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Bury Hill Fisheries, 26th September 2019

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A text message from Hathers asking whether I could fish the Wednesday OBH Lovers match for Big Si.  Not a problem, bait sorted, long ranger feeder rods sorted and I was ready to visit one of my favourite venues, Old Bury Hill in Dorking with the "knobs". Todays weather was miserable, rain and wind however the rain as predicted to stop around 10am so maybe it could be a great day for the bream. The Draw Peg 1, one of the favoured pegs came out of the bag for me.  Normally Big Si draws this peg and he has on most occasions however a few weeks ago it didn't produce for him with Pegs 2 and 3 taking the match win and section first. It does look a beautiful peg however the overhanging tree on the pole line doesn't allow you to get up close and personal with the reeds.  The long chuck across an obvious target. Set-up The pole line at 13-14 metres to target the tree line.  I was surprised at the difference in depth between peg 1 as I grabbed a rig that I had used

Bury Hill Fisheries, 4th September 2019

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A late call went out on the OBH Lovers group on Bookface that there was a spare place on the match.  A quick phone call to Hathers and I'd secured the spot fishing as replacement for Steve Parkin. The Draw 8:15am draw, I arrived around 8am to find the front bank parking full. The lads were obviously keen today! Peg 3 for me today. Set-up After watching Greg an Simon casting out a very long way to clip up their rods I followed suit.  After clipping up I marked out the distance on the measuring sticks at 70 metres! I set-up a bomb and pellet rod at this distance that would have a t-bag of pellets with it.  I also set-up a feeder rod at 25 metres, just beyond the pole line. A single pole line at 13-14 metres at the 1 o'clock position to avoid bring fish on the feeder line over it with a light 0.4g rig and heavier 0.8g rig if the wind got up. Bait was pellets, dead maggot and sweetcorn.  Groundbait, F1 Dark. All-In The weather today was screaming Bream!  Overcast

FAS - Stockbridge Pond, 25th August 2019

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The second round of the Bernard Parrot Memorial to be fished at Stockbridge Pond near Tilford and another very warm Autumn day with bright sunshine and no cloud. The Draw Peg 10 came out the hat for me, so I'd at least have some lily pads to target. Set-up The lily pads would be the main attack today so I chose two swims: End of the pads Shallower line towards the middle of the pads The waggler rod was also set-up as a secondary plan.  Bait was all natural casters, maggots, worms, sweetcorn together with some micro pellets and F1 Dark groundbait. All-In I decided to start quite negatively and cupped in a small ball of groundbait with some chopped worm on the long lily line and some casters on the short lily line.  Giving it time to settle a quick dabble on the waggler. The waggler was producing roach and small perch however in spells of two to three before they would back off. Trying the long lily line the chopped worm had obviously had its effect and I was bri

GAS - Richardson Lake, 21st August 2019

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Wednesday match at Marsh Farm, the weather was certainly shaping up to be a lovely day so what better than to spend it fishing on Richardson Lake! The usual suspects lines up together with some old familiar faces from my MFS days namely Ian McLaren and Dave Boyd. The Draw Peg 5, right outside of the club house for me today Set-up I decided on a method to target the far bank and the following pole lines: 10 Metres left and right Margins left and right The menu today dead reds, casters, micro pellets, assorted pellets for hookers and F1 sweet groundbait. All-In A single ball of groundbait on the left hand 10 metre line and three balls on the right hand line.  I started on the method with double dead red maggot and groundbait loaded.  Five minute timed cast and pinging three to four 6mm hard pellets over the method line. It was a warm and still day with very little ripple on the water.  The first hour past without a fish on the method so I tried the pole lines.  The l

FAS - Badshot Lea Little Pond, 18th August 2019

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Checking my diary and it had been over a month since my last outing... to say I was getting cabin fever is an understatement! Farnham Angling Society were at Badshot Lea small pond a venue that I really enjoy so it was a simple decision. The Draw Thirteen of us fishing, third last to draw today and I pulled out peg 29, in the middle of the far bank. Set-up Arriving at the peg, with the wind and rain driving, even though the weather forecast predicted the weather would ease I decided not to setup a pole line.  I even discounted the margins which could potentially be a big mistake. It was rod only today.  Two feeder rods, one with a traditional running feeder set-up and the other with a hybrid feeder, both fished on the same line short of the half way point on the lake. The waggler rod would be fished around pole range, so approximately 16 metres. Bait was F1 Green Sweet, maggots, casters and micro pellets. All-In Two balls of ground bait laced with casters on the wagg

Badshot Lea Little Pond, 11th July 2019

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A day out with Nathan and his dad, John and an opportunity to fish Badshot Lea Little Pond in a mini competition between the three of us. The Draw Well, not so much as a draw as a selection... we decided to be social and fish three swims next to each other, Nathan had the first choice and went for Peg 10, John, Peg 11 and I took Peg 9. Set-up I had decided while packing the car that I would leave the pole at home and fish rods only.  In the bag was a waggler rod and two tip rods, one for standard swim feeder / bomb tactics and the other with a method set-up. I set-up the waggler to fish around 16 metres and standard feeder rod clipped up to a third the way over the swim. Bait was dead maggot, caster, assorted hard pellet and ground bait. All-In Two lines of attack would be adopted, the waggler line and the feeder... really simple fishing. The waggler line was fed with six balls of groundbait laced with some casters and dead maggots which I would leave for a couple of h

Specimen - Johnsons Lake, 1st July 2019

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My new PB Crucian Carp at 3lb 4oz Something a little bit different and an opportunity to branch out into another area that fishing offers.  Time to target some specimen fish, not just large carping but an opportunity to get some personal bests on the board and target specific types of fish. The first challenge I wanted was to target large Tench and Crucian Carp.  I'm into my second year as a member of Godalming Angling Society  and they are blessed with Enton Lake at Milford, a former trout fishery that they purchased in 1984/5. The lake was renamed Johnson's Enton Lake in honour of the fishery management secretary at the time, Alf Johnson, who was the driving force behind buying this water. Alf died in 2001 and the lake was renamed as simply Johnson's Lake in his honour. His ashes are scattered there beneath a willow tree planted by his family. Johnsons Lake is where the current British record Crucian Carp lives, banked in 2015 at 4lb 10oz.  What a better place