Shanghai AC - Barston Lakes Match Pool - 31.08.12

There was a Midlands Carp championship on all weekend at Barston so we had 8 pegs on the match pool instead ( top left ), I've never fished Barston before, on the drive down along side the main lake it looked a lovely venue, I've never seen so many Carp anglers, probably 60 plus all geared up to the hilt and staying for 3 nights.

I intended to fish the margins with a float set-up and then tight against the island with a straight lead. Baits, well I thought I'd try meat, corn and pellets. Only 8 fished today, with my friend Simon Champion making up the numbers. I drew peg 7.

I quickly had a small 2lb carp on soft pellet from the margin but then couldn't get a bite for love nor money. I'd say 2 or 3 hours went by with little more than an indication on the tip or float. Dave Bennett next to me on  peg 8 was fishing the pole tight against the far bank and afterwards he said he couldn't get a bite on pellet unless or wrapped it in paste.

Maybe the scarecrow had something to do with it, anyway my Dad always does well on cat or dog meat so I kept the feed going in the margin and buried the hook beneath the float with some beef in gravy Pedigree Chum, what carp could resist. It's a very soft bait so casting is difficult but an underarm cast keeps it on the hook.

With an hour to go my float dipped and I was in to a carp, I've a pellet waggler rod,10lb main line and 8lb hook length for commercial match float fishing as I've lost countless fish because my tackle wasn't up to it. Anyway with a 6lb carp landed things were looking up. A 5 or 6 more smaller carp later I hopefully wouldn't be last.

During the weigh-in it was evident it wasn't fishing that well, Simon only caught 2 small carp and a crayfish and weighed in less than two pound, the winner Rich Gould has 25lb and Dave Bennett second with 21lb, I managed third place with 17lb. The morning before the match was 5 degrees, maybe that had put them off who knows, but certainly didn't fish at all well during the match. I'd like to try the main lake, apart from the carp meant to have good bream in there too.

They also have a stretch of the river Blythe, looked great for Chub when I drove over it, I've heard it contains crayfish though, might struggle to get through to the fish, maybe trotting rather than a static bait might be the way to approach it.

Next match in two weeks time is Shanghai verses MG at Willow Marsh Fishery in Kidderminster, last year I couldn't catch a fish for love nor money at the venue, I had something like 2lb. Anyway back the Avon next weekend, this time for a morning session.