MAINLINE BAITS OPEN PAIRS 2023

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Well what a competition it was, a massive thank you to Mainline and John kneebone for sponsoring the event, all the bailiffs for helping with the weighing in and the cafe for the food. And a big thank you to everyone that took part we hope you had a great time.
But there can only be one winner and that was Nathan Bunting and Mike Stemp in peg 27 with 65lb 1oz. claiming the £2000 first prize and also Mike claimed the biggest fish award with a 25lb 6oz common.
2nd place and £1000 went to Paul Thomas and Jason McEvoy in peg 14 with their 3 biggest fish being 54lb 10oz.
3rd place went to the ever consistent Nigel Woods and Rich Ford in peg 32 with 52lb 9oz.
Section Winners
Dean Willoughby and Jason Head in peg 6 claimed secured section 1 winners.
Section 2 needed a draw for section winners and Joe Dietrich and Charlie Fowler won the prize.
Steven Folland and Rob Nicholson claimed section 3.
And finally Darren Walter and Richard Bradley claimed section 4.
All section winners won a 24hr ticket on lower Tamar and a prize from mainline.

THOSE LESS PRODUCTIVE DAYS

Compiling reports for NDANs I see lots of images of good fish and stories of success and these can inspire but can also raise expectations leading to disappointing days. I feel sure I am not the only one who sometimes sets out full of expectation and ends the day feeling slightly deflated.
In my case this disillusionment doesn’t last long for I know that if I keep at it long enough something good will come my way. Basically, effort equals reward and if you can afford to invest time and a little thought good things will eventually happen.
I have enjoyed a few non-productive days recently, fish caught wise anyway. There is generally a positive to be drawn from less productive days in the nature that surrounds or the company that is kept.
I have already swung a fly across the River on numerous occasions in search of salmon and have learnt to accept blank outings as the normal. The salmon just are not present in any numbers so all you can do is believe in the fly and present it to the best of your ability in the places that salmon are known to rest on their migration upriver.

A trip to Chew Valley Lake with my good friend Bruce Elston in early April proved a frustrating day. We set out on a mirror calm lake after a Full English in the Lodge. With bright sunshine and only a light- breeze we knew it was going to be hard going. Plus; we didn’t know what mode the pike would be in pre or post spawning? Local guide John Horsey told us he had seen some big fish but that they were proving fickle following the fly and then turning away.
The mighty Chew holds a certain fascination as the next cast can always bring the fish of dreams.

We drifted the water extensively that day. Twenty pound plus pike followed our flies; glimpses in the clear water that failed to connect.
We took a short break from the piking to have rest and tempt a trout on a buzzer.

But with huge pike to target I find it difficult to stop casting big flies after bigger targets.
We fished until the light faded as the sun sank below the hills. A day full of memories, we exchanged many fish tales and laid plans for future trips.


Chew is a magnet for twitchers and whilst I am no ornithologist I always enjoy hearing the birdsong and watching the many birds that haunt the lake. Grebes, swans, moorhens and coots. We caught sight of a hawk gliding over the reeds and I wasn’t sure what type it was.
We will be back later in the Spring once again.

Upper Tamar lake has been hailed as a mecca for big perch anglers. I headed there full of expectation. A couple of pots of juicy lobworms from Quay Sports a bag of raw prawns and a bucket full of ground bait mixed with mole hill soil. I had been given a tip on a productive swim and arrived at the lake shortly after 8:00am.

It was the day after Storm Noa and the wind had dropped but it was still a tad breezy and cool. Bright sunshine and a cool North West Wind. I was well wrapped up and relished the early signs of spring. It was good to see swallows and martins swooping low over the water.
The bobbins remained stubbornly static throughout the first couple of hours. Eventually I started to get a few twitchy bites on the lobworm baits. As the day drifted past I eventually caught a few tiny perch on lobworm and one on the prawn. A brown trout of around 8oz and a single roach. The fish would have thrilled me fifty years ago as a young angler but with age comes expectation.


As the light faded from another day I headed for home pondering my lack of success and looking forward to the next trip.

 

Mainline Baits Carp Competition Results – Upper Tamar Lake

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 Nigel Woods and Richard Ford won the Mainline Baits Carp Open at Upper Tamar Lake from peg 21!
Their 3 biggest fish were 17lb 15oz, 18lb 8oz and 19lb 8oz adding up to 55lb 15oz .
Well done to them, they take the £2000 first prize!
2nd place goes to Chris Hudson and Matt Pepperell from peg 33. Their 3 biggest fish were 15lb 14oz, 17lb 12oz and 19lb 11oz adding up to 53lb 5oz, who take the £1000 home.
3rd place goes to Scott Bowden and Mark Brett from peg 34. Their 3 biggest fish were 13lb 4oz, 15lb 13oz and 16lb 13oz adding up to 44lb 14oz, who take £500 in prize money.
Biggest fish award goes to Jordan Dziadulewicz who had a 25lb 9oz common.
Thank you to John Kneebone and Mainline Baits for sponsoring the event.
Big thank you to the bailiffing team that Marshalled the event.

Upper Tamar Lakes Carp Fishing

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(Above ) A cracking 31lb 12oz common that Dean Compton caught from Upper Tamar.
Charley Fowler with good Upper Tamar Common
(Above) Jason McEvoy had plenty of fish to 25.8lb on a recent session at Upper Tamar
(Above) Simon Richards had this 21lb 8oz mirror on Baitworks Atlantic heat at Upper Tamar

 There are still places on the The Mainline Pairs competition at Upper Tamar on March 24th to 26th.

Upper Tamar Carp

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Aaron Bunning recently had this mirror from Upper Tamar on Nashbait Scopex Squid

It’s nearly time for the first Mainline Baits Carp Pairs competition on 24 – 26 March, limited tickets remaining! 🎣
✅ £3,500 in prize money
✅ All entrants will receive a goody bag
✅ All tackle and equipment are transported to and from your swim
✅ Full food menu for the weekend delivered to your swim
Kindly sponsored by Mainlinebaits

CARP CATCHES FROM TRUSTY WATERS

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The recent mild weather is proving ideal for local carp fishing with some great catches from local SWLT waters.
Jason McEvoy caught this 20lb common as his first fish of the year from Upper Tamar.
It took an 18mm CC Moore Live System bottom bait fished on a size 6 crank, fox camotek hook length and west country leads.
( Below) Some fantastic catches from our Darracott Bailiff Ken Sampson which he had over the Christmas period.
(Below )Some cracking catches from Dean Willoughby who had these fish at Melbury recently.