Monday 28th December - Manor Farm Open

 26 fishing.
I drew peg 18 island. Not an area that's had a lot of form but I was feeling optimistic.
Set up was simple.
 2 bomb rods
2 pole rigs!
Started off feeding my pole line and Chucked the bomb out towards the island. Didn't have a liner or any signs for 1 hour 30 despite looking on pole and foul hooking one first put in. Decided to chuck the bomb as tight to the island as possible as this can work well if they are there. After minutes of doing this the rod dropped back and an angry common was soon in the next. Next chuck had one about 15 lb!!!
By 2:00 I had 8 carp for about 45 - 50lb chucking tight to the island then it completely died. A quick look on the pole saw me have 4 F1s in the last hour.
I managed to weigh 56-6-0 for 7th overall and won my section. Really enjoyed this match despite not catching for nearly 2 hours!

Thursday 24th December - Manor Farm leisure open.

Today's open was on windmill pool, this has to be one of my favourite lakes as it's an awesome pole lake! There's one peg I love on here, 24! And yes... I drew it!!!
Last time I drew this I got to distracted to the island to my right and today I decided I wouldn't.
At the all in I fed my pole line and checked the bomb. 2nd chuck the tip dropped back and I was into my first fish. A 2 lb F1.
Decided to have a look on my pole line and was into to some bites. Pretty much stayed here all day.  Had a couple of tries on the island line but bites were slower and fish were a lot smaller.
Caught a mixture of original F1s and some small stockies.  Finished the match with 43 F1s and a mirror carp for 67-2-0. Putting me 1st overall!
Had a really nice days fishing with plenty of bites!

Wednesday 23rd December - Manor Farm Leisure Open.

I drew peg 23 island pool. Not an area I've done very well on recently.

Just set up a bomb rod and a few pellet rigs at 13m.
I had 1 fish by 1:30 and things were looking grim! Changed my feeding and then began putting a few fish together on the long pole fishing pellets.
By the all out I had 10 F1s and 3 carp
My 27-10-0 was 5th overall and just missed out on my section win.

Harsecombe - 22nd December.

Harescombe Fishery knock up - Tuesday 22nd December.

I drew peg 5 on field lake. This is a lovely looking lake and I was really looking forward to get fishing. Kept the approach dead simple.
Pellets at 13m
Pellets short
Pellets down the edge! Simple!
Started off on the pole and had a carp about 2 lb 20 mins in. Had a couple of fish here then looked on the short line, first put in had a 6 lb carp! Then couldn't get a bite here so shipped an expander back out to 13m and caught 2 more in quick succession.  With 50 mins to go put a bit of bait 13m down the edge to my right. First put in had a proper fish on which I was gutted that I lost at the net, went straight back down there and hooked 2 more which I lost?!?!? Then hooked 3 and landed 3! Not big fish but still a decent stamp.
I finished with 14 carp for 41-0-0 putting me 2nd overall. 51-0-0 won the match.
Really enjoyed this match and was really nice to fish a different venue.

Saturday 19th December - Manor Farm leisure - Evesham Christmas match. 

With 16 on island pool a good draw was needed and that didn't happen!  Peg 27 stuck to my hand, this peg occasionly has form but it's hit and miss and there's a lot better pegs on the lake. Kept the set up dead simple.  

2 pole rigs - 13m 

Waggler 

Bomb. 

Chucked the bomb and bread for the first 20 minutes and had a tiny liner and I was starting to worry. Began feeding my pole line and had a look on that without a bite! At 11 o'clock I hadn't had a fish. So decided to perceiver long and had 1 F1. At the half way stage I didn't even have 2 lb and the same was for most others, re fed the pole line then went back on it and caught well for 20 mins putting 8 F1s in the net before this then died. Picked up the waggler and had 3 more on that and rested the pole line till last 40 mins when  I hoped I'd catch well on it, which I did! 

Ended the match with 14 F1s and a chunky common for 38-0-0. Putting me 2nd overall, enjoyable day none the less. 

Sunday 20th December - Open at Harescombe Fishery Gloucester. 35 fished. 

This is my first visit to the venue and didn't know where you wanted to draw, I saw myself heading towards peg 14 on the match lake. With 19 on this lake pegging was tight. 

Kept the rigs dead simple 

2 rigs for long. 

1 for in open water. 

Started off dobbing bread to just feel my way into the match. Had my first fish on this 15 mins in being a 3 lb chub! No more bites on this forced me to look elsewhere. Shipped across and rattled in some pellets via a cad pot and the float buried resulting in a 2 lb carp, this continued till I put 4 fish in the net before dieing.  Had a look in open water and couldn't get a bite so plumbed up another line and had another fish and had to keep moving. Towards the end of the match I made a decision to set up a maggot line to the right of the island and this saw me have a few more fish. 

By the all out I had 18 fish for 21-0-0. Putting me 8th on my lake of 19. 

Sunday 13th December - Alders Farm Milton Keynes. Final round of winter league. Team Colmic!

I drew peg 31 on pines, next peg to where I was last round 2 weeks ago, right in the corner! With this in mind decided to fish it similar to last time with an out and out pole approach, as you only have about 18m of water until you enter next peg!

Started off short feeding and fishing pellets and foul hooked one first drop in that I lost. 20 minutes passed and I felt this line wasn't going to produce so shipped out to 13m again fishing a feeding pellets. I started of cad potting on this line but I felt it wasn't right so started pinging and had an instant response. The float buried and I was into my first fish.  A tench! Which wasn't a very good sign! After sorting out the feeding began to catch a few on this line and had to follow them out to 14.5m. Finished with 13 fish for 32-0-0. Putting me 5th in my section.
On the team front, Chris telling won his section and the match with 115-0-0  What a hero!
Glen Picton had 64 lb for 5th in section.
Frank Donachie had 40 lb for 5th in section.
Putting us 3rd

on the day and more importantly we finished 2nd overall! Happy with that!

Manor farm open - Saturday 5th December. Peg 22 middle.
This is an area I've never done so well on but I was optimistic. The wind was awful whilst setting up so decided on a rod only approach... This soon changed after 40 mins in I had only 1 fish and then pole itus kicked in!
Kitted up the pole to fish 13m which I struggled but just about managed to do!  At the half way stage I had around 6 fish and Rich Merry next peg had 5. One of my fish being 8 lb+!

From this point everything dried up and couldn't get a bit anywhere and went 1 hour 30 without a fish. The wind got to bad to fish the pole to decided to under arm a bomb over it which picked me up a few more fish late on.
Had 12 fish at the all out and weighed 40-0-0 for a section win!
Early part of my match my pole line was solid but the winds cost me so many fish! I reckon I lost 10 fish!  Still an enjoyable day none the less! Roll on next weekend! Didn't go Sunday, a day of kit prep!

Colmic F1 Spider Line:
For the past few months I've been using a new line, Colmic F1 Spider. With its awesome strength at such a low diameter I am totally amazed at this line and can seriously say that with its NXgen flurotec material It's defiantly upped my catch rate and had a big effect on my fishing, would seriously recommend it!

Saturday 28th November, I fished the open at manor farm and drew peg 6 middle pool. Started on the bomb and bread and without a bite soon switched to the pole at 13m. Foul hooked 3 fish on the bounce and was lucky to get one out. I soon then started to hook them properly after fishing an inch off the deck. Caught on and off all day to had 14 F1s and a carp to weigh 46-0-0 for second overall.

Sunday 29th November - Winter league at alders farm for colmic. I went on peg 1 on pines lake, right in the corner of the lake with only scope to fish the pole so that's the route I went down, started long at 13m and had 3 carp before the wind got to strong to fish it! Picked the odd fish up short and down to my left in the corner but had to keep moving and switching lines. Managed 35-0-0 for 4th in my section so was quite happy with that, really enjoyed the day despite the wind.