More Frosts & F1 Fun

Been catching mostly F1s at the weekend. Saturday I fished the one-off March Teams-of-3 at Tunnel Barn with Sam Collett and Jamie Adcock. There were 17 teams and they paid the top 5 on weight. Our trio took the last prize with a 200lb total. Well done the Guru Preston team of James Howarth, Connor Barlow and Sam Slockett who won with 236lb. Also well done Dan Lee who was top weight with 103lb from House 16.

I had a busy day catching 62lb of mostly small F1s on Extension 25. Pellets early short and long, then swapping to maggots down the sides seemed best. Can’t believe how cold it was with sleet chilling the lakes (and bones!). After 90 minutes I had to go back to the van for some gloves as it was chuffin’ freezing!

Sunday was yet another hard frost and thick fog on the way to Packington. It was the final round of the Winter League with 57 anglers fishing. I was guesting for Phil Canning as he was on a stand at The Big One.

I drew peg 15 on Little Gearys which is usually in my top five pegs to draw on there, but felt it could be a hard day as I crunched through all the frozen puddles on the way to the peg.

I managed four F1s on the long pole and pellet and four on a little open alloy feeder but when the sun’s come out(!) you could tell they’d switched right off. I scratched around with some skimmers short on maggots before finally locating some nice big F1s and one bonus carp down the side on pellets, corn and maggots. It’s been a bit sit-and-waity all day but the fish have been worth catching.

I’ve ended up with a very pleasing 73lb, which was enough to win the lake. Back at the presentation I was told I’d won the match, ahead of two 69lbs and a 64lb. Well chuffed with that! A big well done to Paul Truman for winning the league and all the other framers.

Just need Spring to hurry up and properly arrive now!