Just thought I would do a quick catch up of my matches since my last blog which was 6 months or so ago.
I stopped doing the blog as I found it quite a chore to be honest, the wife started her new job in October and we now have weekends off together so I have been a bit lax when deciding if to go fishing at all, my enthusiasm waned, it still isn't heading in the right direction and to be fair I am not missing my weekly outings. Maybe the colder/winter months didn't help. Only time will tell....
October, Summerhayes Silvers' Winners Final, finished 4th and one out of the money. A little over 9lb and the best weight from the road bank, Eric Fouracres won from peg 13 or 14 if I remember rightly.
November, I didn't go fishing at all this month.
December, I fished the Pawlett Xmas match at Sedges, managed a few carp but not as much as good friend Paul Berry on the peg next to me who won, I think I was 7th on the day. It was bloody windy and I lost my cupping kit connector and the tosspot/catty approach was not how I wanted to go. Still some ciders as a prize and a nice bit of grub at the Legion after was appreciated.
I drew peg 43 on the Viaduct Xmas match and got it all wrong and only had 8lb or so, not last in the match by a few pounds and collected more cider. Mark Wynne won the match.
Boxing day at Sedges, drew peg 23, wasted an hour fishing for silvers, then went for carp but was never gonna get in the frame but did catch just under 60lb which may have been 4th or 5th. If I remember rightly Jamie won from peg 25 or 26 (I could be wrong though).
30th of the month I went to Landsend, drew peg 21, struggled and DNW's after catching just 1 carp and some silvers.
January, just the one match, a Saturday open at Todber, it fished bloody hard for all and I only squeaked a few little carp together from peg 62 on Ash. Beaten by Big Nick Selway off the next peg and 46lb was top weight on Ash, 78lb won overall off Hillview.
February, the solitary match I fished that month was down at Landsend, I drew peg 24, a peg that hadn't been great in the recent form so I was not best pleased, but the weather was ok and I actually had a good day picking up carp from the open water towards the island to finish with 15 carp and 7lb of silvers for a match winning 67lb (little carp....hmmm).
March, I covered for the Fishing Tackle Warehouse team in the last round of the Viaduct, team draw gave me peg 40 on the Match Lake, I wasn't too unhappy, but I struggled and only returned 7 point from 18 in the section, no disaster but I feel I could have done a few more fish and a few extra points.
The 17th gave me a 'free' match on the Landsend Winter League, I would be on Lake 3 and joked I would be on peg 68, as usual, and hey ho I drew that peg. Anyways I put 23lb of assorted silvers on the scales with some carp for a total of 42lb+ and 4th on the lake and the lake's top silvers net, so a nice pick up there. (4 times I have had that peg, 4 times I have had the best silvers net on the lake, haha).
A week later I was at Sedges, peg 26 and was happy with that, but the joy never lasted as I had 60lb and finished maybe 6th on the day as James Withers won with 172lb from peg 40, he nearly got knocked back by 100lb as he was close to the limit.
30th, Todber, peg 52 on Hillview, I draw this area regularly and it is not an area of choice most of the time. But 60lb and a days fishing as the match was over for me at the draw. Homeground gave the best weights overall and the best silvers was 89lb of maggot feeder caught skimmers on Hillview.
April, well this month I have been a 3 times thus far.
Pawlett's annual Silvers match at The Sedges (7th April), had a tough section with some very good anglers who know the venue well. I drew peg 15. I wasn't feeling up to fishing but saw the day out and surprisingly finished 2nd overall on the day and best weight off Brick Lake with 35lb 4oz of skimmer and a nice little envelope. Keith Clapp won from Tile Lake with 14oz more than me....
The following weekend it was Summerhayes Longs. I have draw down on peg 19, never been that far down before and I had silvers specialist Roy Hughes on peg 20. I wanted to fish for silvers with worms and caster but that never happened. I had a good 2nd hour catching carp on pellets across and picked the odd carp for the last 4 hours, not many, but luckily enough that was good enough as my lowly 52lb was surprisingly enough to win the match and put some money in the wallet, but it was an enjoyable day trying to figure out how to get the most from the fish that were playing games on the day in that they would come to feed up in the water but couldn't get a bite shallow.
Lastly this weekend saw me on Viaduct's Easter Monday open match, peg 74, which was miles away from where the fish/weights have been coming from. It's a peg I really don't like but I gave it a go.
I landed a couple carp, lost 2 foul hookers and lost one when I shouldn't have (I should have added sections to follow it out on a run but I didn't and the hooklength broke). 6 decent skimmers and a small perch were my other fish. I tipped back my 2 carp (15lb) and silvers (10lb) for a DNW.
Other than at Sedges where it is deeper I have more or less been using DT Floats F1/Silvers in 0.3g for the silvers and Slim P's in 0.2 and 0.4g for my carp-type fishing and I cannot recommend them enough, great floats.
Now the spring has arrived I do hope to get out on the bank a bit more and am looking forward to a few matches I have booked in for the rest of 2019. But I am more looking forward to a couple weekends away with the wife, especially BST Hyde Park and Madness in Taunton in July.
Maybe, just maybe, will I begin to start blogging regular.
Lets just see.
Take care to you all and tight lines.
Lee
