Pawlett Match, Apex Park. 22-4-18

Thirty of us ventured to this venue, somewhere that is not match fished enough in my opinion, as the fishing can be awesome, 50lb-80lb bags of silver fish are not too uncommon, however as these fish don't see the pressure ramped up from 30 anglers fishing at once very often, thus bringing weights down and the fishing somewhat trickier. But the rewards are there.
Plus there is an abundance of carp and they don't half pull back.

In the car park pre-draw a few of us were chatting and I reckoned that 60lb may well be enough to win and upper 20lb figures could be the best silvers weight despite those who practiced in the week getting bags to 75lb of skimmers and bream. The favoured areas for the non-carp species are pegs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (pegs 4 and 5 being the best 2 pegs on the lake), then you have a narrow section where we have to double bank, it is only 25-30m across so sharing water and fish is not too uncommon, it is inevitable pegs 7 and 8 are bang average at best. Then around to pegs 9 and 10, which are okay for carp and silvers, 11 is average and 12 and 13 are poor given they are at 90 degree angles to each other (I was on 13 last year and struggled as did peg 12...early baths. Same this year....) pegs 14 to 17 are good for carp but less decent silvers pegs, I wouldn't have been shocked to see them frame. But lead/feeder fishing to snags is the name of the game here and lost fish and tackle to be expected.
The next used peg is 23, a carp peg but some decent sized skimmers and bream haunt this area along with 24 (not used) and 25 whom all have island chucks, in with a shout for sure. 26 is average and tends to be a decent roach peg, then we have 27 to 31 which are opposite pegs 8, 7 and 6 and are average.
Peg 32 is a very nice peg as it has a few under water features, I would like this peg if I didn't get 4 or 5. Pegs 33, 34 and 35 are ok and can produce at times, maybe more so when the fish are heading up that end of the lake to spawn, pegs 36 to 38 are as often brilliant as they are poor, but great pre and post spawning times.

Well we all paid our dues and the draw commenced, three golden pegs chosen (27, 30 and 33) I drew around 5th in the rabble and found peg 7 in my hand, 2nd time I had this peg in the last 3 years now. I knew I had little chance of picking up with the pegs opposite in and in a tough section with pegs 1 to 10, I would say 7 is the worst peg in the section.
For company I had last years winner in Kev Crouch on peg 8 and Will Puddy on a decent peg, peg 6. Opposite me I had Chris Higgs and Derek Beards. I could also see a few others including Jamie Parkhouse (p25) and Paul Homewood (p26). In my section I had three good silvers anglers in Giffy (Chris Ware p9), Phil Clapp (p5, best peg) and Eric Fouracre (p4, 2nd best peg), tough work for me.

Peg 7, Apex Lake, Highbridge

Oh and it is always windy on the lake, no different for this match and at times it was hard going to hold the pole.
I mixed up my groundbait and sorted the rest of my bait, maggots, casters and corn. I had 4mm and micro pellets on my tray and expanders for the hook.
Tackle, well, a small cage feeder to lob on the 14m pole line, which I hoped not to use.
A pole rig (0.5g DT RBS) for carp at 14m using corn over a decent helping of 4mm pellets, but I never tried this as there didn't seem to be carp present.
A margin rig (DT Big D in 0.3g) down to my left for carp, again not really used for more that 10 mins during the day.
2 rigs for silvers, A DT Pencil in 0.2g for topkit to hand down to my left with the wind, hopefully to snare a whole load of roach which can be of a great size. The 2nd rig would be my main hope, a 16x11 DT F1/Silvers with wire stem, this would cover 7m and 14m both off to my right in a nice area of shadow.

On the whistle I cupped in 5 proper balls of groundbait on my long line and flicked a few casters down to my left. Some micros went in at 7m plus the baits required down the edge and on the long carp line.
1st look down to my left, a bite right away and a 4oz roach swung in....almost, it fell off, then the 2nd did the same as did the 3rd.....twat, I should have used the net!! Ah well I will stick with that line and keep the fish coming........ that didn't happen, I had a 6oz hybrid and 3 or 4 roach of 2oz each. Then no more bites there for the rest of the day.
Out to 7m, 10 minutes, no bites......No bites for the rest of the match over the micros or any bites on pellets, which is odd for the venue.

So after 45 minutes I was out on the long pole line, a few minutes later a 5oz skimmer was in my keepnet, then a couple 8oz samples followed, but then it would go quiet. Those opposite and either side were struggling so I plodded along picking up the odd skimmer.
Will Puddy did lose a carp early on and I saw John Fuidge down on peg 23 hook what he thought was a zoo creature only for the carp to be a 6lb fish, I asked him if it was the hardest fighting 6lber he had caught, he agreed. A lot fight like demons in there. Paul Homewood also had a carp or 2.

Over the next couple or so hours I kept picking up silvers in 2's or 3's, most 10oz sort of sized skimmers but I did have a 2lber, and a few roach in amongst them. But my skimmer sizes were nothing compared to the one Kev had and 2 Giffy caught.
My best bait was single and double maggot, casters just gave me roach so I refrained from lose feeding that area too often with casters unless bites dried up. Corn and pellets gave me the square root of naff all.

At around 2 o'clock my lines, and it seemed most others', died and bites were less forthcoming, but I did seem to be getting a few more than the others I could see nearby. The wind was really picking up, and in hindsight I could, and should, have got off my box and assembled a bigger float.
I took this spell to re-feed a decent amount and started a new area at 14m where I fed two cups of casters and maggots hoping for a few eels late on, but maybe they had not woken up properly yet from the winter, but worth a go.
I also went for a short walk and all I could prize from people is that 8lb was a good weight, Phil was admitting to low double figures, I believed him. Ziggy on peg 32 had gone home...

Back to my box and I had a couple more quick skimmers including my largest at around 2.5lb before I tried over the new caster/mag line, it was tough in the wind, but a few roach of 3oz each was all I was rewarded with for my efforts.
A couple friends turned up and all I could get while there were there were a few little fish, but I persevered. I was inclined to think I had perhaps 14lb or so at this point.
The wind was now so strong that after a quick look at 7m and on the topkit for no more fish I decided to spend the last hour on the feeder over the pole line, or at least until I ran out of groundbait.
Well I did run out of groundbait, thankfully it was my last cast of the match and luckily the last hour for me seemed better that those around me as I had maybe 6 more skimmers between 6 and 8oz (but Mssrs Fuidge and Homewood were getting big skimmers/bream off the island).

The all out was called and I packed up quickly enough and waited for the scales, which were beginning at the last peg, Jamie Cook and working back around the lake and peg 1 would be the last to weigh in. So I loaded the car and bumped into a guy who I kind of know, he was going to carp fish after the weigh in from peg 9 or 10, we discussed the ins and outs of the club and it's membership and matches etc.
Of the guys I also spoke to a few said they had mid-teens of silvers while Keith Clapp said he lost the carp-wars today 5 landed to 9 lost. But 5 carp should win the day unless he lost his keepnets.....ummm he did as when they got to weigh him in they had fell in, luckily he got them back and only 1 escapee....he weighed 42lb 4oz.
By the time the scales were at my peg Keith was still winning and the best silvers was 21lb to John Fuidge. I lifted my net and it looked 20lb+ which surprised me, and the scales bounced around to 26lb 2oz, nice. Phil Clapp said that would win the silvers, I didn't believe him as he was on the 'boys peg' and so it proved as his 20lb guesstimate actually trickled over 30lb and settled at 31lb exactly, there were some cracking 4lb+ bream in his net, which in comparison to my generally small fish net, really made a difference, so well done him.
Eric on peg 4 and Mike Davis on peg 1 both had caught tench, not many in the lake, so to see 2 on one day is great.

Back to the car park and the prizes were handed out, I managed 6th and won my section money by default, gotta love a default, thanks to Phil's haul which won him the silvers money and he was 3rd overall. The match was won by Keith with his 42lb 2oz catch.

Results:
1st, peg 17, Keith Clapp, 42-02
2nd, peg 25, Paul Homewood, 38-07
3rd, peg 5, Phil Clapp, 31-00 (took the silvers coin)
4th, peg 23, John Fuidge, 27-11 (took 3rd's money)

Silvers:
1st, peg 5, Phil Clapp, 31-00
2nd, peg 7, Lee Williams, 26-02

So a nice match, and to be honest I was chuffed with 26lb from where I was pegged and looking at the weights directly each side and across from me confirms at least I did something right.
If any of you guys who read this want a day pleasure fishing for silvers then you'd not go wrong in trying Apex, tickets from Thyers in Highbridge.

Weigh Sheet

No matches this coming weekend as yet, but that may well change if I get itchy feet on Saturday...

Until then, take care and stay safe.
Lee

Acorn Series, 2nd round, 21-04-18

The second match in this series and after my 2nd last in section in the 1st match I needed a 1st or 2nd in section to at least keep a bit of hope going forward.
Arrived in plenty of time with the wife in tow, had my lunch, a 3 quid Tesco meal deal, and nattered to Matt Williams before I realised the draw was under way and with only 3 balls left in the bag when I told to the missus to pick mine, well her hand is as consistent as mine with peg 28 my home for the day. Certainly not a peg anyone would pick any of the time, so I figured it was series over as I was in with 3 bridge pegs and some other decent pegs. But I had to give it a go.

Peg 28, Acorn Paddock.

The weather was meant to give us a dry day, which was not the case as after an hour the rain came and stayed for an hour-ish, then as we packed up it was trying to return along with it's mates Thunder and Lightning.
On setting up the lake was calm and my peg had plenty of fish present, which raised my hopes.
I assembled 5 rigs on my fave DT Floats patterns, pingers and RBS open water floats.
But I only caught on 2 rigs all day, a shallow pellet rig which was set up for across where the bank looked to have collapsed, but luckily it plumbed up ok if a little too shallow.
The 2nd rig was identical but with a bare hook for maggots or corn, I couldn't get a fish down to either empty pegs or down the track throughout the day.
I had a pint of caster, 3 of maggots and some 4mm and 6mm pellets, oh and a few expanders and some corn.

The match began and it started well as I toss potted 4's over my banded 6mm pellet across to the far bank, 6 small carp in the first hour, 12lb on the clicker, but a nice start.....and that's how it stayed for the best part of the next 2.5hrs, only 1 foul hookier lost. Matt Roden around on peg 31 was doing ok after a quieter 1st hour and was well ahead of me, while Paul Nichols and Brian Slipper arounf to my right on pegs 24 and 26 were doing ok but were not in my section.
The wind had got up and was blowing away from me to the other end of the lake, possibly taking a lot of the fish with it.

I tried various things, even fishing for silvers, which I never even had 1 of all match.
A couple hours to go and I started getting a few more bites across and would find me getting 2 carp, not of any sensible size though, then nothing for a spell before a couple more fish and another quiet spell.
I decided to shallow up my bare hook shallow rig to the 4" hooklength plus float depth and try and mug a few, but as it turned out I managed a spurt of 3 landed and 1 lost carp tight in to the near bank at top kit distance.

In to the last hour and my bites had dried up again, only adding 1 carp during this spell as the cloud moved in.
My clicker showed 45lb in 1 net and a single 2lber in the second which went back into the 1st net. I was looking at last in section, unsurprisingly. I could see Matt had more, I guessed 70lb and the 2 bridge pegs had more and I expected the car park pegs 36, 38 and 40 to have done miles better.

With the car loaded it was a long wait for the scales, so a bit of a chat to some guys and I also listened to the closing stages of the footy as Man Utd beat Spurs to get to the FA Cup final.
Anyways when the scales got to me I reckoned on 40-something pound, but surprisingly I had 57-14 which even more surprisingly beat 1 in the section. So another 2 points and series over.

Maybe I will draw a decent peg in the series going forward as the match gave a few 100lb+ nets to 150-something being the top 2 weights on the day.
Barry Richards beat Bob Gullick in my section with 132lb to 128lb from pegs 38 and 40.
Rich Lovering won the day with 154lb from peg 6, Kev Perry had 151lb from peg 11.

Next up for me was the Apex match today (22-4-18).
Until then, take care.
Lee

Todber Manor Open, Hillview Lake, 14-4-18

A long awaited visit to this super fishery yesterday, somewhere I should try and venture to more than I do, actually it was possibly last September-ish that I went. You are usually guaranteed of a few bites even if you have drawn away from the 'hot area' on the day. I just wish it was at least 40 minutes closer.
Anyways the weather on the way over was rather foggy and at times visibility was bad, luckily the roads were clear with the exception of numpty people towing trailers whom all hogged the whole road. I made it in plenty of time and had a look around the well stocked tackle shop.

Nearly 30 I think were fishing and we were all on Hillview Lake. Pre-draw chatter with Mark Poppleton and Allan Oram plus a few others was good, nice to see a few faces like Dave Chidzoy who I hadn't seen in a while.
On to the draw and you really don't know where the fish could be and where the winner and framers could come from, obviously apart from a few of the slightly more consistent pegs. I drew halfway down the rabble and pulled out peg 53, didn't mean much to me initially and had to double check where it was. It is the end peg in the far leg of the lake.

Peg 53 Hillview, Todber Manor

I made my way to the peg, one of the few pegs you cannot drive right up to, but gravel paths and a short walk is no issue. Bit muddy off the paths, to be expected with the work they have done and the recent weather issues.
Not much in the way of company, I had a guy called Bob (I think...sorry) next to me on 52 and Mr Chidzoy on peg 51. Other than that it was a nice view of the countryside. And thankfully the fog cleared to leave a lovely sunny day. Spring had sprung.

My peg looked ok, but the water seemed clearer than most others and along with peg 52 we had nothing in the way of wind or ripple, which was pushing over my head and away from me. I was certain that my are would not be ideal, but fish have fins and you never know what will occur.
Setting up a large bream rolled in front of peg 52, but that was it apart from odd roach.
I assembled a method feeder for across to the far bank, and a bunch of rigs for the pole, simply because I had entered the silverfish pool and I had not been in so long I hadn't a clue what to do.
So A shallow pellet rig using a DT Pinger, this went unused.
A depth pellet rig for 11m in front, slightly right as this seemed a nice area off the shelf but not in the deepest part of the peg. A 0.4g RBS Open Water float with 0.14>b911 size 16.
A depth meat rig on the same set up as the pellet, but even further round to the right at 11m, but this was only tried a couple times and remained fishless as did the rig I put up for around 2ft off the bank even further around to my right at 11m.
Only 1 silvers rig though, a DT Pencil float 0.2g for topset plus one section in front, just before the deepest water. I would feed groundbait and casters there and fish caster on the hook.

It was soon the all in, I fed the peg and I began on the method feeder, 25 minutes and no indications.
A look on the 11m lines, again no signs, not looking good after around an hour.
Elsewhere people were getting action, especially behind me in 43 and 45. Dave on peg 51 was getting a few stockies on his feeder. Bob was struggling but had put a couple roach and skimmers in the net and a couple small carp.
On the hour I had a look on my silvers line and began to get a few roach, very odd skimmer and even less tench......all interrupted occasionally by the odd stockie carp which were manageable on the silvers rig. You need a few of the 5lb+ carp to win the matches there, I really don't think there were enough of them down our leg to do that.

I could write on about the rest of the day, but other than 2 small carp on the 11m pellet rig I never really looked for the carp for more than another 40 minutes throughout the match. I just carried on putting silvers in the net in little spurts. I did get interrupted by a decent bream of perhaps 3.5lb which I hoped would see me add a few more like that, especially as Bob had a couple, buy I only added a couple 1lbers throughout the day plus odd 12oz tench, but it was mostly roach from 1oz to 5oz. Elsewhere Lee Woodhouse had netted a couple really clonking slabs, 2 possibly would have weighed 13lb between them.
I kept bites coming though and carried on doing what seemed to be ok, but I was not sure I had got it right, feeding half a dozen casters every minute and odd top up of groundbait.

Just before the all out Dave Chidzoy had a 1st, his 1st ever catfish, only a kitten at perhaps 5lb and fairly hooked in the tail, this gave him a shock when it surfaced, but it was good to see, I do like catfish and a trip to catch one or 2 this summer may well be in my plans. He had fish all day but only small ones in the main and was admitting to 70lb of carp.

Anyways the all out was called and I tipped back my carp, maybe 25lb of them, from 8oz to 2.5lb and wanted to just weigh my silver to gauge how I had faired for future reference.
So kit packed up and waited for the guys and the scales, I got to see Dave's cat and his guess was as close as I have known with just over 70lb of carp and catfish boosted silvers of 8lb gave him 80lb-sh.
My neighbour on 51 had 19lb of silvers and 22lb of carp. Elsewhere peg 43 had 125lb, Pete Neate had 105lb from 45 and best silvers was 33lb and a 23lb.
My turn to weigh and I had more than I thought by a long way, no surprise to some perhaps, but my total was 29lb 12oz. Lots of roach especially. This put me 2nd in the silvers on the day and a pick up, sadly not enough to put me into the King of the Manor Silvers final. But I will try again a few times this year I hope.

Results:

1st: Lee Janczyszyn 125lb 4oz (Peg 43)
2nd: Pete Neate 105lb 12oz (Peg 45)
3rd: Nigel Alford 95lb 4oz (Peg 49)
4th: Dave Chidzoy 80lb 1oz (Peg 51)

Silver's 1st: Lee Woodhouse 33lb 0oz (Peg 50)
Silver's 2nd: Lee Williams 29lb 12oz (Peg 53)
Silver's 3rd: Matt Skyme 23lb 0oz (Peg 41)

Section A: Ian Graham 53lb 7oz (Peg 34)
Section B: Terry Death 74lb 12oz (Peg 54)

Looking at what I could have done, maybe got off my backside and set up a 2nd silvers rig for further out may have been a better option for the quiet spells rather than trying for carp, but that is hindsight but I will take it with me going forward.

Next week I am back at Acorn for the series on Saturday and Sunday I have a match on one of the best silvers waters around with the Pawlett guys in Apex.

Until then, take care and enjoy the warmer climes this week....

Lee

Pawlett Match, Sedges Brick and Tile, Silvers only. 8-4-18

The yearly Silvers only match at Sedges usually gets a decent crowd and this year was no different as nearly all of the 40 pegs were taken. Some decent anglers fishing, including the in-form John Fuidge, who has been picking up the wins in the silvers matches and payouts here (plus elsewhere) for the last few months.

The weather was set dry, yay, but mild, which would no doubt attract the carp into feeding. The last couple of years I have probably had over 80lb of them during the corresponding match. I doubted that it would be any different.
I arrived for the draw in reasonable time and didn't get to chat as much as usual, it was the 'hello and how are you?' only chatter before the basket was attacked by a flurry of hands.
I waited til near the end, behind Mr Fuidge, whom I commented 'which peg are you ganna win from?', he smiled and drew peg 17.....nice silvers peg. Me, well I pulled peg 28 on Tile, not where I fancied as Brick would be hard to beat now the temps are a little better. Plus I am less confident on Tile, I actually think my last time on here was around a year ago.

Off to my peg and setting up I thought I was the last angler on that bank as peg 29 was empty.
A small feeder rod was set up for around 30m in front.
3 pole rigs, a DT Floats' Pencil for my left edge and over my longer lines shallow, I did set up an F1/Silvers float for the same line but it fell off the connector with the plummet attached so there is a nice float, 4ft of line and a plummet in front of peg 28 somewhere at 2+2 distance.
The next rig was for 2+3 in front where I would feed micros and 4mm pellets, the float was an RBS open water in 0.6g. I had a band on this rig, but I never picked it up all match.
The next rig was the same as the above but with a normal hook, Guru F1 pellet in size 18 my choice. This was for an area at 14m where I would be feeding groundbait and caster.
My side tray had micros, 4s, maggots, caster and some expanders. Plus a handful of  (unused) 6mm pellets for the band.

I did plumb an area off to my left in peg 29, but 15 or 20 minutes after the draw Rob Dodd turned up for the end peg advantage, he doesn't need any help, he is a tidy silvers angler.
On my right I had Mark Watts on peg 27. I could just about make out Paul Homewood opposite me but I could see Shawn Kittridge over on peg 39.

On the all-in I cupped 4 decent balls of groundbait on the long line and a pot of micros short, plus I threw some casters down to my left.
I began on the feeder for half an hour, only a couple knocks in that time, but Rob had maybe 5lb on the pole. Shawn too had began well.
It was around an hour for my 1st fish, a skimmer on the long pole line, this was around 6oz, but it was very slow going and it seemed that only Rob and Shawn were catching.
Oh I did have a carp on single maggot, I got it in, perhaps 16lb. It is great how much you can pull with light kit and not get busted.
A couple more carp for me, and Mark and even Rob got in on the act....the difference being that Rib would be getting silvers between the carp.
Mark struggled all match and ended up at the end of the match with 3 small silvers, so unlucky him.

I kept trying shallowing my rig as I was getting liners and bumped a couple foul hookers but to no avail. At the halfway stage I managed a proper skimmer of 2.5lb or so from my short line on expander, that was a one off, except for the odd rogue carp.
A switch to the feeder so I could have a cuppa surprised me when a couple of skimmers of 1lb each came within minutes of each other.

I would love to say that the last few hours were super productive but they were not, pretty much the whole lake switched off and except the odd eel and solitary skimmer it was the occasional roach occupying us all, well except Rob on peg 29 who despite losing a couple lumpy foul hooked skiimers was still putting the odd smaller one in the net.
The last hour did see me put another 1lb skimmer to my tally, caught down my left edge. Then a couple roach and a couple 6oz skimmers ended my match.
I reckoned that I had around 11lb and Doddy perhaps 19 to 20lb after his spurt in the opening hour.

I packed my kit up and waited for the scales. By the time pegs 21 to 67 had weighed there were several 8lb nets. My hard earned catch weighed in at 13lb 4oz. Quite happy with that really but I knew Rob had more and my 19lb 12oz guess was closer than his 15lb guess....he had 19lb 4oz.
I went and loaded my car before following the remainder of Brick's weigh in.
A quick look at the weight on my lake and Pete Cooke had 17lb 9oz from peg 38 that put me 3rd on the lake, happy with that.
A glance at the weights on Brick showed several double figure weights including 23lb 15oz to Kev Crouch on peg 7 and Rich Coles had 19lb 4oz from peg 5.
We were round on peg 13 to see Giffy have a nice net of fish which weighed 19lb exactly before Derek Beards had 20lb and that man John Fuidge was last to trouble the scales with a net of fish including a couple tench and a crucian, his winning net was 27lb 1oz. He did say he lost and foul hooked well over a dozen decent skimmers and that he could not figure the fish out and how to get them feeding better. But he had done enough.

Results:
1st, John Fuidge, 27-01. P17
2nd, Kev Crouch, 23-15. P7
3rd, Derek Beards, 20-09. P14

So a tricky day and I never got the lake I wanted in Brick but I was personally pleased with my weight and considering I didn't expect Tile to beat Brick.
Next up at the moment is the next Acorn Series round next weekend, no plans as yet for this weekend. But I bought me a ZT Pro so perhaps hook tying is the agenda.....that or Todber on Saturday.

Until then take care.
Lee

Acorn Spring Series, Round 1, 7-4-18

I was looking forward to this match as I do like Acorn, but it can be patchy at times at the moment with weights all over the place it is hard to put a figure on the winning or framing weights, but like we do, I did, I reckoned around 120lb to win and 80ish would be in the top 4. But then I wouldn't have been shocked if 50lb won, lol.

Me and the wife travelled up with plenty of time so got some grub in Tescos as it was an 11am draw and fish 12:15 til 18:15. When we got to the lake there were plenty of peeps already there and discussing various things, I just dipped my nets and went for a walk around the lake, plenty of fish showing in areas but a few areas seemed barren in comparison. Peg 6 caught my eye as the breeze was pushing in to that area and the peg has plenty of features and options.
There are not many pegs considered 'bad' on the lake but there are always preferred areas, 1-6, 9 and the bridge pegs usually. But the pegs between 14 and 18 have been consistent recently.

I paid my dues and the draw was soon under way, 21 fishing, 3 sections of 7 pegged in number order this year rather than split them up. I delved in towards the back, as usual, and pulled peg 11. I was happy enough with that, but someone commented prior to the match that although good at times it isn't really a peg for 'now'. Indeed Paul Nichols said the same after the match, it is great when it is really cold and similar it can be great when warm and the fish are shallow/edge dwelling.

Either way I went about my business, 5 top kits were made up.
2 shallow using DT Pingers, one with a band and one without, these would cover across to the island and really tight in to my left.
2 depth rigs were put together, DT RBS open water floats in 0.4g, again one for banded pellet, the 2nd with a standard hook. These covered a few spots all over the peg should I need that option.
Lastly a 'deep edge' rig of 3ft or so, which I could only find in one sensible and sizeable spot down to my left, across plumbed up not so great as it went really shallow to a little too deep then full depth in a very small area.
Bait tray consisted of micros, 4mm and 6mm pellets and a few pints of maggots, oh some expanders were there too. I mixed a little groundbait should it be needed, it wasn't, or rather it didn't make a blinding bit of difference during the day.

Acorn peg 11

At the all in the water was calm in front of me and the breeze was noticeable down to my right in peg 6 and 5 where Bob Gullick and Ken Rayner were respectively. A few fish were moving in my peg but in a way that didn't convince me I would catch. But I sure would try.
I cupped some bait down in the 3ft spot to my left and some maggots at 2+3 in the 2 o'clock direction. Some micro and 4's at the same distance in front.
I began by toss potting tight across but other than a few liners and a couple lost foul hookers it wasn't productive.
I had my 1st fish after 30 minutes, a small 1lb stockie, another soon followed then it went dead. Vince Shipp on peg 9 was struggling as was Darren Wilton on peg 13.
That was my action for a few hours, all the while I could watch Ken Rayner, Bob G and Paul Nichols who was around peg 17 catching well. Bob had 60lb in the first 2hrs.

After 3hrs and just the odd small roach and another 1lb stockie and attempts to catch a few carp I decided to drop in on the topkit just to see what was there, more out of boredom than the fact there were a few bubbles present. Well 1st drop I had a fish, my largest at around 6lb or so and was my only fish from that spot, I did foul hook a couple there but I think I got lucky to catch one.
A look on maggots down to the left saw a few roach and a chublet before a clonking roach of 2lb-ish was netted, a beauty of a fish. But silvers was not what I wanted, in hindsight I should have fished for them because Vince swapped to maggots from pellets and ended up catching plenty of silvers and a few carp in the last couple hours.

With an hour to go I opened a spot right down to my left nearly under some trees and after feeding it I left it for 10 minutes or so, but when I went on it I had a 4lber right away, again my hopes raised but this was yet another solitary fish.
Darren on peg 13 was getting the odd fish down to the empty pallet of peg 12, but not exactly getting lots of action but a fish on the whistle I was sure put me down to last in the section as pegs 1 to 6 had all done well and Vince on 9 had a cracking last 2 hours.

The all-out sounded and the car was loaded in rapid time while we waited for the scales.
Once they arrived I saw that 1 to 5 all had between 55lb and 99lb and I knew Bob and Vince had more than me. Darren had 20lb and I was not sure I had that, but luckily my 5 or 6 carp and few pounds of silvers gave me 25lb and 6th not 7th in section. Vince had 47lb and Bob won the match with around 130lb from peg 6. I don't think I was getting 90lb to finish in the top 3 in section for sure.

So it is on to the next round in a couple of weeks where I need a run of top 2 in sections for the last 5 matches.....as no doubt that this 2dt round was my dropper.

Until next time, have fun.
Lee

Easter 4 Day Weekend, Landsend, Sedges, Shiplate. 30/03/18 - 02/04/18

So the 4 day weekend has been and gone for another year, sadly we never saw the weather we wanted (well at least I wanted it kind of hot and sunny). But it was not as bad as the doom sayers predicted not a few weeks earlier, we didn't have a 3rd episode of the 'Beast from the East' nor was it a wash out.

Any way the Friday was spent in the company of my family at Tyntesfield House near Clevedon, that was nice, better in the summer no doubt. Being National Trust members is great and gets us out of the house when boredom sets in. After that it was burgers at the Bridge Inn then I went and had a quick look at the Charlie Barnes memorial match at Acorn, a silvers match, plenty of carp caught....the top 3 were taken by the Shipp's on the top lake.
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On to Saturday and I had booked into the Landsend match and the weather looked okay with very little in the way of rain predicted but the wind may have been pain, but generally it was ok.
We had 17 I think, so Lakes 2 and 3 were used, I didn't mind where I would be but I haven't been on a peg in the 20's for a long time, alas I drew the same peg as the last round of the winter series in peg 68. No pics sorry (actually no pics all weekend....) I remarked to Mark Walsh that he would catch a boat load of F1s from his peg 5 draw, he insisted he would catch skimmers....

I set up a shallow pellet rig for against the island, a depth pellet rig for the same spot and this rig also did down to the weed bed to my right. 
A meat rig for 6m off to my left and a light carp rig (heavy silvers?) for 5m in front.
For company I had Jim Jenner across on peg 41, he had Russ Peck further along from him on 46 (I think).
Anyway as the match goes, I wont go into much detail, I lost 4 foul hooked on the depth rig in the first 10 minutes or so but couldn't get any fish on the shallow rig, they seemed to just be mulling around all day.
I did start getting a few on the depth rig by the island, 8 or 9 carp and 3 small F1s by the half way stage. But the carp were small compared to Russ and Jim.
It slowed so I tried the meat line, this gave me 3 carp including my largest at 4lb.
Then for the last 90 minutes I focused on trying to catch some silvers as I was unsure how Mike Duckett was paying the pools, so at least I could try to cover my options as it seemed unlikely I would catch Jim and definitely I would not catch Russ.
I managed plenty of roach, a crucian and a few skimmers on the silvers (I fished caster or maggot over groundbait) but I did pick up a few carp there and also some carp by the weed bed where I hoped to get F1s (count here as silvers).
At the all out I had 18 or 19 carp and my clicker showed 53lb, plus perhaps 10 or 12lb of silvers. 

As it turned out Lake 2 was tricky as Steve Seager was top weight from peg 14, 54lb+. But Walshy had 23lb of F1s to win the Silvers from peg 5, Martin Pettifer had 18-09 of silvers from peg 11.
Jim weighed in first on lake 3 with 79lb, Russ then had 123lb (I told him he had 120lb as I had been watching...lol). The rest of the guys' were topped by 49lb then I was last to weigh and I had 18-02 of silvers and my carp, all 56-12 of them, pushed me up to 74-14 to give me 3rd overall and 3rd in the silvers and a nice pick-up.
Results:
1st peg 46 Russ Peck 123-13
2nd peg 41 Jim Jenner 79-02
3rd peg 68 Lee Williams 74-14
4th peg 14 Steve Seager 54-01
5th peg 62 Richard Lovering 49-02
6th peg 5 Mark Walsh 45-12
Silvers 
1st peg 5 Mark Walsh 23-08
2nd peg 11 Martin Pettifer 18-09
3rd peg 68 Lee Williams 18-02

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Sunday saw me covering at Sedges in the last round of the Silver League and I pulled out peg 7 on Brick Lake, not too bad really but thought I had my work cut out when I realised I had venue silvers expert Phil Clapp on peg 6 and my White Acres roomy, Jamie Parkhouse on my fave peg 8.
The wife was with me for this match, it was muddy, but she was happy enough and can take the banter.
On to the match, a small feeder was made up, a rig for banded 6mm pellet over 4s at 11m (fishless during the day), my usual meat rig for 6m (fishless for once), and a rig to fish at 13m in a couple spots (one groundbait, the other micros and caster). Oh and another rig that went fishless, that was nan edge rig and would double as a shallow rig at 13m.
Well the match was hard to say the least, the far side started well but slowed (except Jess Jordan) and other than 1 skimmer of 1lb at the halfway stage, the feeder was motionless, I did manage a handful of skimmers to 2lb on my groundbait line, including a couple foul hooked. I also had a tench on the micro/caster line after I potted the best part of a pint of caster in such was how slow it was going.
The odd roach was also added to my net but not many.
Jamie tipped back 2 decent skimmers/bream and a couple roach, maybe 7.5lb, before the all out.
Peg 9 had don't ok but said he was only getting smaller skimmers.
Phil on peg 6 had a couple tench and some decent skimmers and lost a proper skimmer late on, but I had one come off, we all lose fish. I banked on him beating me and also peg 9, so I figured no envelope.
During the course of the day all 4 of us (pegs 6, 7, 8 and 9) all had plenty of carp action, especially late on and especially Phil. Annoying but kind of fun at times.
Come the all out Phil said I was 3lb ahead of him, I laughed.
The weigh in was done and Eric Fouracre had 19lb from peg 1 then there were some nets to 12lb before Phil had 15lb-ish only for me to put 17lb  on the scales and peg 9 had around 13lb I think.
So I had won my section and another pick-up.
Actually Jess Jordan had 24lb from peg 13 to win the lake and match.
Tile Lake saw John Fuidge have top weight with 21lb or so and then weights tailed off a bit with 13lb maybe 2nd on the lake.
I think, not certain, that I was 5th on the day, but I was 3rd on the lake.

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Monday, well the weather forecasters are tits, they said it would be windy and rainy most of the day when I went to bed Sunday night, so a day at home was on the cards.
I woke to see the weather had changed and it looked predominantly dry for the day, but a breezy afternoon.
I was undecided what to do and eventually was persuaded to go to Shiplate, well I was going to be late arriving after only deciding to go 30 mins before the draw, so I rushed around sorting my kit and bait, loaded the car and me and the wife were on our way, 30 mins after the draw I had a pick of 2 pegs in the bucket, peg 6 and peg 12 were left, I ended up on the latter.
I rushed to set up but was almost done by the all in.
I wont bore you with the details as it was hard from peg 7 onwards with the top 3 spots from pegs 5 (empty peg 6 next to him), peg 1 and then peg 3. Ray Wickham won the silvers form peg 10.
I did manage to land 1 carp after 90 minutes, a 4lber on banded 6mm pellet over 4s, I did lose, probably foul hooked, during the day, well in the last 30 minutes.
I managed a few silvers on maggot over groundbait but I also had some come off, they may have cost me 2nd in the silvers, they may not have, I will never know but they felt decent. But I did beat few, so at least it proved it wasn't completely or only me that had a slow day.
But it is a great fishery that I don't get to fish too often, well maintained and very welcoming owners, I will try and get there a few times this year.
Results:
John Hawkins p5. 101-14
Julian Pinkett p1. 57-14
Mark Jones p3. 42-0
Silvers
Ray Wickham p10. 10-6
Ritchie Hawkins p8. 7-2.

So a nice 3 days fishing with a couple pick ups and a few bites if not some tricky fishing at times.

Next weekend I am at Acorn for the 1st round of the Spring/Summer Series on Saturday, there are some very good anglers fishing, but it is a nice fishery and am looking forward to it.

Sunday I am back at Sedges for Pawlett's Silvers match.

Until then, take care and have fun.

Lee