Thursday 06/03/2025 - Over 55's Silver's League - Round Five - Landsend Fishery - Specimen and Match Lakes

Penultimate round of the league today at Landsend. The cafe staff worked hard today serving up breakfast for most of us. Very nice.

Hoping to be on Specimen lake. However, ended up on peg 17 on Mach lake also next to Tony Rixon on peg 19 that's every match so far!

From memory peg 17 was one of the popular Carp pegs based on the last results also at the wrong end for the silvers.

Two rigs 4x10 shotted with strung our number 12's and a 4x12 with the logarithmic shotting pattern with 11's. Bait wise it was GB and Pinky and a few casters for down the shelf for Perch in addition two lines one at top set plus one and three barrels. Bit too much of a birdcage for the waggler.

A very cold wind was blowing off the Tealham Moor on my back causing a a ripple from middle to far bank making visibility very difficult.  Red tip was best. Only fed the three barrel line initially with loose GB and Pinkie. First put in a Carp, second another Carp. Refed and after a very long wait caught a Skimmer - and relax 😀. After more Carp caught another Skimmer. At last I was beating Tony only for him to catch a 2 lb Perch down his edge. Which gave me inspiration to try my edge where I had been dripping in casters. First try with single LR the float disappears - unfortunately not a Perch just another Carp which trashed my rig in the tree stump.  Visibility got worse so came on the short line where I had been hand loose feeding Pinkies and had a F1 and more Carp. The last 20 minutes the Ronnie's started to feed and caught five small Ronnie's.

Weighed 3 lb 8 oz for joint second in the section with Paul Barnfield on peg 15 both losing out to a 2 lb Perch. Ten Carp hooked and one decent F1.

The match was won By reserve Pinkie Paul Faiers (pictured) with 12 lb 12 oz from peg 27. Paul caught - yes on Pinkie on three lines all at 14 .5 metres feeding Pinkie and GB. Well done matey, thanks for standing in.

Back to the New Inn with the usual suspects. Kev dropped me off, whilst sorting my kit found some unfamiliar looking boots - certainly not mine - any guesses?

Weigh Sheets:

Pairs Result: Round Five

Sunday 02/03/2025 - Westerleigh Winter League - Round 5 - Taylor's and Shipp's

Three days of frost and beautiful clear blue skies. Gradually emerging from the winter darkness, packed the car in the light.

My turn on Taylor's Pool. Four of the pegs face South so wanted to avoid them the sun would be a nightmare. Into the draw bag and peg 19 it was. North facing so OK in that respect. However, the results from the peg has be awful with ounces coming from it. No Carp then! Being ever optimistic hoping some might have migrated down this end. Next to Johnny Jinx again third time, not a good omen.

Set up the kitchen sink. Started at three barrels with a 4 x16 Winter initially fishing expander over micro, thirty biteless minutes later changed to double LR's over the micro thirty biteless minutes and with peg 26 and 14 bagging thought I better save a blank and fish for silvers the only possible way to pick up today. So onto the waggler fishing on the bar off bottom with double Pinkie had a run of small Ronnie's after an hour that died, not to be resurrected. After trying another six lines with various rigs in search of an elusive Carp focused on one line at 2 o clock at three barrels with double Pinkie and GB, again just off bottom. Last twenty minutes had a couple of small Skimmers and a decent one suddenly from wanting to be sun bathing elsewhere to not wanting the match to end felt the Skimmers had suddenly woke up.

Weighed 2 lb 11 oz which was the highest silvers weight across the two Pools. Learnt a bit about the peg today. The big plus the warmest I've Been for many many months.

The match was won by Johnny Clarke (pictured with the Westerleigh Hard Rock Trio - Mark third overall on the lead guitar, Shanksey on the drums and Johnny on the magic Mushrooms) from peg 14 with 54 lb 1 oz. Johnny caught in the deep water at four barrels using his favourite expander hook bait over micro.

Ryan Shipp (pictured) deputised today winning Shipp's Canal taking second overall with 47 lb 13 oz from peg 11. Ryan caught long over to the island's on maggot over loose fed same. Appropriate result as the Pool is named after him due to the hard work he put in helping to remodel the venue. Well done matey. 

Back to the pub with the usual suspects. Great end to the day. Here's to the fish starting to get active splitting the shoals.

Weigh Sheets: