Sunday, 23 August 2009
High Flyer 21st Aug 09 TA Match A while back I fished a couple of matches at High Flyer lakes near Ely in Canbridgeshire. http://highflyerlake.co.uk/wordpress/A cracking venue that contains some big fish to just over 20lb. Plenty of margins and fish to go at. Now, Paul Law from the Talk Angling UK fishing tackle and angling news website had arranged a match to meet a few people from the site and to fish the venue. I took up the offer and arranged for my regular travelling...

keith

Waking up to the fact that you cannot see your car on the driveway due to a thick blanket of fog is not the ideal preparation for taking your son, David to his first Oakfield open. Temperatures of -4 following us to the outskirts of Aylesbury and the fog had started to lift.

After a bacon sandwich in the cafe, a quick look at our lake for the day Brook saw no ice. The pegs closest to cafe were the favoured pegs as this is where the fish have been holed up all winter. Either corner...

keith

This match was on Brook lake, around an acre in size with a central island approximately 14m across to far bank reeds and grasses. It is very canalised with a near and far shelf and the target species are carp up to mid doubles but averaging 4lb.

The draw saw a decent turnout with a few "names " amongst them Mark Pollard, Lee Ripper and Adam Rooney. All high class anglers on there day with a record on the venue to be envied. Personally you needed to draw in the corners as...

keith

After the trials of the last match at Oakfield, I decided to continue going in the hope of getting to grips with the water in the colder month's before absolutely emptying it in the summer. Great thoughts and a plan.

Todays match was to be on Swallow lake. A lot different to the other match lake, Brook. No island but most pegs had a feature although most of them are submerged in the way of dips and troughs. My peg 19 had a bank going out 16m on the right hand side slightly and I targetted...

keith

I made a positive decision to fish more matches next year and the plan revolves around fishing 3 venues, Alders Farm, Panshill ( a new water to me) and Oakfield.

Oakfield, being only 40 minutes away from the house, it makes a nice countryside excursion. At present there are 3 lakes that occupy the site, Brook, my home for the day, Swallow and Kingfisher. All the lakes have matured over the years and although pegging can be tight, the matches are quite spread out.

Arriving...

keith

Now Fur and Feather matches rekindle the spirit of fishing in my mind. No big money prizes to be won, just a bottle or two for Xmas, maybe a few small stocking fillers. A reminder of those halycon days where the winner recieved a turkey and a bottle, down to pheasants,chickens and rabbits as prizes for the lower placings. Many of these matches saw anglers double the normal turnout for a club match.So when Richie Dell asked about a Midlands Fur & Feather match on the maggotdrowning.com website...

keith