Silverfox Match Angling: Sunday 25/01/2015 - Hillview Open

Sunday, 25 January 2015

Sunday 25/01/2015 - Hillview Open - Moorhen, Heron, Canals One and Four

I could have fished either Saturday or Sunday, with Saturday being forecast as cold and bright I went for Sunday which was to be overcast and 7 to 10 degrees. As it happened Saturday was right but Sunday very similar.

I had planned to go to Hillview on my own. However, after meeting up with Glenn Bailey in the pub on Saturday he decided to come along. I think it was the orange juice and lemonade that persuaded him!

Glenn and I had one of Keith’s very tasty Duck egg and bacon toasties, Billy didn't get any of mine relying instead on softy Glenn again.

For some reason I was the only one prepared to fund the Silver pool so didn’t bother. Just as we were to draw Mike West and Tom Mangnall arrived up from deep Somerset – nice to see them here. Considering the conditions it was a good turn out with 31 booked in.

I was hoping to be on one of the Canals. In to the woolly hat and out comes peg 15 on Moorhen - bugger, which is one from the nearside end corner peg. Nev Groves informed me that it wasn’t a good winter peg. Umm!

Arriving tat the peg I was disappointed to find the icy wind blowing in at me. This peg I think is the deepest on the whole venue with near eight foot at 9 metres. This is where I set up a 4x16 Jolly. However, I didn’t hold out too much hope for believing it was too deep for the wintery conditions with ice having been on the pool in previous days (cold water being heavier than warm). I then set up a 4x14 jolly to be fished down to the empty platform also at 9 metres to my left. I set the float at a depth 3 foot and plumbed up until I found that depth which was about 2 metres from the platform.

I started on the long line feeding some dead red maggot. After 30 minutes and no bites I was forced to change because on the sun on the water. So it was down to the left with various baits over kindered micro. Which for another 90 minutes gone I didn’t have a bite except for two plastic bags!

The sun disappeared behind the clouds at the same time I added another pole section taking me to 10 metres down to the left. I kept a few maggot and micro going in and I at last caught my first fish a Rudd!! I stayed on the line for the rest of the match adding a few more Rudd and seven F1’s. On my last put-in I hooked a 8 pounder which after playing it to a standstill the hook pulled. It wasn’t financially important but it would have made my 17lb a bit more respectable.

I did enjoy today as I had to really work hard for the fish.

The venue fished hard with only 22 out of the 31 troubling the scales.

The match was won by Andy Griff (pictured right) from peg 32 with 52lb 8oz. Andy fished at both 5 metres and 10 metres using either pellet or maggot over micro and maggot on both lines, Andy caught mainly F1’s on the short line and bigger Carp on the longer line.

Full Result: