Simple Match Fishing Forum

Well what can I report? On the way home from this one as I sat as passenger in Heinzer’s car I was struggling to think what I was going to post the following day.

My head was awash, not from events, humorous or otherwise, rather from the lack of them as my visibility of the match was somewhat impeded, coupled with a bit of a bizarre nearly heart to heart conversation I’d had with a member the night before.  

The day started as normal after a night on the tiles. A trip to the loo, fully expecting be  able to stack a few more z’s for an hour or so and I was aghast to see the clock reading 6.59am. ‘S**t’ I thought to myself got to get up'.  

Two brews later and I clock Sprucey on the top of the drive, obviously wanting to join a convoy. Well normally there would be a convoy as Heinzer was picking me up and normally Hotlips would be turning ‘up late’ too, but I hadn’t heard from Hotlips, although Yamo had posted earlier in the week elsewhere that Hotlips and ‘F’ Kendall were coming.

Arrived at the venue, plenty milling around. In fact after doing my ‘MGB’ impersonation, aided by Roberto D, and tracking down latecomer Budgie,   we’d got 24 members – only 1 more club casualty – plus the three expected visitors. A healthy turnout  

A draw was sorted for Harry the Hitman and Mick Kenn to minimize their walks. Hands were dipping in the bag, so ‘mid’ draw I plunged in too. Peg 8.  

Not what I  really wanted – particularly as I’d had a pm off a member doing a pre match reconnaissance who’d commented

‘having spoken to big Col and Robin from curborough pegs 8 to 14 don't produce in matches so it might be worth leaving them out whoever is pegging out’

This was further reinforced by a degree or so by Big Baz on 10 who referred to the area as cyanide straight and had been told by one of mates to not to bother and  go back home’ if he drew along there.  

‘Ah well – lets get on with it’ I thought. ‘First round of the knock out today, top 16 weights to go through – can I make the cut?’ I certainly didn’t want to make a first round exit.

Rigs set up……….two down the track at 10 mtrs into about 5ft water – a lot shallower than the peg 35 I’d drawn on my two previous visits here. Shallower in the margin too with just over 2 ft. Only bother with one rig on this line, whilst the the inside shelf  at 4.5 mtrs dropping down just to around the 4 ft mark, saw a further two rigs of alternative line diameter and hooks set up.    

The off. All three lines are fed and before I’ve baited a hook, Big Baz two pegs to my left is cussing because he’s lost a crap first put in.  

A look on the ‘long’ line. Two put ins into a strong side wind results in just two transparent ME mates. Then nowt. Hook baits are alternated. Still nowt.  

Meanwhile I can see odd fish being netted around the pool and worse still MGB is battering me. He’s on the wag, picking small crucians and silvers from the point of the island opposite.  

A look on the 4.5 mtr line. ME’s mates again, and again, and again, and again…….you get the drift.  

I’m struggling……….visions of being right down the field and out of the knock out. MGB is still picking up netters on the wag.

Right – gotta get my head down and make the best of a bad job. Up the bank and a 3 mtr whip is set up – lets go for the gobies – if I get smashed up then the other rigs will come into play.

So gobie after gobie it is, whilst keeping the other two lines, long and margin fed.

A look long – nowt………….after two hours a look down the margin, nowt unless I put a mag on and its……………yes you’ve guessed it, a gobie.

There’s a few bank walkers about and Budgie trecks down. ‘How you doing Budgie?’, ‘Some skimmers and loads of gudgeon’ Man am I struggling………….’skimmers what am them ’

Off he trots and returns 5 mins later to advise that Simps has just netted a nice tench around the 3lb mark.  

Old Harry the Hitman to my left is piling on the pressure too along with MGB with his stamp fish as well. Harry’s picking up odd small carp and tench……….I’m like a pice of cod, getting battered both sides. :(

Head down and focus, gobie after gobie. Most ½ oz, but a few Trent pongoes of an ounce or more.  Half a dozen ‘bonus’ skimmers, a 4 oz tench plus two roach and two rudd smaller than the gudgeon are a welcome relief from the monotony of gobie after gobie.

The whistle for the end ………..,I might have done Harry the Hitman and MGB who put the wag down and followed suit after the gudgeon…….but could I scrape into the top 16 and make the cut for the next round?

Apparently ‘F’ Kendall had emptied it on peg 1 according to reports. He traipsed down to me denying it. I threatened him with a ‘5 match ban’ in retaliation for all the matches he didn’t turn up to last year, whilst secretly thinking to myself, ‘He’s telling porkies, must have had a few by all reports’

Anyway the moment all have been waiting for………the tale of the scales

PEG
1 F KENDALL 11.10.0
2 M KENN 5.8.0
4 ME 3.6.0
5 BUDGIE 6.6.0
7 MGB 8.10.0
8 TK - BDM 21.6.0
10 HARRY HITMAN 10.0.0
11 BIG BAZ 7.4.0
14 HEINZER 10.9.0
15 ROBERTO D 4.0.0
16 SIMPLE SIMON 9.12.0
17 BRAMBLES 9.0.0
19 MARKV 25.10.0
20 RICH C 13.5.0
21 PHIL B 5.0.0
23 HOTLIPS 6.8.0
24 ZORRO 17.0.0
25 BIG GEOFF 15.10.0
26 ROLLY 7.8.0
28 SPRUCEY 15.2.0
29 COTTI 5.6.0
31 GOLDEN BALLS 9.4.0
32 KOD 10.6.0
34 YAMO 21.8.0
35 HAHA 5.2.0
38 VESTE 2.7.0
39 GEZ 1.3.0
   
So there we have it – a ‘new’ name to grace a Cashmores trophy – well done MarkV.  

See you at the presentation night next year  ;)

Over to the chief scribe to also enlighten us on how he took us all apart – was it that positive mental attitude that prevailed?

After all the negative feedback in the lead up to this one, MarkV was the one who appeared to take a different outlook on things and a different view of the venue...........    

Here are a few snaps from the sponserd Gudgeon Fishery Curbourgh

i don't want to see another Gudgeon Again

Here goes







Harry the hit man



Sailor boy Simps  on the Flyer



Yammo & Ha Ha over the far side



see you all next Match fellas pipe hill must get me self down there over the next couple of days to suss if it will be another Gudgeon Match

Well done Mark
Great report as usual TK

Very windy venue. I was on the 3m flick tip whip just catching Gudgeon.

I was a bit shocked to see the people there that do the weigh in leave so many fish in the keepnets. Good job we checked otherwise there would be plenty of dead fish.
And as Yamo said... as money was involved and the weights been so close they could have potentially cost someone the match

I thought I was on a cut with the amount of gudgeon coming out

Thanks for letting me fish too TK

Nice report tk. Thats for the invite. I cant beleive i sat there on a peice of corn waiting for them carpy thingys while everyone else decided to play my game of gudgeon bashing . Even the owner said he'd never seen so many gudgeon come out of a pool before.

Back at the draw again. Yesterday I was wearing a Bib and Brace by Leeda complete with a couple of stylish rips, topcoat by Shakespeare from their ‘Everyweek’ range and Wellingtons by Murphy’s.

I’d fully expected the show to be stolen by Budgie, with a brightly coloured outfit direct from the manufacturers spring collections, but  he was in a much more sombre mood.

The award for smartest angler must then go to Sprucey  ,
closely followed by YAMO who in all honesty threw his chances away by only wearing half his match kit.

Like so many of the rest, TK seemed happy to have thrown on
‘any old thing’.


On our last visit here I’d been second only to TK. Really don’t know how he does it in that clobber. ::)

My expectations were high and my mood even better in the run up, except for Friday when I had a reality check and knew I was going to have a real job on to better last time and in truth no chance at all. But I like the venue and was looking forward to it immensely.

At the draw ( and in answer to TK’s question of how do I do it ) I drew left handed, and pulled out number 19.  
Luverly jubbly an end peg, which also turned out to be in a corner lol. Nevertheless you still have to do it.  :D

Got me head down for this one as I believe there are a lot of fish on a good number of pegs here and a lot of fish need to be caught with hardly any bigger ones showing on previous visits.

Breaking the habit of quite a while I was ready on time, due to setting up one rig to cover everything, with just depth changes.

Such was my dedication    I only allowed myself two cups of tea and one call of nature, the rest of the time I fished. Didn’t even have time to eat me bourbon biscuits.  

Just after the off I noticed how blue the sky was. For some reason the spring sunshine has really been catching me, don’t know if it’s the disappearing ozone layer or what but there was no time for the walk back to the car for the sun cream, I was just going to have to take another toastin’.

I really expected 20-30lb to win it, but probably closer to 20 due to the cooler water, but I’d worked out by average size, how many fish I’d need for 30lb .... and was going for it lol.

After 18minutes I’d had 13 fish, more than on target. Trouble was, I’d had 12 Gudgeon and a tiny Tench and was well short of a pound. Undaunted, I told myself to keep going, keep faith and the better fish would come, which before long they did.

Nothing massive and although I never ‘really got them going’ ,
I caught steadily throughout from then on, switching between lines.

Apart from Gudgeon, I had more small Tench than anything, closely followed by Crucians and a carp like species, possibly Brown Goldfish (?). Also had  a couple of skimmers and a couple of extremely embarrassed Goldfish. Towards the end and just like last time, I had a string of carp in the last 25 minutes, three of them, a couple of pounders and one about a pound and a half.

For the technically minded I used .11 mainline, .10 hooklength, a Garbolino DC6 .3gm float and Preston PR23 hooks in 18 & 20 with a no6 Vespe elastic. For the less technically minded or bothered, you could have done just the same with many other rigs.

I can’t comment much other ‘goings on’ as like TK, I didn’t see much but it was a very enjoyable day’s fishing for me at least.

Back at the car park I was enquiring what TK had had, always a huge danger on a venue like this, as shown by winkling out 21 plus pounds from ‘cyanide straight’ and mostly gudgeon !!!
YAMO, as consistent as ever, also had 21lb plus, a smidgeon more than TK

This time anyway, I’d managed to top the list.
A Cashmores win which I can tell you is highly valued.

I now have 15 English pounds to spend in the tackle shop   but not just yet, as with the sun and wind I’ve taken on the appearance of one of those red goldfish
and I’m stopping in.

Great reading Mark

I must try to dress better next time then

An A1 read from the chief scribe as expected

Well done on the victory too MarkV

the weights look good for the time of year good write up as well

gudgeons haven't seen many of them for a year or two the soar used to be full of them

what a great picture of TK....first time i seen him on his box reminds me of a garden gnome sat by my pool...

two nets for gudgeon fishing
simple i have seen it all now

you can tell simples has got a tackle shop

all the gear its just the baits in the wrong place ::) ::) ::)

whats that he's landing above you TK

two nets for gudgeon fishing  
simple i have seen it all now  

They need plenty of room to move about mate

all the gearits just the baits in the wrong place

Do you mean I have my tray on the left side ??

whats that he's landing above you TK

If it was Harry it would probably be the island

LIKE IT I'm not a loan then i do it all the time



mind you when it comes to weigh in my net is the most colorful with a few blue lady lumps,robins and ducks in it

Interesting match, nice to see return of some of the members heinzer, bobby,hotlips and fatty kendall--had a great giggle in the carp park prior to match. Draw made i wanted to be in the top bowl however drawing peg 34 meant i was near the bottom island,not bad i felt. When i arrived and saw the wind gusting into my face i was slightly put off, it then became inevitable that it was gonna be a tough day as HA HA plonked next door to me. PLummed up and set up 3 rigs, one for margin one for 5 m and one for 10m, didnt have time to set up the waggler rod as planned and this prob cost me in the end. The wind was sos trong i had to abandon the 10m rig in fear of em pole breaking. So Started off with chop worm at 5m and pellet in margin, gudgeon gudgeon and more gudgeon, i then bumped a nice fish and another and eventually hooked a small transparent tench out the margin, lost another next chuck and back came the gudgeon and more gudgeon you get the picture. i noticed a small goldfish top on waggler line so it was time for a change 2 hours in. Out on waggler rod and a rocketing bite saw a perfect conditioned gudgeon safely landed, a small bottle top followed but still it remained a struggle, a change of float and tactics saw a few goldfish hooked however their languid style saw many wriggle off the hook whilst bringing em in. For every 2 fish i got out i lost one so a change to a bigger hook was made with 1hr to go and a steady run of goldfish before my float didnt appear and relasied it had broke on the cast. On with another float and only 2 fish in last half hour, again which prob cost me.  a little look on the margin line produced another gudgeon and yes another gudgeon and the whistle sounded. I knew i'd done well but those few hours messing around catching about 12oz of gudgeon prob cost me, i had seen Mart Kendall catching and netting fish regluarly on peg 1 but wasnt sure wether he had a big weight or not but he'd been busy.., and if i'd have beleived what TK was saying during the match, it was feasible Harry the hitman had well over 50lb as he was battering him.Despite this TK still more than doubled the hitman's weight. Indeed I was pleased to get 2nd in the end. Well done to Mark V, excellent weight pal. It was tough down our side just ask HA HA..overall i had to work very hard for my catch.
Enjoyable venue, missed the tench and skimmers tho what i caught in previous two matches and no proper carp either.oN TO PIPE HILL NEXT.

Interesting report that YAMO, sounds like I was lucky to get away with it

It's a very interesting venue and on the face of it, there seems many ways to approach it. Have a couple of ideas I didnt have the bottle to try on saturday. Bet the regulars have it sorted already though. I'd like to know what the opens have been throwing up weight wise recently.

As for Pipe Hill, know nothing about it. Can anyone shed any light ? Dont want to know much, just depths, predominant fish species, sizes, whether any matches have been run recently and whats come out on what !

there seems many ways to approach it

Too true MarkV - like you I've only fished it three times............and each time 'fished it' differently - match winning tactic 2 dint produce this third visit

As for Pipe Hill, know nothing about it

Nor me - never 'walked it' never mind fished it.

That said ME and Harry the Hitman are the 'cracks' on there and the guys to pump for info

whats that he's landing above you TK

It's Harry the Hitman Joffie - putting the frightners on me with yet another netter

Either that or he's flapping in the wind after his rig

tk
if i,d have known mark v was judging us on smartest turned out i,d have brushed me hair ! then again if i,d have known he had tea and bourbon biscuits his weight would have gone up by 90 plus kilos !!!!!
he would have definetley needed stronger rigs though ??? ::)

After two matches........click below