Round 7 Grange Park New Lake 18.2.2023

[Leo Martin]

Winter league round 7 Messingham Grange Park 18.2.2023

Back at Messingham for todays round of the winter league on the new lake at Grange Park so the Big Bash breakfast club very happy bunnies as they love the "bite to eat café" breakfasts. Weather has been a little milder leading up to the weekend, the tail end of storm Otto had left however we did have a brisk wind and cloudy day to contend with. Unusually the Grange Park fish were reported to be resting and not feeding but that didn't worry the 11 hardy Bashers who were up for a days sport and banter.

Friday night draw handed me peg 31 which is on Merrys side near the end of the central island, Big Glen to my right and Indian to me left keeping me company. Opposite in a close huddle were Steve "I don't want peg 5" Curtis, Andy W8 on peg 4 and Jasper on peg 2.

Andy w8 and Joe Martin must have both been getting the "Itch to fish" as they joined the hardy winter league warriors, good to have them back on board with us. Summer is rapidly approaching an then the full summer league crew will be back together. 

Arrived at the venue to find I had a head on cool wind in my clock, but at least it was an ice free lake and dry. The clouds overhead were whistling past however it was dry. Throughout the day the wind did drop off little and then conditions were absolutely lovely, then the wind returned ....

Tactics today were bomb rod, feeder rod, pole lines top 2 + 2 at 10:00 o'clock and 1 o'clock. Margin line to sedges at 2+2 to my right in 3 feet of water with the wind blowing in.
All in shouted by Glen and My Bomb rod was first choice but after ¾ hour, numerous baits for one liner, it got chucked up the bank. Feeder rod out next nothing. Pole line and 6mmm hard pellet for a 3 inch baby carp at least I wasn't to be water licked again. The pole line bites were very iffy small twitches and dips and hard work in the waves from the wind.
Back on feeder trying all along end of island and round the rod arched with a surprise 3lb chub. The bites were hard to come by and nothing in any form of a run. Most of match was spent rotating lines, baits and trying once, twice etc. searching for a fish which would show interest. In summary, pole line at 1 o'clock, nothing, pole line at 10:00 o'clock, a 1lb F1 and several 2-3 inch baby carp/ Margin didley squat not even a bite despite feeding all day and wind blowing in. Bomb rod, nothing at all, and method most success of the day.  16.05 was the scale score, not too great but it is winter and I've caught about 15 winter feeding fish.

Big Glen to my right started slow, he picked one up on his feeder rod out in front but the action was slow, he went on pole straight out in front and had a couple small ones. He had been feeding his margin to the right on maggots which he checked out and got the tiny carp so back feeder. The margin feeding changed from maggots to corn and he went over the feed just before 12 for a small carp, then another, then another larger one. That was Glen for the rest of the match, fishing to some sedges in the water to his right. He did have a couple of decisions to contend with, the first one was a call of nature. He put it off for 4 fish but then bladder won and he had to leave his fish for  short while. His second decision was to eat his snap or fish and strangely for Glen the fish won the contest. He was catching every put in, some small but some large and also a nice big lump to make his weight up. He had only put one net in and such as the rules being a 60lb limit got knocked back 7lbs but still managed a section win. He had estimated 50lb but lost quite a few fish which would have cost him the match win if a second net had been put in.  Well done partner.

Indian to my left, caught most of his fish on his feeder and bomb lines peppering along the island. He tried a pole line but was pestered by small carp "playing" with his bait causing the float to twitch all the time. These small carp are going to be fun when the weather warms up a little. Kev suffered like most with the fish being finicky and long spells of inactivity. Bite, fish then long wait so try another spot.

Across the lake in cuddle corner we were set for a battle royal with 3 of our top anglers side by side. Jasper in the corner peg was called into action before a rod had been cast to adjudicate as to the central blade of grass between pegs 4 and 5 so there would be no "cross casting" hanky panky. As it panned out, Steve was to win the battle with a match winning 72lb 3 from his unfancied peg 5. Jasper and Andy ran close to each other with 20:15 and 20:5, well done guys. It wasn't good enough though as at the other end of the lake our club dark horse John Utting took the default section with 23:5 and he was chased home from Keith TT Smith 22:7 for second in section. Well done gents.

He other second in section on our bank was for Paul Whitehouse who only had 3 fish after 3 hours and was struggling. He had primed bomb line with corn and when he went over it, he found they had moved in. 45:9 was his weight off peg 25, well done Paul.

Thank you to Jasper for the organisation again, Steve for the weighing in duties and Glen timekeeping. 

We go again in 2 weeks time back to Lindholme on Bonsai outer. There has been a load of smallish carp put in so bite should be a plenty. Room available as always if any more of our warm weather guys fancy some cobwebs blowing off.

Footnote, nice to see the café lake completed and filling up with water again to age and be ready for stocking. This fishery transformation over the last few years is incredible and a lot of credit to the owner and his  team.

[fishfinder]

The draw put me on peg 5 which was not supposed to be in but its not a bad peg no different to peg 6 which is where I should have been .I was concerned that with peg 4 in it may be hard for both of us.feeder across in front and one further along in front of peg 6,margin pole as well.started on feeder across, andy had one first chuck then I started to get odd one after an hour Andy was still slightly in front but a switch to in front of 6 brought a bit of a run and then alternated between the 2 for the rest of the match,andys fish disappeared  and it was a bit slow. thought about 60lb but at the weigh in it went 71lb happy with that as it had been hard during the week, well done to all especially those on opposite bank with wind in their faces all day but at least all had a few fish.