Shiplate Farm Open (Main Lake).

After grabbing a breakfast roll for fishery owner Steve we made a way up to share a sandwich with a cuppa and a chat, the wind today had made no let up and was straight in the face of the swims on the near bank in the low numbers so I was praying for fancied pegs 1 or 15 or any swim on the far bank with the wind off are backs, I had no maggots or casters today and was going to take a pellet and meat approach along with some corn, into the draw and out comes peg 11 on the far side so the hassle of the wind was avoided This swim suited what I wanted to fish today being the bomb with meat or 8mm pellet to fish tight to the island if need be and a waggler at depth just off the end of the island in 4ft of water both set up with hair rig stops size 14 and 16 hooks. Down to my left at 12mts there is a bush in the water so I made one rig to fish at depth just off the end of it in 5ft of water on 0.13-0.11 and an 18 PR474. I didn't make a rig up for silvers today as I felt I had to concentrate on the big boys'. (pic of island chuck & Inside swim)

  At the start I cupped in a pot full of hemp corn and some 6mm meat on the inside swim and started on the bomb and 10mm punched meat about a foot off the end of the island, Having caught a few fish like this on my recent pleasure session I new it was a case of waiting and after a motionless 15mins the tip flew round and carp number one was soon in the net of approx. 5lb, another 10mins and carp two was added of around 4lb's.

 Fish on'.

Another 30mins with no further signs saw me switch to the waggler slightly further off the island but the fish were having none of it and a change to hard 6's and 8mm pellet made no difference so I was back on the lead playing the waiting game, there was a strong breeze blowing into the pegs on the near bank and I couldn't help but laugh as I took my jacket off to look up and see Dave Coco adding more thermals"

Another carp out of the blue on the two hour mark then nothing made me give the pole a try down to the bush with double 6mm meat on the hook, and after a few minutes of careful lifting and dropping gave me a positive bite and a much bigger fish hooked only for it to come straight to the surface and shed the hook' another try and nothing had me top the swim up and try meat where I had been flicking a few pieces by hand around 2mts from the bank although this was short lived as the ducks appeared and found the exact spot diving down to wipe my peg clear even though it was 5ft deep and they didn't even see me feed!

   The rest of the match saw me trying down the edge a few times with know further signs and all I could do was fish the bomb and meat until the end, by leaving it as long as possible as I couldn't feed due to the wildlife saw me add 3 more carp of around the same size to finish with 5 fish for 23lb with a lone 8oz chub, Young Lewis Jones had a great day further up the lake on peg 13 catching 95lb of carp on the long pole and pellet to win the day and Andy France did well over on peg 3 to battle with the wind on the pole for the days top silvers weight of 28lb, All I picked up today was another quid off peanut but at least me and the wife were out off the wind which kept her happy'.

   Full Results-
1st Lewis Jones (Sensas Thyers) Peg 13, 95lb 8oz
2nd Paul Chapman (Shiplate) Peg 1, 70lb 3oz
3rd Tom light (Shiplate) Peg 14, 51lb 14oz
4th Tim Lewis (Shiplate) Peg 12, 31lb 4oz
Silvers-
1st Andy France (Cadbury Angling) Peg 3,  28lb 11oz
2nd Tim Lewis (Shiplate) Peg 12, 23lb 2oz.