With the Westerleigh Winter League starting next week - 22/12/20 Brian Shanks ran a practice match. I was surprised to find fifteen of the twenty fishing the league turn up as the weather was predicted to be horrendous, and it was, I even had second thoughts. However, I did think with some wind on the ponds it would improve the fishing. I do believe it did.
I drew peg 2 on Shipp's Canal. This peg won the last match with mostly one 15 lb 8 oz Carp. I had planned to fish for Silvers today, but with Carp of that proportions about I had to increase the elastic - so a compromise.
Arriving at the peg I found myself between Steve Rogers and Lee Waller so good company. Also that the peg was just a few feet in front of the Otter fence which would make fishing long to the island difficult, the wind wouldn't allow me anyway. The peg is a decent depth at 5 foot which required a 4x14 float, so set up two identical rigs, one with red top the other black to aid fishing various lines.
I normally try to stay with one line but have found in recent matches here that fishing for Silvers strange in that you can feed and quickly catch a few Ronnie's before it seems to die. Move somewhere else and the same happens - weird.
I decided to fish Pinkie all day with GB so started my excursions at top-set plus one barrel where I had fed a neat nub of GB had a bite fish drop in, however, it was a foul hooked lump which eventually shed the hook. Next put in another bite and a 5 lb Carp in the net - glad I gunned up the elastic. So a good start which Steve Rogers was also having, but landing his. I had a run of small Ronnie's short but was being prestored my minute Perch. So opened another line at top-set plus two barrels at 10 o'clock. Fed some GB laced with Pinkie and as expected started to catch Silvers, unfortunately most were coming off due to the fence but mainly due to the elastic - wish I had a light elastic! I did feed another three lines adding only 75% of the Silvers I was hooking into the net. I did lose another two more foul hooked Carp, adding another four small Carp before the all out. As it happen after the first two Carp I could could have fished a lighter elastic.
My silvers weighed 1 lb 15 oz and my Carp 9 lb 4 oz for a fourth overall of 11 lb 5 oz. Apart from the weather I did enjoy it, great bunch of guys.Our Pool and the match was won by Tom Kerridge look-a-alike Martin McMahon (pictured right with his catch) from peg 4 with 37 lb 12 oz. Martin caught mostly over to the island using maggot hook bait over loose fed maggots. Peg 4 doesn't usually produce but with peg 5 and 6 not taken helped Martin to the win. The Silver on our pool was won by Marcus (pictured) with 3 lb 4 oz from peg 12.
Taylors Pool was won by organiser Bri Shanks (pictured) with 10 lb from peg 17. The Silvers was won by Mark Tayler (pictured) with 4 lb 8 oz - if you include Goldfish.
Finally I watched Mortimer and Whitehouse Christmas show, which I could relate to fishing with my Dad, very emotional for me - TV at its very best.
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