Avon Angling Open, Shiplate Farm Sunday 30th December 2012

My first time on the Main Lake at Shiplate Farm, the other visits I have made to this venue have been enjoyable and I have picked up something everytime. I didn’t think that was likely to continue today, as it started off pretty disastrously, realising that I’d left my groundbait bowl and riddle on the garage floor, this being compounded by then realising, once I got to my peg that I had left my feeders and floats at home. That’s what you get for working until 10pm for a few nights before the match, no proper preparation.

I drew peg 13, pretty meaningless to me, but at least I had the wind off my back. From the little info I had managed to find out about the lake, meant I had a simple bait tray, caster, maggot, dead maggot and pinkie. My groundbait mixed up in a spare 3 pint bait box completed the bait selection, although I did wonder if soft pellet or corn might work as the water didn’t feel too cold.

Keeping the simple theme, two rods and one topkit were all I set up, it was as I started threading the line through the rings of the tip rod that I realised the feeders and wagglers weren’t in the box ( I took them out for the last match, trying to reduce the amount I carry). Thanks to Fabio, I managed to finish setting up the feeder rod, as he leant me two feeders. The waggler rod was already set up, but with a middy plastic straight waggler, that I wouldn’t normally choose to use with maggot or caster, preferring an insert. Still beggars can’t be choosers, so I took off the banded B960 and replaced it with a 0.12 and a 18 carp match hook. The top kit had a 0.5g float on 0.14, with a 0.10 hooklength with a 18 Drennan silverfish hook.

On the all in I cupped in a couple of tangerine sized balls of groundbait at  11.5m and left it to settle,  picking up the feeder and fishing that at about 30 yards, the response on the feeder was instant, with 3 fish in the first three chucks, small skimmers,  then the bites got finicky and with each cast I had to wait longer for a bite. This set the pattern for the day, on the pole and feeder lines, the waggler produced one skimmer, although I did have a few crushed maggots that didn’t show up as a bite. When the feeder line went quiet, I unclipped and had a look further out, but this just resulted in the odd liner, so I shortened back up to the original line.

With about 2 hours to go, I felt that I was struggling and had switched from feeding groundbait on the pole line to loose fed caster, dropping double pinkie in amongst the caster saw the float bury and a decent bream netted after a nerve wracking few minutes. A few skimmers and roach followed on caster or pinkie before the line died. Reverting to the feeder I managed three more skimmers in the last 3 casts before the all out.

I think with the head of bream and skimmers in the lake it would be interesting to fish bloodworm and joker at this time of year, maybe that would be the answer to stop them backing off so soon after a couple of their mates have been caught.

 My fish went 12.04 for 5^th overall and 3^rd in the silvers, but thanks to the default rule, I pocketed the 1^st silver payout.  Just as well as I lost one of Fabios’s feeders and the other split and had to be held together with insulation tape, they suddenly became top of the range, once I’d asked Tony to replace them and bill me!!

1.      Clint Wojtyle 25-10-0 peg 1

2.      Matt Tomes 23-12-0 peg 14A

3.      Tony Rixon 18-12-0 peg 15

4.      Mike Nicholls 15-07-0 peg 14

5.      Chris Fox 12-04-0 peg 13

6.      Nick Collier 10-02-0 peg 12

Top Silvers:

1.      Tony Rixon 18-12-0 peg 15

2.      Matt Tomes 16-05-0 peg 14A

3.      Chris Fox 12-04-0 peg13

Pole Only Series 2013

Pole Only, Series of Six

Acorn Fishery, Kingston Seymour

Sunday 10^th March 2013

Sunday 31^st March 2013

Sunday 14^th April 2013

Sunday 28^th April 2013

Sunday 12^th May 2013

Sunday 26^th May 2013

Draw 08.45

Fish 10.00 – 16.00

The series will be limited to 40 anglers.

The format will be 4 sections of 10, section points counting towards your overall position in the series, with weight used in the result of a tie. First match will be a free draw, second match free draw, third, fourth and fifth matches will see you rotate sections and the last match will be a free draw. There will be 3 sections of 10 on Paddock Lake and 1 section of 10 on Match Lake.  Best 5 result count (i.e. you can drop your worst result).

Entry fee: £50.

Pools: There will be a £20 pool each match (last match pools of £20 to be paid with entry money).

Payout on the day will be section money only, top two in section and top two silvers in section (silvers by default). The overall money will not be by default, i.e. you can win the overall and silvers.

With a full field of 40 anglers the payout will be:

On the day.  1^st £60,  2^nd £45.    1^st Silver £45,  2^nd Silver £30

Overall: 1^st £250, 2^nd £175, 3^rd £125, 4^th £75 and 5^th £50

Overall  Silvers: 1^st £200, 2^nd £100 and 3^rd £65

Payouts will alter if a full field of 40 does not fish every match.

You will be able nominate a stand in for one match in the series, whose points will count towards your total, the same stand in can fish more than one match, but not for the same person. Organisers must be notified in advance of your stand in.

For further information or to book in:

Paul Faiers:  01275 858984

Trinity Waters Xmas Match, Sunday 9th December

Woodland Lake was the venue for Trinity's Xmas match and with a turnout of 22, given the unsettled weather I though that it might fish a bit hard, looking at the wind blowing down the lake, I commented to Dean Malin that peg 2 would be a nice draw, wind off your back. Before the draw Misha took some good natured banter as she dished out the coffee's and I was shocked and stunned when I drew, opening the swimcard to reveal peg 2. That never happens to me, fancying a peg and drawing it, that's usually reserved for Mike Nicholls and Tony Rixon.

Whilst getting my gear ready on Saturday afternoon, I decided as it was a 5 hour match to dump all of the rods and reels and go with a pole only approach, I made up four rigs to use, two 0.6g NG XT Gimp floats, one on 0.16 with a 0.14 hooklength and a 16 63.13 the other on 0.14 with an 0.12 hooklength and a 18 Drennan Carp Match. Both of these set with the traditional bulk and two droppers. Another NG XT Gimp this time 0.4g on 0.14 with a 0.10 hooklength and a 20 Carp Match, this with a spread out shotting pattern as the fish don't always sit on the bottom in this deep lake. A MW float whose name escapes me completed the set up, this on 0.18 to a 0.16 hooklength and a 16 PR28 (shame they don't make these anymore).

Bait was like wise simplified, casters, which ended up as bird feed, maggots and pinkies, which ended up frozen as all they did was attract micro roach, Devils spawn and corn. This seems to be the one venue where I catch on corn, its been spectatcularly unsuccessful every where else I've tried it.

On the all in I fed some pinkie short to the rushes, as I had set up a 4m whip in the spare time I had, this didn't produce a single bite, I fed at 12m, 3 and 4mm devils spawn with a couple of grains of corn in, straight in front, hoping that John didn't move the cement mixer at the opposite end of the lake, which was my marker. I fed some dark groundbait with pinkie and caster in at 9m slightly off to my left, some corn into the RH margin and onto the flat shelf in front of peg one, I fed this quite heavily with devils spawn, corn and caster - a throwaway line and that what it was, not producing a single bite,

I had my first carp after 20 minutes, on devils spawn at 12m, then I started to get a few bites I couldn't hit, suspecting tiny roach, I switched to corn and the float shot under again, carp No2. I topped up with devils spawn and corn after each fish and had a little run of four or five fish one after the other, so by 12.30 I had 6 carp. I was getting the odd liner as well, foul hooking one that came off as it ran towards the middle of the lake. I then hooked a big fish, one that plodded around, I managed to get it right into the edge, but it took off for the margin brambles and trying to stop it saw the 0.14 hooklength part at the loop knot.

That seemed to slow things down, so into the margin and first drop in the float settled and carried on under, smallest fish of the day about 2lb soon netted, but that was to be my only bite from the margin. Back out onto the 12m and this produced the odd fish until the whistle, I lost one with 2 minutes to go making it 3 lost in total, giving me 10 carp for what I thought would be  a high 30's weight and probably enough to win. I had fed half a small tin of corn and not much more than a handful of mixed devils spawn. The scales gave me 6oz for silvers and 45.11 for the 10 carp, 46.01 total being enough to trouser the winnings and for the second year running take home a big hamper of goodies, I'll be trying hard for the hat trick next Xmas.

Thanks to Misha and Tom, John and Sue, another good day at this fishery, John seems to be tireless in his efforts to improve the fishery and facilities, so I'll be back supporting them again next year. I'm working until Xmas now, so no fishing for me until Sunday 30th, unless anyone knows of a match on Boxing Day, if so, please let me know.

Merry Xmas to anyone whose managed to get this far down my ramblings.

1) Chris Fox 46.01 peg 2
2) Brian Slipper 25.11 peg 20
3) Kev Perry 25.00 peg 32
4) Barry Fowler 21.12 peg 7
5) Nick Harvey 19.09 peg 28
6) Mark Broomsgrove 18.11 peg 6

Silvers were concentrated in one corner.....

1) Mark Broomsgrove 14.14 peg 6 (roach on the waggler)
2) Barry Fowler 9.06 peg 7
3) Phil 'Fabio' Harding 8.04 peg 8

Viaduct Costcutter Thursday 29th November 2012

Its a long time since I managed to get to a Thursday Costcutter, so it was good to be back and join the 18 other hardy souls who braved the first frost for a while. With Campbell and a section of Cary in, I wasn't too fussed where I drew, as the plan would be similar. I decided to try the breakfast in Woody's cafe, it was tasty enough, but didn't leave me feeling full up, just as well I had a flask of mulligatawny soup to ward off the cold.

110 stuck to my drawing hand, a peg I'd prefer on a warmer day, but surely there would be some perch along the brambles past the stump. I set up a 4m whip for roach, a 4x12 jolly and a chimp one with a 20 on 0.10 the other a 16 on 0.12 for caster and maggot short and at 14m. A waggler rod for caster and another for corn or meat, not so much as a quiver on either meat or corn, so no more about that rod.

On the all in the wind started, only a light breeze, but into my face and as 110 doesn't get the sun, it was the start of a chilly day. A start on the whip saw a couple of micro roach snaffle the caster and that set the scene for the day. A consistent pattern of two or three fish on caster, then nothing, a switch to maggot would bring another fish or two, bizarrely, these were often bigger (but not much) than the caster fish. Then dead again, so a switch to another line, be it pole or waggler would see the pattern repeat, this was the case when I tried down to the pallet of 136 and along the brambles, although the brambles did produce the best fish of the day, a 8oz, perfect Rudd.

At one time during the match a few bread crusts floated past, followed by some red onion rings, either someone had dropped their ploughmans lunch in, or the fish are getting fussy and want the prawns that some were using, garnished.

No matter what I tried, I couldn't get through the micro roach, even triple caster didn't thwart them, worm didn't tempt one bite, so I ended the day with lots of fish and effort for 7.02. At least it kept me warm.

1) Dick Bull 78.02 Peg 100
2) Jim Butcher 55.09 Peg 128
3) Martin Lenaghan 35.10 Peg 115
4) Terry Lenny 31.13 peg 123
5) Paul Lock 31.05 peg 98
6) T Heath 26.08 peg 116

Silvers

1) Andy Gard 13.06 peg 102
2) Stu Wood 12.15 peg 132 ( says 132 on the sheet, I'm sure he was sat on 131)
3) Mike Jones 12.12 peg 119
4) Rich Coles 11.07 peg 126
5) Chris Fox 7.02 peg 110
6) Nick Ewers 6.14 peg 125

Avon Angling Open, Landsend, Wednesday 28th November 2012

Well after the disaster of getting stuck in the snow a couple of weeks back, I decided that a Nissan X Trail that I'd been looking out for on the web, might as well be my early Xmas pressie to myself, so I found a 2008 model with al the toys and a six speed auto box in Swindon yesterday, deal was done to trade in the Astravan and home the Nissan came. I've ordered a Rhino boot liner, but foe now have to make do with a blanket to keep the back tidy until it comes.

So onto the fishing, peg 3 out of the tin and I'd psyched myself up to fish just the two baits, caster and a line with soft pellet over micro's, it all seemed so simple, a MW diamond for soft pellet at the bottom of the far shelf and a Carpa chimp for caster short and down the middle. I had also, just in case, put a couple of handfuls of 6 and 8mm meat in the bait bag and as I had time, set up a rig that would suit to fish this or corn across.

To cut a long and fairly boring day short, I struggled to catch on any line, even though I tried my normal generous feeding and at a good distance away, fed with such frugality, Mike Nicholls would have approved.
Swapping and changing between the lines saw a few tiny perch and roach grace the net, 3 skimmers and an odd looking pot bellied F1for about 4 or 5lb which was tipped back before the end, as I packed away neatly and tidily, instead of my usual rush and throw it all in the box.

As I walked down the bank, Tom Mangnall, asked how I'd got on, when I told him, he said "peg 3 is the worst on the lake", so it seems the draw hoodoo keeps on going.

For the results see Tony's blog.

Viaduct Silver league, Round 5. Sunday 18th November

Round 5 of the Silvers League and with no chance of finishing anywhere other than well down the table, a positive approach and fish for 20lb+. Working until 22.00 the night before meant preparation wasn’t great, which was compounded by realising I had left my waggler rod at home once I opened the tailgate to get my tackle out. Two offers of the loan of a rod were forthcoming, from Clayton Hudson and Paul Faiers and whilst my home for the day, peg 99 (Cary), would be one of the pegs that I’d usually opt for the waggler, I declined and put my faith in the pole and a tiny cage feeder set up. With hindsight, probably a mistake, as the fish didn’t want to venture too close in.

On the all in I fed 3 lines, 2 balls of GB with only minimal caster and a couple of dead pinkies in, same at 11m of to an angle and I had set up a 4m whip, which produced 4 roach, so no more of that. Leaving the pole lines to settle I cast 3 times with a next size up from tiny feeder and that resulted in a small roach, a switch to the smallest feeder I own, with either caster, maggot or dead maggot on the hook resulted in the odd little roach and an occasional steady pull round of the ½ oz glass tip – liners from the few carp that were showing themselves out towards the middle of the lake.

The pole lines were slow, with just an occasional bite, again, small roach, with one two even smaller perch. By now Phil Cardwell on 96 was catching skimmers, whilst Dave Roper on 97, myself and Rowland on 100 were just spectators. Another look on the feeder, the same result, liners and roach, not a sign of a skimmer. I dropped down to 0.08 and a 22 and would have gone smaller, but I didn’t think that it would have made any difference, I could hear Nicky Collins directly behind me, catching decent roach on Lodge, the biggest I had might have gone 2oz.

A switch back to the 13m line saw three skimmers (palm size – but welcome) in three put ins, then I lost four fish in five put ins, 3 of which had the maggot over the hook point – co-incidence? or perhaps it was the way the fish were feeding and my rig was set up. Anyway, that was enough to upset the skimmers and that was the last I saw of them. Those around me fishing the waggler were getting the odd roach and Dave Roper had a better skimmer, had there been more time I would have looked behind me to Paul or Clayton, both on lodge for the loan of that waggler rod, but with ½ an hour to go, I just knew that I wasn’t going to get a flurry of big skimmers or perch, so packed up early and tipped back about 5lb. I guess Clayton must have stood too close to me before the draw, as he drew 66 for the 3^rd time in the series, what are the odds of that happening, at least he amused himself towards the end landing some big carp.

With one round to go, its another open for me, as a couple of poor results and missing the 4^th round due to the snow ( lorry stuck on the hill after Chewton Mendip on A39, so I turned round and went back down the A37, only to find the hill out of Gurney Slade blocked, with the snow still falling heavily – must treat myself to a 4x4).

For the results please see either Tony’s, Mike’s or Clayton’s blogs.

Trinity Waters, Avon Angling Open 11th Novemebr 2012

Back to Trinity, always a good place to visit, sure of a friendly welcome and it's a well maintained and run fishery. I seem to have got into the habit of drawing on the near bank, which doesn't seem to have regained the consistency it had before the lake re-modelling, today was no exception with 32 being my home for the day. Company for the day was the Silverfox on 31, always a tough angler to beat, he seems to have sussed when to fish for silver and when to switch to carp.

There was a time when soft pellet, corn or maggot would ensure bites from most pegs in the winter, but following on from yesterday, the fish seemed reluctant to feed. They were moving around and some big roach were topping down the middle, so I set up a waggler to fish caster as far as I could catapult them.

A short caster rig, a rig to fish 7m (although it was a consistent depth out to 14m) and a rig with similar depth but an olivette in case the tow got up - although I doubted the fish would be on the bottom. Starting on the caster waggler, I had a couple of small roach, before the float settled and the bump, bump of a good skimmer was felt up the rod. It was a bit of a false dawn, as the bites were then from tiny rudd, micro roach and even motherless minnows.

The line at 7m fed with a few micros and softened 4's was bubbling, but with little other evidence of fish, this produced a couple of skimmers and a 5lb carp, before it too, joined the waggler line, in waiting ages for a bite, only to get a fish twice the size of the caster.

The margins on this side haven't really produced in the winter months, but the crafty old Silverfox on the next peg had a couple of carp snap him up on the 'ronnie' whip, so he switched to paste and landed 5 fish, before suffering a blank couple of hours. I managed one from the margins on meat and reset up the waggler to fish a 8mm pellet at full depth, with no shot down the line, this was because there were fish moving near the surface, but they obviously weren't feeding. I managed 18lb odd, which wasn't good, being battered off the next peg by Mike who had 44lb with his paste caught carp.

1)     Tom Mangnel 66-01-0 peg 2

2)      Mike Nicholls 44-04-0 peg 31

3)      Tony Rixon 32-06-0 peg 15

4)      Craig Edmonds 29-03-0 peg 14

5)      Phil Harding 28-05-0 peg 17

=6)      Bela Bakos 27-05-0 peg 25

=6)      Kev Moulton 27-05-0 peg 7

  Silvers:

1)      Nigel Bartlett 9-09-0 peg 24

2)     Tom Mangnel 8-08-0 peg 2

3)     Mike Nicholls 8-02-0 peg 31

Plantation Saturday Series 10th November 2012

An opportunity to fill in for an absentee today, so I took it. Plantation has a large head of carp, but also there can be some decent silver weights to be had and that was what I had in mind. with caster maggot and worm in the bait bag. I drew peg 7 which is a decent draw for carp, especially for the method chuckers. As it is a noted carp peg I set up a waggler to fish full depth with banded pellet out to the island, in case the silvers weren't playing.

The silvers rigs consisted of a caster rig to fish short and a rig that would suffice for caster/worm or soft pellet at 13m. I fed some caster and groundbait at 13m on the all in and caster short, leaving it to settle I started on the waggler, without so much as a liner for 20 minutes. A switch to the pole saw an occasional roach and not much else grace the net, but everyone was struggling, the skimmers did not show for me, I had none.

Another look out to the island and the gap in the islands on the waggler produced 2 carp, one foul hooked and another lost, before that went quiet again. The pole lines were very slow with only an occasional roach or minute perch. Back to the waggler and I had a run of fish, but the float and pellet had to land in the bramble fronds to get a bite, this included a chub getting on for 2lb. Two lost floats and a few hooklengths were the price of fishing tight to an untidy island, even clipped up. The last hour reverted to being quiet and that cost me, I suspect that setting up a lead may have resulted in a couple more fish as the wind was awkward.

1) Brian Slipper 57.08 peg 12
2) Andy Hembrow 57.02
3) Rich Lovering 55.04 peg 4
4) Rich Heatly 45.08 peg 26
5) Mark Broomsgrove 43.12 peg 24
6) Chris Fox 42.10 peg 7

Silvers
1) Mark Broomsgrove 28.12 peg 24
2) Paul Nicholls 19.04 peg 33

Avon Angling Open, Landsend, Sunday 28th Oct 2012

Looking forward to a days silver fishing, but it seemed that a succession of wrongs desicions were to plague my day. Stopped at Shipham cafe on the way down and instead of putting my glasses on and studying the menu, I ordered a large breakfast, expecting two of everything - a bit of a shock when large actually means large, three of everything. First incorrect decision of the day!!

Into the draw tin and I picked two swimcards stuck together, I'm never too sure what to do in that situation, so I dropped both back in and pulled out a single one, which was peg 19, bugger, a carp peg and I had brought pretty much only silvers rigs with me - second poor decision.

I decided to try again and 'beat' the peg (I've drawn it before and dismally failed to get past the carp) and get some silvers from it, so set up three rigs, a sensas pencil float on 0.14/.10 for a close caster line, a 4x14 chimp to fish caster or soft pellet down the track, this was on 0.16 with a 0.12 hook length, Finally a rig for right across, to fish caster on the shelf, thinking that this might bring forth a carp or two, this was on 0.16. The all in saw me pot some caster right over, a few micro's down the track and caster short, starting short, the float settled and buried, a perch not far off 1lb was soon in the net, taking double red maggot, then two missed bites before a carp, which trashed the rig - that was to be a familiar scene during the day.

I had the Wincanton silver machine on peg 18 and Nicky was suffering the same fate as me, carp trashing rigs and hook lengths, we both tried upping the line size, but anything over 0.12 and the float just sat still, as if there wasn't a fish in the peg. Peg 5 was catching well, so there were some fish feeding, I switched to hard pellet over the micro's and that brought a couple of carp, 2 F1's and a skimmer, trying soft pellet brought a couple more carp, but the silvers were playing hard to get.

I had a very quiet middle couple of hours, adding nothing to either net, the close line producing nothing at all apart from the first dob in perch. The far shelf  was so deep that I ended up taking off the rig and making up another heavier, one small roach and a small carp were the only takers of some pristine caster. I had to do something so switched to fishing towards the gap in the islands at full depth, taking one carp and losing a couple of foulers on banded pellet. So modifying the shelf rig to fish 1/2 depth, saw 2 more fish in the net before that line went totally dead. Backdown the track with soft pellet and  two more carp in the last 20 minutes gave me I guessed about 55lb in total - not going to be enough as Dave Roper and Martin Pettifer both had big weights on meat - I didn't bring any, as I didn't think it would work with the cold snap - another wrong decision, but I wasn't alone, as Nicky Collins was also surprised by the catch rate of the two using meat.He like me, found that fishing caster on line that would get a snag heading carp out, wouldn't produce a bite. I made up 7 rigs on the bank, as the floats were destroyed by the eyes pulling out or the bodies becoming detached from the wire as the carp either snapped the line or snagged themselves (3 times in my own nets).

The scales saw Martin win with 108lb odd, Dave second with 104lb, I managed 59lb odd, but my catch and release policy early in the match cost me, as Mike West was last in the money with 65lb. See Tony's blog for the full result.

Viaduct Silvers League Round Three, 21st Oct 2012

 A decent draw needed as the first round has to be dropped, so how deflated was I to draw peg 74 again, the same peg as the first round, with as before, an easterly wind blowing into the peg. I was hoping that some of the perch and hybrids showed up, but wasn't too confident when arriving at the peg, as there was very little sign of life, not even the unwanted carp.

I set up 4 rigs and a waggler, a margin rig with a 16 on 0.14 for perch tench and hybrids, a rather optimistic rig to hand ,(with a new float type from float maker Nick Gilbert), with a 18 to 0.10, a 4x12 KC Carpa Chimp to fish caster at 11 or 14m and a 0.5g Preston green to fish either soft pellet or caster should the heavier rig prove better.

On the all in some micros went in at 11m, using Paul Faiers on 103 as a marker, some groundbait and caster at 14m using peg 107 as a marker and caster short. First drop in with the topkit rig and the float buried, a roach in the net, that was that, a one off. No matter where I tried in the peg, I couldn't get more than one fish from any line, with the margins seemingly devoid of fish - in fact they produced 3 bites, two carp and a 12oz perch, so no more about them.

The only way I could catch, was to fish caster on the waggler, out past the tree that extends a far way out into the peg on the RH side. This produced some small skimmers and 2 slightly better fish, had there been anyone opposite on 106/107, they would probably have said I was past halfway, it was the only place I could get bites!!

So a resounding last but one in the section with 9lb odd, same placing as last time and the section weights got better (apart from peg 77) round to 85 where the section was won by Glenn Calvert with 20lb odd. The section actually went:

85 - 1st
81 - 2nd
80 - 3rd
78 - 4th
77 - 6th
74 - 5th

See Tony's blog for the results and if I draw this peg again in this series, I doubt if I'll find the enthusiasm to walk to it.

Viaduct Sunday 14th October 2012

An Avon Angling open on Campbell and Cary was this Sundays choice, my drawing arm once again proving to be spectacularly reliable, another unfancied peg......  132. The fish have been showing around the middle of the lake and apart from one match, it hasn't got any recent form for silvers. For company on 130 I had Tony Rixon, he was fortunate in having no one opposite him, with 111,112 and 113 empty.

I set up a couple of rigs to fish soft pellet/caster, another for banded pellet at 14m and a margin rig, a waggler rod completed the set up. I fed some micros at 7m and hard pellet at 14m, starting on the waggler to the end bank, a couple of bites, but possibly liners as nothing from them.  Roland Lucas was on 110 and was catching to his end bank, it often seems that either 110 or 132 catch from the end, not too often both do.

A switch to fishing the waggler with a banded 8mm pellet straight in front brought a couple of fish, then a lull, so a look over the 7m line, hoping for skimmers and a few intrusive carp. All this line produced was blade skimmers to soft pellet, nothing to banded pellet and tiny roach to caster or 6mm meat. The same for the margin, at every attempt so no more mention of them.

Back to the waggler and I had a little spell where I had seven fish in an hour, so was hoping to put together a decent weight, but then the fish disappeared, for 21/2 hours I didn't even have a liner, with 3/4 of an hour to go, they came back and I added another 6 fish in that time for a total of 14 carp which went 89lb odd, what a costly 21/2 hour blank spell, as during this time Tony kept the fish coming, fishing out to the aerator and put 133lb on the scales, battering me good and proper.

See Tony's blog for the results.

Viaduct Silvers League 2nd Round

Last week I fished Landsend, Fabio saw me in the car park and offered me a lucky coin to ensure I had a decent draw, peg 31 came out of the hat, it was a good draw once, but the whole of the speci lake, pegs 25 - 32 fished very hard, with some good anglers struggling, I saw no point in writing about catching 18.10 lb of silvers when it came nowhere........

Onto the 2nd round of the Viaduct silvers league, first round was a disaster, peg 74 with a cold easterly wind and rain blowing into it, so a diagonally opposite draw on peg 90 was better, but still far from one of the favoured pegs. I set up a waggler, which didn't get used, a Sensas Auchy to fish to hand, a Preston green 0.5g for worm or soft pellet, a 4x14 jolly for worm/caster/maggot and a wire stemmed Preston unknown for the margin, hoping the tench or perch would feel hungry.

Suffice to say the first 2-3 hours were more of a sufferance than an enjoyment, as I struggled to put together any sort of run of fish and the skimmers I did tempt were of the 5/6 to the pound stamp. I had fed a worm/caster/groundbait line at 14.5m, caster short and micro pellets at 11m at 10 o'clock. None of the lines produced more than the odd bite, with the short lines being particularly unproductive.

As worm seemed to be the kiss of death, I tried a new line with caster / dead maggot, but this also seemed to be devoid of fish. At last, a look over the micros saw a few skimmers and one bream come to Devils Spawn on the hook, but it wasn't long before the vermin moved in, all in all I lost around 15 hooks to the greedy water pigs.

I had fed both margins with caster as well as a line straight in front, hoping for decent roach, perch and tench, it didn't produce until the last hour, when decent skimmers. perch and roach graced the landing net, joining the hard won small skimmers and one tench (taken on soft pellet at 11m), giving me a total of 29lb something. Not enough to frame, not enough to win the section, but a section second, behind Tim Pallent who caught well at the off and added some better skimmers at the end, with a better stamp of skimmers than I could manage.

1.      Tony Rixon 48-10-0 peg 100

2.      Mike Nicholls 46-00-0 peg 101

3.      Anton Page 43-04-0 peg 70

4.      Bob Gullick 36-14-0 peg 99

5.      Steve Kedge 36-05-0 peg 121

6.     Andy Neal 35-10-0 peg 77

7.      Lee Werrett 34-02-0 peg 71
8.      John Green 32-0-0 peg 128
9.      Tim Pallant 31-09-0 peg 94
10. Joe Mc Mahon 31-04-0 peg 78