The next festive fixture was the Tuesday Club Xmas Match at Revels and as per usual there was a great turn out of 21 anglers. After complimentary hot drinks and bacon rolls it was time for the draw and today we’d be spread over all the lakes. I was around halfway down the list and when my name was called, I was expecting my usual trip up to Trendles and couldn’t quite believe it when Dean pulled out 54 on Middle. It’s a brilliant lake for silvers and I’ve only ever fished it once before. My peg is the only one on the far bank and I had loads of room with nobody opposite. Photos courtesy of Revels*
The general consensus was that Bob’s mask was an improvement!
A great bunch of anglers and it was lovely to see Jason looking so well after his recent op
Rigs for today were a 0.1 gram Colmic Elsa for the top four and a 0.3 gram rig for three lines at 11.5 metres, angled to the right, straight out and just off the little island on the left. A nice simple side tray with lots of maggots, disco pinkies and some Bait-Tech Special G F1 Dark groundbait.
On the whistle I fed small amounts of groundbait and pinkies on three lines and pinged a few maggots just off the island. I gave the short line ten minutes but never had an indication so was soon out at 11.5 metres. After a couple of minutes, the float sunk from view only for me to strike into thin air! Next chuck I hooked a small perch but it fell off and I wasn’t having the best of starts.
I got off the mark with a little perch and began catching a few fish from the right hand line and after an hour I had ten roach and perch. Rich Chave (who was on Main lake peg 6) phoned and reported that he was catching well and had 25 small fish already, he also said he’d spoken to Nicky Collins on Woodlanders peg 75 who was struggling.
Swapping to the line straight out, it took a while to get a bite but a decent roach was worth waiting for and I started catching really well including a couple of 4-6oz skimmers. Around the halfway point, Rich phoned for another update and said he was now on 51 fish, my clicker was reading 59 so I was doing okay.
Flicking the rig in by the island resulted in some nice roach and with two hours to go, I had another look on the short line and had a run of perch and a couple of net roach. For the remainder of the match I rotated round all four lines nicking a couple of fish from each. Towards the end, the lighter rig produced some lovely roach by the island and I even had an 8oz hybrid on when the final whistle went. I finished up with 95 fish which I hoped would just about give me double figures.
When the scales arrived from Trendles, Rob Fletcher had weighed an excellent 7lb 13oz of silvers which included a chub and some nice roach, he also had 17lb 2oz of carp. My fish went 8lb 14oz which was a little less than I thought but still a lovely day, my favourite kind of fishing.
Rob had a nice net of roach and a chub for 7lb 13oz*
Debbie Chave had also done well with 17lb 4oz of mainly carp from peg 30*
I had a lovely day catching perch, roach, skimmers and a hybrid for 8lb 14oz
The scales then headed along Dead Tree where Hugh Roberts had the top weight with 21lb 11oz of mainly carp from peg 51.
Hugh had the top weight on Dead Tree with 21lb 11oz of mainly carp*
Back at the results and John Bass had the top weight on the day with 40lb 8oz of carp from peg 12 on Main, Rob actually finished second overall (and in the silvers) and Adrian Hayes was third with 24lb from peg 16 (Main). I won the silvers with Big Al taking second by default with 5lb from peg 2 (Main) and Rich Chave was third with 4lb 11oz.
John Bass had the top weight with 40lb 8oz*
Adrian Hayes was third with 24lb on peg 16*
Alan was second in the silvers with some decent skimmers for 5lb*
Rich Chave was third in the silvers with 4lb 11oz of perch and roach*
Roy W had 21lb 13oz of carp on peg 8*
Nicky Collins struggled for 1lb 10oz but was still smiling*
1 – John Bass (Revels) – 40lb 8oz
2 – Rob Fletcher (Revels) – 24lb 15oz
3 – Adrian Hayes (Revels) – 24lb
Silvers
1 – Jamie Rich (Bait-Tech/Colmic) – 8lb 14oz
2 – Alan Winsper (Alan’s Angling) – 5lb
3 – Rich Chave (Colmic) – 4lb 11oz
I had a nice pick up of £50 for winning the silvers plus a box of biscuits from the prize table and I love Tuesdays at Revels, a great bunch of people, it’s always a laugh and although the fishing can be tough at times, it’s always a close frame. The varied nature of all the different lakes and swims makes for really interesting fishing and I can’t get enough of it.
£2 from Bob C took the Nugget-O-Meter to £27.
Before I go I’d like to just wish everyone who follows and enjoys the blog, A Very Merry Xmas and I hope you get lots of nice prezzies!
There’s still a great offer running if you fancy treating yourself to some new fishing gear, use the exclusive discount code AgainstMenandFish10 to get 10% off when you shop online at Somerset Angling
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 – Acorn
Coming soon – Lots more match reports
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