Welcome to my fishing blog… May 2026
Sunday 24th May – A 4-Match Roundup – The Willow Warblers Were Awarbling At Windmill But The Fish Weren’t Getting The Message – Plus, A Little Mugging Goes A Long Way On Margaret’s Lake, Whitehouse Farm And Much More…
Windmill Fisheries, Thursday 14th May
Phew! Been so busy lately, I hadn’t realised how much time had gone by since my last blog post… Well, I had another go at the Windmill Costcutter 500 Qualifier on Thursday, 14th May, and with a gentle breeze blowing up the lake, I really fancied pegs 1, 23, 24 and 25. I got peg 2. I’m not a big fan of pegs 2, 3 and 4, but I have to say that in my opinion, peg 2 is probably the better of those 3 pegs. The problem with peg 2 is that most of the carp live in the reed bed directly opposite and so you have to go in and get them, which is easier said than done. Nevertheless, I set up a rig for fishing at 14.5 metres and thought I’d have a little dabble. I’ve lost loads of rigs in that reed bed in previous matches and so I was expecting to lose some kit today. I also set up a rig for fishing at 9 metres with paste, or worm if the paste wasn’t working, and maggles if all else failed. Needless to say, I had 2 margins to target in the latter part of the match with meat.
Well, why wait till the second half of the match to go down the edge? So, on the all-in shout, I threw away the script and went straight down my right-hand edge with a 6mm pellet of meat. I didn’t feed anything, I just dropped it in close to the reeds and waited. Within 10 minutes, I had my first carp in the net. A quick look down the left-hand margin got me a few enquiries but no proper bites. Well, that was it. So, I dropped in some 6mm pellets of meat to both edges and went about my business. I hair-rigged an 8mm hard pellet on a grey top-kit, loaded with an 18 elastic, a 0.2-gram (4×12) dibber float rig with 0.22 Guru N-Gauge line and a size 14 hook to a 0.19 hooklength. I had my front pole roller set up and I pushed out my pole to the full 14.5 metres. I could go to 16.5 metres if I really had to, which would mean poking the pole tip right into the reeds.
I didn’t have to wait too long for a bite… and another rig lost! FFS! Did I really want to be doing this all day? No! Instead of putting on another rig, I decided to chuck out the method feeder instead. After about 4 minutes, I finally hooked and landed a small carp. Andy Greenham was on peg 1 and he was fishing a method feeder right over with some success, but it wasn’t really happening for me. I hooked another carp about 20 minutes later, which was promptly lost in the reeds. Did I really want to do this all day? No! I put down the feeder rod and picked up my top-kit for my 9-metre line. I had a 14-16 elastic on this one, a 0.4-gram (4×14) Chianti float with 0.19 Guru N-Gauge line and a size 14 hook to a 0.17 hooklength. I don’t use long bristle floats for paste fishing any more. I find them cumbersome.
Anyway, after 30 minutes, I had nothing on the paste. It’s still a bit early and the water hasn’t quite warmed up enough yet, so in went some chopped worm. While I waited for that to settle, I had a look down my right-hand edge and a carp was there waiting for me. So, 2 hours gone and 2 carp in the net. Riveting stuff as usual! Meanwhile, Andy’s getting well into them on the method feeder. Tony Ponting on peg 24 is starting to get a few too now. All I could do for the next couple of hours was try my edge lines and my 9 metre line in rotation. I picked up another carp in my right-hand margin but then Andy Greenham lost a big fish, which crashed around and totally Fooked up my right-hand edge line for a good 90 minutes. I had to cut his rig free from my side. No hard feelings though!
Anyway, it was just another day at the office as I ended up with just 4 carp, a skimmer and a tench for 29-00-0 and 6th place. Andy won the match with 64-00-0, from peg 1, all caught on the method feeder. Tony Ponting on peg 24 was second with 56-00-0. However, I did win the Tench prize for my 2-12-0 specimen… a bottle of sherry… hic! I’ll have to do it all again next week!
Windmill Fisheries – Thursday 21st May
Oh No! Not peg 2 and the scales again. FFS! Well, having drawn this peg the week before, I knew I was going to be in for a challenging day. However, with peg 1 not in today, I would be able to lob a method feeder close to the edge of the island and bag up, just like Andy Greenham had done the week before, right? Wrong! Don’t worry… this is a short story…
I defo wasn’t going to go right across into the reed bed for anyone or anything today, well, not on the pole anyway. And as fishing in open water, like down the middle, just hasn’t been working, I wouldn’t be spending too much time on that either. So, that just left the margins and the method to concentrate on. Well, with almost 3 hours on the clock, I hadn’t got a single carp in the net. I did have a nice skimbo that took a liking to a bunch of dead reds at 9 metres, but nothing else. I really worked hard at the method but didn’t get a single liner all day despite using pellets, wafters and corn on the hook. For some reason, the fish were just not there this week… typical.
However, as always, there were a few down the right-hand margin and meat almost always finds the best of them. In the last 2 hours, I had 6 of them, all around 6-7 pounds apiece and lost 3 just for good measure. I finished up with 41-13-0 for 5th place… hmmm… sounds familiar. Anyway, we were all blown away by Simon Stacey’s catch from peg 16, which is undoubtedly one of the finest pegs on the lake, along with peg 14. He managed to eclipse the rest of the field by putting a tremendous 182-02-0 of carp on the scales for an outstanding victory… FFS! Enough said!
Sunday 24th May – Alcove Club Match – Margaret’s Lake
The usual “dirty dozen” turned out for this match, which was fished on Margaret’s Lake in stupid temperatures of around 30ºC. I knew from the weather forecast that this could prove to be a tough day. Fish tend to switch off when the temperature gets too high, especially if there’s nothing but blue sky above. The sun’s rays can penetrate right down to the lake bed and highlight or magnify everything in the water, including line and hooks. You have to scale your tackle right down to get bites or find a little area of water that is in the shade. I felt the first hour or two would be crucial in catching before the big switch off. Was I right? Yes I was!
Anyway, with that in mind, I wanted to be drawn anywhere that had some shade that I could fish to. I drew peg 12, which was fine because the sun was behind me, and would not be on the water for most of the 6-hour match. When I got to my peg, the carp were spawning down my left-hand margin and in several other areas around the lake too. There were quite a few carp on the surface milling around… but would they be feeding? I set up a mugging rig, and one for fishing at 9 metres in 9 feet of water, plus one for 6 metres in just over 8 feet of water. I didn’t really expect to catch much on the pole lines, though, because the further out from the bank you go, the more those lines are exposed to the bright sun. My 3-foot deep edge lines would be my main focus today.
On the all-in, I decided to go straight down my right-hand edge with meat, pushing the tip of my margin pole right under the overhanging tree branches. I waited all of 60 seconds before the float shot out of sight and I was into a big carp. It made a powerful dash for safety and we parted company after about 30 seconds, taking my complete rig with it. So, on goes an identical rig, which consisted of a 0.2-gram dibber attached to 0.22 mainline and a size 12 Guru Super XS tied to a 0.19 hooklength. My margin pole is fitted with a size 28 rated Cresta solid elastic. You just cannot use anything less if you want to get these big girls out without too much kicking and screaming. Occasionally, the line will give out, as it did today, so it’s best to knock up new rigs before each session. Evidently, I didn’t do that on this occasion! (Stupid boy!)
Well, with new rig attached, I went straight back in as before and within 2 minutes I was in again, only this time it was a baby at around 5lbs. A quick look down the left-hand margin didn’t produce anything and I had no indications there either. So, in went some loose offerings of meat and a few micros to both edge lines. Next, I dropped a small ball of Scopex groundbait on the 9-metre line and went over with a 6mm soft pellet. I had a few indications, but nothing to get too excited about. A change to a single red maggle brought a small roach, followed by a small perch. Well, I decided to abandon this line altogether as the sun’s rays were penetrating the water at this distance and I could see lots of small fish on the surface.
I went back down my left-hand margin, pushing my rig as close to the exposed tree roots as I dared… bang! A carp almost instantly, but at about 4lbs, they were getting smaller! I gave that another half hour before going back onto my right-hand margin, where I had a perch. So, in went some more loose offerings to both edge lines. With all the splashing going on all around me, it was hard to tell whether anyone else was catching nearby or whether it was the carp spawning that was causing all the commotion. Match Secretary, Jason Pitman, was next door on peg 13 and I suspected he was getting into a few but when he asked how many carp I had, and I replied 2, he said he hadn’t had any. Jason is always a little economical with the truth and so you never really know what to believe until the scales reveal the true picture.
That being said and from my vantage point, I hadn’t seen anything else of note being caught from anywhere. So, it was time to try the short 6-metre line. I had already primed this one with a few micros and a small ball of Scopex and so my chosen bait for this line was… paste. I was still unsure whether the fish were ready for paste but I didn’t have to wait too long before the float slid under the surface and I was playing a nice big 2lb plus skimbo. However, that was the only fish I had from this line despite desperately flogging it for almost an hour. So, we’re halfway into the match now and the sun’s rays were beginning to have an effect on the 6-metre line. It was time to ditch this line now and concentrate entirely on the margins before the sun came right round. I picked up my margin pole but then noticed a big carp on the surface at about 14 metres. I just had to have a go!
My shallow rig was already baited, ready for action with an 8mm banded pellet, so I quickly shipped out and dropped the pellet right in front of the cruising carp. I half expected it to turn away but to my surprise, he took the pellet and shot out toward the middle of the lake. Luckily, I had a 16-18 elastic on this rig so was able to get it under control quite quickly. After a 5-minute tussle, I slipped the net under a lovely 17-pounder. It was just what I needed as Clive Hewson, on in-form peg 5, had been having it off with the resident carp, catching consistently, and losing a few over the course of the match. Soon after I put that one back, I was down the left-hand margin again and latched onto an FI of about 2lbs… luvverrrly! However, that was it! The sun had now come right round and was almost in front of me. Its rays penetrated deep into the water, making it glisten like a clear glass of Tullamore Dew (Irish Whiskey).
Well, I didn’t get a single bite in the last 90 minutes of the match and every surface gliding carp I plopped a pellet in front of just veered away. It was so hot now I, along with a few of the others, no doubt, was glad when the match was over. Of the 12 that started the match, only 7 weighed in and so that about sums it up. Well done to Clive for winning with a predominantly carp catch, totalling 38-08-0. I was lucky enough to grab second place with 29-06-0 and Jason was third with 22-02-0, which meant I took another pound off him… Oh Happy Days!
Windmill Fisheries, Thursday 28th May
Well, here we go again for another stab at the Costcutter 500 qualifier. Will I ever qualify? Probably not based on my last performance. I drew peg 22, which was a nice change from peg 2, which I have had for 2 weeks running. The downside to drawing near the top end of the lake is you are more likely to have to do the weighing in. That makes 3 times in a row now. FFS! (Give me a break, Dave!) So, having surveyed the peg for all of 2 minutes, I decided to set up a pole line at 11 metres for fishing paste. I also set up a method feeder for fishing just off the edge of the island. My 2 edge lines would play a major role in delivering a few fish today and I had a depth of 3 feet on both of them. My plan was to fish paste in my right-hand margin and meat in the left margin.
A few carp were cruising around and so I set up a mugging/slapping rig with an 8mm hard pellet to a banded hair rig with a size 14 hook. On the all-in, I dropped in a 4mm cube (yes a cube!) of meat to my left-hand margin and within a couple of minutes I hooked into a carp and lost it within seconds. A defo foul-hooker that’s for sure! Then a quick look down the right-hand margin produced exactly the same result… another one lost! FFS! A few carp were spawning over on the far side in the reed beds, but there weren’t any signs of spawning going on in my margins, yet it was beginning to look like a foul-hooking kind of day.
At this point, I should have chucked out the method feeder, but instead, decided to have a go with paste on my insanely long 11-metre line. I don’t know what I was thinking of. I could have set up a paste line at 5 or 6 metres and still got the same result! Anyway, I cupped in some Scopex groundbait and some micros to kickstart the swim and then dropped in a 50-pence size lump of paste to a size 12 hook. I plugged away at this for an hour before latching onto a big 2lb plus skimbo. At that point, I decided to drop in a large ball of Scopex and micros and leave the swim for another hour before trying it again. A look down the right-hand margin got me a few enquiries, but no definite takers. A look down the left-hand side got me an instant carp of around 6 pounds.
For the next hour, I swapped and changed between the two edge lines, picking up a couple more carp and losing a couple too. And then, it was onto the paste line again for a look. It was bubbling like a jacuzzi now and so I was sure that a few carp had moved in over the groundbait and micros. I carefully shipped out, dropped in my paste and within 3-4 minutes the float shot out of sight. The carp headed directly for the reed bed on the opposite bank as I shipped back as fast as I could. As the fish dived into the reeds, the hooklength snapped and everything came flying back at me at a gazillion miles an hour, hitting the back of my hand like a lightning bolt! FFS! That really hurt!
With blood spurting out all over the place, I thought I might need a transfusion… LOL, but managed to find a plaster in my box to stem the flow. Phew! Close call! Scarred for life! So, let’s try that again… I put on another hook to a 0.19 hooklength, baited up and dropped my paste in again. It was about 10 minutes later when the same thing happened, only this time, the hook pulled, but the fish did the same thing and disappeared into the dense bed of Norfolk reeds. I had a 16-18 elastic on this rig, but the elastic was well out before I could respond… I’m obviously getting too old for this sh*t! Well, I was on a hiding to nothing with this setup and so I gave up to focus entirely on the margins with my trusty margin pole. Much safer!
As time went on, I realised that I wasn’t getting much action on my right-hand margin and so all efforts went into plundering my left hand edge. Over the course of the last 2 hours I had a few more carp, making it 8 in total with 6 fish lost altogether. I know I could have, should have, done better and probably with a lot less effort and drama too. Lessons learned for next time. I finished up with 51-12-0 for 6th place again. I seem to be rooted in the lower half of the top 6 just lately. Well done to Sean Fillingham on peg 8, who finished up with 82-05-0, beating my clubmate, Kev Murch, by just 2 ounces. Well, that’s that. My next match is on Sunday, 31st May, when I’ll be back at Margaret’s Lake, Whitehouse Farm once again. Keep you posted!
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