Round one of the over 55's Silvers Pairs League was in doubt with lots of fisheries cancelling matches due to lake being iced over. The day before the match we were told the match was on apparently the ice was only 2 mm thick! We all knew this was highly likely understated, but we all went along with it. As I've had my ice breaker confiscated due to health and safety reasons was promised I wouldn't need to break ice. I didn't but done a lot of ice berg poking.
After breakfast had the pairs draw. Tony "Turbo" Ponting for me. Happy with this as he's been doing well fishing a fair few silvers matches recently. The favoured pairing was Kev Winstone and Tony Rixon.
Match split into A and B sections, one of the pair in each section paying the top two in five peg sections.
As I was first out of the pairing put me in A section - Match Lake, drawing peg 3. Told very few Ronnie's having to target a Skimmer or two! Got to the peg and tapped around with the cupping kit to find the ice about 10 mm but was deceptive as there was rain water on top as Kev was to realise. Sat on his box having a fag thinking no ice until Tony Rixon started to clear my ice with one of Wellingtons cannon balls. Thanks Tony. Tony Whitcombe was on peg 1 and the ice berg to my left was suddenly moved down to his peg by a gust of wind. He spent half hour clearing it.
Due to the trees on the opposite bank the light is awful leaving only two dark areas to fish - one at top set plus three barrels and on at four barrels. So two yellow top Winters one a 4x12 for Skimmers and a 4x10 to fish for Ronnie's late on.
All in at 10:30 the the rain started right on time, so umbrella's going up everywhere - well not quite - John Smith's collapsed on him leaving him in sat in heavy rain all match.
Started on the shorter line as it was 4 inch deeper than the longer line with loose GB and a few Pinkies fed on both lines. After ten minutes foul hooked a Carp luckily the hook pulled. Started to catch F1's which don't count. The wind had started pushing the ice bergs from peg 1 up to me so spent the next half hour push ice bergs under the ice to my right. Two hours in blanking but still catching F1's until I hooked a 4 oz Skimmers only to come off on some ice! Soon after had a very small Perch so blank averted. Hooked another Carp again that came off with the rig intact. Straight after had a dumpy Skimmer. Now hoping for a few more alas not, so went on the longer line and more F1's. The light was fading forcing me back short switching to the lighter rig in the hope of some Ronnie's. However, the light was so bad started to get IBS (Imaginary Bite Syndrome). Last put in had a Ronnie which fell off striking too hard due to the excitement of having a visible bite.
During the match there was a few anglers, including me walking around looking for assistance in releasing water stuck sections.
Weighed 1 lb 2 oz for third section. Landed 8 F1's, lost 3 foul hooked F1's and two Carp. I have always believed if you have F1's in your peg they bully the silvers out. Apparently restocking next week with Skimmers. A week too late, but might improve our next match there. Weather wise it was very very wet, rain didn't stop all day.
The match was won by Paul Barnfield (pictured) with 14 lb 3 oz from ice free peg 31. Paul caught at both 13 and 14.5 metres with single or double Pinkie over GB. Well done matey.
Back to the Prince of Waterloo with the usual suspects for a pint or two and dry off a bit.
Weigh Sheets:
Pairs:
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