Today was Windmill Christmas Match and Fishery manager Terry’s
last before he retires. Have a good-un matey, you will be missed that’s for
sure and of course my mate Bentley the Jack Russell. The attendance had increased from 20 to 23 for some unknown reason.
However, everyone there could be classed as regulars. The word was that we had
to go in through the bottom entrance because the overhead power cables were to be
repaired. So it was to be Terry’s last faux pas with lots of us sliding in the mud
whilst the sensible ones used the normal entrance!
The draw was brought forward to 8 am so an early start for
breakfast, Geoff Francis, Bela and I stopped at the Beefeater and was surprised
to find the breakfast already set out in buffet style, suit us Sir.
After a slip-slidey arrival it was time for the usual
buffoonery then into the draw box and out comes peg 13 – Nooooo. It was unlucky
for some, well me. That said I started to look for positives – Plenty of room
down on the end bank on my own. I had won the Silvers from it back in the
summer, so that’s the target. Plus the Fishery had forgone their peg fee so the prize money was hiked up with the winner getting £100 and the Silvers winner £60.
I choose a 4x14 F1 Winter to fish down the shelf in six foot
of water at 1-o-clock at top-set plus four with 20 - 808 tied to 0.1 GLine.
Also a heavier rig a 4x16 F1 Winter to fish top-set plus three out in front
with a 16 – 808 tied to 0.14. I started by feeding the one dinner plate on the
shorter line with wetted micro with 4mm expander on the hook. It took a long
while to miss my first nibble, soon after I netted a ½ oz Skimmer. I was
struggling as I expected with such baits, so I opened up another dinner plate
with my GB laced with Pinkie on the longer line and started to string a few
tiny Skimmers together when I hooked and landed a 1lb Specimen (sorry John
Barker – jammy me). The swim soon died I kept topping up and at halfway hooked
and landed a 10lb Mirror on the 0.1 bottom, inspecting the hook length it
looked a bit worse for wear – that a do for more Silvers! Fifteen minutes later
I hook another 10lb Carp and to no surprise to me it broke me – lazy bugger. Just
as the temperature took a sudden drop I decided to hand tie a 20-808 to 0.14
which took a while with my cold hands. After a long struggle catching the odd
small Skimmer I hooked another Carp and confidently landed it - two in the bag.
Another few Silver ounces in the bag when I hook another Carp which was
enormous and played it for some while and at one stage nearly got it in the
net, it then slipped the hook, and a long sulk ensued. That was it for the
exception of a few more tiny Skimmers.
My two Carp weighed 15lb 13oz and my silvers 3lb 8oz for a
total of 19lb 5oz. This gave me first in the Silvers and fourth overall, and
luckily the two lost Carp only cost be one position but more importantly no
loss in coin!!
The match was won by Shaun Townsend (pictured right with the
Silvers winner) with 50lb 9oz from peg 8. Shaun caught most of his Carp on the
waggler into open water using either Corn or maggot hook bait. Shaun fished a
good match.
Finally: we still don't know who is taking over from Terry so will need to look for alternative venue until this is resoled to our satisfaction!!
Full Result:
1. Shaun Townsend 50-09-0 peg 8
2. John Osborne 40-01-0 peg 1
3. Mark Summerhayes 23-08-0 peg 26
4. Mike Nicholls 19-05-0 peg 13
5. Gerry Walsh 17-13-0 peg 28
6. Bela Bakos 16-04-0 peg 18
Top Silvers:
1. Mike
Nicholls 3-080 peg 13
2. John
Barker 2-08-0 peg 30
3. Shaun
Townsend 2-05-0 peg 8
Weigh Sheet:
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