Sunday 08/01/2023 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round Two - Taylors Pool and Shipps Canal

Brian did the draw for the pairs, found my self with Lee Waller so very happy with this. Looked around for him, but found he had sloped off to the Canary Islands! No dropper or stand-ins in this league!

My turn on Taylor's Pool and with the weather forecast to be gales and heavy rain I was desperate to avoid pegs 14 to 17, hoping instead for pegs 26 to 19.

Into the car boot and first in (mistake) and with disc 15 in hand and me looking daggers at it - bugger going to be difficult, wet , cold and the wind blasting in at me at 11 o clock.

For company on 16 was bush wacker Ricky Mills and 14 Steve. Initially only set up  a 4x14 Winter Titan to fish at various lengths dictated by the wind. A 0.3 gram RJ slim for down the edge where I might get some presentation and shelter form the wind. With 15 minutes to waste before the all in set up the waggler!

Started at top set plus two with 4 mm expander over micro and after 20 minutes and only one indication I think, hard to tell with the wind - prestation was awful. Tried top set plus one with single maggot over GB and one 2 oz skimmer and a micro Perch. Again presentation was awful. That's it on to the margin rig. Unfortunately down wind - right side - was limited to just the top set because of a sapling in the way. The left look much better but self preservation kept me away for the time being. All in view were struggling except Bela who was bagging. Choosing to fish GB and maggot here and had a run of silvers. When it died thinking carp had arrived and had one 2 lb and another 4 lb. Then it completely died. Ha, the wind subsided a bit so chucked the waggler with maggot over loose fed same, after a few cast the sun came out and that was the end of any visibility - so abandoned.Thank heavens not long left so tried the right had margin again with maggot hook bait over GB and micro and had one bite which proved to be a welcome 6 lb carp.

Silvers weighed 2lb 4oz and my carp 10lb 13oz for 13lb 1 oz and a lowley7 points. However, one more carp would have made a difference. That said broke a cardinal rule - "If your thinking of trying something, do it straight away" - was thinking of fishing corn late on using it to help get the depth dead on, but couldn't be asses to get a tin out. I think the fish had shoaled around the island where they probably found warmer water. 

The match and my pool was won by Bela Bakos (pictured with the overall silvers winner) with 48 lb 12 oz from peg 26. Bela caught on All sorts with corn being best over hard 4's and with the coconut covered Alsort less productive. Bela described the peg "As God's peg". 

Steve Rogers won the silvers with 5lb 15oz from peg 5. Steve caught all around his peg with maggot over sprayed maggot. Well dome both.

Back to the inn with the usual suspects and the winners pot of gold.

Now to dry out the kit.

Result:

Shipp's Canal:

1. Martin McMahon 31-12-0 peg 6 (Hard 4's and 6's banded)

2. Vince Shipp 28-14-0 peg 1

Silvers: Steve Rogers 5-15-0 peg 5 (spaying maggots everywhere - apparently)

Taylor's Pool:

1. Bela Bakos 48-12-0 peg 26

2. Tony Mears 24-10-0 peg 25

silvers: John Clark 4-15-0 peg 19

Weigh Sheets: