Summerhayes Open, Sellicks Lake, 05/01/14

I decided on Wednesday that I was not going to fish today, given the weather forecasts. But I had a change of heart yesterday. I knew The Sedges had a match on Brick lake, but I didn't feel mad keen on that. So after work yesterday I took a trip over to Summerhayes Fishery, a venue I had not stepped foot on in it's current guise, it was maybe 15-17 years ago that I last visited.
I took a wander around the lakes and saw a few fish on most of the lakes. After a chat to Pete I said I may be there for the 8am draw.

Anyways on to today, I arrived at around 7:50 and as I unloaded the car I had a chat with Steve King, whom has been fishing the Avalon Teams of 3. It was then time for the draw, I did fancy a peg down the far end in the sheltered area, otherwise peg 2 or 23 would be nice....alas I drew peg 8, which means bum all to me, but it looked ok, but they all did.

Peg 8, Sellicks Lake, Summerhayes



I set up 3 rigs, 1 on a no. 12/14 middy elastic for dobbing bread across to the far bank and down to the empty peg 9 pallet. It was a 0.4g NG HD Margin float with 0.16>0.14>16 b911.
Secondly I had a NG Caner, 0.4g on 0.14>0.10>18 b611, elastic was middy solid 8/10.
Lastly I had a NG power pencil in 0.6g with the same line/hooks/laccy as on the Caner rig.

Bait wise I had wetted micros, 4 and 6mm expander, 1pt of mixed groundbait and a few maggots and a couple slices of bread.
On the whistle I cupped a golf ball sized lump of groundbait at 8m at the 2pm direction. A small helping of micros with a few expanders were potted at the same distance at the 11am position.
Lastly I cupped some micros and maggots down toward the pallet to my left.

Sadly that was as exciting as it got, after 2 hours I had missed one bite on the bread rig across and bumped a small foul hooked carp when shipping back. That was it. The angler to my left had not had a bite and the angler to my right had landed a single carp. I could see Steve Kedge catching a few carp on peg 2 and the guy on p4 was also getting the odd carp across to the far bank.
At around 12pm I hooked a carp, or rather foul hooked, which went miles to my left then came back, rolled and gave me a scale as a thank-you gift.
Ten minutes later I lost another fouled carp on the pallet rig before hooking one promptly in the mouth only for it to find refuged under the pallet, so a new hooklength was put on and I stepped up a grade of elastic.

By now it had been raining a while and the wind had got up, making fishing across pretty much impossible, even at 8m it was tricky.
Between 12:30 and 1pm I had 2 carp in a few minutes and a roach from next to the pallet of peg 9.
Kedgey was still catching on and off, the angler on p6 had a few skimmers and odd carp and p4 had a good few carp. Elsewhere, rumour had it p23 was bagging and had around 50lb by 2pm, which coincided in me deciding to pack up, the wind was a pain and I was bite-less, cold and didn't see the point in staying.
I wasn't the 1st to pack up though, at least 3 or 4 guys had already had enough.

Back in the hut Steve 'Jacko' Jackson was telling tales of old to us, it was also nice to see Dave Bull, a guy who I fished with as a junior angler. I didn't stay long and left at 3:15, so I never got the results, but I would imagine it would have been peg 23 that won, that was the general opinion to those no longer fishing.

I will be back there again though, I did sort of enjoy it, but the wind was an arse and knocked all silvers sport on my side of the lake at least, on the head, I think only a handful silvers were caught between the 5 of us.
Pete also seemed a sound guy and the way he chatted and from what I have been told, he puts 100% of effort and pretty much every penny he gets goes back into the fishery.

Next up for me is the 3rd round of the Avalon Teams of 3, where I hope to do considerably better.

Until next time, take care.

Lee