Sunday 23rd December - Clevedon Club Christmas Match Acorn Fishery

It was hoped that this would be a 40 pegger and we had originally 20 pegs on Acorn and 20 on the main lake at Plantations just down the road. I bumped into Match Secretary Barry Fowler in Cadbury Angling on Saturday who informed me a number of anglers had gone down with the dreaded lurgy including our Steve Bonwick our Chairman. It was all to be on Paddock Lake at Acorn, fair enough.
Breakfast was from 07:45 at the Bridge Inn Yatton but there were only a handfull of us had it there as most went to Acorn for Breakfast. I can understand this as mine wasn't very good and appeared to have been cooked for a while. Everyone had to come to the Bridge Inn anyway as we done the draw there.
29 Turned up including some members who don't fish our matches that often, a prize for everyone being the attraction but it is good to see them.
Draw was at 09:00 with fishing 10:30 - 15:30. I drew peg 5 on the island, not fished it before but was told it has form with fish coming to the left hand edge or shelf later in the match. I planned to keep it simple today and fish the bottom of the far shelf, middle and left hand edge. Feed was to be caster, mirco and dead red, for company on peg 4 I had Paul Nicholls and on my right on the far side was Lance Tucker who is always worth a few fish, I think he won the previous day on Plantation with 96lb on the pole off peg 8.
The match started and I was just about ready, fed my lines and first put in on the bottom of the far shelf with a dead red produced a small skimmer, then nothing for about 30mins when another skimmer graced the net. Looking around no one was catching. I fished the middle line most of the match, in hindsight I should have just stuck to down the lefthand shelf. I had one carp across and one down the left hand side with about 15 mins to go. My middle line produced a few more skimmers.
My two carp weighed 7lb odd and my skimmers went 2lb 2oz, Paul next to me weighed in a few ozs less than me, Lance to my left weighed 25lb odd.

1st  James Gunter 60lb 06oz
2nd Brian Slipper 42lb 13oz
3rd Mark Bromsgrove 36lb 08oz.
4th Lance Tucker 25lb 14oz

Silvers
1st Simon Carvallo 21lb odd
2nd Mike Owen 2lb 12oz (I wasn't far away with 2lb 2oz)

Sections
A - Barry Fowler 12lb 11oz
B - Clive Richards 22lb
C - Paul Faires 23lb 07
D - Glen Calvert 24lb 9oz

1st James Gunter

2nd Brian Slipper

Prizes, alcohol being the main theme

Press report to Anglers Mail and North Somerset Times below.

Clevedon Freshwater Angling Clubs Christmas Match was held on the Acorn Fishery Kingston Seymour, 29 Anglers took part hoping to win some festive cheer as well as catch a few fish. For most of the day it remained dry but the recent heavy downpours affected the fishes appetite. Feeding the correct amount and bait presentation was the key to success. James Gunter drew peg 6 and pole fished maggot up close to a bridge catching a very creditable 60lb 6oz of carp made up of fish to 6lbs for 1^st place. James won a Tesco Hamper, bottle of champagne and cash. Second was Brian Slipper who took advantage of an empty peg next to him to catch 42lb 13oz, all carp. Third and drawn on the other side of the bridge to James Gunter was Mark Bromsgrove with a mixed net of fish for 36b 8oz. Top silverfish net went to Simon Carvallo who weighed in 21lb. Four anglers failed to catch, one of them the legend that is Kev Perry which shows how difficult it was on the day. Kevin made up for it though winning 1^st and 3^rd prize in the raffle. The Club would like to thank The Bridge Inn, Cadbury Angling and Acorn Fishery for supporting this event.



Well done to the guys for putting this match on and getting all the prizes, it doesn't just happen.

We have a pairs match next Sunday 30th Decemeber on Plantation Main Lake, lets hope the weather holds.

Happy Christmas all.