Gold Valley, my first match

[mithrandir]

Had my first bash at match angling yesterday.

We met up with some people from another online site for a friendly match for charity.

The venue was Gold Valley near Aldershot, Claudia has written a report about this so I will not repeat it here.

I set up two rods for the match, a leger and a float, so I could change over at a moments notice, I plumbed up and found the areas I planned to fish wer 3 and 4 feet deep, so I set up a 4 bb float. I attached this to the line on a carabina swivel and fixed it at 3 foot depth by using 2 beads and stop knots, I then shotted the line wit 2 bb shots to the hook side of the float, 1 bb near the swivel I use to connect my main line to the hook link and then a #8 shot about 3 inches from the size 16 hook.
I rigged it with the beads so that if I wanted to move to the 4 foot area I could just slip the stopknots up a foot and not have to move the shot.
The leger rig was just a medium cage feeder and a size 12 hook.

here are a couple of views of the swims





The hooter sounded at 10 and it was a 5 hour match, first cast was the leger rig, which I fluffed totally as one of the W.A.G's was just trying to sell me raffle tickets!
I had decided to fish leger for an hour using the feeder whilst I fed a couple of spots for float later and baited up the margin.
I had drawn the wind in my face side of the lake and it was a cold wind of about 20 gusting to 30 mph.
The fishing was very slow, no one was catching much and I failed to get even a nibble out in the middle so I was a quick change to float for 45 minutes, the wind was making it very difficult so I abandonned the float ant returned to cage feeder and maggot hook baits.
At 1 o'clock, after 3 blank hours and 2 to go I switched to a maggot feeder and a size 16 hook in an attempt to catch something to save face.
Another blank hour passed and I was getting desperate, no fish, no bites and 29 other anglers ready to take the mickey as I recieved a wooden spoon!!
2 o'clock and plan Z was started, I had been feeding the margin 6 feet to my left about 4 feet from the bank near a small tree.
When I say feeding I had been heavily feeding this, contray to the usual winter advice. 4 mm fishery pellets and large handfuls of maggots, with the occasional hand full of ground bait.
2-10 pm, 50 minutes to go, and the first sign of life, the rod tip twitched, twitched again and the the bait runner start screaming out line.
At last "Fish On"!!!!
I lifted the rod and stuck into a Carp, I was using a 9 foot 1 1/4 lb test curve rod and a 4 lb breaking strain hook link on a 6 lb line, so the clutch was set quite light, as I reeled in the rod was well bent, I was not gaining line against the clutch, I knew it was a good fish.
I played the fish in and landed this 8lb mirror carp, a typical slightly battered and ragged finned carp.



Happy that I had not blanked I slipped it into the keep net and re-cast into the same baited margin and relaxed.
Still throwing in large handfuls of maggots.
2-25 and then the rod tip twiched and the bait runner began to let a small amount of line, I lifted into it and felt a fish on, a short fight later and I landed this lovely looking 1 1/4 lb perch.



really happy now I re-cast and lit a smoke and chilled waiting for the hooter to sound.
2-40 and one twitch and line was running of the baitrunner. this was another carp, a lot more fight than the first and I played this for 8 minutes trying to keep it out of my neighbours swims and not break the hooklink
This one,in far better condition, came in at 9lb



so 10 minutes left and I was over 18lbs in my two keepnets and really quite chuffed as no one near me had any where near that weight.

Final weigh in and I came 3 out of thirty anglers , top weight was 29lb, second 18 3/4, and the me on 18 1/4.
I was in the pool and with second highest carp weight I had £34-50 beer money for the evening.
And the raffle tickets worked as I won a reel in the raffle later and got very drunk

What a great day out!

Mike

I think both Carp are mirror's, they where both the same type, but I am never sure of the difference in identification, and I would like to know so I can claim the points on the species hunt.

[robm]

Great result mate in your first match it can get quite a buzz when your catching while your matchfishing and you,re not seeing much else getting caught.
Yes your right they are mirror carp and thats a fine looking Perch also.
I bet you spent all your prize money in the pub!!!. .

robm

[pingu]

wow well done mike great result


dave

[Greenheart]

Cracking result Mike it's a great feeling when you get your first result at match fishing. Well done. Nice report & pics too mate.

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Cracking pics and well done on the fish and the result !!

[PlanktonBoy]

Spot on, i just love gold valley.
Have you ever fished willows the lake over the road.

[fishypaul]

third in your first match ??? thats superb ,very well done mike

[mithrandir]

It was a great day, and up against some seasoned and veteran match men( and a few novices like me!). Lucky for me it was a friendly so most of the big men were fishing for fun ( if they can ever do that LOL), and I was a very lucky man to pull out two big carp, most of the other guys were catching small amount and low weight.

I do not think I would enjoy match angling, I think that was the most stressful fishing I have done, most times the fear of a blank is not there, and having so many people on a lake seemed wrong too. I did enjoy it but I do not think it is for me, a fun one yes, but for serious??? I think not.

anyway when are we going to have a fishing forum match??

mike

[..::Pike Pirate::..]

well done mate! its like scoring a goal or hitting the best bowler for 6 on your debut! cracking fish. i remember the first match i fished at cresswell rocks, my total weigh in - 3 ounce codling, a sock and 6 ounces of kelp i was only 8!

[Flatfish]

well done Mike great report and sounds like a great day out


Justin