Shiplate farm (Hawthorns Lake) New Years Eve.

Only just h found time to do this write up with the reality of returning to work" I did manage one more match or more of a knock-up before the new year was upon us, A few asked if anything was on so we arrange eight of us to fish hawthorns lake, Easy pegging then using every odd number so everyone had plenty of room, The lake had a tinge of colour but I put that down to all the resent rain we've had in the area of late, I had the last in the tub today finding myself on peg 5, I expected the lake to fish hard today so set up a rig to dob bread across and to fish off the deck down the deep edges, A rig to fish on the deck a few feet off the far bank in 4ft of water being a 0.2g AS1 on 0.15-0.11 & an 18 F1 pellet hook, & finally a 4x12 malman for down the track in 6ft of water again on 0.15 to an 0.10 hooklength. I had venue resident Steve Peanut Howell on peg 3 but couldn't see his as such but sure I would here him if he was catching"??.

I went straight across on the bread dobbing along the far bank, I hooked a fish within seconds but it was a fouler & came off, went back across a bit shallower but soon after the same happened' At least I thought there were a few fish present? Well their was" In the next 30mins all I had were two small roach n not a sign of a carp, I decided to feed a small amount in the deeper water & off the bank & feed some G/bait & casters down the track to my left & some micros off to the right & let them settle. I switched to banded pellet across still searching along the far bank & eventually had a carp in the net but nothing followed, I had a quick look down the track on expander & had two skimmers over the micros but only a couple of roach over the G/bait feed. I hadn't heard much from Peanut & didn't here any splashing so presumed he wasn't do to well either, I wont go on to much about the day but as we expected it was hard, I managed a couple more skimmers down the track on expander but bites were few & far between, I did have a run of one pasty carp, One decent fish & another skimmer all caught across in the deeper water again on expander in as many dob-in's but after that just two small roach there all day, I had tried down the edge on the deck with corn & off the deck with bread but didn't have a bite' Mid way through the day I began to feed a corn line down the track to my right at 12mts, I did have a look with an hour to go but nothing & after trying all my other swims I went back on it with ten minutes to go, I missed a bite as soon as it settle which I wasn't really expecting, Back out & it happened again the with just a minute to go had a  skimmer over 1lb off it & was cussing myself for not trying it a bit earlier' Peanut had piped up after catching two carp, The second which he admitted to hooking in the head but still got it in over 6lb" but he didn't have much to go with them, That's until I shouted the all-out & got off my box only to see him playing a fish hooked down the edge with seconds to go & turned out to be around 7lb" The jammy C**T!" when the scales arrived it had fished hard with 18lb 14oz being top so far & 6lb of silvers was best, I ended with just under 6lb of silvers & my carp went 12lb odd for a level 18lb but the jammy (After The Whistle) peanut spoilt my pick-up finishing with 22lb to win the day" He does a fair bit of sea fishing & I swear he uses a sea hook down the edge as they never come off! Still I suppose he has to pick up sometimes" Owe hang on he did last week,' Mug of the match for coming stone last!" Lol.. Top silvers went to Glyn Wickham from fancied peg 1 with 8lb odd but it was hard for all of us today but nice weather wise so glad to be out on the bank, Thanks to owners Steve & Carol for letting me run a couple of matches over the Xmas period & to the effort they put in to maintain the fishery, Well that's it for another year, Had a bit of a lull in the middle part taking the best part of two months off & haven't travelled to far until I know more about the wife's future once she has seen the specialist next month! I did have a total on matches fished & total pick-ups threw the year but it looks like the wife has hid it so sort for my blogs starting in the New Year, Well all the best to my fellow anglers for the coming year & more importantly enjoy it" Happy New Year".

Full Results -

1st Steve Howell (Foul Hookers Uk) peg 3, 22lb 8oz.

2nd Mark Jones (Shiplate Farm) peg 15, 18lb 14oz.

3rd Dom Sullivan (Mosella) peg 5, 18lb.

Silvers -

1st Glyn Wickham (Tom Thick Baits) peg 1, 8lb 3oz.