The 1st round of my 1st ever attempt at this series. 27 booked on, 9 on each of the 3 lakes, probably a couple short on each but Ken Rayner does his best and there seems to be an abundance of leagues/series' at this time of the year.
I got there in plenty of time, loaded the trolley and had a natter with a few guys. Paid my dues and chatted a little more.
Saturday's match was hard on the Match Lake (lake 2) and the other 2 lakes (Speci/lake 1 and Johns/lake 3) are not overly fished in comparison to lake 2 so were expected to be tricky.
Personally I didn't mind what lake I was on as you fish all 3 twice over the series.
There were a few favoured pegs on each lake, and a few more less-favoured ones, but Ken had done his best to leave out the pegs deemed 'less good'. But whatever match organisers do they never please all of the people any of the time. A generally thank-less task.
Anyways on to the draw and I went in the queue mid-way and plucked peg 51 on Lake 3. Mr Rixon said it was ok but pegs 41, 42, 68 and 70, plus 58 were deemed as the best 5 pegs in the draw.
I made my way to the lake with Matt Williams, he had drawn 66 which is average I thought.
I didn't really have any company, with only the un-flappable Ade Crawley opposite me within talking range Martin Pettifer on peg 46 and Rod Wootton almost pleasure fishing on peg 58 were my 'neighbours'.
 |
| Peg 51, Landsend Lake 3. |
The first was my general silvers rig using a DT F1/Silvers in 0.3g, 0.10 hooklength and a 20 hook. 2 spots were plumbed for this rig, topkit and at 11m slightly to my right between the gap in the islands.
Then I had a DT pellet pinger in 0.1g for across towards the island in 2 areas, maggots over maggots off the point of the island and at 14m in the 10 o'clock direction feeding micros there. This rig would couple up down to my left, but I would be using maggots over maggot here late on in the day.
Then I had a standard meat rig for 2+2 in front and to my right at the bottom of the nearside shelf. The float was an RBS open water in 0.4g.
Lastly an identical rig as the meat was set up and fished off a tree/bush in the water at 13m in front for fishing any bait over casters and dead maggots (perch were my ideal target).
The so-called carp rigs had 0.14 hooklengths and size 16 hooks. If I hook one I don't want to lose it, lol.
A quick walk before the match and I had to think Rod on 58 would win the lake, the water looked a better colour and I had seen a few fish up there on arrival at my peg. The 'better' pegs at the near end looked a little less fishy.
Back at my peg, a quick cuppa before the all in. I potted a little groundbait on both silvers lines and started off to the left over toss potted micros, 5 minutes no bites.
Off to the point of the island, toss-potted maggots, bite 1st drop, I think it was a little roach as it fell off on the strike. Next drop I had a roach of 1oz. Blank avoided. 15 minutes or so later I was back over the micros fed via the toss-pot and I spied a stray rig mooching around the area and typically as I looked across at Ade I felt the pole pull, a carp was attached, it didn't feel right and it was either foul hooked or the rig on my pole had caught the 'roaming' rig. Either way the fish charged up the lake to my left and soon enough the hook pulled. Still positive signs.
Sadly that was the total action for the first hour.
Into the second sixty minutes and I caught my only fish on the topkit line, a 1/4oz perch.
Back out to the point of the island and I was soon attached to a carp, this one was netted and was about 4lb so a relatively small one for the lake. Some roach, micro roach mostly, followed so I started to switch lines to find a better stamp of fish of any species.
Elsewhere Rod up on 58 had a couple carp and some skimmers. Ade had a nice perch and some little roach. It sounded like no-one was getting anything of note further down the lake. One or 2 were still bite less.
Hour 3 began ok as I had started to dump-feed maggots off the point of the island and I was getting a better stamp of roach, to around 6oz and was enjoying it, but I knew I needed a few carp.
I tried the meat line, no bites, actually I didn't have any bites on the meat all day.
Over the silvers groundbait at 11m gave me a few roach and a single 2oz skimmer but it didn't feel like it would give up much so that line was binned.
Over to the micros line and I had a roach on expander and then I managed a nice skimmer of 12oz from that spot. No more followed.
A look by the bush for an expected perch only saw me land my 2nd carp, a 3lb fish. Also a roach and a rudd followed.
A dead spell followed, other than a couple little roach and we were soon into the last 45 minutes.
It looked like Rod would win the lake and I reckoned on him having near 40lb at this point. Elsewhere it was only 1 carp, foul hooked and landed by Martin Rayet on p68 that had been caught, but that 1 could be bigger than my 2 very easily on this lake and if anyone was going to start catching then now would be that point.
I had been feeding a few maggots down to my left and decided to drop in here and had a bite right away, micro roach and a couple 2oz roach were swung in, but I was getting a few liners so I came away and kept feeding while I tried over the micros. Thankfully a skimmer of 1lb or so was put into the keepnet. So I thought I had maybe 4.5lb of silvers and my 2 carp.
One or 2 roach from the point of the island followed but no more signs of carp.
10 minutes left and a look down the edge and the float shot under, 3oz of roach into the net. The next drop saw the float sail away and I was attached to a carp, another small one netted, 3lb, but they scraped well. The all out followed minutes later. 15lb was my guess on weight, I did not expect much from that but I knew I had more than Ade and Martin. I couldn't be sure on the rest.
I packed up rather quickly and went for a wander around the lake and it seemed my 15lb would be 2nd on the lake by all accounts, but lets see. I followed Steve Seager and Tom Mangnall do the 3 pegs up to me and weights were 2lb 6oz (inc 1 carp), 1-12, 1-05 before I had 5-07 of silvers then 10-08 was my 3 carp weight for a 15lb 15oz total.
I finished packing up and the scales kept on their way.
I caught up with scales at peg 68, Martin Rayet's carp was 7-00 and he had 2lb of silvers. A look at the sheet saw Rod had 50lb, Ade weighed in 1-08, Matt 2-12. Last to weigh was Mr Consistent Gary O'Shea on decent peg 70. He also struggled. But he just pipped my 5-07 of silvers with 5-12 worth which was 4th on the lake itself.
So only 11 carp (6 to Rod, 3 to me, 1 to Steve Seager and Martin's single one) were caught. It was hard. I picked up the money for 2nd on the lake (section) and a decent start to the series.
Results: (pinched from Ken's Facebook post)
- Speci Lake
1st, 69-12 - Russ Peck - p32
2nd, 31- 9 - Steve Sewell - p36
3rd, 22- 3 - Adrian Jeffery - p40
Silvers
1st, 21- 0 - Tony Rixon - p28 - Match Lake
1st, 34-15 - Stuart Barnett - p22
2nd, 25- 4 - Nick Duckett - p14
3rd, 22- 6 - Pete Nurse - p24
Silvers
1st, 6- 8 - Ken Rayner - p1 - Johns Lake
1st, 53- 0 - Rod Wootten - p58
2nd, 15-15 - Lee Williams - p51
3rd, 9- 0 - Martin Rayet - p68
Silvers
1st, 5-12 - Gary O'Shea - p70
Next weekend is the last round of Viaduct's Silvers League, lets hope that fishes okay.
Until then, take care.
Lee
No comments:
Post a Comment