Wednesday 24/02/2010 - Carps AC - Bullocks Farm

Phil the fishery owner was at the draw as usual singing the praises of Bristol City. Phil also informed us that tomorrow he is restocking the venue with 10,000 fish. Apparently the split is 60% Roach and 40% Crucian's – great no Carp. Phil is putting 6000 in match Lake and 4000 in North Pool. I still think if Phil took out all of the reed beds in Match Lake he will in effect be re-stocking, as many of the Carp live and stay in these reeds all year round. I took a picture of the "Mallin" Canal which is still visible (pictured top left). Phil is also putting up the peg fee by £1 to pay for a gardener!!!

After a decent breakfast I pulled out peg 25 – one of the better pegs on Match Lake. I noticed that peg 17 wasn’t drawn – WHY ON EARTH DO ORGANISERS PUT MORE PEGS IN THAN THERE ARE ANGLERS!!!! If someone turns up late let them have the pick of the rest I say. Any way back to my flyer (again I hear). As usual there were signs of fish in the reed bed to my left. As the water was so clear (I have never seen it this clear – you can see the rubbish on the bottom) I decided to fish up to the reed bed, so I set up two rigs one for the top side of the reeds and one for about half way up. After scrounging some green ground bait off Leighton Palmer I mixed it very dry and fed this at the further point and fed wetted micro on the shorter line. I started on single white maggot over the GB and had a run of small Crucians, Gold fish and the odd Ronnie. The sun came out and it went a bit quite, so after re-feeding I went in on the shorter line with double red maggot and had a 3lb Carp. I then followed this up with a pounder. Again it went quite so after re-feeding this line with micro I went back out on the long line and had a better run of Crucians. I then had a difficult hour, as did most of the other anglers that I could see Tommy Thick was struggling and walking the bank by now. Come the last hour I decided to fish for carp on the shorter line with corn over corn. This resulted in three lost carp – one was foul hooked. It's now getting personal with these Carp in this weed bed. The next two I managed to get them free from the weed bed only to lose both at the net – to Charlie Barnes amusement. I weighed 12lb 12oz of Silvers and the Two Carp pushed my weight up to 16lb 12oz. This put me second overall and first in the Silvers and a pick up of £35. This also qualified me for the Wednesday Mania Final.

The match was won by Tommy Thick (pictured right with the Silvers winner) landing three good Carp for 15lb all caught in his RH margin this added to his 5lb of Silvers gave Tommy an overall weight of 20lb 10oz.

Runner up in the Silvers was John Bennett - Club Chairman – (pictured bottom right landing one of his Crucians) with 11lb 9oz of Crucians. Unfortunately John shook off his first four fish!!

Full Result:

1. Tom Thick 20-10-0 peg 15
2. Mike Nicholls 16-12 peg 25
3. John Bennett 13-09-0 peg 24
4. Charlie Barnes 8-10-0 peg 26
5. Leighton Palmer 8-04-0 peg 27
6. Mike Owens 7-10-0 peg 21

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 12-12-0 peg 25
2. John Bennett 11-09-0 peg 24