Sunday 10/04/2022 - Windmill Open - Match Lake

Timed my drive to the lake, eight minutes to the gate and seven minutes to navigate the 200 metres of rocky road.

Another sell out with a waiting list, must be an increase in the sell of 4x4's.

Another frost, however, the wind had dropped making all the pegs fishable on the pole. Had the usual walk around no sign of fish. Back to the draw and pulled peg 14. One of the best carp pegs if not the best. However, its the worse maintained. Where's the platform? Ah, there's the remnants - pictured. Finally got the trolley through the swamp and set up next to the platform with the front legs in the water. Reasonably comfortable.

My plan was to fish for silvers until either they stopped feeding or 90 minutes from the end when I would see the match out on carp and hopefully have the double bubble covered. However, hasn't thrown up any silvers so far with them being mainly at the car park end, so may be over optimistic. Set up the short Ronnie rig was expecting Rudd so used with a reverse shotting (weight at top and spread out down to the hook) to fish single LR down wind over nuggets of GB and loose feed. A 4x13 MR with black tip to fish top-set plus two barrels down wind one foot up the shelf giving 5 foot for meat later.

Fed the meat line and a nugget and started on the Ronnie/Rudd rig and caught Rudd straight away to 4 oz with the occasional Ronnie and Perch. It went quiet and thought that was the end of the silvers when I foul hooked a carp which broke me. Fed another nugget which brought the silvers back another decent run and was really enjoying sorting the loose feed to keep them coming. Another quiet spell resulted and hook another carp which nearly got in the net before of broke the hook length, long lining with 3 foot of top set makes it difficult to land large carp. Definitely thought that would end the silvers so fed another nugget and tried the meat line as Dave Haines came for a chat I was get liners with the fish being up in the water I did land one and fouling a couple. Back on the Ronnie rig after reversing the shotting and had a nice surprise to find the Ronnie's and Perch had returned, alas not the Rudd. I stayed on the silvers until it completely died, which left 90 minutes for carp, but first changed to a 0.3 gram RJ slim to fish in 3 foot of water down the right side. I had four more carp to 10 lb on the meat. I did foul hook a couple on the drop after feeding due to meat sinking slow. Had a visit from Dave "Willy" Willmott.

My silvers weighed 11 lb 3 oz for the silvers win adding the carp weight took me to third overall with 46 lb 1 oz need another 2lb for second! So double bubble. Should have brought some paste - bugger.

The match was won by Tony Bailey (pictured with the silvers winner) with 95 lb 10 oz from peg 12. Tony started on the method towards the island catching two quick carp then the method down to the LH end bank catching a couple more. After advise from Dave Haines Tony switched to his LH margin catching carp steady to the end using corn over corn. Well done matey.

Can see the similarity with Glenn have to check if he's related.

I choose to climb the steep bank rather than go through the swamp again.

Result:

1. Tony Bailey 95-10-0 peg 12

2. Antonio Barson 47-14-0 peg 7

3. Mike Nicholls 46-01-0 peg 14

4. Gerry Walsh 39-04-0 peg 6

5. John Williams 29-14-0 peg 18

6. Cliff 22-09-0 peg 11

Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 11-03-0 peg 14

2. John Osborne 8-03-0 peg 23

3. Andy Gard 6-09-0 peg 1

Weigh Sheet: