Thursday 05/04/2022 - Ray's Rip Off - Windmill Fishery - Match Lake

Having issues with a hernia so asked Ray if I could avoid the pegs with slopes behind but knew this would reduce the number of good pegs available. It didn't matter as I wouldn't be able to do any serious carp slaying. Into the limited draw bag and out comes peg 20. Last year Pegs 25 round to pegs 18 would be the place to draw, however, for unknown reasons not the case this year. Found myself in Gas corner - UTG nerves jangling, John Smith can't sleep, lets hope for automatic promotion. 

Next to Pete Greenslade and Dave "The Whip" Poole. Just set up silvers rigs - Short Ronnie rig and a 4 x 14 Winter Titan to fish top set plus one which took me 18 inches up the inside shelf but still had seven feet. Fed the long line with GB and micro and LR's and for the Ronnie rig the down wind RH margin with GB and Pinkie. Started on the Ronnie with single LR and had a 3 oz Rudd first put in, after which all I could catch was small Perch. The wind was light but skimming hard and kept switching 180 degrees. So changed to the now down wind LH margin and found that much better but still slow catching the odd Rudd and Ronnie. The Perch were still having a go though. The grass had been cut and mostly ended up in the lake and was a bloody nuisance especially as the wind was pushing it to and fro.- NOTE TO ANDY GARD - "It's no mow May"!! The Perch finally gave up and the other silvers faded too. So tried the long line with single LR and again finding small Perch. Back on the Ronnie rig until the last hour adding hard earnt ounces. Last hour decided to sit it out on the long line with double LR hoping for a couple of decent skimmers which I thought was needed for any coin. Instead I hooked and lost five carp! One broke the main line, another pulled out at the net with the LR's having gone over the hook and three foul hookers.

My silvers weighed in at 6 lb 9 oz for 4th in silvers needed those bonus slimmers.

The match was won by Dave "Willy" Willmott (pictured with some of his catch) with 97 lb 9 oz from peg 14. Dave caught short down the RH side using his favoured meat feed and hook bait. Well done matey an exceptional weight on a dower day.

The silvers was won by Dave Haines (pictured with the match winner) with 9 lb 9 oz from peg 11. Dave caught on his top set using maggot and caster feed and hook baits, his catch included two decent skimmers to 2 1/2 lb. Well done matey.

No pub for me today. 

The fishery is now under new management. They have only been in charge for 5 days and already have made a very big difference:

Access road sorted

pegs 11,12,14 pegs have been sorted with new sturdy platforms

Just keep Gardy off the strimmer LOL.

Keep it up lads and once my hernia sorted I will be out to help (oversee).

Result:

1. Dave Willmott 97-09-0 peg 14

2. Paul Haines 45-0-0 peg 5

3. Jeff Grant 41-10-0 peg 4

4. John Osbourne 31-04-0 peg 7

5. Laurie Laing 28-02-0 peg 10

6. Dave Haines 26-0-0 peg 11

Silvers:

1. Dave Haines 9-09- o peg 11

2. Hughie Evans 8-10-0 peg 9

Weigh Sheets: