16 October 2016

AAF Group 2, Match 1, Dorset Stour

There were quite a few surprised faces when I rocked up with Craig at the meet for this match as I have been spending more time on hunting carp all over than actually practicing trotting a float down a river, however, it was a day out of work so I was in.
Only 28 had booked in for the first match of the season which was a surprise, I had got most of my info off of Tommy at work.  He had been regaling me with stories of double figure nets of roach taken on hemp and tares so my plan had been sorted a few days before the match.  My plan was going to be cheap and easy but more of it later, the headline, as I pointed out to everyone at the draw was that I had left my pole at home as I would not need it.
Fishing as an individual I came out of the bag at the end and had A7 to be my home for the day, not too bad but I had to drop Craig off the other side of Sturminster Newton so that was fun!!  Once I had dropped him off in a field and doubled back to my stretch this was the sight that greeted me. 


At least the walk was bearable…. just.

With the honking great tree just in front of me my plan of fishing bread under a 6m whip was quickly changed to bread on a 5m whip, any more and carbon was touching the tree so not ideal.  I also set up a tip rod to fish bread or maggot, then a waggler to cast behind the tree amongst the weed and finally my bolo rod got set up with a worm rig for fishing down the inside.
I was ready long before the all in  so had plenty of time to annoy the neighbours, then on the all-in I threw two small balls of liquidised bread into the swim at 6m and then cast the bread feeder downstream against a weedbed.  Now if the roach were active I would have expected indications in the first 10 minutes but nothing happened on the feeder so I picked up my whip and started to trot the rig through the swim.  First run through and there was a gudgeon on the end, and the second, and the third but that was the end of the action.
An hour later with no more indications on the whip, tip, wag or Bolo and I went for a walk to find out that most people were still blanking.  That told me all I needed so I went back to my swim to set up my elasticated top on my whip and then fish it as a pole as far under the tree as I could.  Once set up I bait dropped 3 worms, 20 maggots some hemp and some bread onto the line and I left the swim for another 10 minutes.  On my return I ran the rig through for a small dace first go, then I had 2 small chub from upstream of the bait and then over the next hour 2 more gudgeon and a baby dace and then that was it no more bites for the last 2 hours.  I tried every trick I had on the book for a bite but nothing came of it, not a touch.
I shouted the all out on the nose and was already packed up like a few other people,  Rocky had managed a few small dace a few swims up to my right for 300g so he was smashing the section with most people on 1 fish for 10-20g.  I weighed in 150g and this turned out to be enough for second in section behind Rocky, third was a tie for Freddy and Craig I think both on 20g!!!!!!!!  The river had fished CRAP, 2kg won the match and I think I had come in the top half with my massive weight.
Could be worst the next match could be on there…. Oh wait it is.  I will be unavailable for that one, but hopefully I should be able to do a few more this season and improve on last.  Till the next time.

What would I do differently?
Taken my pole and fished that tight and tidy under the tree with bread from the start.  That’s it.

Tackle used:
Whip:
Line: 0.15mm to 0.11mm
Hook: 18 B957
Float: 0.6 DH14

Pole (on the whip at 8m):
Elastic: blue Colmic
Line: 0.17mm to 0.15mm
Hook: 18 B957
Float: 1.5g Drennan Trio

Bolo Margin:
Rod: Matrix 6m light bolo
Reel: TDM 3012
Line: 4lb Sensor to  0.13mm
Hook: 14 B560
Float: 0.7g Frenzee

Feeder:
Rod: Drennan 11ft Ultralight feeder rod
Reel: Daiwa TDM 3012
Line: 4lb sensor to 0.13mm
Hook: Various
Feeder: Various

Waggler:
Rod: Drennan 14ft Acolyte
Reel: Daiwa TDM 3012
Line: 2.5lb Maxima to various hooklengths
Hook: various
Float: various

No comments:

Post a Comment