Normans Sterry's Open, Viaduct, Saturday 27th May 2017

50 odd fishing today, so Campbell, Cary & Lodge lakes in, once again virtually everyone fishing was wanting a draw on Campbell, fortunately I managed that and couldn't complain about 114.  I recall Nick Ewers being despondent last week after struggling to catch on it, but surely it would be OK today....

Dave White then informed me that 124, 125 & 126 were 'black with fish', but there are so many fish in Campbell, I would take any draw on there over the other lakes today.

I set up a lead rod, not sure why, as I never give it enough time to work, I'd happily fish every match as a float only.  Two waggler rods, one full depth, one shallow and 4 topkits, meat short, pellet long, edge rig and a shallow rig.  For some reason we drew 10 minutes late and the start was put back 30 minutes, so loads of time, I set up a 5th topkit, a meat rig with only 3x11 stotz down the line to fish it slowly through the water.

Started as usual. with a look on the short meat line, a couple of skimmers and then a carp, before the 'shit fish' nightmare started.  The float would not stay still, 6, 8 or 10mm meat all being whittled away by enthusiastic, but nuisance roach.  A switch to pellet at 14m saw me net two carp in two drop-ins, I thought I had it sussed, but no, two small skimmers and that was it.

The waggler was totally non productive and my obligatory 5 minutes, before getting bored stiff, on the brain dead lead.  The short line did produce a few skimmers and a tench, but at the expense of extreme frustration at the continual attention of roach.

From a bout halfway I fed the edges, only at topkit range to my left, as there is a nice little shelf there that is usually productive at some point in the match and 3 sections to my right.  The RH edge was totally dead, apart from two perch and the LH did produce two small carp, but was also a source of the plague of roach.

Frustrating watching next peg 113 catching, but not in open water, he was catching under the tree to his left.

I did get a few more carp and ended up wih 93lb, 24lb of which was skimmers, with hindsight I should have fished for silvers, as 27lb got in the silvers frame.

Overall
1. Steve Shaw - 204lb 3oz - peg 126
2. Jon Darby - 194lb 1oz - peg 135...
3. Phil Weaver - 145lb 3oz - peg 116
4. Norman Sterry - 144lb 6oz - peg 128
5. Ian Dunlop - 141lb 15oz - peg 129
6. Ben Evenden - 140lb 12oz - peg 113

Silvers
1. Des Shipp - 63lb - peg 70
2. Nigel Bartlett - 27lb 12oz - peg 66
3. Ziggy Slowinski - 26lb 14oz - peg 127
4. Terry Lenny - 25lb 10oz - peg 110
5. Chris Fox - 24lb - peg 114