Swanswater 2010 Troutmasters Fish off
Troutmasters Swanswater 2010 from Peg #1
It wasn’t the brightest warmest or most springlike day that greeted us on Saturday morning at Swanswater- but at least it wasn’t chucking it down with rain or blowing a gale as it so easily can do at this time in the (pre) season.
There were to be 16 Senior entrants from the qualifying pool of 34 ( I think it was 34 anyway) and so 16 pegs were allocated right round the main loch and behind the island, in pairs, and the rules were standard fishery rules and move two pegs every 40 minutes. Heaviest bag would win the day so it was not about speed to bag up or number of fish. One BIG fish could win this.
Lots were drawn and I drew peg 15- one of my favourite spots beside the roadside.
Non competition anglers were also on the loch in the pegs between the numbered ones but had not been allowed on until the pegs were issued to competitors.
I decided to start my day fishing a trio of Shuttlecock buzzer on top with a Okey Dokey buzzer on middle and a red bloodworm buzzer on point. The two point flies were tied off the Shuttlecock, NZ style- i.e. tied to the end- and the Shuttlecock was tied on a jig hook and with the addition of a small section of booby eye foam coloured flouro green as part of the floating head. This made it very water resistant and sit high in the water where I could see it. I had a second rod set up with a pair of lures- a Yellow Dancer and a Viva as a secondary tactic if nothing was doing on my main rig at each peg.
The non-competing angler two stands along from me hooked into a fish almost first cast- which did nothing to soothe my early nerves. However third cast myself and I had a knock- not a solid take but encouraging. Next cast I had a take- but it held for about 3 seconds and then it was off. Bugger! The Competitor next to me was now into a fish as was the guy to my right and the guy two stands along. I wasn’t catching! I cast again and bang! Another- this time it was a strong Rainbow- it tore off to my left, right under the guy to my left’s line- then doubled back to the right towards the guy on that side. This was mental. I was really keen on bullying it in, I was on 8lb leader so should have been able to. It then started head shaking- it jumped, it dived- it wasn’t giving in without a fight- I tried to edge it to the net and it took off again, then the line went slack! BUGGER! I knew I never should have used those rubber hooks!
I checked all the flies- all Ok and leader intact. I cast again. Finally a take and swiftly this time I was able to net a fish- but it was abnormally small for a fishery like Swanswater– probably no more than one and three-quarter pounds. Not what you want on a competition. The guy to my left by now had three, one was at least 3 if not 4 pounds.
At one stage all four of us on this bank- two competing and two not- were hooked into fish- it was mental- fast and furious action!
The whistle went and all too soon it was time to move. I was to head for peg 1 beside the dam wall. I got there only to find someone there already. An entrant had arrived late so they had introduced a new peg, 17 on the peg to the right of the dam wall. Now I have had success here on occasions but in truth its a nightmare peg as its surrounded by trees.
I immediately snagged and had a huge tangle. I sorted it out but was soon snagged again. In short I spent most of the next 40 minutes sorting out various snags and tangles and losing flies.
Never touched a fish.
Onto peg 2- nothing doing for me or my neighbour, the fish were all in the channel between the island and the road. I tried the lures here too- nowt. The guy who started only left at peg 15- he was on 16 by now had bagged up- he took two on peg 3 weighing in with a bag of just over 14lbs.
As we moved around the main loch nothing was doing- I saw one other competitor take a fish with a massive cast right out to the middle- there were fish moving out here but they were few and far between.
Some competitors did not even bother fishing some allocated pegs as there were obviously no fish there. But I go to do fishing and so stuck at it- plugging away. At peg 6 at the top of the main loch, a fish had the audacity to poke its head out the water about a yard from my Shuttlecock Buzzer. A chap watching was amazed it never took me. As we went for lunch I had a sole rather small fish in the bag but quite a few were blanking so not too despondent as I felt after my next couple of pegs there was hope back near the island and the channel.
After a lunch of hot pies, rolls and ham and homemade soup- just what the doctor ordered, it was onto peg 8 which really is a dead loss of a peg as I have never seen a fish taken there ever. In the summer its overgrown with lilly pads and fish cruise here but it’s a hard spot to fish at the best of times. Peg 10 was on the loch bank side of the island. The wind got up a bit and it was tricky to cast into it for me. My neighbour touched one fish but never converted it to a bagged result, on a lure. I tried swapping flies to a Hares ear and a Tan buzzer- Nothing.
A grey and calm Swanswater in the Troutmasters 2010 fish off
Next Peg was 12, this was right on the corner of the island. I have had success here in the past and fish were being taken here on and off all day. For the first 15 minutes, I never touched a fish but I was sure they were there. I tried the combination of Okey Dokey and a red buzzer again. Nothing. Swapped again- a black gold-head buzzer on point, a red Doritos buzzer on middle and a floating buzzer on top. First cast – bang- I was into a fish- a strong Rainbow of about 2 lbs.
I was quickly unhooked bagged and starting again, I spotted a fish rising under the trees and carefully cast along the tree line trying to avoid my fly snagging the low branches. Third cast the rod was nearly ripped out my hand! This time I was into a very strong Blue which put up a massive fight but I needed to bag him and bullied it to the net.
Three in the bag – was feeling respectable now as we moved to peg 14. Peg 13- Nan’s spot, is a favourite of mine and I thought I might stand a chance here if I saw a fish rise- I love this spot for dry fly at any time of year.I gave the lures a wet for the last 15 minutes but nothing doing either. But if there were fish about they were keeping out of sight. The final whistle blew about 15:30.
I weighed in with only about 6lbs and a few ounces, but at least I had three- the whole field only landed 40 fish and there were a couple of bag ups so there must have been a couple of blanks and I certainly wasn’t last! I just have to rue what might have been with the two lost fish at the roadside.
I had a final hour on the ponds and managed to catch one more Blue on the Okey Dokey (returned) before calling it a day.
Great fun- had a some good craic and learned a lot. Hopefully, I can net another monster this year to get back to the 2011 fish off.
I fished alongside you at the start (peg 16) and you did have a bit of bad luck right at the start, losing a couple of fish, your tactics seemed good on the morning, and if you had landed those first two fish, might easily have went on to win the fish-off.
I arrived late to the left of you on peg 16 at the roadside as i stupidly took the wrong way around, (i had never fished the roadside before) i went on to win the fish-off, i actually took four fish at peg 16, and would probably have bagged up there, within the first half hour, (instead of at 10.30) had the referee not called on me and as i turned around to reply i missed a take (the joys heh), however that said nicely written article, it was a good day with some good crack, and i wish you the best in 2011/2012, i’ll try to spare Swanswater any embarassment at the final on Grafham Water in May.
Best regards and tight lines.
Jim
Jim
Very best of luck mate, at Grafham- the best man won on the day- I think I would be out my depth down there, was pleased to have a respectable bag of three, albeit a somewhat light bag on the day.
Stick in, like you say you might have bagged up even eariler during that initial frenzy- but hey- it was great if frustrating fun!
Let me know where this loch is you were talking about and maybe I will visit it his year and add it to my reviews pages, assuming you can get a day ticket?
Thanks for the kind words.
Unfamous
P.S. Watched Once In a Blue Moon, the video you mentioned. How awesome is that!