Thursday 16/01/2025 - Over 55's Silvers Pairs League - Round One - Landsend - Specimen and Match Lakes

Travelled with Kev Winstone who commented on how foggy it was, suggested he demist his windscreen, that helped! Pleasant drive down, followed by a Landsend fishery breakfast.

Draw done for the pairs and i'm with Dave "The whip" Poole this year so a decent pairing. Some pairing produced a few laughs "The Thatchers" Granty and Smithy again and the "pickled eggs" were also drawn together Kev and Phil.

Talk was it going to be very hard and to expect a few blanks.  Hoping for a peg on Specimen lake as it has more Skimmers. The draw bag gave me just that, peg 36. Checking the Sunday's weigh sheet 1 lb 14 oz came off it! Not quite far close enough up. Tony Rixon arrived on peg 34 and knew the match was already won, Landsend is his second home. At lest he wasn't in my section. Strange how often you draw next to the angler you travelled with as Kev arrived on peg 38. Dave The Whip was on end peg 33 so expected him to get Carped out - he did.

I plumbed around with the pole rig a 4x12 Winter and further a field with the waggler. The aerator on the end pegs drives the slit down and up the shelfs to the far end. So set about finding and fishing the deepest part which was top set plus three but only 3 1/2 foot deep. The far bank was 1 foot less. Plan was the one rig all day on two lines - out in front and to my left at 4 barrels in a tree shadowed dark patch. Would give both lines half a match each with small balls of GB and Pinkie. Took a while to get my first bite a small Roach. After another long wait a 2 lb Skimmer, which cheered me some. Meanwhile Kev was a catching tiny Ronnie's steady. Had 2 Crucians a micro Perch and four Ronnie's and two Carp by halfway. Switched to the dark line which gave me much better visibility and was rewarded with two more decent Skimmers and two Ronnie's and another Carp.

Weighed 6 lb 7 oz for a section win with not many bites.

As predicted Tony (pictured) won the match with a great catch of Skimmers weighing 20 lb 2 oz from peg 34. Tony fished 13 metres to the corner of the island where the flow from the aerators is at its most, grooving out a channel to about 5 foot deep. Tony caught on maggot over GB laced with maggot, Pinkie and casters. Well done matey nice to watch.

Acorn next week sounds like that is going to be really hard.

Back to the PoW in Winford for a pint with a few suspects. Decent pub.

Weigh Sheets: