Sunday 10/10/2021 - Windmill Open - Match Lake

Nearly a full house this week, just a couple short. Nice to see Martin Rayet back out here sporting his new stainless steel trolley with the customised Ape handle bars - lol. Snip at £500!

The wind had switched to the North, hence would be blowing into pegs 24 and 25 which has been my home for the last two matches, so was hoping not to draw it for the third time. Into the draw tub and out comes peg 24! At least a difference view. I planned to fish for carp with meat, unfortunately I had left the meat it in the tackle room, so silvers it would have to be then. For company I had Martin Rayet peg 25 and would be a great help keeping the numbers of accidental carp numbers down.

Having got into our pegs both Martin and me were in the shade and freezing, so soon had fleeces on. During the match I had the need to get out into the shade for a warm. Most of the other anglers were sat in Tee shirts. 

Two rigs - long and short Ronnie rigs, long to fish out in front in 7 foot of water and the short to fish down both sides. GB laced with DR's would be fed on all lines. this done I started on the long line with single LR on the hook, only to be pestered by tiny Perch. So switched to the short rig and found the same from both sides. Just got my head down catching them as I knew they wouldn't feed past the hour. Kept toping up al the lines. Going back on the long line found the Perch had slowed and started to catch Ronnie's to 3 oz and the odd 4 oz Skimmer. I switched around all the three lines but surrendered the left side to the wind as the presentation was too poor. So kept rotating the two lines. With two hours to go Martin was slacking letting three accidentals through, which buggered both lines for a while. I had a good last hour adding a couple of better skimmers. 

There were at least four of us fishing for the silvers and didn't know if they had caught the bigger Skimmers down the far end. Last but one to weigh in with 16 lb 11 oz winning the silvers, so knew it would be close. I weighed 17 lb 15 oz for the win. So mission accomplished. The three accidentals weighed 15 lb 9 oz.

The match was won by Martin Rayet (pictured right with the silvers winner) with 147 lb from peg 25. Martin caught down his LH side at top set plus three with the rig set at 3 foot with 7mm meat over kindered meat. Well done matey, helped each other today.

I have to say well done to the weigh team, quickest I've seen the match weighed in. Well organised and a very neat weigh sheet. Another match next Sunday book in early to avoid disappointment.

Back to the Ringer with the usual suspects to talk fishing gibberish.

Result:

1. Martin Rayet 147-0-0 peg 25

2. Dave "Willy" Willmott 128-15-0 peg 19

3. Glenn Bailey 128-0-0 peg 4 (caught at 16.5 metres using worm and pellet!!)

Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 17-15-0 peg 14

2. Dave Haines 16-11-0 peg 20

Result: