Tuesday 17/06/2014 - Acorn Fishery - Cost Cutter - Paddocks

Monday was our day off from match fishing so Glenn pleasured fished Match Lake (pictured right) and couldn’t get through the F1’s to the bigger fish with his paste. Martyn fished outside the Lodge (pictured lower right) and couldn’t get through the Skimmers with his paste. I wondered round the venue and met up with Ian Parsons to look at the new Sensas Slim series 3 poles. Although an excellent pole it wasn’t as slim as I hoped.

Today we were off to the Acorn cost cutter fished on Paddocks. The match weights have gradually been creeping up so it

promised to be a good match and we weren’t disappointed.

We were joined by Mark Tanner and later in the match by Bog runner Tim Ford. Glenn’s drawing arm came back pulling bridge peg 34. Mark peg 6, Martyn peg 11 and myself peg 29.

I was a little disappointed with my draw but had high hopes because the unusual NNE wind was blowing towards that end. It always appears to be windy on this venue. Arriving at the peg my left hand margin was clear of any scum but fishing it meant facing the wind. The RH margin contained some scum which looked as if it would gradually disperse. So after setting up a 5 metres out in front paste rig which was only got used to fend off the bloody free range chickens. I set up a margin paste rig and a 4x12 jolly also for the margin but for caster.

 So it was to be my top set to the RH margin for the full match. The scum did clear but because the wind was blowing up both legs of the lake the cuttings from the sedges was ending up in my peg. For the first two hours this frustrated the hell out of me because I had to keep scooping it out. Could anglers coming armed with shears not throw their cuttings in the lake because it will end up in someone’s peg. For me its simple to pull the sedges back over the bank and lays my pole holdall over it and after the match the Sedges just returns to where it was. At Hillview Fishery Keith Hill doesn’t allow any cutting of his margin vegetation – food for thought here.

I started on caster and caught straight away small Carp averaging 3lb. But because of the floating sedges I had to switch to the heavier paste rig. This still produced fish but I was foul hooking some because the margin is deep running off to full depth very steeply. After two hours I could get back on the caster. I then had one hell of a run catching on the drop and just off bottom. The fish did back off occasionally but always return after 15 minutes or so. With 10 minutes to go my 18 - 808 hooked had to be reshaped because it had straightened, if it wasn’t so close to the end I would normally change it. After the whistle Tim Ford had a go and hooked a bigger fish and broke the hook.

My 40 or so Carp weighed 120lb 11oz and my Silvers 11lb 4oz for a total of 131lb 15oz which reversed the pole position from last year, with me finishing runner up to matey Glenn Bailey.

Glenn (pictured right with the runner up) weighed 151lb 8oz from Bridge peg 34. He had 60 carp ranging from 1lb to 5lb mainly on paste away from the bridge due to the number of F1’s and small Carp around the bridge.

The Silvers was won by John Barker from the other side of the Bridge from Glenn with 34lb 8oz of mainly F1’s. John had to go early to get his chickens in so no pictured or details on how he caught.

The four of us fishing had a very productive day landing over 430lb between us - a memorable day especially the carvery at Brent house on the way back to Viaduct.

Full Result:

1. Glenn Bailey Bridge 151-08-0 peg 34
2. Mike Nicholls 131-15-0 peg 29
3. Andy Shields 107-04-0 peg 36
4. Mike Fisher 99-07-0 peg 12
5. Martyn Woodington 97-06-0 peg 11
6. Pete Lasson 92-03-0 peg 25

Top Silvers:

1. John Barker 34-08-0 peg 33
2. Andy Shields 22-04-0 peg 36

Weigh Sheets: