Sunday 08/07/2012 - Avon Angling Float Only - Landsend Fishery - Specimen,Match and Sidney's Lake

Our first time in the newly open Shipham Café. Good value, very nice chef, but as I write this blog I still have heart burn!

With Specimen, Match and Sidney’s Lakes in the draw box I was desperately hoping for a peg on Sidney’s. It wasn’t to be I was to spend the day on peg 18 Match Lake – Carp Slayers alley. My section ran from peg 24 to my peg 18 and I had two of the top South West Carp slayers in my section, Anton Page peg 19 and Tom Mangnall peg 21. So the best I could hope for was a section by default, Silvers or a low framing position. So I decided to try the Silvers even though there were plenty of Carp mooching around. I set up two Paste rigs – one for 10 metres where some fish were blowing and one for the RH margin where I found the optimum depth and shelf on my long Sensas top set (purchased for AA), a 4x14 Jolly for caster or soft pellet and my favourite Ronnie rig for the caster. 

Starting on the soft pellet over a few micros resulted to a number of missed bites (if they were bites) and a couple of foul hooked Carp, no Silvers, so out on the Ronnie rig and I had a few 2oz specimen, hoping the bigger Silvers would come up in the water for the loose fed casters – but not. By now Anton had 10 Carp! I decide to feed a big pot of micro at 10 metres and go over it with paste. This resulted in two Carp, the same amount of lost carp and one Bream. The line was fizzing with bream, but I don’t think they could or wanted to pick out my hook bait. By now Anton had 20 Carp! 

I had been feeding hard 4’s down the RH margin and decided to fish this for the rest of the match especially as I had four Bream in the first four put ins, adding only one Crucian for the remainder of the match. 

I started to Catch Carp to 5lb steady, so it was a switch to section by double default for coin because as expected both Anton and Tom were Carp Slaying and most certainly would frame. 

I was doing reasonably well until Anton decided to lift all his nets out to see what he had. This didn’t help my margin swim as I was fishing his way – why did he do this, because if you are over a net weight you can’t transferred them!! I did give him my views on the subject - respect other anglers. 

The upshot was that I caught steady until the end landing twenty Carp which weighed in at 101lb 1oz and my Silvers 15lb 8oz for a total 116lb 9oz. This put me fourth overall and if I hadn’t framed I would have won the section by double default. However, this was given to matey Martin Rayett on peg 24 by triple default!

The match was won by An-Ton (pictured right with some of his five net catch) with 279lb from next peg 19. I have to give credit where credit is due; An-Ton amazed me with the finest display of Carp Slaying that I have ever witnessed. An- Ton fish 16 metres with a slayers rig comprising four foot of line with a float with all the shot pushed underneath with the banded pellet 8 inches under the float. Anton fed bugger all – that’s my boy. Unfortunately for me I had to fish in bow waves all day! Well done matey nice to spectate. 

The Silvers was won by Clayton Hudson (pictured lower right with the match winner) with 36lb 12oz from Specimen peg 34. Clayton caught on CW&C feeding nine pints of a combination of both. It must be nice to be sponsored to this amount. 

I must mention matey Nick Collins who drew next peg to me 16 and because his platform was under water had to borrow some Gum Boots. Unfortunately for him they didn’t fit too well and left him with some swelling on his legs – pictured right. I don’t think the boots will be the same again though! Horrible!

And finally Bela was on peg 10 and caught and landed two Rats in is 60lb net, neither of them had his phone in them!! 

Full Result:

1.      An-Ton page 279-0-0 peg 19

2.      Tom Mangnall 152-0-0 peg 21

3.      Bob Gullick 120-11-0 peg 5

4.      Mike Nicholls 116-09-0 peg 18

5.      Clayton Hudson 107-08-0 peg 34

6.      Tom Thick 107-05-0 peg 1

Top Silvers:

1.      Clayton Hudson 36-12-0 peg 34

2.      Tony Rixon 31-05-0 peg 3

3.      Nick Collins 29-12-0 peg 16