16/07/16 - Lands End - Johns (no3) Lake

Weight - 108lb
Catch - 23 Carp, 6 Roach, 2 Skimmers, 1 F1
Weather - Most cloudy, warm & muggy
Match - Open - 1st out of 12

Dave Wescott was very pleased with himself for persuading Mike to have todays match on No.3 lake today instead of Match lake. I wasn't too bothered which lake we were on, but after sorting the pegs, I didn't want 45 or 46. So was disappointed to be on 46 and thought any chance of a pick up was unlikely, particularly since Rod Wootten was next to me on 45. Opposite on p66 was Dave Hodgson, so there was plenty of banter going around!

As you can see from the photos Mike has given the islands a much needed hair cut so at least we could fish tight to the islands.

As we were setting up there were a few fish showing themselves shallow and was hopeful of catching shallow, but decided to start fishing off the point of the island with paste, only feeding a pinch of 4s with the paste.

Must say I got off to a flyer, catching 7 carp, including a couple of double figure fish in the first hour, whilst everyone else appeared to be struggling. As expected action slowed down and over the next 2 hours only netted 2 more carp, both on paste.

During this quiet
spell, I tried fishing 6mm pellet over 4s at 6m to my left and at 11m, but only managed a handful of roach and 2 skimmers. I also tried fishing pellet shallow or slapping at passing fish, but they really weren't interested. Fortunately I couldn't see anyone else catching, although the grapevine suggested that Mark Walsh on p70 was catching.

At the half way point I decided to ditch the pellet rigs, focusing on paste by the island and meat down the margin. The intention was to keep rotating the 2 swims, however I just kept catching by the island. When it did go quite I managed 2 carp on meat down the margin, but these were the only fish I had down there. In hindsight I should have probably switched to paste down the margins.

A brief spell at 6m on meat only produced 1 lost foul hooker, so I didn't spend too long on it, simply because the paste line just got stronger, although towards the end of the match the average size of fish were getting smaller.

By the all out, it sounded like it was between Mark and myself, although Paddy Curry on p58 was admitting to catching a few. As it happened we were the top 3 on the day and we all caught on paste. Dave "the paste master" Wescott finished 4th.

Pleasantly surprised to have framed, let alone win from this peg, but confidence is high at the moment and its amazing the effect this can have. Long may it continue.

1st - 108- 0 - Ken Rayner - p46
2nd - 85- 0 - Mark Walsh - p70
3rd - 66-13 - Paddy Curry - p58
4th - 60- 6 - Dave Wescott - p55
5th - 56-15 - Rod Wootten - p45
Silvers
1st - 14- 4 - G.Sparks - p62
2nd - 9- 8 - Dave Wescott - p55
3rd - 7- 0 - Chris Fox - p42