Sunday 29/07/2012- Avon Angling Open - Sedges - Brick Lake

It was another good breakfast in Hilltops Café and Bela then headed off to Chiltern Trinity – doh – “where we going Bert” – Sedges! We finally arrived at our destination; I put it down to the Pinky Ponk Juice.

Nice to meet up with fishery owners Denise and Jamie again, I do miss fishing this venue regularly as I have in the past. Today saw the first time out for my new Boss tackle box, so was concerned about if it had the same luck as my previous box. So in to the draw bag and out comes peg 1. It looked as if the tackle box was going to get stuffed in to the back of the garage if I draw crap pegs like this. Peg 1 is an undesirable. No moaning as you have to take the rough with the smooth in this game and make the best out of it and try and get a days fishing.

Steve Segar came down to console me explaining that he had once caught a match winning 100lb of Tench from the swim – no consolation, but it did make me smile.

The wind was blowing over my left shoulder at 2 o clock, basically in to peg 20, which meant the swim was becalmed, which may be benificial if the wind picked up as forecast - it didn't.

I set up a 4x16 Jolly to be fished at 10 metres at 10 o clock for the CW&C, a paste rig for over the same line and a paste rig in to the end margin. I fed five balls of GB laced with chopped worm and Caster over the Skimmer line, flowed by a dozen or so hard 4’s in to the end margin.

Starting on the worm I had the float lift – excellent – missed the bite, drop in again same again, the float would not cock properly. I persevered until I caught the culprit a 2 oz Skimmer. I had to abandon the line because the small fish would not leave the bait alone. So it was out in to the end bank margin with paste cupped in with some 4’s. Once again the small fish were pecking away at the paste. Time for a rethink, so out came the Ronnie rig to be fish over small balls of GB laced with casters with single caster on the hook. I started to catch the small critters that were worm tugging on the 10 metre line. Blimey they were small, but with very few fish being caught around me I stuck with them. I kept testing the end bank for Carp but only found the nibblers waiting. That was until the last ¾ hour when I saw a blow and with the paste rig sitting motionless I was soon in to my first 10lb Common. This was followed by an 8lb Ghost Carp, then a 9lb Kio Carp and the last fish to be landed just after the whistle was a 12lb Common.

The Carp weighed a total of 39lb 3oz and my 200 odd plips adding 11lb 6oz for a total of 50lb 9oz for fifth overall and my 10 peg section by default. I must admit I was well pleased with this result, especially considering that Steve Evans on peg 2 blanked!!

The match was won by Martin Lenaghan (pictured right - is he asleep) from peg 10 with 103lb 15oz. Martin caught both in to his margin at 14 metres and out in front at 16 metres using 10mm banded pellet fished over loose fed 6mm pellet. Martin fed about six pints of 6’s.

The Silvers was won by Steve Segar (pictured lower right with the match winner) with 26lb 3oz from peg 3. Steve caught on meat fished over pellet at 13 metres.

Full Result:

1.      Martin Lenaghan 103-15-0 peg 10

2.      Pete Wild 68-13-0 peg 12

3.      Alan Oram 52-05-0 peg 15

4.      Mike Nicholls 50-09-0 peg 1

5.      Dave Roper 45-14-0 peg 13

6.      An-Ton Page 44-10-0 peg 6

Top Silvers:

1.      Steve Segar 26-03-0 peg 3

2.      Dave Roper 25-02-0 peg 13

3.      An-Ton Page 25-04-04 peg 6