Maver Classic Qualifier.

Maver Qualifier.

Larford Lakes Specimen Lake. 23-10-11.

Peg 16 (mid way down the Burr Bank).

http://www.larfordlakes.co.uk/index.php?option=static&id=6

The specimen lake at Larford is massive with over 120 pegs being over 200 yards wide and 15 foot deep on some pegs, it is not your normal commercial venue.

Today’s match is a qualifier for the Maver Classic the final held over 2 days on the May bank holiday that ends up being the who’s who of match fishing. Therefore, I have set my self a challenge to qualify for this year event so any spare Sunday I have I will be travel to Larford to fish in attempt to qualify and after this week end performance I will need a miracle but if you do not push your self, you will never improve.

One of the last to draw today with only 5 tickets left I pick peg 16  have way down the Burr bank called this as it where the once big lake was divide into 3 lakes Match, Specimen and Arena. (See link). The lakes need some rain as the platforms are 3 feet above the water and most anglers got into the margin with platforms but I fished from the wooden staging. first mistake this made holding the pole in the strong cross wind impossible beyond 7 metres the next mistake was trying to fish the pole at all with the trip and the wind going the same way presentation was a nightmare the method feeder drop onto the pole line or the lead would have been better.

The next mistake trying to chuck as far as Darren Cox who was on the next peg and was putting his method feeder 70 + yards with ease. Then fishing the pole at 11 metres catching skimmers then dropping the bomb on his 5-metre meat line to catch two carp in the last 10 minutes the reason why this man fishes for England a class act and good bloke.

Lots of lessons learn today I need to practice long-range feeder fishing so a practice session before the next qualifier is needed and what I caught was D.N.W. 3 Skimmers 2 Perch for 6lb and totally smacked ass.

I will print the results when Larford publish them but Roger Young aka The Purple Prince won my bank with 74lb on the lead and pellet lose feeding 8mm.when the results where read I was half way home.

RESULTS.

1^st. Neil Mckinnon 100-05-00. Peg 68. Chalet bank. Method.

2^nd.Terry Winstone.93-13-00. Peg 80. Chalet Bank. Lead pellet.

3^rd.Lee Kirby.            79-13-00.                Chalet Bank.

4^th. Roger Young.    74-15-00. Peg 6 .Burr Bank.

Nicky Collins.

Funniest part of the day was watching Nicky Collins tiring to open a polthene bags with some biscuits in opposable thumbs are what separate us from monkey but according to John Grey this part of the evolution of man was missed out in Wincanton.

Avon Angling Teams of Four.

Avon Angling Teams of Four.

Lands End Fishery Wedmore Somerset.

Peg

Round 4 at Lands End missed the last round at Acorn Lakes due to a family bereavement so with the same format as round 2 all the lakes in with 11 people on each lake. The BBC weather forecast said sun shine and clouds 15 degrees and light SSW wind you have to pinch yourself to remind you that it’s October 16^th.

Team captain Andy Bryant handed me peg 3 on Match Lake I have had this peg before there is a 15” Plato which comes of the far bank were I caught last time so basing my attack around this and chop worm and caster with a 5 metre soft pellet line and the right hand margin to the empty peg 4 3 rigs were assembled with plenty of time to spare so I decided to set up a paste rig to fish long to my right. (Fed this at the start but never used.)

In the first hour on the 5 metre line feeding and fishing 6mm soft expander  pellet I had about 30lb 3 Carp ,1 f1,1 skimmer after the last carp a 12lb bites dried up not to have another fish of this line but fed it  all match and drop in on the line 4 times.

The rest of the action came of the far bank where I had Perch, Orfe, Roach and 7 more Carp on worm and caster fed through a pot for the most enjoyable day’s pole fishing in ages not losing a Carp but shaking of a few silvers.

Weighed 64lb 13oz of Carp and 21lb 8oz of Silvers total of 86lb 5oz.

Overall.

1^st. John Grey.           88-04-00. Peg 41.

2^nd. Lewis Jones.       86-10-00. Peg 17.

3^rd. Clayton Hudson.86-05-00. Peg 3.

4^th. Ryan Shipp.         84-11-00. Peg 22.

Silvers.

1^st. Matt Tomes.        27-07-00. Peg 11

2^nd. Steve Seggar.      23-00-00. Peg

3^rd. Clayton Hudson. 21-08-00. Peg 3.

A really close match today with one fish separating the top 5 with Ryan Shipp and Paul Elmes losing over 10 Carp each.

Peg 3 Match Lake.

Looks Inviting.

Paste Swim (not used)

Peg 4 Pallet Margin(1 Perch).

Match Lake Section Board.

Avalon Lakes Glastonbury.

Avalon Lakes Glastonbury.

Avon Angling Anything Goes.

Peg 30 (last peg on last island).

Could not wait to get fishing today it’s been 2 weeks since my last trip out and Tony Rixon was running an anything goes match at Avalon which means you can fish Method Feeders with a 4”hooklength tuck in. Like I said in my previous blog Avalon has an island 30 metre away making it prefect wind permitting for the Waggler but a Method Feeder might come in handy.

With a 12 mile hour westerly wind forecast a draw on the left hand bank would be favourable  in to the draw bag and peg 30 right hand side last peg on the last island with some resent  form winning a couple of matches with the pellet waggler. A plan was formed around the pellet wag/ method. With a 5 metre meat line and a margin line to the next platform. I was going to set up a chop worm and caster line at 14 metres but Tony shouted all in at 10:45 and I was nowhere near ready so I got myself sorted and chuck the wag out missed 2 bites then fouled hook one in the tail then lost 3 more until the wind and constantly catching the foliage drove me onto the method.

Carp first chuck then nothing for ½ hour. Then 2 hour in the wind died down so back on the wag losing the wag after ½ hour whilst resetting up I have another carp on the method.

3 ¾ hour 3 carp in the net I’m going nowhere no bites at 5 metre and nothing from the margin. Steve Seggar catching on the paste and Ray Copper catching on the method either side of me I dump a pot of pellets at 14 metres then get of my box to set up a paste rig. First put in after sorting out the depth I have a Bream second drop miss a bite then third drop a Carp fourth drop lose a Carp. For the next 1 ½ I fish the paste catching three more Carp pulling out of three more and losing a Bream which jump about 4 foot in the air shedding the hook.

At the final Whistle I have 7 Carp 1 Bream 1 Skimmer for 44lb 6oz.

Overall Result.

1^st Martin Mcmahon  76-01-00 peg 35 Method.

2^nd Dean Manning      71-12-00 peg 22 Method.

3^rd Tom Mangnal        70-00-00 peg 14  method and waggler.

Silvers.

1^st Shane Caswell        17-03-00 peg 9  Chop worm caster.

All in all a really fair match with 12lb separating the 4 top and with a few correct decisions any one of them could have won it including me. My weght put me 7th but beat both sides. With the Method dominating but Tony caught 64lb on the waggler but he is good.

         Margin

                                                           

Island Chuck.

14 metre swim