I was really looking forward to this Exel AC match on the Horseshoe pool at Alvechurch fisheries. A pool I’d never fished before and with 24 anglers fishing, so every peg in on a fine bright Spring day is was tough going but I still caught a few to get in the mainframe.

I really enjoying fishing with this new club to me, Exel AC. a great friendly bunch of lads where there is plenty of banter and the prize money gets split around with the main framers and section winners, plus there are doubles and silver prizes to fish for. I do enjoy club matches as they are less serious but still some good anglers to compete against. I like to enjoy my fishing and the prize money isn’t my main focus, just an enjoyable day and fishing a few club matches like this really add to the enjoyment.

On arrival at peg 20 I set up for hard pellet at 13 metres, soft pellets on a the short pole, my left margin and a feeder rod for throwing over to the island. I started on a small 20g method feeder tight to the island which was around 20 metres away. I don’t really fish much with rods with the venues I tend to go to so my accuracy getting the feeder tight to the island isn’t the best and after 40 minutes biteless I throw the rod up the bank. (I really need to practise more and something to improve on)

So I tried the 13 metre hard pellet line next where I’d been pinging 6mm pellets while I was fishing the feeder but I had no indications. Looking around the pool everybody was struggling. With every peg in this was expected and I decided to come short with soft pellets and micro’s but again there was no reward. So I switched the maggots here next hoping to catch anything as 2 hours in now and my keep nets where still empty. But I couldn’t catch even with maggots. The next option was ground bait and maggots in the left margin even though it was a little early. Nothing changed here and I had no bites.

So half way through the match now and I returned to the 13 metre hard pellet line. I’d been feeding it all the match and now as we were now into the 2nd half of the match I felt this was my best option. After 10 minutes I began to get a few inductions and then finally I caught my first Carp. This gave me the confidence to continue on this line and 5 minutes later I caught another carp. At least I had something to weigh in now! At this time I saw other anglers begin the catch the odd Carp so now they were feeding with an hour and a half to go. I decided to continue on this line but I big potted in some ground bait and dead red maggots into the margin. This was going to be my back up line for the last hour if the 13 metre line didn’t come good.

The 13 metre line finally did get better and I stayed here for the rest of the match adding 7 more Carp before the all-out. My 9 Carp weighed in at 55lb 6oz which was enough for 3rd overall on the day. Not bad for a new venue to me and with every peg in.

Best rig of day

This was the hard pellet line at 13 metres in only 4 foot of water so I used a 4×12 Preston Carp Pellet pole float set up on 0.19mm mainline with a strung out shot above a 6 inch size 18 (0.15mm) banded Drennan Carp Bandit hook length, set up on a standard top kit with 17 Preston Dura slip elastic.