Wednesday 20/04/2011 - Carps AC Plantation Winter League - Final Round Six

With this being the last match in the series, both the Overall and Silver League positions were very tight, with everyone hoping for a good draw. As I only needed a section Silvers win I was hoping to be in a four peg section along with Carp Slayers and I guess vise versa for the Slayers hoping to have a tiddler snatcher next to them. However, that would have been too easy, which this league hasn’t been for anyone really. In to the draw and out comes peg 33 – in Bubbly Bay. I wasn’t that impressed, but having said that other anglers contesting the Silvers have fished it – Steve Dawson and Mike Jones, so you have to take the rough with the smooth. It always appears by the bubbles showing in the around the bay that there are plenty of feeding fish – hence my name "Bubbly Bay". I think because it is a becalmed area that the gas bubbles are easier to see.

I set up my usual Skimmer rig which needed a 4x16 Jolly as this is the deepest part of the lake (without fear of contradiction by Mike Jones). I then set up four Ronnie rigs. I decided to leave out the GB today because I was in a bay instead deciding to focus on loose fed caster. Starting shallow at 5 metres with single caster I had a 6 oz Rudd first cast. It then became very strange as I kept missing bites (hundreds to be precise). It appeared to me that the Ronnie’s weren’t going to really have it as they had done during previous matches; it might have something to do with the swim. So I did an unusual thing and dug out some worms and started to feed CW&C on the Skimmer line and caught seven decent Skimmers on pieces of worm before I re-fed, however, as the day went on the swim gradually produced less and less, adding about another 4lb for the rest of the match. I only fed about £3.50 worth so can’t complain! The upshot was I kept a few Ronnie’s and Rudd coming by switching between all four rigs around the full 180 degrees of my swim. The Slivers fishing was interrupted good few times by Carp, loosing seven breaking on the 0.1 to flick tip, landing two. My Carp weighed 5lb 2oz and I was surprised to find that my Silvers went 28lb 10oz. This put me third in the Silvers and gave me sufficient points to win the league over Steve Dawson on weight count back.

The match was once again won from peg 8 by Darren Vowles with 193lb 15oz (PB). Darren caught shallow at 13 metres using 8 mm banded pellet over loose fed 8’s. However, the lion’s share of his carp fell to the pellet waggler to the island using the same hook bait and feed. This also put him first overall in the league again by weight count back.

The Silvers was won by Steve Dawson from peg 23 with 40lb of Ronnie’s and Rudd.

I must say it was a well organised league which was hotly contested throughout remaining very friendly and good humoured. Carps AC are running two more Wednesday leagues this year based on the same format, so contact John Bennett if you want to fish.

I think having equal payouts for Silvers and overall, defaulting to the overall is the way to go for the future and very forward thinking of Carps AC.

Full Result (On the Day):

1. Darren Vowles 193-15-0 peg 8
2. Dave Baker 126-09-0 peg 19
3. Ray Bazeley 109-15-0 peg 12
4. Mike Owens 104-05-0 peg 31
5. John Dursley 84-04-0 peg 39
6. Leyton Palmer 72-06-0 peg 6

Top Silvers (On the Day):

1. Steve Dawson 40-05-0 peg 23
2. Chris Davis 36-11-0 peg 29
3. Mike Nicholls 28-10-0 peg 33

Result Overall :

1. Darren Vowles 6pts 608-0-0 (100lb/match)
2. Dave Wride 6pts 321-05-0
3. John Dursley 8pts 386-05-0
4. Leyton (Fourth) Palmer 8pts 350-0-0

Results Overall Silvers: (pictured right)

1. Mike Nicholls 6pts 187-04-0 (30lb/match)
2. Steve Dawson 6pts 177-05-0
3. Steve Kedge 8pts 166-07-0
4. Mike Jones 8pts 138-11-0