Sunday 21/07/2019 - Tony Rixon Float Only - Round Five - Shiplate Farm - All Lakes

Really looking forward to today's match as it's a great venue with plenty of fish in all Lakes. I travelled with NOT BELLA and had breakfast with Geoff in Shipham. Mr and Mrs came in and unfortunately Mrs ended up in hospital after the match with Shingles. Glad I choose to have the vaccine last week. Get well soon I'm sure Mr will wait on you hand FOOT and finger.

Arrived at the fishery and had a quick look around. All the Lakes were a different colour due to differing Algae I guess. Nice to catch up with the Gamekeeper and Goldilocks. This fishery is a credit to them.

I was asked what peg I would prefer, with four Lakes in I said any peg 1. So into the draw tub and out comes peg 1 Westpool. Very happy with this, a peg I have always wanted to fish. Arrived at the peg and found a vagrant in the form of Dave Lewis setting up in in it! I explained that he was most probably on the wrong peg. He showed me his draw card (upside down) and could have read W1, so he shouted out "redraw" to half the participants glee. Glenn Bailey who was on peg 3 showed him his draw card (I had binned mine) and had West 3 on it. So mystery solved rotating his card it now read M1 (Main Lake). I helped Dave load his trolley and Dave gleefully went off on a long walk back (Dave pictured right).

There was plenty of fish showing so expected a good day, especially late on in the margins. I set up two paste rigs a 0.3 gram that would suit both left and right hand margins. The right looked the most promising with regard to being 18 inches deep. The other a 0.4 gram to fish top-set plus two down the track. I started by feeding the three lines with a pot of micro. I find micro a good kick starter for the paste. It wasn't long before the long line was fizzing so expected a Carp soon. First bite on paste was a Chub!! It wasn't long after this that I was tearing what hair I have left out. The only Carp I could hook was fouled. I lost all eight. I noticed that the margins were showing signs of Carp. They would come along close to the the bank and soon as they got to the feed would make a huge swirl and rush off without feeding!! Strange, but explains the foul hooking. I tried the margins and had two small Carp and five more Chub and a 2 lb Skimmer, later I had a near 2 lb Perch - all on paste. What was also interesting none of the many small silvers were feeding I didn't have one nibbler all day. However, I was struggling so got our the Ronnie rig and caster to fish around the peg shallow - Chub like caster don't they - apparently not. I swept the entire swim around and up and down with caster and didn't have a bite on the single caster - unbelievable. I tried all sorts including fishing over the far bank only to foul hook more Carp. I was banking on the Carp feeding late on and so I wouldn't miss out it stayed in both margins which I had stopped feeding with paste for the rest of the match adding six more Carp. I did lose one about 6 lb in the reeds to my left - bugger in the mouth too.

Due to the trees etc; I couldn't see anyone one else but was told everyone in the section was owning up to 35 lb so I'm thinking not a complete disaster. The section was very tight my Silvers weighed 9 lb 14 oz and the Carp 29 lb 1 oz for second in the section weight of 38 lb 15 oz to Glenn Bailey who had 42 lb 6 oz. Only one or two fish separating the section which proved competitive - i like these sort of matched but would have been better I could see what was going on.

I believe the end I fished has more fish than the other. However, the other end caught more fish? Work that one out. 

Glenn had a surprise when Bob Gullick fishing the main lake peg 11 waggler got accidentally back casted into his peg. Wouldn't have been a hoot if a Carp took his banded pellet. Glenn couldn't say much as he was doing his fair share of Squirrel fishing.

The match was won by Ryan Shipp (pictured right with the another Shipp) with 196 lb 9 oz from Hawthorns peg 1 (another peg 1). Ryan caught at 5 metres down his edge using caster over caster in his margin catching both up and down.
The Silver was won by Chris Davis (pictured above with the match winner) and was the man of the match for me catching 72 lb 11 oz of Skimmers to 2 lb. Chris caught at 11 metres using corn hook bait over potted corn. Chris fed six tins of corn throughout the match. Just the one Carp for him but won his section with just Silvers - remarkable. Well done to both.

And ... Bela did well once again on Hawthorne's 4 coming second overall with 156 lb 5 oz so beers on him. And ... Geoff won his section from Main 15 with 135 lb 2 oz. Another memorable day out.

Result:

Weigh Sheets: