Thursday 09/12/2021 - Ray's Rip Off - Windmill Fishery - Match Lake

Beautiful skies  welcomed us - Rain later then - pictured. Usual walk as the Cormorants arrived on the pylons. You can set your clock to their arrival and departure. They wont come down on the water whilst anglers are around. No sign of fish, but didn't expect to see any.

Eleven fishing still out numbered by Cormorant's by one.

Into the draw bag and out comes red milk bottle top 5. No emotion. For company I had locksmith Jeff Grant.

Set up a 4x14 Winter Titan to fish top-set plus three barrels and - wait for it a 4x12 to fish 13 metres to the island! First time the pole been out for over a year, first time the 11.5 and 13 metre sections been out for a few years!! Of course had to set up the waggler. Carp were the target with the hope of an accidental skimmer.

Fed the short line with GB and Pinkie, then loose fed LR's down wind on the waggler line. Started on short line with double LP's after 30 minutes and no indications tried the long line with kindered LR's with double LR's on the hook. Again after 30 minutes no bites and with the wind making it hard work at 13 metres picked up the waggler. It is difficult getting the waggler depth right. Too far up the shelf with line on the bottom leads to foul hooking too far down, up in the water no bites, dead depth perfect. I had one bite landing a 5 lb angry Common. Jeff had started catching on the pole with Pinkie and with the wind further picking up I followed the leader, fishing the short line. Stayed on this far too long - with no bites. My six hour match clock was still working and thinking I had another hour left and with the wind dropping picked up the waggler. First cast another 5 lb Common. Next cast hooked another 5 lb Common and whilst playing it Ray called all out. I called fish on. So my 60 minutes left was 10!! Bugger should have started on the waggler earlier.

My three beautiful coloured Commons weighed 15 lb 9 oz for a small pick up.

The match was won by John Williams (pictured above with some of his catch) with 85 lb from peg 1. John caught on the pole at top-set plus two at full depth. Initially using hookable wetted 6 mm hard pellet over GB with micro and a few hard fours feed. John caught 4 early carp on this before switching to 8 mm meat hook bait over the same GB with a few pieces of meat catching steady to the end. Well done matey excellent weight on the day.

The silvers was won by Pete Greenslade (pictured with the match winner and his Border Terrier, that's him in the middle - what a well behaved dog sat in John's bait bag all day) with two skimmers for 2 lb 3 oz from peg 22. Pete caught on maggot over maggot at 10 metres.

Back to the Ringer with the usual suspects, all around the open fire, not sure which was most welcome beer or fire.

Weigh Sheet: Only those that weighed.