Monday 25 November 2013

Monday 25/11/2013 - Bob Price Monday Open - Bitterwell Lake

First match ever for me on a Monday, which is Bob Price’s open at Bitterwell. The usual suspects were in attendance, plus a few newbie’s, which had Bob a bit worried about the pegging. Luckily not all the regulars turned up so Bob had 15 paid up then delegated the pegging to Steve D and Gary E – nothing changes. What’s good about these matches is the cost with the peg fee at £5 with £5 pools, so a cheap days fishing.
 
In to the draw box and out comes peg 15 on the “diving board”. This peg is one of the deepest because it had to be with diving boards there!! I set the usual 4x14 jolly to be fished at 11.5 metres which was my limit today not only because of my limitations but also because of the bloody bushes behind, much too thick to push the pole through. I also set up a 4x12 for the LH margin where I found 3 foot up to the reeds, which I was hoping would account for some Perch and perhaps a late Carp nearer the end. None of this happen so no more on this.
 
I started by feeding the 11.5 metre line with a golf ball sizes GB laced with Pinkies. I was soon getting some tugs on a big dead red which finally materialised in to a small Ronnie. After four small fish I put a wind not in my hook length which was so close the hook it created a “stand off” so I had to change it. After three hours of catching and releasing some Ronnie’s I hooked a Carp which I soon lost for some reason. After inspecting the hook length I realised I had put on a 0.1 instead of 0.14 – bugger. Back to catching small fish until I did put a 1lb Skimmer in the net. It was bloody hard work catching these small fish at 11.5 metres. My net of Silvers went 5lb 1oz. Because the water had gone extremely clear, those that fished the waggler all caught more Silvers than me.
 
There were a few blanks and DNW's especially the far end of the Lake.
 
The match was won by Bob Price (pictured right with his catch) with basically two Carp for 14lb14oz from peg 13. Bob caught on his usual popped up bread out to the aerator.
 
The Silvers was won by Steve Dawson (pictured lower right with the match winner) with 9lb 11oz of Ronnie’s all caught on the waggler with pinkie hook bait fished over loose fed Pinkie.
 
Full Result:
 
  1. Bob Price 14-14-0 peg 13
  2. Jack 10-02-08 peg 12
  3. Steve Dawson 9-11-0 peg 3
  4. Andy Gard 8-0-0 peg 1
  5. John Clark 8-0-0  peg 11
  6. Terry Church 6-09-0 peg 4
Top Silvers:
 
  1. Steve Dawson 9-11-0 peg 3
  2. Andy Gard 8-0-0 peg 1
  3. Gary Etheridge 6-07-0 peg 11
  4. Mike Nicholls 5-01-0 peg 15
Weigh Sheet:
 
 

Sunday 24 November 2013

Sunday 24/11/2013 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round One - Old Lake and Canal

Bela talked me out of fishing the Landsend league in favour of the Westerleigh Winter League. It didn’t take much convincing even though it has been fish badly, because I do enjoy this type of fishing. The series is being run by Brian Shanks. The series is based on each angler fishing both Lakes three times. So after the first draw you stay with the same section anglers all through. However, today there were three anglers missing the first match.
 
Breakfast was laid on in the New Inn which would have been tip top had it been a bit warmer. However, Bela was happy with his as he likes it colder because he can eat it quicker!
 
In to the draw bag and out comes peg 3 on the Old Lake. I was happy with this although there were leaves all over the Lake (as pictured right). I was wonder where they would end up; I should have known they would find their way to Bela on peg 14. He had a nightmare match because if this, but not one moan.
 
I had made up three rigs last night; a 4x10 and two–4x12 Jolly’s all with 0.12 hook lengths and 20 808 hooks. These were set up with the 4x10 for two foot of water down to the Left under a bit of a tree. This rig produced nothing even though I tries caste, maggot and finally pinkie, which was half expected as the colour of the water was extremely clear. The first of the 4x12 was to be fished at 6 metres where I had 4 foot of water with Pinkie over GB laced with Pinkie, again this produced nothing, and again I think due to the water clarity. Finally the last 4x12 was to be fished as long as I could which was a much improved 11.5 metres where I fed pinkies with a dash of wetted micro and fish big dead red over the top. It wasn’t until I wasted time (it was a five hour match) over the GB that I tried the long line and had five quick Ronnie’s before I hooked a big Carp estimated at 6 to 8 pounds which broke me – bugger. I then spent a while changing my hook lengths to 0.14 my usual line – double bugger.
 
The up shot was that I kept a few Ronnie’s coming gradually increasing the kindered feed as the match progressed. I kept trying a 3mm expander but I don’t think I gave it lo g enough favouring bites from the Ronnie’s – too impatient me thinks. With 45 minutes left I had a run of better fish (relatively speaking) with a 1lb Tench a 1lb 6oz Carp and a 1lb Skimmer. The rest of the match was spent winkling out a few more Ronnie’s.
 
My Silvers weighed 5lb 10oz which would have picked up the Silvers by default had one more angler fished our Lake – another bugger. My total weight of 7lb put me fourth in the section and 5th overall.
 
I must say I enjoyed the fishing which I think will improve as the league progresses. I was home at 5 o clock even though I had a couple of pints in the pub where the results were held. I don’t think there weren’t any moans.
 
Our lake and match winner was Darren North (pictured right) with 18lb 8oz from peg 6. Darren caught on soft pellet over micro down to his right at 9 metes fishing about two metres out from the bank. Well done matey.
 
The Silvers was won by Vince Shipp with 6lb 15oz from peg 5. Vince caught his fish at 13 meters using dead reds over kindered pinkie.
 
Full Result:
 
  1. Darren North 18-08-0 peg 6
  2. Phil Harding 17-07-0 peg 23
  3. Steve Rodgers 9-04-0 peg 9
  4. Vince Shipp 8-15-0 peg 5
  5. Mike Nicholls 7-0-0 peg 3
  6. Stu Foales 6-12-0 peg 30
Top Silvers:
 
  1. Vince Shipp  6-15-0 peg 5
  2. Stu Foales 6-12-0 peg 30
  3. Mike Nicholls 5-10-0 peg 3
Weigh Sheets:
 
 

Thursday 21 November 2013

Thursday 21/11/2013 - Bathampton AA Over 55's and Disabled - Withy Pool

The last match on Withy for some while because the Silvers league unfortunately is to be on Bridge Pool only. I will miss fishing Withy.
 
Mike Jones had 30 booked in but lucky for him a couple cried off making peg selection a little easier.
 
I was hoping to draw a peg out of the cold north wind, there were plenty. In to the draw bag and out comes peg 42. It’s one of the narrowest pegs on the pool and has its day with regards Carp and Silvers, but hasn’t produced much this term. Arriving at the peg it was one of three pegs with the wind blowing into it – bugger, it was going to be a cold day. Two pegs up was Martin Alexander who for the first time for years managed to pull a bird (pictured right).
 
One advantage of this peg is that you don’t need much pole with 5 metre being adequate. I set up a corn rig a Silverfox/Corbett 0.4 gram set at 3 foot for the RH margin, and a 4 x16 Jolly which needed another two foot of line adding due to the water level being only 6 inches from being back to being full.
 
I was expecting it to fish hard as the rain water had knocked a lot of the colour out of the water, so it was to be Pinkie and Skimmer GB at 5 metres and corn over caster in the RH margin (down wind). On the whistle I fed a pot of caster in the margin and a small tight ball of GB laced with Pinkie.
 
It took awhile to get my first bite then it was a 2-3oz Skimmer or Ronnie a put in for a hour. It then slowed so I re-fed with the same and managed to keep a few more coming but as time when b the harder it got until Tim Ford arrived and I had two good Skimmers and a Hybrid. I then had a quite spell which I now believe was disruption by Carp as in the last half hour I hooked a large Carp which after playing it for a while bust the 0.14 hook length. I think the hook length broke because it had a fair bite of use over the match weakening the interface between the line and spade end. Time to try the margin with corn but I think the water was so clear that the Carp wouldn’t come in so close. So after feeding GB for the last time and after three Ronnie’s I hooked another Carp which luckily was only a small one 7lb 9oz which was landed just after the “All out”.
 
My Silvers weighed 10-08-0 bringing my total to 18lb 1oz. This put me fourth in the Silvers and sixth overall.
 
The match was won by Bob “Medium Sliced” Price (pictured right with his catch) with four Carp for 39lb 8oz from peg 35. Two consecutive wins now for this peg. Bob caught down his RH margin with various baits.
 
The Silvers was won by Chris Rolfe (pictured right with his catch) with 18lb 3oz from peg 48. Chris caught at 11.5 metres fishing red maggot over GB. Chris’s catch included an unseasonable 4lb Tench.
 
Full Result:
 
  1. Bob Price 39-08-0 peg 35
  2. Charlie Barnes 37-11-0 peg 66
  3. Alan Jones 20-06-0 peg 47
  4. Paul Dicks 18-14-0 peg 61
  5. Chris Rolfe 18-03-0 peg 48
  6. Mike Nicholls 18-01-0 peg 42
Top Silvers:
 
  1. Chris Rolfe 18-03-0 peg 48
  2. Paul Dicks 12-08-0 peg 61
  3. Alan Jones 11-06-0 peg 47
  4. Mike Nicholls 10-08-0 peg 42
Weigh Sheets:
 
 

Sunday 17 November 2013

Sunday 17/11/2013 - Viaduct Silvers League - Round Four - Campbell, Carey and Lodge

How many times have we told our Children and Grand Children to watch the swing in the play ground? I wish I heeded this myself Friday when one of my Granddaughters jumped off the swing I was pushing only for the swing to hit me above the eye – more plastic stitches!!
 
Bela and I went out for a beer yesterday to watch the rugby we ended up in the Oldland Chinese and both ended up with tickly tummies all day – never, ever going in there again. I said the same seven years ago!
 
Breakfast in Canards Well and after we nearly had our Sunday lunch passing three road kill sheep. Bela refused to stop.
 
In to the draw bag and out comes peg 118 on Campbell. I wasn’t unhappy about the peg as it has been above average so far in the league.
 
I set up three rigs one 4x14 jolly with 16 hook for fishing at 11.5 metres at 2 o clock and the same except with a 20 hook to be fished at 1 o clock. Finally I set up a 4x12 jolly for the LH margin, which I didn’t expect to use.
 
The 2 o clock swim was for caster over caster and the other long swim was for GB laced with Pinkie. The same rig was OK for the 5 metre line out in front for the Ronnie’s on Pinkie over GB and Pinkie. Having fed all the lines except the margin I started on the short line with Pinkie on the hook. I started to catch small Ronnie’s straight away, but they were small and shipping back even this close was too slow. So as no one was really catching much I set up a 4 metre whip with a small waggler. This sped things up. But my bubble burst when Gary O Shea on next peg 119 had a run of Perch to 4lb down the edge at 7 metres on caster. So I went out over the caster but could only catch more Ronnie’s. Interestingly enough I couldn’t get a bite over the Pinkie and GB long line.
 
I thought I would try and catch some Perch down to the Left up to the brambles. With double caster on the hook and a few casters in the kinder cup I had five small Carp in five put in with fifteen minutes before I gave it up. The problem was that the Carp are small here so you have to go careful in case it’s a Tench or Perch they weren’t.
 
After a few more Ronnie’s on the Whip I tried the long caster line which I had by now fed ½ pint of casters only to catch more Ronnie’s.  I decided to sit on double maggot over long Pinkie and GB line and not a bite although I was getting some liners. I switched to single caster over the line and had two Tench and a Skimmer straight off. It went quite so I re fed and pestered the Ronnie’s again. Back put with single caster and all I could now catch on both long lines was Ronnie’s.
 
I weighed 10lb 4oz for a section 5th .That said it was close for the section double defaults!!
 
The match was won by Tony Rixon from peg 94 with 26lb 11oz. See his blog for the full story…
 
Runner up was Gary O Shea (pictured right with his catch of mainly big Perch) with 19lb 7oz from peg 119 (next to me). As explained earlier Gary’s catch consisted of mainly Perch.
 
Bela did well from Monk peg 64 on Lodge picking up a section win and 2nd lake overall with 15lb 8oz. However, Bela didn’t make it easy for himself. Some dog walkers came past whilst he was fishing the waggler so he jammed the rod under his leg whilst he lifted is pole out of the way. The rod then got pulled in by a Carp which towed it around, until Matt Parsons two pegs down caught the rods top eye with his straight lead. Bela played the Carp and Matt netted it for him. The waggler was rested for the rest of the match!!
 
Full Result:
 
  1. Tony Rixon 26-11-0 peg 94
  2. Gary O’Shea 19-07-0 peg 119
  3. Adrian Jeffery 18-04-0 peg 124
  4. Steve Tucker 18-03-0 peg 90
  5. Steve Jackson 15-13-0 peg 100
  6. Mark Brennan 15-11-0 peg 55
  7. Steve Kedge 15-09-0 peg 103
  8. Bela Bakos 15-08-0 peg 64
 Weigh Sheets:
 
 

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Tuesday 12/11/2013 - Acorn Open - Paddocks

Bitterwell Lake opened Saturday. Hence I had a walk round on Monday afternoon and found my old work mate and commercial house team mate Dick Hodges (pictured right with his waggler caught silvers) fishing on the road side – River Avon must be flooded then. Dick is now 70 and looks younger. That said he looked 69, twenty years ago! We had a good chat catching up on our respective families etc…
 
As I didn’t have to pick up the granddaughters from school I thought I would have a trip down to Acorn – Paddocks. The weather was very mild for the time of year but it was too bright and flat calm for my liking. The turn out wasn’t too bad with 13 booked which ended up as 12 because Barry Fitchew didn’t turn up.
 
In to the draw bag and the first ping pong slipped from my grasp the second stuck unfortunately as it happened. Peg 3 on the island. Initially I wasn’t unhappy with the peg s I picked up last time I was on it. Then Mike Chapman told me that pegs 1, 2, 3 and 4 hadn’t been fishing that well. Still went to the peg with a bounce and with plenty of optimism.
 
I set up a 4 x16 Jolly to be fished down the inside shelf at 5 metres with maggot over GB in case I can’t catch Carp. The usual Ronnie rig and a corn/ double caster rig for the margin.
 
I started by feeding a small ball of GB at 5 metres, staring on the caster over caster on the Ronnie rig. I was soon landing my first Carp. Followed quickly by another two – and that was it the swim cpmpletely died. So I tried the corn over the caster, although I missed a couple of bites I didn’t add anything. 3 hours were soon gone and I hadn’t added a thing to the net. So I decided to fish the last 2 ½ hours at 5 metres for the Silvers. The sum total was one Tench, five small Skimmers. I did lose a better Skimmer trying to clear away a Peacock that was in the way of shipping back! With half hour to go I had three more quick Carp in consecutive put in’s. It was noticeable how the air temperature had fallen over this period too – frost tomorrow?
 
My six small Carp weighed 13lb 12oz and my few Skimmers 4lb12oz for a total of 18lb 8oz fro nearly last and the worse days fishing that I have had at this fishery.
 
The match was won by Dave Wride (pictured right with part of his catch) with 98lb 4oz from peg 27. Dave caught on 3 mm expander over 4’s and micros, catching over and down his RH margin.
 
The Silvers was won by organiser Mike “Santa” Chapman (pictured lower right with his catch and smiling well nearly) with 17lb 4oz from bridge peg 22. Mike caught on maggot down both his right and left hand margins
 
Full Result:
 
  1. Dave Wride 98-04-0 peg 27
  2. Kev Perry 92-08-0 peg 24
  3. Gary Etheridge 87-10-0 peg 36
  4. Mike Chapman 82-03-0 peg 22
  5. Chris Davis 57-10-0 peg 5
  6. R Healy 49-09-0 peg 40
Top Silvers:
 
  1. Mike Chapman 17-04-0 peg 22
  2. Kevin Jefferies 10-0-0 peg 9
Weigh Sheet:
 
 

Thursday 7 November 2013

Thursday 07/11/2013 - Bathampton AA - Over 55's and Disabled - Bridge Pool

Because of the earlier draw time Bob and I didn’t have time for our usual Asda Breakfast, instead we sat in traffic at the “Man with two Heads” traffic lights. We will be going via the back lanes next match.
 
A new Coffin Dodger was introduced – Mr. Paul Dicks – very welcome – we always let the new comers win the first match! This put the numbers today up to 29, not bad for November.
 
In to the draw bag and out comes peg 14. Happy with this where I thought I could catch a few Skimmers. I set up two Jolly’s, one 4 x16 in 9 foot of water at 7 metres and a 4x14 for the LH margin. The margins on this peg are limited to the top set because of the trees along the bank, but they do provide cover which would help as the colour had fallen out.
 
The 7 metre line was fed with a golf ball of GB with a few pinkies and the margin a cup of caster (I am trying to wean myself off of paste). I started over the GB with single dead red and had a few small Skimmers plus lots of indications from very very tiny Ronnie’s that couldn’t even pull the float under. So it was in to the margin with a single caster and I had a run of better Ronnie’s and a Perch before the swim died. The Carp had arrived and I played one until I had enough letting the hook pull out trying to keep it out of the roots of the RH tree. The writing was on the wall which I choose unconsciously to ignore switching to being further frustrated by the tiny Ronnie’s in the hope that the big Skimmers would move in – they didn’t.
 
So back in the margin with double caster and I land a 13lb Mirror. So the score  was one all which didn’t last long. What happened over the last two hours drove me mad:
 
Carp 3: Foul hooked – hook pulled.
Carp 4: Could get the number four on quick enough and it broke the line. These bloody disable platforms limit you to the length you can fish in the margin because of the high side barriers – nothing a chain saw couldn’t sort out.
Carp 4: I played it for a while but lost it because I had not pulled the line tight down on the hook shank and the line pulled over the spade – bad angling me thinks.
Carp 5: A big Common which I had played out only for it to go under the platform (doesn’t happen usually on this venue). I managed to thread the top set through the side arms of the platform then through the leg which meant letting the top set go which worked, the fish was mine – alas not as the manoeuvre had caught the line around the kinder pot. I was now playing the Carp without elastic; I tried three times to untangle the line, but didn’t do the obvious of just pulling the kinder pot off onto the elastic and therefore ended up losing that lot.
Carp 6: Landed this one.
Carp 7: Foul Hooked with the hook pulling free.
Carp 8: Foul hooked with the hook length breaking on the knot.
Carp 9: Foul Hooked with the hook pulling free.
Carp 10: Played it for a while before the hook broke – first time for a while.
Carp11: Just before the whistle a small Mirror carp landed safely.
 
It was EMOTIONAL.
 
Whilst I was playing the last Carp I heard “fish on” from Martin “I left my car windows open in the car wash” Alexander. I watched him net a fifteen pounder only for the head of his landing net to fall of. Luckily enough the fish was still attached and with the aid of Mike Jones’s landing net got it on to the scales which gave Martin a pick up overall by default of £3 – not quite enough for a new net!!
 
My Silvers weighed 4lb 12oz and my three Carp 28lb 14oz for a total of 33lb 10oz for 5th overall.
 
The match was won by new Dodger Paul Dicks (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 67lb 11oz from peg 28. Paul initially caught long on the pole using worm over net worm in GB. Paul later switched to his RH margin in to the bay and landed Carp to 19lb 14oz on corn over caster.
 
The Silvers was won by Chris Rolfe (pictured lower right with his impressive catch of Skimmers) with 22lb from peg 16. Chris initially fed a few balls of GB but found it more productive to kinder maggot and caster at 7 metres switching between caster and maggot hook bait.
 
Full Result:
 
  1. Paul Dicks 67-11-0 peg 28
  2. Paul Haines 57-02-0 peg 29
  3. Bill Ferris 43-12-0 peg 26
  4. Rich Coles 36-12-0 peg 15
  5. Mike Nicholls 33-10-0 peg 14
  6. Mike Jones 28-06-0 peg 7
 Top Silvers:
 
  1. Chris Rolfe 22-0-0 peg 16
  2. Mike Jones 17-06-0 peg 7
  3. Rich Coles 11-08-0 peg 15
 Weight Sheets:
 
 

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Wednesday 06/11/2013 - Avon Angling Open - Plantation - Match Lake

I was told that Bitterwell Lake would be open Monday so took a drive over to have a look see. However, I found all the gates locked and no sigh of fishery men nor workmen. The fishing platforms are still to be installed. That said the fishery has been really tidied up as picture upper right.
 
After an average breakfast in the cafe I had plenty of time to have a walk round and found that the fishery seems to have gone mad with signs (see picture right I counted 15 signs in the picture)!
 
In to the draw landing net and out come peg 19. This peg is at the far end on a point with a shortish island chuck. I have not drawn this peg before but always fancied it for the Silvers. I was hoping the Ronnie’s would feed today so set up the usual Ronnie rig and a 4 metre whip with a tiny waggler, both rigs to fish caster over caster. I also set up a Skimmer rig to be fished at 7 metres. Finally I set up a paste rig for the LH margin – this was a mistake and should have used another caster rig for the marginal Perch.
 
I started by cupping in a walnut size of my Skimmer GB with six dead reds. I started on the Ronnie rig and after five minutes knew that they weren’t going to be active missing two bites and net one. Disappointingly I switched to the Skimmer rig and caught a few more Ronnie’s before landing five Skimmers. Just when you think you got it cracked things change, as my next fish was a small Common Carp. This appeared to up set the swim so after re-feeding I had a go on the whip catching the odd Ronnie on single caster. Back out on the Skimmer line only to find it had really slowed down. So I put in a few wetted micros and with 3mm expander on the hook had another Skimmer, a Tench and another bloody Carp. So after feeding I tried the margin with paste over the 4 mm hard pellet I had been loose feeding and landed two quick Carp and that was it from this line. I spent the rest of the match scratching around for the odd Ronnie catching a foul hooked Perch in the process. My Carp weighed 18lb 4oz and my Silvers 12lb 7oz for a total of 30lb 11oz. This scraped me in to 2nd Silvers by default - thanks to the "Fish on" - "All Out"!! Rixon.
 
The match was won by Nick Collier (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 92lb 10oz from peg 31. Nick caught most of his carp from his LH margin using caster over caster. Nick fed 4 pints throughout.
 
The Silvers was won by Steve Kedge with 17lb 8oz from peg 27. Steve mainly Ronnie’s fishing caster over caster fishing short to his Left.
 
Full Result:
 
  1. Nick Collier 92-10-0 peg 31
  2. An-Ton Page 85-02-0 peg 35
  3. Tony Rixon 81-9-0 peg 4
  4. Rod Wotton 71-07-0 peg 7
  5. Tim Clark 67-09-0 peg 8
  6. Chris Fox 40-01-0 peg 26
Top Silvers:
 
  1. Steve Kedge 17-08-0 peg 27
  2. Tony Rixon 13-0-0 peg 4
  3. Mike Nicholls 12-06-0 peg 19
Weigh Sheet:
 
 

Monday 4 November 2013

Sunday 03/11/2013 - Viaduct Silvers League - Round Three - Campbell, Carey and Lodge Lakes

Mrs Helen Long (picture pending) thought I was a bit harsh about her platforms on Campbell Lake. Today I was drawn on Carey and it was the second best platform that I have fished from – no swimming today!
 
Apparently the chef (Nick) from Canards Well is looking to take over the Viaduct café in the New Year. If the food is as good as we had today it should be popular especially as he expecting keep the price for a full breakfast to £5.
 
In to the draw tin and out comes peg 94. I was reasonably happy with this but have had good and bad days from this peg. I set up two 4x14 jolly’s, one for double caster on a 16 - 808 hook the other for single maggot or double Pinkie on a 20 – 808. The usual Ronnie rig was set up which I was hoping would be my main attack. Finally I set up a 4x12 Jolly for the RH margin in anticipation of Perch on double caster (this rig stayed dry).
 
Over the last few matches the fishing has been slowly adjusting to the seasonal changes so I decided to reduce the initial GB feed and build the swim slowly and not feed neat caster until I was sure the “Water Pigs” weren’t active. So I initially fed a walnut ball of GB with a few Pinkies at 7 metres out in front – negative perhaps but you can’t take it out once it in. I started on the Ronnie’s rig with single caster over loose fed caster and after catching just three in the first 15 minutes it was disappointing to find that they weren’t going to feed in any numbers. I put this down to that the colour has dropped out a bit, plus some very heavy overnight rain. So ii was out over the GB line with singe dead red and I caught straight off small Skimmers (4oz) and small Ronnie’s. I had no evidence that the Carp were particularly active so fed a pot of Caster at 7 metres at 3 o clock. After upping the GB feed I tries the double caster and had a 12oz Perch, a 6oz Skimmer and a Ronnie before it died. So after re-feeding it was back out on the GB which again the up a mix of small Skimmers and Ronnie’s. I kept topping up ever increasing the amount of feed.  Did finally get three decent Skimmers to 1 ½ lb. As there was some blowing over the caster which I was hoping was Skimmers but deep down knew it more likely to be Carp. Correct, two hook lengths later I re-fed the line with a big pot of casters and abandoned it. I suspect the fed didn’t last long as more Carp were soon blowing over them. Back out on the GB line with double Pinkie and a few 6ox Skimmers until we arrive at Carp o clock and in the last hour I didn’t have another Silver just Carp – bugger. I think if I could have kept a few more fish coming in this last hour I would have finished higher that 4th in the section with my 14lb 6oz as only 20 lb won the section.

I think I was lucky to escape further chaos from Carp intrusions, because the Thursday Cost cutter was won from my peg with 248lb!!
The match was won by “Little” Joe McMahon (pictured right) with 40lb 11oz catch of Tench from peg 110 on Campbell lake. Joe caught on double caster over loose fed caster down to the tree stump to his left. If there is any angling manufactures/agents wanting to sponsor a good young angler they need not look any further than Joe. I thought I had best mention this as Joe doesn't always keep his blog up to date.

Full Result:
 
  1. Joe McMahon 40-11-0 peg 110
  2. Phil Cardwell 33-10-0 peg 77
  3. Andy Neal 23-14-0 peg 127
  4. Gary O’Shea 22-09-0 peg 85
  5. Tony Rixon 21-15-0 peg 119
  6. Mash 21-06-0 peg 78
Weigh Sheets: