Sunday - 19/09/2011 - Avon Angling Teams of Four - Round Two - Landsend - All Lakes

After spending a week at Whiteacres and not wetting a line I was looking forward to today's second round of the Teams Four at Landsend Fishery with each team member fishing one of the four Lakes. However, team captain Charlie had a near draw so reducing the rest of the team’s chances of drawing Match and Specimen. Personally I would make him have a free draw and let him "wheeze" all the way up the hill to Sidney’s Lake!! We also had Chris Fox standing in for Rich Coles. We were second to draw and I think we drew the Lakes we wished for. I was to spend the day on peg 40 on Specimen Lake.

Arriving at the peg the only Angler I could see was Clint “Whatgimmycallit” Wojtyle on peg 25. I have fished this peg before and have won coin. That said, it is very much an all or nothing type peg. I set up four rigs (because I had time). Rig one a 4x14 for the soft expander at 11.5 metres, a 4x12 to be fished 2 foot off bottom (wasn’t used but now wish I tried it), A paste rig for the end margin and the LH margin down to the Blackberry bush, and finally a paste rig to fish over the 11.5 soft pellet line later in the match.

As per usual I started on the 3mm expander over a few micros which resulted in two small Ronnie’s. I increased the feed through the kinder pot and the swim began to fizz which resulted in nothing! I switched to the paste and had a big Skimmer and an F1. Meanwhile Clint must have had 20lb fishing into his end margin from the off – I thought he was going to empty it – so did he! I fed a big pot of micro over the fizzical line and switched to the end margin fishing paste over potted hard 4’s. This resulted in three small Carp and a 1lb Perch before it died. The 11.5 metre line was now more like a washing machine so back out with the soft pellet and – nothing! I tried the paste and again nought. This fizz got me thinking that the fish might be up in the water, but the fact that by now the fish had gouged out 3 inches of the bottom told me not – what was going on not even a fouler?

I had been feeding the LH margin since the beginning with hard 4’s and first put in resulted in a 2lb Chub followed by another two and then a personal best F1 of 4lb. I then hit and lost my first Carp which broke me because I was pulling too hard trying to keep it out of the Brambles. I then had another three before I once again hooked a Carp and ended up playing the Brambles until I broke yet another top set – bugger. I lost another two breaking the hook length each time – one was a monster and played it for ten minutes before I lost it. I ended the match with seven smallish Carp for 43lb 1oz and my big Silvers weighed in at 18lb 12oz for a total 61lb 13oz for third on the Lake and a £60 section pick up. I think this put me eighth overall, but had enough on the hook to get a top six placing – bloody Brambles.

Team wise we ended up with 22 points which was only good enough for joint eighth on the day even though we had two 9 pointers with Chris Fox also doing well on Sidneys Lake.

The match was won by Craig “Trigger” Edmonds (Pictured right sporting his sons new hat) with 155lb 13oz from peg 19. Craig caught over up the shelf as well as down the shelf with soft pellet. Craig add another nine quick Carp near the end fishing caster down to the peg 20 pallet bring his tally to thirty Carp.

The Silvers was won by Tom Thick (pictured right with his catch) with 45lb 4oz from peg 36. Tom caught on expander fished over micro fishing down the shelf at 13 metres. Tom fed about one pint all match.

I spotted Ray Cooper (pictured lower right with his Mushroom) walking back after the match with something in his landing net I thought might have been Nick Collins hernia. However, Ray explained it was a Mushroom – biggest I have seen and apparently heavier than his catch!

Full Result:

1. Craig Edmonds 155-13-0 peg 19
2. Ryan Shipp 101-09-0 peg 41
3. Tony Rixon 80-10-0 peg 68
4. Tom Thick 77-12-0 peg 36
5. Phil Harding 74-01-0m peg 51
6. Bela Bakos 66-07-0 peg 5

Top Silvers:

1. Tom Thick 45-04-0 peg 36
2. Anton Page 27-08-0 peg 24