Sunday 24/06/2018 - Ivy House Open - Kingfisher and Moorhen Canals

Bela had planned to come but due to the pressures of work couldn't make it so travelled with Geoff Francis. After one of Karen's breakfast I had a walk round, what a beautiful day for fishing. Seen Baggy's fishing kit in the car park (pictured right) what a tackle tart. Seriously, just goes to show what you can achieve with a Drennan margin pole and some very experienced tackle.

First into the draw tub and outcomes mini white ball 41 on Kingfisher Canal. Very happy with this one as it's a noted Silvers peg. For company I had Ricky Mills - Spiderman Scaffolder on peg 39 and Roofer Mick on peg 43. From previous experience fishing this peg I have done best using live maggot rather than the caster, which is usually my first choice of bait. Shame as Matt Challenger (Scotts Tackle) had provided some excellent casters - typical. Set up a 4x14 at top-set plus three to fish corn over corn/micro mix and the Ronnie rig for the maggot shallow. Using live maggot is essential when loose feeding accurately because they are dry and don't stick in the hand unlike DR's. The corn line was only to produced one F1 and two small Carp so was abandoned to the shade. Starting on the Ronnie rig with maggot I had a Skimmer first put in. Then disaster struck. I lost a Tench due to the newly tied hook pulling out of my poor knot. Thought this was a one off, alas not I lost a further two Skimmers before I took the situation serious and checked the line had been pulled tight before pushing down to the spade. Calm resumed and I started to put fish in the net. It was a question of catch a couple of Skimmers then work hard to entice a couple more. I'm not sure I got the feeding right. I thought I had done enough to win the Canal Silvers so thought I would chase the double bubble by setting up a margin paste rig. Feeding micro with the paste through the kinder cup I was getting plenty of indications and had to keep shallowing up because the sneaky Carp were coming from behind the float. I managed two Carp and was to wish I started it earlier as the Carp were there in abundance come the all out.

My Silvers weighed 31 lb 10 oz for the Canal Silvers win adding my few Carp took it to 43 lb 12 oz. I needed 49 lb for the double bubble. However, Stu White on Moorhen did a double bubble. Well done matey.

The match was won by Ricky Mills (pictured right with his catch) with 61 lb from peg 39. Ricky struggled for the first half on the match until he switched to his margins with either corn over corn or corn over a wetted mix of micro and 4's. Ricky caught particularly well late on. Ricky also noticed that the Carp were doing the "back sneak".

Finally we were treated to a flying display by five Red Kites. Beautiful to watch.

Result:

1. Ricky Mills 61-0-0 peg 39 K
2. Paul Baker 55-12-0 peg 49 K
3. Stu White 49-02-0 peg 46 M

Silvers:

1. Stu White 43-14-0 peg 46 M
2. Baggy 35-0-0 peg 31 M
3. Mike Nicholls 31-10-0 peg 41 K

Weigh Sheet: