Sunday 09/01/2011 - Hillview Fur and Feather Open

The match today was the rearranged Hillview Fur and Feather Open. With Bela off down Viaduct I travelled with son Steve. With a few Anglers crying off due to season illness even so there was still good turn out of 42 Anglers. After an egg and bacon toasty (I can’t eat all of Keith’s breakfast and do my cooked dinner justice).

Due to a widespread frost, Cat ice had reformed overnight and with a bright sunny day and light winds the fishing wasn’t ever going to be great. My experience of Hillview is that the fish switch off in these bright conditions. Against general opinion I wanted a draw on Moorhen as it contains a reasonable head of Silvers which I thought might be the order of the day for a framing weight in these conditions. I was first in the woolly hat (youngest first). I thought

I has my wish as without my glasses it looked like peg 18, however, what a disappointment to find I was on Canal 3 (pegging is pictured right) on peg 81. General feeling was it was going to be a hard peg so I didn’t expect too much from it. Steve drew peg 1 on Moorhen – a reasonable peg.

On arriving I was pleased to see that the ice had only reformed around the edges so decided to leave as was. I set up one rig a 4x12 Jolly shotted to fish slowly on the drop as I expected the fish to be at all depths. I started at 10 metres up to the edge of the ice kinder potting in a small amount of Pinkie and micro with double Pinkie on a 808 no 20. It took thirty minutes to get my first bite which was a 4oz carp which shed the hook on the lift. I then landed a similar size fish this time using the landing net! In the next 30 minutes all I could muster was a lost fouled hooked Carp. It was looking grim, no one on my canal was catching. I then noticed down by the end pallet a small blip – then another. So I swung round and had a ½ Rudd on the drop. From then on I had a either a small Rudd or Ronnie every put in. With no one catching stayed with some action rather than not. I didn’t have to feed anything to keep them coming but fed the 10 metre line continuous trying for a Carp regularly. Interestingly, I couldn’t catch the small Silvers over this line. I noticed that the fish where backing off keeping in the shade which meant adding the 11.5 metre section which made it bloody hard work for such little return. I then had a run of three foul hooked carp landing two 2 pounders both hooked in the Pectoral fin. Once the sun lowered in the sky I was able to take off the 11.5 metre section still keeping in the shade. I thought I had about 6lb and was amazed when Keith called out 10lb 7oz. This was enough to win the Canal and section leaving me just out of the frame in 10th place. I was really pleased with this result from this peg.

Steve weighed 2lb 8oz of Silvers for 3rd on Moorhen.

The match was won by Jake Cork (pictured right) from peg 7 on Moorhen with 33lb 2oz. Jake fished waggler and maggot to the opposite island.

Runner up was matt Taynton (pictured right with his catch) from Moorhen peg 17 with 22lb 2oz. Like the winner matt fished maggot and waggler to the opposite side of the island. Matt fed nothing all match!

Keith and his Wife Jo provided prizes, (pictured bottom centre however, not much sign of any fur or feathers!!) and free hot drinks and burgers for all. Thanks Keith.

Full Result:

1. Jake Cork 33-02-0 peg 7
2. Matt Taynton 22-02-0 peg 17
3. Andy Benwell 18-10-0 peg 51
4. Andy Griffiths 18-07-0 peg 50
5. Jim Greenaway 15-06-0 peg 91
6. Ian Chadwick 14-02-0 peg 67