Tuesday 22/04/2025 - Acorn Cost Cutter - Paddocks

On a high today and looking forward to fishing the Paddocks again with my good friend and bank runner Glenn Bailey (BTW he isn't very good at it). Berger van to getting us going.

Had a walk around the tackle shop and must say it's very well stocked and well supported by Zoe and Des Shipp.

Apparently 30 fishing today, which is good, more the merrier.

Into the draw bag and drawing peg 24 and being one of the first to draw was quick getting to the peg and unloading the van and is a peg I've not draw since the concrete bridge was installed, so was looking forward to having a go at it. Then Dom Sullivan came running around announcing a redraw. It don't happen often, but mistakes are easy to make running matches - I know from experience, usually with collecting the pools. Apparently all to do with having two number 11's. Back in to the draw bag and pulled number 11! Told my draw had gone bad to worse. It doesn't matter happy to fish any peg.

For company on peg 12 was Pinkie Paul Faiers and Chris Gay on 10 who was to DNW. Paul thought the area would be no good for silvers and he would be fishing for Carp.

Set up far too many rigs. Didn't expect to catch many Carp until  later in the match so targeted silvers with 4x14 Winters - one on top set for LR's over GB and loose fed LR's over the top and the other out at three barrels with worm over a smidgen of chopped worm and larger amounts of caster, for hopefully some Tench. Had a few Ronnie and a decent Perch short and a few Ide long on worm, but it was slow. Paul wasn't catching Carp and had switched to silvers. I noticed what I thought was silvers topping over to the island which was well out of reach for my 13 metres. So set the waggler up for double LR's over loose fed same. The first four cast resulted in three foul hooked Carp landing one and getting one in the mouth. Clearly not silvers topping then- Lol. Stayed on this adding another 9 Carp before the wind got so bad I couldn't see where the fed was going or the float too well. So went down the LH margin with a 0.3 gram RJ on the top set and had 10 more Carp with double LR over loose fed same plus a Tench and a decent Skimmer.

Silvers weighed 12 lb 15 oz and the 20 Carp for 61 lb totalling 73 lb 15 oz (weigh sheet error). Happy enough with that but more so if the wind wasn't for bad and freezing cold. If the wind stay's as it is peg 10, 11 and 12 will fish very well indeed.

The match was won by Shaun Fillingham with 147 lb 9 oz from peg 9. Shaun caught long over to the island mugging on banded pellet. No loose fed was injured during the match. Well done matey.

Paul Faiers won the silvers with 31 lb 2 oz from peg 12. Paul having given up on the Carp switched to silvers catching either down his RH edge with Pinkie over Pinkie or short in front with maggot over loose fed maggot. Tench and Skimmers making up most of his weight. He did have Carp trouble near the end. Well done matey nice to watch and thanks for letting some overcasting of the waggler in your peg.😘

Back to the Waterloo for a pint with Glenn, runner up Tony W and Haydn W. Great end of the day even with bad wind burn.

Result:

1. Shaun Fillingham 147-09 p9

2. Tony Whitcombe 118-09 p1

3. Gary Bedford 117-01 p7

4. Mervyn Sivell 106-05 p5

5. Antony Piekielniak              91-07 p2

6. Simon Stacey                      84-11 p33

Silvers:

1. Paul Faiers 31-02 p12

2. Steve Howell 29-09 p15

Section Weigh Sheet: