*/Fisho" Mania Qualifier (Viaduct Fishery).

My first chance to have a crack at this years Fisho' Qualifiers with my first attempt to hopefully have a peg with a chance of making the now semi' final,  Who I class as my young apprentice back in the day", Lewis Jones had also been fortunate enough to get nearly the same amount of tickets as me so it was already agreed we would travel together. No hilltops today but we did manage to grab a breakfast roll & hot drink on the way down from the burger van' In the A38 layby, We Arrived in plenty of time to be escorted' Lol to are parking space before grabbing a hot cuppa as it was blowing an Absolutely Howler!" & just for good measure it was raining" most of the 130 fishing were cramped in the shelter of the shop or decked area out of the horrid weather' Their certainly were going to be a lot of pegs we wouldn't want made worse by the fact nearly half would have the wind smack in their chops". I caught up with Exeter based Tom Dowling before the draw & with all the talk of peg 113 on Cambell being well fancied I joked I best make sure I get in the draw bag before them to have any chance'.

The match was put back to an 11am start which made sense rather than have a mad trolley dash' I was a bit closer than I would of liked towards the front of the draw queue so let a few slip in-front before taking my turn, I was praying with baited breath as I opened the ticket to find myself on peg 86 Cary & Lewis ended up with peg 100 on the same lake, I was happy with my draw even though fellow blogger Tony Rixon had it on Sunday their was a bit more pressure on it to day & hopefully with a good wind on the lake it could spur a few of the big fish to feed? Owe & I forgot to mention Tom's draw, Only BLOODY 113..!" I ask you" I even took a photo of the grin on his face before the match commenced incase I couldn't get to him after the weigh-in".

I was quite pleased when arriving at my swim the now very harsh wind was slightly off are shoulder so nowhere near as bad as for those on the opposite bank including Lewis,

It was a bit to blowy for the pole & the waggler was out of the question so a simple day again then just two bomb rods, one with 7lb main line to an 0.22, 15" hooklength & the other 6lb main line to an 0.19, 15" Hooklength with a hair stop, Plenty of time to grab a brew for Glynn Reynolds from the Freenze welsh mob who would be good company on peg 85 next to me which also had a chance of throwing up a few.

Completely ready before the start all I had to do was chose which bait to start with' What made it worse is Pellet is allowed for this match unlike Sunday when I was on this lake so had even more options to confuse me?. I decided to start 8mm punched red meat as it had caught me a few on Sunday so I suppose you could say I had a bit of confidence in it casting around 25mts to start with as I didn't want to venture to far across to start with. Well somewhere approaching the 30 second mark the tip flew round & a decent fish was on' It took me all of a minute to net it at around 13lb" STOP FISHO' I'M WINNING.!" If only it was a case of who catch the first & Biggest hey". Well it was a great start but the next cast didn't produce so after another 15min I switched to putting polony on the hook, Again it hadn't been in for more that a few mins before I added a fish of 10lb soon followed the next chuck with a bigger fish approaching 14lb" my next fish came just before midday which was smaller than the norm but in the first hour I guessed I had around 45lb in the net so was more than happy'. This is where the wheels fell off slightly as I fully expected a few more with the way things were going but in the next hour I didn't add a fish, What I did notice was pegs 96, 97 & 99 had all started to catch fish,

 Please go round"

 

Glynn next to me had also had four fish but I couldn't see how big they were as the bush blocked the view but he was also struggling to add anymore, Over the next hour I tried hard pellet on the hook on an area I had been feeding a few from the off at around 20mts without a sign & had now covered most of the open water as far as I could go but only added one more, Into the fourth hour & I managed an F1' on 10mm polony & a skimmer on red meat but couldn't seem to find anymore carp, The pegs on the far bank seemed to be fairing best I though until I spoke to Lewis & He told me pegs 77 & 78 had both been catching carp on the pole in the sheltered area they had with a fallen tree in the water but not an area most would of expected the fish to be'.

Going into the last hour I had a couple of liners in the same area I had started before hooking a decent fish just as there' a polp" right near where I hooked mine? It turned out it was the guy on 95 who had obviously gone beyond the boundaries straight over my line" A tug of war ensued which went on for about 10mins before his final tug snapped my hooklength & losing the fish" Wth a new one attached I cast to the same spot, Soon after I was in again & bugger me he struck into me again after casting across & 10mins later another lost fish & hooklength!!! I was not impressed" & believe me I must of mellowed" coz a while back I think you may of found them speared to the tree with a bank stick!

What made it worse is this time it must of cost him some tackle so he proceed to pack up & sod off". I re-attached another & with 20ins to go hooked another & with no obstacles" I got it in around 14lb only to hook & lose another at the net as it bolted & I had tighten the drag earlyier when having my battle" B*****K's.

I had time for a quick chuck with the pellet set up but it was to late to add a new hookength before the all out on the other rod & come the end I was a bit put out to be honest, Glynn had ended the day with 9 fish & thought he had around 90lb & I had finished with 7 fish for around 70lb so my misspent time in tug of war & rushing for some late fish could of certainly cost my for the section at least.

when the scales arrived 24lb was winning the section, I was close with my guess finishing with 69lb odd & Glynn was bang on with 90lb to win the section so well done mate, Dan Squires above the spit on 81 in the next section weighed a level 100lb but either side of the tree on pegs 77, 78 both finished with over a 100lb,

We were late back to the results but it turned out the peg I drew on Saturday & Des Shipp had Sunday peg 115 on Cambell was the place to be as it threw up the winner John Greening from Woody's Tackle taking 160lb 11oz on the bomb & Pellet so it looked like they had ventured up the lake a bit today as Tom on what was the hot peg" struggled for a few. Goes to prove you just don't know & overall both Cary & Cambell produced a few ton' weights. Well done to John & best of luck in the semi's, Five more chances to have a crack at it but at least i a few fish & A good chance to go at it, Its a shame the fish appeared to move, I did pull out of my fifth fish after a few turns which perhaps caused them to vacate but who know's'. After the first hour I was really beginning to think getting to cudmore was on the cards but it wasn't to be but still a good day, Wind lashed Lewis looked ill when he returned to the van but he had done well to catch 60lb after a slow start. Are next trip is to Woodlands View in a few weeks which we will visit before hand followed by another trip here a few days after. Off to the Sedges Fishery on Saturday for a pairs match spread over two weekends on Tile & Brick Lake with Gabriel Skarba so looking forward to the change of scenery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 -+