Thusrday 28/06/2012 - Viaduct Cost Cutter - Lodge and Middle Lakes

Down for another Skivers Thursday Match at Viaduct. I admit I was in two minds whether to go as the match was on Lodge and Middle Lakes. So I was surprised to find 24 booked in making the fishing even more difficult. I don’t mind these matches as someone has to win – and lose!!

In to the draw bucket and with three tickets left I pull Lodge peg 56. With peg 75 and 55 also in the match it was going to be difficult. The Advise was for me to fish long – Umm.

After setting up just two paste rigs one for under the hanging Willow to my right and the other for long at 11.5 metres, it was a walk round to the Gimp who was on Middle Lake peg 35. I was amazed to find John completely surrounded by double figure Carp. With many up in the water, it would have been a Carp Slayers dream, Muggers paradise!

Back to my peg and I decided to try and draw the Skimmers in to the 11.5 metre line, even if it took all match. The plan was to fill it in at the start with twelve balls of GB laced with one pint of Micro and one pint of caster. It took me an age to feed all this bait and by time I had finished Paul Blake had landed three Carp down his LH margin. I fed a big cup of micro down by the willow, but no more of this line as my tester paste just got gnawed to death by small fish, spearing one Ronnie.

Out on the GB line with paste and first put in I was into a Common Carp which took me an age to land as I just couldn’t get his head up – not surprising as Steve Long weighed it in and returned the 17lb 15oz monster. Next put in and I foul hook its twin and parted with my hook attached to 0.22 line!! Thankfully that was it for Carp. I struggled for the next hour adding one small Skimmer. So I had a walk round to Middle and it looked as if everyone was struggling for the Silvers. Back to the peg and a change to a 4x14 Jolly and by kindering some chopped worm over the GB line with worm on the hook I caught five to the pound Skimmers regularly, but it was hard work. I did lose a flying Bream landing one. I must admit I packed up with ten minutes to go exhausted as it was very hot and humid.

I was surprised to find my net of small Skimmers weighed in at 13lb 5oz for the biggest Silvers weight on Lodge Lake. However, the Gimp had 14lb on Middle, another angler keeping me out of qualifying once again. However, small consulation was that I picked up more coin the the Gimp. My total weight was 31lb 4oz with the beautiful Common for eighth overall.

The match was won by Ian Dunlop (pictured right with a net of beautiful Common Carp) with 175lb 9oz from Monk peg 64. Ian caught shallow using banded hard pellet shallow over lose fed pellet. Ian fished 16 metres into the gap between the trees.

Full Result:

1.      Ian Dunlop 175-09-0 peg 64 (Monk)

2.      Paul Blake 106-15-0 peg 68
3.      Callum Preston 83-03-0 peg 71
4.      Charlie Dalton 81-0-0 peg 62
5.      Chris Rolfe 66-04-0 peg 73
6.      Steve Crawford 43-12-0 peg 53

Top Silvers:

1.      John Bradford 14-07-0 peg 35

2.      Mike Nicholls 13-05-0 peg 56
3.      Roy 12-05-0 peg 61

Sunday 24/06/2012 - Gimps Top Five Open Match - Viaduct Fishery - Campbell

It only seems like yesterday that I was sitting down to a Woody Breakfast, but unfortunately I couldn't walk to the draw and had to be picked up by matey Bela and driven home after the match.

Nearly last draw queue but after a bit of nudging with Bob Gullick I got the last ticket. As it happened we both had a good draw. I drew peg 114 and Bob peg119.

Bela drew peg 131, thankfully it wasn't me.

I was happy with the peg as I drew it on the last top 5 match and learnt a bit to the extent that on the Sunday night after the match made up some rigs in case I drew it again! So it was two paste rigs – one for top five and the other for the LH margin, plus a meat rig again for the top five. On the whistle in to the margin went a big pot of micro on the top four. However, I started on the meat on the top six at 10 0 clock aiming towards peg 130 (so that I didn't play the fish over my line), luckily before I fed I realised that I was fishing my normal distance, so took off one section and stowed it in my holdall – put it down to age and familiarity. Kindering 6mm meat with the same on the hook produced a few Ronnie bites, so this rig was immediately abandoned.  Before I left the line I fed a big pot of wetted micro and went in to the margin with paste. This resulted in five Bream and one Tench before the Carp had searched me out. I then had a run of smallish Carp which are a nightmare to get out of the margin losing quite a few 2 – 3 pounders. The swim slowed so I re-fed and went out on the top 5 line and caught a better stamp of Carp steadily, kindering hard 4’sover the top. I switched between the two lines until the end landing 26 Carp in addition to the few Silvers caught at the start – all caught on the paste.

My Carp weighed in at 144lb 12oz and my Silvers 20lb 12oz for a grand total of 165lb 8oz for a match win and fifth in the Silvers.

As anticipated it was another great days fishing.

The Silvers was won by Phil Cardwell (pictured right with the overall winner) with 40lb 7oz from peg 126. Phil caught on hard banded 6mm pellet fished over micro in GB kinder potted in after every fish.

Full Result:

1.      Mike Nicholls 165-08-0 peg 114

2.      Tom Thick 155-15-0 peg 118

3.      Matt Tomes 136 -09-0 peg 121

4.      Alan Oram 111-11-0 peg 115

5.      Steve Evans 99-13-0 peg 132

6.      Dave Romain 96-06-0 peg 124

Top Silvers:

1.      Phil Cardwell 40-07-0 peg 126

2.      Dave Romain 39-07-0 peg 124

3.      Bob Gullick 38-0-0 peg 119

Thursday 21/06/2012 - Viaduct Cost Cutter - Campbell Lake

I do believe the breakfasts in Woody’s café are as good as anywhere that is open early enough for us anglers.

Tim Ford came down yesterday and stayed overnight having a few beers and a meal in the Unicorn Hotel; unfortunately he can’t fish at present as he is still getting himself fit. Tim is pictured left with the lads preparing tackle and rigs for the day.

Again a short walk to the draw for the Skivers and now Holiday makers match. Didn’t bother with standing in the queue and settled for the last ticket and luckily it was a peg beginning with 11 peg 115. Glenn was on peg 130, mark peg 125 and Martyn peg 119 and thought it was his birthday – can’t this boy draw!

I had been on the peg for half hour thinking peg 116 was empty and along comes matey Charlie Barnes. I don’t normally get involved with £1 side bets but that crafty Charlie talked me in to a Silvers only bet knowing well that my peg is a known Carp Slayers peg and his has some form for Silvers.

I discovered that Charlie and me were born the same year, 1949 and married in the same year, 1970. Like me he obviously got a good “Special One” too.

As everyone knows I hate parting with my cash so the focus was on the Silvers, to be honest I would have fished exactly the same either way. I set up three rigs – 4x14 Jolly for the Meat, paste float for over the same line both to be fished at 7 metres (peg 115 stands out further than any other peg on the Lake and it’s as close to fishing 16 metres I will every get). The final rig was a margin paste rig to be fished to the Left in 3 foot of water.

I had brought two pints of red putrid and planned to experiment with. So with plastic gloves on I started to feed them into the RH margin only to find that they float, which the Ducks appreciated, so I just emptied the remainder off the side of the platform.

Out on the meat kindering 6 pieces and it was obvious that the small fish were active intercepting the bait on the drop. I did have a couple of small Skimmers, one Bream and a Carp before I was frustrated by the sneaky Ronnie’s nicking the meat even though I started feeding the meat through Mr. Big Cup. By now crafty Charlie had twenty pounds of Silvers on CW&C. I switched to the paste and the bigger bait over the meat line, converting to feeding hard 4’s. This produced just the one Bream, a Tench and five Carp over the next hour. At least Charlie had slowed down. I had been feeding the LH margin with hard 4’s so I went in over it and had a good two hours catching Bream and Tench. It was about now in the last hour that the legs of my platform started to rattle and on investigation there was a shoal of Carp munching up the putrid maggots - Umm! This also signalled the end of the Silvers and in the last hour I landed six more Carp. Charlie’s swim died quite early and he was cursing the vermin too.

My twelve Carp weighed in at 60lb 10oz and my Silvers 42lb 3oz. This put me fifth overall and second in the Silvers, more importantly Charlie weighed 27lb 2oz – I am waiting for a big audience before I claim my spoils - £1 coin.

The Match was won by Matey Martyn Woodington from peg 119 with 172lb 12oz. Martyn caught in his own words:

“I fished at 16m towards the rushes and feed 8mm pellet. First hour 6 carp then none for the second hour so switched to fishing on the deck and landed 3 carp followed by a foul hooker so came off the bottom by 6 inches and caught steady until the end feeding only when shipping back or out to reduce liners and foul hookers”.

The Silvers was won by Fishery manager Paul Greenwood with 57lb 2oz from peg 127. Paul caught out in front and down each margin catching Tench and Bream on hard pellet.

Full Result:

1.      Martyn Woodington 172-12-0 peg 119

2.      Glenn Bailey 139-0-0 peg 130

3.      Craig Micallef 115-12-0 peg 132

4.      Terry Lenney 113-13-0 peg 129

5.      Mike Nicholls 102-13-0 peg 115

6.      Colin Dyer 102-05-0 peg 128

…

10. Mark Tanner 82-13-0 peg 125

Top Silvers:

1.      Paul Greenwood 57-02-0 peg 127

2.      Mike Nicholls 42-03-0 peg 115

3.      Ryan Musgrave 36-09-0 peg 126

This was our last match of this years fishing holiday and I must say that the accommodation is superb five stars. I have been trying to think of the negatives for a critique but can only come up with “the complimentary bottle of red wine wasn’t quite placed in the centre of the dining table”. Once the secret is out I am sure that these Lodges will become very popular, so if you are looking for a great fishing holiday and catch a typical Carp similar to that caught by Glenn Bailey on Carey Lake book early with Steve Long at the Viaduct Fishery. More details can be found on the fishery website. We have already booked for next year.

Wednesday 20/06/2012 - Mike Nicholls and Tony Rixon Pole Only Open - Viaduct - Campbell and Carey

It was nice to be able to walk to the draw complete with tackle for the Mike Nicholls and Tony Rixon Pole Only Open on Campbell and Carey. Our contributions were for Tony collect names and moaned a bit, whilst I did the advertising, with the Viaduct Management doing the rest of the organisation!!

I was well back in the draw queue rewarded me with peg 100 on Carey – yippee - a peg which can throw up big weights of Bream. Tony drew peg 90 (hence the grumbling).

Glenn drew peg 112, Martin peg 80 and Mark peg 86.

With the Gimp one side of me on peg 102 I was hoping for a quite days fishing until Master Flip-Flop, came along and sat on peg 99 – peace shattered for the day.

I set up just the two rigs, Paste and a Skimmer rig both to be fished at 10 metres. As I had some worms and casters both on their last legs I decided to fish this on the Skimmer rig in to white water (always my preference to watch a black top float). On the whistle I put in a big pot of CW&C, starting on the paste kindering micro and a few 4’s I had a Bream first cast – happy days – not - as other than a speared 4oz Skimmer this line produced nothing else although I spent of lot of time trying it, which I was encouraged to by Howard on peg 97 who was catching Bream regularly on paste. On to the Worm line and another Bream and a quick Tench before this swim died and once again I spent far too long on this line trying to make it work, the reward being one 10lb Common Carp in pristine condition. With an hour to go both my swim was completely devoid. So in my need for bites I set up my Ronnie rig and fishing down the margin with single caster doubled my weight of Silvers. Had I switched to this at the same time Tom Thick had abandoned his Silver lines and went Carp thrashing at 14.5 metres I think I would have sneaked in third in the Silvers.

My one Carp weighed 10lb 8oz and the Silvers 22lb 3oz (beating the Gimp by a pound – however Joe Thompson beating both of us with his 23lb 10oz) for a not so grand total of 33lb 10oz.

The match was won by Andy Power (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 223lb 4oz from peg 119. Andy caught at 16 metres up to the end bank catching shallow on 8mm banded pellet over loose fed 8’s. Andy fed about three pints.

The Silvers was won by Tim Pallant with 39lb 9oz from peg 81. Tim caught quality fish up to the spit using CW&C. Tim “said” he fed I kg of Worm and 4 pints of caster. I don’t know how he fed this much bait in six hours through a kinder pot!

Full Result:

1.      Andy Power 223-04-0 peg 119

2.      Tony Wittcomb 167-02-0 peg 76

3.      Tom Thick 155-12-0 peg 99

4.      Phil Harding 130-09-0 peg 116

5.      Glenn Bailey 119-01-0 peg 112

6.      Matt Tomes 116-14-0 peg 111

Top Silvers:

1.      Tim Pallant 39-09-0 peg 81

2.      Howard Webb 32-05-0 peg 97

Tuesday 19/06/2012 - Acorn Open - Paddocks

It was necessary to get up early as it was off to Acorn Fishery for their Tuesday open Match. Glad we were, as it was a perfect British start, sitting drinking my first cuppa of day looking at the scene pictured right, with all the promise of a beautiful summer’s day – at last.

After a breakfast at the fishery it was in to the ping pong ball bag (Ray Bazeley was draw master and has a thing about balls). As I was on holiday and it was going to be wall to wall sunshine I didn’t mind where I drew. As it happen this was a good tactic as out come peg 3. Happy with this as there are only three pegs in on the Island. Then Glenn Bailey arrived on peg 1 and started to spoil the day by moaning about his peg being crap. He wasn’t kidding me as I thought it was spot on (this might be a tactic of his). On peg 5 as company I had that nice man again Andy Shields, who is looking for a part time job to pay for his broken butt section! Both Martin and Mark both drew well next to Bridges’ pegs 22 and 34.

Still in the holiday mood it was out with the top four only to fish down the inside shelf and the LH margin. I set up for rigs a 4x14 Stainey (because it was flat calm) for the Skimmers and soft pellet, a paste float to fish over the Skimmer line later for Carp, a paste rig for the margin and a 4x12 jolly margin caster rig.

Acting on duff info I went all out for the Skimmers feeding two lines, 1 o clock and 2 o clock with wetted micro through the Kinder pot. After an hour I had six 6oz Skimmers. It wasn’t happening, whilst Glenn was catching 3lb Carp over to the far bank. I had been feeding casters in the margin so in I went with a single on the hook and had a run of Ronnie’s, Rudd, tiny Tench, three F1’s and a couple of 2lb Skimmers. I was enjoying myself when small 1 ½ lb Carp arrived. I caught about nine and tried the Skimmers again having been feeding micros over the RH swim and 4’s over the LH swims. The result was just two tiny skimmers from each line. So it was back in to the margin, this time with paste but still feeding the caster (all fish love this bait). First put in I had a 4lb Tench in perfect condition. Then a run of those small Carp again. Glenn was still catching 3lb Carp, so I decided to forget the Silvers and with two hours to go switched to the paste over the micro line. I landed nine quick Carp to six pounds, when the fizz started and a couple of Foul hookers escaped the net. I was strange (perhaps not) I could only catch once the fizzing  stopped, so it was feed (by hand – bigger spread) and into the margin until the fizzing stopped catch some more squeakers, then out on the paste until the swim went quite. With an hour to go a small carp jump out of my keep net – I nearly gave me a heart attack!!

This mornings breakfast suddenly met up with last nights curry and an uncomfortable half followed. I couldn’t get to the toilet because of disturbing peg 40 – Harry Muir - it was touch and go for a while!

Glenn (pictured right with his catch) was first to weigh and put 74lb on the scales – I thought he had beaten me hands down from his crap peg!!

I was next to weigh and put 15lb 8oz of Silvers (pictured right with the Tench) on the scales followed by 61lb 8oz of Carp for a total of 77lb. This left me fourth in the Silvers and second overall.

The match and the Silvers was won by Dave Wride (pictured lower right with the runner up) with 34lb 2oz of Silvers and 44lb 10oz of Carp from peg 24. Dave caught his fish on 4 and 6 soft pellet fished over micro and 4’s fished down the far shelf (where he suggested I fished and took no notice!)

Mark peg 34 – 28lb

Martin peg  22 - 52lb (7^th)

Full Result:

1.      Dave Wride 78-12-0 peg 24

2.      Mike Nicholls 77-0-0 peg 3

3.      Glenn bailey 74-0-0 peg 1

4.      Mike Owens 60-0-0 peg 14

5.      Andy France 59-04-0 peg 21

6.      Clive Richards 56-04-0 peg 6

Top Silvers:

1.      Dave Wride 34-02-0 peg 22

2.      Andy Gard 22-05-0 peg 30

3.      Mike Owens 17-06-0 peg 14

Sunday 17/06/2012 - Avon Angling Float Only - Sedges - Brick and Tile Lakes

It was up at 07:30 to be welcomed to the new morn by view out of my bedroom window, wonderful, all the ingredients to get you itching to get fishing. After breakfast in Woody’s café it was off to Sedges for Tony’s float only. I would have preferred to fish Match Lake with Woody, but because I have already missed one match I couldn’t afford to miss another.

Woody drew peg 44 on Match Lake and had a good day coming fourth overall with 53lb and second in the Silvers with 12lb. Glenn and Mark Tanner (who arrived today) went pleasure fishing outside the Lodge with Glenn landing a twenty pounder. Mark caught 3 ½ lb Chub then disappeared until the early hours of the morning!

In to the draw tin and out comes peg 40 on Tile Lake – excellent draw for Silvers and Carp, this would be the third time I have drawn this peg and have so far always come away with coin.

Dave Roper was behind me on peg 4 and trundled pass me with his tackle trolley (pictured right). How did he get it his car? Dave had fished my peg the week before and said he could only catch at 8 metres with meat over meat coming second on the Lake. Dave tried the paste down the LH margin and caught nought. Tony came along and said paste worked last week, but not until the last hour.

I had already decided to fish for Ronnie’s and the paste down the margin for carp. So my Ronnie rig for caster over caster (the casters Anton Page was throwing away) and a paste rig was set up in 15 minuets. I didn’t bother with a full depth rig as I haven’t found it productive on this peg. The plan was all out for Ronnie’s, trying the paste from time to time. The wind was blowing in at me at 1 o clock but for once was helpful, giving me some cover. Starting out in front I had a fish straight off. However, it was slower than normal so having fed the margin with hard 4’s for the paste I switched to fishing and feeding the caster in the same vicinity. The fishing improved catching ½ oz to 3oz hybrids (nice to see these new arrivals) and Ronnie’s to 3oz. I kept trying the paste at 11.5 metres but was soon aware that the Carp weren’t there by the incessant nibbling by the tiny silvers. The Silvers had started to slow down just before the last hour and another try on the paste and no nibbling – perfectly still float and with the pole tightly gripped a Carp was soon hooked and netted. Unfortunately the next Carp broke the 0.18 so out came the 0.22 and another five Carp were soon in the net. With twenty minutes left some horrible slimy scum appeared and I couldn’t get my paste through it, which wasted, potentially catching another two fish, me thinks.

My six carp weighed in at 36lb 9oz and my net of whitebait went 16lb 8oz for a total of 53lb 1oz. This gave me a section win – as would be expected from this peg as a minimum, but a disappointing 8^th overall and 5^th in the Silvers, not as disappointing as I was expecting Brick Lake to produce the winners of this category.

The match was won by Fabsy (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 76lb 7oz from peg 20 on brick Lake. Fabsey caught shallow out in front on the pole using banded pellet over loose fed pellet. Matey Bela was on the next peg 19 and fishing the same finished runner up.

The Silvers was won by guest angler Shane Casswell with 39lb of Skimmers from peg 18. Shane started by feeding ten balls of GB laced with micro and casters at 13 metres fishing worm hook bait over the top, feeding chopped worm over the top through the kinder cup.

Full Result:

1.      Phil Harding 76-07-0 peg 20

2.      Bela Bakos 69-09-0 peg 19

3.      Chris Fox 64-14-0 peg 6

4.      John Thompson 63-15-0 peg 23

5.      Anton Page 61-15-0 peg 8

6.      Tony Rixon 60-09-0 peg 32

7.      Joe McMahan 60-03-0 peg 24

8.      Mike Nicholls 53-01-0 peg 40

Top Silvers:

1.      Shane Caswell 39-0-0 peg 18

2.      Nick Collins 27-06-0 peg 17

3.      John Thompson 18-03-0 peg 23

Saturday 16/06/21012 - Viaduct Open

Today is the “Glorious 16^th June”, the start of the coarse fishing season, which is the date we have historically chosen for our annual fishing holiday. However, because of the advent of Commercial Fisheries and no close season on Canals it’s not so “Glorious” these days, but we do have our holiday to look forward to instead.

This year we elected to visit Viaduct Fishery, choosing one of the two new Lodges’ (pictured right – with Glenn Bailey stocking the Pinky Ponk - more on the Lodges later). The line up is Mark Tanner, Bela Bakos, Glenn Bailey, Martin “Woody” Woodington and me, with Tim Ford planning to come down midweek for a couple of days to bank run for us and a good drink in the evening. Unfortunately, Bela had to cancel because of the pressure of work; he can only work when it’s not raining, so well behind!

Luckily Woody’s café open in time for this holiday, giving our resident gourmet Chef a break.

I was hoping for any peg so long as the first two numbers were 11. Not quite out came peg 130. Not one of my favourite pegs as it tends to be a bit of a Carp Slayers peg with the lead and waggler the order of the day. I must admit there were plenty of Carp showing out by the aerator. I elected to ignore this and fish the usual short pole. The wind was again blowing in to me at 1 o clock and was gusting in all directions. I set the usual Skimmer rig and Paste rig to be fished at 7 metres and a paste rig for the RH margin. Starting on the meat for the Skimmers I hooked and landed two decent Carp, before I landing a couple of Tench and some hand size Skimmers. The wind was a nightmare. I then had a blank period with no signs of fish. So I switched to paste over micro, which only produced a small Carp. I was struggling to say the least. I pumped up some expanders and tried them and did have a few more hand size Skimmers. But I was getting pestered by the Ronnie’s taking the pellet on the drop. I decided to walk the section to see what was happening and from what I could gather everyone was struggling, so in with a chance of coin, back to the peg and head down with meat which accounted for three more Tench, two more Carp and more hand size Skimmers. The margin produced nothing of mention – just some speared motherless.

My Silvers weighed in at 25lb 14oz and adding my five Carp weighing 30lb 13oz for a total of 56lb 11oz. This left me third in the Silvers and third in the bank section.

The match was won by Martin Lenaghan (pictured right) with 188lb 6oz from peg 119. martin caught long down to the end margin using 8mm hard banded pellet fished over loose fed 8’s.

The Silvers was won by Silver guru Charlie Barnes (pictured right) with 30lb 5oz from peg 80. Charlie caught on 4mm expander fished over wetted hard 4’s fished at 10 metres up to the spit.

Glenn drew peg 85 on Carey and netted 10 Carp for 83lb 6oz for section second and Woody on his first visit drew peg 123 on Campbell – a peg I am still waiting to draw!! Woody netted 59lb 12oz.

Full Result:

1.      Martin Lenaghan 188-06-0 peg 119

2.      Dan “The Dude” Squires 167-05-0 peg 78

3.      Jim Cooper 161-10-0 peg 110

4.      Phil Caudwell 139-15-0 peg 115

5.      Jon Gray 125-12-0 peg 116

6.      Nick Ewers  111-01-0 peg 111

Top Silvers:

1.      Charlie Barnes 30-05-0 peg 80

2.      John Green 29-10-0 peg 126 (He’s Back)

3.      Steve Jackson 28-03-0 peg 129

4.      Mike Nicholls 25-14-0 peg 130

Sunday 10/06/2012 - Viaduct Open - Campbell Lake

Bela and I were back down to Viaduct for the Fishery Open on Campbell. However, it was touch and go whether Bela would go as his Dad was rushed to hospital on Saturday morning plus I left him in the pup chatting up a young pretty thing. Luckily Dad has improved and waiting for the results of tests and Bela only got a coffee out of the pretty thing – that’s what he told me!! After a breakfast in Woody’s it was in to the coffee tin – unusually last – and out comes a peg I seem to draw a lot 119. Happy with this although I had my doubts about the Silvers which was the species I was planning to target today. For company I had venue regular and expert Mash on peg 118 – up against it then.

Three lines chosen. RH margin at 5.5 metres (worm over caster), out in front also at 5.5 metres (meat over meat), 11.5 metres down towards the clump of grass at 11.5 metres (paste over hard 4’s).

On the whistle I loose fed some meat in to the in front line. A big pot of caster in to the margin and a few 4's at 11.5 metres. Starting on the meat I had a few small Skimmers and a flying Bream – happy days. I then pulled out of a Tench – bugger. The Carp then mooched in and I had six good-uns fishing on the drop, feeding through the kinder pot. The Ronnie’s then moved in adding just a few before I tried the margin. Throughout the match I fed 4 to 5 pints of borrowed old casters which produced one Tench, one Carp and one Ronnie, even though I kept trying it no more of this line. Out to the 11.5 metre paste rig and I had another run of Silvers before the Carp arrived landing another six of the blighters’. Out on the 6mm meat (more feed per tin) again and another few Skimmers and a couple of Tench, before the Carp again – a pattern forming me thinks. Having tries around the various lines again I decided to convert the meat line to paste by feeding a big pot of the lastest rubbery micro. This did result in a run of big Skimmers and another Tench – yes I spent the remainder of the match catch Carp.

My Silvers weighed in at 38lb and my 22 Carp 139lb 10oz for a total of 177lb 10oz. This unfortunately left me second in the Silvers and third overall. I did win the bank which was rewarding. On reflection if I had open yet another line I might have got the extra Silvers I needed and if I had focussed on the Carp I might have won the match – it’s all about making decisions. Nonetheless a great match.

The match was won by Phil Cardwell (pictured right with the Silvers winner) from spit peg 129 with 186lb 13oz. Phil initially caught “Bob the Bread” Style – popped up bread on the lead. Phil then switched to waggler and pole using hard pellet over loose fed pellet to keep the Carp coming.

The Silvers was won by Dave White from peg 112 with 46lb. Dave caught Bream using 8mm meat over loose fed 8mm meat in to his RH margin on his top set.

In recognition of the lads tons I listed all those that exceed this weight – today the list is long. I can’t prise this fishery enough.

Tony Rixon and I are running a Pole Only on Wednesday 20th June. Best book in early with Tony (01179517250) or at Viaduct on (01458274022) as I suspect it will be a sale out.

Full Result:

1.      Paul  Caudwell 186-13-0 peg 129

2.      Mark Wynne 185-13-0 peg 123

3.      Mike Nicholls 177-10-0 peg 119

4.      Dave White 162-0-0 peg 112

5.      Paul Blake 154-14-0 peg 114

6.      Gary O’Shea 149-0-0 peg 126

7.      Mash 143-02-0 peg 118

8.      Bela Bakos 120-06-0 peg 128

9.      Nicky Ewers 120-04-0 peg 116

10. Liam (clockspring) Bartlett 107-04-0 peg 130

Top Silvers:

1.      Mark Wynne 46-0-0 peg 112

2.      Mike Nicholls 38-0-0 peg 119

3.      Mash 31-08-0 peg 118

Thursday 07/06/2012 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's and Disabled - Bridge Pool

With gale force winds and torrential rain all day it was more fitting for late October. The twenty three anglers who turned up today deserved a medal and another for staying the distance. It seems as if the UK has moved from May to October in just three days.

Yet another change to the draw system, we are now using 10mm diameter washers with waterproof (hopefully) numbers written on them, again supplied by Ray Bazeley - sorry Rolls Royce. As they are the same size as a 5p coin it won’t belong before they find thier way into the Dodgers purses – what on earth was wrong with the card draw tickets we have been using for 40 years?

In to the £500 bank bag (Mike Joneses) and out comes peg 26. Very happy with this, that was until I arrived at the peg I found the wind and rain was coming into the peg at 1 o clock into my face – bugger. That said it’s a great Skimmer peg, with the odd Carp expected. Peg 26 has a really strange margin topography, however, I still set up a margin rig for meat as paste was a no-no due to the weather conditions – this rig had one outing resulting in one 4oz Hybrid. So the 4x18 Jolly was to do all the work today and because of the conditions it would be fished at 12 o clock and 9 o clock (down wind) both lines at 5 metres. The 9 o clock swim was fed for 3mm expander over micro and the 12 o clock swim CW&C. Having fed both is was out on the worm which after a ten minute wait resulted in a run of 1-1 ½ Skimmers, After re-feeding I tried the expander line and after missing three bites I hooked and landed a ½ oz Ronnie, persistence only produced another of the same so the line was abandoned. Back out on the Caster line and I managed to keep a few Skimmers going in the net despite the wind buggering the presentation. With two hours to go I hooked and landed a 12lb Common which straightened the hook a tad, so as one does I bent it back (Dad would have bollocked me for doing this). Next put in another Carp and another need to reform the hook. There were three reasons why the Carp had arrived - either the time of day or I had been over doing the caster feed, or a combo of both. I think I answered the question after re-feeding I foul hooked a Carp which luckily came free without breaking the hook. Next cast I lost a Carp due to the hook breaking – you were right again Dad – sorry. I did land another Carp before the end making it three – I think!!

I must admit I was glad to hear the whistle as the wind got up too much for any sort of presentation. My three Carp weighed 28lb and my all Skimmer net weighed 28lb – ditto - for a grand total of 56lb. This left me third overall and first in the Silvers.

The match was won by Terry Bruton from peg 33 landing nine Carp for a total of 69lb 2oz. Terry fished all match in both his margins using punched meat hook bait, fished over cubes of kinder potted meat. It took Terry two hours before catching his first Carp – fair play I say.

For the first time the photographer was beaten by the weather conditions.

Full Result:

1.      Terry Bruton 69-02-0 peg 33

2.      Martin Alexander 67-13-0 peg 18

3.      Mike Nicholls 56-0-0 peg 26

4.      Pete Phillips 46-06-0 peg 11

5.      Bob Tilley 42-0-0 peg 10

6.      Bob Price 35-07-0 peg 15

Top Silvers:

1.      Mike Nicholls 28-0-0 peg 26

2.      Dave bacon 18-02-0 peg 19

3.      Chris Rolfe 14-08-0 peg 14