Sunday 15/09/2013 - Avon Angling Open - Chiltern Trinity - Woodlands

There was some sad news last week when Gordon Bracey passed away. I fished with Gordon on many occasion in the various winter leagues and nationals. Those that knew him will remember him as a real gentleman always sporting a collar and tie, even when fishing. Gordon was hard to beat on the crow quill and had made is own version which had a smaller body with a thick wire stem which took a lot less shot than Toppers – Avon stick float. Gordon gave me a couple and they really worked well especially in the shallower pacey swims. I still have a couple of them in my float collection. I will never forget that time you drove the Fry’s team through the night to the National on the Witham. Rest in peace matey.

 

After an excellent breakfast at the Hill Tops café we were off for a walk f round the fishery and is was a nice surprise to see that John the fishery owner had given Ash Lake a short back and sides (pictured right). Apparently the Lake is now fishing much better, I assume this is because the fish have less hiding places. Very neat, tidy and picturesque.

 

During the walk around the venue the first peg on Woodlands is directly opposite the access bridge over Ash Lake which I said to Bela would do me today and would like to draw it as it was going to be sheltered from the forecasted high winds and rain (which luckily wasn’t as bad as anticipated). Bela was well “confused” when I pulled peg 30. Lucky for me.

 

I was sure I could frame in the Silvers from this peg with Ronnie’s. So I set up the Ronnie rig, a 4x16 Jolly for meat at six metres and a LH margin paste rig in case. I started by feeding half a dozen pieces of 8mm meat on the 6 metre line then started after the Ronnie’s with caster. I started well with the Ronnie’s well up for being caught. Second put in I hooked and quickly landed a 4 lb Carp, which didn’t seem to up the Ronnie’s. Over the next hour or so I put 7lb of them in the net, when it slowed but not enough to reduce my target of 20 to 30lb. I decided to give it a short rest whilst I tried the meat line which first out in resulted in a foul joked Carp and not the Skimmers I was hoping for, so this rig spent the rest of the day on the bank getting wet and blown around. What I did notice over the Ronnie line was a Carps tail waving at me. So I thought I would fish it out with the paste rig before retuning to the Ronnie’s. It took seven Carp before that tail stopped waving at me. I now had to make a decision as to whether I should continue with the Carp or switch back to the original plan of Silvers. John Bradford on the next peg had been catching small Skimmers and had about the same weight as me. So I went back after the Ronnie’s only to hook another Carp which broke me. So decision made, Carp it was then. By feeding caster close to the bank whilst playing a Carp and feeding hard 4’s over the paste fished in three foot of margin whilst fishing kept the Carp coming. It did go quiet near the end but that was because two 10 pounders were munching in the swim, which was a mistake as they both ended up in the keep net.

 

My nineteen Carp weighed 116lb 10oz and my Silvers 7lb 4oz for a match winning weight of 123lb 12oz.

 

The Silvers was won by that very pleasant lad Scott Puddy (pictured right with the match winner) with 17lb 4oz from peg 28. Scott caught Skimmers short using corn hook bait over 6mm pellet laced with a few grains of corn.

 

Two things I like about this venue is firstly the results are nearly always close with one fish in it and secondly the weights are sensible with a low ton being enough to win. The matches where 200 – 300lb is winning are losing their popularity with me and others I know.

 

Full Result:

 

1. Mike Nicholls 123-12-0 peg 30
2. Tony Rixon 120-0-0 peg 24
3. Shaun Townsend 117-07-0 peg 27
4. Martyn McMahon 90-09-0 peg 9
5. Anton Page 86-01-0 peg 6
6. Tom Mangnall 79-05-0 peg 7

 Top Silvers:

 

1. Scott Puddy 17-04-0 peg 28
2. John Bradford 16-05-0 peg 31

 Weigh Sheet: