It's been a while since I posted an update, almost 2 years but I will get back to it soon. A lot has happened in the last 2 years including moving from Grafham to Oakham near Rutland Water.
Can't remember most of 2012 now but will try and catch up best I can. 2013 has started really well so I will bring the blog up to date very soon.
Come back and check for updates really soon.
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Monday, 4 July 2011
AMFFC Round 3 - Hanningfield
Round 3 of AMFFC was held at Hanningfield Reservoir on Sunday 26th June. Just for a change the wind had stopped and we were faced with a scorching hot day and virtually no breeze so it was going to be a tough day for different reasons that of late.
We were a man down as well so starting with 5 instead of 6 meant I had to fish on my own making it even harder.
10.00 and we left the pontoon and the 12 boats split with half heading for Middlemead and the other half staying near the harbour. I stayed close to the harbour and started with 3 buzzers fished static under a bung. Only 5 mins into the match and I had a fish on the point fly. Only now did I realise I had too long a leader as I couldn't get the fish to the surface and eventually I knocked it off the hook trying to net it.
45 mins later and no pulls I started to tie up a new leader for 3 nymphs when I had a great take on the buzzers but missed that as I wasn't holding the rod at the time.
I moved over to the far shoreat Middlemead and did pick up a fish there on a Diawl Bach fished between two blobs on a Di5 but there was too much weed and the water was coloured so I left and went back to the harbour where Joan was close to bagging up and eventually did. She told me the method and I did pick up another fish, lost one and had to put one back as I hooked it whilst motoring.
Finally I moved to where I hooked the first fish in the morning, went back to buzzers and bung and caught a nice 3lb fish about 5.00pm.
At the weigh in we had Joan with 8, Tony with 8, Steve with 5, Chris with 4 and my 3.
The results given out over the meal at the pub had us in 2nd place beating Bewl and Tonbridge and Invicta winning but a recount a day later showed that Bewl's weights had been added up wrong and we were beaten in to 3rd place by 2oz's. Oh well, with a man short we did well and if I hadn't lost 2 fish we would have been 2nd.
We were a man down as well so starting with 5 instead of 6 meant I had to fish on my own making it even harder.
10.00 and we left the pontoon and the 12 boats split with half heading for Middlemead and the other half staying near the harbour. I stayed close to the harbour and started with 3 buzzers fished static under a bung. Only 5 mins into the match and I had a fish on the point fly. Only now did I realise I had too long a leader as I couldn't get the fish to the surface and eventually I knocked it off the hook trying to net it.
45 mins later and no pulls I started to tie up a new leader for 3 nymphs when I had a great take on the buzzers but missed that as I wasn't holding the rod at the time.
I moved over to the far shoreat Middlemead and did pick up a fish there on a Diawl Bach fished between two blobs on a Di5 but there was too much weed and the water was coloured so I left and went back to the harbour where Joan was close to bagging up and eventually did. She told me the method and I did pick up another fish, lost one and had to put one back as I hooked it whilst motoring.
Finally I moved to where I hooked the first fish in the morning, went back to buzzers and bung and caught a nice 3lb fish about 5.00pm.
At the weigh in we had Joan with 8, Tony with 8, Steve with 5, Chris with 4 and my 3.
The results given out over the meal at the pub had us in 2nd place beating Bewl and Tonbridge and Invicta winning but a recount a day later showed that Bewl's weights had been added up wrong and we were beaten in to 3rd place by 2oz's. Oh well, with a man short we did well and if I hadn't lost 2 fish we would have been 2nd.
Monday, 20 June 2011
FMFFA Odd's n Sod's Round 2
Sunday 19th June was the second National Eliminator and this time was at Grafham Water. I had a practice day on the Friday before with Steve Ellerbeck and the day before with James Brittain. On the Friday Steve and I concentrated on the East end of the water and we found fish right out in the middle from the tower to G Bouy. Di5 and 2 boobies was the method but i did catch on slow glass with nymphs.
On Saturday James and I did a full lap of the lake trying all the known spots. Although i only caught 2 that day it confirmed to me the place and method I would start with on match day.
Sunday morning and yet again the wind was blowing and the water was rough but i had confidence that i knew where to go and the method i would use. I was drawn with David Moore and he was happy for me to make the decisions so 10.00am the match started and I headed for D Bouy near the Willows with a Di5, yellow blob on a dropper and a coral boobie on the point. Steve Ellerbeck also headed the same way but the vast majority headed or G Bouy. I knew there was fish a G but with so many boats heading for the same spot it would soon spoil it.
I had a fish in the boat within 15-20 mins so was confident I had made the right decision. At 12.00 I had 4 fish, almost exactly the same as at Rutland so things were looking good but more and more boats were heading my way from G. It seems they weren't catching there like they had the day before. As more boats arrived the fishing slowed up and after a few changes of point fly from booby to blob to Yellow booby at 2.00 I had 6. I moved out towards N Bouy in the bowl of the Dam and at 3.00 I had 7, a nice fish that weiged in at just over 3lb. For the next 2 hours I plugged away and eventually back at D Bouy I had my 8th fish at 4.59pm. I could see a few had bagged up around me and the earliest to finish was Brad Gifford at 12.45pm.
At the weigh in my 8 fish weighed 16lb 10oz and with 1 hour time bonus my total weight was 17lb 10oz. A nervous wait for the results followed to see if I had done enough.
Final results were announced and I had finished 6th on the day and added to my 10th place at Rutland I had 16 points and placed 6th overall. Top 10 were certain of a place in the National Final but hopefully 15 will go through and that will include both Steve and James. Harley Smith also qualified in the top 10 so we have at least 2 and hopefully 3 GWFFA Members in the National Final in September.
Full results available here http://www.fmffa.org.uk/PDF%20Files/FMFFA%20Qualifier%20Result%20-%20Round%202%20Grafham%202011.pdf
On Saturday James and I did a full lap of the lake trying all the known spots. Although i only caught 2 that day it confirmed to me the place and method I would start with on match day.
Sunday morning and yet again the wind was blowing and the water was rough but i had confidence that i knew where to go and the method i would use. I was drawn with David Moore and he was happy for me to make the decisions so 10.00am the match started and I headed for D Bouy near the Willows with a Di5, yellow blob on a dropper and a coral boobie on the point. Steve Ellerbeck also headed the same way but the vast majority headed or G Bouy. I knew there was fish a G but with so many boats heading for the same spot it would soon spoil it.
I had a fish in the boat within 15-20 mins so was confident I had made the right decision. At 12.00 I had 4 fish, almost exactly the same as at Rutland so things were looking good but more and more boats were heading my way from G. It seems they weren't catching there like they had the day before. As more boats arrived the fishing slowed up and after a few changes of point fly from booby to blob to Yellow booby at 2.00 I had 6. I moved out towards N Bouy in the bowl of the Dam and at 3.00 I had 7, a nice fish that weiged in at just over 3lb. For the next 2 hours I plugged away and eventually back at D Bouy I had my 8th fish at 4.59pm. I could see a few had bagged up around me and the earliest to finish was Brad Gifford at 12.45pm.
At the weigh in my 8 fish weighed 16lb 10oz and with 1 hour time bonus my total weight was 17lb 10oz. A nervous wait for the results followed to see if I had done enough.
Final results were announced and I had finished 6th on the day and added to my 10th place at Rutland I had 16 points and placed 6th overall. Top 10 were certain of a place in the National Final but hopefully 15 will go through and that will include both Steve and James. Harley Smith also qualified in the top 10 so we have at least 2 and hopefully 3 GWFFA Members in the National Final in September.
Full results available here http://www.fmffa.org.uk/PDF%20Files/FMFFA%20Qualifier%20Result%20-%20Round%202%20Grafham%202011.pdf
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Airflo International - Midlands Heat
Today was the Midland Heat of the Anglian Water/Airflo International and GWFFA had 2 teams in again this year. The weather was yet again windy and sunny, just about the worst weather possible but we had practiced well and had a plan.
I was drawn with Stewart Thomson from Pitsford Pirates who had also practiced and we agreed to head for Sanctuary Bay. I set up a Slow Glass line with a buzzer on top dropper, Hares Ear in the middle and a Cormorant on the point.
After a couple of drifts I was into a fish that had taken the cormorant. Was a bit tricky to land with nearly 20ft of leader but I did manage to get in the net eventually. By 12.00pm I had 2 in the boat and Stewart was yet to have a pull. We moved to Hedge End where I switched to a Di3 and single booby and lost a fish on the first cast. No more action here so we headed back to Sanctuary Bay. Back on the Slow Glass and I had 2 more one on the buzzer which was a good sized fish nearly 4lb and one on the Hares Ear Cruncher. Stewart now switched to a slow glass line and soon had 3 fish in the boat. A few missed pulls and he had caught me up, 4 each.
I eventually caught another and finished the day on 5.
At the weigh in my biggest fish was 3lb 15 7/8oz and was the biggest fish of the day out of 60 anglers.
Having the biggest fish has qualified me for next years Airflo International Individual Final so really pleased with that.
Overall Team results are
1st Team Frog Hair
2nd England Youth Anglia
3rd Pitsford Pirates
4th Soldier Palmers
5th Team Rio-Draycote Flyers
---------------------------------
6th Invicta FFC
7th GWFFA 2 (my team)
8th Greylags
9th GWFFA 1
10th Troutfishers.
The top 5 made the Midlands Final so unfortunatly our two club teams will have to wait till next year.
I was drawn with Stewart Thomson from Pitsford Pirates who had also practiced and we agreed to head for Sanctuary Bay. I set up a Slow Glass line with a buzzer on top dropper, Hares Ear in the middle and a Cormorant on the point.
After a couple of drifts I was into a fish that had taken the cormorant. Was a bit tricky to land with nearly 20ft of leader but I did manage to get in the net eventually. By 12.00pm I had 2 in the boat and Stewart was yet to have a pull. We moved to Hedge End where I switched to a Di3 and single booby and lost a fish on the first cast. No more action here so we headed back to Sanctuary Bay. Back on the Slow Glass and I had 2 more one on the buzzer which was a good sized fish nearly 4lb and one on the Hares Ear Cruncher. Stewart now switched to a slow glass line and soon had 3 fish in the boat. A few missed pulls and he had caught me up, 4 each.
I eventually caught another and finished the day on 5.
At the weigh in my biggest fish was 3lb 15 7/8oz and was the biggest fish of the day out of 60 anglers.
Having the biggest fish has qualified me for next years Airflo International Individual Final so really pleased with that.
Overall Team results are
1st Team Frog Hair
2nd England Youth Anglia
3rd Pitsford Pirates
4th Soldier Palmers
5th Team Rio-Draycote Flyers
---------------------------------
6th Invicta FFC
7th GWFFA 2 (my team)
8th Greylags
9th GWFFA 1
10th Troutfishers.
The top 5 made the Midlands Final so unfortunatly our two club teams will have to wait till next year.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
AMFFC Div 3 round 2 at Bewl - 21st May
This was my first trip to Bewl Water in Kent so I was looking forward to the chance of fishing somewhere new. The match is a team competition made up of four 6 man teams from Bewl, Tunbridge Wells, Invicta and GWFFA. A friendly competition with great club rivalary mixed with freindships and banter on the water.
I was drawn with Mark Searle of Invicta Fly Fishers and although neither of us had practiced the day before we had plenty of information from our fellow team mates who had. I set up a Di5 with a Fusion blob on dropper and a Wufter booby on the point.The plan was to pull all day as the fish were up for chasing. Mark set up a midge tip line with blob, nymph, nymph, booby cast. Invicta's info was obviously different to ours but we would soon find out who had the right method.
The fleet of 12 boats all headed for Chingley area of the lake, basically the middle drifting to the dam. I had 2 fish quite quickly both on the Wufter. Mark quickly changed method despite having a couple of pulls. He changed to a Di3 as the fish seemed to be higher in the water than i thought. Mark caught as well and by 11.00 I had 4 fish inthe boat and Mark 2. Over the next hour or so Mark caught me up so by 12.00 we were on 4 each. I decided to changed to a Di3 as Mark had been catching I had stopped. In the time it took me to changed the line, less than 2 minutes he had 3 more fish in the boat in 2 casts. A double hook up followed by another on the next cast. Suddenly I was 7-4 down. Mark bagged up at 1.30. I had another 2 as well but still needed 2 more to finish. After changing the 40 plus Di3 to a Sixth Sense Di3 I caught my last 2 by 3.15pm. After a quick tour around team mates boats we headed for the harbour and what was to turn out to be a long wait till 6.00 for the rest of our teams to come in.
At the weigh in my 8 fish weighed 13lb plus 2 3/4 pound time bonus. The rest of the team weighed in and although we had done well we still only managed 3rd place overall.
Round 3 is at Hanningfield on 26th June.
I was drawn with Mark Searle of Invicta Fly Fishers and although neither of us had practiced the day before we had plenty of information from our fellow team mates who had. I set up a Di5 with a Fusion blob on dropper and a Wufter booby on the point.The plan was to pull all day as the fish were up for chasing. Mark set up a midge tip line with blob, nymph, nymph, booby cast. Invicta's info was obviously different to ours but we would soon find out who had the right method.
The fleet of 12 boats all headed for Chingley area of the lake, basically the middle drifting to the dam. I had 2 fish quite quickly both on the Wufter. Mark quickly changed method despite having a couple of pulls. He changed to a Di3 as the fish seemed to be higher in the water than i thought. Mark caught as well and by 11.00 I had 4 fish inthe boat and Mark 2. Over the next hour or so Mark caught me up so by 12.00 we were on 4 each. I decided to changed to a Di3 as Mark had been catching I had stopped. In the time it took me to changed the line, less than 2 minutes he had 3 more fish in the boat in 2 casts. A double hook up followed by another on the next cast. Suddenly I was 7-4 down. Mark bagged up at 1.30. I had another 2 as well but still needed 2 more to finish. After changing the 40 plus Di3 to a Sixth Sense Di3 I caught my last 2 by 3.15pm. After a quick tour around team mates boats we headed for the harbour and what was to turn out to be a long wait till 6.00 for the rest of our teams to come in.
At the weigh in my 8 fish weighed 13lb plus 2 3/4 pound time bonus. The rest of the team weighed in and although we had done well we still only managed 3rd place overall.
Round 3 is at Hanningfield on 26th June.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
FMFFA Odds & Sods Eliminator
The first of the National Eliminators was held this weekend at Rutland with 44 anglers fishing for a place in the National Final later in the year. This is a 2 leg qualifier with the second round at Grafham in June.
Craig Barr had kindly offered to accompany me on the Saturday for some practice so with the weather forecast as sunny and windy we arrived at Rutland around 9.30 to find a strong westerly wind had whipped up the swell. This was going to be a rough day. We set off and headed for Barnsdale Bay getting soaked on the way as we hit the waves. Fishing Di7 line with a blob, nymph, booby cast we had an unproductive drift through the bay followed by a long drift along Whitwell where we saw only 1 fish that jumped clear of the water. On reaching Whitwell Creek there was some shelter from the wind and the water was a lot calmer. I got a pull! I was in to a good fish that seemed to be pulling back quite well until it turned out to be a length of rope and some chain!!!!! Craig did get a fish here though. We continued to drift along Stockie Bay, where Craig picked up another, and on to Sykes Lane. After a several zig zag drifts we ended up at the south end of the dam where several boats had congretated. Eventually we hit on the method. Di5 blobs or boobys. I continued with 3 flies but Craig switched to a single Blob. Craig 5 me 2 by the end of the day.
Sunday, match day, and the weather was a little better with slightly less wind and plenty of cloud cover. With the knowledge from the day before I set up a Di5, 12ft leader and single booby. I was fishing with Ed Foster (England Captain) so knew we would head straight for the fish. I had 4 fish by 12.00 all on the single booby that Craig had given me the day before. Then I lost it, Disaster!, After 3 hours of nothing in the main basin Ed suggested a move to W and X bouys where he had found fish the day before. We had the place to ourselves and after a couple of unproductive drifts I chaged my pink boobt to a Fusion Blob and had a fish straight away followed by 3 more in 30 mins and finished at 4.10pm. Ed was catching steadily as well and finished at 5.10pm. More boats had joined us by then but we were done and headed for the harbour.
I weighed in my 8 fish for 17lb 9oz plus time bonus to give me just over 19lb. I was more than happy with 10th place so I now have a great chance at Grafham in June. A good result there and I could make the National Final.
Top 10 :-
1 - Paul Haskey - 24lb 8 1/8oz
2 - Graham Pearson
3 - Ashley Davis
4 - James Britten
5 - Rob Sosbe
6 - Harley Smith
7 - Clive Morgan
8 - Ron Gent
9 - Gaeth Tilley
10 - Kevin Appleton
Rod Average 6.11
Craig Barr had kindly offered to accompany me on the Saturday for some practice so with the weather forecast as sunny and windy we arrived at Rutland around 9.30 to find a strong westerly wind had whipped up the swell. This was going to be a rough day. We set off and headed for Barnsdale Bay getting soaked on the way as we hit the waves. Fishing Di7 line with a blob, nymph, booby cast we had an unproductive drift through the bay followed by a long drift along Whitwell where we saw only 1 fish that jumped clear of the water. On reaching Whitwell Creek there was some shelter from the wind and the water was a lot calmer. I got a pull! I was in to a good fish that seemed to be pulling back quite well until it turned out to be a length of rope and some chain!!!!! Craig did get a fish here though. We continued to drift along Stockie Bay, where Craig picked up another, and on to Sykes Lane. After a several zig zag drifts we ended up at the south end of the dam where several boats had congretated. Eventually we hit on the method. Di5 blobs or boobys. I continued with 3 flies but Craig switched to a single Blob. Craig 5 me 2 by the end of the day.
Sunday, match day, and the weather was a little better with slightly less wind and plenty of cloud cover. With the knowledge from the day before I set up a Di5, 12ft leader and single booby. I was fishing with Ed Foster (England Captain) so knew we would head straight for the fish. I had 4 fish by 12.00 all on the single booby that Craig had given me the day before. Then I lost it, Disaster!, After 3 hours of nothing in the main basin Ed suggested a move to W and X bouys where he had found fish the day before. We had the place to ourselves and after a couple of unproductive drifts I chaged my pink boobt to a Fusion Blob and had a fish straight away followed by 3 more in 30 mins and finished at 4.10pm. Ed was catching steadily as well and finished at 5.10pm. More boats had joined us by then but we were done and headed for the harbour.
I weighed in my 8 fish for 17lb 9oz plus time bonus to give me just over 19lb. I was more than happy with 10th place so I now have a great chance at Grafham in June. A good result there and I could make the National Final.
Top 10 :-
1 - Paul Haskey - 24lb 8 1/8oz
2 - Graham Pearson
3 - Ashley Davis
4 - James Britten
5 - Rob Sosbe
6 - Harley Smith
7 - Clive Morgan
8 - Ron Gent
9 - Gaeth Tilley
10 - Kevin Appleton
Rod Average 6.11
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
1st GWFFA boat match
1st of May was the first boat match at Rutland. Strong Easterly winds were forecast and duly blew all day. In fact they had been blowing all weekend. It was going to be a tough day. I arrived at Rutland to find we still had an odd number of members fishing and with single man boats banned due to the wind speed i had a choice of 3 in a boat with Chris Bobby and Nick Preston or find another single angler to pair up with. Ken from Hawick Angling Club, Scotland was that man. After the usual introductions we set off for the Dam and started a drift at Fantasy. A few drifts and about an hour later I had a fish on a Di7 a blob and a booby. That was to be the only fish of the day.
After moving around to Whitwell, Barnsdale Bay, Sykes Lane and a final drift from Fantasy to Normanton church with not even a pull, tap or fish we gave up at around 3.30pm. Ken had to drive back to Scotland I had to take the kids home and several hours of bouncing around in strong swells and high winds was enough. I left the rest of the members to slog it out till 6.00.
One or two of them found fish in several different areas and the final results can be found here www.gwffa.co.uk/?p=1549
After moving around to Whitwell, Barnsdale Bay, Sykes Lane and a final drift from Fantasy to Normanton church with not even a pull, tap or fish we gave up at around 3.30pm. Ken had to drive back to Scotland I had to take the kids home and several hours of bouncing around in strong swells and high winds was enough. I left the rest of the members to slog it out till 6.00.
One or two of them found fish in several different areas and the final results can be found here www.gwffa.co.uk/?p=1549
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