MATCH REPORTS - 2016/17
Match Report - Round 1 Nov 6th 2016
Could have been a sticky start to the league this year as we lost eleven regulars to either Lindholme or Sykehouse but with seven new faces and the welcome return of Tony Lawson we are up to eighteen anglers making three six peg sections so things are a little more balanced.
Welcome then Andy, Simon, Dave, Darryl, Mick, Charlie and Phil – although Phil had to miss the first match but will be with us on 20th November. This is a new venue to a lot of you guys but it is full of silvers eager to be caught and carp can be caught from almost any peg in section A, although I can’t make any guarantee as the beggars do have fins and tend to swim around a bit!!!!!
We were off to a good start; everybody on time and all had the right change! Thanks lads, it made my life so much easier. Ran through the basics before the draw, outlined the rules and the absolute need to take the piss out of Byron at every possible opportunity. Everyone took this on board and no doubt will be able to come up with some gems over the coming weeks. Understand he is taking part in a new series of Life’s Too Short, starring with Warwick Davis. Warwick did comment that he never thought he’d meet someone as vertically challenged as he was but was delighted to meet our Byron!! Look forward to the new series mate!
So the draw; I thought we’re doing really well for time and then realised my watch had stopped. So, five minutes late we drew. Peg 1 was drawn for me (thanks, didn’t want a walk with my back!!) and 12 was pulled for Elvis. For the rest, A section went as follows; 3TT pulled 2, Scotty 16, Darryl 17, Paul 22 and Dave (Newman) 23. B section comprised Cas on 4, Byron on 5, Squirrel on 13, Simon 15, Kos 15A and Charlie 18. C section went 6 to Tony, 7 to Peggy (standing in for Phil), Mick 11, Andy G on 14, leaving Alan with21.
Well the day was typically Birkwood, a gentle gale blowing from the north spanking lots of rain into those of us drawn in the normally sheltered area from pegs 1 to 7. Mill pond conditions on the far bank. Sympathies, however, lay with Alan, Paul and Dave who had it straight in the face. It has its compensations though as it’s easier to hold a pole in a head wind!!!
From the start several bombs were in evidence, especially in A section, but not a lot was happening. Tips remained motionless and, though I couldn’t hear him, I don’t think Byron had had a bite! While waiting my tip to go round I fed a big pot of maggot straight out at 8 metres and started to loose feed casters to my right where I could use the wind. Mind, if I got a bit carried away with the feeding I’m sure I could have comfortably fed the margins in peg 27!
Eventually Scotty leaned into a fish and the first of a number of carp hit the sack. Paul was still waiting for his tip to move on 22 as was 3TT on 2. I did see Alan sneak a small carp from 21 but that shouldn’t be allowed from a C section peg.
After 30 minutes I gave up the tip and when on the long (?) line with maggot on the deck and started with one or two bites, but it was slow. Had the odd roach but nothing frantic. The water had gone really cold and it didn’t help with cold water coming in between me and 3TT. He tried his pole line but didn’t have a bite!!! Unusual for this pond and for peg 2. Something was not right. After scratching around on maggot I went over the caster line fishing about a foot off the deck. Bites were very slow in coming but when I did connect the fish were a better stamp than I was getting on the maggot line. I went about six inches deeper but that produced smaller fish. The better samples were definitely about a foot off the deck.
Scotty was still catching, Paul had reverted to the pole but 3TT had gone back on the tip. Suddenly, whoosh and 3TT’s tip wrapped round – on the cast and just as the bomb landed!! He proceeded to nab a couple more so I decided to have a look too. I cast about 10m passed where I had fed 8mm pellets and almost immediately snared a fish of about 6 ½ lbs. Next chuck, I tightened to the tip, looked around, looked back at my tip and thought “I didn’t put that much of a bend in it!!!”. Lifted rod and found second carp attached. But that was it, no more indications.
Now Paul started to catch on 22, Scotty was still getting fish and 3TT was also in the action. It seems the beggars had done what they are wont to do, i.e. swam around the bowl in front of 2, 16 and 22 but then shifted back to be in front of 16 and 22. Paul had opened up and caught seven or eight in the last hour.
For the new lads; Paul and Andy caught on bread, 3TT on 10mm pellet and I caught on 9mm pellets. Also, for the record, Cas had four carp from peg 4, all on bread.
Three o’clock soon rolled round though and I called time. There was so much disappointment at this as the lads wanted to fish on in the breeze.
At the weigh-in Scotty took A section with a splendid net, almost all carp and just shy of 60lbs. Paul took second in B, coming from well behind with 23-15 just beating 3TT by 7ozs. Cas took B section with 13-5 with Squirrel coming second with a splendid all silver net of 13-3. Byron, by the way, came third with an all silver net of 11-2 after claiming he might just have about 5lbs!!!. C section was won by Alan after he snuck three small carp to total 16-10 with new boy Andy Greaves taking second with 8lbs.
The fishing today was unusually hard and it was hard to push the silvers to respond but give it a couple of week’s cold weather and they may feed a little better. A sudden cold snap and cold water in the pond did not help.
Look forward to seeing you all again on 20th November.
Cheers
Des
The Birkwood Farm Knacker Tappers Winter League – Winter 2016/17 Rounds 2 & 3 20th Nov and 4th Dec 2016
For the second match we have a full house with all 18 competitors ready to draw at 8.30. 3TT did arrive a little late, was breathless but we didn’t ask what held him up !!!! The day started wet but quickly dried with a slight wind blowing from the North. But there had been snow falling a couple of days before and cold water will have gone into the lake. This will not help the fishing. For this and the next match we draw in sections.
In A section we had Alan on 1, Tony on 2, Mick 16, Elvis 17, Phil 22 and Andrew with 23. B section sees Paul on 4, 3TT on 5, Dave N with 13, me on 15, Darryl 15A leaving Elmer happy with 18. In C section Cas pulls 6, Squirrel 7, Bilbo 11, Kos 12, Charlie 14 and Simon 21.
We kick off at 10 and, using hair-rigged sections of Mr Warburtons Special Toastie - not toasted of course but popped up – Elvis snares two carp in his first two chucks. On 15 I have a look for a carp but have no signs whatsoever. This used to be a good winter carp peg but since the refuges have been removed it has failed to live up to expectations but 4 and 5 opposite can still throw up one or two. I stick to silvers with just the odd look for a rogue carp but nothing doing. Darryl on 15A does hit one on bread but is broken and never gets another sign.
Byron has not had a bite!
The silver fishing is not easy and bites are relatively hard to come by. The end result shows no really stand out weights of silvers. Odd carp are showing. Paul finds one or two on bread, 3TT has one but Tony is getting a few from 2 on method. Elvis has a few more from 17 while Phil has found some in front of 22. Cas hooks one on his shallow silver line and we have great fun watching him playing it from the opposite bank. He does a good job to land a fish of 4lbs on light gear but it did take him a few minutes !!
Byron has still not had a bite!
All too soon we get to 3 and time is called. Come the weigh-in Elvis has taken section A with nearly 30lbs of carp from 17. Tony comes second from 2 with just over 26lbs while Phil takes 3rd place in A and on the match with nearly 24lbs. Elmer repeats his success from the first match taking B section with just over 15lbs, 12lbs of which was made up by three carp. Paul took second with nearly 12lbs, taking three carp as well but these only pulled the scales round to 7lbs 9ozs. Cas wins C with nearly 17lbs with Squirrel coming second with 10 ½ lbs silvers. A number of these were decent skimmers taken on the tip on ground-bait feeder and dead red maggots.
So with the second match over we already have two double section winners. Here’s to the next round on 4th December.
Round 3 - 4th December
Andy couldn’t make this match as it was his daughters 1st birthday. Congratulations and happy birthday Flossy !!! We welcome Dennis Whitehead in Andy’s place for the day. Dennis will hopefully be a regular stand-in for others who have other commitments during the league. Hope he doesn’t get put off! Still, if he draws next to Bilbo we can always lend him some ear defenders.
Talking of Bilbo; guess who’s been practising for his visit to A section (mind he wasn’t alone!!).
All ready for the draw at 8.30 except Dave N who had something crop up in the morning and couldn’t make it. Never mind Dave, we’ll see you next time.
Off we go for A section; Simon draws 1, Charlie 2, Kos 16, Squirrel 17, a very happy Bilbo with 22 (again!!) leaving Cas with 23. 23 hasn’t shown any form yet but the big fella has ideas !! In B section Phil has 4, Tony 5, Dennis 13, Mick 15, Alan 15A and Elvis has 18. In C, 3TT pulls 6, takes 7 for me, Darryl takes 11, Paul 12 and Elmer 14. 21 is not drawn.
The weather is dry, mostly sunny but a breeze blows up from the South East and affects us mostly at the road end of the lake. I am happy with 7 and set up two roach rigs for deep/deep shallow and shallow, waggler for wag ‘n mag and ground-bait feeder to be fished in conjunction with dead red maggots. Don’t think I am going to see to many carp where I am !!!
I call the all-in at 10 and its mostly carp fishing at one end of the pond and silver fishing at the other. Bilbo is ecstatic with 22 but his first fish on bomb and bread is a small roach so he switches to 8 and 10 mm pellet and apparently doesn’t look back.
I start on the feeder and land a small roach, then one at 8ozs and finally a decent skimmer pushing a pound. Having said that the fishing is slow and bites hard to come by but it then goes all tits up. If anything can go wrong for me, it does. First, as I unload my gear I realise I have forgotten to pack my thermal boots so have to fish in my crocs, which are not the best insulators. I had already forgotten my drink so had to call into the shop in Altofts for a bottle of Pepsi.
Anyway, I proceeded to fish like a numpty, getting knots in the line and hampering the cast. Re-rigging only to get line blown back around the reel (already wound in a few times so there was a mess at the back of a reel – I learned to watch out for that when I was a kid; still, I’ve got age at the other end of the scale as an excuse now). Finally got a mess on the business end of the waggler and had to redo the bottom rig. So much time wasted. Then I dropped my best scissors into the water. At this point I should have gone home but, as I was responsible for weighing-in and paying out I thought I thought I’d better stay. I did see plenty of fish though but these were being caught by 3TT, Paul and Darryl.
Three o’clock couldn’t come round soon enough for me and I was relieved to call time. The weigh-in was interesting. Section A was won by Bilbo with a great haul of 69-6 from 22 with Cas taking second with 44-8 from 23 mostly on popped-up bread. Carp were also caught from all the other pegs in A section. Knocks the argument for giving up fishing the league as the carp aren’t there in numbers. They are; over 113lbs taken from two pegs and nearly 160lbs from A section in total. Two things to also note; two of the guys in A are new to the league and won’t know the form of the pegs or what to expect yet and this pond gets battered by the boilie brigade – but not the ones with skill and knowledge – but the noddies who think you can catch carp in winter by heaving in a gallon of bait !!! This is the problem with the carp fishing at Birkwood.
Anyway, rant over. B section was won by Tony with a great net of caster caught quality roach from peg 5, weighing 16 ½ lbs, most coming on a shallow rig fished about a foot deep. Alan claimed second with 10-9 of silvers by big potting. C section was taken by Paul with 11-7, Elmer claiming second with 9-12. No carp were caught from B or C sections.
Just a point: Bilbo has drawn peg 22 twice, the other time being 19th January 2014. On that day he won the match with 60-8. His two weights from peg 22 are the highest we have recorded during the league since the 2013-14 season. Not bad for a fellow who abhors carp. Well done buddy.
But, see the picture below. These are supposedly Bilbo’s extension legs for his box but I think they are his stilts. What do you think? Answers on a post card please to:-
Bilbo’s Hole,
Bag End
Hobbiton
The Shire
Middle Earth
BD10 1HO
Now for the next match on December 18th. This is an open draw. Usual start time but fishing will be from 9.45 to 14.45 as daylight will not be with us. See you all then.
Cheers
Des
The Birkwood Farm Knacker Tappers Winter League – Winter 2016/17 Round 4, 18th Dec 2016
Everybody ready to draw for round 4 by 8.30 except Simon. He has had problems with gout and had to miss this match. We all wish him well and hope to see him on the next league match on 8th January. Lay off the port over Christmas Simon !!!!!!!
The match promised to be interesting if not a complete upset for the league as several hundred trout have been introduced into the pond. This will level the league completely and turn the form book on its head. It’s unlikely the silver fish will feed in any numbers as the trout will panic them until they settle down. They might only threaten the very small fish but they are still a predatory species and will upset the roach. The carp could take the hump as well but only time will tell.
This was an open draw and took shape as follows: A section had Charlie on 2, Squirrel on 16, me on 17, Mick with 22 and 3TT on 23. Peg 1 was not drawn. In B section we had Elvis on 4, Paul on 5, Bilbo took 13, Darryl 15, Alan 15A leaving Dave with 18. C section went Andrew with 6, Scotty 7, Phil 11, Cas 12, Kos 14 and Tony 21.
I was happy with 17. Elvis had won from there 4 weeks before so the bomb rod was set up for bread. Also had various hook lengths available so I could switch to pellet or maggot or whatever strange concoctions I fancied trying. I also set up method, remembering Tony had blagged a few from peg 2 on it as well as pole tops for maggot, caster and one for deeper water to see if carp would come close to a corn and pellet line.
Kick-off today was at 9.45 as we were perilously close to the shortest day (or longest night – whichever you prefer) and I didn’t want to weigh-in in the dark. Started on bomb with bread but had nary a sniff. After a while, and no indications or liners I switched to method and chucked a bit longer. Took a couple of looks before I had a half proper bite and latched into a carp that eventually bounced the scales down to 1lb 3oz !!!!!!! This was followed by a lot of “no bites all the time” even after reverting to bread, trying pellet, meat, corn etc., etc., etc. Squirrel on 16 was having a similar day and not getting indications either.
I had noticed Paul on 5 having regular tussles on his pole line with trout. These spotty immigrants seemed to be coming regularly around the pond so we had to have a look didn’t we !!!!! Went on the silver line and had one or two small roach followed by a spotted intruder so decided to target them to at least get some weight together.
But Bilbo was not happy. Within half an hour of the start he was wandering round as the trout had put him off and he was lagging well down in B section. Now I know where J R R Tolkien got the inspiration for the Hobbit and “An Unexpected Journey”. None of us expected a Hobbit to visit every peg during the match, and more than once! He lapped the pond that many times that I swear he was six inches shorter at the end than at the start, if that is at all possible!!!
He was not the only unhappy bunny as all plans had been scotched and we all needed to fish for the trout to do any good. Squirrel switched from the carp and put half a dozen trout in his net. He did have one look long on the bomb and got an almost immediate bite resulting in one carp of 5lbs 6oz to really boost his weight. As far as I could see only 3TT and Mick had stuck to their plans of fishing bomb for carp but only Mick began to reap any reward late in the match as he landed 7 or 8 fish in the last couple of hours. For me I managed to snare 5 spotties on maggot but pulled out of another 5 and had one bite me off. That was my chance of doing any good in the section blown !!
I called time at 14.45 much to the relief of a few. At the weigh-in A section was won by Mick with his all-carp net of 25-14 followed by Squirrel with 16-13. Paul won B with a net of mainly spotties going 28-6 with Alan in second spot with 19-14. Andrew won C with 24-4 followed by Phil with 23-8.
Although the weights look good only one featured a net of carp. All others were trout dominated with few roach, skimmers or hybrids being caught. This will affect the league and how we fish in the last six rounds although the trout activity will slowly die away. No point changing the sections as the trout have changed the whole demographic of the pond. Apart from Mick’s net, only 5 other carp were caught (3TT did snare one but didn’t bother weighing), which shows the trout have also impacted the carp feeding. We shall see more next week.
Our next match is the Christmas Knock-up on 29th December and 14 or 15 of us are up to fish that. The next league match is on 8th January so look forward to seeing you all again then. In the meanwhile, have a good Christmas.
Cheers
Des
The Birkwood Farm Knacker Tappers Winter League – Winter 2016/17 Round 5, 8th Jan 2017
Three down today; one working (sad), one on holiday and one sick but did have two stand-ins, thanks Marjorie and welcome Pete.
Weather set fair; cold, no rain and “winds, light to variable” – anyone familiar with The Goons will get that one !!!!
Hands in the bag at 8.30 and for A section Scotty is on one, Andrew on 2, Tony on 16, Cas 17, Phil 22 leaving Kos on 23. Onto B section and 3TT pulls my peg first and lands me with 13, not my first choice. Our guest Pete pulls 4, 3TT takes 5, Mick gets 15, Squirrel 18 leaving 15A in the bag. Onto C section and Bilbo does the honours for Elvis drawing him 7, Darryl pulls 6, Bilbo has 11, Brownie is on 12, Dave N has 14 leaving Marjorie with 21 and a walk (if Bilbo had been a gentleman he would have offered to swap but his little legs might not have made it that far !!).
Kick off at 10 and almost immediately Elvis has snared a trout from 7. I can see all around from 1 to 7 (just), 14, 15 and 16 but not a lot seems to be happening. I would need binoculars to see 21, 22 and 23 but 17 and 18 are out of sight. 11 and 12 are also out of site (thankfully) but NOT out of earshot (sadly). All I can hear from 12 is a lot of splashing as Brownie batters the trout but all I can hear from 11 is an awful lot of vocal noise. For a little fella Bilbo sure can make a big noise. In future I will make sure earplugs are available at the draw for anyone who may be drawn near him – although I suppose I should also include Ben Lee and Newmillerdam; sound sure can travel !!
Well I’m armed with mostly maggot to attack the trout and endeavour to keep things simple. Well I have to really! One line on or near the deck for potting maggot and one to fish waggler. Set up two waggler rods; one for single or double maggot and one for a bunch of maggots or worm sections to see if the trout will attack something else. Problem: the trout are near the deck and not really taking shallow like they were just after Christmas but when I try to fish a deeper line all I catch is the sodding tree behind me. If I draw 13 again I shall set up my platform and fish to the side of the peg. I’ve been buggered by that bloody evergreen on our club matches as well!
I wait nearly two hours before I get into trout on my deck line. I snare one then wait 20 minutes for three in a row then wait another while before I get a fifth. Before time is up I lose two foul-hooked and get bitten off by another two! All the while I can hear the continuous splashing from Brownies peg and the continuing hot air from Bilbo.
But if you think this was off-putting spare a thought for Tony “I’ll be last in section” Lawson. I couldn’t see Cas on 17 but he had been bagging carp from first chuck to last on bomb and bread. He didn’t even have time to feed regularly as he would chuck out and the tip would fly round almost immediately! The only one not bothered by all this activity was young Squirrel as he was not in the same section as Cas. All the others in A section could clearly see the bagging machine in action.
Three o’clock could not come too soon for some of us. Tony “I’ll be last in section” Lawson had been on the phone to the Samaritans at least three times. And now the weigh-in:
Squirrel takes section B with 23-2 with our guest Pete second with 15lbs dead. Brownie takes C weighing a splendid 29-12 with Bilbo (I haven’t even got 10lbs – well I may have, just) coming in second spot with, wait for it, 23-4. Second in A came Phil with 30-4 but taking the honours from A was Cas with a superb carp net of 102lbs 10ozs, not only the best net of this series but the best weight of any of our winter matches going back to when they first started about 20 years ago! CK Superstar did a weight of 96lbs once but this was at the end of a league series during March, not January! A big well done from us all!
Tony “I’ll be last I section” Lawson came third in section. He’s obviously been taking lessons from Bilbo.
Our next match is January 22d and we do have at least one spare place. We do have potential stand-ins in Pete and Dennis but they may not always be available. I’ll let you know nearer the time if we do need anybody
Cheers
Des
PS: By popular request the next match will be cockney themed. I took enough slavver from Bilbo and Brownie, who both suggested the idea! Pearly outfits are a must but you may need to visit a London tackle shop to see if they have Pearly King outfits in waterproof thermals. Bilbo will come as a Pearly Queen. A red neckerchief is mandatory as will be the Cockney Dance before the draw. Those of you not sure of the moves follow this link to You Tube –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPrO3u6f4Tk
During the match I shall leave my car windows open, my stereo on and will be playing Chas and Dave’s Greatest Hits very loud with regular repeats of “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” dedicated to Bilbo!
So, hope you can all make it to the next colney. If not get me on the dog to let me know. Hopes none of you is sue. If you are coming get your old sticks in the jam jar, down the frog to the pond. But don’t be a frankie if you draw next to Cas!
Arterwards we’ll go to the rub-a-tub for a couple of britneys an’ have a giraffe and mebbe listen to a load of old pony from Bilbo!
The Birkwood Farm Cockney Winter League – 2016/17 Round 6, 22nd Jan 2017
Please note the title change. The league will now be known as the Birkwood Farm Cockney Winter League until I get fed up and change it!
Two down today so we welcome stand-ins Chris “Superstar” Kitchin and Marjorie to make up the numbers in sections A and B.
Weather set fair; cold, no rain (so I thought), very little wind but we did have a couple of short periods of drizzle and even one of snow during the match.
Hands in the bag at 8.30 and for A section Superstar pulls 1, Elvis takes 2, Darryl 16, Paul 17, Dave N 22 leaving Bilbo with23 (we all hoped Dave had got some ear-plugs). In B section Cos is on 4, Phil 5, Scotty 13, Kos 15, Marjorie 15A and Andrew on 18. For a change I get Scotty to draw for me and he pulls out 21. I didn’t want 21 principally because I’m a lazy beggar and I didn’t fancy the walk!! That’s the last time Scotty draws for me!! Still I’ll stick with it and do what I can! Charlie gets 6, 3TT 7, Squirrel 11, Simon 12 and Mick 14.
We kick off at 10 but things start very slowly. Most in A section start on the bomb but the action is not a patch on two weeks ago. Paul sits bite-less as the carp are not sitting in front of 17. I start on a small ground-bait feeder with dead red hoping to see a better skimmer or trout. I have plumbed a line on the deck at 11 metres, one at 9 metres and another close for caster. On the long line I plan to pot maggot and caster, the shorter line I will put a small amount of live and dead maggot but loose feed maggot over the top while the shorter line is for caster only, loose-fed. I planned to look for trout on the two maggot lines but, if they didn’t show, try for roach on the caster. I also loose fed maggot for the waggler at about 20 metres. I have set out to snare the trout.
There is, however, plenty of action from peg 23 but mostly of the verbal variety. It must be so unnerving to anyone who didn’t know and hadn’t met Bilbo to suddenly hear a lot of noise emanating from what could appear to be just a hole in the ground………………
Takes me 10 mins before I get a pull on the tip which throws up a small roach. In the mean-time Andrew on 18 has snared a carp chucking a bomb no more than 25 metres. I get a second fish on the feeder, a 3oz skimmer! Nothing much seems to be happening (as far as I can see) so I bin the tip for the waggler. Need to change depth a couple of times before I start getting (and missing) bites. Frustration is setting in but then the float whacks under and I’m into my first trout of the day.
Not a lot happens after that so I go onto my long pole line and start picking up the odd, small roach. Takes a while but I hook a second trout. Shipping back out and another picks up my bait in the shallows no more than 4 metres out! Could this be my day? Dave and Bilbo have had trout, Andrew has another carp and Paul is catching occasionally but the carp are not playing ball this week.
Can’t get into the trout so try the caster line – nothing – so now go to the 9 metre line, constantly loose feeding maggots over the top. After a few small roach I snatch another trout quickly followed by two more. I then have to wait a fair while before they return. Trying different areas of the swim produces only small roach. When they do come back I take another four fairly quickly but then they’re gone again!
Dave on 22 then starts to add carp to the trout he has, casting long from 22. Bilbo still gets the odd one and also has a carp. He is also getting his second wind and noise levels are rising!!!! Not long to go now till the end of the match and I manage another two quick trout but lose one that I suspect was foul hooked.
Time is called at 3 and so to the weigh-in. Dave has taken A section with 20-8 made up of 18-4 of carp and one trout. Superstar takes second with 17-4. Kos wins B section with a couple of carp for 8-1 and a fine net of trout and silvers taking his total to 20-13. Inevitably Cas takes second in B with 17-12. I can’t believe it but I won C section and the match with a mainly trout net of 23-8. Squirrel sneaks second with 13-6.
After this result I have promoted Scotty to my drawer-in-chief and binned 3TT !!!!!
The next match is on 5th February and is an open draw to start the final round of three matches. And it’s tight at the top
Cheers
Des
PS: Good news on the sponsorship front. Three of us have had our sponsorships renewed:
Bilbo has signed another deal with Mothercare, 3TT has renewed his contract with Sanilav but they had to fight off serious competition from those nice Andrex people. I have re-signed with Allanda, the people that make incontinence pants; “a smile, a slash and a slosh while you walk – guaranteed leak-proof even in the harshest conditions”.
Happy days !
The Birkwood Farm Cockney Winter League – 2016/17 Round 7, 5th Feb 2017
So here we are at round 7 of 9 and it only seems like yesterday we were starting round 1! Today is an open draw but we are two down today. Marjorie is standing in for Phil so we do have 17 competing. A pleasant day is forecast.
All ready to draw at 8.30 and, since I binned 3TT, Scotty draws for me and pulls out 17. This is a peg that has produced the record weight for the league as a whole but can be intermittent. 3TT then dips in for Elvis and pulls out 22. Hmmmm, have to wonder if he’s ever done that for me (actually he probably has as I had it the last league and I think maybe the league before). But me and Elvis are happy.
The rest of A section pans out with Kos on 2, Scotty on 16 (which he won off the first match of this winter), Mick has 23 but 1 is not drawn.
B section goes Tony on 4, Cas on 5, Squirrel 15, 3TT with 15A, Brownie takes 18 and Charlie has 21. C section then has Dave N on 6, Andrew on 7, Marjorie with 11, Alan 12, Darryl 13 leaving Bilbo with 14. It’s a good job Bilbo is not too far from Marjorie as she can go round and lift him onto his box before I call time !!!!!!
Big gob here shouts time at 10. Bombs a-plenty hit the water in A section presenting various offerings for our carpy friends. I have three rods set up; bomb, small method and, just in case I might want to see what happens, a pellet waggler. Set up three top kits for fishing on the deck and off the deck with maggot and caster and a deep rig at 12m to try corn and pellet.
I too start on the bomb with a pineapple pop-up. Nothing happens. Scotty is also watching a motionless tip. 10 minutes in and Elvis has snared his first carp from 22. This is not good news for me and Scotty. This suggests the carp are holed up a little way from us. 22 usually comes good later in the match so it’s an ominous sign that it is producing the goods so early.
After trying bread/pellet/oozing boilies and so forth my tip has still not moved but Eric is latching into carp number 2. The rest of us in A section are struggling. I think it’s time to try my short pole line on the deck for silvers and/or trout. Fishing single and double maggot on the hook but still nothing happens. It’s at this point that I receive a call back from the Samaritans. One of their senior guys has requested I don’t call them again. My tales of woe have already caused two of their operators to commit hari-kiri and they can’t risk losing any more!! I was going to give Tony their number but, judging from the comments emanating across the pond (to wit – he is being battered again by Cas), I think he may also contribute to further loss of life!
One area of the pond is, however, strangely quiet; little sound is coming from peg 14 despite it being Bilbo’s bolt-hole for the day! The rumour is he must be catching.
I decide to change hook and hook-length on my deck maggot rig, scaling right down. While I do this it’s back out with the bomb but still can’t get a pull or a liner. But, shipping out with the altered rig and immediately I snare a couple of decent roach and then a trout (where have you been my spotty friend?). It’s only taken me an hour and a quarter to get my first fish!!
The world is not set alight. Get the odd small roach with an even odder stamp fish. No sign of anymore trout. Scotty has managed a trout and now has a decent carp on the bomb. Things are not looking good. Elvis is quietly snaring carp. Bilbo is still unnervingly quiet! Scotty goes on the long pole and soon has a second trout. I can’t see what is happening at the far end but Tony’s commentary suggests Cas is putting a few in the net. Tony is reduced to calling it a cess-pit! Brownie is struggling too.
I have been regularly feeding 8mm pellets on the bomb line and decide I should at least have a look. Out goes a banded 8mm pellet. Five minutes later my tip pulls round but I managed to overcome the shock and lift into a fish. Relief!. I chuck back out and after about 15 minutes I get another bite, hook a fish that goes a bit (not like that you dirty beggars) and comes off. Suspect it was foul-hooked.
I decide to stay with the bomb and about 20 minutes later I am rewarded with another carp. Two carp and one trout I hope should trump Scotty’s one carp and two trout as long as he doesn’t catch any more. Next chuck and my tip bangs round almost straight away. Have I found a nest? This one come off but I am now heartened that the fish have finally moved over my feed. Wrong; that was it till I called time at 3.
At the weigh-in, Andrew takes C section with 28-5 of mainly trout from peg 7 (well fished buddy) with Alan in second spot with another mainly trout net going 23-6. Cas has swept all before him in B with 18-8 leaving Squirrel as runner-up with 13-3. I have deliberately left A section till last. Elvis takes the prize with an all carp net of 41-9. I am delighted to take second spot with 10-11 beating Scotty by one whole ounce !!! Sorry mate! Your one carp was less than a pound off my two!
The next, and penultimate match is on 19th February. I look forward to seeing most of you then. I say most as Bilbo, Darryl, Andrew and Elvis are not available and Marjorie will not be able to act as a stand-in. She has to make sure Bilbo gets a good night’s sleep and eats his Rusks! Pete Cousins will fish in one place but we do need eager volunteers to fill the other three places if you know anyone who would like to fish. Three of the available places will be in A section with one in B.
See you then
Cheers
Des
PS: The league placings are now beginning to take shape as we start to discount the poor results. Cas has a strong lead on 8 points with Brownie in second and Squirrel third. They both have 11 points but Paul takes the spot with more section wins. Next sits “I’ll never win anything Bilbo” with 15, followed by Scotty and Tony with 16 and me with 17. I may now need a whiff of Oxygen as I’m not used to being so high in the ratings!
The Birkwood Farm Cockney Winter League – 2016/17 Round 8, 19th Feb 2017
The penultimate round of this seasons winter league is upon us. Weather set fair – cloudy but no rain – and the possibility of a quiet day; no Bilbo!!!! We were missing five regulars but lucky to welcome two stand-ins in Pete Cousins and Peggy. This did leave A section one short and two missing from B although C was fully “staffed”.
A section draws and pans out as follows; Dave N on 1, Pete on 2, Peggy with 16, Golden-arm Alan lifts 22 leaving Phil with 23. 17 is still in the bag.
3TT then draws for me in B section and pulls out peg 5. Kos is on 4, Scotty 15, Mick 15A but 18 and 21 are not drawn. There are no takers in that whole corner of the pond which should make life interesting for 16 and 22.
For C section; Brownie has 6, Charlie 7, Cas 11, 3TT 12, Tony 13 leaving Squirrel with 14.
I manage to park on the roadway but still faced with at least a 20 metre walk to my peg. I hate these long walks! Next to me is an unhappy Kos. “I’m not happy” he says. Peg 4 has not proved the best peg this series by a long chalk. And he looks unhappy too! I do have the number of the Samaritans still in my phone, just in case.
I have set up two rigs for fishing maggot/caster, one at 10 metres one at 12 ½. I have also set up waggler, pellet waggler and a bomb rod. If nothing else at least I’ll be able to confuse myself completely, not a difficult thing at my age.
Off we go at 10 and most at our end of the pond are starting on the bomb. Brownie, Charlie, Cas and 3TT have resisted this urge and have all opted to start on the pole. I launch the bomb and a few 8mm pellets and feed my two pole lines and follow up with regular loose feeding on both; caster short and maggot long. I’ve also put a little corn in with the maggots in case the trout want a change of diet or carp put in an appearance (or even trout-carp, a new invasive species invented by 3TT!).
As my tip maintains a marvellous impression of a Van Gogh still life I decide to try my short pole line. Double maggot brings a couple of small roach and I alternate, single/double maggot and single/double caster. Next thing the pole tip bangs down and I latch into one extremely acrobatic trout on single caster. It’s amazing how the trout leaps in one spot but my elastic seems to be somewhere else! Is the beast moving so fast that relativity is at work? I eventually land it and hope starts to rise I can get a few more.
Then Kos nets one……………..then Kos nets a carp! I did detect the flicker of a smile as he netted that fish. His depression is certainly lifting.
About 20 minutes later I snare another that feels like a carp, not leaping, a steady rather than a frantic fight but it’s another spotty intruder.
Then Kos nets another carp.
From where I am I can see 3TT getting a few decent fish, Cas as well and, according to Tony, the cesspit has thrown up at least five trout for Squirrel. Kos keeps finding the odd decent fish while I’m struggling for bites. Brownie has a trout, a Brownie trout (heh-heh), while 3TT continues to have his elastic stretched.
“How many trout has Mark got?” enquires Scotty later. “Ten” says Tony.
Half way through and it’s me reaching for the Samaritans number as Kos carries on taking an odd carp here, a trout there. Even Tony’s found a trout. Can’t see what’s happening at the other end of the pond so no idea how A section is faring.
“How many trout has Mark got now?” asks Scotty. “Fifteen” says Tony.
Going in to the last hour, I am desperate, Kos is ecstatic. Tony is not sure but he sees carp rolling in his peg, goes out on a line with corn and bang, bang, bang – five carp in the last 40 minutes (or should I have said bang, bang, bang, bang, bang?).
Time called at 3 and on to the weigh-in. Alan has taken A section with 37-4, 22-12 of carp and 14-8 of silvers. Phil takes second spot with 34-13 consisting of one carp and over 27lbs of silvers. B section is taken by a jubilant Kos who puts 30-8 on the scales made up in almost equal measures of carp and silvers. Scotty pulls second with 12-4. C section is won by Tony with a shade over 30lbs, more than half his weight coming in the last 45 minutes. Inevitably Cas is second with 24-3. Young Squirrel weighs in with 21-14 of which 18-4 is silvers. Strange those 15 trout Tony reported should have given Mark at least 30lbs. Nice to know we can rely on Tony to broadcast misinformation in Bilbo’s absence LMFAO!
What has been interesting today, however, is that few carp have been caught on bomb and “some bait or other” tactics. Peggy had one early doors and Alan managed one or two small ones but then caught most of his fish on corn at six sections. All other carp were taken on pole lines and were pretty well spread around the pond.
Our last league match is on 5th March. If the weather holds and we can complete the series I will be making the pay-out in The Robin Hood after this match. I have invited Dick and Sandra to do the honours again. I will be paying top four plus two default prizes to whoever has the best cumulative silver weight and best cumulative carp weight outside the prize list.
See you then
Cheers
Des
The Birkwood Farm Cockney Winter League – 2016/17 Round 9, March 5th 2017
So, this is it, the last round of this year’s winter league. The winner has already been ordained – well done Cas Lad – but five are in contention for 2nd, 3rd and 4th spots so still a lot to play for. And there are still the individual carp and silver prizes up for grabs!
The day does not bode well, however, with an exceptionally gloomy weather forecast; rain for most of the day, heavy at times and will finally stop…………….Brownie told us………….on Monday!! I am destined for C section with the wind mostly in my face so an umbrella would prove just about useless! Oh well my suits waterproof but I’m still going to get wet!!!
The final draw is made at 8.30. We are two down but Marjorie will fill one of the vacant spots. I draw C section first as me and my erstwhile assistant Elvis are both in that section and we do need someone not in C to make our draw. Up steps 3TT and pulls out 14 for Elvis and 13 for me. Kos then pulls out 6, Mick 7 and Elmer ends with 11. We have a spare peg in C. Only Scotty can challenge for a top 4 spot from this section.
Next is A section: Tony has 1, Brownie 2, 3TT 16, Charlie 22 and Cas lifts 23. Marjorie has 17 to complete the section. Tony and Brownie are both in contention for a top 4 spot.
B section goes Darryl with 4, Phil with 5, Bilbo 15, Dave N 15A, Alan 18 and Andrew with 21. Alan can make the top 4. The other contender, Secret Squirrel, is not with us today due to birthday commitments so must keep fingers crossed from wherever he is!!
After wading through the mud a few times I finally settle at my peg. I set up a bomb rod (no waggler on 13 as I’m p…..d off ending up in that infernal bloody pine tree every time I use one there). I also set up four top kits – one for just on and off the deck at 7 sections, a lighter rig for a similar line at same depth but fished about 10 metres right, a deck rig for corn at 12 metres and then a shallow rig for the two shorter lines. My warped idea is to pot maggot on one line, caster on another, loose feed over the top and then pot micros and some corn long. The shallow rig will be used if I pull fish off the deck with the loose feed. That’s the plan anyway.
Kick off at 10 and the rain starts bang on cue! I feed all three pole lines and also fire a few 8mm pellets out long. I start on bomb and pellet just in case but not even a liner. I give it 15 minutes but feel I’m just wasting time so come onto the maggot line. I start with a run of half decent roach, two to three-ounce fish, but it doesn’t last too long. Bites start to become a little hard by so I go over the caster line and get…………a gudgeon.
Elvis on the next peg has a spotty and I hear Bilbo say that Scotty’s a trout-master in 11. Bugger; I need to find trout. Elvis now has two! As we progress I’m getting small roach on both lines and Elvis has had another trout! Bilbo is on the tip fishing bomb and pellet and is catching carp. Word around the pond is that Cas and Brownie are also finding carp. Then I get my first trout but, just to keep me in my place Elvis takes a fourth.
I start bumping fish and need to replace the hook on my heavier maggot rig. While I tie one I chuck out the bomb. Nothing happens. I try a pop-up boilie. I get a slight liner but still nothing happens. I go back on the maggot line with a fresh hook and keep on with the small roach until all goes quiet and another trout muscles in on the action when I try the shallow rig.
Bilbo is still netting carp. I am happy for him though; every time he has to re-cast he gets off his box to keep away from his umbrella and manages to climb back up on his own! I did offer to help but so pleased to see he can do it on his own. Mind, it is a funny sight to see his little legs swinging away about six inches above his footplate!!!!
Now the rain has not let up all day. I am just putting a few maggots in a small tub each time so they don’t all get wet and crawl away. Even this small number have got so wet, however, that I am no longer able to catapult them out to the 10 metres I need! They are sticking in the cup of my catapult and are going all over the place – in the tree behind, in my keep net, up my nose, down my leg with the odd one getting somewhere in the vicinity of my float. Decision time: I replumb on a top-two-plus-two with the shallow rig and set up about dead depth. Then I start to loose feed maggots short by hand and flick the rig in over the top. Imagine my surprise (oops…..where did I get that phrase from) when I start a run of plump roach almost immediately. This run tails off a bit but I also find another two trout on this line. Then I’m into a decent fish that doesn’t go mental. It must be carp. It is but it’s only a babby at a pound-and-a-quarter. Next put in I immediately hook another that tears off into the depths. I only have it on for about a minute; it’s a foul hooker!
Never mind, optimism rules. I hook another decent fish, which gives the impression of a trout but turns out to be a one pound roach! One beautiful specimen. Next I lift into another carp but this time I have it in the tail. I have it on for about 5 minutes but the hook finally pulls. Could that be costly? Finally, among a run of small roach I find a fifth trout.
3PM and I call time. Now to the weigh in. Cas has taken A section with nearly 44lbs. 41lbs of this is carp taken on bomb and pellet and pellet waggler. He did manage one on the pole. Second in A is Tony with an all silver net of 28-12. The surprise is Brownies net: he has a good number of carp but a mix of smaller fish and stockies. He had three in his first three chucks but they just didn’t weigh!
Bilbo wins B section with 36-6, nearly all carp taken on bomb and pellet. For a guy who can’t stand carp fishing he sure does a strange impression! Phil takes second spot with a mostly silver net going 22-12.
I take C section (at last) with 17 ½ pounds of mostly silvers. Kos comes in second with 15-14.
Now the final reckoning can take place: Cas Lad wins the league with 7 points, a near perfect score. There are three tied then with 11 points; Brownie, Alan and Squirrel and they finish in that order as Brownie has three section wins to Alans two and Squirrels one. Tony takes the silvers prize with a total of 110-12 and, surprise, surprise, Bilbo takes the carp with 112-15.
Well done guys.
Just a couple of facts from the league:
The average weight through the league was 14lbs 5oz per man per match. Good winter fishing by any standard. Cas put over 215lbs of carp on the scales through the nine matches for a league record. Who says the carp fishing at Birkwood has gone down the pan! The match average was over 100lbs of carp per match and 140lbs of silvers.
We have one more match on 19th March (MY BIRTHDAY), which will be a rover. Draw usual time but fish 10 till 4. As a rover, the prizes will be first and second carp and first and second silver weights so you will have a choice what to fish for.
The dates are already booked for the 2017-18 Cockney Winter League so hope to see you all again in November.
Cheers
Des
