Sunday 21st December - Clevedon Christmas Match Paddock Lake Acorn Fishery Kingston Seymour

This is a very well organised Match and well supported. Attendance was even better this year due to it being opened up to non members and the SW Disabled and Over 55's invited to fish. 32 booked in and to be honest is more than enough on this 40 peg match lake. It was 8 degrees when I left home at 7.30 with some very light rain, forecast was overcast most of the day with a chance of light rain. Breakfast was available in the on site Cafe, the results and prize giving was to be held in the Bridge Inn Yatton a 5 minute drive away.
It was good to see some faces that you do not normally see all year and who do not fish the Club matches.
Draw was held at 9 o'clock sharp, I was about half way in the que and when it came to my turn out came ping pong ball number 10, happy with this even though I have never fished this end of the lake.
A short walk today as I had more or less parked the car behind the peg anyway. Peg 9 to my right was taken by Match Secretary Adie Baker, Peg 11 was also in and taken by a SW D and over 55 angler so not a lot of room, the far shelf was a comfortable 11 meters across. 3 rigs set up for bottom of far shelf, middle and edge. Maggot, dead and alive, pinkie, soft pellet and micro on the bait table along with some bread.

every peg in down the left bank

island was full as well

Plumbing up I felt a couple of fish which was encouraging, Adie had the same experience.

On the whistle I fed the left hand margin and the far shelf with a little micro and dead read and cupped in some liqqy in the middle. The middle was where I started with a piece of 6mm punch, I did expect a bite straight away but it did not happen, after about 30 mins I had a couple of small dips but that was it. Nothing was being caught as far as I could see.A look across resulted in a foul hooker that jumped out of the water and came off, Adie also lost a few foul hookers in a row, The peg did not come alive at all and all I had was 2 roach and 2 see through perch. I got bored but picked up the camera and captured Adie in action.

fish on but nervous as already lost a couple

nearly there

got yah

Although Adie lost a few fish he picked up the odd one now and then and I thought he would be there or there abouts. At the weigh in he had 23lb 5oz, I had 4oz! disaster but apparent 4 blanked.

Back at the Bridge Inn I met up with Mark Walsh, venue expert and angling fashion icon. What did you weigh Mark... just over 30lbs was the reply. Turns out he had a practice the day before and he drew a bridge peg.

Here is Mark with his catch (thanks for the photo Scott).

not big carp but they all count

Overall results were as follows:

1st Mark (compo) Walsh 30lb 9oz

2nd Adie Baker 23lb 5oz

3rd Andy Hembrow 22lb 6oz

4th Darren North 22lb 2oz

5th Dave Smart 20lb 12oz

Silvers was won by fellow blogger Lee Williams with 2lb 4oz, Mike Owens was second wit 2lb 2oz which shows how hard it fished.

Here is Mark celebrating his win, he also won some good raffle prizes which brought the usual level of abuse directed towards him, Did he care!

man of the match and raffle

As if this match wasn't enough I am going back again as we have our Boxing Day Pairs match on Sunday 28th, must have had a senior moment.