Thursday 30/07/2015 - Tony Rixon's Float Only Practice Match - Sedges - Brick Lake

Two Pots driving today toTony Rixon’s Float only Practice match at Sedges. We stopped at Hill Tops Café where we were joined by One Chew and seven others fishing today’s match.

On arrival I noticed some anglers fishing on Tile which I thought was the Lake we were fishing. Not being an internet Socialite (also known as Ass Book) I apparently miss the information that in fact we were on Brick Lake. I was a tad disappointed as I didn’t bring any GB.

Eighteen fishing today so two empty pegs.

After the usual warm welcome from Denise and Jamie it was in to the draw box and out comes peg 20 which is in the near far corner (if that makes sense). It’s a strange peg in that it has won the occasional match, but is often a phantom peg. Nonetheless with the wind blowing in to our bank at 1 0 clock I thought Carp would make a show today at some time of the day on the paste.

Two Pots had draw peg 11 the end peg at the other end of my bank. Big Pot had drawn opposite on peg 10 – the paste-end.

I set up just the two rigs – a 0.3 gram paste rig to be fished at 10 metres to the end bank in ever sloping bottom set at 3 foot where I could hold bottom. Next was a 4x16 Jolly for worm hook baits fished over caster, micro and chopped worm feed. I plumbed at various distances from the bank, but because the float was towing with the wind I settled on fishing it short at 5 metres in 8 foot of water. The wind was forecast to be light, got that wrong I was feeling quite cold whilst Big Pot sat shirtless on peg 10.

I fed the end margin with a big pot of hard 4’s followed by a big pot of CWM&C at 5 metrres. Starting on the worm I had a small Skimmer first put in followed by a Ronnie and another tiny Skimmer. I then couldn’t get a bite I was reluctant to re-feed as I had put a fair amount of bait in. On to the paste only to find the Ronnie Nibblers lined up in force. I tried the worm line again to no avail. I spent the rest of the first half on the match trying to avoid the nibblers now feeding hard 4’s through the catty to feed them out and Carp in. It didn’t work.

I set up the Ronnie rig (if you can’t beat them join them) to fish caster over loose fed caster. I caught Ronnie’s and small Skimmers too steady, with nothing over 4oz to make any impact at this stage of the match. I kept trying the paste in to the end bank hoping the Ronnie’s had buggered off – not.

I did have a bit of welcome distraction photographing one of Alan Oram’s Eels (one of my favourite Silvers) must have gone 2lb plus (it’s head pictured upper right - hard to catch and even harder to photograph )

I finished the match with 13lb 3oz for 5^th in the Silvers. If I had fished for the Ronnie’s from the off I think I would have won the Silvers, but who is going to do that in such a peg without considerable hind sight!

The match was won by Glen “Two Pots” Bailey (pictured right with some of his catch) with 122lb 6oz from peg 11. Two pots converted to one pot today only feeding one pint of softened fours with his paste. Glenn fished a comfortable 13 metres landing 19 Carp. More money coming home in the car.

The Silvers was won by Alan Oram (pictured right with the match winner) with 21lb 4oz from peg 19. Alan caught on worm over GB laced with a smidgen of chopped worn]m and caster.

Full Result:

1. Glenn Bailey 122-06-0 peg 11
2. Steve Jackson 93-0-0 peg 7
3. Tom Mangnall 83-04-0 peg 1
4. Gary Flinders 62-09-0 peg 14
5. Dave Bacon 58-01-0 peg 18
6. Tony Rixon 53-02-0 peg 8

Top Silvers:

1. Alan Oram  21-04-0 peg 19
2. Steve Tucker 20-10-0 peg 16

Weigh Sheet:

Tuesday 28/07/2015 - Acorn Fishery Cost Cutter - Paddocks

My turn to drive so thought I would park well away from Glenn “Two Pots” Bailey lawn in case I ran over it again. Glenn had with him something called a method feeder which I tried to stop him putting in my car – it’s a bloody Canal!!

This was my second visit of 2015 to Acorn. Most fisheries have been fishing hard and strange especially now we have changed from hot to cold weather with one months rain in one day and we have now had two days of it.

After breakfast it was in to the draw bag and out comes ping pong ball 12. Excellent, I have always done well off the peg. After dropping of Glenn on bridge peg 33 it was a drive round to park directly behind the peg. I was a bit despondent to find that someone had once again cut the Sedge grass back and although I am sure they tried to collect all the grass there was plenty of residue left to swirl around in my peg with the wind driving it in and out of the peg all day. I really don’t see the need to cut the grass back so much.

I set up three rigs a 0.5 gram paste float for full depth at 5 metres at 2 o clock, a 0.3 gram paste rig for the RH margin to fish on the top set down the second shelf, finally a 4x12 Jolly for caster and or maggot.

I started by potting in half a pot of a mix of micros and 4’s on the full depth rig and started to lightly loose feed the RH margin with caster. Starting on the paste at full depth I had a liner first dop-in. In again and I had small 3lb Carp. First mistake I fed some more pellet and that was it except for a swirl on the surface.

I then tried double caster and did have one quick bite which I missed. Second mistake loose fed some more casters and that was it. I then put the paste over the caster and started to loose feed hard 4’s over the top. Nothing, I was now in struggling territory. I got 13 metres of pole out to fish the maggot down the margin to the new Willow tree. With double maggot on the Jolly I did have a 1 ½ lb F1. However, because of the floating sedge grass I couldn’t keep the rig in for long enough with it being dragged around by the grass and wind.

I went for a walk around the venue and most anglers were struggling including Two Pots – bloody weather.

Returning to the peg I packed away the pole as I decided to fish the match out on the top set and paste fished over hard 4’s with the anticipation the Carp would arrive in time for me to bag up. That didn’t happen adding one more F1 which was 2 ½ lb and six more Carp by fishing both up and down the margin shelfs. For me it was a right struggle.

My F1’s weighed 4lb for second pick-up in the F1 pool and my Carp went 19lb for a miserable total of 23lb.

The match was won Giles Cochran (pictured right with some of his catch) with 88lb 4oz from peg 5. Giles initially caught on the method feeder over the far bank loose feeding pellet over the top. He then switched down his LH margin down the second shelf in 3 ½ foot of water fishing caster hook bait over kindered caster. Giles later moved up the margin catching some better fish again on caster over kindered caster.

Barry Fitchew came a close second catching in a similar fashion to Giles.

The F1 pool was won by match organiser Mike Chapman (pictured right cooking the books) with 6lb from peg 14, all caught on maggot from both his margins.

Glenn also had a bad day, but not all was lost as we stopped in Frenchay for an Indian – scrummy.

Full Result:

1. Giles Cochran 88-04-0 peg 5
2. Barry Fitchew 79-0-0 peg 15
3. Mike Chapman 57-08-0 peg 13
4. Dave Wride 51-13-0 peg 14
5. Mike Owens 45-09-0 peg 26
6. Keith Ray 41-12-0 peg 24

Top F1’s:

1. Mike Chapman 6-0-8 peg 13
2. Mike Nicholls 4-0-0 peg 12

Weigh Sheets:

Thursday 23/07/2013 - Viaduct Cost Cutter - Campbell, Carey and Lodge Lakes

I left the decision to Glenn “Two Pots” Bailey as to whether we went to Avalon or Viaduct. Glenn chose the latter because it was to be a big match due to the Fireman’s national being held there the following day. Indeed it was as there were 51 booked in so Campbell, Carey and Lodge Lakes in the draw Tin.

I woke up feeling knackered as a result of taking the granddaughter swimming Tuesday and from yesterdays match at least I didn’t have to drive that was down to Two Pots. We decided to give Canards Well a miss and try the Highwayman next door. The breakfast was of a similar price, quality good and enough for me and Glenn but not sure Bela would feel sick after he had one! The service was exceptional compared to Canards. I’ll take Bela in there next opportunity and get his verdict, but may have to take a packed lunch.

My goal was to try once again to qualify for the Silvers final; however, The Firemen ran a £5 super pool which I entered in case I drew a Carp Slaying peg. First into the draw tin and out comes peg 127. Not currently a Carp Slaying peg nor and out and out Silvers peg as most of the fish appear to be congregating around the aerators at the moment which are running 14/7. However, Silvers it was to be. Two Pots came away from the draw with peg 124 in his mitts he has won off the peg this year hence the smile and bounce to the peg.

I initially set up the two rigs a 0.4 gram paste float to fish at 9 metres out in front and a 4x12 Jolly to fish the same distance but swung around to 2 o clock. There are so many feed craters that it is difficult to plumb up. The plan was to start on the paste over micro’s for the big Skimmers and to oink out any early bird Carp. If this didn’t work I would switch to CW&C (the worms kindly donated by Chris Davis last Sunday).

Second put in I had a big Skimmer followed by a lost foul hooker. Then the early birds arrived netting two 10 lb Carp. The swim slowed so eagerly onto the CW&C putting in a half pot of worm and caster by equal portions. I did expect to initially get ragged by the Ronnie’s but instead I had two more Skimmers on half a worm and then a 3lb Tench. Looking good I think, until I loose the next three Skimmers and a Tench for reasons unknown to me. This buggered the swim. So with hardly any accidental Silvers showing around the venue, that said I think only a few of us were fishing for them. I set up the Ronnie rig and had a run on them including some hand size Skimmers and Hybrids. It wasn’t long before the margin pigs arrived doing my Ronnie rig. In to the last hour and the Silvers did a complete disappearing act I couldn’t even catch down the margin on single caster which is normally solid with tiny Ronnie’s. Nigel Bartlett came and sat with me for a while being amused by the battering my Silvers rigs were getting from the Carp during Pigging hour. Where ever I put in with worm I hooked a Carp in some part of their anatomy. I didn’t count the total carnage but landed three.

My five Carp weighed 39lb 11oz and my Silvers 22lb 2oz. AT LAST A SILVERS WIN. Mission accomplished through to the all winner final.

The Match was won by Fireman Steve Haywood (pictured above centre with the Silvers winner) with 215lb 7oz from Campbell peg 112. Steve caught on banded hair- rigged 6mm hard pellet fished over hard 4’s. Steve caught most of his Carp down his RH margin towards empty peg 113.

I thought the standard of angling of the Firemen was generally very high.

Two Pots came fourth overall picking up a slender envelope missing out of a fatter one from the super pool by one placing – unlucky. However, the double pick up paid for our fish and chip supper in Whitstone’s in Shepton which rounded off another memorable day.

Happy Birthday Mum.

Full Result:

1. Steve Haywood 215-07-0 peg 112
2. Mark Wynne 197-0-0 peg 125
3. Roy Worth 151-04-0 peg 78
4. Glenn Bailey 144-01-0 peg 124
5. Jez Livsey 143-0-0 peg 68
6. Tony Witcomb 138-07-0 peg 56

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 22-02-0 peg 127
2. Pete Haeto 16-08-0 peg 60
3. Andy Searle 15-12-0 peg 81

Weigh Sheets:

22/07/2015 - Amalgamation Summer League - Round Three - Canal

It was the third in the series however; I missed the second match due to enforced holiday at Bournemouth. After a steady ride down the A38 it was breakfast in Hilltops with Dave, Norm and Pete. I felt hungry so went for the Jumbo.

After a chat with Denise and Jamie over a cup of tea I had a walk around Brick Lake which had the fishery £10 Open Match and all 20 pegs were taken – very popular. Dave Wride was there on peg 3, Steve Kedge on 13 and Paul Locke on peg 16 who advised me to fish paste on the Canal – what else from “Big Pot” not talking pellet pots either!!

In to the draw tin and out comes pink pong ball 48. No emotion. Arriving at the peg there were a large amount of stones exposed on the far bank due to the water level being down at least a foot. Initially I just set up a 4x12 Jolly – 0.14 straight through to a 16 - 808 hook to be fished at 4 metres out in front with initially semi-hard pellet over micro and if that failed a conversion to caster would hopefully keep the Silvers coming. With half hour to go before the start Paul Locke’s advice had to be heeded, so I set up a 0.3 gram paste float to fish over at 10.5 metres (3/4 metre from the far bank) where I found it very shallow at 10 inches! Before the all-in I spied an orange Carp top over on the far bank – Umm.

I started on the semi-hard pellet and micro and caught small – no tiny Skimmers which could hardly pull the float under. It was bites nonetheless however I did have two decent Skimmers. All the while the Orange Carp was showing itself. As the Silvers slowed I changed to caster over caster and had three Barbels in quick succession one was just over the pound. The Orange Carp was still there, so I decided to fetch it our with the paste rig and chinned it first try. Back to the caster and I had another two decent Skimmers. I was then surprised to see another Carp show its nose so with the Silvers slowing I had another go at the Carp and had that one first try.

I all but now abandoned the Silvers and preserved with the Carp on paste fished over semi-hard feed. I caught Carp steady for the rest of the match but my presentation was terrible mainly due to the wind (fished over depth) and the snaggy stones on the bottom (lost two rigs). I did get frustrated with myself because I knew I should and could have done it all a bit better – one of those days.

My few Silvers weighed 9lb 13oz for surprisingly 2^nd in the Silvers and my 9 Carp weighed 38lb 6oz for a 2^nd overall weight of 48lb 3oz - not so bad after all.

The match was won by John Osborne (pictured right with a net of Barbel) with 63lb 14oz from in form peg 63. John caught ay 13.5 metres over to the far bank using hard pellet over pellet.

The Silvers was won by Paul Haines (pictured right reflecting the sun) with 11lb 2oz from peg 50. Paul caught in various places using expander pellet hook bait.

Full Result:

1. John Osborne 63-14-0 peg 63
2. Mike Nicholls 48-03-0 peg 48
3. John Barker 18-10-0 peg 45
4. Pete Greenslade 17-06-0 peg 5
5. Phil Coulam 16-10-0 peg 64
6. Steve Jefferies 16-09-0 peg 59

Top Silvers:

1. Paul Haines 11-02-0 peg 50
2. Mike Nicholls 9-13-0 peg 48

Weigh Sheet:

Sunday 19/07/2015 - Tony Rixon's Float Only - Round Four - Ivy House - New Canal and Match Lakes

Bela arrived early so we didn’t have to queue for breakfast, however, we weren’t first, four before us, but we didn’t wait long. After breakfast I had a walk around the Match Lake because it’s split into two and re-pegged (see pegging map right). I also had a walk along the New Canal (NC) and fancied end peg 18 as there were plenty of fish showing. Plenty of pretty wild flowers about too (pictured lower right).

Tony pegged: Three sections of five on each Lake and two sections of five on the New Canal.

Earlier in the week rain was forecast again for today, luckily a complete change with the weather improving throughout the day. Good news for the anglers that work all week and for the last few weeks had to sit in the pouring rain.

Second into the coffee tin and out comes peg 35, yippee a Skimmers peg – forgetting it had been re-pegged – on old peg 13 it was then - again! This is a strange peg with plenty of uncatchable Carp, which had to be my target because I was still in the knock out, this time drawn against the “Quite Man” – Gordon Cannings who had drawn peg 6.

Once again my peg was afforded plenty of room! I set up two paste rigs – a 0.5 gram to be fished at 5 metres in five foot of water and more or less at the bottom of the shelf the other for the RH margin in 30 inches of water on the top two. Then I set up a 4x16 Jolly to be fished again at 5 metres but with semi-hard 4’s. Finally the Ronnie rig if all failed.

I started by feeding the margin with micro and dead red maggot. Then half a pot of micro and hard 4’s at 5 metres where I was to start the match with paste. First put in I had a 5lb Common Carp (similar start to last time I was on this peg), that was it the Ronnie’s moved in scrapping with the paste. So I switched to the Jolly and semi-hard 4’s, and had a Ronnie and a couple of small Skimmers (same as last time). This was soon abandoned because it was too slow for such small fish. I tried the margin and found lots of nibblers waiting for the paste. I decided to feed the margin heavy in the hope that some Carp would have a “Happy Hour”. Time to have a go with the Ronnie rig with caster where I found I could catch them one a bung, but were 2oz peas in a pod. Not going to win anything with these. I kept trying the margin and the paste line only to encourage more nibbling Ronnie’s.  The writing was on the wall so I decided to stay with the Ronnie rig until I saw some signs in the margin which I kept feeding with Micro and dead reds throughout. I did have a couple of bonus Skimmers and one Tench on the caster in between catching a 2oz Ronnie’s. No sign of Carp in the margin so loads of bait wasted. That was until 5 minutes after the whistle when the margin clouded up, so I stuck on some past and had a Carp straight away which came off – but wouldn’t have counted anyway.

My lonely Carp weighed 4lb 8oz and my Ronnie’s 20lb 7oz for a total of 24lb 15oz for a section second but more importantly knocked well and truly out my the Quite Man – well done Gord.

The match was won by Chris “Shipp” Davis (pictured above centre with a couple of doubles) with an amazing 317lb 11oz from peg 11. Chris caught at 13 metres up to his new end bank using hair rigged 8’s fished over loose fed 6’s. Credit where credit is due - Chris fished a steady match catching regularly through out and only breaking one top-set!! Well done matey could have gone home after the first hour.

The Silvers was won by Steve Tucker from New Canal (NC) peg 10 “The Wides”, with 45lb 12oz. Steve caught at 14.5 metres using either soft pellet or pieces of worm hook bait fished over potted worm and micro.

Bela was came second overall with 81lb 14oz only 236 lb behind the winner!! Still we were able to celebrate once again in Bar-gar-age. Fished a good-un today matey.

The New Canal fished much better than forecast.

Full Result:

1. Chris Davis 317-11-0 peg 11
2. Bela Bakos 81-14-0 peg 39
3. Dick Bull 67-11-0 peg 20
4. Steve Tucker 61-04-0 peg NC10
5. Craig Edmonds 55-14-0 peg 4
6. Martyn Lenaghan 51-08-0 peg 14

 Top Silvers:

1. Steve Tucker 45-12-0 peg NC10
2. Leon Hubbard 40-01-0 peg 17
3. Clint Wojtyle 26-05-0 peg 37

Weigh Sheets:

Thursday 16/07/2015 - Viaduct Cost Cutter - Cary and Lodge Lakes

Lonesome traveller today so decided to breakfast in the Bear Inn which meant driving through Wells. However, on the down hill into Wells there are some temporary traffic lights, unfortunately, on my side they ere stuck on Red!! Luckily because I was at the top of the hill I could see the oncoming traffic so when they stopped I signalled and over took everyone and went through with lots of cars following behind except an old couple at the head of the queue that wasn’t going to move until they changed. Probably still be there.

Nice breakfast and on to the fishery where the match was on Carey and Lodge. So with the sole intent of qualifying for the Silvers all winners final I needed to be on Lodge. In to the draw tin and out comes peg 97, Carp slayers peg on Carey – bugger. That said Steve was paying the top two silvers and overall on both lakes so something to fish for and you never know in this game the Skimmers might not feed – umm.

I set up the Ronnie rig for caster over caster and a 4x12 Jolly for the small skimmers with semi-hard pellet to fish at 5 metres where I could loose feed small knubs of wetted micro. I also set up a paste rig to fetch out any maundering Carp and although I had plenty of opportunity I didn’t bother the paste.

With Mark Vigar on peg 96 and with an empty peg on 98 that was the direction I decided to fish the Ronnie rig.

On the whistle from the match on Campbell I fed a knub of micro at 5 metres ahead of our match even though we were to start at the same time – Woody’s watch is 2 minutes slow to BBC and Campbell time. It took a few seconds before the Carp were doing what they do to create a huge amount of fizzing on he one thumb size.

I started on the caster over loose feed caster and stayed with this for most of the match. When I tried the Skimmer line with semi-hards I would catch two 3 ouncers then the Carp would arrive. So gradually abandoned the line until the last ¾ hours when the Ronnie’s, Perch, Tiny Tench (eight for 5lb) slowed and found the Carp going mental over any feed. If I had to guess I’d say one Carp was waving its tail over the micro to lift them off bottom for its matey’s to feed off them up in the water – not far off with this me thinks.

I finished the match Carpless (two foul hookers) with 25lb 1oz of small Silvers for the Lake Silvers win but as expected lots of Skimmers fed on Lodge, so still to qualify.

The match was won by Mark Wynne (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 135lb 14oz from peg 94. Mark caught most of his fish shallow at 14.5 metres using hair rigged pellet over loose fed 6’s. Mark fed 6 pints of pellet throughout the match.

The Silvers was won by Coffin Dodger Chris Rolfe (pictured lower right with his catch of Skimmers) with 40lb 10oz from Lodge peg 68. Chris caught on hair rigged 6mm hard pellet fish over hard 4’s Chris fed about I pint throughout.

Full Result:

1. Mark Wynne 135-14-0 peg 94
2. J Miles 114-05-0 peg 69
3. Steve Tucker 111-02-0 peg 103
4. Chris Boulton 106-14-0 peg 60
5. Adrian Jeffery 105-10-0 peg 105
6. Bob W 99-01-0 peg 64

Top Silvers:

1. Chris Rolfe 40-10-0 peg 68
2. Mark Hanham 35-0-0 peg 62

Weigh Sheets:

Sunday 12/07/2015 - Tony Rixon Short Pole League - Round Three - Chiltern Trinity - Woodands - Match Lake

First stop Hill Tops Café. Two Chews went for the Belly Buster which should be renamed because Bela didn’t feel sick afterwards. We were joined in the café by One Chew and Two Pots. I have been impressed this year by the wild flora and fauna that surrounds us. I am not sure of its name but I photographed the wild flower (pictured right) outside the café (not domestic Lupine, I think), but really wonderful.

We arrived an hour before the draw but didn’t go for a walk because of the rain. Sunburn yesterday soaking today!!

In to the coffee tin and out comes peg 31. Just to the left of the bridge, short walk then. The shortest walk was for Vic Bush on next peg 30. I was happy with the draw because I had an empty peg to my left – valuable in this league. This is where I was to concentrate most of my match. To the right were some tree roots which I tried to clear with limited success. These Bankside tree are the cause of the significant bank side erosion, they need removing.

With me currently leading the series and still in the knock out drawn today against Paul Elms for the second consecutive week who was in my section on peg 3 but on a lesser peg than mine, so I had to focus on the Carp and forget the Silvers completely. So I set up a 0.4 gram paste rig for the LH margin plus a 4x12 Jolly for … didn’t get used.

Just before it was time to put out the keep nets in I spied a Carp swimming along the LH margin so considered not putting the nets in at the start, but instead decided to slide them in quietly. So started on the paste without feed to try and fetch it out, which happened and a 6lb Common in the net before many had fed!!

I noticed Bela on opposite peg 11 sporting his new Sensas Carp Pole tussling with a Carp under his platform (pictured upper right), luckily the pole was up to the Carp and Bela sausage fingers

It wasn’t going to be that easy for the rest of the match. I soon discovered that the customary loose feeding hard 4’s wasn’t working. After feeding and putting the paste in, the Carp would bow-wave out leaving me frustrated that these fish were never to return (probably not). I switched to kindering hard 4’s for only the same to happen – more bow-waving. A quiet approach need perhaps. So I soaked up some micro and slid them quietly in – no bow waves it wasn’t long before I had a 7lb Carp in the net quickly followed by another. The feeding wasn’t easy to understand but by sneaking in the micro I kept the Carp coming in pairs. However, there were long periods without Carp, but I did have a spree in the last forty minutes adding four quick Carp to my Eleven with a cry of “Fish On” at the whistle.

 

My fifteen Carp weighed in at 108lb 8oz (pictured above right) and my few accidental Silvers weighing a shameful 1lb 8oz, for a total match winning weight of 110lb 2oz.

The Silvers was by matey Vic Bush (pictured right with his net of Skimmers) on next peg 30 with 23lb 9oz. Vic caught on his favoured hook bait of worm fished over Gimps Gold laced with CW&C. Likewise Vic found it unobvious how to feed, but following two Skimmers Vic would then re-feed a ball varying the sizes. It wasn’t easy today. Vic fed about two pints of caster and ¾ kilo of worm.

Full Result:

Weigh Sheets:

Sunday 05/07/2015 - Tony Rixon's Float Only League - Round Three - Landsend Fishery - Specimen, Match and Walters Lakes

Bela arrived this morning in his recently valeted van apparently he took his new girl friend out in it yesterday. We breakfasted at Shipham. Arriving at the fishery and after net dipping walked around Match and Walters Lake which was the Lake I was hoping to fish for three reasons:

1. I always do reasonably well on the Lake resulting in a good days fishing.
2. Nice and open with not too many tree enclosing you (that said there are a few growing a bit too big now.
3. With no diving board platforms you are close to the water which I like, I don’t like looking down on my float.

Any peg on this Lake will do. So I was pleased when I pulled peg 50. I have drawn pegs 50 and 51 many times (still pegs I'm yet to draw) both of which can produce. I had a bounce in my step as I walked the walk to Walters. I had good company on peg 51 “Quiet Man” Gordon Cannings. I had drawn Paul Elms in the knockout that had drawn well on Walters Lake – end peg 58. Paul’s a good angler so wasn’t confident of beating him or the peg.

The rigs were simple just the two. A 4x12 Jolly to fish at 8 metres out in front. I choose to fish here because the wind was blowing off Tealham Moor over my back giving some wind cover. Each side was flat calm sheltered by the bank. A 0.2 Gram paste rig was set-up which served to fish over the Jolly line and in the RH margin on the Double Two top-set. Using a black marker I marked the two depths on the line – one below the float and the other above – obviously.

Whilst setting up Mike Duckett opened his row boat hiring business Ken Rayner first in the queue who had a paddle (pictured right) then Neil Mercer hired it. Not sure why they felt the need to do this – because they could I suppose.

I started on the Jolly lightly kindering some wetted micro with a dash of hard 4’s and with semi-hard 4 on the hook I started to catch Skimmers, Crucian’s and Carp to 3lb. I had a lovely first couple of hours however; the float tip was hard to see at times especially when the ripple mixed with the bright reflected sunlight. I was tempted to move in to calmer waters when the heavens opened up. Although Carol said the showers would be light I did take a fleece and a shower proof jacket – lesson learnt from last Thursday at Viaduct. The whole place went eerily quiet and the slight wind veered, I could now see the float but the bites dried up. I tried the paste over the swim but I could only interest a few nibbling Silvers.

Far too early for the margin I was thinking which I had been sparingly feeding with soaked 4’s (I would normally feed them hard but the rain thought better of it). I then spotted a Carp tail waving at me in a catch me if you can manner. So after a quick adjustment to the paste float in it went on the double two.

Now Tony Rixon has often commented on how crafty the Carp can be at Landsend, today I witnessed it first hand and close up. Although I was attempting to feed ¾ metre from the bank in 2 foot of water the Carp were swimming along tight to the bank in 4-6 inched of water easily visible then picking off the pellets falling short then nosing down the shelf. Of course the first thing the Carp meets isn’t the hook bait it’s the line resulting in the obvious liner, but no foulers. Because I was so close to the action (Tony only see’s it from 16 metres) I saw a Carp come along the bank I fed a couple of 4’s and it tuned immediately devouring them and swimming off 90 degrees to the bank – to the long sighted it would just look like a Carp rising in the swim – all fascinating to see at close quarters but I needed these decent size fish in the keep net. So I stopped loose feeding and started to accurately cup directly above the two foot deep line and then wait. This worked for five consecutive 6lb Carp.

The heavens open again giving me a right soaking but no where near Jim Jenner opposite me who didn’t have a coat and sat through it in his tee shirt I did feel sorry for him. When it rains this hard I wonder what the fish think, is Two Pots loose feeding pellet and react accordingly because after the rain I struggled for bites. So I left the margin and started to loose feed and watch for the “catch me” tails. I decided to do a “Two Pots” on the 8 metre line feeding about as much as I feed in a week in two big pot full’s. With paste on the hook I had two more Carp - Little and Large. The tails came back and I managed one more Carp (a linear) before the all out.

My Silvers weighed 11lb 5oz and my Carp 84lb for a total of 95lb 5oz for a section, Lake Win and 8^th overall, plus I just managed to get through the knockout.

I am really please with the Drennan Acolyte pole especially the “Double Two” kits which was ideal for me today fishing in shallow water. I didn’t have to chase the rig around flapping in the wind.

The match was won by Tony Rixon (pictured below centre with the Silvers winner - I watched the film The Hobbit the other night) with 186lb 4oz from Specimen Peg 38. Tony caught …see is blog for details.

The Silvers was won by Andy Hembrow with 27lb 13oz of Skimmers from Specimen peg 34. Andy caught at 6 metres using 8mm meat fished over meat. Andy feed around three pints throughout the math

Full Result:

1. Tony Rixon 186-04-0 peg 38
2. Kevin Moulton 175-11-0 peg 33
3. Dan White 163-12-0 peg 13
4. Craig Edmonds 117-14-0 peg 3
5. Steve Segar 111-05-0 peg 16
6. Mike Walker 102-12-0 peg 19

Top Silvers:

1. Andy Hembrow 27-13-0 peg 34
2. Kevin Moulton 16-15-0 peg 33

Weigh Sheets + Soggy Bit:

Thursday 02/07/2015 - Viaduct Cost Cutter - Campbell and Carey Lakes

With the Coffin Dodgers match cancelled two minutes after I booked in due to Carp dying I thought I would have the day off because it was so hot (hottest day in July since the Gimp was born). However, the Special One said it would be cooler Thursday (how right she was) so I decided on the Cost Cutter at Viaduct.

I also decided to have breakfast in the Bear Inn in Street although it’s a bit more expensive the food is quality (won’t suit Bela) plus it’s waitress service.

First to arrive at the fishery so I had a walk around Campbell and Carey. I laid my scent on peg 125 as I am still trying to qualify for the All Winners Silvers final. As it was an out and out Silvers match for me I really didn’t mind where I fished especially as Steve Long was paying a top Individual and Silvers from each Lake.

Pushed to the front of the queue  and into the Coffee tin and out comes a bunch of draw cards – they all went back in – in again and single ticket peg 81 is where I was to spend the day. I didn’t mind the peg because with most of the big Skimmers now having passed on I was confident I could win the Lake Silvers with Ronnie’s. But to qualify Campbell Silvers had to have a really off day.

Arriving at the peg there were signs of both Ronnie’s and Carp, Ronnie’s remained my focus though. So I set up the reliable Ronnie rig for the caster. A 4x12 Jolly for the semi-hard 4’s to be at 12-o-clock at top-set plus two. Finally a paste rig to fish over the pellet line if I got annoyed with the Carp.

Starting of the Ronnie Rig with single caster over loose fed caster it didn’t take long to catch one. I was expecting to catch the smaller versions but they were of a decent size. That said the fishing wasn’t easy or quick enough to get a twenty plus net of them. I persevered with the caster but felt they really didn’t want them. So I tried the semi-hard’s over wetted micro and although still slow I was catching Ronnie’s, small Hybrids and tiny Skimmers a bit quicker than the caster. Then at about half way through he match we had a horrendous deluge. This slowed me and the fishing down considerably just managing to save the semi-hards from going limp. I carried on nonetheless picking off the odd fish until with about 45 minutes to go when I foul hooked a Carp and lost the pellet rig. I put another on only to do the self same thing – bugger. Two rigs and a plummet lost so far today. On went the paste rig and started potting in soaked 4’s like “Two Pots” and in three put ins I landed three small Carp then I foul hooked another. For the last 10 minutes the swim all died.

My three Carp weighed 23lb 15oz and my Silvers 14lb 11oz for a total of 38lb 10oz. This gave me a Lake Silvers win and second overall Silvers – still to qualify then beaten by the oldest bugger here today!

The match was won by Roy Wirth (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 305lb 12oz from peg 111. Roy caught on the straight lead using hard hair-rigged 8’s fished over 8’s. Roy fed about eight pints.

The Silvers was won by the Gimp from peg 130 with 28lb 8oz of Skimmers caught on CW&C.

Full Result:

1. Roy Wirth 305-12-0 peg 111
2. Mark Wynne 180-10-0 peg 118
3. Chris Rolfe 152-08-0 peg 129
4. Steve Rolfe 118-02-0 peg 112
5. Ken Ashby 111-12-0 peg 94
6. Nobby 106-0-0 peg 77

Top Silvers:

1. John Bradford 28-08-0 peg 130
2. Mike Nicholls 14-11-0 peg 81
3. Keith Fisher 7-02-0 peg 116

Weigh Sheets: