Chiltern Trinity Woodlands Lake, Shiplate V Clevedon A.A.

Guesting for the Shiplate Farm Team Again today on a venue I don't get to fish enough to be honest, I think the last time I was here was in the winter a couple of years ago when I had my new lead rod & reel dragged in! Luckily I got it back somehow" More of a friendly event but the Shiplate side had taken the spoils in all the previous rounds when fished together so were keen to keep up the good work' Unfortunately The Clevedon Team were Short as Paul Faires couldn't get his car started but the top eight weights from each side would decided the out come, It looked like being a nice day but their was quite a breeze blowing from the north west down the lake, Into the draw & I pulled out peg 17, I was told it was a good area in the bottom corner of the lake on the right hand side, Apparently Peg 15 not far round from me had won a resent match with 200lb but I had good mate Nick Harvey who has just returned to the bank having hibernated for the winter on peg around from me on peg 14 which gave him the option of fishing down to 15 so expected him to do well but also hoped to be in for some decent action, I did warn him though if he started bagging I would slig the method his way! Lol.

A few options here that's for sure, I got the shallow wagg & Method feeder rods put first up, I do have to add I have used these Mosella Hardcases which fit into the Mosella holdalls for over a year now and their really sturdy, There as good as new with no issues with zips ect that usually break in time & all the stitching is still perfect.

Pole wise I set up a rig to fish shallow/Slapping with banded pellet, A 4x12 Rube on 0.17-0.19 & a size 14 hook to fish meat at 6mts which is fairly deep around 7ft, The same float/line to fish down both edges which turned out to be over 4ft deep so would fish at 6mts on my right towards the empty pallet peg 16 tight to the bank & 16mts past the pallet to my left again against the bank which looked fishy with the wind blowing are way.

I started the day pinging 6mm pellets in the open water to my left in the open water to try & draw some fish shallow whilst I started on the deck with 8mm meat at 6mts, I also cupped a decent amount of 6mms down the edge at 16mts & fed a few hard 6 & 8mms down my short edge by hand, I gave the meat line around 15mins but with no signs had a quick look infront of me on the pellet wagg shallow, This didn't work with no indications so it was time to try shallow on the pole where I had continued to ping some 6mms, It was a bit of a mare with the wind to get the rig in properly but after a bit of persistence I hook a fish which turned out to be around 8lb so I was up & running, Soon after I had a 3lb fish then lost another Decent fish foul hooked Near the net! I gave it another 40mins or so but again just two more foul hooked fish one I got in around 3lb. the wind had started to get stronger & I missed a couple of bite but things just weren't right & I was going nowhere, I had Terry Taylor behind me again today & after he had a wander around not much had been caught at this stage.

It was time to try down the edges, I started with banded 8mm on the short line to my right where I had been dripping in the odd pellet, I missed a couple of bites before connecting with a 3lb F1" A while later had a 3lb carp foul hooked then lost a bigger fish fouled again, I added a cad-pot and rather than throwing a few pellets by hand started to cup 3-4 8mms each put-in, I had a carp around 5lb straight away, By this time Nick who was yet to catch followed suit & started to fish down to the boards on peg 15. It didn't take long for him to start catching & they were decent sized fish by the look of it with the first one over 10lb" I noticed he was fishing corn but could see that he only had a couple of feet of water, I had another plumb around but still had at least 4ft of water to contend with so had to make do, I decided to follow suit & feed some corn down the edge when I couldn't get anymore signs.

Back out shallow I hooked & lost another fouler but soon slung it up the bank as the wind just wasn't playing ball" so time to try down the long edge where I had been feeding 6mms with the catty with banded 8mm on the hook. I had a 6lb fish in seconds,  then another F1 & a small carp before things went a bit iffy as I foul hooked two more in the next ten minutes so went out on the shallow rig, A couple of plops with the pellet & the elastic was soon out & a 5lb fish in the net, I thought I had sussed it & would start bagging" Wrong' I couldn't get a bite here after. I feed another decent amount of 6mms back down the long edge & though as soon as tried down my short edge with corn I would be catching as Nick was still doing well on it. Nope' Just small dinks on the float so I had draw in the small fish then" I tried had pellet again but nothing so was regretting feeding the better amount of corn here, I plumed a new line close to the pallet leg & started to drip feed 8mm meat here with a few 8mms. The second half of my match turned out to be pretty much a disaster" I managed to hook another decent fish shallow on the long pole which managed to dive between my nets & snapped my top kit in the process but I still managed to net it around 6lb" Then I managed to hook the bottom at 16mts" I got back to my top-kit with it still attached then managed to snap another top-kit just as the hook length gave way! FFS...

I did managed a few more fish down the edge at 16mts when I switched to cad potting a few 8mms over the top but they wouldn't stay here, The shorter edge was a waste of time where I had fed the corn as I never had another fish off this line & wished I had just continued to feed the odd pellet by hand, & the new line produced just one bite near the pallet leg but it turned out to be a 2lb tench". On the all-out I had 62lb of carp on the clicker & my tench & two F1's would go about 7lb? I had seen Rich Hawkins further along Nicks bank netting on the end peg netting fish through the day but new Nick would be the likely winner with over 100lb as he caught most of the match in the shallower water on double corn.

I caught up with the scales just up from Nick & Rich Hawkins was leading the way with a level 70lb, Nick was next & finished with 115lb, before it was my turn, I was a lot closer with my estimate today & finished with 73lb odd, back at the results & Nick easily won the day so well done Mate, Thankfully after my expensive day' I held on to second picking up £50 so not a total disaster' On the team stakes it was a lot closer today & Clevedon finally took the spoils after the top eight weights were added for each side with a total of 325lb odd to Shiplate's 305lb odd. I did enjoy the day, The wind ruled out the long pole shallow as I'm sure I would of had a few more on it? Have to say a big thanks to Titch Williams after he donated me some of my beloved Chanti's which will come into use in the winter months, A few people struggled for fish today in some areas so thankful for a better draw this week after missing yesterdays match at Acorn due to work.

Full Results -

1st Nick Harvey (Sensas 88) peg 14, 115lb 12oz.

2nd Dom Sullivan (Mosella UK) peg 17, 73lb 10oz.

3rd Rich Hawkins (Wormheads) peg 8, 70lb.

4th John Page (Drennan Thyers) peg 26, 63lb 6oz.

Silvers -

1st Mark Broomsgrove (Sensas 88) peg 27, 9lb 12oz.