Monday, 21 July 2014

Sunday 20/07/2014 - Avon Angling Top Six League - Round Two - Chiltern Trinity - Woodlands

I currently have lost most of the strength and movement in my left shoulder, my landing net arm. Having tried the arm out I considered not going, but was swayed by the fact there was the small Silvers to go after where the net would be unnecessary.

It was a diversion away from my favourite Hill Top café to Shipham where Bela can get the bigger breakfast.

The fishery has suffered from a virus closing for a few weeks losing about 200 Carp. I don’t get over worried about these events because I think its nature’s way of ensure a sustainable balance of fish life.  As the results show the fishing hasn’t been affected, in fact I would go as far as to say it may have improved.

On the way to the fishery Bela started on about not wanting to draw the near bank – Dummkopf – and where did he end up on peg 28, his wild talk also influenced me into peg 25. I really didn’t mind as I can catch the small fish from any peg. For company I had Tony Rixon on peg 24 – pictured right praying and making sacrifices to the margin Gods before the start. It is normally beneficial to have Tony in your section as he usually frames in effect reducing the section numbers by one!

Even though it was a short pole match (top set plus three) I only set up two top sets one with paste in the RH down wind (which was very strong) margin and the Ronnie rig for the same margin.

I had another practice with the landing net which confirmed my thinking of targeting the Silvers even though it would mean conceding to Steve Seagar whom I had drawn in the knockout.

So it was single caster over loose fed caster on the Ronnie rig to hand. I normally feed with my left hand so I had to switch to the right which slowed my feeding and catching rate. I was further slowed by the time it took to find a caster that was big enough for the fish to see. It was a small Ronnie’s, Rudd and tiny Skimmers non stop for four hours during which I also had three small Carp and braking on a fouler.

I can tell when Carp arrive as the bites get iffy on the caster and it was at this time that I switched to the paste and had three Carp in three put in again losing a couple of foulers. It was really slow playing the fish as I had to play them until they were laid out on the surface. It was pain full for me and I guess to watch. So it was back on the caster until the last half hour when the Carp arrived in numbers. On to the paste over kindered hard 4’s and I added another three Carp. By the time I landed the last one I had found a way of minimising the shoulder pain and was left thinking that it might had been better for section points and knockout if I found this method before the start. That said if I hadn’t fished for Carp I would have added the few ounces I needed to win the Silvers instead of second spot. Nonetheless I did pick up coin which is one of the main missions. It’s all about making the right decisions.

"Match anglers never get to pass a winning line".

My 300 odd Silvers went 17lb 12oz (Ave; 1 ½ oz) and my nine Carp 38lb 9oz for a total of 56lb 5oz.

The match was by Shaun Townsend (pictured right with some of his catch) with 121lb from peg 9. Shaun caught on meat in both his margins and with spells shallow out in front.

The Silvers was won by Clint “Primark” Wojtyle (pictured right with the match winner - who apparently paid £60 for three pairs of underpants) with 18lb 6oz from peg 11. Clint caught shallow on caster out in front.

Full Result:

  1. Shaun Townsend 121-0-0 peg 9
  2. Tony Rixon 106-05-0 peg 24
  3. Paul Elms 105-06-0 peg 30
  4. Chris Fox 87-08-0 peg 29
  5. Steve Segar 79-03-0 peg 13
  6. Leon Hubbard 73-12-0 peg 14
Top Silvers:

  1. Clint Wojtyle 18-06-0 peg 11
  2. Mike Nicholls 17-12-0 peg 25 (+1 Ronnie not weighed and +2 dried up in net in morning – still not enough)
  3. Tom Mangnel 17-05-0 peg 23

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