I fished the MNTFA fur and feather yesterday and took the first prize turkey and yes using a cats whisker.
The plan for the day was spot one from the dam, spot 2 from pensioners point or spot 3 fishing into the dam from the river side. It was the first time I had fished with a walk off and luck was with me as I drew number 4. There was a very light wind so spot one it was and i managed to be the first there fishing off the concrete slipway.
I set up with a ghost tip just to cut through the calm and about a 12ft leader of 6lb mono with just two flies. I had looked at flouro carbon in the water and it looked white so started on mono. The flies were a black daiwl back on the dropper and a gold head cats whisker on the point. The cat was nothing clever on a 10 short shank hook with a chenile body. There was a boat a bit close in but plenty of fish splashing infront of me, the scene was set.
The fish were at the end of my cast so I decided to slow it down to a figure of 8 and the first fish took the cat on the drop after 5 minutes, nice! They didn't come thick and fast but in the next half hour i was sitting on 4. It was at this time that my mind then started to think about the need for a decent fish and how I would get that, luck i suppose. Well i cast out and on the the first pull to straighten the line the water errupted in that type of noise that you know is more a thump and wallow rather than a splash, yes a decent fish! It kept heading for the weed but manged to side strain it back into open water a few times, negotiated a couple of testing runs, managed a test of strength as it twisted and turned in front of me and then it was in the net. It was my best of the year to a 6lbs 6oz rainbow. Yes it was a stockie but all the same it was a nice fish and one of the reasons you go to Elinor, and it didn't dissapoint.
It was then that I decided to catch and release and by 10.30 I had 8 fish while all around me there was very little being caught. A bit greedy!
Barry Jones had a couple in the corner and Richard Slater joined me but the fish seemed a little tightly shoaled and difficult to get too. it was then that the wind started to increase and the fish moved to the other corner of the dam. I dried up as tdid the boat infont but the float tubers and Roy McLester started.
I carried on flogging the water till almost 3 without success. It was one of those moments that made me think I wasn't going to keep my 6th. So I thought time for a move. I could see Phil off the pensioners point so thought i would pay him a visit.
I must have took some luck with me as he only had 2 but was into a fish when I arrived, a nice 3 and a half pounder that I netted. He had just moved on the point and was now casting across a windlane as the fish were running up, a perfect ambush! Over the next hour he manged to catch another 4 and it was his first limit in a competition, and 4th place, good angling!
I settled in just behind the point and manged a good number of takes but no fish. It was just before 4 and I still had one to catch but it was never in doubt as it locked up across the windlane and it may have been only one and have pounds but i was taking no chances and finished.
Powie had laid on soup at the lodge, a great touch! and as we weighed in it was obvious that it was going to be closer than I thought. Barry had bagged up and Roy had finished with returned a fish a total of 12 on a bead headed bloodworm. Powies mate from Ireland Mick o'flynn, came in with 5 fish including a 5 pounder and they were all a good size but as always Richard Slater had moved into the other corner of the dam and managed to bag up with his last fish coming at 4.28 along with a 5 pounder too, things were very close.
Fortunately I manage to pip Richard by half a pound and my first MNTFA win was in the bag.
The plan for the day was spot one from the dam, spot 2 from pensioners point or spot 3 fishing into the dam from the river side. It was the first time I had fished with a walk off and luck was with me as I drew number 4. There was a very light wind so spot one it was and i managed to be the first there fishing off the concrete slipway.
I set up with a ghost tip just to cut through the calm and about a 12ft leader of 6lb mono with just two flies. I had looked at flouro carbon in the water and it looked white so started on mono. The flies were a black daiwl back on the dropper and a gold head cats whisker on the point. The cat was nothing clever on a 10 short shank hook with a chenile body. There was a boat a bit close in but plenty of fish splashing infront of me, the scene was set.
The fish were at the end of my cast so I decided to slow it down to a figure of 8 and the first fish took the cat on the drop after 5 minutes, nice! They didn't come thick and fast but in the next half hour i was sitting on 4. It was at this time that my mind then started to think about the need for a decent fish and how I would get that, luck i suppose. Well i cast out and on the the first pull to straighten the line the water errupted in that type of noise that you know is more a thump and wallow rather than a splash, yes a decent fish! It kept heading for the weed but manged to side strain it back into open water a few times, negotiated a couple of testing runs, managed a test of strength as it twisted and turned in front of me and then it was in the net. It was my best of the year to a 6lbs 6oz rainbow. Yes it was a stockie but all the same it was a nice fish and one of the reasons you go to Elinor, and it didn't dissapoint.
It was then that I decided to catch and release and by 10.30 I had 8 fish while all around me there was very little being caught. A bit greedy!Barry Jones had a couple in the corner and Richard Slater joined me but the fish seemed a little tightly shoaled and difficult to get too. it was then that the wind started to increase and the fish moved to the other corner of the dam. I dried up as tdid the boat infont but the float tubers and Roy McLester started.
I carried on flogging the water till almost 3 without success. It was one of those moments that made me think I wasn't going to keep my 6th. So I thought time for a move. I could see Phil off the pensioners point so thought i would pay him a visit.
I must have took some luck with me as he only had 2 but was into a fish when I arrived, a nice 3 and a half pounder that I netted. He had just moved on the point and was now casting across a windlane as the fish were running up, a perfect ambush! Over the next hour he manged to catch another 4 and it was his first limit in a competition, and 4th place, good angling!
I settled in just behind the point and manged a good number of takes but no fish. It was just before 4 and I still had one to catch but it was never in doubt as it locked up across the windlane and it may have been only one and have pounds but i was taking no chances and finished.
Powie had laid on soup at the lodge, a great touch! and as we weighed in it was obvious that it was going to be closer than I thought. Barry had bagged up and Roy had finished with returned a fish a total of 12 on a bead headed bloodworm. Powies mate from Ireland Mick o'flynn, came in with 5 fish including a 5 pounder and they were all a good size but as always Richard Slater had moved into the other corner of the dam and managed to bag up with his last fish coming at 4.28 along with a 5 pounder too, things were very close.
Fortunately I manage to pip Richard by half a pound and my first MNTFA win was in the bag.
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