Monday 30 April 2018

Landsend Open, Sunday 29th April 2018

Tony Rixon was running this match and had 20 odd fishing, two lakes in Match (lake 2) and Lake 3, I always seem to draw lake 3 when both of these are in and today was no exception, I had waited until the end of the draw instead of getting in near the front as I usually do.  Three tickets left in and 62 was written on the middle one, which was the one I took.

Several people offered advice, unsolicited mainly, the peg has an area of rushes/stick ups down to the left and comments about losing fish were one of the main topics, I assured all those who said I would have to fish to the stick ups, that I wouldn't be doing it - I can take no pleasure in losing fish attached to rigs in stick-ups or other snags.

The peg has no RH margin and the LH margin is tricky to access, due to the bank being eroded (most likely by pleasure anglers banksticks), but the island is a nice easy 14.5m reach.

RH side - no margin due to tree in water.


LH edge, can't get too far down it.



Straight in front to the island



I was going to keep things simple, so a homemade float to fish across to the island, the shelf is only about 6" shallower than the main depth, so not ideal.  A 4x12 Malman Roob to fish meat at 5m, near the tree on the RH side of the peg, I did set up a rig to fish pellet at full depth, but it only got wet plumbing up, never used it again.  Finally a margin rig to fish topkit + 1 down the LH edge.

I started on the meat rig, looking for an instant fish, but no sign of one, so after 15 minutes it was across to the island where I had been pinging 4mm pellets, with a 6mm in the band I was soon into a fish, not the desired carp, but a smallish F1.  For the next two hours I kept the odd fish coming but it was never frantic sport and was slowing down.  I had another look on the meat line after 2 hours and it did give me a fish, but no other indications, so back across and another 40 minutes on the pellet saw another fish netted. I had another off the meat line 40 minutes later, but never felt there were many fish in the area.  Opposite Russ Peck had a couple of quick fish swinging a shallow rig on a long line into the gap in the islands, I got of my box and set one up, but had nothing on it, Russ never had another, so I guess two of us swinging a rig at them was just too much.

Just over halfway through the match things had slowed right up, I had jut shy of 50lb on my clicker,  I fed some GB and maggots down the edge and left it half an hour before topping up and going over it, I had a good hour or so, putting another 50lb in the net using 5 maggots on the hook, they wanted a top up of GB and maggots after every fish, dropping back in without feeding wasn't anywhere near as effective, With 50 minutes to go, I decided to put another net in, as I try and stop about 50-55lb in a net.  Probably a mistake, as the last 50 minutes only saw 15lb added, including one on the short meat line, which never looked like coming to life.

It was bloody cold today, looks like the summer has delayed again!!  But at least it was off my back, not into my face.

My fish went 124.13, a comfortable lake win, but that couldn't compete with the match lake, where there were 5 weights over a ton and I beat two of them to come 4th overall, but I think there was a lake payout, so hopefully some folding to come when I see Tony in the week.  Not exactly setting the world on fire, but a much better weekend than my results of late, I was beginning to wonder just how long the dire run would go on.

Next up the Guru festival at Viaduct this week, so here's hoping for 3 decent draws and getting it right on the day.



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