Shearwater Practice

So I have a match coming up on Shearwater soon and I thought that a days practice on my normal match kit was in order, Bri was in the same mind so a date was set that we would meet up and give it a go.

We decided to fish along the road bank around the triangle as it is an area where a few bream weights had been coming out of lately, mostly at range.  I had already decided that I would be fishing a longish range method so I was quickly set up with my one rod to start with, the rig was a simple 45g Guru Hybrid feeder with a 0.19mm hooklength and a size 14 hook with a bayonet on the hair.  This was so that I could mount my boilie hookbait easily, my feed bait was a mix of pellet and some secret additives that I was hoping that the fish would like.

I was fishing before Bri, but it wasn’t as quick as I thought it was going to be, it took around half an hour for my first bite but then they started to come with a bit of regularity and most casts I was bringing in a bream of between 1 and 3lb in weight. I was experimenting with the bait around the feeder and the hookbait colour and to be honest I don’t think it made a lot of difference as Bri barely 10 meters away could not buy a bite.  Now, I was fishing clipped up at 72 meters at this time, I know this as I had used my distance sticks at the beginning to ensure accuracy, to see if it was the distance that was giving me the bites I got off my box and set up a rod to fish closer, well 50 meters to be precise, again clipped up on the distance sticks. 

It was around 12 o’clock at this point and I had 20 bream under my belt in around 3 and a half hours fishing, first cast and the tip flew round and I struck at a massive liner, same on the second cast and on the third I had a skimmer of about a pound and a half.  I was getting worried but I was soon back on status quo with decent bream coming in one a chuck although it was taking them longer to find it.

I gave the short line a couple of hours or so and managed 8 bream on it, I even tried the big wag over the top of it for a10 minutes to see if there was anything lurking in the surface layers but the answer was no.  (Bri was a bit shocked when I was fishing a waggler on his feeder line thoughJ)  Back to the long line and the fish were still there and it was steady away, the fishing had slowed so I went out to 80 meters and again had a couple of quick bream before they seemed to back off, but by this time it  was getting dark and time to go home.

It had been a very good day with plenty learnt and plenty of casting practice, I ended up on 35 bream to Bris 8, whether that was the distance, swim or bait we are not too sure as I was catching on my shorter line quicker than Bri so it may have just been where I was sat.

I am looking forward to the match now and there is a high probability that I may be back soon.

What would I do differently?

I should have started short and then pushed out longer and I wish that I had tried the waggler short with either maggot or corn, always next time.

Tackle used:

Feeder long:

Rod: Browning Black Viper 13S

Reel: Shimano Ultegra 5500 xtd

Line: 8lb sensor, 0.19mm powerline hooklength

Hook: 14

Feeder: 45g Guru Hybrid

Feeder shorter:

Rod: Drennan Matchpro medium feeder at 11.5ft, 2oz Glass tip

Reel: Daiwa 4012 TDM

Line: 6lb Drennan feeder and method, 0.19mm powerline hooklength

Hook: 14

Feeder: 36g Guru Hybrid

Waggler:

Rod: Drennan Acolyte Carp wag 12ft

Reel: Daiwa 3012 TDM

Line: 4lb sensor, 0.17mm powerline hooklength

Hook: 14

Float: 14g Drennan XL pellet wag