Sunday 23/08/2015 - Viaduct Open - Carey Lake

The four guys that overpowered the terrorist on a French train this week are to be awarded the Legion of Honour by the French President, good and deserved news. Luckily for them it wasn’t a British train otherwise they may have been arrested for using unreasonable force! Another one for BANKSEY’S exhibition of satire at W-S-M – aptly named - Dismaland. I wonder if W-S-M council realise that the choice of venue (The old Tropicana) is a satirical send up of their extremely bad management of this facility and the resort in general over the past twenty years.

Bela back in the mix today, so early breakfast in the Highwayman in Shepton (next door to Canards Well). The weather was bloody awful raining cats and dogs, typical August weather now days. After breakfast Bela was showing signs of cold feet.

A few months back a Carey only match would not have appealed to me one bit as it’s a Carp Slayer, lead chucker’s paradise. However, since the loss of most of the big “Accidental Silvers” the Lake has become a proper Silvers venue with only those anglers specifically targeting them winning the Silvers coin. And that’s how it should be - fairish. I don’t like to see fish die but a thinning out of Accidentals on Campbell and Lodge wouldn’t go a miss!

Checking the booking in sheet it was disappointing to see only 11 booked in I really expected to see more of the local Slayers here.

I planned to fish for Silvers and practice catching the small Skimmers. In to the draw tin and out comes peg 80. One of the few pegs I didn’t want, my expectation weren’t high. I had offers of loans of various slaying equipment but stayed with my plan. I don’t have time for practicing so decided this as an opportunity. Arriving at the peg I noticed some fizzing at 11.5 metres along the spit which I thought might be Carp so I set up a 0.15 gram PC paste float, followed by the  Ronnie rig. Wherever I plumbed the depth it was near enough the same at 2 foot above the silt. I mixed up some GB mainly comprising Sensas Magic which is a great GB for tiny Skimmers.

I put in a few hard 4’s (was soon to become slush due to the rain) over to the Hazel bush at 11.5 metres (first time this pole sections been used). In went a pot of looseish GB with a few loose casters over at 2 o clock at 4 metres (to build any sort of weight with these small skimmers you need to get them feeding short). I also started to loose feed some casters out I front again at just over 4.3 metres.

I started with a small piece of paste over near the fizz and I immediately knew it wasn’t Carp fizzing because the Silvers were dining out on the paste, they wouldn’t be there if a Carp was in the vicinity. This rig was abandoned. I  followed up by half a cup of caster over the few pellets. On to the Ronnie rig which I could readily switch between caster and GB swims with single caster hook baits (I didn’t take maggot wish I did to give them a try). I caught a few Ronnie’s small Hybrids and Skimmers to 8oz. I then had a Tench over the GB which herald the time to set up a caster rig to fish at 11.5 metres where fizzing was still apparent. So on went a 4x10 Drennan wire stem chop (can’t get these now days) attached to a single caster in went another half pot of casters and I caught a couple of Hybrids and Skimmers to1lb plus the usual Ronnie’s. I then had a run of Perch to 1lb losing one about 2lb due to the hook pulling out. It was then a Ronnie each put in and the fizz was still there!! So on went a piece of worm which snared another four decent Tench to 3lb. It went quite but the fizz was still there which told me there was at least another Tench to be had. I rested the swim and went back out on the Ronnie rig loose feeding the caster swim and the GB swim. I was getting plenty of fizz from the GB line which pre accidentals you might had thought was big fish. The fizz is being caused by tiny Skimmers 1 to 2oz which are difficult to catch on caster; I was getting loads of lift bites from the blighters, some maggot would have help. I kept a few skimmers and Ronnie’s coming adding small amounts to my weight. Back out long with single caster and more Ronnie’s. The fizz had stopped back on the worm and I hooked a Carp which I think was foul hooked breaking the hook length. Back on the caster and no Ronnie’s which told me Carp were about although there was no signs of them. Another spell on the Ronnie rig then for the last 15 minutes long on the worm where my match finished early due to another foul hook Carp breaking the hook length and my float tip – bugger.

I weighed 25lb 5oz which from this swim on the day was satisfying, putting me second in the Silvers, being beaten by a Silvers angler and not Carp slaying accidentals.

The match was won by rested angler Bela Bakos (pictured above centre with a typical stamp of Carey Carp). Bela caught mainly on the lead using various size and colour of pellet attached to his pre-tied Guru hair rigged hooks. Bela switched his Shimano reel to bait running mode and sat back and waited, but not for long.

Runner up was Two Pots 2lb 9oz behind Bela. Now Two Pots made a grave mistake for which he should know better, he threw back four Skimmers to use the net for more Carp. Madness, especially as I had three spare nets on he bank not more than 40 metres from him, plus there was still room for more in three of his nets in use – lesson learnt me thinks.

The Silvers was won by Nigel Bartlett (pictured right with the match winner) with 35lb 5oz from peg 85. Nigel caught mainly Ronnie’s and Skimmers again on caster and GB.

Bela, Glenn and me stopped in Shepton for our regular Fish and Chip supper – probably the best Chip shop in the world.

Full Result:

1. Bela Bakos 193-03-0 peg 100
2. Glenn Bailey 190-10-0 peg 77
3. Lee Werrett 156-0-0 peg 98
4. Glen Powell 126-07-0 peg 86
5. Ian Willilsts 100-09-0 peg 102
6. Ben Ludwell 99-10-0 peg 96

Top Silvers:

1. Nigel Bartlett 35-05-0 peg 85
2. Mike Nicholls 25-05-0 peg 80

Weigh Sheets: