Avon Angling Open, Trinity, Wildmarsh. 22nd July 2012

A trip to Trinity this weekend and the first sight that greeted us was John, in a boat on the lake he's used as a stock pond, with 20,000 carp in it. The bloke never stops working!! Interesting to hear he has bred 8,000 F1's this year and also intends to use one stock pond to try and get some skimmers home bred - apparently they are £125 per 100 now.

I wasn't too concerned where I drew, it would be hard for a few, this lake really doesn't like the combination of a match, bright sun and no (or very little) ripple. Island peg 10 came out the landing that was used as a draw ticket receptacle, carp and chub being the most likely species, so not too disappointed. I set up a lead rod in case I had to go over to the reeds opposite and a waggler. The pole had four top kits set up, one with a jolly and a 16 6313 on 0.14 for soft pellet/caster, a rig for hair rigged hard pellet, a paste rig and a multi purpose margin rig to fish the RH margin.

First two put in's saw two small skimmers in the net and after several more put ins where the soft pellet was ragged off the hook I switch to the banded pellet rig, this produced absolutely nothing. The skimmers didn't seem to like the hard pellet I fed with it and that was the end of that line. I set up a new silvers line with caster and that produced one roach and one hybrid, both to maggot, I didn't have a single bite on caster or worm. With so few silvers evident, it was time to concentrate on the reeds opposite and the margin. There was no interest in 8mm meat, so I shortened the paste rig by about 12" to use in the margin.

The match held no further excitement for me, 3 carp falling to the paste in the margin and two to 8mm pellet fished tight to the reeds. There was nothing in the way of liners or missed bites, so I don't think there were too many fish in the peg. The highlight of the day was watching Martin Lenaghan being done by fish after fish in the reeds to the right of peg 40. It made my one lost fish (on the lead) which shed the hook by doing a fine impression of an alligator roll when it popped up in front of me - sods law it was the biggest fish of the day.

I did lose plenty of hooks and a couple of leads, as the reeds extend out under the water, making them a proper snag pit, but if you don't get in tight, you don't get a bite. My silvers went an embarrassing 15oz and the 5 carp 21.03. I think the lost carp cost me the section money, as Dean managed 6 carp and 1lb odd of silvers for 27lb and the section money.  See Tony's blog for the results.