Round 2 Mwssingham Grange Little Swan 17.11.22

[Leo Martin]

Winter league round 2 Messingham Sands Little Swan 17.11.2022

A lot more rain has fallen since our match on the new lake at Grange and the temperature is also falling to Autumnal norms. The results can be seen in the trees with only the Oaks refusing to shed their leaves. The ground also soaking up more and more water and lakes filling back up to where they should be.

First time fishing Little Swan and after being handed Peg 28 from the Friday night wheel of fortune I was full of expectation. The website layout plan had me golf course side, opposite an island, park behind my peg, what more could I need. With a steady fall of light rain I turned into the fishery full of expectation. Turning right alongside Oak Tree lake, towards Little Swan as it appeared the golf course bank had had a massive makeover. All bank side trees and vegetation have been removed, most of the water edge vegetation raked out, new bank edges established using staked sleepers and then these back filled and scraped. New over the water platforms (standard Sands design) erected and some numbering changed. I would have preferred the platform's to be slightly lower to the water level as they do seem a little high up and the margins very shallow unless more water is to be added into the lake. The whole length of the golf course side has been done the same but pegs opposite the islands and there are a couple with reeds left in margins must elevate to favourites against those with no features at all.

Peg 28 had been moved to the left which is different from the website layout plan as 29 has the island. No margin features it just has open water to fish to. Not a happy bunny.
I chose top 2+2 line straight out at 6 feet deep, and pellet as bait of choice, a 2+1 line at 10 o'clock 4 feet deep for a maggot line and then bomb and small dura feeder. Fish were topping on arrival but soon disappeared on Glens whistle.

Bomb chucked about 25 m and loose feeding fishery pellets over the top for first half hour. One slight knock on tip but nothing to strike at. Session on dura feeder then back on bomb and tip went round for a 1lb carp. No bites all time again so onto pole lines. I managed to lose 5 fish on this during the match despite tweaks and changing hook size both up and down. Maggot line was small perch and skimmers. Alternating lines throughout the match I filled the 2+2 line in around 2pm and at 2:15 the float slipped away and fish on. The elastic streamed out with an unhappy carp engaged and I couldn't afford to lose this one as it could save another major embarrassment. After a few minutes and tensioning the elastic my float surfaced and then to my amazement so did a second one.  I have somehow managed to hook a line below someone's lost float and an angry fish below. Slowly, slowly and I manged to net a 7lb common graced my net much to my relief. Back out and float slipped away again and a 6lb carp arrived, game on me thinks but that was it for the day. So with 3 carp, a couple of skimmers, roach and perch the scales men were troubled with 15lb and thanks for coming.

Keith Smith to my right managed to catch 55-11 mostly from chucking to the island on small feeder. He had fed a couple pole lines but these were nowhere near as productive as his feeder line.

Indian next to Keith struggled as he too had no features to fish to whilst Jasper came second in section with 48-2 from his trusty Wilson wands. He never even got his pole out his van.
Our new comer to the league Steve Jackson to my left on 27 tried pole lines and feeder for first 45 minutes and then went on his pole fishing to edges of reeds that had been left in margins between pegs 27 and 26. He had a very good session for about 2 hours before they left him. They did return for a short period but their disappearance cost him a second in section as he finished up with 42-9.

Gav on peg 26 rotated pole and feeder  but lost quite a few fish where he too could have taken a second on section I believe as he ended on 45-0. There was a scare for him as he was answering a call of nature when the rod went round much to the amusement of Steve next door.

Foxy won our section with clear 103-10 using meat and still was eating a jam donut at the end of the match. Dark horse John Utting second in section on 58-14.

Match winner Steve Curtis peg 19 with 123-4 using his trusty method and chucking to island and first in section 1 Big Glen , peg 21 51-8 mostly on his pole line, secon15 44-d in section 1, Paul Whitehouse peg 15 44-2.

Most anglers caught fish however it wasn't too hectic but we have to remember we are now in mid-Autumn. We started out in light rain and ended up with blue skies, thankfully the rain only lasted an hour. There was however a cold wind in our kisser most of the match.

Nice to see Steve Guy join us guesting and myself having fished the lake for the first time I hope I draw the opposite bank the next time we re-visit.

Next match we visit a Big Bash favourite Oak Tree fishery at Graizelound. It's the canal lake this time so I guess we are down sizing tackle for silvers although the resident barbel will test it if engaged. One worry is they are supposed to be netting the lake next weekend so lets hope they leave some fish in for us. Please book on and pay in a timely manner.

Thanks to Jasper for organising, Glen for time keeping and Mr Curtis weighing in had a rest this week as the fishery lads did the honours, poor lads looked frozen,

[fishfinder]

Not a pond I have fished very often,never this late in the year. Drew peg 19 which I knew was on the shallow side and is usually very hard in winter. Plumbed up and the most I could get was 4ft at 10m ,top 3 only a foot deep.potted some micros 8m to my left and some at 10m in front,then chucked feeder about 4m off the right hand side island as it was very shallow  close up and was soon into fish,after 40 minutes saw a tail to my left where I had put my micros under armed my feeder on it and managed to sneak an odd one.Caught well to island for 3 hrs then it got hard.picked up an odd one till the end, happy with the 123lb win especially this time of year.

[jasper31]

only second time i have been on there and last time was in naughty boys corner (sorry Mr Whitehouse)

New banking on our side of the lake and will definitely improve come the warmer months. Decided to leave pole in van after seeing my peg, decided on 3 rod approach and set up method, bomb and little cage feeder for silvers in case it was really hard. Started on bread and nothing to show for it and Big John next to me went on method to island and was off to a flyer....think he was 3 fish up before i ditched the bread attack. Threw method to island but wasn't getting anywhere, so cam about 1m off in slightly deeper water and started to catch a few, tried setting up other lines for bomb and a silver line but watching Indian really struggle in open water i knew there was nothing about. Steve Guy was having a good day on the end catching silvers and seemed to be catching as much as me as i was sitting waiting for bites. Had some really big ornamental fish bright orange and some white / black ones so knew there wasn't that many carp about. Last 2hrs really struggled but swapping to groundbait n maggot got me a few extra fish. had 38lb on clicker which was bang on for carp - but had 10lb of silvers which i don't click ;D

Had a really good laugh with Indian / John / Steve and that made the day really....

[big glen]

Peg 21 for me , started on small feeder with 5mm washter  on a 16 spike , micros on feeder , 2 pulls in first hour for 2 small skimmers , changed to pole at top 2 plus 3 with corn on the hook feeding micros and ground bait , 3 carp in next hour and lost 3 foul hookers . bites dried up so went on my maggot and ground bait line that i had been priming for about an hour , first put in a small roach  followed by a perch , a chub and 3 skimmers , not getting a good weight with the small fish , so filled it in with 3 big cups of micros and 2 big cups of ground bait , put 6 dead reds on a 14 hook and sat and waited , 5 mins passed and the float went under , a nice 6lb carp , followed by another about 5 lb one , kept topping the swim up with big pots of micros and ground bait and managed another 6 carp , line went dead so moved to my right hand top 2 plus 1 line that i had feed just maggots  and got a bite a drop , but only small silvers , last hour only managed 1 more carp and a foul hooker that i managed to land , nice days fishing considering the time of the year . kept chatting to Adam in the next peg encouraging him along , unfortunately he lost a few decent carp but did well on the silvers .
Roll on the next match .

[Adamnewton96]

Peg 22 was the battleground for me Saturday, I set up  2 pole rigs .4 for top 2+3, and .6 for 11.5m. All tied on 0.14. plumbing up at top 2+3 I was greeted with 3.5ft and at 11.5m it was 5.5ft. Short pole, long pole, and a bomb line was my plan of attack. I had big glen and John utting as company. My plan of attack was simple enough, micros, expanders 4mm and 6mm, meat and ground bait. The whistle blew at time and i started with 2 balls of ground bait on my Long line and left it for 30 mins. Once my long line was topped up I started by picking my short line rig up and cad cupping a small ball of micros with a 4mm expander on the hook. With in 30 seconds a lovely bream was landed. Next put in exactly the same float dived under like a young Tom daly in his prime, this time it was a 3lb carp. This was short lasted as this line went completely dead. I then proceeded to fish at 11.5m with a 6mm cube of meat on the hook and neat ground bait in the kinder pot, once again a great response the first put in. And I proceeded to have 4 quick fish, after this I alternated all lines long pole, short pole, bomb. A miserable 26lb hit the scales but it was a great learning curve from me and all I want to do is learn and progress. Many thanks to Leo and Jasper for another regimental ran match 10/10 as always.

[Jlanelly]

Peg 32, I have fished this lake 3 times and drawn same area every visit along side Mr Guy, it was nice to have a conversation that Jasper could hear (in case you don't know he now has twin hearings aids) so be careful he hears everything now.
My match was going to be method and wafter to the island then poke 2+2 with pellet and corn.
First cast and the tip went straight round, happy days a good start, next two cast again two pulls but both snagged up and lost. That killed the feeder line as no more bites for nearly an hour. Onto the pole but on small fish silvers and small carp, back on feeder and two nice Hyde a bit of a surprise! A few more small carp to end the day.
Great company with Indian, Jasper, and mr Guy.

[Leo Martin]

Great reports gents 👏

[dave.fox]

Little Swan - 19/11/22
Arrived at Peg 25 and really fancied it, plumbed up to find 8 inch down edge ( no good ) Had to go out to 6 metres to find the 3 foot I wanted ! Took all sorts of baits but made my mind up to fish meat, large Guru pot 3/4 of 6mm pellets 1/4 meat to try and keep em down ,every put in . After 10 mins first fish 3 lb carp and continued steady all day up to last hour when bites dried , 2 metres from bank found 14inch and caught another 3 just feeding meat. All told had around 25 carp between 2 & 7 lbs , fed 3 pints of 6's and a tin and half of meat ! Best rig at 6m was a .4 r/w pellet float 0.18 g line main line to a 14 on 0.14 hook length ! 🐠🐠

[jasper31]

loving the feedback gents  8)

[Leo Martin]

The feedback and write ups make the forum great reading  for everyone. Those who fished the match and those who were unable to fish also enjoy the read. Well done everyone.