Well this year Vic and Mark had arranged Walters Lake up on the Cotswold Water Park and 20 of us made the 75 minute journey with anticipation of 100lb bags of fit carp and silvers nets to 30lb......I took until the middle of the week to book in due to my lack of enthusiasm that we'd see the expected nets.
We met in the layby at around 6:30am and in convoy (except Nick Selway, Dick Hurford and Vince Brown) headed up the M5 and across to the venue.
We arrived safely and got brekkie organised, not the best but reasonable. Various little groups sat chatting about the place and we all took a look at the lanes we would be on, the Whites and Blues.
Most people fancied the bridge pegs, the far end pegs or the near end pegs, but it is a reasonably fair, if not moody venue.
Out of the 20 of us, I was the only one to have fished it, but my lake time was maybe 18 months ago. Generally it is a place that some effort for decent results, plus plenty of luck that the fish are in yoir lane, let alone your peg!!
We paid our money and done the draw (including a re-draw) and I waited until 3rd last for my peg, which turned out to be Blue Peg 13. A 'nothing' sort of peg with not much in the way of decent margins and maybe a little narrower than other pegs at 15m in front of me.
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| Walters Lake, Blue Peg 13
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I set up a small method feeder for across, but other than a couple liners I never had a bite.
Pole rigs were a margin one for down to my left in 3ft of water, to fish banded pellet over pellet (mix of 6's and 4's). A long line shallow rig was made up for banded 6mm pellet, generally used for across and mugging the odd cruiser....but I never had a touch on this either!!
A mat rig for 2+2 line was made up for 8mm meat over a little groundbait. Lastly I made a rig for 14m in front at the bottom of the main far shelf, as right over was only 8 inches deep!!
Baits was 8mm meat, 6 and 4mm pellets, 3 pints of maggot which mostly remained unused. I also had some damp micros for the feeder.
Now for the good bit.......
The all in sounded and I started on the method to give my lines time to settle after depositing baits in the relevant areas.....
3 hours in and everyone was struggling with odd carp being caught, but the few who'd fished chopped worm had been busy with plenty of small silvers. I was getting small roach on 4 red maggots on a size 16....so I gave up on that!!
At this point in the match I had landed 2 roach and a skimmer of 10oz or so. Which was soon followed by a carp and a better skimmer from the bottom of the far shelf.....that was my action for another 2 hours!!
So at around half three, with an hour to go I landed my second carp, this one from the meat line...which was not bubbling. So I pretty much stayed on the meat line for the rest of the hour, landing 6 more skimmers and a roach....plus a smaller carp than my 1st two.
Elsewhere Jamie Cook had been catching all day, fish of all species and all sizes, Vince had a late burst of carp in the remaining 40 minutes, sadly for him he lost a 8lber from his net when he went to put his kit in the van....would it be costly? He had around 40lb he reckoned.
Eric Fouracre had done well too (considering how poor the day was), but some guys had less than 4lb!!
I suppose I had around 12lb.....I really shouldn't guess!!
The all out was called, a few guys tipped back their odd silvers, but the weigh in began.....not much was recorded until we got to Jamie, I am not sure on his weight but it was 40-odd pound I think, with at least half being silvers....
I weighed soon after and my 3 carp went around 14lb and my skimmers took my total to 21lb, so at this point I was winning the silvers by default and my section also.
Next to weigh was Vince, his total went 30-something pound to move into 2nd, Giffy's 3 carp and few silvers weighed 18lb....
We soon were at Eric, his 2 nets of fish gave him 2nd spot.....1 ounce off Jamie's total...!!
We then had a 13lb silvers net, which pushed my out of the silvers default win, but secured my section money.....
Karl Turner then weighed a quid losing 13lb, so Giffy did go home with something!!
So that was that, that was poor and most were not impressed!! Especially when another match on another line gave up a mid-200lb haul to their winner.
We soon waved bye to the fishery, most vowing never to return....I possibly will though at some point. The evening saw us randomise venue suggestions for 2015....!!!
Results:
1st Jamie Cook
2nd Eric Fouracre (by 1oz)
3rd Vince Brown (did that escapee fish cost him??)
I did win £25 for my efforts, so not a fruitless day, just frustrating......
Next up for me was Sunday's match on Viaduct Campbell lake with PSV
Until then, take care.
Lee
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