Saturday saw me arrive at the draw a bit later, around 9:45 as the weather was predicted to be wetter and windier, plus I had decided at 8:30am to walk up to the end of the road and buy some Middy 18-20 elastic, which was put through 2 top kits in preparation for Cary's munters.
So I left home at 9:20-ish.
Anyways it would be Cary for me, and after the fee for the day was paid, my hand went into the bag and out popped 77. Not ideal, out of the wind for the best part and unlikely to produce much, given the fact the lodge bank pegs did the damage on the previous day and they had some wind too. There were plenty of fish in the area though, but looked more like cruisers than feeding fish.
Tactics for me would be in most, to try and get the skimmer's heads down and get 30lb+ of these and hope for a bonus carp or 2 early and late on as I knew that the weights would be further up the lake.
Rigs were the same pellet wag and lead set ups as Friday, the same margin and 6m meat rigs, but more importantly a couple skimmers rigs on a slack 14 elastic and lighter 0.14 hooklength to a size 16 B911 hook under 0.4g NG Decker floats.
Baits for the silvers would be a 6mm meat line and a groundbait line for use with 6mm soft pellet.
On the all in I fired a dozen pellets over the wag/lead line and cupped 4 loose balls of groundbait (sensas white cloud stuff) over 1 skimmer line at 7m at 1 o'clock position. A helping of 6mm meat went a bit further out, but this was not used as the wind got tricky on and off and didn't want to play hit and miss with the silvers.
Herbie on peg 74 had hooked a carp, and lost it 1st put.
The 1st hour saw the chap next to me on 78 land a fish or 2, but I couldn't see what as the trees and angle were against me. On the opposite bank 1 or 2 chaps had landed or lost fish in the 1st hour too.
Mark Poppleton was struggling on his peg 105, as was the angler next to him.
There were still a few fish cruising and they were swirling after my pellets, but taking them right of the top, which was a pain, when I fed a bit heavier they moved off.......
After about 80 minutes a proper rain shower came and my waggler rod was bent round, a 6lb fish was duly netted. At least it was a start. I kept topping up my other lines as the wind was not yet up to much, but there were no amount of bubbles. So I tried the lead/wag for half an hour more with only 1 more smaller carp to show on the lead.
Entering hour 3 (I stayed fishing for carp too long) I tried the silvers lines, 20 minutes in and only 1 little skimmer was all I had, they were not even wanting to play ball.
The lodge bank pegs were now producing fish, but peg 74 and 105 were slow, 107 a little better, but the and Campbell behind looked to be fishing well as each time I looked several lengths of elastic were on show.
The last 3 hours dragged, I couldn't buy a bite on my silvers lines let alone the carp set-ups, and most on Cary were disappointed on the slowness of the fishing, very fits and starts. I did manage a couple more fish on the pellet wag after a blank 2hrs. With an hour left I tried my 6m meat line (using my now scary blue 18-20 elastic!!). 1st drop, bam, skimmer bumped, then a couple landed. Then it died. I re-fed and tried the margin towards peg 75 and bumped another skimmer on the heavy gear, but I did land a couple more on my next 2 drops.
Back over the meat for carp line and a sail-away bite saw me connected to a carp, it tore off towards the aerator, so tip pushed under the surface and hope, well it worked and the fish turned and came back to me, a few seconds later it was netted, a mirror of maybe 12lb, my largest of the weekend, but not as big as a couple Mark and Ken had landed on the opposite bank, a couple of their fish looked real lumps.
So into the last half hour, well nothing happened except being bitted out on meat, no bites on hard 8mm pellets, I really needed 6 or 7 lumps to get anywhere on the lake as the lodge bank were doing decent and most looked good for 80lb each. Peg 74 had packed up with 90 minutes left and Mark on 105 had drawn a few carp/skimmers onto his feed and had a run of fish, as had Ken from his peg.
I even tried 15mm meat with no joy. The all out sounded and I was relieved to pack up. It had been hard work.
I reckoned I had maybe 30lb for my 5 carp and possibly 8lb of silvers.
Campbell had fished well by all accounts and Cary had fished better than Friday.
I loaded the car, had a chat to a couple guys and watched a few nets get weighed in. At this point there were some decent weights, plenty of 100lb+ weights on Campbell and a few decent weights on Cary.
The scales arrived at my peg, both silvers and carp went 47lb odd. Well off the pace and ended up 22nd of 25 overall. Poor.
I packed up and left right away as I was shattered, but it turned out Campbell fished excellent with 4 weights over 200lb and another three over 175lb.
What I did learn was not to stay on the carp tactics too much without a response and that the skimmers like to fall off when they stray onto heavy rigs. Still all the info I gained will help me next time out.
Results:
Overall (all on Campbell)
1st - Adam Mitchell - p110 - 249lb 15oz (the fish weren't there in that number on Friday!!)
2nd - Dave Brittain - p123 - 211lb 10oz
3rd - Richard Wyatt - p132 - 207lb 12oz
4th - Alex Murray - p115 - 200lb 13oz
Silvers (all on Campbell)
1st - Alex Murray - p115 - 69lb 8oz
2nd - Roland Lucas - p125 - 58lb 4oz
3rd - Steve Musitano - p126 - 37lb 2oz
Overall a successful weekend overall was had, despite my results, I learned a fair bit. Everyone seemed helpful and I am looking forward to the next MFS match in july, in which I should be better prepared.
So what a quality fishery. Producing some very decent weights and not one tactic dominating. Which is how is should be.
Next up for me is a match at Sedges next Sunday.
Until then take care and happy fathers day, I spent the late afternoon watching Somerset win in a reduced overs match in Taunton. Also plenty of anglers fishing the Tone too.......good good. Proper fishing.
Lee
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