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MFS - Stafford Moor - Open Match, 2nd March 2012

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Final day fishing at Stafford Moor and Herbie had organised another MFS Champion League match with both a Carp and Silvers Pool, so I was looking forward to getting the rods out and trying to bag some large Stafford Moor Carp. The match would be over both Woodpecker and Tanners with Woodpecker being the favoured lake as the carp had been showing a lot over the week. I drew out peg 1 on Tanners.  Andy, Stafford Moor fishery owner said that the wind was blowing out of the peg and it would be tough for me, but thats the luck of the draw bag. Peg 1 on Tanners is an end peg, the lake curves around from the left side up to Peg 36.  It was clear that fish were feeding as you could see blowing in the calm water and Chris Haines next to me on peg 3 had mentioned that I would need to chase the fish up that bank. The Set-up 14.5 metres to the left bank into a part of the bank that was eroded 10' Bomb rod with bomb and 8mm Go-Nut pellet 11'6" Waggler rod set at 3' dept

MFS - Stafford Moor - Silvers Festival , 1st March 2012

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Final day of the MFS Stafford Moor Silvers competition. I drew peg 30 on Tanners again!  I was a little disappointed as I wanted to fish somewhere else on the lake, but on the up side at least I knew what I was in for and how to fish it. The Set-up 13 metre line - groundbait, caster. dead red maggot 6 metre line - groundbait, caster. dead red maggot Top two for the bush next to me - hand fed with caster After plumbing up the 13 & 6 metre line I had 6 inches difference in depth, so marked the top kit with both depths and would use the same rig, adjusting the depth when changing swims. Steve May had given me some good tips on groundbait to prepare it as sloppy as possible while still holding it’s shape.  It allows the skimmers to feed on it straight away.  So I prepared the groundbait as normal and then in another tub prepared some sloppy groundbait. The All-In I fed two balls of sloppy groundbait with caster and chopped worm on the 13 metre line and

MFS - Stafford Moor - Silvers Festival , 29th February 2012

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Third day of the MFS Silvers Festival at Stafford Moor.  Another open draw so I could be on either Woodpecker or Tanners... In went the hand to the drawbag and out came peg 10 on Woodpeckers.  Peg 10 is know as the swivel peg as there is a large bay behind your seating position.  Andy G advised not trying down there as it was full of carp. John (Redarmy) won from this peg yesterday, would this be a repeat of day one?  Col told me he caught at 14.5 metres straight out on worm, so that would be one line for today. The Set-up 14.5 metre line straight ahead 7 metre line straight ahead 7 metre line at 45 degrees, as advised by Stevie May Top two kit at 45 degrees After plumbing up the 14.5 & 7 metre line straight ahead were the same depth.  The 7 metre line at 45 degrees slightly shallower.  I could not find any features while plumbing around. The All-In Cupping in some worm at 14.5 metres and two balls of groundbait at both the 7 metre swims I went out

MFS - Stafford Moor - Silvers Festival , 28th February 2012

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Second day of the MFS Silvers Festival at Stafford Moor.  Again we all gathered at the tackle shop for 9am. Team A, needed a result today as we were languishing in last position! I drew peg 30 on Tanners at the end of the section on the far bank.  The wrong end of that bank according to the locals. The Set-up 13 metre line - groundbait, caster. dead red maggot 6 metre line - groundbait, caster. dead red maggot 8 metre line to peg 29, chopped worm Top two for the bush next to me - hand fed with caster After plumbing up the 13 & 6 metre line I had 6 inches difference in depth, so marked the top kit with both depths and would use the same rig, adjusting the depth when changing swims. The chopped worm and bush swim were the same depth, so one rig for those two. The All-In Andy G had tipped me off how to fish these pegs, so following his advice, I cupped in one ball of groundbait on both the 13 metre and 6 metre and cupped in some choppe

MFS - Stafford Moor - Silvers Festival , 27th February 2012

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The long awaited Match Fishing Scene Stafford Moor silvers festival sponsored by Marukyu . Stafford Moor has 22 acres of lakes set in the Devon countryside with 30 of Match Fishing Scene's "characters" all staying at the lodges this is going to be a memorable week! Marukyu had kindly sponsored the event by sending three cases of their EFG130 groundbait , including a Marukyu cap for all anglers.  Other sponsors of the event include SconeZone floats and Haines Angling. First day of the MFS Silvers Festival at Stafford Moor.  Again we all gathered at the tackle shop for 9am. The teams had been drawn the previous night, I was with Rolly, Jim McD and Animal.  The teams weight on the day would be for the team event and your own weight for section and/or lake win. I drew peg 16 on Woodpecker, this peg won the lake yesterday with 52lb of silvers so I was hopeful of a good day on the bank... how wrong would I be! Peg 16 is a corner peg.  After speaking to Pete

MFS - Stafford Moor - Open Silvers Match, 26th February 2012

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After the madness of the first night with the Matchfishing Scene lads, well 28 of them, waking up the head was a little thick to say the least! Herbie had organised a knock up match which would count towards the MFS Champion League.  The group eventually congregated at the tackle shop for a 9am draw. I drew peg 3 on Woodpecker, Andy, fishery owner said it was a roach peg, he wasn’t going to be wrong! Peg 3 is all on it’s own at the top end of Woodpecker, in a bay of it’s own.  Plenty of carp where topping, but that’s not the quarry today... shame, because this peg has plenty of carp holding areas. The Set-up Inside Line - top 3 sections - depth 6 foot, Sconezone Jadz on 0.12 Shimano Silkshock to a size 20 carp maggot, 0.10 hooklength 13m Line - depth 7 foot - Sconezone Jadz on 0.12 Shimano Silkshock to a size 16 Gamma Green No rods were broken out, it was going to be pole all day long. With plenty of time to set-up I was ready 30 minutes before the all-

Kingsland Reservoir, Coates, February 18th 2012

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The weather in February has been a little harsh, so taking advantage of some improved weather forecasts and in order to get some silver fish practise in before my week at Stafford Moor with the Match Fishing Scene crew I decided to head to Kingsland Reservoir, Coates, Peterborough and have a session on the Silverfish lake. As usual, my mate Mark joined me, so this was going to be a battle for a point in the 2012 Mark vs Mark competition. My home for the day Kingsland Reservoir allows the use of keepnets during pleasure fishing sessions, so I purchased a proper match weigh sling for us to record more accurate weights for the 6 hour session. The weather for the day was overcast and the mecury was hitting a massive 8 degrees C with quite a blustery wind.  We both decided to fish with the wind at our backs and selected two pegs dividing the middle of the silver fish lake.  The aerator split our pegs and was an area that we would both target as potential fish holding areas wit