Shiplate Farn (Hawthorns Lake).

Didn't really think I would be venturing anywhere this weekend after the aftermath of the beast from the east as they say' I had an enjoyable day with my step son yesterday celebrating his 18th birthday with a few drinks & with the snow quickly melting I managed to book in for a match on hawthorns at the last minute but arriving at the fishery I soon ventured home after being told it was frozen for my ice breaker but needn't had bothered as on my return Mark Thorn was already out on the boat doing his best to clear some swims, I fancied peg 1 would produce a few as it was totally free of ice & usually produces in the cold weather, Into the draw & I ended up on peg 10, I had Glyn Wickham on peg 9 & Jonny Page on peg 12 , Nice to have any empty peg between us, Nope It was froze bank to bank from directly in front of me & I even had to get the boat in to clear the edge of my swim to fish thanks to johns help, I didn't really expect anything to want any real feed so the day would be based on dobbing bread over to the far bank cover at 14mts, I set up a 0.1g hand made float on 0.15-0.12 & an 16 F1 Pellet hook to search along the bank but only had around 8ft to work with as the ice to my right cut me off at this stage, I set up a 4x12 chanti on 0.13-0.11 to fish at the bottom of the far shelf in the deep water around 6ft & finally a rig to fish a few feet off the far bank in the slightly deeper water if need be. Before the start Peanut Howell' walked up & told us he had seen two Carp roll in his swim' I ask You!".

I fed the deep line with some corn on the all-in the went straight across on the bread with the rig set a couple of feet deep, It took a few minutes before I had an indication but unfortunately it was foul hooked & we parted company" The next 45minutes were a nightmare' I shallowed up even more but still manage to foul hook & lose another three fish all after getting them back to my top kit", Glynn had had a decent skimmer and a roach down the track but was targeting silvers from the off but apart from this I hadn't heard anything being caught, after 20minutes of waiting a finally hooked a decent fish in the mouth but it brushed against the ice which was now shifting to my left & shed the hook".

I would like to say things got better but the didn't, After the ice had shifted I had more room to fish across but just couldn't catch any carp or get indications of them anywhere in the peg, I managed a 10oz hybrid from where I started the day & caught a 6oz roach right off to my right in the end but that was it! I Kept adding a bit of corn down in the deeper water & did miss two bites on it in the last hour or so but put it down to skimmers as I didn't connect with anything', Glyn had managed to winkle out just over 2lb of silvers, Pagey had a 5lb carp & a few bits & above him Nigel Banked so we all struggled really, Down on peg 8 Alan Healy had a good day catching across on bread later in the match, He admitted to a bit of room but trying to think outside the box did the fish push down past Glyn as the ice all held up on the rope above Alan? Never the less he did well to romp the day with 55lb odd, Just a couple of fish were enough to make the rest of the frame but at least we all had a day on the bank & we couldn't expect to much after melting ice all day.

Back to Viaduct next Sunday for the final round of the winter league & all the lakes will be ice free by then so looking forward to it, Hopefully Trig keeps at the draw arm so peg 26 looks my best bet please'. I'm Totally gutted to be missing my old travelling partner Don Sutherlands Memorial Match at the fishery next Saturday due to being on a course at work I cant get out of but I'm sure it will be well attended in his memory & he will be in my mind. 

Full Results -

1st Alan Healy (PSV) peg 8, 55lb 14oz.

2nd Ray Wickham (Tom Thick Baits) peg 1, 15lb 2oz.

3rd Steve Howell (Shiplate) peg 3, 11lb 7oz.

Silvers -

Nigel Wickham 4lb 9oz.