Sunday 20/02/2011 - Boyd Valley Open

I was first to arrive not surprising as I live the closest. The weather was overcast and would stay like it all day, however, there was a slight breeze blowing from the South East and it was surprisingly cold.

Leyton Palmer decided to pay two in the Silvers, so that was good for me as I had come expecting to catch Carp to get in the coin. Last match at this venue I drew peg 8 and would settle for that one again. So having drawn for two late comers I pulled out peg 8 – that a do then. Same again I’m thinking. I set up the one Ronnie rig to fish with caster – that’s it.

I started fishing in to the wind, which was blowing primarily in to my left side face, loose feeding caster with single caster on the hook. After a good 15 minutes catching Ronnie’s up to 12oz the swim dwindled. It was soon apparent the fish were shying a way from the feed, so I opened up two more swims one in front at 12 o clock and another to my right, down wind. It was then a question of feeding the other two swims whilst fishing the third, rotating accordingly. I fished this way for the entire match adding only three small Carp to my bag of Ronnie’s. The Carp weighed 4lb 5oz and for the third time this year I weighed 29lb 5oz of Silvers for sixth overall and first in the Silvers. What a lovely days fishing a bite a bung, pity about the cold biting wind.

The match was won by Shaun Townsend (pictured top right) from peg 11 with 67lb 5oz. Shaun fished two lines. One long with expander hook bait fished over potted micro with loose feeding 4’s over the top. On this line Shaun caught half his Carp and 10 lb of Skimmers. The other line was fished in to his RH margin where Shaun caught a couple of decent Chub and the remainder of his Carp using double white maggot over loose fed micro combined with caster.

Runner up was John Clark (pictured right with a 9lb Common Carp) from peg 3 with 59lb 8oz. John caught both in his RH margin and out in front long using pellet.

Full Result:

1. Shaun Townsend 67-05-0 peg 11

2. John Clark 59-08-0 peg 3
3. Leyton Palmer 51-0-0 peg 5
4. Richard Lacey 47-04-0 peg 9
5. Martin Rayett 47-03-0 peg 7
6. Mike Nicholls 33-10-0 peg 6

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 29-05-0 peg 8
2. Darren Gillman 18-07-0 peg 4