Sunday 22/11/2009 - Landsend Open

The number of people currently in Great Britain is 61 millionish, I have to ish as this Government (and previous Governments) do not record everyone leaving GB, difficult to believe but true. The population is expected to rise to 71 millionish within the next ten or so years. My question to the Politician’s of all parties is:

“What is your population policy and at population level would you consider GB full?”

I know the answers to both these questions:

• None of the major political parties have any specific policies in this respect.
• Where ever drive - country lane to motorway the roads are jammed full so I believe the country is already full so:

"We should act now by calling for a population policy to enable a decrease to a long-term environmentally sustainable level - well below the current 61 million."

The consensus is that the Shipham Café breakfasts are not as good as they once were. I had to leave what looked like a cross between fried bread and toast due to it being inedible. Unfortunately it’s Hobson’s choice.

I drew peg 3 on Match Lake and immediately after the heavens opened up. Tony Rixon could be seen cowering in the back of his van worrying that his SA tan might get washed off! Any way thank God you’re back in the shop matey.

The water in Match Lake has gone very clear. I think this is mainly due to the leaves that have fallen from the many trees that surround this lake. If I was Mike Duckett I would cut the lot down and get some air on the Lake. The peg looked dower to say the least. However, I am the optimist as always. I set up three rigs – one for the small Ronnie’s on maggot, the second for 3mm pellet at 11.5 metres at 11-0-clock and a maggot/caster rig at 13 metres just up the slope at 12-0-clock. All the rigs were 4x14’s. I started by potting in a little bit of wetted micro with a pinch of red maggot. I loose fed so me maggot and caster at two metres for the Ronnie’s and started on this line. Nothing!! Out on the 3mm pellet at 11.5 metres and immediately my first Carp was in the net. My next three put-ins saw another three 4lb Carp in the net. On my fifth put in I broke my 0.14 hook length on a bigger Carp trying to prevent it going under the platform (which idiot said that Carp don’t fight as well in the winter). At this stage no one else had a Carp. Was I going to empty it today. The answer was not. The sun came out and I foul hooked and lost three Carp in consecutive put-ins. I then struggled for the rest of the match catching the odd Ronnie’s, Skimmers and Crucians. I weighed 17lb 10oz of Carp and 8lb of Silvers for a total of 25lb 10oz. This put me 7^the overall and one out of the coin by 2lb – that lost Carp costing me, I think I could play the Carp better if given the opportunity again!!.

The match was won by Kevin Moulton (pictured above right) with 47lb 13oz from Match Lake peg 19.

The Silvers was won by Dean Mallin (pictured at the bottom - three times because Dean hasn’t yet decided which is his best side – I got news for you mate you need to rely on your personality like the rest of us) with 22lb 8oz from Match Lake 17. Dean caught down the far shelf using maggot hook bait over maggot.

Full Result:

1. Kevin Moulton 47-13-0 peg 19
2. Jason Radford 44-13-0 peg 11
3. Andy Bryant 43-14-0 peg 31
4. Alan Oram 43-10-0 peg 32
5. Tony Rixon 30-11-0 peg 13
6. Martin Lanaghan 27-05-0 peg 1

Top Silvers:

1. Dean Mallin 22-08-0 peg 17
2. Anton Page 15-10-0 peg 39