Withypool - Carps AC 10th Feb 2010

Ever have one of those days when the best laid plans go completely tits up.......

Two reasons to book into the Carps match on Withypool today:
1) I thought that a few silvers would be on the cards, even with the forecast overnight freeze.
2) Its nice and close to home so a lie in is possible.

On arrival most of the lake was frozen, apart from the pegs in the 40's behind the island, this caused discussion on whether to peg those pegs, or pegs that had the northerly wind off our backs etc etc. The end result of this was a rover, I think I was the lone dissenting voice, I really do not like rover matches. I then drew 2 from last walk off, although it didn't seem to matter, the walk off order was loosely, if at all adhered to.

My knowledge of the lake is pretty limited, so I was unsure which peg to choose, in the end I sat on 42, a peg i have had some good pleasure sessions on, but admittedly not at this time of year. My bait selection wasn't too varied, maggots, caster and pinkie were the main plan, with a handful of 4mm expanders and a few wetted micros for a line away from the maggot line. I also had some corn, don't know why, I've yet to catch a fish on it this winter!!

I started at the bottom of the island shelf, cupping in a few casters and pinkies, with pinkie on the hook - all to no avail, maggot and caster meeting with the same response. Andy Gard on peg 45 hooked and lost a carp first put in, then had a 12lb fish second put in, all the while my float remained motionless.

I had set up a waggler rod, as this tactic has caught me decent roach in the past on Withy and Bridge, switching to this brought my first bite, the microlight looped over as a big vermin made off with the single red maggot, I played the roach spoiling monster for a few minutes before the 22 90340 pulled out. Half an hour later, another bite, another vermin, this time it led me a merry dance around the peg, going up to peg 43 to see Bob Feltham and down to peg 40 to have a look at Coiln Golding. After 10 minutes it tried to get towards some vegetation and the 0.07 powerline hooklength parted.

I had a Maver Reactorlite II waggler rod made up in the hardcase, 4lb sensor and a 0.13 hooklength finished off with a B911 size 18. This saw the next two carp landed and next cast after landing No2, I hooked another, this came in like a bream, as I drew it over the landing net it suddenly woke up, dived for the bottom and I was left with an airbourne waggler rig, that had a curly pigs tail where the hook once was.

That proved to be the end of the action (1pm), I couldn't get another bite, I fed two other lines, tried corn, switched back to the pole, even fed a squatt line as I had half a pint with me. At 3.45, 15 minutes before the all out, I had a roach, the only silver fish I had all day - hardly a successful day when they were my intended species. Even less succesful were the lost carp, costing me second place and some coin.

Where, oh where, is the global warming.... bring it on I say, today was bloody freezing! Iced over lake, chill north wind, snow flurries and water that was 4.5°C.

1) Bob Price 54.00 (Vermin on the straight lead and hair rigged triple corn)
2) Andy Gard 18.12 (2 vermin and some silvers)
3) Bob Feltham 12.08 (All silvers, skimmer & bream to 3lb, roach & hybrids on pinkie)
4) Chris Fox 11.08 (2 vermin & 1 roach, red maggot)

Silvers
1) Bob Feltham 12.08
2) John Bennet 9.08