Silverfox Match Angling: Sunday 07/07/2016 - Windmill Fishery/Office Beverages and South Gloucestershire Show Sponsored Match

Monday, 8 August 2016

Sunday 07/07/2016 - Windmill Fishery/Office Beverages and South Gloucestershire Show Sponsored Match

Sunday morning no shorts or Roofer socks this morning, very windy which would favour my short pole tactics, but I didn’t count on the wind being so bad especially into the peg I was destined to draw.

Twenty anglers fishing for the top eight places again but this time Carp included. With the wind blowing hard I did expect some good weights today, but also that the method feeder would be difficult to beat. I don’t do this type of “Fishing” I have only a limited time left on this planet and really can’t afford to spend it with my arms folded waiting for a Carp to hook it’s self.

In to the draw box and out comes peg 26. Happyish with this one as it has won a few matches mainly to the method! For company I had Paul Elms and on next peg was Steve Jefferies. I was disappointed to find the wind blasting into me at 11-o-clock.

Simple set-up two paste floats – one for the top-set half-way up the shelf in 5 foot of water. The other rig for the RH margin (down wind) in 3 foot of water just off the bloody Sedges. Finally a 4x10 Yoof for the LH margin at top-set plus two where I had a choice of margin depths, choosing 2 foot.

I started by feeding a pot of hard 4’s out in front and with a piece of 20mm paste on the hook and hey presto a great start catching five Carp in five attempts. I then lost a 10 pounder in the sedges – Bugger. Followed by lost fouler. I was loose feeding hard 4’s over the top and when I stop catching I thought I might have brought them up in the water so went back to potting. What was surprising I didn’t have any signs of Silver fish which can be a nuisance when fishing paste. The swim had completely and utterly died. So tried the RH margin with paste expecting some nibblers – but nothing no indications at all – extraordinary. Time to try the meat and decide to go steady with the feed to kindered six pieces 8mm with 8mm on the hook and because the wind was blowing the rig around even though I was holding back hard I foul hooked a Carp, at least got some interest at last. Two Carp followed one near 10 pound. This swim followed the first swim and completely died. I thought I would heavily feed maggot to see if I could get the Silvers interested and hence the Carp. Alas not, catching just one Rudd. The upshot (as many anglers today did) I sat for the last three hours biteless.

I weighed 42lb 3oz for last in the money and considering how close the lower order results were I was happy with the pick-up.

The problem for us today was that the Silver fish fed well the day before activating the Carp; however, today unusually the Silvers didn’t feed leading to the Carp not being enticed.

The match was won by Paul (Plems) Elms (pictured right with some of his catch) with 91lb 6oz. Paul fished a GB feeder with a few hard 4’s embedded with hair rigged pellet hook bait. A question of squeeze and cast. Well done matey.

The top eight Anglers pictured below.