Big Bash Winter League Rd 6 Lodge Farm Long Island 8.2.25
We move along in the winter League season into February and round 6 is back at Lodge Farm Long Island Lake or should it now be named "5 islands"? The water, waves and wind are now taking their toll on the central long island and have eroded the sand away in many place breaking through to the other side. There is a string of 5 islands in a line and gaps now forming where the central banking used to be. This has left behind a shallow area and some snags where the island once was.
Temperature was 2.5 degrees rising to 4 .5 however a wind kept it very chilly. Overcast, cloudy and light showers throughout the day. Water flat calm most of day with occasional ripple. Throughout the day we were "serenaded" from a multitude of rooks who are now gathering and pairing up for the nesting season. Lots of the dam things like something out of the Hitchcock movie.
14 names on Jaspers wheel of fortune with a couple of winter league lads poorly, get well soon guys. Pegged so that 3 sections, a 5,4 and 5 spaced out generously as we had the whole lake. Peg 82 was my home of the day and must say I was happy to be away from the ends of the lake after the last visit to Lily pond the next one along which resulted in a single 2oz skimmer.
Peg 82 was on the wood side bank with the aerator in front and a gap between the island. It offered an end of the island, the aerator and a very small island to chuck to with rods. Like all Lodge farm lakes there are reeds alongside and deep water in front.
Plan today was bomb and hybrid feeder rods, I set up the pole at 2+2 dead depth which was full top kit "just in case" or is it last resort as a skimmer line. All in shouted by Jasper and 3 discs of Guru bread on the bomb and across to point of the island to my right and then casts along the gap, aerator and small island working right to left of my swim. No bites all time after swapping 10mm to 8mm discs, 3 to double to see if they could be tempted. Around the lake it was quiet with very little activity and only a few catching. I was feeding a positive line to the end of the island on my right hand side with corn and pellets and negative line to small island on left hand side. 11 am I put double corn on the hair and went along the line again and in front of the right hand side island the tip arced around and an angry carp was on its way to the net. Happy days. It was 12 o'clock when I managed to sneak a phone bite. On the phone and tip went around again. Lifted into the fish and hung on but it kited across to aerator and broke the hook length on its loop, thank you Drennan! Several expletives later and when I rung Mrs M back she said was that your swearing? Apparently the phone had not shut off when I chucked it down on side tray.....
There now came a long , very long gap before any rod action. Pole line tried for 2 slight dips of the float but nothing on when lifted. I guess the culprits were that small they couldn't get both maggots and hook in their little mouth. Method tried but no indications at all.
Back on Bomb rotating bread and corn. 2:15 pm I switched to single corn and tip went around again form negative feed side resulting in a 2lb F1 for the net. 2 casts later and another angry carp was on – 1-14the hook. This took some playing in as I didn't want to lose it with the number of fish being caught on the day. This was landed with 5 minutes left to the whistle to give me 3 fish and 12-10 on the weigh in and a second in section.
Section 1 results
Peg 76 John Utting – 1-10
Peg 78 Richard Cooke – 1-14 both had small fish except for Rich picking up a small carp on his feeder late in the match.
Peg 80 Tracey Benson – 3-15 Tracey fish pole on numerous lines and rods across to island to catch small silvers with no carp.
Peg 82 Leo 12- 10 2nd in section
Peg 84 Lewis Fox – 16-6 section winner. Lewis fished pole majority of his match to catch small silvers and I thing a small F1. He tried the bomb to island and whilst taking a coffee break from his pole the tip swing around for his first carp. Seeing my 2nd fish landed he decided to chuck his bomb rod out again and his tip arced around from an angry carp which was skill fully played and landed to give him a section winning weight. Well done Lewis.
Section 2 the far end of the lake as your approach it.
Peg 86 Keith Smith 11-10 and second in section. Keith worked hard rotating pole and rod as his weapons of choice however the pole line with small silvers gave him his weight.
Peg 88 Andy Waite guesting on the Winter league and fresh from his success at Lindholme caught 5 fish on his rods 2 on bread and 3 on feeder to give him 16-8 and a section win.
Peg 90 in opposite corner was Mark Radford who put together 5-2
Peg 92 was Joe (not corner peg) Martin who has wrapped his guns away and dusted off his fishing gear to guest with us on the winter league. Joe manged to catch on all methods and put together a fantastic 28 lb for a match win and take the golden peg money. Well done Joe.
Section 3
Peg 95 saw Steve Jackson who worked pole and rods to put catch 16-14 and a 2nd in section. Steve was one of the early ones to catch and when he put 3 fish together on his pole in 3 put ins must had thought things were going well but they then disappeared. This didn't put him off and he kept rotating and trying things to catch the 16-14 weight.
Peg 97 saw Gav Cooper who also chose rod and pole approach. Gav found a couple carp in his last hour to help boost the silvers he had caught on the pole.
Peg 99 was Robson and he hard another hard day at Lodge Farm with a DNW.
Peg 101 was Jasper who had a hard day at the office recording 5-15
Peg 103 was Paul Whitehouse who after struggling for most of the match managed to find some fish in his last hour to record 18-0 for a section win to go with his match win he recorded on Lily Lake on the 4th of January.
A long hard day for most with small silvers helping boost the weights from missing carp for those on the poles. This was also hard work as they fish drifted in and out. The carp bites on the rods were premium and really hard to come bye with long periods of no action or liners are all. The early and late peg numbers fished really hard.
Good clean venue, park behind pegs and just fishing hard like most lakes around the area. Summer, I guess it would be a different story and weights a lot better.
Many thanks to Jasper for running the show and time keeping as well. Also thanks to Lewis for weighing in duties, much appreciated.
Next Match is next Saturday ( 15th) on Lindholme Willows as we have a double header. Please book and pay on to help admin.
The following week is a knock up match on 22nd February on Springvale. Anybody wishing to fish, please be in touch so I can see if there are spare pegs I can get.