Acorn Open, Monday 3rd January 2022

 Back to travelling with Tony today, stopped in the Wessex Flyer for breakfast, very nice it was too!  Hardly any traffic so a quick run down to the fishery and I gave Laurie a hand with the pegging and the draw, Covid safe, Laurie called the names in order of booking on and I drew the numbered ping  pong balls from the silken bag.....  Although there were a few ashen faces when they realised I'd be drawing their pegs with my fabled drawing arm.

Paul Faiers did look somewhat satisfied as I pulled 9 for him, 21 for Tony, a bridge peg, but it hasn't got a lot of form, the catcalls of fix, as I pulled peg 5 from the bag after Laurie announced my name, I was surprised, as there is no denying, peg 5 has form, lots of form, it's not usually languishing in the DNW or those that weigh, "just because I fished" category.  Pressure on then.

Over the bridge and I think back to a match a year ago, when I drew peg 5 and had to break the ice to fish, won it that day with Des coming second from 40. I didn't think a huge weight would be needed and I set up several topkits to cover the multitude of options that this peg presents.  A home made slim float (2x9) with a fibreglass stem to fish tight over and the same to fish just down the shelf, but this time 4x9.  Both with 0.13 hooklengths and a 20 Kaisen hook.  A Malman Roob (carbon stem) to fish towards the bottom of the slope that extends a fair way out on the left of the peg and a wire stemmed slim float (name eludes me) to fish at the bottom of the slope.  Not expecting to catch on it, but I did set up a rig to fish the LH edge/corner.

I had an ideal start, toss potting a few maggots across and getting a 3lber first put in on the shallowest rig.  This was a loner, as no more bites or liners switched to the slightly deeper rig and had a couple of liners, but nothing too much ,

Switched to the near shelf and started to get indications and bites almost immediately at 2+2, fishing maggots, had a couple of fish, but also lost a few foulers, then had a nightmare 15 minutes, played a big fish, around 12lb for ages and it came off as I thought is was getting beaten, possibly fouled in the wing, but not sure.  Next put in, another big fish, low double again, definitely mouth hooked and after a tough battle it was gone, I thought it had snapped me, but the hooklength came back with the tell tale curly wurly of a spade knot which has either pulled through or slipped over the spade.... not had that happen for  long time.

Couple more fish and indication from that line, but had to go to 2+4 to get a few more, there were lots of fish there, up in the water not really feeding, switched to a shallow rig, slapping maggots over and letting them hang, nothing, not a bite.  By now the indications had stopped, Paul over on 9 had stopped catching as well, the fish had moved and it looked very much like they'd moved down to peg 6 where Brian started catching well.

I had a couple of smaller fish by switching back to the far bank and one better carp 10 minutes before the all out, I had tried a line with micros and fishing soft pellet over it, but didn't have so much as a liner on this, can't remember the last time I caught a fish on pellets here, it's been months.

I thought Paul might have run me close, Brian said he had 40lb, so I said "you've beaten me then, as I've got 40lb on my clicker and a tench and a perch, you'll have 55lb"  Can't lie straight in bed these old Thyers blokes....

The scales proved that to be the case, with Brian putting 55lb on the scales, I wish I'd have put a wager on it, my self with 46lb for second and Paul taking 3rd with 41lb.  Those lost fish cost me, but it was still a decent day and it didn't rain.