Silverfox Match Angling: Sunday 23/06/2013 - Avon Angling Open - Landsend

Sunday 23 June 2013

Sunday 23/06/2013 - Avon Angling Open - Landsend - Match and Sidney's Lakes

After a wonderful week fishing at Viaduct it was down to earth at Landsend. That said I was looking forward to it as it was another short pole match. This time it was the top 6. Back with travelling with Bela – yep can still eat a large breakfast quicker than I can eat beans on toast.

In to the draw box and out comes peg 61 on Sidney’s Lake (Third Lake). A change for me as during the winter I am usually on either 50 or 51 – it must be going to fish on these pegs today then

This Lake is venerable to the wind and as it was horrendous to say the least, it was back (or forward) to October. Arriving at the peg I was disappointed to find that the peg was being badly effect by the gusting wind – bugger. The opposite pegs were relatively clam in comparison. Opposite me once again on this lake was Rip Off Rixon and the first thing he did was take out the front peg plank (pictured right note the Monk cut) and he didn’t put it back. The water level was down about 12 inches which meant we would have less than three foot! I did have some tree cover down to my left but I felt I was the wrong side of it today – needed to be down wind. Still I was optimistic and having set up two paste rigs and the Ronnie rig I was eager to get started.

I started on the paste at 6 metres and missed a bite first put in over a few micros. Next put in again with paste and a few micros I was soon netting an 8lb Ghost Carp. Having broken my landing net last week I had bought a new one, but as it was the first time I used it I found it wasn’t as deep as the old one plus a lot heavier. Anyway, as I was putting the fish in the keep net it jumped out of the net landing on to the edge of the keep net it was 50/50 as to where it ended up; as luck would have it was back in to the Lake! There were a few swear words around. I then had a torrid time trying to present paste in the ever increasing wind. I decided to try what I thought was my banker swim down to the tree with paste, only to find the water towing towards me. Through out the match even though I tried it from time to time I didn’t have a bite in the banker.

I decided to stop sulking about the lost fish and decided to go back in to autumn mode to suit the weather and set up a 4x14 Jolly to fish with the meat in the least wind effected part o the swim by fishing at 10 o clock and holding back the float. It was like starting a new catching a few F1’s, Crucian’s and one decent Skimmer. Perhaps the Lake Silvers might be a safer bet then. Of course as soon as you think this the Carp arrive. The upshot was that I caught 12 Carp up to 8lb really steady until the end, with the odd Silver taking part.

My Silvers weighed in at 10lb 10oz and my 12 Carp 46lb 11oz for a total of 57lb 5oz for Lake 2^nd Silvers and a 5^th overall and a section pick up by default.

The match was won by Rip Off (pictured right with his catch) from peg 50 with 97lb 13oz. As usual Tony got it right from the off catching on meat… see his blog for the gory details.

The Silvers was won by Flip-Flopper Matt Tomes (pictured lower right with the match winner) with a decent weight of 32lb 8oz from peg 19. Matt initially caught on the soft pellet and later switching to caster over caster. Matt fed a little less than 1 pint.