For the first time in an awfully long while, when the alarm went off Sunday morning, I seriously contemplated turning it off and going back to sleep! The last few weeks have been pretty grim with horrible weather, cold, wet, windy, floods, frozen lakes, you name it, we’ve had it. As a consequence the fishing for the most part has been tough everywhere and my enthusiasm levels were low.
Loading the car, it actually felt a few degrees warmer than the previous day and after another of Charlotte’s lovely breakfasts at the bowling club, I was feeling almost optimistic! Arriving at Summerhayes, there were 23 anglers booked in, a great turnout. Pete announced the draw and this week the golden ball was 21 which hasn’t been a good area in recent matches.
On my wish list were pegs 8, 13 or 29-33 which have been consistent for silvers but by the time my name was called, Toby had already claimed 13. Still, there were quite a few nice pegs left in the bucket so I delved in and pulled out…… number 2 on ‘Cyanide Straight’ not my first choice but it can be good for a few fish.
It was rather nice with blue skies and a rarely seen orange orb even put in an appearance
I set up a little 0.1 gram Colmic Elsa for two lines at top kit plus three and 11.5 metres towards the point of the island and a 0.2 gram Bobbie for 13 metres across to the island. The usual side tray with lots of maggots, disco pinkies and some Bait-Tech Special G F1 Dark groundbait.
On the whistle I fed the shorter lines with modest amounts of groundbait and pinged a few maggots across to the island. Starting on the right hand top five line, it took 15 mins to get a bite from a small fish but that was it. After half an hour I still only had the one fish and I hadn’t seen much caught at this early stage apart from Toby who’d already had a couple of decent skimmers. Moving out to the 11.5 metre line, I began getting a few bites and had another five fish including a decent roach by the end of the first sixty minutes.
The second hour was slightly better with some more small fish and a couple of 3oz skimbobs, Toby looked to be catching quite steadily and I could see Adie over on 32 landing silvers and carp while Glynn next door to him was regularly swinging in small fish. As we passed the halfway mark, my 11.5 metre line was fading so I tried the short lines again but no bites so had my first look by the island. It wasn’t solid but odd chunky roach kept me ticking over although I also began hooking the odd carp and landed two (thanks to Hollywood for the action shot*).
It started to get cold again and heading into the last hour, it slowed right up for everyone, Nick P came for a wander to try and warm up and said he’d caught around a dozen skimmers including a couple of better ones but now couldn’t get a bite. By fishing several different spots along the island, I managed another half a dozen fish including a 4oz chublet in the remaining time. My target had been 64 fish which I thought would give me 6lb (averaging 1.5oz apiece) but I fell just short with 55.
After packing up I went to give Pete a hand with the weigh in, he’d bought a new clipboard with a hood to stop the paperwork getting wet but I found a much better use for it! Photo credit – Steve Collins**
Helping with the weighing in is a serious business you know!**
Rob B on 37 had struggled for 1lb 6oz of silvers and then Hollywood weighed 18lb 8oz, I had two carp for 11lb 3oz and then my silvers went 5lb 8oz which I didn’t think would be any good as I knew Toby had beaten me, Glynn was admitting to 5lb+ and I thought Nick had more than me as well. The other two anglers on ‘Cyanide Straight’, Tom R and Bill ‘The Paste’ both weighed 3lb something of silvers. Geoff on 8 chucked back and then his carer Chris Witham had 23lb 3oz on peg 10.
I had 55 fish for 5lb 8oz from peg 2
Nick was next and when he pulled his net out it was going to be close and the digital display settled on 4lb 14oz – phew! Then it was Toby who had some decent skimmers and a cracking roach for 8lb 14oz, Hainsey on 17 weighed 27lb 1oz of mainly carp caught on the waggler, Alex next door had chucked back and Nick V on 21 weighed 2lb 11oz of silvers.
Toby had some quality silvers for 8lb 14oz
Hainsey weighed 27lb 1oz on peg 17
The bottom corner had been hard going and then as we headed up the track side, Big Bad Bob on 29 stormed into the lead with 30lb 8oz of carp and he started an hour and half late! Adie on 32 came close with 29lb 11oz which included 3lb 15oz of silvers and then Glynn had lots of little fish that went 4lb 11oz. The last two to weigh were Steve Collins who had 20lb 3oz and then Kev ‘O on 36 had some lumpy carp to win with 34lb 13oz – well done mate.
Big Bad Bob was second overall with 30lb 8oz (who needs five and half hours to frame!)
Kev ‘O had the top weight with 34lb 13oz from peg 36
1 – Kev ‘O (Summerhayes) – 34lb 13oz
2 – Bob Aird (Summerhayes) – 30lb 8oz
3 – Adie Bishop (Summerhayes) – 29lb 11oz
Silvers
1 – Toby Burrell (Team Army) – 8lb 14oz
2 – Jamie Rich (Bait-Tech/Colmic) – 5lb 8oz
3 – Nick Payne (Ilminster) – 4lb 14oz
Although it got very cold again towards the end of the match, it had been an enjoyable day and it’s amazing what a difference some sunshine, no wind and a few bites can make! It’s always a close frame with just two carp between first and fourth overall and in the silvers less than a pound separated second and fourth place.
£2 each from Nick P and me plus a squid off Dan T saw the Nugget-O-Meter jump to £128.
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 – Todber Manor
Coming soon – Lots more match reports
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