Summerhayes Fishery (Sellicks Lake).

After missing out on a day on the bank yesterday due to the weather I was keen to have ago today, Traveling on my own I had my usual Hilltops on route before making my way to the fishery. Their was only 12 booked in today but at least Owner Pete had the choice of putting some of the more fancied pegs at the end of the lake out of the wind which was forecast to get up as the day progressed' Before the draw Pete let me do the honours of drawing the bonus peg for the day, I promptly drew peg 13 at the bottom of the lake where I fancied the winner would come from then it was up to me to draw my peg for the day, Peg bloody 7' which would mean I would be smack in the wind if it picked up' Amazing how I can pick a fancied one when its not going to be my swim' but nowt I could do so tried to think what would be option when I got to my swim. I had caught well on corn here on longs lake a couple of weeks ago so would have this as a main line of attack in the open water at 12mts off to my right setting up an 4x12 Chanti on 0.12-0.11 & an 16 808 hook, This rig would double up to fish down towards the empty pallet between Myself & Steve Jackson on peg 5. Next up was a 0.3g pencil float on the same line with an 18 808 hook to fish about a 1ft off the far bank were I found a flat spot with just over 4ft of water, And finally I set up 0.3g AS1 on 0.11-0.10 & an 18 pellet hook on a longer line which I could use to Dob Various baits along the far bank tighter to the island.

 If only it had stayed like this".

I started the day by feeding a good amount of corn on the open water line & started the day on the Dobbing rig with 4mm hard pellet around 3ft deep choosing not to feed anything to start with, I missed a couple of bites before I connected with a 2oz roach which came off' then I couldn't get a bite so decided to try the deep rig across with a small cube of meat on the hook feeding just a few cubes over the top via a cad-pot, 10mins later I hooked a carp but it wasn't in the mouth' & soon came off" & I had the same thing happen 10mins later!. What fish their were present didn't seem to want to be anywhere near the deck so it was time to try something else as I was approaching the hour mark & still hadn't put anything in the net'.

I went back to fishing tighter to the bank this time with the rig set about 2ft deep with a small cube of meat on the hook, I was letting the rig drift into the bank which seemed to work as I had two 2lb plus fish in two try's before disaster struck, I hooked another which found a snag pulling it away from the bank & left me well & truly hooked up" After a new hook-length I went back over & low & behold the same happened a couple of min's later but this time I wasn't so fortunate as I smashed the whole rig!".

With another added the disturbance It had caused had spooked anymore from the area as I couldn't get a bite, I did manage one more further along the bank to my left but again I only had the one bite here so they weren't in numbers, What didn't help me was the fact Steve next door Had decided not to fish across to the far bank as it was pushing 16mts plus were he was but already I could see signs of fish breaking the surface in-front of him so things were already telling me that I didn't have much hope of getting them to return? After another 30mins without another bite I re-plumbed another line on the deck tighter to the bank but this time tried a 4mm expander on the hook over loose fed micro's, I had a 4oz carp followed by an 8oz fish soon after but that was it. By the end of the 2nd hour the wind had arrived with force" & I was really struggling to present any rig across properly spending most of my time being blown around on my box' Steve had managed a few silvers down the track along with a better carp on his silvers line but Mark Lehay below me had already resorted to fishing down his margin's but he to was suffering with the wind, Even to the extent of his roller blowing over snapping his No.6 section in the process".

I began to feed another line at 11mts with small amounts of meat & decided to try the line I had been topping up with corn from the start, I was surprized not to have any indications but did thing a few fish would turn up on it before the day was out? I seemed to be rotating lines every few min's to try & find some fish but it just wasn't happening, Mark was struggling below me but Steve had managed a good skimmers down the track but was also getting the odd better carp from a small bay beside peg 4, I did manage a carp on the deck with meat just off the island but both my open water lines never produced a sniff' I had been feeding small amounts of meat down to the pallet all day between Steve & myself & did try it a few times through the day without success but in the last 40mins I missed 2 bites in as many put-in's so shortened the line between the pole & the rig which did the trick as hit the next bite with the fish being 3lb plus, I had a feeling it was the only one down their though as I never had another bite here or across on the other lines, I had finished with 7 small carp but Jacko" had around 9 better fish mainly from his margin, He was first to weigh as the guy on peg 2 had packed up & finished with 31lb odd, I had just under 19lb & Mark chose not to weigh, Around the other side of the Lake Nigel Wickham won the day with 32lb odd catching most of his fish from down the edge on meat over meat but it was a cose affair as another 31lb by Jess Jordan pushed Jacko into 3rd by 1oz!".

It was a hard days fishing for me & judging by the results those who did catch were fishing up to some cover which was holding fish after all the rain we had yesterday, I never gave up hope though & although it didn't pay off this time I wouldn't of done much different. Back to Viaduct Next Sunday on the winter League but hoping the weather will improve so I can get out next Saturday?

Full Results -

1st Nigel Wickham (Summerhayes) peg 21, 32lb 4oz.

2nd Jess Jordan (Summerhayes) peg 17, 31lb 3oz.

3rd Steve Jackson (Garbolino) peg 5, 31lb 2oz.

4th Alvin Jones (Country Gardens) peg 15, 22lb 13oz.

5th Dom Sullivan (Maver) peg 7, 18lb 15oz.

Silvers - Aide Bishop, (Summerhayes) peg 19, 5lb 11oz.