Barston Lakes Solihull - Shanghai AC match

7 of us were fishing the main lake at Barston, we had pegs 1-20 and prior to the match I searched the internet for tips on how to approach the intimidating 25 acre venue. There is good head of decent carp and as it's now used as a big match venue it has also been stocked with F1 and bream. Every page I found said pole or method feeder long, as I don't own a pole the method feeder for the Carp was my tactics for the day. As 70 yard+ casts might be needed the rod used was my 11ft Harrison Torrix 1.75lb TC Barbel rod.

I decided to alternate between a bright red Mainline dumbell boilie and SBS corn boilies, moulded around the drennan feeder was a mix of carp groundbait, 2mm pellets and dead red maggots.

I drew unlucky peg 13 which was more or less right opposite the 18th island hole on Barston's golf coarse. The sun was beating down during the 5 hour match, looks like some decent weather is finally on the way.

For half an hour or so I clipped up the reel at around 70 yards and cast the feeder every 4 or 5 minutes or so. On the 3 retrieve I foul hooked a decent carp but it broke loose. The rod tip was jinking and moving which was a positive sign but it took well over an hour before the tip went fully round. The first fish was a bream of a few pound which took the 10mm boilie and soon after a small mirror carp of around 4lb

Bites were slow but after banking a double figure carp I was heading for a half decent weight. During the weigh in it was obvious some anglers struggled. Rich Gould was 1st with a mixed bag on the pole with 40 odd pound and I ended up 2nd place with 5 carp and two bream for 32lb, even Dave Roberts struggled and he is usually the one to watch. With the winnings myself and Dave visited the 19th hole for a well deserved pint. A hard match but Barston as a venue is great, it's not a large puddle in a farmers field and it's a nice setting. The planes from Birmingham airport are a distraction and I thought Golf was a game for gentlemen, I've learnt some new swear words whilst fishing for 5 hours.

Hopefully give Snitterfield another go for the Crucians towards the end of this week but I cannot wait for the river season. I'll be away in Ibiza for the June 16th melee but I've the rods at the ready. I have managed to get myself on a small private stretch of the Warwickshire Arrow, my sort of venue so looking forward to fishing a new river. I've also got the Stratford and Leamington books, so spoilt for choice.