Wednesday 23 November 2011

Thoughts of 2011

Fish O mania

As your likely to be aware I didn't win the final as I still driving my limited edition van, it's not limited because it's fast or special!  In fact it's just the opposite, it's limited in what it can do!   After driving miles around the country trying to qualify I almost came close as I was 2nd at Tunnel Barn Farm. I will try and get through to the final of 2012, so I won’t give up!   Hopefully this year I will get more tickets.....


To get tickets you will need to go through the Angling Trust:

See link

http://www.anglingtrust.net/landing.asp?section=25&sectionTitle=Angling Trust Competitions

Maver Match This


Had some enjoyable fishing on these matches, as you do get to fish against some of the best anglers in the country and got to fish venues that I hadn’t fished or even seen before.  However I didn't even get close to getting through, and all the matches I fished (5 of them) were incredibly hard and struggled to catch on all of them.  Again hopefully I will had a little more luck with the draw bag.

Well Done to Andy Power winning the event!

to see write up, see link


White Acres

Fred Parker, aka grandad

Richard Stevens,  a man that stayed in high spirts

Neil Richards

White Acres was a real laugh with a great bunch of guys, and I can't wait to go there again.  Iv'e already paid my depoist.


see link

Achievements
.
2011 has been a dispointing year as I felt I hadn't really achieved anything.  Looking through my own blog pages there wasn't anything that really stood out for me.  I was pleased for the "Gordon League A" team to win the Thames Championships and myslef winning my section and coming 5th overall, but I was dropped and therefore wasn't part of that team.  I also set a new silvers venue record at Rolfs lake, with 75lb, which was a great days fishing.


Me at Rolfs lake, I was keen to try and brake the 100lb barrier, but didn't do it.


Winter League

I've fished winter leagues for a long time (14 years) and the canal matches is more enjoyable for me, as most not always you will get plenty of bites.  However, Piles wasn't the case, infact I fished the method feeder for three hours of the match!  However I was rewarded with this carp:
This was the hardest fighting carp iv'e ever caught, then I had to wrestle it.

The first winter league whereby I took a method feeder, so of my team mates thought I was mad, but they ALL took one the following week.

Oxford Canal

I decided not to fish the Angling Trust winter league on the River Avon, as I didn't fish the practice match, and felt it was unfair for me to fish the winter league for Gordon League despite been picked.  I was worried that I would upset my team mates, but upset my team captain, so I didn't win.  The team was six points clear of third place and one point off winning the league, so therefore should be ok?  So after been on the phone to Mick Denton, I decied to fish the Oxford canal, as I really do enjoy fishing canal matches.

This match turned out to be one of my best performances of the year.  It was a match whereby everything went right.  I didn't loose any fish and my thought process went to plan, as I only feed bread line and lob worm lines first.  I hadn't put any joker.  So I was one of the first to be fishing the bread, and I had caught fish before people had even finished in cupping?  Perch are becoming good friends of mine and I caught early fish on lob worms, and therefore catching bonus fish and over 100 fish in total I was well pleased to win my section by 5lb and almost beat everybody put together.  However, I was disapointed not to frame, my friend Mick Denton had beat me and put me down to sixth place.


Tough matches, means taking no risks, so anything over 2oz is getting netted.

Perch and I becoming my favourite fish

A lucky bream at the death, I thought that maybe I would frame...... no where near!


My Plans for 2012

My number one proirty is to enjoy my fishing and not concerned if it's a 6 pegger or 60 pegger!  I would like to get into the fish o maina final, as the last couple of years iv'e been close, but no cigar! So I will foucs of alot of attention on that in the early summer.  Then once fish o's are over I am going to focus a lot of my efforts to Solhampton.   Solhampton is a place that has really opened my eyes, as it's got some stunning lakes and fish.  So I would like to see if I could win the festival there in May and also see if I could break some venue records on the lakes.  The sunday evening opens are great fishing, you will not believe how many fish come down the edge and you at times just cannot catch them!

Team fishing, not entirely sure what to do, have enjoyed some of the fishing through our Upper Thames winter league but haven't had a major sucess in it.  Some of venues haven't been very good and have been very poor. To be honest I think the weather has playd a major part in this, as it's been so dry!

Thanks

Andy from Vespe, who helps me with my fishing.

Mark Treasure for runing Daiwa Gordon League team and ordering our gear.

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1 comment:

  1. Not fishing anymore in 2011 then Chris? You might get a big win in Dec that needs to go into this post!

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