25/03/17 - Sedges - Tile

Weight - 35lb 1oz (5lb 7oz - silvers)
Catch - 5 Carp, 6 Skimmers
Weather - Bright & sunny. Cool north easterly wind
Match - Coops Series - rd 1. 11th out of 20, 2nd out of 5 - section, 2nd in silvers

Today was the first round of a 5 match series run by James Cooper and sponsored by Guru. All 5 matches will be on Tile lake with 4 sections of 5. My draw put me on p31, which was my first ever corner at Sedges and its a flyer with 3 tons coming off the peg in the last 4 matches. However, my initial excitement was tempered a little, because these weights came come when there was a south westerly wind blowing into the corner. This week has seen the wind switch around to a easterly and the last 3 nights has been close to freezing.

When I got to my peg it was flat calm and the general conconsus was I should be Ok for the section, however it was expected the fish would follow the wind at the other end of the lake.

Today was also the first outing for my new Colmic F66 pole (I will do a write up once I have used it a few times), I just hoped I would catch a few fish.

On the all in a few 6mm amino+ pellet (which smell lovely) were deposited at 13m and I started on the waggler and 8mm pellet, but almost immediately knew it didn't feel right because the wind was cutting across me, pulling the waggler through too quickly. By pinging 8mm pellet towards the aerator I did manage 2 carp later on in the match, but bites came almost as soon as the pellet hit the water.

A switch to the 13m line and a banded 6mm pellet I caught a couple of decent skimmers and bumped another. A switch to fishing expanders on a lighter elastic only resulted in smaller skimmers, but unfortunately they soon disappeared.

Down the end bank at 14m I fed some meat & hemp and eventually had a 12lber on meat, but it was a loner. A switch to feeding pellet resulted in another carp on 6mm expander, but again it appeared to a loner. I had wanted to fish longer down the margin, but the wind was proving to be a real pain cutting across me, pushing the rig away from where I wanted it.

With 2 hours to go, it was obvious the lake was fishing hard, in particular my section. Dave Romain next to me thrashed the waggler most of the day and only had 4 carp to show for his efforts, but it was Martin Heard on p33 who was leading the way catching mostly on the waggler in the ripple off the island. So far I had left the area down the bank towards the overhanging tree as a safe zone if needed and it was now needed. A carp on the straight lead and meat almost immediately,it looked like a good idea, but yet again it was a loner. Even tried the method fished as tight as I dare to the tree didn't produce. There simply wasn't any volume of fish in the swim and it was turning into a classic case of right peg wrong day.

Fortunately I managed 2nd in section so not a complete bust, but the real bonus was picking up £40 for 2nd in the silvers. 

Overall the lake didn't fish as well as expected and the recent colder weather left it mark.
1. 136-14 - Jamie Cook (Sedges) - p40
2. 132- 1 - James Cooper (Guru) - p37
3. 95- 2 - Paul Homewood - p39
4. 74-14 - Dave White - p30
5. 74- 4 - Dom Sullivan (Mosella) - p38
6. 54-13 - Martin Heard (Mosella) - p33
Silvers
1. 6- 1 - Vic Bush (Mosella) - p29
2. 5- 7 - Ken Rayner (Colmic/Marukyu) - p31
3. 4- 4 - Jamie Parkhouse - p34