Teflon Minkie's

I'll have to check that last batch of black rabbitt to make sure it wasn't made of teflon!!

Yes it was one of those days when all around you were catching, not great, but i could still see the rods bending on a regular basis and yet for me it was just takes.

I had a single manned morning boat so geared up with a floating fry on a floater. Working my way down towards the dam nothing was doing so I set up my Di7 and a black and green minkie and headed for the other boats huddled off the tower. First drift through and I had a fish and thought I was going to be in for a good day.

However the next dozen takes all remained just that and i was left feeling quite frustrated. I changed flies and changed lines but kept coming back to the black minkie as the only thing I could get a take too. And they were only takes at that!

Everyone around me was pulling quick and with what I am convinced were not floaters. Half were drifting broadside and half point down but all consistently catching.

They keep saying black boobies on a floater in the lodge but it didn't work for me and I am sure a floater would have been too high in the water.

Graham Haywood was just heading out as I came in full of the same tactic. bet he bagged!

Never mind it was glorious day and a pleasure to be out as the sun shone and the wind had calmed from yesterday. There's always next time!

Barclays v Bank of Scotland

15 a side with a practice day including a few drinks and then a competition fishing with one of the opposition and a sit down meal/presentation and a few more drinks. What an excellent event this is!

I have just had two days fishing on Draycote and managed to catch 25 fish, C&R of course. Despite an algae bloom, bright sun and cold wind Draycote still fished magnificently.

We managed to lift the TW Trophy again this year - which is a rare event in England- we caught 114 fish for 275lbs with the Scots catching 87 fish for 190lbs. remarkably for us we also managed to catch most of the larger fish too and the best fish of the day went to Steve Blundell who caught a magnificent rainbow weighing 12lbs 15ozs below

As you would expect Steve cleaned up on the prizes with the heaviest bag and best boat along with James Turner and their 16 fish weighed 44-8. Agnes Thomas took the best Scots bag with 8 fish for 20-3.

The other notable bags for Barclays were Ross Jordan with 8 for 22-14, Ralf painter with 8 for 19-12 and Martin Williams with 8 for 19-8. Neil O'shea also had a 4-12 rainbow. No less than 12 of the team bagged up with 8 fish and we were only 6 fish short of a maximum. Very impressive!

From the BOS side Mike Connet had 8 for 19-3, Kenny Wilson 8 for 18-10 and John Tullett 8 for 17-12. Dick Ness had a rainbow of 3-14 and Agnes one of 3-11.

Practice for me was with Mike Philpott and we managed to find a good number of fish in Toft, from G to H buoy and off Dunns bay. The algae was awful, I have taken a photo looking into water below and it was a case of on the downward shore of rainbow corner and the dam were unfishable and after being warned off never ventured over. Fortunately there were a good number of fish elsewhere.

We managed to take our early fish on either a Di3 and daiwl backs or a Di5 and sparklers in the morning and then I went mad in the afternoon on a fast glass with a sparkler booby and claret and black hoppers. Modesty forbids me to remember the numbers in the boat! Team talk was held without us, thanks! But as most people had caught fish the tactics and locations were not in question. Others had caught on a mix of lovely coloured lures but black and green and an orange blob maybe were the best. Pretty much all the stockies were in Toft but bigger fish out in the middle. Tactics were great and because people caught on different things we shared info but retained everyones confidence to choose what they thought was their best approach. Martin Williams was catching on the same as me as the action below shows. Well more like I was catching on the same as him after he passed the info over.

I was drawn with Kenny Wilson for the competition day and knew I would have a good day as he had similar fish to me on practice day and I had seen him ticking along a slow sink.

We started out from Biggin bay but after half an hour it was devoid of fish let alone any of the bigger ones that were there the day before. The usual jitters started to kick in! However a new drift starting from Lin Croft point out in the middle found us drifting on the edge of farnbourough shoal. I changed my line from the fast glass to a Di7 and the action started immediately and I put 4 fish in the boat in about the next 10 casts. Kenny was hot on my heels with a Di5 and managed a fish before the drift ended. We located the edge of the shoal perfectly and finished the morning session with 13 fish between us. Not quite as good as Agnes and Shane Tibbetts but I was more than happy. Kenny was set up with an orange blob on the top dropper and a black and green nomad on the point and at lunch it was clearly the team tactic.

Kenny caught a great fish on the blob as both of us saw it chase and come back around for a look a number of times. We both had time to comment on how best to catch it and with a last movement the fish turned and took -YES! Good angling!

I had a lively fish in the morning and tried to convince Kenny I should count it twice. I netted it quick and before I could take the fly out of it's mouth it had jumped out of the net and play it again before landing and releasing - surely that's 2?

After lunch the tactic was go back to the previous spot for Kenny to catch his 6th and then off to G and H buoy for some bigger fish. Well before I could get my line out he had one hooked and netted, very impressive.

With both on 6 in the boat we were allowed to C&R and the banter started from Kenny, its gone tough now, you'll never have time for two more, you better keep that small one, it'll be embarrassing going in with just 7, etc. etc. As 4pm approached Kenny kept his 7th a decent fish, I kept and I was mightily relieved my next one too, although Kenny was convinced it should have gone back! Spot on 4 Kenny had a another decent fish and started to pack up, it was as though he had planned it all along. I then decided that i would also would take my next fish as I couldn't seem to catch any decent fish and true to form it was about the same size as all my other small ones. All in a all a very pleasant and enjoyable day and a sun tan to boot!

Can't wait for the return trip to Scotland next year, Lake of Menteith, Carron Valley, Butterstone, any will do!!

Paul Eliot passes away

In Neil o'shea's words
"It is with great regret that I have to let you know that Paul passed away last Friday after losing his battle against cancer.Paul was a great fisherman who, for many years, represented the South West region. He also fished for Barclays against the Bank of Scotland, even to the extent of missing a golf tournament in the Mediterranean for which he'd qualified so he didn't lose his place in the Barclays team. He was a wonderful character who will be well remembered by all those who knew him. After retiring from the bank Paul set up fishing lodges on his property at Wainsford House on the Rivers Fowey and Warleggan. He then worked tirelessly for his remaining years to improve the fishing on these rivers. I will certainly miss him and thought you, his friends, would like to know. Would you please circulate this to anyone who knew Paul but is not on this circulation list. Thank you. "

Paul was a fantastic character, a great fisherman and a good friend. John wilson dedicated his Barclays national win to Paul this year and with the Barclays v BOS fishing match this week he will be in all our thoughts.

The drought ends

No not water drought, my lack of fishing!!

I can't remember the last time I went. It's been a busy August at work and even if I had the time I was a bit shattered.

It sounded as though it would be good this weekend with decent temperatures but a bit of cloud around so after the last half day boat i had and enjoyed I thought i would do the same. I was surprised there weren't too many boats out but yesterday they were all out so perhaps people tacking it on spec like me.

The fish has gone quiet up by the dam so thought i would focus on Stone Barn Bay and Pig stream if it was no good. I'd heard the fish were a bit deeper down so I started on a di5 and first drift across the bay I had a nice 2 and a half pounder on my orange booby on the point.

Another couple of drifts and on went the Di3 and again quite quickly another fish and also more action now. But another couple of drift and no more fish again I decided to set up the Di7. Just after I had done this John Mains stopped for a chat and he had managed 5 mainly on a Soldier Palmer on a floater. The Di7 didn't last long and on went the Slow glass and as I hadn't had any fish on my droppers I set up a red daiwl bach and a Soldier Palmer.

The fish still weren't that fast but I did manage another 4 on either the booby or Soldier Palmer. It was a nice routine of pulling quick so the booby bobbled on the surface, then figure of 8, then pull, then figure of 8, etc.etc. They seemed to like to chase and then take the fly when it stopped.

By this time I was fishing closer into Stone Barn and the fish were a bit smaller in here but welcome all the same. As the early afternoon went on it seemed to be getting windier and the clouds darkening. I thought it might drizzle later so left before 2 in time to watch the 20/20 international on telly in the afternoon. Very pleasant!

The Ashes alternative

I had thought I would watch some of the 4th test yesterday and today but I just couldn't bring myself too watch the humiliation. never mind, a bit like fishing "you never know what's coming next" While the Aussies were finishing off I was on a single manned boat sitting in bright sun and flat calm at the Dam.

You may think that this was as bad as England's performance but no there were fish up and looking, well near the dam anyway and when your catching it keeps you busy.

My set up was a slow glass with orange booby on the point, daddy long legs and daiwl bach on the top. Pulling at a decent speed I had quite a few fish that chased me but did not sick. I did manage one on the booby and one on the daddy though and at the time was doing well.

Then there were a number of boats coming round looking to anchor so I thought I would get in first and stuck the pick down next to another boat that had done that a few minutes earlier and was already bending into fish. I then spent the next hour with nothing. It was only when I heard the say they were on buzzers that I thought I would change too. I left the booby and added to orange cheeked buzzers and the takes started. I had slowed down the retrieve and the takes were classic nymph takes as the line just moved away.

5 fish for a mornings fishing and I was really pleased, so rather than overdoing it I headed back just as the wind got up slightly to to some jobs at home.

lightening strike

Yes it's always one of those occasions in a thunderstorm when your fishing with a carbon rod that it makes you very nervous.

Brad Gifford last week had a narrow escape - although I don't suppose he saw it quite like that - when out walking his dog at Elinor with Ed Foster. He sheltered under a group of trees in a storm and a bolt of lightening struck a tree and arched across to hit him on the shoulder. After being airlifted to the best burns unit in Birmingham he woke up the next day with 35% burns. I guess another couple of inches another way and erghhhh!

With no rod in his hand I guess it's a lesson when your times up, it's up. However in Brad's case, hope you get well soon mate and plenty of fishing left in you yet!

Grant Gibson's fun day!

Powie rang me up and said he was one short for the MNTFA fun day and would i fish with Grant Gibson? Well I didn't think I had fished with Grant before - although he corrected me that we had once at Draycote a good time ago - how could i say no and was looking forward to it!
It had been miserably wet for the last few days but fishing well on dry's. Here we were sunny and without a cloud in the sky wishing it would cloud over - madness!

We headed off to the dam to find the fish the bankies can't reach and it felt as though it was going to be a tough day. The fish didn't seem to high in the water so we started a drift across the boils. Grant was on a Di7 and tubes - as per normal! and i on a new di5 with booby, blobs and daiwl bachs. The boils were off and the fish didn't seem to be out in the middle so we headed back to the Dam and closer in. The fish were in a few shoals and lines but no more than 100yds off the dam or the sailing club bank. Grant struck first on the tubes but they weren't thick and fast, i then had the first of a number of jammy one's on a daiwl back at speed. The next two were painful, I was just un-doing a tangle and a fish rose for my booby ( nice!), a few swift pulls and I was connected, as i netted it and pulled the fly out of its mouth I realised it was on a daiwl bach and then suddenly realised i had another one on the point as it took off and buried the fly up to the bend in my index figure. A swift removal and with blood pouring down the line I managed a nice hand netting manoeuvre.

This had made me realise that the fish were up in the water (and hooks are painful!) and I switched to a slow and the fishing got decidedly better taking another 4 fish to an orange booby and a daddy long legs.

As we were out catching Dave Marchant and Alan Harding the banter started. Every time we went round for another drift they would shout out how many they had caught, just a few more than us. Alan is catching one of their rare fish below!

Grant was a couple of fish behind but seemed to find what we both thought was the perfect cast of a sparkler booby and a lite brite damsel on a kelly green intermediate. It was almost like muddler fishing years ago with the bow wave behind the fly. Great fishing! He managed to catch up and his last two fish were much better including this 6lbs 6oz rainbow below.

Powie, Clarky and lady's had laid on a fantastic BBQ once more and we sat down to a late lunch with as much alcohol as you could drink and as much Micky take as you could handle.

For me it was probable second again although Ash had 7 too, but can you believe Grant also won the duck race and took the money as well as best bag and best fish, magic!

A great fun day!