Thursday 26/03/2019 - Bitterwell Fishery - Silvers Only

At the last moment decided to visit the "Big One" Angling Show on Sunday with Mark Tanner. Well worth the visit. The Browning Poles are head and shoulders above anything else available - but comes at a price. So today needed a quick fix so went local to Bitterwell Lake to the Silvers only/Soup Kitchen match.

The usual reasonable turnout of 14 for this hard fished fishery. Into the milk top bag and out came peg 30, which is on the sunny bank car park side. A reasonable peg but would have to suffer the sun all day. The Lake was flat calm and with the bright sunshine it was going to make things difficult. You have to make up your mind if you want to sit it out for the odd Skimmer or Bream or fish for bites from the Ronnies. I would always choose the latter as I need to be active.

I set up a 4x12 Winter Titan to fish at 10 metres. Which was now possible to ship in/out in one go because I am now the proud owner of a Mosella high pole roller. I also set up the 4 metre whip incase it was really hard - glad I did.

I started by feeding the long line with neat GB with loose Pinkie. With double Pinkie on the hook I found it hard catching really tiny Ronnies which were tending to shed the hook shipping back. Far too slow, so went on the whip with single Pinkie fished over loose fed Pinkie. I could get a bite very cast but again the fish were tiny 1/2 oz to 1 oz. However, I was happy to do this as it's what I do. There were a few better Skimmers coming out with Norman Ferris foul hooking a 3 lb Bream on the paste (don't tell Two Pots)!! Come soup kitchen time I had about 3 lb. The break was very welcome especially when we were  handed a cup of tea and steak pie by Terry Smith. The consensus was that Steve Tanner (pictured right) was winning with about 8 lb. Back in the saddle and I kept on catching the Ronnies by adding Pinkie in the GB and hand feeding small nubs. I did lose three hooks in a snag which was quite high up in the water.

I reckon I had about 150 fish which weighed 7 lb 1 oz which got me a default section. Definitely need a Skimmer or two to frame preferably in the mouth!

The match was won by Enigma (pictured right) with a decent weight on the day of 13 lb 5 oz from peg 13. Steve caught initially Skimmers on 4 mm expander over GB and micro at 10 metres and later down his LH side margin catching decent Roach on caster over caster.

Result:

1. Steve Dawson 15-05-0 peg 13
2. Steve Tanner 10-04-0 peg 7
3. Ken Morgan 9-0-0 peg 17
4. Norman Ferris 8-08-0 peg 31

Weigh Sheet: