Sunday 17/04/2022 - Westerleigh Open - Taylor's Pool and Shipp's Canal

The Westerleigh winter league had a reserve date unused so we arranged a open. Planned to keep it to 8 per pool but found we had a good response and had 3 on the waiting list and as we really didn't want to turn anglers away went with 19 - 10 on Taylor's and 9 on Shipp's. So going to be interesting.

Nice morning albeit a nasty SE wind, again!!

Into the draw bag and out comes Taylor's 17 which is a corner peg. Not the peg of choice by along way. With paying 3 overall on each lake which would come from opposite pegs 22,21,20 or 19 on my pool, and with silver anglers on pegs 25 and 24 and paying only one silvers felt it was a no hoper for a pick up. With the wind hacking into the peg to-boot thinking it was going to be a miserable day - it was.

Set the stool out for silvers so a 4x13 MR to fish initially at top set plus one barrel and to gradually work out to 3 barrels, a 4x10 for the shallow margin again at various barrels down both sides and the waggler which can produce a few skimmers and Ronnie's on maggot. Started at one barrel with single LR over GB with a few Pinkies and had few small skimmers which were mostly foul hooked! Next out to two the barrel line again a couple of small skimmer one foul hooked and a Crucian. Out to three barrels and a one skimmer. On each line pestered by small Perch. Out on the waggler and one Perch and a small Carp. The wind was just too bad to present on the shallow bar in any case couldn't see where the LR feed was going. So gave in and monked about in both margins adding more micro Perch and Ronnie's plus 5 more small carp using the 4x10 in 12 inches of water. As predicted the opposite pegs were producing with my side fishing poorly has they have done all year.

My silvers weighed 4 lb 13 oz which I'm sure consisted of the most fish mainly micro Perch and the six carp weighed 12 lb 9 oz for 17 lb 6 oz which was a above average weight from the peg this year.

The match was won by Lee Masey (pictured with the silvers winner) with 52 lb 12 oz from Shipp's peg 5. Lee caught initially long over to the island using pellet over pellet later switching short with meat. A lot of foul hooking on the lake today. Well done matey.

The silvers was won by Dave Haines (pictured with his catch of skimmers) with 12 lb 4 oz from peg 25. Dave as usual caught on his top set with maggot hook bait over loose fed caster and maggot. Well done matey.

The best part of the day was back in the pub with the winners buying the rounds - happy days.

Result:

Shipp's Canal:

1. Lee Masey 52-12-0 peg 5

2. Paul Barnfield 50-12-0 peg 2

3. Brad Snowden 46-14-0 peg 11

Silvers: Bomber 5-04-0 peg 12

Taylor's Pool:

1. Glenn Bailey 51-0-0 peg 19

2. John Clark 37-11-0 peg 22

3. Martin Mc Mahon 31-11-0 peg 21

Silvers: Dave Haines 12-04-0 peg 25

Weigh Sheets: