Viaduct Open, Silvers Only. Wednesday 25th September 2013

I must admit to not knowing much about Spring lake, which was the venue for todays silvers match, so apart from knowing the high teens are considered the best skimmer pegs, at least I couldn't get too depressed by the draw..... which saw me sat on peg 24.

I had spoken with Tony Rixon and he was fairly convinced that pellet would be the best bait for amassing a winning weight of skimmers, so I took 4 and 6mm pellet, some micros's, a few soft pellets, as well as worm and caster, topped off with a handful of maggots.

I set up a small cage feeder, a waggler and 3 top kits, one to fish banded pellet at 14m, another to fish worm/caster at 11m and a small Colmic pencil to fish caster short.  On the all in I put 4 balls of groundbait with CW&C in at 11m to the right, 3 balls of groundbait with a few micro's and 4mm pellets in at 14m and loose fed caster short.

Starting short on caster, saw a couple of roach in the net, then a perch, but it was slow going, they weren't there in any number and no fish visible coming up in the water for the casters. After 15 minutes I had a look on the CW&C line, no fizzing on either long pole line and the lack of skimmers was evident as the first couple of fish on worm were perch. A look on the 14m with banded 6mm pellet resulted in a totally motionless float and no signs of fish over the groundbait.

Back on the short line and more perch, then the float buried and the single caster had accounted for an unseen large cypry, which tore off at speed, round the point of the spit and the Colmic pencil exploded as it returned at full stretch of doubled 4 elastic.  Another rig went on and now the short line was as quiet as the long lines, so back out of the worm and two tiny skimmers were netted before another vermin took a liking to the worm and also the hooklength.

A switch to the pellet line saw the float dip and a 2lb+ skimmer netted, then 2 3oz skimmers before a double figure carp latched onto the pellet and instead of taking the hook, he decided to come in and wreck my small Drennan landing net, bending the arms completely out of shape.

This was then the way of things for the rest of the match, I am now 4 Colmic floats light in my float collection as they really don't stand up to the rigours of carp fishing and one Colmic thats had some surgery, I think I've saved it.  I lost about 20 hooks, as I managed to hook one or two silvers, small ones at that, before a double figure carp muscled in.  At 16.50 (match finished at 17.30) I had re hooked all my rods and kits and put the feeder out over where I had been loose feeding caster, this resulted in two small roach, before a vermin took the hook.  Next was the waggler, by now the vermin were swirling on the top for the loose fed caster, second cast, another large double hooked and hook gone, so both rods down. Next was the banded pellet rig, that didn't see any silvers action before a carp trashed it. The worm rig managed a 2oz skimmer before being relieved of its hook and tangled beyond repair, last rig with a hook on was the short caster rig, so a single maggot on that and it landed 2 roach before it too was hookless. The time now was 17.10, so 20 minutes to hook and lose 5 carp and that was enough, I really couldn't be arsed to put another hook on any of the rigs or rods that were still in a fit state, so packed away all my sodden gear - they didn't forecast the 2 hours of pouring rain!!

 My section was won from another lake, I really do think that sections should all be on one lake, as my 14.13 was a long way from the section winning 42.12, maybe a few more silvers might have got their heads down if there weren't so many carp about, but  three of the lowest weights were me and the pegs either side of me, so it appears that the skimmers weren't in residence.

1) Scott Russell  46.01 peg 18
2) Mark Poppleton 42.12  peg 38 
3) Dave Romain 29.14   peg 1
4) Tim Pallant 29.12 peg 5
5) Steve Kedge 29.09 peg 19
6) G Skarba  27.10 on peg 37