Avon Angling Open, Trinity Waters, 30th May 2010

I had a week away in Cornwall after last weeks frustrating day on Rushcombe, in the last of the KP series. I did take some tackle, just in case I managed to get to the rocks off Trevose Head, for a bit of spinning. As it turned out, I didn’t bother, a week just mooching around Cornwall and sampling the Cornish food and ale sufficed.

I was looking forward to this match, it’s a while since I have managed to get to Trinity Waters, which is a shame, as it’s a venue that’s been kind to me and is well run by John & Sue.

I had the obligatory fry up at Abby’s Café, anglers making the majority of the customers. I got to the water and wandered around, sorting out the pegging, really, the 21 fishing was 1 too many, as I couldn’t leave out the corners and give everyone an empty peg one side.

In the melee that was the draw, I had a peg drawn for me, seeing as I was using my cap to hold the draw cards, 23 was revealed when I opened it. I wasn’t too bothered where I drew, but I was happy that it wasn’t 16, 17 or 18, which are pegs that I’ve failed to compete from in the past. The wind was blowing into the corner,between me on 23 and John Bradford on 20, but I had failed to appreciate how strong it was whilst pegging out.

I had set up two 1.5g Jolly’s, modified with a 2mm hollow tip, one to fish soft or banded hard pellet and another to fish paste (Both on 0.17 line, with a 0.15 hooklength. A B911 size 16 for the pellet rig and a 16 Mustad paste hook for the paste rig). A margin rig for the very shallow RH margin, which was a MW slim power on 0.17 and a 0.15 hooklength with a size 16 PR36 and two pellet waggler rods, completed the set up.

I started on the pellet rig, feeding a line at 11.5m, after nearly an hour and two skimmers being the only fish, I knew I was wasting my time on a line that I just couldn’t hold the pole still enough to achieve the presentation. I had Jason Radford to my left and he was also struggling with the gusting wind. The presentation on the waggler was just as bad, I managed an F1 and two carp on this, but the wind once again made it a method that presentation was poor. I even set up a waggler 3’ overdepth and it still dragged through.

I had been feeding my RH margin all match with hemp, caster and 8mm pellet and had one fish from it and one foul hooker lost, which were the only indications in the margin until the last hour and a quarter. I shallowed the rig up and came up the slope to where the water was 15”-18” deep and fishing meat over the pellet, caster & hemp feed, I managed to catch another seven or eight fish in the last hour, which I knew wasn’t enough to win, but it had given me a chance of a section pick up.

The scales came round and at 50lb 7oz, I was the highest weight weighed so far, with Gary Wall, Dean Malin and T Magnol on peg 2 all having decent nets to weigh in – according to the bankside jungle drums.

At the end of the weigh in, my weight was enough to take third place, it was a hard days fishing in that wind, but Woodland lake managed to do for me what she’s done a few times in the past, put me from virtually nowhere, to framing in the last hour or so. Just a shame I had to rush off at the end to get to work!!

1)Gary Wall 70.13 peg 13
2)Tom Magnol 69.13 peg 2
3)Chris Fox 50.07 peg 23
4)Dean Malin 44.02 peg 10
5)Paul Elmes 41.03
6)Ryan Summerhayes 39.10 peg 5

SILVERS
1)Dean Malin 18.10 peg 10
2)John Bradford 12.13 peg 20


If you look below, I've updated th last blog to give the results and final league standing in the KP series.