Simple Match Fishing Forum

Having experienced the Big Baz ballacher series  over the last month or so it was now onto the Grueller Series where I personally was in need of a fish or two………….. question was could I break the lb mark for a change. 

A call from Big Baz at 8.15am whilst Heinzer drove us on our way advised that he’d already pegged the Common – ta Baz -    and he was tucking into his breckie.

A few ‘eager’ guys were already on the bridge and talk centred on some fish topping and a pleasure angler who’d had 3 tincas on Thursday on the tip and the corn.  Sod it – I’d got neither a tip rod or a bag of corn with me.

20 ‘hardy’ anglers showed for this opening match – predominantly faces that had incurred the wrath of previous gruellers plus a few more crack cut anglers – seasoned campaigners that I felt sure had probably experienced many a grueller in their time, so today shouldn’t present any problems for them. 

Conditions were not too bad  – ok there had been a cold overnight snap, and the met check was advising it would be dry, with temperatures of 5c, but feeling like 1c.

I secretly wanted a draw between pegs 1 – 15 so was pleased to be left with peg 11 in the hat. 

I also wanted to avoid any of the cut cracks to stand the remotest chance of winning this one, but it wasn’t to be as I found Wyrley & Essington maestro Mark Oakley to my left and TA’s Blues4eva to my right. 

During the week I’d decided on a fishing a permutation of a MarkV formation  - 2, 1, 2, 1 lines – not exactly the diamond formation, but all prematch planning went out of the window as I plumbed up.

Armed with w&j, punch and caster, but only really expected to catch on the j – my confidence on the punch is at an all time low, plus I can’t remember my last caster fish. :(

The off and lines fed. Mark O is straight into fish, one a chuck literally, whilst myself and Blues4eva are struggling. We both start picking off odd fish, whilst the steam train to my left was emptying it.

It was a struggle to put more that 3 fish on the trot together. Hotlips came down for a walk and advised that Goldenballs was having one a put in on the punch  and Big Baz has also got 50 odd fish to his name already  with Mark O swinging in 3-4oz stampers,  whilst I’m having wasps and 3 to the oz silvers. 

Halfway through and Blues4eva makes his move………..in with the choppie. First look and he’s straight into a netter kinver tiger. He later picks up another.   

With what’s happening either side of me and the news from Hotlips I probably make a tactical mistake………or it could have actually paid off.

It was all provoked by my desire for a cup of leek and potato soup. On with a white caster to see if I can snare a kinver over my joker. Soup poured, ship out.

Sipping the soup and to my amazement float tips – lift and a caster fish – a 2oz stripey is netted.   

Out again with the white caster………..minute or so, ditto but a bonus, well bonus for me, 1 oz roach. 

I’m flying. 

Well that’s when it went wrong. I’m fishing this caster on my joker rig with a 24 on. Next bite, lift, lacky comes out. Start shipping back gently…………

Shipped a couple of sections back……………..


and the sodding thing comes off    – probably one of those half pound plus kinvers pricked in his boney lip.

Another look on the joker………..just a couple of 2 inch silvers. Sod it stick the caster back on – going nowhere on the j and I need some bonus stampers.

Well I did snare another…………..temporarily………..as he slipped that 24 hook too.   

Managed another 2oz kinver after that, but with half hour to go, no more caster bites so back to the joker and suddenly the peg ‘has switched on’ – well ‘switched on’ to how it had been for the previous 2 plus hours on the w&j.

A procession of a dozen or so of joker fish, albeit non bigger than on ounce. The tale of the scales will probably tell me I should have switched back ‘earlier’ – but there again I believed others to be ‘sacking’ down in the low nos. 

Heinzer blows up 

In all honesty the 4 hours have fled for me, despite being battered either side……..in fact I hadn’t even had time to pull the camera out of the box.

So packing up I managed to snap these few pictures as the scales approached.

Big Baz  complete with his festive hat




Heinzer weighing in with Mick G in frame





Golden Balls was happy with his punch fish




Blues4eva has done me





What’s Mark Oakley got in here?





Well here’s the tale of the scales

PEG ANGLER WEIGHT
1 KEEF 1.7.0
2 GOLDEN BALLS 1.8.8
3 MICK P DNW
4 MILLIE 2.0.0
5 MARKV 1.9.0
6 BIG BAZ 3.7.0
7 SIBECK 2.4.0
8 K WOODWARD DNW
9 MICK G 2.1.0
10 BLUES4EVA 3.11.0
11 TK 2.0.0
12 MARK OAKLEY 7.0.0
13 TWEETY DNW
14 PHIL B DNW
15 CHESLYNBOY DNW
16 HEINZER DNW
17 BIG COL DNW
18 COTTI DNW
19 THE WEDGE DNW
20 THE SHARK DNW


Just noticed Heinzer – you can do drams on those beam scales     ;)


And finally Mark O with his decent net of fish – well done mate 

Whats that funny hand gesture in the last picture TK ??

Great reading and piccies

Will you make sure mick g picks from a different hat............... on a different stretch of canal next time pls m8 ... my first grueller match and enjoyed it, semmed a decent set of lads with good banter.... lookin forwards to the next 1

Were pegs 13 ro 20 fishing a different canal to the rest of you, or did Mark O nick all their fish off them?

cracking report as usual tk with some decent photo's to. Like dave as said, what happend from peg 13 to 20 ? . So what happend to the likes mouse, simps, yammo, budgie to name a few ? Hopefully if everything goes ok with my op's in hospital and i can make a speedy recovery i might be able to make the last match of the series in feb (but not comiting yet until i know im out of hozzi first)

So what happend to the likes mouse, simps

I knew I would have drew 13-20 so I didn't go

So what happend to the likes mouse, simps

I knew I would have drew 13-20 so I didn't go 

I'm sure I remember you snaring a few - 5lb odd - for a place down on them pegs last year Simps

Whats that funny hand gesture in the last picture TK ??

Dunno mate

what happend from peg 13 to 20

Think they all tipped away when Mark threw 7lb on the scales

There wasn't any fish on pegs 13-20 even the guys either side of me couldn't get a bite on b&j it was tough my first dry of the year since the last grueller series
Still looking forward to the next one hope its a bit warmer as it was exposed on that bit of common we where on
Thx TK for a well run match

for some reason on that stretch they will only feed on the far shelf 13m+ i drew it the week before and fished the track and just off the far shelf and couldnt get a bite where the bloke in the next peg went straight over and weighed in 4lb i tried it for the last hour and weighd in 2lb..... just glad i didnt draw them pegs

Interesting Sibeck - ta for the tip

Might have to delete that posting before anybody else see's it

Hopefully if everything goes ok with my op's

Fingers crossed all goes aok and you make a speedy recovery - make sure we do see you on the bank in Feb - that's the target you need to set your sights on ME

sound report again TK spot on a great laugh
i even phone lee to ask where he had drawn

Hopefully if everything goes ok with my op's

Fingers crossed all goes aok and you make a speedy recovery - make sure we do see you on the bank in Feb - that's the target you need to set your sights on ME 

TK after mmy op 5th jan i can't do anything for a minimum of 6 weeks which takes me to mid feb or if things take longer it could be any thing upto 3 months (april ). Im aiming for to be back up and about for the 6 week mark

There wasn't any fish on pegs 13-20 even the guys either side of me couldn't get a bite on b&j it was tough my first dry of the year since the last grueller series 
Still looking forward to the next one hope its a bit warmer as it was exposed on that bit of common we where on 
Thx TK for a well run match

Give them a blast on the Trumpet Cheslynboy that will get em going tooot tooot ::) ::)

sound report again TK spot on a great laugh

Ta Joffie - but I'm missing the hilarious input from our chief scribe, MarkV - his takes on the day usually crack me up

Its been sent away for repairs Budgie
I'll bring my radio instead

Nice to see the Grueller reports back.
A decent read as always TK.

Makes me realise that I really didn't have as bad a day as I thought on Saturday.

Top report TK nice to see the white caster doin the biz, but not sure about the crappity smackin hook !!!!