03/01/12 - Trinity Waters - Woodlands

Weight - 17lb 2oz (4lb 14oz -silvers)
Catch - 2 Carp, 7 Skimmers, 2 Roach, 1 Motherless Minnow
Weather - Mild, cloudy, light winds
Match - Avon Angling Open - 9th out of 19

I am still on my festive holiday for the rest of the week and decided to booked into this match, although after the last time I wasnt that enthusastic, but reasoned my luck has to change soon. Initally when I drew p10 I was quite pleased, until I realised I was 1 of 2 pegs without a spare peg either side, with Ziggy on p9 and Steve Wynn on p11.

I set up to 2 rigs, 4x18 polar ice > .12 > 18 silverfish pellet and a 4x18 jolly > .10 > 20 silverfish maggot. I also set up a rig to fish in the margin more in hope than expectation and finally a straight lead rig.

As we were setting up there was a few fish boshing in the middle of the lake and was regretting not bring a waggler rod.

On the all in a ball of groundbait and caster was deposited at 9m and I continued to cup in caster/dead maggot, but only had 1 skimmer over this line all match. At 15m slightly to my left, a small amount of 3s & 4s was deposited. Whilst I let that settle I tried the straight lead without sucess as did Kev Molton who was opposite me.

After a 10min wait on the 15m line I managed my first skimmer on soft pellet, before losing a carp when the hook pulled when I had it on my top kit. I also lost another fish under my pallet which took the bait when I was filling my tosspot. Initially I thought had hooked my keepnet, but it pulled back before breaking me.

On the hour Misha brought my sausage bagette. So back out with the straight lead & punched meat and convientantly the tip pulled round after I had finished eating. No more followed, so back on the pole and the middle part of the match was a real struggle, I couldnt buy bite even on single maggot, I even tried a popped up boilie on a 5ft tail.

At just over half way I fed some grounbait at 15m, but that didnt work, so a new swim was set up at 15m slightly to my right with 3s & 4s again, pinging 4s over the top.

The last hour was my most productive, when 3 good skimmers in as many put ins on soft pellet, then another carp on the straight lead.

A difficult day for most with the majority of the weights coming from left hand end of the lake. At least I beat the pegs either side of me, who both weighted 7lb.

1^st 66- 0 – Mark Poppleton – P31
2^nd 40- 8 – Anton Page – P17
3^rd 28- 0 – Dave Evans – p6
4^th 27- 9 – Steve Evans – p2
5^th 27- 5 – Phil Harding – p3
6^th 23- 2 – Eddie Wynn – p7

Silvers

1^st 13- 2 – Nick Collier – p32
2^nd 10-14 – Phil Harding – p3
3^rd 10- 9 – Tony Rixon – p26