Tuesday 25/08/2020 - Acorn Cost Cutter - Paddocks

 After a lovely week in Cornwall (St. Issey) with my Son, Wife and Grand kids I was looking forward to fishing a match. However, the weather forecast was putting a downer on it - gale force winds and rain. I decided to go against the advice of the Special One. Arrived in plenty of time for a walk around and found pegs 6 round to peg 25 reasonably sheltered from the wind. Pegs 13 to 9 was a different story the wind was hammering into these pegs and consoled myself that Mike would leave these out. Peg 27 would be today's choice. I decided to fish if the numbers were above ten and was surprised that fourteen other loonies arrived. So pay the pools and was allocated peg 11!!! I was feeling a bit miffed with drawing this peg on such a day as there are a few Tench in the peg but would not be able sensibly present.

Thought about going home. Drove to the peg and stood on the platform and it wasn't unlike getting into a cold sea. There was only one place I could fish sensibly which was short down wind gale (hammering in at 1 o-clock). Thought I would just test the presentation before deciding if I would fish. I got out my a short top set put with a Drennan 25 elastic fitted. This was necessary because the tree which I was fishing towards was adorned with Two Pots floats from his previous two visits to the peg. I felt it necessarily to fish a heavier than normal float so a 0.4 gram paste float was selected attached to 0.2 GLine. The presentation was just about acceptable so decided to fish but only getting kit and bait out of the car that was absolutely necessary, consisting a half a pint on 4 's and some Micro which I put in the GB bowl to prevent it getting blown in, and of course a pot of paste.

The wind was a right pain hooking up many times in the bank side vegetation.However, I was soon playing some decent Carp. There was a number of time I nearly lost my landing net, but had a steady match catching Carp to 10 lb. It was a very uncomfortable at times in the wind and odd sharp shower, but it was never cold. At about half way some smaller Carp moved in which were a pain as they were quicker than me and as I was fishing close to the platform broke me diving under it - little buggers. I soon got the better Carp back. I put fifth net in and was thinking it strange that I hadn't caught any Silvers. I added a 10 lb Carp in this net when I had a 2 lb Skimmer and three Tench which I put back!!

The Paul Faiers affair: I was suddenly aware of a small figure running towards me down the far bank island carrying a landing net with a handle four times longer than he was tall. He stopped at my end bank and shouted what sounded like "Suck the Duck" I recognised the dulcet tones. He spun on his heels and ran back over the bridge and ran down the bank to my right and started to climb into the tree (pictured - really need the sound affects to appreciate how windy it was) where a Duck was caught up in some line and elastic. After a few minutes a happy Paul Faiers appeared from the tree carrying a top set which the Duck had stolen form him. No one was injured during this whole affair. Chris Ollis had a laugh when the Duck climbed over the bridge towing the top set.

I added a few more Carp before the all out which I was thankful to hear.

No Silvers to weigh but put back about 10 lb weighing 217 lb of Carp for first overall in a match that fished extremely well.

The Silvers was won once again from bridge peg 40 by Mark Walsh (pictured withe the match winner) with a PB weight of  65 lb 12 oz of Tench. Mark caught up to mid span of the bridge using paste over micro. Well done matey.

I think apart from the awful weather everyone had a good days fishing.

Back to the pub with the usual suspects. With some having wind burnt faces.

Result:

Weigh Sheets: