Sunday 13/11/2011 - Carps AC Silvers League - Round Five - Viaduct Fishery - Carey and Spring Lakes

With Bela up on a roof, it was a lonely trip down to Viaduct Fishery. However, there was little to no traffic. Luckily I arrived early enough for the earlier arranged draw for 08:30 – it’s now guess the draw time!!

In to the ice cream container and after dropping back two tickets stuck together (I never spilt them as I am convinced that I put the better peg back) it was deep down to the bottom and out comes peg 16 on Spring Lake – perfect. On current form not the best peg in the section but best to be here than the best peg in a crap section, me thinks. In any case I was expecting plenty of bites which fishing is all about. I had Nigel Easton on next peg 17 and Glen Calvert on peg 19 both excellent Silvers Anglers. Luckily for them peg 18 wasn’t drawn. This was going to make it more difficult for me to beat them – but I had an end peg with only some teenagers to worry about on the end bank casting their feeders etcetera around. I wasn’t sure how it was going to fish as the water had gone clear and the rain over recent days had topped the Lake up a bit.

I set up the waggle and a small feeder. I followed this with the usual Ronnie rig and Skimmer rig to be fished at 11.5 metres. Nick Collins said to expect to catch some Perch down to the RH margin late on, so I finally set up a Caster rig for this margin. On the whistle I fed six balls of GB laced with plenty of caster on the 11.5 metre Skimmer line, followed by a pot of caster down the RH margin, finally four catapults of caster out a far as I could into a skimming breeze. I started on the Ronnie rig and had a fabulous first half hour catching decent Ronnie’s with the odd Perch, losing two decent ones (as you do). I think I blunted my hook on the last one!  However, it was all short lived as I couldn’t keep them coming so had to switch lines which resulted in another good run of Ronnie’s and a 2lb Hybrid which had a barbed hook still in it mouth. To Nigel’s amusement I had a 4oz Dace. Once again I couldn’t keep the fish coming so decided to try the Skimmer line and – nothing except one Ronnie and a small Skimmerette. So I set up the 4 metre whip and tried to keep the Ronnie’s coming which worked again for a while catching the smaller variety with a bonus 2lb Skimmer. Again the fish did a disappearing act so out went the feeder. It was soon clear that the Ronnie’s were nipping the ends of the triple dead reds. So back in the whip – the fish were gone. Now with ninety minutes left it was down to the RH margin to bag up with Perch. First put in and I soon have a 15 lb Common carp in the landing net on 0.12 hook length – if I wanted the fish it would have broken me!! That was it for the margin. I decided to spend the last hour on the waggler with dead red on the hook fished over caster. I had a run of three Skimmers and once again the fish disappeared. I think because of the water clarity the fish were being spooked so it was a question of feeding then being patient (which I find difficult at the best of times) until another three would come along including a 2lb Hybrid. Both Nigel and Glen had been catching Skimmers regularly throughout on the long pole. I thought Glen had won the section, with Nigel and me owning up to 26lb it was going to be close, but I didn’t think it was going to be as close as it was. I weighed 30lb 4oz as did Nigel Easton and Glen weighed 29lb 12oz – 8oz behind us. I think Nigel and I were deceived by Glen’s knicker elastic. This left Nigel and me second overall and Glen fourth with all of us picking up coin - perfect. It was a close well contended section and I think this sort of result leaves a bond between the anglers concerned.

The match was won by John Green (pictured with the joint runners up) from peg 99 with 41lb 8oz. John caught quality Skimmers on the waggler fished at 25 metres with caster over caster. John fed about three pints throughout. You need a bit of luck at this level - such as peg 100 not being drawn either!!

Full Result:

1.      John Green 41-08-0 peg 99

2.      Nigel Easton 30-04-0 peg 17

2.   Mike Nicholls 30-04-0 peg 16

3.      Glen Calvert 29-12-0 peg 19

4.      Rowland Lucas 27-15-0 peg 98

5.      Steve Kedge 26-04-0 peg 86

Top Six overall League:

1.      John Green 9pts 136lb 10oz

2.      Dave Roper 9pts (-12lb 2oz)

3.      Stuart Foale 10 pts 148lb 8oz

4.      Tim Pallant 10 pts (-12lb)

5.      Rowland Lucas 11pts 144lb 6oz

6.      Andy Neal 11 pts (-17lb 13oz)

7.      Bob Gullick 11 pts (-18lb 6oz)