Clearly I need to post more often !

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 2^nd 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.