Shiplate Farm Open, Canal Lakes,

Decided Against Breky today but  grabbed a breakfast roll for fishery owner Steve and had a gossip and a cuppa before the start, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be plain sailing for me today as I had my brand new tracky bottoms on for five minutes and whilst turning the car around to load my kit in I knocked the end off my cig and it fell between my legs burning a hole in them" And that was after stepping in dog poo whilst trying to find the back gate in the pitch black! The wind had been horrendous over night and there was no let up when it came to draw time with added hail to assist us whilst tackling up, I fancied a draw in the narrower low numbers on Westpool but ended up on Peg 9 hawthorns which I was happy with as I won off this peg last time fishing across at 14mts towards the aerator rope and bull rushes on the far bank. I was debating as what to do at the start as the wind was so strong I didn't even want to get the pole out" I decided to wait for a lull in the weather and set the rest of my kit up first and pumped some 4mm Expanders.

I had a feeling my main lines were going to be down the edge today in around 5ft of water for which I set up a 4x14 chanti on 0.15-0.11 and an 18 808 and a 4x12 on 0.13-0.11 for fishing up and down in the water with maggot on the hook and one rig across a 4x10 chanti to 0.11-0.10 again to an 18 808 in around 3ft of water against the rushes, Only just ready at the start I began by cupping in some casters and red maggot on my inside right hand swim and drip fed my left swim with some maggots by hand , I chose to start across on my long line with a single red and white maggot without feeding anything and within 2mins I had a positive bite which saw my gingerly playing a carp of around 4lb which decided to come straight to the top and roll before sheading the hook! I spent the next 40mins across with nothing after trying shallower and swapping to 3 floro pinkee and single red magg on the hook I had to have a rest as buy now it was lashing down and I had no feeling in my fingers so I cupped in a small amount of micro and dead pinkee across and switched to my shallow rig with double red maggot down my right hand edge.

After feeding half a dozen maggots by hand twice I lay the rig in over the top and as soon the rig settled it shot under and this time I managed to net a carp off 4lb so I was off the mark, I fed the swim with some more maggots by hand and changed to my left hand swim where I had been dripping casters in and again when it settled and I fed over the top I was hooked to a much bigger carp and dispite me having one chance to scoop" it bolted for the tree root and I lost it, swapping back to my right and flicking a few maggots in saw me hook another and after a couple of mins I was just reaching for the net and "ping" another one gone! After a few choice words with myself ' I changed the hook length even tho the hook looked fine I wasn't going risk anymore coming off.

After causing a disturbance to my inside lines I feed them by hand and went back over with double red again first put in resulted in a chub of 12oz then a perch of 10oz but no carp followed so I resulted in cab potting a few reds and micro with a couple of 4mm expanders and waiting for a bite another ten mins and I had another carp across but it was foul hooked so after 5mins praying it would stay on the obvious happened and again it shed the hook only for my rig to smash back and break the float! after feeding a cross again and a new assembled rig it was back on the inside swims but I couldn't get a bite at any depth so I topped them up with some more casters and a few reds and changed to my full depth rig with caster on the hook but after 5mins both sides without so much as a knock I was back on the long line with 3 floros on the hook and two mins of lifting and dropping saw me connect to a carp of 5lb which I managed to hook in the mouth and get in'  Another chub next put in left me thinking it was best to feed a little via the cad pot then sit on it for 10 mins at a time before repeating the process if I had no indications , I would of liked to have another swim slightly to my right on this line but it was impossible to present it right with the gale force winds and it was towing down the lake with the wind which didn't help.

I kept trying both my inside lines regularly but they had seemed to vacate the area altogether as it was totally none productive and word on the bank was the lakes were fishing hard (Hardly surprizing with this endless rain) so I sat over for most of the remaining match and by endlessly lifting and dropping maggot or 3 floros pinkee I ended with 5 carp for around 20lb and a couple of pound of bits, word was Westpool had fished equally hard with Julian Pinkett top weight with 22lb 2oz so I new it would be close and when my carp and 2lb 2oz  of silvers were added together my 23lb was enough to win the lake and the match out right so not such a bad day after all and 60 quid better off, We surely have to have some more suitable fishing conditions soon as at one stage today I was shaking like a leaf and my hands were numb which doesn't help when your trying to concentrate, Owe a a quick mention of Steve (Peanut) Howell who yet again managed to draw a good on consistent Peg 5 Westpool only for him to whip around the carpark like a ferret having £1 side bets with whoever he could" But in sure he wont mind me mentioning he was stone last on the lake and had to ask Steve for change to pay us all!...

My catch

Golly jones & Me

 

Results -

1st Dominic Sullivan , Maver/Cadbury Angling 23lb

2nd Julian Pinkett , Bristol Post office 22lb 2oz 

Silvers -

Golly Jones , Shiplate 3lb 7oz