Sunday 02/04/2017 - Windmill Open - Match Lake

I had breakfast at Wetherspoons in Kingswood where I met up with Geoff, Tim, Gordon, Shaun and Plelms. I still don’t understand how they do the breakfast so quick, so cheap and with such good quality.

With all the winter leagues now complete I expected a reasonable turn out. And we did with 20 Anglers entering the fishery from the Westerleigh Road because the overhead pylons were being repaired. Young Tom was on top of it with a car park attendant there to keep us in control and out of the mud.

The weather was forecast to be wall to wall sunshine and little to no wind, if that’s possible at this fishery. And that’s how the day went weather wise. I was soon wishing I didn’t have the thermal on!  One look at the lake and the boding wasn’t good. The lake had really coloured up. The conclusion I came to was that the fish had been feeding hard over the previous days and nights knowing that high pressure was on the way – today! Also with the wind finally abating the Lake had no tow, so I expected the Silvers to have a rest. The bright sunshine wasn’t going to help either.

In to the draw box and out comes peg 6 again for the second consecutive match – very happy with this my favourite peg and with 23lb Silvers off it last match this would be my target species. For company I had the bird whistler – Tim Ford who on peg 7.

Whilst setting up the 4x14 Malman F1 which would suit all the swims from top-set plus 1,2 and 3 I noticed a Carp feeding under my feet which convinced me to set up a margin rig consisting a 4X10 Malman Speedy to fish on the top-set down to my right with maggot over maggot. However, this rig stayed dry.

Initially two swims, one at top-set plus one for 4mm expander over GB, and top-set plus two for maggot over maggot/expander. I started on the shortest line because I did expect to catch small Skimmers and wanted to catch them quick. After my prerequisite period and nothing in the net I switched to single maggot and after one Bumble Bee dumped the line. Out on the next line with double DR and I had two small Skimmers, then nothing it was fishing hard. Not expectantly. I started another line at top-set plus three with 4mm expander over 2mm expander. This produced some Skimmers and small Carp. I did lose a decent Carp in a snag close in which is unusual for this venue (probably Tim Ford’s umbrella). Talking about Tim Ford it was about now he hooked a Mallard on the lead which went through my Silvers line nearly into peg 5. I did the decent thing and netted the Duck for him – Tim complained that I didn’t retrieve his lead. I reckon I had 6lb of Silvers by ¾ ways through so went for a bank survey and found Joe McMahon had 8 big Carp next was 8 small Carp then 6. I ascertained that I was winning the Silvers. Back in the saddle and I couldn’t get any indications on the long line. So drastic measures and got some more tubes out including the storage tube with the writing on it. I decided to fish up the far ledge using the margin rig set to 3 foot with 4 mm expander over potted 2mm expander. The hope was for some more Skimmers. First try I hooked a decent Carp and because I had to unship and this being the first attempt I balls up and lost the fish on the way in. Lesson learnt – not, because out again and I bounce off a Skimmer due to the elastic being for the margin munters. I swapped to lighter elastic which was better landing to more 1lb Skimmers. That was it for Silvers for the rest of the match as I had a good last 90 minutes catching Carp from 1lb to 8lb losing four foul hookers. The fish just didn’t want to be on the bottom a stalkers paradise I think.

I finished the match with a Silvers winning weight of 7lb 11oz my few Carp of  44lb 10oz took my weigh to a fourth overall of 52lb 5oz.

 The match was won by Silverfox team member Joe McMahon (pictured upper centre with the Silvers winner) with an excellent weight of 112lb 10 from peg 1. Joe caught 15 Carp fishing 18 inched deep using 6mm hard banded pellet over loose fed 4’s. Well done matey, always seem to do better without Dad!

Back to the pub afterwards, where Tim Ford and Dave Haines kept us amused with the old battle-bus stories.

Full Result:

1. Joe McMahon 112-10-0 peg 1
2. Shaun Townsend 59-05-0 peg 25
3. Paul Staite 56-12-0 peg 26
4. Mike Nicholls 52-05-0 peg 6
5. Tim Ford 51-15-0 peg 7
6.  Dave Haines 37-05-0 peg 30

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 7-11-0 peg 6
2. John Osborne 5-12-0 peg 21

Weigh Sheet: