Thursday 19/05/2022 - Ray's Rip Off - Windmill Fishery - Match Lake

Two minds whether to go today as hernia playing up and would have to rely on some help with two of the heaviest items of tackle - seat box and bait bag. However, did go and greatly appreciated help from: Hughie, Kev, Lionel, Laurie. and John Osbourne for passing my weigh board to John Smith 😁. This help make it possible for me to have an after match pint - cheers. I have wished for the glorious 16th to arrive for many a year that's before the arrival of commercials but wishing for it again as date of surgery.

With Ray away today Dave Haines took over and sorted the a non hill climb pegs for me. into the draw bag and out come peg 25. Happy enough with the peg which to be fair needs some work, which is planned. Unable to use the waggler here or ship back more than top three. Didn't really bother me though as it would be silvers only so no tugging. Got to the peg and noticed the reeds moving, it wasn't heavy carp spawning, wasn't sure whether it was carp or silvers. 

Set up the usual silvers rigs all to fish over GB laced with Pinkie loose feed LR's with LR on the hook. Fed the top set plus two barrels line for the MR and long Ronnie rigs and the LH margin for the short Ronnie rig and just light loose feed down the RH side. Started on the short rig and started to catch small Ronnie's and Rudd and the usual pesky small Perch. After 90 minutes the line slowed so switch to the long rig and was surprised I couldn't get a bite. Seen Glenn Bailey walking around, apparently no one down his bank had caught! I had only seen one carp caught down the other bank. I switched to the right had side with the short rig and had a 6 lb carp first try next put in another beautiful 10 lb silver Common. That was it from this side went out on the MR and had a small hybrid and skimmer. It was fishing hard. Until the last hour spent down the left nicking the odd small silver. Once again I was thinking I would need that bonus decent skimmer to pick up so spent the last hour on the MR catch one more small carp losing five more mostly foul hooked ending up in the reeds. Unfortunately no bonus silvers.

My silvers weighed 5 lb 13 oz and my three carp 20 lb 1 oz for 25 lb 14 oz. Third in silvers second in section and 7th overall - another near miss for the coin. Glad I went as staying in the chair watching Netflix is not the way to good health.

The match was won by Dave "Willy" Willmott (pictured with the silver win) with 56 lb 13 oz from peg 12. Dave caught on his favour 7 mm meat short and down his margins. Well done matey.

The silvers was won by John Osbourne with 8 lb 10 oz from peg 23. John caught at top set plus two barrels with maggot over maggot, catching shallow mainly Rudd plus a bonus 2 lb skimmer. Well done matey.

It didn't fish that well today which may be due to the heavy overnight rain. Not sure it's going to fish well until the carp have spawned and the silvers has eaten it all!

Back to the "Ringer" with the usual suspects. Geoff Francis in addition to being a cidermaker is also now an Apiarist.

Weigh Sheets and Results: