A real action water that needs hard work and dedication if you want to win Elphicks is so popular it hosts two rounds of the BCAC. Holding fish between singles and upper 40s it offers a full cross section of carp angling opportunities and zigs / spod soup are very popular here. Produced the biggest of the tournament in 2006 and a 40 is a good possibility.
Elphicks is one of the action venues of the BCAC calendar and to get anywhere near a podium place here you have to be prepared to work hard and get the numbers in. Spodding is a must, and we have seen maggot, pellet, hemp, spod, and zig success here in the past. The weather and also the anglers methods around you have a big effect on the tactics you employ and in addition to high numbers of fish there are some real lumps up to 44lbs in this cracking 6 acre venue. A few thirties usually show themselves and the lake has landed the biggest fish of the tournament in previous years. With two islands, reedy margins and both shallow and deep water it s a brilliant “runs water” and is usually available on a pre booked day ticket basis. We’re expecting a really good battle here and with hotshots like Bartlett / Goodwill and Rose / Spurgeon in the line up we’re expecting some very big weights. We know Bartlett has a thing or two up his sleeve so watch this space next week for a full report.
Match Report
And so to Elphicks, normally the scene of plenty of action for the BCAC events, the lads were prepared for sleepless nights and lots of hard work. However things are not always as expected, and as we all know the carp are masters at surprising us.
At 6am on Saturday morning some had perhaps expected more action, but the hot weather was slowing things down a little, and Keith Arthur on his Talk Sport Show also suggested that Moonstrike may be a contributing factor. In the lead at this stage were Bartlett and Goodwill on 88lb 10oz, Grout and Wilde were hot on their heels with 82lb 6oz, and in third place were Jordan and Bartlett on 36lb exactly. The morning didn’t really see things picking up, and by the time the Carp Bible update went on the web at 12 o’clock, only Bartlett and Goodwill on the leaderboard had added to their tally and now stood on 110lb 8oz. One to watch just behind the qualifying places was the pairing of BCAC regulars Rose and Spurgeon, who were chasing the pack with 30lb 5oz.
As the competitors at Elphicks continued to enjoy the sunshine the weights slowly crept up, and the carp started to play ball for some of the teams. Going into Saturday night it was clear that none of the leading teams could afford to slacken off their efforts, so what would the night bring?
6am and the scores were as follows; Bartlett and Goodwill were now on 160lb 12oz, second on 122lb 14oz were Grout and Wilde, and clinging onto third new contenders Cooper and Prince were keen for a qualifying place with their flurry of fish giving them 95lb 3oz. With only a few hours remaining there was a real battle for the top three pairs, and with the fish feeding the marshalls were kept busy too. When the final hooter sounded there were a few relieved faces, and Bartlett and Goodwill managed to hold onto their lead to finish on 175lb 15oz. Taking the second qualifying spot were Grout and Wilde on 143lb 3oz, and the final place belonged to Cooper and Prince, with an impressive late run of action giving them 135lb 12oz.
Elphicks is one of the action venues of the BCAC calendar and to get anywhere near a podium place here you have to be prepared to work hard and get the numbers in. Spodding is a must, and we have seen maggot, pellet, hemp, spod, and zig success here in the past. The weather and also the anglers methods around you have a big effect on the tactics you employ and in addition to high numbers of fish there are some real lumps up to 44lbs in this cracking 6 acre venue. A few thirties usually show themselves and the lake has landed the biggest fish of the tournament in previous years. With two islands, reedy margins and both shallow and deep water it s a brilliant “runs water” and is usually available on a pre booked day ticket basis. We’re expecting a really good battle here and with hotshots like Bartlett / Goodwill and Rose / Spurgeon in the line up we’re expecting some very big weights. We know Bartlett has a thing or two up his sleeve so watch this space next week for a full report.