Acorn and Avalon.... 5th and 6th May 2018

So this last weekend......not much to write home about really, the Saturday saw me back up at Acorn for the 3rd round of the Saturday Series, which I have no chance of framing after two second last in sections. The weather was baking, which was nice.

I arrived in loads of time, dipped nets etc and then got into the draw, I pulled out peg 40, which I have had a few times, but I was neither happy or sad with this draw, I thought I would get a few but with the weather now rather hot the fishies may have other plans. Well the silvers were spawning.

Peg 40, Paddock Lake, Acorn

I set up the usual array of rigs and set about trying to catch a few, I did hope for a few shallow on casters, but other than a single roach I never had a bite on that, I also had nothing down either edge I did have about 10lb of silvers down the middle on caster on the deck. I had to wait nearly 4 hours for my 1st carp, on 6mm pellets right across, I had 3 in quick time and fouled a couple, but it died a death (not that it actually been alive), and with Matt Roden on p38 and Tom Thick (covering for Bobby G) on peg 33 (?) by the bridge doing really well (Tom won the day with just shy of 195lb) I packed up with at least 90 minutes to spare and decided that the sofa would be a better place to be.

I don't know the full results but Tom Thick won and Gabe Skarba was on peg 3 had a run of margin fish and I think he was 2nd on the day.
Back again in a couple weeks for round 4, hoping to at least draw on some fish then.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday saw 33 of us on the banks of Avalon, I haven't fished there for probably 16 months at least.
A bit of banter, pools paid, another baking hot day and a re-draw....1st time I had p29, 2nd time I was on 19. Another vanilla peg and I wasn't really happy with it as I was wanting to fish for silvers and would have liked somewhere between 6 and 13 perhaps or from 27 to 36. But you can never be sure of where the framers will come from on this lake which is great.

Avalon peg 19

Off to my peg and I had on flyer peg 20, Steve Fouracre, he should be good for a few fish to the 'semi-gap' in the island (top left of my photo), he had his brother Eric next to him on 21. I had Lewis Hembury and Rob Dodd to my right.
I set up a few bits and bobs, a shallow waggler and a small feeder which I couldn't get onto the shelf due to island foliage, but worth having set up.
A depth pellet rig using a 0.8g DT RBS float this was for 16m in front, also a DT Pinger for shallow pellets over the same spot.
A silvers rig for 13, slightly left using various baits over groundbait, but had nowt here so nothing more on that.
I also set up a meat rig for just off empty peg 18, but never had a bite there either.

On the all in I fed the spots and started on the waggler, no bites for 20 minutes then I snagged up and lost the lot......chucked the feeder out while I re-set up the float. 10 minutes later I had a small pull on the feeder and a 2.5lb carp was soon in my keepnet, that was my only bite on the feeder all day, but then I did lose the whole lot and couldn't be arsed to re-tackle that. I also lost another waggler set up to the squirrels....but I did assemble that again.

So fast forward a couple hours and my keepnet consisted of 1 carp and a single roach which took a 6mm pellet shallow. Steve had maybe 60lb but from what I could see it wasn't prolific.
I soon managed to mug a nice 5lb ghostie on the waggler and then a 8lb common was mugged on the pole.
I lost a couple more fish, one hooked while fishing shallow with feed, the 2nd was a proper decent fish that acted like a dolphin as it made it's bid for freedom, which I gained along with a float etc.....

I could go on with how I managed to bang out a dozen more 8lb fish, but it would be a lie. I did manage to mug a few more, ended with 7 in total I think, on both the pole and waggler and I actually wished the match finished 20 minutes later than it did as I could see the carp better and they were actually coming in close enough to target them. I actually shallowed up my 0.8g depth rig to give me an extra 4.5ft of line so I could reach further out, this defo helped me once or twice.
At the end of the match Steve had around 86lb (I was clicking his fish to occupy me), Eric had around 50lb I guessed while Lewis had 5 carp including a lump that took him an age to get in and weighed over 16lb, Rob had 10lb of silvers and a couple carp.
Across the other side Mark Sweeting on peg 30 had done really well and Steve said he had more that him, I couldn't see Mark, but could hear the splashing of fish being netted. A few others said they had caught ok but Ziggy had 100lb+.
The silvers hadn't fed at my end, Eric had 1 tench on the tip and bumped a couple small skimmers on the pole, I had 1 skimmer shallow foul hooked and 1 roach.

The weigh in was well under way and I was rather warm, there was a fair few reddened bodies.
I had all packed up when I caught up with the scales, my clicker showed 34lb but I did not click at least my last fish, maybe my last 2. Both were pushing 10lb each.
A look at the sheet saw Ziggy on 100lb+ and Mark had 98lb and there was a couple 30s and Vic had 59lb.
I saw Mark Bellringer put 60lb on the scales from p22, Eric then had 49lb. Steve's total was 88lb 5oz, so I clicked well....haha. Next was me and it actually took 2 weighs and my 1-11 of silvers plus carp gave me a surprising 57lb 3oz.
Lewis had 46lb and then we had Shawn Kittridge have mid 40's, Keith Clapp a 71lb+ net from peg 7.  Jamie Cook was his accurate self with his guess and was less than 2lb out with his total and he had 79lb
Pierce had 17lb of silvers to take that money. Chris Higgs had 60-something.

So despite it not being a great day the chance to mug a few fish was ok, but the fish were defo easier to spot further out and closer to the other bank for sure. They didn't seem intent on heading to our side. But Sunday was a good day locally for mugging fish....look at Viaduct's weights...200lb was 6th and nearly 400lb needed to win both Sunday and Monday's matches, the best weights were mostly mugged fish. Some good mugging was had at Todber as well.

Results:
1st, Ziggy Slowinski, 104-08 from end peg 44 on pellet waggler
2nd, Mark Sweeting, pellet waggler from peg 30
3rd, Steve Fouracre, mostly feeder caught from peg 20
Silvers
1st, Pierce Furlong, short pole skimmer and decent bream, peg 5.

Weigh Sheets

Next up for me is Sunday at Todber as cover for Emma Drysdale in the Short Pole Series of Tony Rixon's. Fingers crossed for a few bites. As for Saturday....we shall see, but prob family day.

Until then, enjoy the rest of the week.
Lee