Silverfox Match Angling: Thursday 28/05/2015 - Tony Rixon and Mike Jones Cost Cutter - Avalon

Friday, 29 May 2015

Thursday 28/05/2015 - Tony Rixon and Mike Jones Cost Cutter - Avalon - Match Lake

I missed the last Thursday Avalon match due to holidays so was looking forward to getting down there again with “Two Pots”. Vic Bush has done a great job developing the Match Lake into a very competitive match venue. Take your pick – Silvers or Carp either way you will get a great days fishing – A real mixed fishery in species and size.

First a stop at Shipham for breakfast where the piss take began from ring leader Rixon all centred on the stitches in my head (pictured right) from a recent operation. I certainly wouldn’t let this Surgeon tie my fishing knots!!

In to the enormous draw bag and after 5 minutes rummage found a swim card putting me on end peg 23. Tony had this peg the last time I was here and had issues with snags. However, it was unlikely that I would be fishing as far as he did! Arriving at the peg the cold NW wind that has been spoiling our spring weather was blowing off my left shoulder and was exceptionally cold today. There were signs of Carp midway along the end bank reachable by rod and line – not for me. There were also signs of plenty of feeding Ronnie’s, close in too. Reading across from last Sundays match where the Skimmers and to some extent the Carp didn’t feed but the Ronnie’s did this could be a good sign.

I set up the Ronnie rig, followed by a 4x16 Jolly to be fished at 6 metres for the Skimmers and a margin top-set paste rig for the Left hand side. With the Ronnie’s active I decided against the semi hard pellet as the blighters are experts at nicking the bait before anything else gets a chance. Instead I went for worm hook bait over caster and a smidgen of chopped worm on the Jolly. After 20 minutes I only had one tiny Perch and with no signs of blowing I decided to put a big pot of wetted micro in at 7 metres and watch for any signs of activity – which throughout there was none. In the meantime I started after the Ronnie’s with single caster on an 808 size 16, initially starting down the left hand side at full depth. I was soon surprised how big some of the Ronnie’s were from 3 to 12oz. The inside slowed probably because of Carp nosing about. So I switch to out in front gradually shallowing up to 18 inches but catching at about 4 inches deep. I was really in my element enjoying every moment. With 10 minutes to go and having fed less than a pint I spied a swirl in the left hand margin which I had be loose feeding with hard 4’s thinking it might be a Skimmer as it wasn’t that big. So in went the paste rig and before it hit bottom I was playing the fish – a bloody small Carp. Two more put-ins with paste and two more small Carp.

I reckon based on 6 fish to the pound and 6lb per hour and 222 fish I had 36 lb but was hoping for 40lb!! My three Carp weighed 10lb 2oz and my Ronnie’s went 37lb 10oz (my net of Ronnie’s (pictured centre) for first in the Silvers and sixth overall.

Packing up I noticed that my 808 hook was still as sharp as when I started and will probably get used again! However, when I stood up I had a “Pensioners stumbled” and because I don’t used my top-set tidy they tend to get spread all over, so I had to start a Highland dance around them to prevent stepping on one, but I am two footed dancer so one top-set got it – bugger.

Glenn Bailey (Silverfox) - (pictured right with some of his catch) won the match with 108lb from peg 16. Glenn started on the waggler over to the island bay catching five small Carp on banded pellet. He then switched to the pole at 13 metres catching a few more and whilst he had a time out put the lead out to the island catch a couple more Carp. Switching back to the pole in the last hour bagged bigger carp to doubles figures close in.

Another double bubble for the car and a Pinky Ponk soon followed.

Full Result: