10/02/13 - Lands End - Johns

Weight - 81lb 3oz
Catch - 13 Carp, 2 Crucians
Weather - Rain, rain and a bit more rain. Oh and some wind!
Match - Lands End Winter League rd 5 - 2nd out of 35 overall, 1st out of 12 section

More wind and rain was forecast for the 5th round and Johns Lake isn’t usually a nice place when it’s blowing a bit. Since my league is effectively over I was just looking forward to a days fishing and I wasn’t too disappointed to draw 58 at the top end of the lake, with Tony Rixon on 55 opposite.

So far this series 55 has been the better the peg, whilst 58 has seen 2 lasts in sections. However I knew this peg can throw up a weight and with the easterly wind blowing up the lake into this end it was going to be boom or bust.

Only 2 rigs today a HB Chump 0.3g > .10 > 18 silverfish pellet and a HB Shindig 0.3g > .12 > 18 B911. I also had a lead rod already set up in case the wind got too bad.

Initially settled on 2 swims, 13m to my right towards Tony in open water and 13m down the right hand edge by the brambles. After feeding some micros & 4s in open water I went straight down the RH margin with corn. After a couple of indications I had a small crucian, a switch to soft pellet produced a 4lb carp, before it went quiet, so I started catapulting 4s over the top.

A brief look over the open water swim produced a small crucian, but that was my only fish from here. The next 2 hrs was spent down the margin on 4mm expander, where I came back with a carp most put ins, mostly by lifting and dropping.

After 2.5hrs Bob Gullick was on walk about, because 1 roach was all he could muster from p46 and it appeared that Tony & I were leading the way on a lake that was fishing hard.

The next hour was quiet with no fish added to the net, but I kept pinging pellet into the RH margin and I also started feeding the point of the island because the wind showed signs of abating. The rest of the match was a case of swapping between the 2 swims and I managed to keep just ahead of Tony.

At one point I had to chuck the lead out, whilst I retied a new rig that got fouled on the far bank as a carp made a successful bid for freedom through some submerged brambles. I knew Tony would give me some stick – which he did, particularly as a carp nearly ripped the rod out of my hands. A switch to corn produced a few late fish as did going an extra metre down the margin.

With 45mins to go I netted a 9lber and thinking I had about 65-70lb, so I decided to put in my 3rd net, just in case. Well I need not have bothered because I didn’t have another. As it happens I should have used by 3rd net sooner, because I went 13oz over the net limit, so ended up recording a level 80lb, plus my 2 crucians.

Really pleased to have made the most of the peg and as is usually the way, your best days, tend to be your easiest.

1st 84- 4 – Jamie Parkhouse – p32
2nd 81- 3 – Ken Rayner – p58
3rd 64-13 – Tony Rixon – p55
4th 60- 1 – Clint Wotlyla – p7
5th 52-15 – Ray Bazeley – p11
6th 51- 9 – Adrain Jeffrey – p15

Silvers
1st 31-14 – Tom Thick – p68
2nd 19- 0 – Tom Mangnall – p42
3rd 15- 1 – Mark Brennan – p61