Clevedon FWAC 14/02/10

Last week I wandered around the Clevedon match which was held on Plantation lake, in a conversation with Paul Nicholls, one of the match organisers, I did suggest that the match planned for the Kenn today might not be the best, or too well attended. The low clear conditions and the sightings of many cormorants, which seem to be feasting on the roach, didn't give any support to the argument to keep the match on the clubs home water.

I received a text in the week from Darren 'Nudd' Vowles, Pauls Nicholls assitant match organiser (or bitch), match now on Acorn, did I want to book in and also book a breakfast, standard or fat bastard. I didn't take much persauding, the Viaduct teams of five meant that there wasn't too much else on, so I booked... and yes, the FB brekkie!!


It wasn't until the Wednesday before last, that I'd ever driven through the gates of Acorn Fishery, myself, Paul Faiers and Chips (Pauls Father-in-Law)decided to have a few hours pleasure fishing. We had a reasonable day given the cold conditions.

So,onto today, met up with Paul and Glen(Calvert)at the venue, we had breakfast and then walked round to peg out. With that done, the draw was made, I pulled peg 3 (perm peg 5), Faiersy actually pulled the peg he had a few fish from the Wednesday before. There were some small silvers topping in my peg, about the only fish movement we'd seen whilst pegging out and walking to the pegs, I assumed that at least I'd get a few of them today, after Wednesdays dearth of silvers.

I had a good plumb around the peg and found a deeper hole to my left at 12.5m, this was only 3 or 4" deeper than the rest of the peg, but it was a feature in an other wise flat bottomed swim. As Paul and I had both caught carp the previous Wednesday, at the all in,I fed some micros, caster and maggot into the 'hole', caster and pinkie into the open water for my silvers line. After 15 minutes this had produced not the slightest indication on the float (a Malamn winter wires, 0.11 - 0.10 hooklength and a 20 808).

A lot earlier than I wanted, I dropped into the 'margin' swim at 12.5m, the float wouldn't stay still and I hooked and lost 4 carp - foul hookers. Coming up in the water saw me land a couple of fish that were obviously taking the maggot (on a MW slim power rig, 0.13 straight through to a 18 B911). I switched to a rod and reel, set up with a waggler, no shot down the line and stepped up my catch rate, the fish were hugging the bank and rushes, as long as I dropped the waggler in close I got a bite. I went from 6 carp to high teens resonably quickly, then the wind got up, blowing the waggler out of positon, no more bites.

I'd fed an open water line at 10m, the occasional look in at this saw me nick an odd fish, but there was no consistency or pattern to it, so I had to switch to the 16m pole. Another 7 fish fell to this method, again maggot fished with no shot down the line and then I bumped the pole off the back roller at 15.30 (half an hour to go), trashing the rig. I had a rig set up which was identical, except it was 0.15 line with a 0.13 hooklength tied on with a four turn water knot - how could it differ, same float pattern, same shotting pattern, but no more bites in the last half hour.

So at the all out, not a single silver landed, but 25 carp from 12oz to 5 or 6lb. I knew from Mike Lilly, who was not fishing, but bank walking, that Paul Faiers had caught well, but it was likely I'd be second.

The Scales came round and Paul did indeed win, with a creditable 104lb 15oz, on a day when the water temp was 4°C, in a lake 2'6" - 3'.0" deep. I did manage second, although had the wind not blown up, I feel confident thet I'd have pushed Paul closer.


1)Paul Faiers 104.15 peg 14 (pole, maggot)
2)Chris Fox 61.08 peg 5 (Pole, waggler, maggot)
3)Dave Baker 45.09 peg 17 (straight lead)
4)Lewis Walker 36.04 peg 13

Silvers

1) Simon Carvello 5.14 peg 1
2) Rich Headley 4.14 peg 3

Two special mentions, Simon Carvello will have to spend his silver winnings on a new car battery, his tired old Astra needed a jump start after the match (this after several failed push starts and some knackered anglers) and Darren 'Nudd' Vowles pleaded with me not publish on the interweb, his DNW and beaten off either side - although he forgot to buy me a beer, so I couldn't help but mention it !!