Sunday 09/09/2019 - Tony Rixon's Short Pole Match - Final Round Four - Chiltern trinity - Woodlands

First stop for Bela and me Lillypool cafe, very busy but luckily we didn't have to wait long. With 27 fishing no one really had much room, so fair in this respect. It was Geoff Francis first time here so walked him around the Lake explaining the good and the bad. He wasn't disappointed when he drew his expected bad peg 22. The Lake looked dower with it being flat calm, with no wind and hardly any signs of fish which is very unusual for this venue - probably low oxygen. The water level was well down by about 18 inches exposing the undercutting and snags (pictured right peg 29). All of this leading me to think it wasn't going to fish well. I thought the Carp wouldn't come into the near bank margins due to the undercut being so exposed leaving no cover for them. The far bank has a different margin which runs down a steep slope.

I have a history of drawing peg 29 and although I have managed to pick up coin from it I was really hoping to be at the other end of the Lake. Into the draw box and out comes peg 31. Very happy with this as I have won from the peg. For company I had grinner Gordon Canning's on peg 30 and Martin McMahon on peg 32. I had a plan - Paste at top-set plus two with a 0.5 gram shotted paste float and a 0.3 again shotted for the margin. I set the Ronnie Roach rig incase.

I started by feeding a pot of 4's and wetted micro on the long line and expected the usual big fizz which is normal here. As half expected no fizz. I put another big pot in in case the fished missed the first one, again no fizz. Looking around all but a few were static except a couple playing foul hookers. After twenty minutes I picked up the Ronnie rig to see if they wanted to pay. Luckily they did. So whilst keeping an eye on the non fizzing line I sat catching small Ronnies and the odd Rudd and small hybrids on single caster close in shallow. Nice change from the last two matches Carp hauling. It was obvious it was fishing really hard, so decision made to stay with the Ronnies until a Carp braved the margin. It wasn't until the last twenty minutes that the Ronnie's backed off so out went the paste and first try a 12 lb Common Carp in the net. Back on the Ronnies but they hadn't returned so back on the paste and another quick Carp of 5 lb. Went to drop the paste in again when the all out was called. No fizz over the pellet all day!!

My Silvers weighed 24 lb 6 oz for well ahead weight in the Silvers and my two Carp weighed 17 lb 14 0z for 41 lb 10 oz. Bela was in my section and picked up second in section with just 18 lb which included a 2 lb Eel by quadruple default!! And to think he was going to chuck back! Nonetheless another van double bubble.

The match was a joint affair between Joe McMahon and Mike West (pictured right with some of his munters) both catching 84 lb 14 oz. Both pegs were unfancied with Mike on peg 29 and Joe on peg 3. Joe caught shallow and from each margin using 8 mm banded over loose fed 6's. Whilst Mike caught down his LH margin in four foot of water using his now favourite paste.

Joe (pictured right with the joint match winner) had a triple bubble today - winning the match, the League and the knockout. We can only hope Dorking ask's him to join Trigger in their team soon.

Another great league ran by Tony and Steve Evans. The addition of Todber Manor this year was a good addition and welcome by all. Not sure where I came in the league but happy enough to have picked up in every match - three with Silvers and one with Carp.

Result:

Overall League:

Weigh Sheets: