Monday 23 May 2016

Viaduct Spring League, Round 3, Sunday 22nd May 2016

Last weekend was spent in Barcelona, at the Spanish GP, a change, but it was good to be back fishing today.  Traveling down with Tony again, we covered a huge range of subjects, one of which was we were both unsure of exactly where we wanted to draw.

I considered changing my drawing, which usually means getting in ASAP, but decided in the end to get near the front and picked up two stuck together - hmm, I always seem to take the wrong one when that happens - so dropped them back in, took another and it was Cary 86.  Not a peg you'd be disappointed to draw, so hopefully in with a chance of some coin today.

Chatting with Dan White before, he offered the advice that they'd come to the pole at 16m, which would be good, as unless it's going round all the time, I'm not a fan of lead chucking.  I set up two wagglers, one full depth, one shallow, two lead rods and 4 topkits, one for down the LH edge, a .3 float, 0.20 line and a 12 Guru XS spade - I have had some lumps from this edge in previous matches....  A Roob on 0.20 with a 0.18 hooklength and a 14 Guru XS for meat short, this just had 4 strung out No 11's down the line, a similar rig, but a heavier float and bulk and finally, a NG power slim to fish pellet at 14.5m at full depth, this again on 0.20 with a 0.18 hooklength with a 16 B960 and a band.

Bait tray was 6, 8 and 11mm pellets, 8 and 10mm meat and dead reds.  Starting on the waggler, it didn't take long to get a 8lb fish in the net and then another a bit bigger, but then the wind got up, R to L and this made the waggler presentation all wrong.  I did have 5 minutes on the lead, but the tip didn't move.  A look on the short meat line saw the float doing the 'shit fish dance' even with 10mm bacon grill on.  Obviously no carp there yet.  I had a spell at 14.5m and put several fish in the net, the action wasn't frantic and I did wonder if paste might have worked as a stand out bait - but I didn't have any.  I upped the feed and this brought a couple more fish and some liners, so off my box and set up a shallow rig.

Had a bite first slap with the shallow rig, but lost the fish just after breaking down to topkit, didn't feel fouled, a 6lb fish followed shortly after, but it was obvious there weren't loads of fish competing for bait, so I abandoned the shallow rig and went for a look in the margin, where I had been feeding meat and pellet.  First two drop ins with meat produced two perch, both over 1lb, one nearer 2lb.  I then decided to go down the GB and maggot route with this and put 3 full cups of GB and 1/4 pot of maggots.

Back onto the meat line and I had a mid double, before the shit fish returned.  I had been feeding 11mm pellets out towards the middle and tried the lead over this again, to no avail, although my patience with it didn't last more than 5 minutes again.
Down the edge with maggots and a 14lber was my reward, followed by a 2lb+ hybrid and then a common which was 20lb, the edge seemed to be devoid of fish after that, I managed one more from the meat line, but the last hour was fairly quiet.

158.12 was enough to win the section by over 50lb and second on the lake, so an upturn in fortune in this league, sadly it's too late to trouble the frame, but a welcome result none the less.

1. Craig Edmunds - 269lb 1oz - peg 115
2. Ben Hagg - 208lb 7oz - peg 110
3. Mike Williams - 191lb - peg 124
4. Leon Hubbard - 190lb 11oz - peg 128
5. Luke Sorokin - 180lb 9oz - peg 53
6. Dick Bull - 176lb 6oz - peg 90
7. Bob Gullick - 174lb 11oz - peg 129
8. Dan White - 172lb 15oz - peg 127
9. Chris Davis - 170lb 5oz - peg 130
10. Chris Fox - 158lb 12oz - peg 86

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