FM Match on Clattercote 2008 (17th May 2008)

[Mark Wintle]

The skill in floatfishing is (on open waters like Clattercote) more around achieving good presentation, feeding and bite registration than casting though I was always feathering the rig into a straight line to get the on the drop presentation. I also juggled shot to alter the drop speed. Similarly to method fishing the build up of the swim through the prolonged steady feeding is vital. What I did do different was use a hollow tip float (home made)that was very sensitive (equivalent to a 1mm tip) but visible at 25 yards - actual 4mm tip which showed the delicate bites. In answer to Bryan the method in match terms is wag and mag, spraying bait which means feeding a widish area and picking off fish from different spots - size 20 hook and 0.10 line with no. 10s down the line. I'd recommend Nigel tries for better roach there in July/August with caster at range on fine gear rather than winter when the roach could be very tightly shoaled and hard to find.

 

[Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt]

For sure, did that at Willow and hauled in 14lb of Roach and won the silverswhen others thought i should of been sat behind a pair of buzzers. Looks a simple enough job to do but years of practice (i did use to match fish you know) feathering the line perfectly, setting the float up correctly, shotting, makes all the difference. Look forward to the next time i get a chance to whoop a*se. /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

 

[GrahamM]

Now isn't this thread a great advert for achieving all-round skills?

 

[Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt]

Yup, i'll show you next time /forum/smilies/tongue_out_smiley.gif

 

[GrahamM]

OK Wol, I'm always game for a laugh/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

 

[Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt]

ark at her

 

[Paul H]

I started and prepared most of my tackle for the method feeder approach but after about 45 minutes of clipped-up casting (accurately I think) and no bites I began to doubt that my groudbait was staying on the feeder.

Especially watching Stu Dexter two pegs down landing fish using a feeder rig.

I immediately switched to a cage feeder and was much more confident that my bait was reaching the bottom instead of breaking off the method feeder on impact with the water.

Still attracted no bites though so I brought out my second rod with a simple maggot feeder set up and cast that over the baited up area. Almost straight away I attracted a bite from a bream on double red maggot and went on to land 3 nice bream.

Bites dried up after that and I realised that the groundbait I had put down must be running out, out came the feeder rod again but this time with double red maggot on the hook. Again I could not buy a bite on this rod but after putting some more bait down the maggot feeder caught me another bream and two nice roach.

I must admitthat is a somewhat abbreviated summary of my day, there were periods when due to having to hold my brolly there was less casting than I would have liked whilst it rained but all in all I amvery pleased to have landed some fish from what can be a tricky venue. My first ever 'weigh-in'.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Paul,I had the same feeling but every timeI though about changingI got a fish so stuck it out.I wonder if there is a depth over which the method feeder should not be used due to the problem of the mix coming off.I suppose you could just make the mix stiffer.Graham?

 

[GrahamM]

That's exactly what I did Nigel, made a stiffer mix by adding more water when I realised I was in the deep pegsand really clamped it on. OK, the groundbait then doesn't do as good a job as when it's mixed lighter, but it still coaxes a carp to have a go at it and, with luck, snaffle up the hookbait.

 

[Paul H]

Hmm, didn't think of that /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

I'm still not sure why they were taking maggots on the one rod but not from the other, the hooklinks were the same mono with the same hooks, the only difference was the type of feeder on the rig.

Most perplexing.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

That what keeps us coming back for more PaulI think.

 

[Scott Whatmore]

I started off on the method using a flat fox method feeder with voodoo mix.Corn tipped with a red maggot on the hook.

As my swim 30-35 yds out was quite deep I mixed it fairly hard to stay on. None of thatmake it up the night before for me.On several retrieves there was still some under the bridges so I was confident that it was staying on to the bottom.

My casting is not accurate in the best of conditions, and having to chuck it out sideways from under my brolly when it was raining did me no favours at all. The voodoo magic seemed to help and I was getting plenty of knocks and the odd good pull to keep me interested, with 8-9 good skimmers taking the plunge into my net.

After some quality roach from under the willow on peg 23 last year Ialways intended to have a go there, even if I was bagging up on the method. Winning isn't my goal at events such as this, although I do try to do well. But NOT at the expense of enjoying myself. I regularly fedthis year'swillowwith a pinch of maggot or 3mm pellets after every method cast. I took some good perch and roach and a lovely tench on the float, but was snapped by asizable carp.

Almost all of my fish came in the 1st 3 hours with only a skimmer to show for my efforts in the final 2 hours. I spent most of those 2 hours under the willow at 1 rod length, so people packing up probably put pay to that swim for me.

What really took the biscuit was Dad who was pegged next to me,packing upat 2.45 and chucking in a couple of pints of red maggots that we'd managed to extradite from his boot earlier in the day.

Cheers Dad /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Although I nearly laughed myself off my box when he texted me to say the pub was shut and he was listening to the cup final in his car ! /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

 

[Bob "chubber"Lancaster (ACA)]

I had the same idea as mr wintle and indeed started to catch after the first 15 mins cought a few nice roach and a perch all within the first hour , then nothing totaly dead went the swim. Tried every depth concievable all shot patterns but no , not a fish after that. I realy blame nigel cos every time he cought a fish he played it right through my swim , with a look of glee in his eyes i could see him looking at me thinking No chubber your not gonna win this one mate. Well thats my excuse anyway , And i thought he was a mate. Good on ya nigel thanks for the company mate otherwise i might have dropped off to sleep. And to all that attended i,m glad you all had a nice day.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Likewise Bob.Shame I'm moving from Hertford as you could have shown me where those big Lea roach hang out.

 

[Bob "chubber"Lancaster (ACA)]

anytime nigel , never met a nicer bloke and would be a pleasure to show you . And some big chubblies

 

[The Hood]

I usually enjoy this match, but for me the rain was the dampener, I hate fishing in it, as the previous Sunday it was like fishing in the bahamas.

It is an idea to fish the match later in the day, but those folks who live a long way away it makes it difficult, as for Malc, he drove in from Merthyr Tydfyl, for me in Milton Keynes its easy.

But it is the fact that it's the Keith Culley memorial match, so we should stick to the usual format.

My old mate Woody had a prime peg I thought, but so did all above peg 40 but this lake always has a few things to catch us out.

I will say one thing, the simpler you fish the better, and keep to your methods.Mark proved that as I watched him all day, he whinged alot about this type of lake and other types of methods, but fair play to himnice to see that sort of angling.

I like the event and all that fish it, to me it is a annual must do, my whole family know when i'm fshing it so do my staff.

We just need to put things into reality.

P.S, I forgot to get my hat frm Graham for the third year in succesion, can I get one through the post?????????????????????????????????????????/

 

[Yacko]

This was my second match at Clattercote having convincingly blanked on the first occasion. I was intending to stick to the method feeder and try to get some success after a fair bit of practise lately.

However I had a last minute change of mind and fished the waggler for 1 1/2 hours with nothing to show for it. So I tried the method and had no bites until I was drinking a mug of tea & got a really good bite- tea everywhere & missed the bite. Then I lost a fish as the hook pulled out. Eventually I got a bream of about 1 lb and although I thought I could get a few more on the method I just had to see if the waggler line I had been feeding had any fish there.

So back to the waggler, pre-loaded float so I could chuck it some way if needed, size 19 spade on 0.13mm. Straight away I started to get reasonable roach, the size you are not sure if you should net them or swing them in. For a while bites were coming fast and I was trying to work out if it was better to catch small & fairly often or should I stick it out hoping for the odd good fish

I was pegged between Stu & Steve Wilson (eventual winner)

Stu was obviously way ahead of me having had a good early spell & then things went quite for him for a while. Early on I was probably ahead of Steve as he had a difficult start but never gave up casting his sinking bagging waggler very consistently. I tried to nick a tench off Stu with my best ever cast I managed to foul his line and was nearly getting his tench into my swim when he cottoned on and I had to let him land it.

The thing I learnt was on some days you have to be very patient & stick to the task- if I had been Steve I probably would have given up casting every few minutes for hours & hours with little to show for it until the last hour or so when he landed all those carp and took the match. If I hadn't seen it I wouldn't have believed it and I'd hate to see how much he could have caught without the faulty bagging thingy which kept sinking.

It was a great day even if it was a struggle at times

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

I proposed the time change as a later start would b better forthe 170 mile drive.

 

[GrahamM]

The later start/later finish would almost certainly mean we would catch more fish. What I'll do next year, a few weeks before the usual match date,is start a thread where we can all comment on this proposal and vote for a start time.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Thanks Bob.

Would be up for a later start time certainly from the fishing perspective but the only downside would be the loss perhaps of the social side in that breakfast would not be necessary and people might want to shoot straight off afterwards instead of going to the pub for an hour or so for a chat.One to debate next year.

I'd hate to see how much he could have caught without the faulty bagging thingy which kept sinking.

/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gifNice one Neil!