Pawlett Match, Landsend Fishery, Match + Speci. 18/01/15

After very little sleep and a near error on my part with the draw time, I arrived at the venue not too long before the draw. I wasn't in the best of mind. But I had to press on.
With 29 of us fishing the turn out was ok, several new members were present which is good, so was the banter.
The 2 golden pegs were draw, peg 15 (very nice, good chance) and peg 39 (no chance barring a miracle). I fancied the ever consistent pegs 31 to 34 on the speci lake and any odd number + p24 on the match lake.
I managed to get my self to the rear end of the queue and with only a couple of pegs present I plucked out peg 39. Bugger. Not the best peg at the best of times.

I made my way to the peg, where I had Brian Gattis  on corner peg 40 and Eric Fouracre on peg 38. Opposite was Steve Fouracre (p26) and Lewis Hembery (p25). But with nearly every peg on my side in, peg 35 was empty I think, the writing on the wall was already written.

View of P39, Landsend Speci Lake.

I went about sorting the kit out and assembled 4 rigs, 1 for silvers anywhere from 4m out to 14.5m where the shelf up to the far bank began.
A shallow rig for banded pellet up against the end of the island and near the end of the island.
The heavier rig for over the silver's spots in open water should I need to swap(yeah right!!).
I would fish the silvers by utilising 2 lines at 2+2 in the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock directions, plus a line just a touch onto the shelf at 14.5m. I would fish micros/expanders on one short line, groundbait and maggot on the other. While micros would be fed at 14.5 with mostly maggot on the hook.
Last rig for 16m and would do for topkit down my margins, was a slightly heavier rig with caster and prawn on the menu.

The match was pretty dire for most though, the light was not great and most of my bank struggled to see their floats for most of the match. Other than the usual 4 pegs, I think only 2 or 3 carp were netted by the rest of  the lake. Perch were the bonus fish, maybe skimmers if they were to show.

So how did the match go? I mostly spent the day rotating lines hoping to pick up a few fish rather than aim to catch carp,  which were obviously not present in numbers.
It seemed all I could get was roach, some nice ones to 8oz, odd palm sized skimmer. I even managed a chublet and a couple hybrids.
Eric on p38 managed a few nice perch mid-way through, but his line died when he tangled and lost a rig in the bush opposite him. But he had a late flurry of silvers to boost his weight to a silvers winning net of around 10lb.
Brian on p40 had 1 carp on corn while having a cuppa, that carp went on a merry dance through his and my peg, killing the fishing for a while, but he did catch plenty of nice roach to 12oz in his 6lb silvers net.
Young Lewis on p25 only had a couple fish, 1 rudd and a nice perch. Steve Fouracre had an accidental carp and a few silvers. That was it really on the lake, except 31-34.
At least the banter between the 5 of us was great, it had to be....we'd all of fell asleep through lack of action.

I did foul hook a decent fish on a topkit line I had started, but it was quiet. I did bump off a perch and a nice skimmer came adrift halfway through the match.

So the 3:30pm all out came not quick enough, in fact a few had packed up and gone home.
I loaded the car and had a bit of a natter with a few before I tipped my 4lb 1oz on the scales, which was, again, more than I was admitting to. Eric had weighed 10lb and Brian had the 1 carp and 6lb of silvers.

Results:
1st p31 Kev Lock, 53lb-ish
2nd p24 Keith Clapp, 45lb-ish
3rd was 35lb or so

Top silvers was 10lb-ish by Eric on peg 38 (a few decent perch and some roach/skimmers)

So not a day to remember and my eyes are a little frazzled from the light.
Next up is a PSV match at Emerald Sapphire pool, I haven't ever fished that lake!!

Take care
Lee