Thursday 28/12/2023 - Kev Winstone Silvers Knock up - Windmill Fishery - Silvers Top Lake.

Having been under the weather with a heavy cold (aka man flu) most people I know have either had the bug or are currently suffering. I was looking forward to getting out fishing, so booked into Kev's knock up on the Top Lake - silvers only. Ten booked in with Jeff Grant dropping out once he tested the walk - you did right you wouldn't have made it mate with your short legs. 

Walked the gear up (I mean up) to the lake which was physically challenging due mainly to the water logged fields. Helped Kev peg it out and as we were told by Andy "misinformation" Gard that Paul Barnfield had switched to the Match Lake match suggested we leave out peg 1 which was full on in the wind. Luckily Kev didn't listen because Paul arrived last. Kev admitted that fishing this Lake today wasn't his best decision of the year! Andy Misinformation had to sit in peg 1 - did feel for him.

Picked peg 2 (pictured) in the form of a scrunched up tiny piece of paper from Kev's shovel like hand. Slightly in the wind but thought would be OK. Only one rig a 4 x16 Winter Titan. Plumbed around and found it sloped off from 3 foot to I'm nor sure but deeper that 8 foot at 6 metres. Decided to fish 5 foot at top set plus one barrel with GB and Pinkie. Started reasonably well catching small Skimmers and Ronnie's. The issue was the tow and presentation. There appeared to be plenty of small Skimmers in the peg but  was towing into them foul hooking and coming off, very frustrating. The peg died until after I foul hooked a Carp which came off. Had a few more small fish but it gradually got worse. With 3/4 hour to go I could see a very very dark cloud heading our way and with thinking a still bait might be the answer set up a small cage feeder. The wind and rain that followed was horrendous. Had two small Skimmers on the feeder. Judging by the time the feeder was sinking gave the impression that the lake shallowed at 20 metres or so. We were all glad to hear the all out.

The digital  scales arrived which weren't working right, not zeroing or showing any weight when loaded. After pressing a few buttons got it to read a weight albeit still not fully zeroing. So my weight had 2 oz deducted. Why I mention this, there has been a number of occasions when these type of digital scales have had issues. I am sure my weight was about right, but these episodes always leave you wondering though. Don't think you can beat dial scales.

I weighed 3 lb 12 oz for last but one in what was a tight match and with reasonable weights considering the conditions and how other fisheries are fishing for silvers at the moment.

Paul Barnfield won the match with weight of 8 lb 9 oz. Paul caught short on either caster of maggot over GB. I think with him nearly walking around the complete lake to find his peg helped him focus - lol. He wasn't happy. Character building I say. Well done matey well deserved.

I thought going back down hill would be better but only just, still had to push hard. Glad to get back to the car and home for a pint in the garage.

Would be a decent silvers knock up venue during the dry season!

Will be keeping out of crowded pubs for a while, don't want to catch anything else.

Weigh Sheet:

HELP Request

Fellow South West Anglers could please have a look at the following pictures to see if you can help me find the location of three venues. They all show my Granddad. My reasoning is I would like to fish in the very spot if possible. Please feel free to share around as possibly travelled by coach so might be further a field.

Pic 1: I initially thought it was below the original Keynsham bridge which was washed away in the late 60's floods, but have my doubt's now as the one photo on google doesn't show the parapets. Whats annoying I can remember standing in one of the parapet to let traffic pass.

Pic 2 and 3 (back of pic 2) : What puzzling me is the far bank line of trees and the embankment and possible road. Could it be the Huntspill around Gold Corner?

Pic 3: Probably the hardest to locate. It looks like it might be tidal or sluice gate controlled. Thinking Brue or somewhere on the Somerset levels?

Sunday 17/12/2023 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round 2 - Taylor's Pool and Shipp's Canal

Wetherspoons breakfast with Geoff which went down well.

Drawn Andy in the pairs and with our four weights so far we are already out of it, especially as Brain and Glenn have been drawing well and bagging.

My turn on Taylor's Pool wanted to avoid pegs 15 and 16. Nope peg 16 again for me. Had a sniff of my Bib and Brace as I thought it might be the closest I would get to any fish!! Found myself between Mark peg 17 and Vince peg 15 and a bloody cold wind in the smacker. Tony drew peg 16 last match and had 13 oz. However, I had drawn this peg many times (too many) and now think I was ready to get the best from it - that's all you can hope for. With very few Carp coming from this area I would target Silvers.

Set the waggler up purely to use whilst drinking a cuppa. Didn't have a bite on it, visibility and my feeding into the wind was awful. Three rigs 2 - 4 x14's one to fish at top set plus one up the shelf and the other to fish one more barrel at full depth, about 12 inches different. Plus the short Ronnie rig. Maggot, GB and wetted micro on the table - simple.

Plan was to feed the four lines the same with GB laced with DR's and the long line with GB laced with micro. Start on the top set Plus one line and work out to the longer line then on to the Ronnie rig, all with single LR hook bait. The short line produced a few small skimmers and a F1, after which the line died. So out on the long line and had a decent skimmer and a few Ronnie's before I killed it off with too much feed! Spent the second half on the match on the short Ronnie rig switching from side to side to keep small Ronnie's and Perch coming steady to the end - including another decent Skimmer and a 8 oz Ronnie 😁.

I was surprised to see my silvers weigh 9 lb 15 oz and the lake silvers win. The lonely F1 weighed 1 lb 6 oz for a total of 11 lb 5 oz. Certainly would have settled with that at the draw. Really enjoyed the day except for the cold facing wind.

Our lake was won by Martin Mc Mahon (pictured with the silvers winner - a rare picture with Martin smiling) with 38 lb 13 oz from fancied peg 22. Well done Matey.

Shipp's Canal was won by Bela Bakos (pictured with the joint silvers winners - Bill and Johnny both having 5 lb 12 oz) with 60 lb 3 oz from fancied peg 2. Bela has been drawing peg 10 or 2 for some time - so we are starting to called him 10 to 2. He caught short on maggot over maggot. Well done all.

Weigh Sheets:

Sunday 03/12/2023 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round One - Taylor's Pool and Shipp's Canal

Every year when the bad weather starts, I ask myself why I don't go more in the Summer - definitely next year.

Last weeks match was a practice which was very useful in letting everyone know the fishing on Taylors Pool will very different this year!

The last four days has been freezing, so some extra layers today only for it to go mild leaving me sweating.

We fish four matches on each pool, so it doesn't Matter which lake you draw to start, just didn't want pegs 15 or 16 on Taylors. Into the the car boot and found peg disc 13 starting back at me - Oh yes 13 is a peg you don't want on Shipp's in the early matches - bugger.

Nice comfortable peg with a few well made steps down to the peg. Peg 13 is very shallow and was very clear today and could see the bottom two metres out. This would mean fishing long. Last year I drew it in the practice match and having tried the waggler to no avail didn't bother setting it up and knowing it was about the same 3 foot all over only set a 12x14 Winter Titan, to fish on two lines both at 10 metres one in front and the other at 2 o'clock to the right.

Fed the right side only to start, with some micro and DR's and with double on the hook and after 15 minutes had one micro Perch in the net. Now the rub on this peg is you can see all the better pegs which can be very frustrating being distracted by anglers striking and with most of them having a Carp or three in this time, knew the writing was on the wall as anticipated - going to be last on the pool. So a switch to GB and Pinkie on both lines caught small Ronnie's steady regularly switching. It wasn't until the last hour that by changing my feeding that my catch rate increased. I did have a 4 lb Carp and losing one fouler which would have given me some additional points - but I was resigned to my first dropper.

My all Ronnie catch weighed 5lb 12 oz which was second silvers weight on the pool by 1 oz  to Steve Rogers! However, Steve picked up second on the pool so a default silvers win for me - Perhaps peg 13 isn't that bad after all!!!! The Carp weighed 3 lb 12 oz and as expected last in the section. Hoping my back will be OK in the morning after swinging 10 metres all day. What was interesting when I returned the one Carp it stayed more or less where it would have been in the keepnet?

Shipps Pool was won by Bri Shanks (pictured with a 14 lb Common in his catch) with 79 lb 10 oz from peg 1. Bri caught 3/4's over using maggot hook bait over kindered micro and maggot. Well done matey.

Andy won Taylors Pool with a lowly 15 lb 1 oz from peg 26 - Andy had gone early so did know how he caught - Well done Matey.

The weigh sheet for Taylor's Pool isn't very clear - not a bad thing! Next match 17/12/2023 will I avoid pegs 15 and 16?

Back to the New Inn for a well earned pint.

Weigh Sheets: