Acorn Fishery Tuesday Cost Cutter.

It slowly hit me on Monday the fact that Donald had passed away so unexpectedly, I didn't have a clear enough mind to be driving an artic up the motorway' I cut my day short deciding to take Tuesday off to have a day in the fresh air'. After a conversation with Jonny Page it had expired that Don was in the hospital at the time of his death & had been given the all clear on lung cancer but was suffering still with a bad chest, What happened their after is still un-explained with an investigation on going.

I decided to have a day at acorn to try & come to terms with things but also having Donald at the front of my mind. I wasn't worried where I drew today to be honest & when I arrived it was pleasant to see the fishery was totally free of wind' which is not often the case here.

Gabo had also booked in so met him at the fishery after stopping of for some warm grub at the burger van on route.

15 fishing today which I a good turnout for a Tuesday, I suppose it helps being a cost-cutter with the entry fee being £12 making it affordable for most, I let a few pick before me before I had my turn & pulled out peg 25 at the top end of the lake,

Not an area I would of chose even Gabo said it was Shite but I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a great weight to win the day & with the conditions being ideal I felt the peg could compete. I was fortunate to have an empty peg either side so again had the room to work both of them, This end of the lake is shallower than the opposite so I found around 3ft around a metre off the empty pallets where I set up a 4x12 Chanti on 0.13-0.11 & an 16 PR434 hook, next up was a rig to fish a couple of feet off the island in the deeper water being a 0.03g AS1 again on 0.13-0.11 & an 18 808 hook. I made up a 4x10 Chanti on the same line/hook to fish tighter to the bank in 2ft or so of water & finally a rig to fish down the track again being a 4x12 chanti in 5ft of water on 0.14-0.12 & an 16 808 hook.

I started the match feeding a bit of hemp, 4mm hard pellets & a few grains of corn  down in-front of one pallet & left the other to begin with. I fed a palm of micro & 4mm's off to my left at 12mts & began the day at around 11mts in-front of me feeding a few micro via a cad-pot fishing a 4mm expander on the hook. After 15mins I had my first carp around 3lb & after an hour I was up to 6 fish averaging 2lb each, I kept switching between the two deeper lines across but couldn't get a bite where I had fed a more positive line so kept pugging away feeding next to nothing & waiting for bites. After 90mins I was up to eight fish but was now struggling for bites, Lee Waller was above me the other side of the bridge & although he appeared to be losing a few I had seen him net a couple of decent fish so it was time to change. I had been pinging a few hard 4mm pellets down to either pallet so decided to give it a try, Starting with a 6mm expander on the hook I had 3 carp in 15mins down to my left but they only totalled 5lb between them. I had one 3lb fish to my right but then couldn't get a bite either side, I began to realise you could only catch a fish off each line before you had to rest it & try another. I wasn't getting big fish but be rotating all my lines I managed to pick off the odd fish & seemed to be putting fish in the net when others were struggling for bites. I did have to start a couple of new lines across though the day just to get an extra fish or two which worked well, I began to feed just corn on my more positive line across & did manage a 4lb fish on it but nothing for the rest of the day. I managed a 3lb plus fish tighter to the island again on expander but that was it so most of my fish came either down the edge or on my negative' deeper lines across either on dead maggot or expanders. I had been feeding down the track all day & did manage two late fish for over 8lb so it proved worth while not to give up on it. From what I could see a few fish had been caught but it seemed most had struggled as the match progressed.

When I caught up with the scales Paul Faiers was the top weight on peg 36 with 50lb odd which I hoped to have but hadn't been adding up' After a couple of close weights it was my turn & finished the day with 66lb odd including a couple of goldfish" Lee ended up with 40lb odd but I didn't know what had been caught in the earlier numbers as they were being weighed with another set off scales.

Back at the results & it turned out to be a very close affair with myself taking top spot just ahead of venue regular Mike Owen's from peg 9 with 64lb odd. A Really enjoyable days fishing, Not hectic by any means but by regular feeding & rotating lines I managed to add fish throughout the day picking up £42 along the way.

 Part of my catch.

 

 Donald must of already been looking down on me as nothing went wrong all day' I only lost three fish & two of them were foul hooked & I never trashed a rig" a good day all round as that's un-heard of". I'm off to Viaduct on Friday for an open & back here next Monday for Clevedon's open match which I'm sure will have a good turnout.

Full Results -

1st Dom Sullivan (Maver) peg 25, 66lb 8oz.

2nd Mike Owens (Sensas Thyers) peg 9, 64lb 4oz.

3rd Kev Jeffries (Bristol) peg 6, 55b 14oz.

4th Paul Fairies (Sensas Thyers) peg 36, 50lb 11oz.

5th Bob Warren (Over 50's) peg 34, 49lb 12oz.

6th Mike Chapman (Over 50's) peg 31, 48lb 12oz.