Sunday 13/02.2022 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round Four - Shipp's Canal and Taylor's Pool

Glenn Call in the week and said had I seen the weather forecast for Sunday, told him not to worry they always forecast worse scenarios - not this this time is was far far worse, high winds and rain all day - good for discipline. Seven layers, three being Gore-Tex and I was still cold. Every time I felt like a pee I would get up and pee on my hand surprisingly hot. I hate brambles but not today they were giving me some shelter from behind.

Looking around no one was going to be entirely out of the wind. With my turn on Shipp's I was hoping for pegs 1 to 5 and perhaps 7. The best peg for me is 2. Brian placed the discs in the boot of his car, shuffled, picking the nearest and was delighted to have disc 2 - happy days. Glenn was also happy with his peg 1.

A few anglers asked if it was float only league today - it is!

The wind was blowing more or less down the canal towards our pegs and too strong for the brolly so had to hunker down. Mark Taylor had installed some rollers behind all pegs to stop angler damaging the Otter fence which was dead handy for me.

Mark came past and said the pleasure anglers fish the lead between the island and the aerator - well off the island, this encouraged me to set up the waggler - as suspected it was too optimistic for the conditions so it just sat in the roost getting wet. Two pole rigs - 0.3 gram RJ to fish down to the margin bush at top-set plus 2 and a bit barrels and a 4x13 MR to fish top set plus one barrel out in front. Started the MR on single LR over GB with miniscule amount of Pinkies. I didn't realise how hard it was towing against but soon had a 1 oz Ronnie on the drop and relised I had the wrong top set - a double top two so switched to single top set. I had a few more Ronnie's to 2 oz when I foul hooked a small carp which came off. I fouled another three noting it was all in the same place, the penny dropped I was towing into them over my feed which was about 3/4 metres form where I was potting. So let the rig go through catching the odd silver on the drop however, when it reached the feed spot, held back stick float fashion and started to get small carp and F1's in the mouth. Had decent run of F1's and a 1 lb Skimmer which have recently been stocked by Mark. After topping GB, which I did three times I would try the bush adding the occasional F1 and small carp on double LR's over kindered micro and a few LR's. The most productive line was over the GB so kept switching back there and keeping a few more F1's and small carp coming. The last hour was focussed down to the bush in anticipation of catch one or two bigger carp, instead just adding the odd F1 and was much slower than expected.

My silvers weighed 2 lb 9 oz and my carp 24 lb 12 oz for a total of 27 lb 5 oz fro a double bubble. If it wasn't for the conditions it would have been very enjoyable, but memorable nonetheless.

The silvers was won by default by Ricky Mills - for all tour scaffolding needs (pictured with the match winner) with 2 lb 4 oz from Taylor's peg 15.

No pub for me as all the kit was soaking.

Result:

Taylor's Pool:

1. Steve Rogers 20-05-0 peg 17

2. Kev Winstone 11-01-0 peg 14

Silvers: Ricky Mills 2-04-0 peg 

Shipp's Canal:

1. Mike Nicholls 27-05-0 peg 2

2. John Clarke 17-08-0 peg 11

Silvers: Mike Nicholls 2-09-0 peg 2

Weigh Sheet: