Monday, 17 February 2014

16/02/14 - Viaduct - Cary

Weight - 6lb 10oz
Catch - 22 Roach, 5 Skimmers, 2 Perch
Weather - Bright & sunny, with a light breeze
Match - Winter League - 14th out of 19 section

So the 3rd round of the Winter League and the MFS team felt it was owed a decent draw, following the rubbish we had to endure in the previous 2 rounds. Martin Fisher couldn’t fish, so Mark Poppleton agreed to step in before realising there was a 16 peg mugging match at Todber Manor, White post lakes. Needless to say he drew crap and drove home before the results could be announced which the West Tackle boys found amusing – let that be a lesson. Fortunately Chris Fox stepped into Martins spot which would be on Match Lake, so thanks Chris. However, our team captain, Rich Wyatt had the threat of divorce looming if he went fishing, due to a sick child, which meant there was only the 4 of us.

Team draw done and it wasn’t the worst draw, but it certainly was the worst peg for me on p94. So far this series a total of 2lb 11oz & 3pts has come from the peg over the last 2 rounds. The only crumb of comfort was the fact James Cooper came 2nd with 70lb on Thursday, but that day it was dull & overcast and peg 90 wasn’t in. As for today it was bright & sunny with little wind. I just hoped the fish had stayed up this end, but feared they would have moved into the centre of the lake.

Opposite on p90 was Nick Collins. I tried to encourage him to stay on the pole and catch silvers, but he wasn’t having any of it and set up a lead rod, which meant I wouldn’t have the end bank to myself.

Speaking to a couple of people before the start it was suggested skimmers show in the peg, although it was hardly skimmer weather, but I still mixed up some groundbait, cupping in 4 balls with caster at 13.5m, giving me the option to go 14.5m later if needed. Due to the flat conditions the float was a Jolly 4x14 > .08 > 20 silverfish maggot hook.  I also set up a caster rig to fish down the right hand margin, hoping for a few perch and maybe a rogue carp later.

On the all in, I started on the waggler with punched meat or bread, casting around the swim, but had no bites after 30mins, so chucked out the lead leaving it for 20mins, but again nothing. Nick only had a single liner and things weren’t looking good. In the meantime the pegs to my left had a couple of carp, casting towards the middle of the lake.

Since I couldn’t catch a carp, it was time to try the pole and over the next 90 minutes I caught mostly small roach and a couple of skimmers, on pinkie or maggot, loose feeding caster every 15mins. After this time the swim was slowing and the wind increased a little, blowing into peg 90. Nick managed his only 2 carp within consecutive casts, before the wind dropped and changed direction again. I cast out the waggler and promptly hooked a carp, which fell off after a few seconds. Gutted, but it persuaded me to continue my search for a carp without success.

From the start I had been feeding caster into the right hand margin and my first put in instantly produced 1¼lb perch on double caster, quickly followed an 8oz perch and then a small roach. Despite continuing to feed caster into the margin I could only manage bites from small roach, although the float did appear to move sideways on a couple of occasions, hinting at the presence of a carp, but no bites.

Topping up the long line, I had a skimmer almost straight away, before the small roach moved back in. Unless I catching those skimmers, I wasn’t going any where with roach so concentrated more and more on the lead and waggler, occasionally going back to the pole hoping some big skimmers had moved over my feed. 5mins from the end I had a very big liner on the lead and was reluctantly struck just in case, but only connected with thin air.

Nick didn’t catch any more carp, Steve Denmead to my left won the lake with 56-8, but almost everyone who could was casting into his swim – I don’t think he was too happy. I just haven’t had any luck in this series, I was beaten by 4 anglers who had a single carp and one 10lber would have doubled my points. Perhaps I am using up all my luck for the Lands End series. With the last round next week another corner will do me.

1st 161- 7 - Steve Kedge - p125
2nd 147- 6 - Adam Mitchell - p119
3rd 115- 4 - Roland Lucas - p116
4th 98- 1 - Nick Ewer - p124
5th 75- 9 - Lee Werrett - p110
6th 72- 0 - Dave White - p38

Silvers
1st 31- 3 - Dave White - p38
2nd 22-15 - Bob Gullick - p25
3rd 21- 3 - Glynn Reynolds - p37

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