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