together some fish with Derek taking a few but tangles, health, and a snag all contrived to make it harder.

Absolute 80's played on in the background and it finished
Nico 13 Derek 8

Things learned today:

1. Derek never learns - Ale induced headache again
2. Global Warming is real - 23 degrees...April ....arms sore in three hours
3. Deckchair is a winner on feeder on those pegs
4. Maxima may not be Dels next reel line
5. Derek although professes knows little about 80's music

P.S. It was bloody hot!

Little John Lakes - Ollerton

Hat Trick of Practice Sessions - Will it pay off?

Its becoming a full time job reporting on sessions. Coot Catcher kept up the practice sessions as he headed to the Mecca of Spring Lea for a few sessions.

Day 1. Orfe

Fished at the far end. PC first into the water feeling confident after a string of victories - but now at his home venue, on the pole and the Catcher keen for revenge after two Butterley defeats - anything could happen.

PC being first in was also first into the fish. Stockies and carp followed from the off. Princess Bride got into a flow of small fish and the Catcher had zip, nothing, diddly squatt, zilch, blank. Not looking good.

PC kept them coming for an hour or so. Catcher had a decent skimmer, then very little. PC kept ahead. Then bang Catchers elastic shot out and eventually at 6lb carp came to the net. Into the lead and never looked back. PC's catch rate decreased, Princess Brides rate increased in the margins and she could have taken victory if she had better kit. But Catcher held out. Steady but not manic. Long periods of nothing with bright still and hot weather.

Day 2 Horseshoe

Fished the end of the spit. Highlights were that there are more small carp in there and still plenty of Skimmers. Ended up with a similar bag to previous day of between 20-30lb. Again steady but ended up fishing most of the time in the worst part of the day. At one point one of my legs went on the box and I nearly fell in only to be rescued by PB. Not a good look but luckily only pellets, maggots, a bit of shin flesh plus pride lost.

Day 3 Villa Ponds - Near York

Fished a nice pond belonging to friends of the in laws. Fished with Henry on the method feeder after not getting one bite on single red maggot and realising it was a carp dominated place. Method feeder and shellfish bollie did the damage. 5 fish up to 5lb and Henry had 2 of similar stamp. Coaching could be the future.



Roll on Cudmore

In the lap of the Gods

Serpent Peg 8 Tuesday 19th April 2011

8.20am kick off. A few others there but still very quiet for the size of the place. Factor 15 applied and expectation that it would reach 25 degrees. Informed by mobile weather station Nico that it was 6 degrees and rising - cold. Set up for first session on the pole this year. Double red maggot and a few skimmers, crucians and roach followed. Where were all the carp? Then to cut a long story short Zeus came down from the heavens bringing a large fog cloud with him. Lakeview descended in freezing temperatures for the next 3 hours, hands froze to the pole, hoody applied and if I'd had it coats would have as well. It was freezing!!!!!!!!!!

11.30am it started to warm up but by then the damage had been done. Fished ok , enjoyed it. Had a complete mixed bag bream, roach, barbel, crucians, quite a few small tench up to 1lb and eventually the usual carp. Weather was up and down like a rollercoaster ' life is a rollercoaster ' Nico informed me!

Carp came on the feed around 3pm on corn right up to the reeds. Had around 40 fish in the end. Steady. As one bloke said you've had more than everyone else on the lake put together.

The weather aways does us in. Roll on artic, wind, sand storms, snow and 29 degrees on the Royal Wedding.

Bright warm and 5ft deep

4 Bream, a 5lb carp, a small roach and a perch. Peg 32 nearest the car park. Either its a crap peg or the weather did me again. Bright, still and like a mirror. Scope for pole but I think you need features. Where will the fish go on such a large open water. Give it a month, post spawning, cloud, warm and a breeze it might be a different story. Didn't see anyone else catch a thing!

" Caster and a Tiny Feeder under the trees 1.1lb hooklength and Smallest Roach was 12oz"

Nicholson joined the fray for day two of the Butterley Initiation after great reports of JN catching perhaps beyond his wildest dreams ( even more vivid than the Lea Cross Tavern barmaid)

7am came around after an evening with Beverley Hills Cop 3 and a Tesco Curry....Rock and Roll...

John's day started badly when the Gypo prevention bar was across his path....The local bailiff turned up and assumed John was erecting the Waltzer for later festivities.

Derek was remarkably chipper for a man who had decided to live in Swanick with another teacher....the location had nothing to do with it of course

Three men and their Bait trudged to the rocks with Nico on 81 or ' See Saw' as it was known....All in called around 7.45 or so

The mist rolled across the lake and by 8am another pre apocalyptic warm spring day was developing, by 8.15am it was T Shirts only.

Nico struck first , John soon after with Carp of 4.-5lb a piece.....John then taking another couple....

Derek was full of tales of woe, weather, bait, close in, far out, deeper, shallower, reeds, spawning......his tip never moved.....

With John and nico taking the odd fish here and there and the temp on the climb it was proving to be a difficult day.....Butterley like a mirror and that only happens a few times a century. Derek took a bream and was again jeed up by the hope but by then the sun was making arms red.....it wasnt to be

As a side note Derek then decided to ( badly) try to fish up in the water.....worth videoing....

It finished a creditable JN 7 RN 6 DN 1 - All fish around 4-5lb....

The Waggle Dance capped a great day for Monsieur History.....again worth videoing....

Edmund Hillary climbs Mount Butterley and meets Paul Hardcastle

He lost his way early on despite the huge summit of Butterley looming before him. But a quick chat with a Ripley local (out and about at 8am?)and he was on his way with directions and having evaded being mugged. He may have been lost but he would soon find his way at the waterside. Reports from Hillary sparked Tenzing into action. A tried and tested formula of curry, beers and a late night with Chief and Wylie had done the usual damage. Up at crack of sparrows and off to Mount Butterley kitted out with mountaineering and survival kit Tenzing was ready. But only ready after applying factor 15.

Having tested out a few base camps Hillary headed toward the summit, Tenzing waving and senting off with a meeting party.

Having climbed the initial peak they set about their task.



Hillary throws out a line.




Well Tenzing had the early run of it and then Hillary set the pace. Fish after fish followed. All to pellet with cage feeder at 30 yards. Every half hour until the sun shone. Simple mature and calculated. Step by step, feeder by feeder he progressed up Mount Butterley.



As the pictures show it became a master class of skill. Accurate, consistent and sticking at it as the fish flowed. Carp PB, bream PB and roach PB in a session. Tenzing battled on but Hillary had raced off. Like a carp lost by Tenzing hours before.



A long session, a trek from Mount Butterley to Nam as PC achieved 19 fish, to Tenzing 11. Its a venue for personal bests. Hillarys biggest bag, bream, carp and roach. As well as my Tenzings. There are red letter days ahead and can you believe it - Tenzing is a local!




Overall the highlights of a PB session 19 fish average 4-5lb 80lb at least approaching the ton. There are better days to be had as it warms and we understand it. Local knowledge is key! Go sherpa!