Wednesday 04/03/2009 - Carps AC - Bitterwell Lake

The BBC weather forecast had left me pondering whether to go or not today. Glad they got it wrong again, and that I did go. The weather was reasonable right up to weigh in when we had a snow flurry; didn’t last long though. We were greeted by the usual pleasant greeting from Mary and Clive Reid (pictured right serving a cupper to Tom “the Bomb” Coulston in their tea/tackle shop).

Bob Warren and I walked the pegging and were amazed how close the pegging was from peg 6 to 10. Guess what Bob drew peg 6 and I peg 10!! However, I was happy with my draw as it was an end peg. The peg was just before the end of the concrete path.

I set up the 4.5 metre whip for caster and maggot and a pellet rig at 10 metres. I would have fished further out but was limited by the bushes behind (as with most anglers, I don’t like breaking down the pole if I can help it). I started on the whip and caster; nothing – on to the whip and maggot, which resulted in one small Ronnie. Out on the 3 mm GOT pellet fished over 2 mm green Cats and Dogs pellet (purchased from Clive’s shop). I started to catch Skimmers and had a good spell where I had four decent Skimmers on the trot. After which I bumped two good-un’s and then struggled, picking up the odd 12oz Skimmers to the end. After the previous match at Bitterwell I promised myself I would fish caster in the last hour, I didn’t and now regret not doing so. I weighed 18lb 8oz Skimmers for first in the Silvers and third overall, picking up of £30.

The match was won by Bob Price form peg 9, next to me, weighing 64lb 13oz. Bob caught on the straight lead with a three foot leader with three pieces of 10 mm punched bread hair rigged.
Why is it that feeder angler’s feel that they have the right to cast over pole anglers swims? They appear to rotate on their seat box and cast where they are facing!! I don’t mind, as long as the fish they are playing don’t end up in my Silvers swim.

The man of the match for me was Tom Thick (pictured right with his catch - envious or what) who weighed 17lb of quality caster caught Roach. Tom caught fished peg 1 and caught both at 115 metres and short down the left hand margin. Tom fed about one pint of caster.

Full Result:

1. Bob “The Bread” Price 64-13-0 peg 9
2. Bob Warren 30-12-0 peg 6
3. Mike Nicholls 18-08-0 peg 10
4. Tom Thick 17-0-0 peg 1
5. Charlie Barns 6-07-0 peg 7
6. Bill Ferris 3-14-0 peg 4

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 18-08-0 peg 10
2. Tom Thick 17-0-0 peg 1

Over dinner tonight the conversation came round to Sir Fred Goodwin's (RBS) £650k pension. My wife thought that he should give it back, on the basis it was an obscene amount. I disagreed, I wouldn't give it back either - who would really. So a quite night ahead. In fact fair play to Sir Fred Goodsum for his negotiations skills - have a goodun.