MFS - Bury Hill Fisheries, 10th May 2015

I put my name well down the reserve list for this match at Bury Hill Fishery not really expecting to get on it.  A late message from Hather's last week asking if I was available?  Of course I was, Bury Hill is a beautiful fishery and having only been here once before I was looking forward to getting back on the banks of the big lake.

Arriving at the fishery it was great, as usual to see some faces I've not seen for a while, like Simon (Big Bloke) and Stuart (Squeaky Roller).

Ken in the tackle shop was quick to pick up on the northern accent and the friendly banter started.

The Draw
Hather's wasn't fishing today as his good lady had put her foot down.  He was going to the football and then having a week at Stafford Moor.  This didn't stop him turning up and organising the draw for us all.

My peg for the day would be Peg 11, a disabled platform swim which of course I would soon be ridiculed for.  Thanks to Hathers for eventually getting a picture of me after multiple attempts.

The Set-Up
It was clear that today would be spent on the feeder and pole.  The method feeder had been voluntarily banned for the match.  I set-up:
  • Feeder rod with a running cage feeder and 20 inch hooklength
  • Pole at 14.5 metres, the depth was pretty uniform so it gave me plenty of scope for changing areas
Bait was some dead maggots, casters, pellets (micro, 4mm, 6mm and 8mm for hookbait) together with some groundbait.

All-In
Smithy looking pleased with himself
I'd clipped the feeder up to 40 turns and was in the process of putting out six casts of feed when on my fourth cast I hear a rattle through the rod rings which is the tell tail sign of a "wind loop".  Reeling back in confirmed it and the knot was way too tight to even attempt to unpick, so snip the line and a four turn water know would suffice.  I'd only lost 2 turns, so quickly clipped back up and finished putting the remaining feed out.

I cupped in two small balls of micro pellets on the pole line and would sit on the feeder for the first 40 minutes casting regularly, leaving the feeder in the water for 5 minutes at a time.  I started with a banded 6mm pellet.

Smithy next to me hooked a bream on his first cast, looks like a good day!

I wasn't getting any knocks on the banded 6mm pellet so switched to 3 dead reds, fish on straight away, not a huge example, but at least it got me off the mark.

I took a look on the pole line with a 4mm expander pellet, nothing, so back to the feeder for me.  In the 2nd hour, Ricky had started to catch on his pole line, Smithy was getting fish on the feeder and I had one in the net... so I copied Rick and went on the pole line, at last a run of fish, well two anyway.

Neighbour for 2 days running, try smiling Ricky ;-)
There was a big tow in the lake from right to left.  I topped the line up with a gold golf ball of micro pellets but was struggling to get in touch with the fish.  Ricky was happily catching some large slabs, Smithy was also on the pole and catching.

Interestingly, Smithy was pinging 4mm pellets over his pole line and Ricky was kinder potting in micro's every drop in.

Hour 3 and I was struggling, back on the feeder line, this time leaving it out for 15 minutes a chuck.  I hooked a couple of fish which came off near the net.  My day wasn't going to plan.

The final couple of hours I sat motionless, switching between the feeder and the pole line.  Replumbing, checking my depth, changing the rig to a double bulk for the telltale lift bites you get from skimmers and bream.

Ricky was catching one a chuck, Smithy was also getting fish on a regular basis and dropped his feeder over the pole line, fish on straight away.  I followed suit and hooked a fish, the next fish came off, so I changed hooklengths and decided to go long, unclipping the line and casting to the stars!

I left the feeder out while I was resigned to my fate and started to pack the pole up around me.  The final 5 minutes, the tip swung round and a lovely bruiser of a bream was in the net.  With that, Ricky called the all-out.

Result
10lb 8oz with the seven fish and dead last in section.

Full Results
1st Elbows Peg 3 94-6
2nd Happydangler Peg10 71-12
3rd Splitshot161 Peg 9 63-8

Section A
P1 - Shuar (Golden Peg) DNW
P2 - WilsonD 43-6
P3 - Elbows 94-6
P4 - Maddogrnnsn 51-0
P6 - Breamslime DNW
P8 - Marcus Page DNW

Section B
P9 - Splitshot 161 63-8
P10 - Happydangler 71-12
P11 - Lewy 10-8
P12 - Breambrain 43-8
P13 - Epicentre 40-2
P14 - Toplights 17-9

Section C
P16 - MickyD 25-7
P17 - GeorgeT 13-1
P19 - Tony9151 6-14
P20 - Squeakyroller 28-8
P22 - Big Bloke 24-4
P24 - JimW 15-0

Conclusion
Stuart (Squeaky Roller) and Simon (Big Bloke) mentioned that maybe I should have fed 4mm pellets as the tow was quite strong and the micro pellets would have drifted away and not left a nice area for the bream to graze on.  This was on my mind all the way home.

**Update, Ricky was feeding loose dampened micro pellets and fishing around his baited area.  Thanks for the info Rick!  I still owe you a quid for the battering!

Nevertheless, I had a good day out, with great company, the sun was shining and the wind wasn't too bad.  Bury Hill is a beautiful fishery and I'm looking forward to my next outing there!

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