Sunday 06/05/2012 - Avon Angling Float Only - Viaduct Campbell and Carey - Round One

“Sick Note” Bakos needed a bit of persuasion to fish today because of his Pensioners cough – he was glad he did because he ate all Breakfast at Canards Well and won his section from un-fancied peg 74 with 78lb.

I couldn’t help thinking about matey Glenn Bailey who cancelled his series – tormented if he does and tormented if he doesn’t. We need anglers of Glenn’s quality fishing this very strong league.

With fourty anglers fishing the league (twenty on each lake) a number of pegs that arn't normally pegged that I fancied would be in today, such as 135, 131, 121. In to the coffee draw tin and out comes peg 119. Don’t you hate it when you’re told it won the match the day before with 100 lb – didn’t fish well then.

We all know the peg is normally fished at 16/17 metres to the end bank. However, I have always managed ton plus weights fishing a maximum of 13 metres. That said I was slightly concerned as the wind was now blowing in to peg 123 – surface scum being its witness.

I set up three rigs all 4x13 Jolly’s all identical except the depth. One for the RH margin at 5 metres, one for 9 o clock at 10 metres and the final one, 10 metres at 2 o clock. All to be fished with 6mm Spam, all I started with on the bait table. First four put in at 2 o clock I hooked and landed three Carp the fourth breaking me by diving in to my keep nets, my fault as it had me thinking it was going to be a fish race. The bites were so positive I thought I was on for a monster weight. But that was it for the next hour catching only one 4 oz Skimmer. The swim was completely dead. In to the short margin where I had fed a pot of meat and I couldn’t believe I when I couldn’t get a bite not even from a Silver fish (you are normally bitted out here until the bigger fish move in). The meat wasn’t working. So out comes the soft pellet and I opened up the 10 metre 2 o clock swim with a few hard 4’s and had a run of small Skimmers up to 8oz. I then had another welcome Carp until the swim died – it appeared that the fish were backing off of the feed. With half the match gone I was really struggling, so in desperation I chopped up some worms and fed a big pot out at 10 metres at 12 o clock, hoping for some Tench/Skimmers. Believe it or not I couldn’t get a bite over it. With an hour to go (the golden hour I hope) I decided to put on the full 13 metres on the 9 o clock swim and set up a paste rig to sit on it until the end of the match. My bait table had gone from one neat bait box to a complete clutter. Luckily by feeding nothing over the paste I had six good Carp before the final whistle. It was clear that Shaun Townsend had won the section and would probably frame in the top four leaving a section default up for grabs. Neil Mercer on end peg 121 had caught more fish than me (twice as many) but I was suspicious by how quick he was landing them taking half the time I was, so hopefully mine were twice the size! Neil weighed 71lb 14oz with my ten Carp and few Silvers weighing 75lb 2oz for a section default pick up – 2 section points and 14^th overall (sounds a bit like Ken Rayner). So the van again had a double pick up and we coughed about it all the way home!!

The match was won by Tom Mangnall with 159lb 12oz from peg 98. Tom “I’m going to fish for Silvers today” caught on banded 10 mm pellet fished on the waggler at various depths.

The Silvers was won by Nigel Bartlett (pictured right with his Silvers net) with a fantastic weight of 73lb 14oz from peg 80. Nigel caught up to the spit using CW&C, catching hybrids to 3lb, Bream and Tench.

It’s clear where the Silvers are “balled up” as Tom Thick on peg 81, the other side of the Spit was the only other angler to break 20lb – interesting. The top Silvers weight on Campbell was 20lb.

Full Result (tons):

1.      Tom Mangnall 159-12-0 peg 98

2.      Shaun Townsend 153-13-0 peg 123

3.      Anton Page 152-15-0 peg 125

4.      Clayton Hudson 156-13-0 peg 95

5.      Gary Etheridge 126-08-0 peg 114

6.      Craig Edmonds  117-14-0 peg 110

7.      Eddie Wynne 116-13-0 peg 135

8.      Phil Harding 108-15-0 peg 131

Top Silvers:

1.      Nigel Bartlett 73-14-0 peg 80

2.      Tom Thick 53-03-0 peg 81