Sunday 15/06/2014 - Avon Angling Float Only - Landsend - Specimen, Match and Sidney Lakes

We managed to get Martyn as reserve into Avon Angling Float Only League to be fished at Landsend. On the way we had breakfast at the newly refurbished Bear Hotel in Street. They have done a good job as the restaurant is a lot brighter; however, they have stopped the buffet style breakfast.

Another beautiful June day, where else in be world would you rather be. Tony Rixon was in his usual piss taking mode – mainly me. I have to give credit where credits due, Tony runs a great league and although he works in a tackle shop and has a reasonable amount of time to deal with fickle match fraternity it’s still hard frustrating work getting all the pegs filled. He also does most of the weighing in. Oh yes he can fish a bit too.

I get amazed at the response of some anglers after they have drawn their pegs, yes we all get a bit despondent at some pegs we draw but you have to make the best of what you’re given and try and talk the peg up adding some optimism. We had the Gimp who after drawing a peg on Sidney’s go straight home because of the lack Silvers. Chris Fox also threw a tantrum as he drew Sidney’s but was embarrassed later when be weighed 81lb. Have something to moan about if they drew the peg pictured right!

In to the draw box and out comes peg 32 far corner of Specimen Lake. The Lake hadn’t fished that well throughout the winter so has been left out of the open matches. I was lucky with this draw because the corner pegs had been producing a few Carp. For company on peg 31 I had fellow oldie Paul Blake – great company – it might be something to do with age but we do think very much alike about fishing and some of the new techniques currently being employed.

Arriving at the peg I knew the end bank margin was going to be my banker so I set up 9 metres of pole and laid it across to the ban and fault through the overgrowth and cleared away the Cow Parsley which is easy to remove. On hindsight I should have clear branches away from beneath the water.

I set up a 4x12 Jolly for the LH margin and end bank to fish caster over caster if the fishing got hard, a 4x12 jolly to fish out in front also at 9 metres for the Silvers. Then two paste rigs one full depth out in front and the other for both margins which were the same depth at three footish.

I started a usual at the mo on the 4mm semi hard over a big pot of hard 4’s and was disappointed when the float again just sat staring at me. After 30 minutes nothing so I re-fed another big pot and started to lose feed 4’s into my end bank swim with the catty. I had been lose feeding casters into the LH margin so in desperation tried the caster and had a run of small Perch. I then noticed a big blow over the 9 metre swim so went out with the paste which would surly produce a Carp. But amazingly enough – nothing now even a Ronnie tremble or liner. Now two hour in to the match and I was going nowhere. So all used lines abandoned with the focus on my banker. So out went the paste rig with a few 4’s for company in the kinder pot and a bit first put in on the drop – a Chub – another – another and then a Crucian.

Next put in I hooked a Carp which did me in the end bank. I walked around to retrieve my rig and found a tree branch on the water which luckily came away readily because it had become petrified. This meant disrobing the swim which took 20 minutes to recover. From then on I caught Carp averaging 5lb regularly through out the match limiting my losses to five Carp.

My Silvers weighed 6lb 4oz and my 22 Carp 111lb 6oz for a third in the match 117lb 10oz total.

The match was won by Gary O’Shea (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 125lb 1oz from opposite me on peg 33. Gary a good first “Slappy Hour” catching on hard pellet up in the water and down to his end margin.

The Silvers was won by the man in blue Steve Tucker from peg 36 with 31lb 14oz. Steve caught on meat over meat. It is good to see this peg producing Silvers again.

Glenn’s run came to an end on peg 24, he didn’t ask me to mention this!!

Full Result:

Weigh Sheets: