Open, Viaduct, Sunday 26th June 2022

 First time back to Viaduct for a while, so not sure exactly where the fish were coming from, but it can't have changed too much. Drew 128 by the spit, I couldn't moan, but I struggled to put anything together, nice day though, so can't complain.

Viaduct Silvers Open, Saturday 26th February 2022

 Was really looking forward to this one, the silver results have been looking good in recent matches.  I drew 115, not disappointed with that.

This is a very short blog, 20 mins into the match, a gust of wind brought a branch down onto my head, then onto my pole cracking the 11m section in two places, the second time I have had this happen (both No.11 sections!!) at this venue.

Somewhat pissed off and with a headache, feeling nauseous, I packed up and went home £650 worse off than when I arrived.

Ron's Silver League, Viaduct, Sunday 16th January 2022

 First time at Viaduct for a while, on Campbell it wouldn't be my choice of lake for a silvers match in January, but it is what is.  After the match at Acorn yesterday I was chatting to Martin Rayet and said I really wouldn't fancy 119,  (or 135, but that shouldn't have been and wasn't in - great summer carp peg, not a silvers peg).  I felt 119 would be too far down the lake (it's a corner peg).

Well, what do I draw - picked up two cards stuck together, put one back and opened 119.... bugger.  This time of year you are reliant on the roach feeding and hoping for bonus perch and possibly tench, but they aren't there in the numbers they were.  If it had been an open I might well have not bothered.  But its a league, so something to fish for and I believe if you enter a league you should fish and give it your best shot, as the outcome could be affected.

First out of the rod bag was a waggler rod (trusty Normark Microlite), had a plumb round and found an area where the light was OK.  4 topkits, one for roach at 7 joints, didn't think I'd catch closer, teo skimmer rigs for 14,5m and one for the hoped for big perch down the edge.

Bait tray was maggots and casters, with the obligatory pinkies.  I did have corn and meat, but didn't expect to catch on it, so it stayed in the bait bag.  I fed the 14.5m line (one to start with) and then a tiny nugget of GB with casters on the 7 joints line.  It took 17 minutes to get a bite and I was surprised to feel a decent fish when lifting into the bite, turned out to be a skimmer nigh on 3lb.

Next was a roach just over the 8oz mark I guess, it tried to get under the pallet and keepnets, lively fellow for a cold day.  Couple of small roach in the next hour, I then had a perch, that was at least 2lb, but that seemed to be the end of the shorter line.  By now the wind had got up, straight into our faces on this bank, we were rather forlornly looking the the anglers on the opposite bank, with the breeze off their backs.

The long line was hopeless apart from two short bursts of small roach and a skimmer about 8 0r 10 oz with 50 minutes to go, that was the last fish, the second half of the match being tough going.

I was surprised to beat 4 in the section to be honest, the roach didn't feed, not even late on, so that was me scuppered as the top weights in the match were all skimmer weights.

That'll be this league over - getting to be a common theme this winter, next round is on Plantation Lakes, which usually offers consistent silvers sport, but like anywhere, this time of year you still need to draw where the fish want to be.

Foxy's Two Dayer, Viaduct, Fri/Sat 3rd/4th September 2021

 It doesn't seem long for this annual event to roll around, although this year is a smaller match than previous years given the situation at Viaduct where Cary is no longer available to book for matches.  This means that next year I have booked Shiplate Farm Fishery, so the event will revert to fishing pile only one day on one lake and any method the other on the main lake.

Thanks to Steve and Helen at Viaduct for hosting this year, the usual friendly welcome (hope Matt is feeling better, as we didn't see him, he was confined to his sickbed).

21 Fishing, the usual crowd down from Smithy's in a lodge, boosting the local pubs profits..... and still managing to fish the next day.  The match was filled by invitation only, those who had previously fished, Friday saw everyone turn up promptly and pay their dues, so we could get the draw done on time.  21 on Campbell, 3 sections of 7, only section money to fish for on the day.

I got Paul Nichols to draw my peg and he didn't endear himself to me when I opened the card and saw 130 - not the worst peg on the lake, but probably not the one you'd choose in a two day combined weight match.  Never mind, after ensuring I'd stashed the cash away safely, I went to the peg hoping to maximise the weight in readiness for a better draw on Saturday.

As it was pole only, nice and simple to set up, meat short, pellet at 11m, no skimmer rig today, as I wanted land every carp hooked, another rig for pellet at 14m, didn't think there was a need to go longer, but had the sections ready if it was necessary.  A margin rig as well, although with 129 and 131 in I wasn't at all convinced the margin would be a banker.

Started on meat short and had the usual skimmer, I also had a carp, but it was slow going, I did persevere for a bit, but eventually went out to the 11m line where I had 3 carp straight away, but then nothing.  It was a day where you had to switch lines and hope to nick a fish, before moving again, as expected the short line started to come good towards the end, leaving me with 134.10 which was 11th on the day, leaving me needing a big weight tomorrow.  Paul Faiers on 113 won on the day with 206.01.

Saturday morning saw a few hangovers and the normal pre-match banter and stating which pegs were desirable.  Today I dropped Paul Nichols from drawing for me and Mike Walker got the prestigious slot... He drew me 132, which is a peg that can be good and also has off days, I must admit it's not been a peg that I have had much success from.

A sunnier day than yesterday, I did expect the fish to be shallow, so a shallow rig and a swinging/mugging rig set up and a depth pellet rig  The usual meat line rig, margin rigs one to fish further up the edge and one to fish on the shallow shelf in the peg.

Had one carp on the meat short and one skimmer, but there was little activity to keep me on that line, I went out shallow but couldn't get a bite, the sun had come round a put most of my peg in the shade, the fish seemed to want to be out in the sun.

I did have a couple by sticking it out long on pellet on the deck, the LH edge was seemingly devoid of fish and the RH edge which was to be my banker was similarly biteless in the deeper water on pellet, tried meat and that produced one perch.  I fed some GB and maggots onto the shelf and that brought plenty of bites, but it was all perch, skimmers and hybrids, no carp.

I was now convinced I was falling well behind Phil on peg 131, as he was catching shallow, every time I looked round his elastic was out.  I went back to the previous days tactics of rotating lines and picked off an odd fish, but really couldn't put a run together.  Finally at 16:30, with 30 minutes to go, some tail patterns down the edge and I started to catch, too little too late, ending with 147.02 for second in section by 3lb.  Dan White winning from 115 with 253.03.

Dan White did enough to take the win and pocket the £350 top prize, along with the section money and superpool, with Andy Lloyd in second, after drawing the same peg both days, Paul Faiers with third place and Last in the money Alex Nadin.

Thanks to all who supported the match and I'll put full details of next years match at Shiplate on 2nd/3rd Sept 2022.

Viaduct Costcutter, Thursday 2nd September 2021

 Just getting a feel of the place again before my two dayer, tomorrow and Saturday.  Into the coffee tin early and pulled out 118, not the worst peg on the lake.

I had pellets and meat, no other baits, set up a lead rod that went away at the end, unused.  A waggler rod and topkits for the margin, meat short, pellet long up and down and a light strung out rig for skimmers if needed.

Started short on meat, bt slow a couple of skimmers and a perch.  Not many carp being caught on the pegs I could see, so went out to 9m and the strung out rig, had a couple of skimmers but more carp were evident, as I had a couple and lost a couple of foulers.

I ended up rotating between the waggler, the meat line and the margin, although that was pretty unproductive, just two carp, although they went about 19lb between them.  Couldn't get any line to really switch on and inevitably, just as I though I had, it would die off and I would have to switch.

Enjoyable day with just over 100lb of carp and 35lb of skimmers, which was enough for 3rd over all and 2nd in silvers.  lets hope I'm thereabouts at this time tomorrow night....

Phil's open, Viaduct, Saturday 7th August 2021

 First trip down to Viaduct for a while, some no shows put the number down to 17, I managed to draw myself 132, it's one of those pegs that can be brilliant, or not so good, as it's a corner and the fish do come and go from it.

Two rigs for pellet in open water, one on the deck, one shallow, a meat rig for 2+2 and a margin rig to fish up the edge and to the end bank if necessary.  Also set up a straight lead, didn't bother with the waggler, couldn't really see many fish moving.

Started short on meat, but nothing on that, not even a skimmer, I had pinged a few 8mm pellets out into open water and went over them with the lead, I also fed 8mm pellets to the end of the willow that hangs over the RH side of the peg, from both these lines I caught fish and put 60lb in the net in an hour and 50 minutes, happy with that I was hoping for at least the same in the middle two hours and then a good last two.

Well that didn't work, I had two more fish in the middle two hours, one on the lead and one shallow on the pole, I wasn't getting liners anywhere, it didn't feel like there were many fish there.  I even went up the edge a bit early and had a skimmer on 8mm pellet, same down the LH edge, I never even hooked a carp in the edge, which is unusual even for an off day on the peg.

Last two hours I had a few skimmers on meat and an odd carp, about another 60lb in total and so it proved, I put 122lb on the scales for less than half way up the field, not sure what I could have done differently.  135 didn't weigh in,  so there weren't too many fish up this end.   No picture of the weigh sheet, as I manged to put my phone into a bait tub with meat and water in and it died..... expensive day!!!

Viaduct Open, Saturday 24th April 2021

 Hadn't got a match booked until I heard that a club cancelled their booking at Viaduct and there was an open instead.

Was happy enough with the draw on 116 - at least before the match... fairly standard set up, a lead rod, waggler stayed in the bag as the wind looked a bit iffy. Rigs for the margin, meat short, pellets at 9m and 16m.  Didn't think they want to be down on the deck, so all rigs were spread shotting for a slow fall through the water.

I was a lot tougher than I thought it would be with over an hour gone before I put a fish in the net, that was on the long pellet line, but it was the only one from there. By now the ripple had gone as the wind had come pretty much from behind, so off the box and waggler set up to reach halfway, where there was still some ripple, but nothing.

I did chuck the lead out and had a carp and skimmer in two chucks, but they were the only two bites on it.  Whilst it was out I made up some GB and I did have a coupe, of skimmers and carp on whilst the wind did out some ripple back on my side, but it didn't last long, the ripple or the bites.

Going into the last 40 minutes I thought I was ahead of Lee on 115, he dropped into his margin and had 3 for 42lb, I dropped into mine and had 2 skimmers, roach and a small carp, just about summing the day up, I guess I knew then that it wasn't my day. Lee 'won' our bank and the section, so fair play to him.

Definitely on the wrong bank today, as all the weights came from pegs with the wind blowing into them, oh well, at least it didn't rain.  

Viaduct Open, Saturday 3rd April 2021

 Back to Viaduct today, drew 112, with 11 empty, so absolutely no complaints on that.

Same cold easterly wind as yesterday, similar set ups and had a 6lber second drop in short on meat, so was hopeful it would be a good day.  I then hooked a big fish on the short line, suspect it was in the 'wing' as it took off, jumped out like a skimmer and ran until the elastic bottomed out, I thought the 0.15 hooklength had parted when the elastic came back at a rate of knots, but the whole rig was gone - the elastic had cut through, I have been using the knot and bead method of attaching the line direct to the elastic for ages and never had a problem, I hate losing floats/rigs.

Out on the 11m line with pellets and the light rig, had a couple of skimmers and 3 carp on this in an hour or so, slow but not miles behind, then a foul hooker and to compound the earlier misery, this one took the rig as well the elastic parting, this time at the dacron..... I would have been upset, but by now I was chilled out by the amount of weed smoke I had inhaled from the carpers behind me on Cary....

I struggled for bites, trying the lead, waggler and long pole, but the aromatic herb smell was obviously keeping me mellow, I did have a a desire to get to the shop and buy half a dozen pasties to satisfy the munchies that were coming on.

With an hour and twenty to go I had 3 carp on the short meat line, along with a couple of skimmers and a roach that was at least 1lb.  I then had 40 minutes without a bite and wrapped up with 10 minutes to go, with about 12 or 13lb in the silvers net and 89lb on my clicker, so around 80lb tipped back, as I would be nearly last to weigh and I was sure I hadn't enough to pick up.

The carpers were packing up, so the free high was over, hoping I was OK to drive home, I disappeared before the results were in - wondering if I could drive past the chippy in Shepton as the weed fume induced munchies were still raging.....

Results from the Viaduct Match Fishing FB page and I'm wondering how I might get through a match tomorrow with no weed fog to chill me out....

Campbell / 21 anglers Overall 1. Mark Hayman - 153lb 4oz - peg 114 2. Dave White - 151lb 8oz - peg 135 3. Malcolm Bond - 148lb 11oz - peg 131 4. Phil Hardwick - 119lb 12oz - peg 116 5. Clive Barrow - 110lb 1oz - peg 132 Silvers 1. John Fuidge - 32lb 2oz - peg 123 2. Nigel Bartlett - 27lb 3oz - peg 126 3. Steve Denmead - 17lb 1oz - peg 128

Viaduct Open, Good Friday, 2nd April 2021

 Its a shame, but it going to be difficult to get onto Viaduct matches going forwards, as matches are being restricted to Campbell lake, so 21 peggers,  I got onto a couple over Easter, this one being the first, paid up and Matt drew me 125, I wasn't going to complain, as it can throw up some big carp on the short line and does have a decent history for silvers.

A cold easterly wind was putting a ripple on the water and was likely to make waggler fishing a non starter, so pole and bomb would be the most likely ways to catch.  I set up a rig with a light float, spread 11's (it was given to me by Dave Brittain and I have caught plenty of silvers on it) and 0.11 hooklength and a 18 LWG with a band.  A MW Steady with strung 11's to fish meat short, a Malman Roob for pellets long.

It was a match where I started well, toss potting 4mm pellets , with a 6mm in the band, at 11m, 2.5 hours in I had 5 carp and 20lb of skimmers, then the sub came out and the ripple stopped, Ben on 126 had been pinging pellets at 16m and I think he stole my fish (the carp), I should have changed from the tosspot to the catapult.  I struggled to get a bite in the sunshine and flat calm, whilst Ben had a run of fish chucking his bomb over the pole line.

I decided to sit it out on meat short, had another carp and a another 10lb of skimmers on this, but all to no avail as I ended up halfway in the match and one out of the money in the silvers, obviously a bit ring rusty, as I suspect the difference was the feeding.

 

Viaduct Two Day Silvers, Day Two, Monday 28th December 2020

 Couldn't believe the draw, 111, next to Trigger again, who was on 112, both decent draws on paper.

Not going to say too much about this one, Trigger had a 90 minute sell catching decent skimmers short, I had one and a reasonable perch, that was it, then the cold wind got up and it really knocked our bank on the head, not that that matters when you have nigh on 30lb in 90 minutes to absolutely paralyse the section, as it didn't matter I tipped back 3-4lb and just had absolutely no idea what I could have done differently, never felt there were feeding fish in my peg.  I did spend the last 45 minutes fishing the waggler and corn, as I needed a run of the big skimmers, all I had was several carp.

Well done the winners and framers.

Viaduct Two Say Silvers, Day One, Sunday 27th December 2020

 Two days, two lakes, but an open draw each day so could be on the same lake both days.  Today saw me on Lodge 70, not a bad draw, Trigger on 69, so no easy pickings on the next peg, not that the standard of entrants gave any easy pickings.

Bit of wind forecast, so I did set up a 3 square cage feeder, as well as a waggler to fish corn. 3 pole rigs, one to fish short(ish) strung out 11's to get a slow fall through the water, a heavier rig with some strung out 8's and a rig with a bulk and single dropper.

The sun was out and the visibility was dreadful, shimmering light, flickering between silver and black, no matter what float colour it was all but impossible to see at times.  Before the start Trigger walked down and saw what I had seen, some bubbles and  rolling skimmer off to the right, I started here, just dripping a few casters in, but to no avail.

I had odd roach and small hybrids on the long line, but that visibility was proving a tad frustrating.  I switched to the feeder and had a couple of skimmers on it, the light improved and I switched back to the pole and had another decent skimmer.  The light improved a bit more and I picked up the waggler, had one on corn and then had a bit of a disaster, lost two decent skimmers in two casts, both in the same way, I strike across my body and hit a tree both times with the line getting caught in a branch, allowing the skimmers to make good their escape.

Maybe sticking with the feeder would have been a better idea, but I wasn't convinced ( or was it confident).  Anyway, those two skimmers cost me as I ended up second in section to Trig.

Viaduct Silvers League, Round 6, Sunday December 20th 2020

 Last round and surely I'd get a peg on Cary, but no, it was not to be 129 on Campbell, oh well, that it for this years league, never going to win the match or frame from there, so it was section pride to go for.  This league is like a temptress, she lures you in, makes you believe she is all for you and then wham, next match, there she is, in flagrante with another.....

Anyway, so much for that, it was a nice day, it wasn't raining and I was going to keep things simple, three top kits and a waggler, the waggler would do for corn, a rig for skimmers at 14m, this is a slim pattern float, spread bulk, 0.10 fluorocarbon hooklength and a 20 F1 pellet hook.  A similar rig but 4x10 rather that 4x12 for roach at 6 joints and a rig to fish up the spit that is a feature of this peg - hoping for tench or perch - so a 0.12 FC hooklength and a 16 F1 pellet hook.

Usual GB and caster/maggot on the 14m line on the all in and then drop back on the short line for roach, as seems typical on Campbell lately, a near instant response, a couple of roach, then nothing, they just won't settle at the moment.  I persevered until 30 mins in and then had a look over the GB line, a 2 oz skimmer and a couple of tiny roach was my reward, I left it and refed it.  Back to the short line, a roach and then nothing.

Time to have a look up the spit, where I'd been pinging casters, a small hybrid first put in, then a roach, then a welcome tench, another roach and that was it, how do you get 4 bites in 4 put ins and then nothing.... I guess that's winter for you.  

I had a go on the waggler - nothing, so back out on the long pole lines (fed two) 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock, nothing from the 1 o'clock line but I did have a small hybrid off the 11 o'clock line.  I have struggled to make the two lines work this year, maybe I haven't drawn on many fish for 5 of the rounds and it' splitting them.  I refed the 11 o'clock line, but not the other, then went straight over it, a 3lb skimmer was my reward, but little else, I did have a couple more roach and another hand sized hybrid from the spit, but I wasn't able to compete with Paddy on the end peg 131 who had a few better skimmers and opposite where Trigger and John Fuidge on 11 and 110 respectively caught skimmers whilst many of us went without.

My 8.14 was enough for a consolation second in section envelope, so not the worst finish to the league, but could do better.

We done to the winners, hope we can do it all again next year, as predicted all the framers camr from Cary.

Viaduct Silvers League Round 5, Sunday 13th December 2020

 Back to Viaduct for the re-arranged 5th round and with not too much to fish for league wise unless I could sneak two more section wins, a positive approach was needed to try and get in the frame, Cary has been the place to do that, but with Matt drawing me on Lodge, albeit 68, which can a be a decent draw, I was going there more in hope than expectation.

The weather was shit, rain in my face, I don't like the pegs layout, you are sat down on a platform that a good 2'6" below another platform, meaning when you are a short arse like me, you are shipping awkwardly and with the peg directly behind on Cary being in just making it worse.

I gambled on fishing the waggler and caster virtually all match, not much to say about it, had a couple of carp, some roach and a couple of skimmers, weighed 9.14, beat the pegs to my left in the section, Clint on 69 had 11lb, and the next two pegs had 12.00  and 12.04, not sure if the pole would have got me anymore fish, not really convinced it would as the weights improved at the car park end of the lake and were pretty low at the narrow end.

No weigh sheet, didn't get on with the social distancing and I just wanted to get my wet, sorry self home!

Viaduct Silvers League, Round 4, Sunday 6th December 2020

 With the majority of the field praying for a draw on Cary, it was no surprise when I drew Campbell...... I wasn't unhappy with the peg, 127, it should be OK for points in the section, although sometimes 130/131 chuck up weights.

I set up a 3 square cage feeder, that went back into the holdall at the end unused, a waggler to fish corn and two pole rigs, one for roach short and one for skimmers at 14m.  Nice and simple then, F1 pellet hooks size 20 on both and 0.10 fluorocarbon.

Pretty standard tactics at the start, two lines fed with GB, one with caster and one with dead maggot, just to see if there was a difference, then onto the short caster line, this was soon changed to a pinkie line at 7 joints and by toss potting pinkies and GB in I could catch roach, small roach, but at least it was bites.

After about 40 minutes I had a look over the GB lines, nothing doing, I refed the caster line after an hour and went back to the small roach, they weren't queuing up, but it was better than no bites. An hour and 40 minutes I saw a couple of pin prick indications over the GB/caster line, it looked like the GB fizzing, but it was pretty inert, made the day before and had been in 40 minutes.  I picked up the skimmer rig and went out over the GB and it wasn't long before a 3lber was in the net, he was a lonesome soul though, as I gave it another 15 minutes without anymore bites.

I refed and looked over it again, I had another 3lber and a couple of roach, then hooked what I thought was a carp as it ran off, I shipped back rapidly, not concerned if it came off, then as I got down to the topkit, realised it didn't feel like a carp, I was some what relieved that it hadn't come off when  2lb+ perch came into view in the clear water and was even more relieved when it was netted.

A couple of smaller skimmers and roach completed the day and I was happy enough that my 14lb odd was enough to take the section and I think 3rd on the lake.

No weigh sheets, but the top 6 were

1. Greg Welsby - 44lb 4oz - peg 81
2. Des Shipp - 25lb 5oz - peg 97
3. Sam Powell - 22lb 3oz - peg 59
4. Paul Elmes - 21lb 9oz - peg 112
5. Jason King - 19lb 9oz - peg 111
6. Andy Power - 16lb 12oz - peg 103

Viaduct Silvers League, Sunday 1st November 2020

 Travelled down to this one with Tony, breakfast at The well in Shepton, nice breakfast, could be problematic if there was a lot in, as its a bit slow in coming out the kitchen, but worth the wait.

Another draw I had to convince myself I'd catch something from, 113,.

I'm not going to waste time describing events, I had a skimmer first put in and had a few roach and a couple more skimmers to come last on the lake with 6lb odd.  I used every single hook I had tied to 0.08, 0.10 and 0.12, I was in the 0.13 Kaisen's at the end, lost an elastic/rig and smashed an old favourite float.  No matter where I went in the peg, short, long, waggler, I hooked a carp, once I'd used over 40 hooks, I pretty much gave up and resigned myself to being on a peg absloutely full of carp and I could not find a way of getting through them.

It looks like I may have 4 weeks to tie up some new hooks.....

Viaduct Silvers League R2, Sunday 18th October 2020

 So, after a long weekend away in a lovely converted barn last weekend with some friends and our dogs, walking on Dartmoor and some trips to Cornish beaches, it was back to fishing and I was looking forward to this after the wet, but decent days fishing I had last round.

First time in the Well at Shepton Mallet since it was done up, nice breakfast, but the service is a bit slow, but there was no danger of missing the draw.  I collected my casters from the shop and joined the queue for the draw, with the mostly jovial, piss taking throng.  Can't say I was filled with joy when I saw 121 drawn out for me by Steve, last round Ricky Mills was on there and he beat 2 in the section.  But its a different day and I was sure that the overcast, settled weather would see the skimmers in rapacious mood.

I trundled my gear past the beaming anglers who had drawn the plum pegs on Cary, as well as Gabe on 74, who was most despondent, I did try and cheer him, as I could truthfully say the peg usually throws up one section win a series.   Back to 121, apart from the fact it hasn't got much history as a silvers peg, it is a nice peg to fish, a new platform, that hasn't got steps to it and a splendid view of the lake.

I did have a waggler rod and a feeder rod, but I decided to leave them in the bag and concentrate on the pole, so two rigs for 14m, one 0.4g bulk and the other 0.2g strung shot.  A Chianti to fish short through the water for roach and a rig to fish either edge.  So with that set up and bait sorted - which was 4mm meat, soft pellets, micros, caster and maggots along with a few worms, but they were only for the hook, I had time to wander round for a chat.

On the all-in I fed micros at 14m off to the left and GB/caster to the right at the same distance, before starting at 6m on the 4mm meat, nothing on that in 20 minutes, so I ditched it and switched to the caster short, this did bring a couple of small roach, but it was a case of catch one or two and then twiddling thumbs until the next bite, they certainly weren't lined up....

I had a look on the micro line with a 4mm expander on the hook, didn't have as much as a tremble of the float bristle, I gave that 20 minutes and decided I best get a dead maggot on the hook and try the GB/caster line.   I expected the float to go under, but yet again, it resolutely sat there, I red the line and went back to the roach, even though the rate of catching them was probably less than 1lb an hour.

At 12:40 I had a skimmer, then at 12:50 another, optimism was rising, but that was quelled after another spell with no bites, including a look in the edges, before I went back to the reluctant roach, but the pattern was the same every time, catch one or two and you'd have to either wait ages for a bite or try something else.

At 15:10 and 15:20 I had two more skimmers on the GB line, once again the two skimmers brought hope that a shoal had found the bait and were settling down for a banquet of casters, but this once again was a false dawn and I didn't have another bite off that line,  I had converted the micros line to GB and this was a complete write off, never had a bite over it.

I managed a 1lb+ hybrid and a couple of 8-10oz perch from the edges in the last 20 minutes, but it was a most unproductive day.  I hooked and lost 3 carp, so there weren't even loads of them around, after one of the carp took a hook I put a 22 to 0.06 on and that made no difference.  Oh well, here's hoping for a better draw next round.

Well done to Paul on the win from Cary, using a 40+ year old rod - has there ever been a better skimmer rod made than the original Normark Microlite?  I don't think so.

Viaduct Silvers League Round 1, Sunday 4th October 2020

 

This seems to have come round quickly, leading up to this I was looking forward to some silvers fishing, but I wasn't looking forward to the weather, the Met Office were promising rain all day....

Matt drew me 102, no complaints, it should be worth a few a few fish, 101 was not in and I had Trigger for company on 103.  I set up a small cage feeder and a waggler and never used them, so I won't mention them again.

Four pole rigs, one quite optimistically for meat, scaled down from my usual carp rig, a 18 Kaizen to 0.12 for 6mm meat, another rig for expanders, a rig to fish caster or maggot and a Chianti, with strung out shot to fish caster through the water. All of these had 0.10 and a 18 or 20 Guru F1 hook.  Luckily the wind wasn't too strong and I was under an umbrella - I don't use one often, but was glad of it today.

I started on meat at 6 joints, after feeding 2 balls of GB and caster at 13m, had three bites that I didn't connect with in 20 minutes, so switched to the light caster rig off the end of the tree, in 10 minutes I had a ruffe and a tiny roach, so wasn't convinced that this was going to be productive.

30 minutes was enough time to wait and it was time to get out to 13m and try dad maggot over the GB.  I had some hand sized skimmers, before one a bit bigger, all the time the rain kept coming and I was really starting to wonder why the hell I was here.... 

I managed to get short runs of two or three fish, before they backed off, including a 3lber.  I did try a second line with micros and expanders, but this was really slow and smaller fish.   With 2.5 hours to go I had to get up for a wee, getting back on the pallet I slipped (the pallets at Viaduct can be very slippery when wet) straight into the lake.  

The worst bit was the horrendous cracking sound, I initially thought I'd fallen through my pole and an irreplaceable Normark rod, once I got my self sorted and hauled myself out of the water, I realised the cracking sound was my ripple bar mounting breaking, the pole and rod seem to have escaped any damage.

The rest of the match wasn't the most comfortable I have fished, wellies full of lake water, I may have well left my bib and brace in the van how wet I was under it.  I think it made me slightly 'lazy' and I tried to keep one line working, where I thing another, maybe even a feeder line might have given me a few more fish in the quiet spells, also not convinced I fed enough, as I switched to caster from dead maggot and was getting slightly better fish on them.

I wasn't too disappointed to hear the all out, even though I had a nice day on the fishing front, the weather and the dip weren't so good.  Well I was well beaten by Trigger on the next peg, but as he framed I had the section by default.  Roll on the next round, lets hope it's a bit drier!!!

1. Dave Burns - 59lb 10oz - peg 78

2. Clint Wojtyla - 57lb 3oz - peg 96

3. Craig Edmunds - 56lb 14oz - peg 103

4. Bob Gullick - 55lb 4oz - peg 77

5. Chris Fox - 39lb 4oz - peg 102

6. Joe McMahon - 37lb 10oz - peg 99

Open, Viaduct, Saturday 12th September

 Phil Hardwick ran this open, it's getting difficult to get on opens on Viaduct now, real shame as it's one of my favourite venues.

Well when 126 was drawn from me, I was divided in my thoughts, I'd seen Andy Lloyd win the second day of my two dayer from there last week but not having 125 makes a big difference and 125 was in today.

I set up a meat rig for 5m, pellet for up and down long and a margin rig, to go into the spot Andy caught from last week. 

It didn't take long to realise that fishing shallow and long was the way to go, but my back was particularly bad and I gave it 30 minutes having one fish on it, before I had to make a decision to either fish rod and line or short.

It was a tough day, I had one carp and one tench in consecutive put-ins in the margin and that was it from there.  I had 30lb of skimmers on meat and 60lb of carp for 91lb and thanks for coming, not being able to fish long was the downfall (no silvers payout).

Mark Wynne won from 131, Dan squires second from 130, didn't hang around to get the weigh sheet picture.

Viaduct Costcutter, Thursday 3rd September 2020

 I'd booked into this match months ago, just to have a look at Viaduct before my two dayer and to sort out the pegging etc.

I wasn't intending to fish for silvers and when Matt drew 112 for me, that was definitely decided, carp would be the target.  With 113 in it does tend to affect the edges of 112, so whilst I set a rig up that would do for both edges, it wasn't with a lot of expectation. 

Usual rigs for the rest of it, pellet up and down, meat short and I also had a paste rig, just to give it a try.  I did set up a waggler and lead, but didn't use either of them, as Campbell is pole only in my match, so didn't see any point in chucking a lead out.

Started on meat short and had a carp and a couple of skimmers, then another carp and that was that, went long on pellet and if I fed I got liners, if I didn't feed, no indications.  Picked up the shallow rig and gave it a good 40 minutes for one more carp.  I tried the paste on a throwaway line off to my left and had two on that before that too died off.

I had one from the LH edge, one from the RH edge and a few more short at the end for 125.15 which was just enough for 3rd.  There was some surprise, as the winner fished a cage feeder to the aerator on 115, its not a method you see often.

Short Pole, Viaduct, Sunday 30th August 2020

 This should have been the final round of Tony Rixon's float only league, but ended up a short pole (top two + three) match.  Travelled down with Tony and stopped in the Brewers Fayre fro breakfast, not a bad breakfast, one tip, if you go in there, get your cutlery and drinks first....

I ended up near the back of the draw queue and plucked out 126, not the best of draws and I would have my work cut out to trouble the frame from there (that's code for another iffy draw 😉 ).

I set up rigs to fish meat and pellets, I did set up an edge rig as I had time, but wasn't convinced it would be worth it, these pegs don't often produce from the margins.I also set up a rig to fish pellets for skimmers.

Started quite negatively toss potting a few 4mm pellets in just trying to catch anything, but not much was happening, I kept at this and had one carp and a couple of skimmers in the first couple of hours, no one around me was catching much and I could see carp coming out on the other bank.

I switched to a shorter line (2+2) and started feeding/fishing meat, this brought a few decent skimmers and a couple of carp, I got off my box and made up some GB, fed that with dead maggots on the 3+2 pellet line and ended up alternating between that and the meat line to keep decent skimmers coming reasonably well, and a beautifully conditioned 15lb common.

It was an enjoyable day topped off by a silvers win, with 42.03, which I think was the best I could have done from that peg, I am pretty sure the peg wasn't worth the 200lb+ needed to make the top 4.

Well done to Neil Mercer, but I would like to borrow his drawing arm!!