It’s been a while since I have written anything on here and
slightly disappointed that I have not kept the updates coming. Work has played
a massive part in not finding the time but I have still managed to hit the bank
on regular occasions. So what have I been doing since my last post?
My fishing has sort of taken a step in a different direction
over the past year or so with regards to where I fish and how. Looking at my
older posts you would have probably realised that I am spending more and more
time now on the canals and rivers, and a direction I am currently enjoying. Don’t
get me wrong I still like the odd commercial match and fish my fair share most
months but my passion to get back on the natural venues is becoming more and
more appealing.
I sort of look at it this way, when I’m on a canal and drop
my float in you never know what you’re going to catch next depending on baits
used (take for example fishing the far shelf on a canal with pinkie and
groundbait, a method I enjoy knowing I can catch a steady rate of fish. You start catching small fish then a bonus skimmer
to 1 lb comes along which wasn’t expected) and in a match that could bump your
weight up considerably as well as the enjoyment of catching it on small hooks
and light lines/elastics. Granted it’s not every ones cup of tea but for me
there is a certain skill involved with regards to reading the swim as well as
presenting your bait.
I feel moving back to these sort of venues has also helped
back on the commercial scene, and what I mean by that is certain lessons have
been taken from the canals rivers and lakes adjusted accordingly looking more closely
at my shotting patterns, floats, line and what I want to achieve suppose it can
be described in one word as “watercraft”.
As for commercials there is still a time and a place that I
make for to get out and about (you’re not always going to catch a shed load of fish
on a natural venue so a day out catching carp is always a welcome after a hard
match on say a canal (and just like a commercial it can be hard work some days)
Another thing I have always looked at is venues (now I am no
means a venue expert on any venue and don’t spend a lot of time fishing one
stretch of the canal week in week out or a commercial for that matter) and like
to spread my time out across a variety of venues and 9 times out of 10 will
never fish the same venue/stretch twice in 1 month. I sort of enjoy getting
round out and about. Take for example April/May I have fished the Sensas Kennet
& Avon canal spring series twice on
2 different stretches, I will have fished the Sensas Gloucester canal 3 times
spring series (3 different stretches) Orchard lakes, also fished Todbur Manor,
Witherington farm, Viaduct twice so I do my fair share of travelling to different
venues and keeps me keen.Over the past few months I dread to think how far I’ve
travelled in my car just to get to matches.
Since I last posted I’ve had my ups and downs in match
fishing and I will be honest I’ve had some pretty crap results as well as some
good ones. The winter league I did with Pewsey started of great with a section
win but then found it hard going to put any decent run of results together for
the rest of the matches. Still time on the bank has still taught me some valuable
lessons.
Couple of results that stick out was the Angling For Hero’s match
held at Willinghurst fishery, drawing an un fancied lake in the form of
pittance in a 90 peg match I managed to beat most coming 4th on the day using
bomb and pellet tactics winning the section and lake.
Looking back at the Army Angling Federation group 2 Fur
& feather match at Witherington Farm on a 50 peg match I managed to squeeze
a match win by 1 kilo becoming the group 2 Fur&Feather champion for that
year which is by no mean easy considering the anglers that fish( that goes for
them all to be honest)
Another one has to be the Sensas Commercial house league
which was held on the K&A Canal at Bathampton on an 86 peg match which saw
me take just under 10lb of skimmers to come 2nd overall and a day
that I enjoyed having not seen the stretch before.
There are other section frames and match wins on commercials
and canals but I think the above stand out at the minute. So looking at what I’m
currently doing and involved with, as I’ve mentioned above I am currently
fishing the Sensas K&A Canal spring series teams of 4 with Sensas Cardiff
Nomads as well as the Sensas Gloucester canal teams of 4 (which is a baptism of
fire at the minute being a difficult venue to get your head round) before
heading away with work for 2 months. On my return I have the Angling Trust
Upper Thames winter league to deal with before potentially getting in on the
action for the Pewsey teams of 4 series on the K&A Canal before hitting the
Basingstoke Canal for their winter series teams of 4. Plus fishing a few
commercials along the way where ver takes my fancy.
Sunday sees me back on the Gloucester canal before hitting
Viaduct fishery Wednesday before heading back to the K&A canal the Sunday after
so at the minute and while I have the chance it’s all go with the fishing.
