Silverfox Match Angling: Thursday 28/04/2016

Thursday, 28 April 2016

Thursday 28/04/2016 - Bitterwell Open

I am always looking for a local match to support so decided to fish the Bitterwell Thursday match. However, having had a look round on the Tuesday Silvers match I was wondering if I made the right decision, it was fishing hard Apparently there has been a spill of what smelt like diesel oil which entered the Lake from the far end inlet. The EA thought it to be heating oil. That said today there was little sign of it on the water surface, but I could still smell it.

I HATE this weather especially the wind, an overnight sharp frost followed by a very bitter cold gusting NW wind.

Good turn out with 16 booked in including Des Shipp who often returns to his roots to pick up a few more tips from the Coffin Dodgers. In to the draw bag and out comes peg 21. Usually a good peg, but I didn’t fancy it a bit because the wind was howling in to the peg. For company I had John Smith on peg 20 and Paul “Happy” Haines on peg 22. All of us were to get blasted all day.

As always on this venue I fish for the Silvers so I set up the pole with 4x16 Jolly at 10 metres where I found four foot of water. I ran it through a few times but presentation was all but impossible with the float going with the wind and on the odd occasion I could hold back the float was laying up at 45 degrees. It was fortuitous that I brought the Normark No1 feeder rod which hasn’t see daylight for a good few years which was resurrected and a new hook length blood knotted on to the main maxima main line.

I fed a ball of GB laced with red maggot on the pole line which accounted for four tiny Skimmers, there were plenty of tiny Skimmers there but I got frustrated by the wind, especially when other anglers are fishing in relative calm water with the wind off their backs. The upshot was I tried fishing a small feeder tight over the pole line with double red maggot and GB laced with maggot. On hindsight I might have done better if I had laced the GB with micro pellet. I caught around twenty tiny Skimmers for a total of 5lb 5oz. Due to the wind wanging the tip around I missed loads of bites, twice both maggots gone and once the maggots were smashed right up, just seeing the tell end of all these bites. I must admit I was glad when the whistle went. I now feel as if I haven’t been fishing due to not being able to use the pole. It was also notable that hardly any Roach were caught.

The match was won by Des Shipp (pictured right with his Carp catch - wouldn’t have bet on that one) with 55lb 9oz from peg 29. Des explains how he caught in the short video below.

The Silvers was won by Dave Farnham (pictured right with his catch of Bream) with 15lb 14oz from peg 24. Dave caught on the method feeder with micro and double red maggot hook bait.

Full Result: