Tip Time At RBF

I fancied a change, so went on the open at Royal Berkshire Fishery yesterday, which was split between lakes 2 and 3.

I drew peg 60 with fishery manager Bradley next door on 59. My peg was one of the widest ones on the lake and too far to fish tight to the island with a pole (20m), so I fed as long as I could, plus a feeder/waggler swim in a little bay to my left at 25m. I’d also got a load of reeds to my left where I could dob around and fed a groundbait swim at 13m where they sometimes catch skimmers.

Well to cut a long story short I only managed half a dozen little roach on the pole. The only area I caught was chucking tight into the bay to my left. I had a carp and two F1s on a maggot feeder and then nine more on the bomb and 6mm pellet or a Washed Out Bandum for 20lb.

Lovely to be wrestling a few fish with my 9ft Horizon Bomb rod. The tip never budged unless I cast within inches of the far bank. Bradley next door could reach the point of the island with 16m and managed 31lb. Again, touching the island was the only place he could get a bite. He reckoned that was unusual for the venue as you can normally catch a metre or two off, but definitely not the case for us two on the day. It’s a good 3ft deep and undercut over there, though, and the crafty blighters didn’t want to poke their heads out!

Elsewhere the lakes fished really well with several 30lb+ weights and Michael Shepherd winning with 66lb from peg 45. Although I’d not set the world alight it was really nice to be on a different venue and getting some bites on the tip!