Sunday 25/10/2020 - Matt Culpins Autumn League - Round Four - Summerhayes - Longs and Sellicks

Back to Summerhayes for the last time in the league 😁. Summerhayes Fishery is in deep, deep Bridgwater, it's also under the M5 motorway, so because the motorway traffic was heavy it was impossible to hear todays Banjo dueling. Pete the fishery owner is pictured right proving to Matt Culpin that he has only 5 digits per hand (no thumbs!).

Second to be be called my peg by Matt, all fingers crossed for Sellicks, alas not peg 10 on Longs, at least there was some fish caught in the area last match with matey Mark Broomsgrove getting third in section with 42 lb. For company I had Kev Perry around the corner on peg 12 and Steve Howell on peg 8, however, not much communication because we were close to the motorway and any conversation lost to the traffic.

My platform was more of a pier as it was well out over the lake, so any margin fishing meant a stiff neck. The opposite bank had collapse and was a good 16 metres away, would have suited Tony Rixon fishing on the mud bank - not for me though - spending a lot on my physiotherapy and not sacrificing my fishing longevity for a few quid. Plenty of Carp topping around the corner on the far bank opposite Kev, the wind was such I could run the waggler up to the bank so set that up with a light float but didn't get used as the wind veered and increased. It set up a 4x12 and plumbed around and best depth I could find was 2 1/2 feet which was at top-set plus one barrel. I found the silt unusual being very thin and unable hold up the smallest weight on the hook. The further I went out the shallower it got. I did plumb up at three barrels where it was 3 inch shallower. The margins were perfect for on both sides for me, so set up a paste float and a 4x12 Speedy (love these floats) for maggot down both edges. So plenty of scope to while away the day - very important on Longs at the moment.

I started short on one barrel with 4 mm expander on micro and didn't have any indications of fish being present so switched to three barrels with identical feed and hook bait. I started to get tiny indications which I believe was bottle top Skimmers. I did have one 10 oz and lost two foul hookers. It was very slow but persevered with the micro and soft pellet. Two hours in I still only had the one fish and suddenly out of the blue landed four decent Carp in the space of 20 minutes. I then foul hooked a couple so switch to the worm and had another three Carp. I thought I was in for a good day, but the Carp disappeared  as quickly as they appeared. I spent about an hour around the margins only to have one liner down to peg 11 pallet. So about an hours catching today and four in anticipation.

My seven Carp weighed 30 lb 1 oz and with the lonely Skimmer ended up second in section with 30 lb 11 oz. Tony Rixon won the section with 46 lb. If only I had another burst or the margins produced! That's fishing.

The match was won by Sam Powell (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with 81 lb from Sellicks 21. Sam caught over in 10 inches of water using double maggot over potted GB laced with micro.

The Silvers was accidentally won by Martin Rayet with five Skimmers weighing 8 lb 6 oz from Sellicks peg 5. Martin snared them on 6 mm hard pellet to runner up Jess Jordan's despair who had fished hard all day for Silvers using all the appropriate baits and feed.

Result:

1. Sam Powell 81-05-0 peg 21 Sellicks

2. Dave Romain 64-06-0 peg 2 Sellicks

3. Lee Masey 52-10-0 peg 37 Longs

4. Tony Rixon 46-01-0 peg 7

Silvers:

1. Martin Rayet 8-06-0 peg 5 Sellicks

2. Jess Jordan 7-0-0 peg 19 Sellicks

Weigh Sheets: