Back at it".

Please to say the last couple of weekends have seen me back on the bank, As it stands the wife seems ok at the moment with a regular dosage of tablets every few hours but suffers from grip in her hands at times but is soldering on bless her, Last Saturday saw the start of the acorn series spread over the next few months, 18 of us fishing spread around the lake, I drew peg 40 which was a bridge peg which meant I would be in the section with the other bridge pegs on the lake, Fro company I had Mark Broomsgrove (bunt next to me on peg 6 the other side of me in my section. I had an enjoyable day catching at just over 12mts to the far side just off the bridge on expanders over 4mm's & had a few fish later in the day down the edge but they were a bit spooky after you caught one you had to leave it. Come the end of the match I knew it was close between bunt & myself as he caught well down his deeper edge in the last hour or so. He was first to weigh in are section & finished with 122lb odd, This is where the fun began". It wasn't until we had weighed in half of us somebody weight a small skimmer which weighed 3lb 12oz! A reset was used then it turned out to weigh 12oz' something wrong here? Yep, every one who had weighed a carp net twice they had gained 6lb" Marvellous. well it turned out to be a right mare as after this the battery went in the digital scales so we had to wait for another set' but it wasn't until I was last to weigh I realised after finishing 2nd in the section to Bunt with 118lb I was robbed of 9lb as mark had three weighs on the first set of scales!

Owe well I suppose these things happen just hoping the extra point wont be costly come the end of the series'? Not just me it effected, Scales man Brian (Anteater) Slipper Lost his first net when it went 71lb so over the 70lb limit, then his next net went 85lb" bye bye" he did finish with 20lb odd ending last in the section but again he first net would of counted had he zeroed them! Lol, Ray cooper won the day with 149lb odd from peg 9 catching the bulk of his fish down the edge, I picked up £50 on the day & had an enjoyable one.

Sunday saw me on a knock-up on the Hawtorns lake at Shiplate farm on my doorstep, I've booked in a few matches here in the next few months, Including a mini series on all the lakes until we get more news on how Yvonne will be, I said in the morning to her as we enjoyed a fry-up I would end up on end peg 15, & I did" I had john Hawkins on peg 14 & Kurt Pinkett on peg 13, Well Are end was hard to say the least, I scratched around for what I would say were a few resident fish to end up with 8 carp for 24lb & a few bits for a total of 27lb, John ended with 19lb & Kurt Had 13lb then below him there were a few 60-70lb weights with Rich Hawkins winning the day with 76lb from peg 9, A bit of a gruller but it happens I did lose a couple of fish but it wouldn't of made a difference come the end.

This Saturday saw me back to Viaduct Fishery for the long awaited Silvers final Over Cambell Cary & Spring lakes, I fancied the winner would come from spring lake but cambell can also produce good silvers weights, 50 odd of us fishing today & I was near the front again, Peg 88, I'le be on the far end bank of Cary Lake then". I wasn't to hopeful I could catch enough to make the main frame but would give it my best to try for the section with anything else being a bonus. I had two lines at 14mts , one with maggot/casters over G/bait & the other with expanders over G/bait & 4mm pellet. I fed a shorter line with chopped worm/casters/G/Bait at 8mts & had a longer line 4x10 chanti to fish down the edge over loose fed casters & hemp on my top-kit + one section, I started down the edge & had around 5lb in the first hour mainly roach but bumped off a decent perch, I couldn't see the long lines I had fed for the first 90mins as the wind had picked up & the glare on the water was blinding' I did manage a few 4-6oz skimmers at 8mts before they disappeared' & managed a few on the expanders at 14mts but I couldn't catch with maggot or casters on the other long line funnily enough, I had one decent 2lb plus skimmer on the expander halfway through the day but I was having to wait for bites & most fish seemed on the small side, I spent most of the day dropping back in on the edge line catching what I could to try & keep the odd 1lb or so going in the net, I had another enjoyable day & estimated on having around 21lb? I did have a bit off a lull just over halfway through & spent to long looking for better fish on the long lines but it could of worked another time. I was surprized to finish with 24lb 6oz, Which turned out to be enough for the £50 section money, As I expected Spring lake was the place to be as Richard A'Herne won the day with 52lb odd from peg 2 & Gabo was second with 32lb from near bye peg 26 on the spit, it turned out 30lb was enough to make the main frame monies. another enjoyable day at the venue as what has to be one of the best silvers venues in the country.

Today saw me back at Shiplate For the second round of the mini series this time we were all on the newly formed sqirle pool, the first round saw me draw peg 4 on the westpool, funny that, I've fished this lake four times in 18 mths and drawn it every time! I struggled to put much together but finished with 30lb with 48lb winning the section & 42lb second so really needed a section win in this round. The Wife came with me to the draw so I let her do the honours. I ended up on the straight section peg 8 with the island across at 12mts, this lake holds a good head of small carp with the odd fish between 4-5lb which are a real bonus" I put my faith in a rig down the track to fish left & right on my top two plus two & had a rig to fish just a couple of feet off the far bank in nearly 4ft of water, again with a line two the left and right. I fed G/Bait and 4mms across to my right at 12mts and fed the two track lines before starting across infront of me on expander over cad-potted 4mm hard pellet.

I had a good start catch fish between 5-8oz quite regular before they were wiped out in one go when Julian Pinkett next to me netted a fish around 4lb", I spend the first few hours swapping the two lines across to keep trying to add fish to the net, Julian hadn't caught as many fish but he was now sticking it out in the hope of catching some better fish tight over, The last couple of hours were a bit harder as I had to keep changing depth to try & add the odd fish to the net, I did manage a fish of 3lb & another around 3lb but most were 4-8oz, The last hour proved best for Julian as he soon added a few fish to nearly 5lb" I did have a quick look tight over on a new rig but though it best to just plod on catching what I could until the all out in the deeper water across, When the scales arrived 42lb odd was winning the section, I had Julian down to beat me with his bigger late fish but he finished with 41lb odd before I was very surprized to end up winning the section & the day with 52lb odd picking up another £40 as the money is paid the same to first in each section. Another really busy days fishing which I really enjoy, most of my fish came on expander over G/Bait Or over 4mm's with a few dampened micros fed over the top. Glad to be having another go, Like I said most of my fishing will be on my doorstep for the next few months but try & get into a bit more detail when I have chance.