Shiplate Main Lake, PSV Match, 23-11-14

Today was due to be rather wet and cool, but on getting up at 7am the day was dry, a little cloudy but better than expected. In fact the day stayed dry for us which was a bonus.
This time last week, I was looking forward to this match, but the amount of rain that we've had in the last 5 days would possibly have a knock on effect on the fishing. Only one way to find out though. The main lake at Shiplate is one of my favourite venues, so I was pleased to be fishing whatever the results.

With 12 of us on the lake we all would have some space, 12 would be the ideal amount for this lake, allowing everyone to fish whatever method they fancied. I loaded the barrow and chatted with a few guys (there was a match on Hawthorns too, filled by venue regulars/experts) including our resident venue expert in Alan Healey.
We discussed which pegs would be 'ideal', I noted that pegs 3, 7 and 11 would be my choices, with 11 being my overall preference. Obviously the two flyers that are pegs 1 and 15 could be there abouts at the end of the match. To be honest most pegs have plenty of silvers in and I full well expected 25lb of these plus a handful of carp to take the honours. 40 to 50lb would be the target weight.

The draw was done a few minutes early as we were all present. I waited until there were 2 tickets left, one for me and the last for Steve Burgess. I drew peg 6 which is a much-of-a-muchness peg, while the match secretary was left with peg 3..!! With Alan Healey on peg 15 and peg 1 taken by Mark Radford the prizes may well be hard to come by.
For company, if you can call it that due to bankside vegetation, were Darren North (p7) to my left and Derrick Lucas on my right (p5). Opposite I had Lee Waller and Mike Wilson, both are likely to be fishing for silvers.

Peg 6, Shiplate Main Lake.

I set up a method feeder for towards-ish the island. I used groundbait on this rather than pellets, with dead reds as hookbait.
A rig for silvers, which was my usual 0.6g NG Silvers, bulked and 1 dropper,  hooklength was 0.10 and a size 20 Middy 6313 hook. This would be fished at 13m in front and as a topkit rig as depths all over the swim were the same
A duplicate silvers rig, though I had spread the shotting on this one, and remained unused.
A couple of rigs for carp were assembled but stayed untouched on the roost.

For bait I had some groundbait, 1pt of pinkies, 4mm expanders for the hook and some semi-dormant maggots. A handful of 4mm pellets and some micros, both remained unused after the initial feed at the start.
The all in was called, I cupped in some groundbait long, some pellets at 14.5m in the 11 o'clock direction and some at 6m to my left just out from the marginal shelf.
I began on the method feeder, after 30 minutes this was abandoned without even a bite.
A look on the topkit gave me a run of roach between 1/2 an ounce and 2ozs. Elsewhere, Alan had a couple carp and the 2 opposite me had a good few skimmers/roach.
I stuck with the topkit for a short while before going out over my initial feed of 2 balls of groundbait, I managed a few more roach and a couple 4oz skimmers before it died off. I re-feed a couple more balls and went back on the feeder. No joy here, back to the topkit for a few more roach. I did sneak a decent perch of maybe 8oz+.

By 1 o'clock I had about 4lb of silvers in the net but it was tricky going for most, though Alan Healey up on peg 15 had a good net of carp already. Plus Stevie Wynne (p10) was obviously picking up a few as Lee Waller on peg 11 was commenting on this in his rather amiable way. Chris Szakacs down on peg 8 was struggling for silvers and had switched to trying for a few carp, he'd had a couple by now fishing a method? to the island and had a couple more later on down his margin on the pole.
Darren North on peg 7 (which won last weekend) was picking up a few skimmers and I think he had landed a decent bream or 2 by the all out, but he wasn't bagging for sure.

So for the last 2.5hrs I stuck with switching between the long pole line and topkit, with the odd look on the method to rest the lines.
I just couldn't get any better fish feeding in my peg despite various attempts, other than the perch I had early, my largest fish was a 4oz skimmer.

By the time the all out was called I had all but packed up and duly tipped by my fish, I reckoned on having between 7 and 8lb of fish, but I was certain that I'd not be taking home any coin. I did give a quid (not a Euro) to Steve as I passed him on the way back to the car. He'd had a couple carp and lost a late lump which jumped clear out of the water and shed the hook.
I didn't stay for the weigh in, but Adam Caswell told me that Alan had 90-odd pound from peg 15 and he'd had a few pounds, not much. There had been a couple 20lb nets by the time he'd got back to the car park.

Results:
1. Alan Healey (15) ... 97-6
2. Steve Wynne (10) ... 33-13
3. Mark Radford (1) ... 27-0...
4. Ryan Radford (4) ... 26-4
5. Lionel Legge (14) ... 25-2

Silvers:
1. Lionel Legge (14) ... 18-0
2. Lee Waller (11) ... 10-12

Overall it fished pretty hard, no doubt a great deal of the struggles was down to the influx of cold water after the recent rains. Either way I enjoyed the day, yes I would have liked a bonus bream or 2, but these things happen. Generally from pegs 5 round to 9 was rather hard going. With peg 15 doing the business again, I think maybe the fish moved back here away from the lake's natural movement of the new water (I believe it runs along from peg 1 down to the end peg 9).

I don't know where or if I am fishing next sunday, if I don't then my next match is at Bitterwell Lake for the PSV Christmas Match, somewhere I haven't seen in well over a decade..!!

Until then take care.
Lee