Pawlett Club, Xmas Match, Sedges - Brick & Tile Lakes. 14-12-14

So another week of cooler weather, plus winds and not too much of the wet stuff. Well it was -3 degrees at 2am this morning, -3 at 4am and by the time I loaded the car at 7:30 the temps had risen to a whopping 4 degrees and the frosts had vanished.
This would have an affect on the fish surely?

A rush to the venue as I was shattered from a couple nights of little sleep, I really wasn't in the best frames of mind. But upon arriving the array of smiley faces and plenty of banter lightened my mood a bit.
A draw on Tile lake (which is a bogey lake for me) was wanted by myself and the other 31 guys/girls. Tile has been 'easier' than Brick in recent weeks. I wanted a peg with an island chuck as the feeder(any type), has been picking up fish in nets to around 60/70lb. 60lb would be a very nice weight and in with a chance of framing. 24 to 27 have been consistent recently but the pegs 33 to 40 would be ok as these are on the whole better at this time of year.
As for Brick, any corner would be ok or perhaps 5-8 or 14-17 in the middle areas.
Golden pegs were 27, 7, 38, 5 and 4, so plenty of chances to scoop a boosted brown envelope, all these stood a decent chance.

I waited until 3rd last before picking my peg for the day, there was pegs 30, 27 and I think 36 left. So at least I would have been on Tile lake, I also was in with a 2 in 3 chance of a good peg. Nope I drew peg 30, now peg 30 is one of the pegs that doesn't perform for 95% of the time, it tends to be my nemesis during the summer evening matches and I haven't ever caught much from the bloody peg.
It looks a decent peg with the end bank to go at and an aerator in front, but it doesn't have an island chuck, which is what I felt was needed in order to compete.

Peg 30, Tile Lake, Sedges.

Looking at everyone else's islands from island-less Peg 30, Tile Lake, Sedges.


 

The day didn't start off great, I mixed my groundbait, sat on my box and dropped a plummet in! I then rigged up my waggler which promptly gained a wind knot on the line, this happened again. Probably due to the fact I re-spooled last night! This meant I was gonna have to rush setting the rest of my kit. Anyway this was set up on a 0.10>18 B611x hook, primarily aimed at bagging a few roach and maybe a skimmer or 2.
I set up a method feeder to fish to the aerator and 3 top kits for the pole.
I had 2 pole rigs for the same 14.5m line in front, one was set up on a 0.10>18 b611x hook to no. 8 elastic and the other was on slightly heavier 0.12>16 B911 and no.14 elastic.
The 3rd pole rig was to be fished in a couple spots along the end bank to my left at 14m and 9m. Hooklength was 0.12>16 B911 and no.14 elastic.

Bait was 4mm pellets prepared for the method feeder, some groundbait for the long pole line and a couple pints of maggots, which would form the basis of my feeding. I also had some corn for a change bait/feed. Plus assorted pellets for the band on the method.

For company I had Kev Lock on peg 29 and could see the 3 guys opposite me on pegs 31, 32 and 33.
The all in sounded and I was just about ready.
I started on the method feeder and stayed on this, fishless for about 1.5 hours. In this time not a lot had been caught from what I could see. Kev had landed 1 carp, Mark Hembery on peg 28 had one as well.
The nice man that is Colin Haggett was on golden peg 27, he'd got off to a decent start, or so it sounded, he had hooked, and lost plenty of these carp too.
Giffy on peg 33 had landed a couple carp on the method.

At 12pm I took a look on the waggler at about 20m in the 11 o'clock direction and had a roach 1st put, then I hooked a carp which promptly straightened my B611x, I thought it was foul hooked, but to be sure I changed to a 0.12 hooklength and B911 size 18 hook.
Until this point I hadn't fed any pole lines, so I decided to pot some groundbait and maggot in at 14.5m and fed 2 spots by the end bank with maggots and a few of the wetted 4's.

Next cast on the waggler saw me connect with a carp, this was duly netted and was around 4lb. I stuck at this for a couple hours, just topping up my pole lines occasionally with small helpings of maggots. During this time I had a good few roach, baby skimmers and odd perch. I did also have my 2nd carp which was around the 8lb mark.
Elsewhere peg 31 had landed a good few carp on the waggler and Giffy (P33) was catching a few in spurts. On peg 32 was Phil Clapp, he was being beaten by both sides, but was still landing the odd carp and silver fish. Down to my right things were quiet and despite his best attempts Colin on peg 27 was losing more than he landed. A 16lb 8oz carp was landed by Pete Manning on peg 23.

Into the last couple of hours and it was a look on the long pole line, but all this gave me was small roach, so I gave up on that line, plus it was hard to see the float in the conditions.
A look down to the end bank at 14m and I hooked a carp on my 1st drop, it fought like stink and once netted looked close to 11lb, next drop saw a roach, another followed, so I re-fed and went back on the waggler.
My 3rd wag caught carp was soon netted and it was the smallest of the day at around 2.5lb, but it was my 4th of the day, so I was doing ok, no chance of framing but happy enough I guess.
Some more silvers followed before another fruitless 10 minutes on the feeder never gave me an indication.

The last 45 minutes of the match saw me stay on the pole along the end bank. I landed another 3 carp from there, all decent fish, plus the odd roach to keep me awake as the conditions got murkier.
This last period of the match also saw Kev on peg 29 land another carp plus Giffy have 3 or 4 more on the method feeder.

The all out was called at 3:30 and I was soon packed up and wandered down to the scales, which had just started weighing Tile lake.
Peg 21 struggled for the day and only put a few pounds on the scales before Pete Mannings 16lb 8oz weigher helped him to 43lb 6oz, this looked like it was a good weight.
As the scales went along the road bank we had weights of 7lb, 29lb and 3 between 11 and 17lb before the board got to me.
My assorted silvers gave me 3lb 10oz and my 7 carp totalled a decent 42lb 2oz, thus my total was 45lb 12oz and the top weight on that bank/section.
The pegs between 31 and 40 fished on the whole better and as we made our way along we had weights of 49lb, 31lb, 57lb, 37lb, 63lb, 52lb, 27lb (inc 11lb silvers) and 48lb from peg 40.
Most of these weights were caught on the feeder with odd fish to the pole or waggler, but it was pretty fair.

Over on Brick lake top weight was Rich Coles from a corner peg, he amassed a total of 56lb 7oz from the flyer that is corner peg 10. Peg 1 was second on the lake with 45lb 10oz. Other than that there were a few 22-29lb nets.

There was a presentation and some food laid on at Pawlett Legion , which was over by the time I got there!! I'd got home unloaded the car, got changed and left.......oooppss. Feel bad now.

Results:
1st, Chris Higgs, peg 36, 63lb 2oz
2nd, Chris 'Giffy' Ware, peg 33, 57lb 12oz
3rd, Rich Coles, peg 10, 56lb 7oz

Silvers: Eric Fouracre, peg 39, 11lb 4oz

plus 4 sections were paid out which I won my section.

Overall I was 6th on the lake and 7th across everyone, so not too bad given my draw and the fact I spend at least an hour too long on the feeder.

Brick Weigh Sheet

Tile Weigh Sheet

Next up for me is another match at Sedges, on Brick lake next Saturday as Jamie is holding an open on there. This is followed up by Clevedon's Xmas match on Paddock lake at Acorn Fishery.

Until next time, take care.

Lee