Wednesday 04/11/2009 - Carps AC - Cider Farm - Sheppards Lake

So the Lisbon treaty has been ratified. The labour manifesto Iead me to believe that I would be entitled to vote on Europe (Lisbon treaty). Alas not. Not to worry the Conservatives also stated that we would under their government be able to voice our desires in this respect. Alas not. In any case had we voted NO we would have been kept voting until the vote was YES – much like the Irish!! My all time hero Sir Winston Churchill would turn in his grave. They could not beat us in the air, land or sea – but will achieve their long term goal by bring Britain to her knees financially. It has already started through instructions from the EU that we must break up our “nationalised” banks.

This venue never fails to disappoint and it didn’t today despite horrendous weather conditions. I drew peg 19 which was facing directly South West and the gusting winds and heavy down pours of rain and icebergs. In between I was blinded by the sun. I had made up my mind to fish out and out for the Silvers as this venue has plenty of them in all species. However, I knew the wind was going to be a big problem. On plumbing up the peg I found I had little to no margin as at the end of my keepnet I had nine foot of water!! I set up the 3.5 metre whip for caster shallow, a Ronnie 4x14 PB14 rig also for caster and a Skimmer rig suitable for at 4 metres and 9 metres. I started by potting in some micro with a drizzle of 4mm pellet at 9 metres. I then started on the whip and had a few Ronnie’s. However, as expected the wing was just too bad to loose feed at this distance. I switched to 9 metres and had a run of 3oz Skimmers (peas in a pod). I decided this was too slow a catch rate and switched to my Ronnie rig a 4 metres, again the wind was making it too difficult, so I fed some micro at 4 metres anticipating catching the small Skimmers closer in. This worked and for four hours I kept the 3oz “Bottle Tops” coming. With an hour to go the wind subsided so back out on the whip shallow. This was marginally better as my catch rate was better even though the Ronnie’s and Rudd were much smaller. I did have the odd better Ronnie losing a pounder at the net – bloody wind! Luckily I didn’t have any problems with Carp – not even foul hooking one. I weighed 19lb 3oz for second in the Silvers and a pick up of £25.

The match was won by Steve Jefferies with 75lb 4oz of Carp from peg 5. Steve caught his fish on 6mm hard pellet fished on the deck at 13 metres and 5 metres. Steve landed one on the whistle which relegated Mike Owens in to second spot with 71lb 8oz. Mike fished the straight lead from peg 9.

The Silvers was won by Andy Gard (pictured right with his winnings) from corner peg 13. Andy caught decent Skimmers to 2lb on bread paste fished over loose fed maggot!!

Full Result:

1. Steve Jefferies 75-04-0 peg 5

2. Mike Owens 71-08-0 peg 9

3. John Thompson 42-06-0 peg 18

4. Bob Price 31-12-0 peg 15

5. Rich Coles 31-0-0 peg 12

6. Dave Roper 30-11-0 peg 1

Top Silvers:

1. Andy Gard 19-14-0 peg 13

2. Mike Nicholls 19-04-0 peg 19