Thursday 14/10/2021 - Ray's Rip Off - Windmill - Match Lake

Thought I would Put up an old pictured of Rip-Off - Titled "The Gangster without a Gang".

The Autumn weather seems to be holding fair to good. 18 booked in with one calling off.

I have drawn on the end bank for the last three matches so was hoping to be elsewhere, preferably pegs 22 to 14. Into the cash bank bag and out comes red milk bottle top 5. An example of being careful what you wish for, rather be on the end bank, no one has picked up from this peg this term - so far. I had Willy Willmott for company on peg 4, who managed to break his 14.5 metre section setting up.

Although I remembered to bring some meat I decided to fish for silvers, but did set up a meat rig. Main attack was the two Ronnie rigs - short and long with single LR on the hook over GB laced with DR's. Fed both line, plus some meat down the second ledge to the left. I started to catch some small Ronnie's. It was clear that the Rudd had shut up shop for now. I did have a few small Skimmers. By switching between the two rigs I regularly added ounces to the net. I did expect to catch the occasional Accidental carp but no signs which confirmed my decision to fish for the Silvers. I did have a couple of minutes on the meat rig with only a nibble from a silver, this was soon abandoned realising that due to the silvers being very small I had to keep putting ounces in the net. I kept switching between the two lines up and down in the water until 15 minutes from the end when the carp arrived, foul hooking one and landing two, thankful that they didn't arrive earlier.

I thought Willy was talking to me only to be told he was talking to himself, this happened a good few times, so I tried to listen to what he was saying and came to the conclusion it was "Well done Dave".

Had a visit from Glenn and Ted Bailey. Both were well behaved.

My two carp weighed 11 lb 3 oz and my silvers 14 lb 9 oz for the silvers win. Definitely the right decision to keep going with the silvers as Hughie Evans was very close behind.

Th match was won by Willy Willmott (pictured with the silvers winner) with 131 lb 8 oz from peg 4. Dave caught a few long over to the island with banded pellet, however, most of his catch came from the RH margin using his favoured meat attack.

Thanks to Mike Chapman for the plaster. 

It looks like John Smith has caught the Jeff Grant disease of catch and release!

Back to the "Ringer" for a pint of Butcombe's for a great end to another great day on the bank. The temperature had drop though.

Food for thought:

Many anglers complain that their shot has moved on the line, incorrectly blaming the shot, when they should be looking at the behaviour of the line. Fishing line is elastic (like all things to a degree). So when line is loaded it stretches and does not always return to its original diameter and length, hence the shot is no longer gripping the line as it was. It may be worth considering pre stretching the line which is often done when elasticating poles.

 Again I hear anglers say when dotting down their floats are taking on water with the need to remove shot. This is true to some degree. However, it is mostly caused by the line characteristics of attracting solids from the water. Just wipe the line with a white cloth after fishing and see how many solids are on it.

Result:

1. Dave Willmott 131-08-0 peg 4

2. Kev Winstone 88-14-0 peg 17

Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 14-09-0 peg 5

2. Hughie Evans 12-03-0 peg 20

Weigh Sheets: