Round 8 Springvale Duchess Lake

[Leo Martin]

2021-2022 Winter league 5.2.22 round 8 Springvale fisheries Duchess Lake

Well I was looking forward to guesting on this match as I do like the fishery on many counts. Park behind peg, very good car access around the lakes, Carp or Silvers usually guarantee bites for everyone, nice owner, use of their keep-nets, prices reasonable, bait and hook checks, and no MUD to name a few. From the recent match results posted it did show up Duchess had been having limited use although it was used a couple of days before our match, hopefully the fish would be waiting hungry for us. The recent warm and dry weather also should have been our favour so we were all hopefully set for a good day.

Being a Big Bash AC member for many years I should know better and  the Car was requiring scraping free of ice on leaving the house, not a good omen.

Cloudy over cast skies on arrival, very windy and a forecast of rain early afternoon but for the start it was still dry. The pegged had been suggested 1 to 12 on the near bank as this was reported where the fish were holding up. The lake being a large rectangle with a few islands down the centre but no one was on the opposite bank to balance the disturbance of anglers on our bank, In honesty I am not sure it made much difference on our day. If we had been pegged on both banks then the wind in the cold stiff wind in the face all didn't look very appealing. Also listening to feedback from around the complex everyone struggled so comfort probably was the best choice with the wind over our backs.

Peg 12 was drawn from Jaspers wheel of doom and nice to see a new picture centre of the disc as it whirled around.
On arrival another bad omen was no nets on peg 12, its not usually fished this one, especially in winter said the bailiff at the end of the match. That's the luck of the draw and how the dice rolls though I'm afraid Leo.

In front of me was a large expanse of water to go at and the edge of the bank across pegs 13, 14 to the other side where the wind was blowing.
Maggots was the "hot  bait" although calling at the cabin for some bait, the guys did say sliced cheese between bread slices was working on punch. Bit late now as they don't sell Kraft cheese slices do they?

The reports also said waggler had been working on some pegs so I made the brave decision to fish rods only and pole stayed tucked up warm in its holdall.
Bomb rod, feeder and float rod it was to be with plan to put the float out over the near feeder rod area. The wind behind certainly helped this and also feeding with catty.
All in and start on feeder and yellow washter, then Bomb, then float, then maggot feeder and that's was the order of the day. No bites all time, I was facing a second DNW and water licking until 11:30 when I stuck at a wrap round and missed so not happy bunny. 12:15 and a nice Ide graced the net for the first fish of 2022. It was followed an hour later by a second one and that is the story of the day. 3 bites, 2 fish and a lovely day out winter fishing on the rods for 1-15.

Nothing on pellet, nothing on the float rod, maggot feeder had been cast all over the vast expanse of water in front of me and the tip went round 3 times. I was even chucking 80% of the way across the lake into the wind raised waves in front of the opposite bank.

"There is more to fishing that catching fish" as one of our colleagues says and the day out in the fresh air with great friends for company does help reset the mind.  It's also stayed dry as well so it could have been much worse.

Peg 11 was John Utting the clubs dark horse when it comes to catching. Real good natter with john throughout the match and Jasper on peg 10 was cocking his deaf ear to us both but every now and then would chirp up and join in.

Both took great pleasure on showing me their latest investments in warm clothing. They are both wired up with suicide type jackets and under layer clothes and rechargeable batteries so they will glow when they press the on switches. Jasper has even added socks to his attire. He didn't say his G string pants had a battery wired to it, I guess that may be the next purchase coming along.

The island between Jasper and John had a little debate on who was to chuck to it, I don't need to say who won as you will guess who cast there first. The match played out with everyone struggling for the first bite and most important first fish. Jasper won our end with a small Ide from the island chuck. Everyone struggled and rotated their methods and lines. John had a Ide on the maggot feeder which was his best method also. Jasper picked up some off long pole, shorter pole lines and also his rod lines and was winning our section until late I, n the match. John was also struggling with a few on feeder. a couple off his pole line and then managed to find a good run of fish chucking long past the island on maggot feeder. A run of fish on successful casts proved enough to take the section with them being of better stamp than Jasper in peg 10, well done buddy.

The only 2 carp I was aware of during the was match winner Keith TT Smith who caught his from an island chuck. Paul Whitehouse managed another late on as well. The bailiff commented on his rounds the whole fishery was struggling and catching silvers except one guy on First Spring who ws into carp.

It was one of those matches where two bites and two carp could have easily made such a difference to the results, however I will confess the intense tension of waiting for those two bites never really inspired me much.

Congratulations to match winner Keith Smith on his match win with 12-11 from peg 8.

Well done sections winner's Indian peg 3 with 9-11, Andy Waite peg 7 with 5-4 and John Utting peg 11 and 8-15.

Well done everyone else for sticking it out, we know winter can be tough and peggy but it is also a day out on the bankside with great company.

Thank you to Jasper running the show again, Steve for weighing in and Glen who's puffing into the whistle today easily overcome the wind and could be heard by all.

Next match Lindholme Laurels February 19th, confirmations and paying on still required, reserves waiting. I'm not sure I can make this as yet. 

[steve]

Thank you for the write up Leo. Good job there is more to fishing than catching fish on days like that.

[fishfinder]

Peg 5 for at springvale,didn't see the point of being tight pegged when no one else was on the lake,although at least we had wind behind us but in my experience especially in winter as soon as bait and feeder start going in the fish find the quiet areas,back to the match,decided a few carp might be the winning method so out with the method feeder to the island then off it a bit then open water all with the same result nothing not so much as a liner.Odd ide had been caught and a few very small specimens but it was slow,maggot feeder produced an odd fish,but very slow.bomb and method again with the same result nothing so decided to catch what was on offer on maggot feeder which was not much,with about an hour and half to go kieth managed to catch an 8lb carp out of the blue and seeing as he's was in my section went on method again  for another biteless spell,finished with a miserable 4lb 8oz,was grim for all but most were only 1 carp off winning it was that sort of day.If I had fished for silvers I don't think I would have caught 12lb as no-one else who fished for them reached double figures so was probably the right thing to sit it out for a carp who knows.

[jasper31]

Great write up leo

My match - turned up - fished crap went home..... :'( :'(

Results sheet attached