Thursday 05/09/2019 - Windmill Open - Costcutter - Match Lake

Left home in plenty of time, it was soon obvious the kids were back at school the ring road was rammed. Travel home was to be far worse.

Nice to see the numbers fishing increasing with 16 fishing today. With the pools only £12 and paying six (three overall and three silvers) the financial rewards would not be the reason for fishing. However, the great company certainly makes it a great cheap day out - great bunch.

The picture right shows the draw being made ready - anglers can be so inventive.

Last milk bottle top out put me on peg 10. Can be an OK peg. However, the peg was flat calm and was to remain so all day. There was some wind in the mid part of the Lake, for it to be like this there must be a negative wind factor - vacuum!! The fish don't like these conditions here. For company on end peg 11 was Martin Alexander, deaf as a post and left his hearing aids home so no meaningful conversation expected. Peg 9 was occupied by organiser Ken Morgan. I could her Dave "Magic"Willmott on peg 14 which he must have "palmed" again! I wonder if this trick is on YouTube?

I must say my head was elsewhere today as one of my granddaughter was unwell with the Special One sitting with her. I set out to fish for Silvers for the first half and Carp the second. I set up a 0.2 gram paste float to fish top-set plus three barrels to the edge of the corner sedges. The Ronnie rig and a 4x14 Winter Titan to fish top-set plus three out in front for Skimmers. I fed a big pot of wetted 4's down the edge and a pot of GB laced with LR's on both Silvers line. I started on the Ronnie rig getting a bite every put-in. However, they were tiny fish and with lots of missed bites were really not worth fishing for. That said from bankside chat it was fishing really hard (as expected). I tried the longer Skimmer line a few times catching the one 3 oz Skimmer and foul hooking one Carp. I stuck with this for four hours far longer than I should have, at which time I had a call from home telling me my Granddaughter was a lot better - really cheered me up and more focussed, so switched to the paste and started to catch small Carp over kinder fours, micro and remaining GB -  so not to waste it. The nearer the match got to the end the better the fishing became - please don't end!!

On the scales my Silvers weighed 7 lb 9 oz and my ten or so Carp 51 lb 10 oz for a joint third weight of 59 lb 3 oz with Matt Drinkwater (us pictured upper right). I love framing draws - good laugh sharing £14. Both needing 4 oz for second overall.

The match was won by Silver Dace Junior Gary Bowden (pictured right with some quality Carp) with his first ton 101 lb 14 oz from peg 6. Gary caught on paste down his LH edge. He has been watching me a few times so have to be careful telling these juniors too much, got to think of my pension! Congratulations matey.

The Silvers was won by Enigma with 19 lb from peg 18. Steve caught decent Skimmers fishing either worm or corn. I think - it is Enigma remember - pictured right with Junior.

Then there was the 10 minute journey home that took an hour!! The council really needs to think harder on what roads they close and when. They then wonder why they exceed the EU air quality requirements - just go and watch thousands of cars sat for an extra hour with their engines running going nowhere.

Result:

1. Gary Bowden 101-14-0 peg 6
2. Dave Willmott 59-06-0 peg 14 Again
3. Matt Drinkwater 59-03-0 peg 23
3. Mike Nicholls 59-03-0 peg 10

Silvers:

1. Steve Dawson 19-0-0 peg 18
2. Dave Haines 13-07-0 peg 12
3. Ken Morgan 11-05-0 peg 9

Weigh Sheet: