Back to Viaduct for the cost cutter with Geoff. Lucky to get in it's a sell out every week, so full house with 21 fishing. Had the SH1T's for a couple of days and was hoping to be OK for the match.
We had breakfast in the White Hart in Somerton, and met up with Steve Denmead and Leon Hubbard. The breakfast is "interesting" and expensive. The talk was about the cost some anglers will go to for a match Silvers win with the record being beaten again on the Tuesday using copious amounts of maggot, told 8 pints were fed. Not for me.
Nice to catch up with a few more anglers Rich Coles was in attendance and we had a chat about the old days and the miles we travelled on the weekends for our teams. He mentioned a numerous time he didn't want to draw peg 135 😂. Also nice to meet up with Dave White, does Dan still fish I wonder?
Into the draw coffee tin and peg 130 for me. Not an area I particularly fond of, I certainly have had my share of the pegs in this area over the years.
Just paste, corn and micro on the table and see what transpires with the Silvers.
One corn rig for down under the tree to my right about 5 foot out in the shade. A paste rig for the left hand side margin and similarly a paste rig for top set plus two barrels.
Two visits to the toilet before the all in and luckily that was it for the the duration of the match.
Fed the corn line with a few grains and a smidgeon of micro and the long line with half a pot of micro. Started on the corn and had a one pound hybrid first try, then pestered by small silvers with the odd better Ronnie to 6 oz. With the long paste line settled went over it with a small piece of paste and had seven decent Skimmers in seven put in's so things starting to appeared better than I thought. I could hear a few moans opposite on the decent Skimmer pegs. I then got carried away with the feed and now think I over done it as I started to hook Carp which proceeded to beat up two paste rigs. Landed the third one. I left the line alone in favour of the corn line and had some more decent Ronnie's and one decent Skimmer then another Carp. Back out on the long paste line over Kindered micro and just could not get the Skimmers back , but increase the feed and it was Carp city adding just two more Skimmers. Each side had been catching Carp regularly on the tip so last couple of hours put on a heavier paste rig and fished for Carp - cripes they fight hard catching five losing a few foulers.
Silvers weighed 19 lb 1 oz with a total weight of 64 lb 10 oz fro nowhere. A days fishing though.
Well done Dave White (pictured) showing the way on the pole with 284 lb from peg 121, pity Howard wasn't here today, be nice to see him cry - nice to catch up - still got it matey.
How Dave caught in his own words:
"Viaduct today for an open and I drew peg 121 which is a good edge peg so I was happy with that. I’ve caught 24 carp and a few skimmers for a total weight of 284lbs which was enough for the win so happy with the result and I would like to thank everyone who helped me today hopefully for not much longer lol 😜 before you asked me I caught all my fish on the pole who knew lol 😎"
The Silvers was won by Leon Hubbard (pictured) with 79 lb 2 oz from peg 118. Leon caught short on worn, maggot and GB. Well done matey.
Geoff and me stopped in the The old station Inn. Quirky place but good food at a decent price.
Overall:
1. Dave White - 284lb - peg 121
2. Steve Macdonald - 241lb 5oz - peg 131
3. Tony Wittcomb - 200lb - peg 114
Silvers:
1. Leon Hubbard - 79lb 2oz - peg 118
2. Nick Ewers - 59lb 11oz - peg 111
3. Mat Rowe - 45lb - peg 112
Weigh Sheet:
