Wednesday 15/04/2015 - Hillview Rover Open - Pools and Canals

Travelling on my own today as Glenn was gardening? Off to Hillview Fishery. I am not particularly fond of Rover matches that said it’s another dimension to our sport.

After a juicy egg and bacon toastie it was time to get some idea which peg to select. The rules are that you cannot select a peg next to another angler, so with pleasure anglers on pegs 2, 22, 24 & 25 this limited the pegs on the pools further.

I walked around with Terry King. With 19 booked in we both agreed that an early draw was important today to get on one of the pools, both of which have been fishing well. The wind was as per Sunday but much lighter – a breeze in comparison, but still coming in from the SW.

In to the woolly hat and out comes draw number 17 – Umm last but two to select. Terry pulled peg 1!! Say no more. Terry did say if I couldn’t get on the pools go to Canal 3. This I had to do selecting peg 70. There were three of us on the third Canal each end and the middle.

I set up two top kits both with identical rigs – 4x12 Jollies (one reserve). The rest of the pole stayed in the hold which rested on the pole roller all match.

I plumbed up both sides and found the same depth. I decided that the left side would be semi-hard pellet over loose feed hard 4’s. The right side was reserved for meat. Simple.

At the start I fed both sides. I started on the right side with meat and the float wouldn’t keep still switching between each side all I could catch was Rudd and Gudgeon!! A lot of striking and re-baiting and very little entering the keep net. This is typical at the start at this venue. After 30 minutes or so of frustration I started to catch F1’s on the soft pellet, but was foul hooking some so I shallowed up and caught much better. The upshot was that once I caught a Gudgeon over one side I would swap to the other (believe me there are millions of starving Gudgeon in this Canal). I caught F1’s on the pellet and proper Carp on the meat. I did have a difficult 30 minutes after I lost on of my rigs on a snag. I fed ½ pint of Meat and Pellet throughout.

I finished the match with 87lb 8oz of F1’s and 50lb of Carp to 8lb for a total of 137lb 8oz or 6^th overall.

If you give Terry King first choice of pegs the match winner is decided, as it was today. Terry (pictured right indicating his peg number) caught 258lb 8oz on his top-set mainly from his right hand margin using his favoured 6mm meat. Thanks for the pint matey my turn next match. A Phenomenon.

Terry risked doing the supper pool today as he was pissed with Keith and Huggy taking his spoils.

Full Result:

1. Terry “Top Kit” King 258-08-0 peg 17
2. Lee Payne 224-0-0 peg 19
3. Matt Davis 179-08-0 peg 90
4. Andy Briton 163-04-0 peg 15
5. Huggy 146-0-0 peg 9
6. Mike Nicholls 137-08-0 peg 70

Weigh Sheet: (Neatest sheet I've seen)