After really enjoying our last visit to Landsend, Nick and me booked in for this week’s Saturday open, we were in for a cold one though as the temperature dropped towards the end of the week and winter announced it’s arrival with several frosts and some flurries of snow!
As I loaded the car in morning, it was bitterly cold and I was sure we’d be breaking the ice today, when we arrived I was amazed when there wasn’t a lid on the lake. I drew peg 5 on the near side, Nick was on 1 with John ‘Average Angler’ Mills on 3 and Dave Wescott was on my right.
I set up a Preston Innovations F1 Maggot for three lines at 10 metres plus a little 0.3 gram Guru F1 Carbon for the top kit either side. The side tray contained maggots, disco pinkies plus some Bait-Tech Special G F1 and Dark groundbait.
It was gin clear and I really thought it was going to be rock hard with just getting a bite being a massive bonus. On the whistle I fed all my lines with a little nugget of groundbait and a few pinkies before starting on the top kit but I just wasn’t feeling it so after a few minutes left and right I’ve gone out to 10 metres with the lighter rig and double pinkie on the hook.
I hadn’t seen anyone catch yet and was expecting to wait a while but then there was a little flicker on the float although part of me thought I was imagining things! Laying the rig in again, there was no doubt this time when the float slid under and a little roach got me up and running. My next fish came from the middle 10 metre line and was a nice 4oz perch and by rotating round the three longer lines I was getting regular indications from perch and roach.
It was so cold I was having trouble getting my pole apart as the joints were freezing up and my elastic wouldn’t go back in the top kit. Odd fish were now coming out although I felt I was still doing okay, John wasn’t catching as quickly but fishing 2mm expanders he was getting a better stamp with some nice crucians and skimmers.
I was getting plenty of bites but did pull out of two decent fish which I think were perch or F1’s. Nick came for a walk to try and get some feeling back into his feet and said he was catching quite a few fish on his short line. As I was waiting longer for bites on the 10 metre lines, I fed them again with a little nugget and dropped back on the top kit line. First put in, the float sailed away and I had a chunky perch but it was a one off.
The weather was brutal (probably some of the coldest conditions I’ve ever fished in, I don’t think it got above -4 all day!) and the elastic freezing was a real problem so I just ended up with a foot of it hanging out the end of the pole! I was still catching quite well by rotating around the three 10 metre lines but also bumping a few (due to the elastic issues).
Towards the end of the match, I hooked and landed four carp while Dave next door had two nice F1’s and I didn’t think there was much between us on the silvers front. John was still getting some decent fish and even had a little tench. Russ opposite me started getting some carp in the last hour or so and Craig Smith on peg 13 had been catching well and was on for a big weight.
I think everybody was relieved to hear the all out but then we encountered some more problems relating to the bitter conditions, water had frozen solid on my footplate and I couldn’t move it, my landing net was stuck to my keepnet which in turn was rather stiff! I also couldn’t unscrew my keepnet attachment which was freeze welded to my box legs and my maggots were still in a state of suspended animation and hadn’t moved all day!
Nick had 3lb 13oz of silvers then John weighed a brilliant 12lb 13oz, I had 49 silvers for 5lb 14oz and my 4 carp went 26lb 2oz. When Dave had 5lb 5oz of silvers, I thought I had a chance of sneaking second in the silvers as the people I could see on the opposite bank had fished for carp. Mike Duckett was the last peg on our side and weighed 31lb 6oz.
Back at the results and Craig had won comfortably with 100lb 4oz, Russ P weighed 44lb 3oz for second and Dave Ings on the end had 10lb 14oz which was second in the silvers.
1 – Craig Smith (Landsend) – 100lb 4oz
2 – Russ Peck (Landsend) – 44lb 3oz
Silvers
1 – John Mills (Average Angler) – 12lb 13oz
2 – Dave Ings (Landsend) – 10lb 14oz
Despite horrendous conditions, some really good weights were recorded
Nick and me added £2 each (for today and tomorrow) to the Nugget-O-Meter which is now up to £11.
Also I still have copies of my book available from eBay here or Amazon here
And if you could spare five minutes to leave a nice review on Amazon, it would be very much appreciated.
Next up – Chris Patten Xmas Fayre
Coming soon – Lots more match reports
Check Out – My last match
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