Viaduct Match Lake, Sunday 29th May 2011

An Avon Angling open (or Tony Rixon Pension Fund...)on Viaduct match lake had me fancying some silvers action, although when I drew peg 46 the consensus was that it wasn't the best of draws. Eddy Wynne said "I'll shake your hand if you get a weight from that peg" - a pint would have been better, but the challenge was on.

Not surprisingly, no island chuck for me (I've never drawn one on this lake), but I still set up a feeder to fish groundbait and dead maggot in open water, as it was forecast to be windy - although as usual, the weathermen were wide of the mark. I'd brough one waggler rod, in case it was windy and I'd got an island chuck (I can dream). I'd opted to bring my latest addition to my rod collection (from ebay)a Normark Avenger. This had a 3AAA insert peacock on 0.15 main line to a 0.12 hooklength and a 18 63-13 hook.

The pole rigs were simple, a sensas pencil to fish caster if the wind allowed, a MW diamond to fish caster, dead maggot or, as a last resort, devils spawn. I also set up a nondescript float to fish down the edge, but never hd a bite down there, so no more of that.

I started on the feeder after cupping in some g/bait and dead maggot at 11m towards my left and g/bait with caster to the right, again at 11m. The feeder produced a couple of knocks and a small skimmer, but it didn't seem right, I kept at it for half an hour to let the pole lines settle, before chucking it up the bank. I dropped in over the g/bait and dead maggot, with live double maggot on the hook and had 3 or 4 decent skimmers one after the other, then a wait, then a couple more, this pattern continued for an hour or so, but the biteless gaps got longer and the fish came in ones.

Peg 47 had started catching skimmers by this time, after a fruitless go on the shallow wag to the island, I looked over the g/bait and caster line, to no avail - infact I' won't mention it again, as I didn't catch anything from it. Martin McMahon was catching carp & F1's on the feeder from his island chuck on peg 45.

I wondered if I could pull the fish away from the island, so started loose feeding caster at the limit of my peg, the decision to bring the Avenger was the wrong one, I had three bites in the first three put ins and lost the hook on the strike on two and a broken hooklength on the third as the carp ran towards the island. I think using the 0.12 hooklength, I'd have been better with a Microlight. Probably cost me third place......

I upped the hooklength to 0.13 and didn't lose any more hooks, but got less bites, by keeping the caster going in by catapult, I managed a few more skimmers and a 4lb carp.

I thought the decent spell on skimmers that peg 47 had would beat me, but my run of fish on the waggler just got me 2nd in the silvers, picking up the first place money by default, as Ricko's pension fund was swelled by him winning the silvers and the match - even though the draw was a bit dubious..... Can Dean read braille???

1) Tony Rixon 43.10 peg 51
2) Martin McMahon 35.13 peg 45
3)= Dean Malin 29.03 peg 52
3)= Tom Mangnall 29.03 peg 40
5) Eddie Wynne 26.10 peg 48
6) Chris Fox 25.11 peg 46

Silvers

1) Tony Rixon 38.06 peg 51
2) Chris Fox 21.00 peg 46