Wednesday 12/05/2010 - Viaduct Pole Only - Campbell and Carey

I was booked in to fish the Carps AC match at my local lake, Bowd Valley. I had a phone call from Colin Golding early evening explaining that the match was cancelled due to the lake owner miss booking the date. I was really looking forward to fishing the lake again, but was apprehensive as to whether the Roach would feed, as at present they seem to have done a disappearing act from most fisheries. Mark Tanner and I had two options – Hillview or the Pole only at Viaduct. The decision was Viaduct because it was a pole only even though it meant getting home late due to the midday start. Mark and I decided to have breakfast in the Little Chef at Farrington Gurney. I haven’t been in one for many years. We settled for two early starters and a tea and coffee. The breakfast hasn’t changed at all over the years and it was nice to be able to taste the pork in the sausages for once. The bill £18!! Thanks Mark.

Having reluctantly parted with £25 pools I then proceeded to draw flyer peg Campbell 119. I was pleased with this as it is opposite the best Silvers peg on the venue peg 123. So I was hoping to get in to the Skimmers and Tench. I set up three paste rigs – one for 11.5 metres at 1-o clock which also sufficed for 11.5 metres at 3-o-clock. The other two paste rigs were very similar but one on Red Hydro the other on Middy 18-22 blue hollow, for 16 metres to the end margin at 3-o-clock and the other a top set distance into the RH margin (I was hoping to bag Tench on this rig - but we all know about hope don't we). On the all-in I fed 125 ml of wetted micro at 11.5 metres (1-o-clock) and the same in to the short RH margin, followed up with a big pot of casters and corn. I also kept loose feeding this line whilst I was fishing the 11.5 metre line. First put in I had a 10lb Carp, quickly followed by one 6lb. I had been kinder potting in 4mm wetted pellet and had a few foul hookers due to this. I soon decided that the feed pattern was to dump feed and wait until the fizz stop then capture three fish or so, before re-feeding. This meant opening up my 11.5 metre 3-o-clock swim so I could capitalise on this feed pattern. I caught the odd Bream in between the Carp in the 1-o-clock swim and the odd Tench in between the Carp on the 3-o-clock swim. I kept trying the short line but soon realised it was a big mistake feeding casters as the swim was full of small Ronnie’s. I fed the this swim heavily amounting to 2 pints of caster, 1 big tin of corn and a pint of pellet and still I couldn’t get past the Ronnie’s to the Tench which I am sure were there. I tried all the usually baits to no avail. So I dumped this swim and concentrated on the other two to the end. For some reason I lost three Bream and one Tench, anyone of these fish would have put me first in the Silvers as I weighed 24lb for third in the Silvers and a pick up of £22. There were two weights of 25lb which beat me. My Carp weighed in at 82lb for a total of 106lb for 6th overall and taking my section by default for a pick up of £55.

Another excellent days fishing at this venue – more pole only's please. What stands out on this venue for me is the care that Steve and Paul afford thier fish. There are too many fisheries that sadly don't.

The match was won from peg 110 by Ray Hayward (pictured right with some of his catch) with 192lb 9oz. Ray caught on banded hard pellet.

Full Result:

1. Ray Hayward 192-09-0 peg 110
2. Jamie P 124-04-0 peg 123
3. Andy Power 122-15-0 peg 114
4. Paul Blake 120-12-0 peg 105 Carey
5. Tony Rixon 112-05-0 peg 74
6. Mike Nicholls 106-0-0 peg 119

Top Silvers:

1. Jamie P 25-03-0 peg 123
2. Gary Etheridge 25-0-0 peg 100 (Carey)
3. Mike Nicholls 25-0-0 peg 119

Finally: I understand that Tom Thick (pictured right) has accidently Crysidined his hair yellow – now an Airplane blond, apparently his mentor (pimp) Charlie Barns approves!