Viaduct Open, Monday 1st May 2017

Back to Viaduct today, Cary and Lodge in for this one and I was hoping for a draw on Cary.  Missed getting to my usual position at the front of the draw queue as I was chatting to Nicky Ewers and Gary O'Shea, as we approached the tin I said to Nicky one peg I have never drawn is 53, that was after someone suggested 55 would have my name on it.  Well, after today, I can't say I have never drawn 53, as it was to be my home for the day.....

I hadn't realised just how restricted you are on this peg, plenty of water down to the left, but go more than a bout 7 sections out and you are sharing water with 73.

Given how its been fishing, I set up the usual edge rig, short meat rig, rig to fish banded pellet and an extra one, a wire stemmed NG Gimp to fish worm/maggot/soft pellet over a micro and worm, just a try to catch anything swimming line!!

A lead rod was assembled, as well as a waggler rod, with a small pellet waggler to fish down towards the two pots on the end bank.

On the all in I fed the worm and micros, then tried a negative meat line at 6 sections, didn't have to wait too long for a bite, not the expected carp, but a hybrid about a pound and a half, oddly it offered no fight, unusual for a hybrid.  Then a skimmer followed, but nothing hectic and that was 30 minutes gone. A look over the micros/worm line was frustratingly fruitless, apart from a 3oz rudd. 

I had been pinging pellets down to the end bank and picked up the waggler, just as well there wasn't anyone sensitive sat by me, the willow tree trailing fronds meant that it took 4 or 5 casts to get one sat in the right place (which was between the posts, virtually touching the RH post).  It didn't take too long for the willow tree to claim its first victim and my Preston loaded waggler looked like some sort of angling themed Christmas decoration, dangling from the branches.

New float on and first chuck fish round the post, it managed to do the old chub trick of transferring the hook from its mouth to a snag and a new hooklength was required. Next chuck a bite, fish hit and no quarter given, it come out from between the posts and was finally netted at 12.30, next chuck, the willow claimed another float, although this time the line broke and it dropped into the water, giving some hope of getting it back.  Set up again and a few chucks later that one was also gone, I really couldn't be arsed to set up again and lose more.

I did try the lead down there, but had two liners and nothing else.  Back onto the pole and I dropped the worm from the micro feed and did have a short run of skimmers when the sun when in and a ripple got up, but they were small and as soon as the ripple went, so did the bites.

I had fed the margins, LH with meat, RH with GB and maggot with 2 hours to go and waited until 15.45 until trying them, first drop in on the LH side saw a 8lb fish netted, then two more fish in the next two drop ins, but they were 12oz tench.  The RH edge appeared devoid of fish and I managed a coupe more on meat from the LH edge, but to no avail, I was going to be nowhere near the money and my 40lb total was hard won, it never felt like there were many fish in the peg.

I did manage to retrieve two floats, one floated back to me, the other I managed to walk round and using my longest landing net handle and weed cutter to get the dangling decoration out of the tree - I hate leaving tackle and especially line behind.

1. Gordon Cannings - 100lb 14oz - peg 56

2. Ziggy Slowinski - 97lb 11oz - peg 86...
3. Nigel Easton - 92lb 1oz - peg 74
4. Nigel Alford - 81lb 11oz - peg 78
5. Jamie Parkhouse - 74lb 6oz - peg 68
6. David Turberville - 71lb 4oz - peg 62

Silvers
1. Tony Gilbert - 37lb 12oz - peg 73
2. Nigel Bartlett - 21lb 14oz - peg 64