Thursday 08/03/2018 - Shiplate Fishery - Cost Cutter - Main Lake

Last week whilst I sat watching the snow drift against the garage door I wondered what Bela thought about this bad weather being named after him?

First match of the year for this very popular Thursday cost cutter. First stop for Geoff and me Shipham Café – one small and one large devoured – enjoyed by both. Geoff wanted to go to sleep after though.

Arrived at the fishery and had a walk down to the Main Lake where the match was to be fished and found it looking absolutely immaculate. All the trees trimmed and banks cleared. This fishery is very well maintained and run by the two pictured right – Carol and Steve.

I was fancying peg 11 but ended up on peg 1 for my first time (pictured right). Very much noted as one of the two Carp flyers the other being peg 15. Jim Thomas came down and had a chat and confirmed it was a Carp peg with only small Silvers inhabitation. After the horrendous weather we've had recently no one knew how it was going to fish, best guess not very good. Fishing for Carp on this peg is easy but it’s not in my mentality to sit it out for four or five Carp even though it would probably win the match.

Initially set up the pole and plumbing up found it to be one of the shallowest pegs on the Lake at about 4 feet. I set up the waggler to fish for best presentation directly into the wind coming in at me at 2–o-clock and a margin Carp rig as back-up.

Feed the pole line out in front at top-set plus two with GB laced with loads of Pinkie. The fed the margin with micro and live reds. I started on the waggler with single live red fished at far as I could catapult live reds, which wasn’t far. I was amazed I had a Ronnie first cast. The waggler was working well and I was getting a small Ronnie every chuck. I soon decided that if I was to be a threat to those on Skimmers pegs I would have to catch much quicker. So set up the 4 metre whip with a small waggler rig which was sufficient to reach my GB pole line. I did get some better fish on this including a 1lb Hybrid and three 12oz Skimmers. However, I couldn’t keep them there and topping up always resulted in a quiet spell. I decided the waggler was producing best and stayed on it until 15 minutes to go when it started to rain and went down the margin with triple maggot and caught a few better Ronnie’s and a Perch. I then hooked a Carp which because the line had gone around his Pectoral fin came in sideways and straight into the landing net where the fight began!! Last few minutes I missed a bite which may have been a Carp liner.

Carol asked me what I had caught. I replied one 10lb Carp and 15lb of Silvers. I was 1oz out on the Carp and 2oz on my silvers weighing 24lb 13oz. for a 4^th and 4^th picking up 2^nd in the Silvers.

I learnt a lot today about this peg but not sure what.

The match was won by Roy Ade (pictured right) with a brilliant Skimmer catch of 38lb 10oz from peg 11. Roy caught at 7 metres fishing 4mm expander over micro. Well done to him for a double bubble catch.

Geoff did well fishing the waggler on peg 12 for 13lb 12oz of Roach. It was back to the Lock Keeper for the usual post match inquest.

Result:

1. Roy Ede 38-10-0 peg 11
2. Nigel Wycombe 27-11-0 peg 15
3. George P 27-04-0 peg 3
4. Mike Nicholls 24-13-0 peg 1

Silvers:

1. Roy Ede 38-10-0 peg 11
2. Nigel Wycombe 16-06-0 peg 15
3. Mark Walsh 16-04-0 peg 4
4. Mike Nicholls 14-14-0 peg 1

Weigh Sheet: