Saturday 20/11/2010 - Hillview Open

I had a phone call from son Steve on Friday tempting me to fish Hillview. I wasn’t keen as I had already fished three matches this week and again this Sunday. However, The Special one persuaded me to go. On arrival we had our usual bacon and egg toasty followed by a walk round the lakes. Heron was bright green and Moorhen gin clear. So which one to draw – don’t ask me as Heron would have been my choice but last week the lake was won with 11lb! Any way the draw hat would decide. So in I go and out comes peg 5 on Moorhen – Clear Lake is was to be. Steve drew behind me on peg 38 on the Green Lake. I set up a 0.2 gram corn float for the margin down to peg 2 pallet (without high expectations). Then I set up the usual 4x14 Jolly to fish at 7.5 metres at 10 o clock. I choose this line because the wind was blowing into me at 2 o clock and it was a bitter cold North Easterly. I noticed there were a lot of fish showing around the island opposite peg 7. I noticed that anglers were setting up the straight lead, which is unusual for this venue. I started on the corn over a dash of micro and corn – nothing. I tried allsorts of baits and couldn’t buy a bite. I switched to single caster over caster and started to catch Perch to 1lb. I kept trying the corn but to no avail. I did have a little try down to the pallet where I had some knocks from Ronnie’s. I stayed on the caster at 7.5 metres until the end as the only anglers catching were on the lead fishing towards the island and I was hoping that they would frame. With half hour to go I decided to throw the towel as Steve behind me had been catching well on corn throughout and I watched him. I weighed 12lb 7oz of Perch for 8th overall. Steve (pictured right landing his last fish dead on the whistle – in the dark) finished 2nd overall with 58lb 6oz and a pick up of £56. It was good to see that I have weaned Steve off the Chianti on to the Jolly. Steve fished a 4x16 at 13 metres and 5 metres with corn over corn.

The match was won by Gerry Tweed (pictured right – again in the dark) from peg 7 with 75lb 4oz. Gerry fished hair rigged corn on the straight lead 1 metre off the opposite island.

Full Result:
1. Gerry Tweed 75-04-0 peg 7
2. Steve Nicholls 58-06-0 peg 38
3. Shaun Wilson 41-0-0 peg 35
4. Richard Ahearn 37-06-0 peg 22
5. Andy Griffiths 24-14-0 peg 29
6. Bob Ginster 17-06-0 peg 2