I was undecided where to fish on the Sunday, I did fancy a trip down to Hawkridge Res to try and catch some of those Golden Trout but at around 15:00 I gave Pete a call at Summerhayes and booked myself in for the Sunday Open. Pete informed me it was to be on Longs Lake so I am yet to fish Sellicks Lake. This would be my 3rd trip to the venue this year.
Draw was at 09:45 so had a bit of a lie in after a few sherberts the night before with a couple of friends. I got there about 09:30 and it was rammed so had to double park. There was a club match on Sellecks Lake and 24 were booked in for the Open Match. A few regular faces from the Clevedon Club were also there, Dave Stevenson, Paul Faires, Rod Wootten and Nick Harvey.
I left the gear in the car until after the draw as some would no doubt move to the bottom car park depending on where they drew.
Pete prior to the draw announced he would be paying top 5 overall and top 3 silvers so money was well spread out.
I held back a bit and went into the bucket around the halfway mark and pulled out 15 which is down the bottom end towards the M5. I have never drawn down this end before so something different. Dave Stevenson had 17 and Rod had 11. I drove down to the bottom car park and had a very short walk. For some strange reason there was no Peg 16. Peg 15 was a huge platform commonly known as the helicopter pad.
Home for the day
Elevated part of the M5 directly behind me
I did fancy the peg, there were lots of reeds and carp were constantly moving in them but I have been in this situation before and it can be very fustrating loosing fish and tackle. I had been reading Mike Nicholls Blog ( Silverfox) who has done very well on paste recently so 2 identical rigs were set up to fish at various points in a bay to my left and nearside left margin. I only set up one other rig for open water at 5 meters to fish soft pellet over two lines micro and ground bait nice and simple today.
Dave Stevenson was ready before me and it was his first visit to the water.
Dave just before the 'all in' making that final text to Darren Nudd.
On the all in I fed wetted 4mm pellet on 3 lines for the paste and micro's and ground bait in my 2 open water swims but I never had a look on them all match. I thought the peg was crying out 'carp' so decided to go for it. I fished the paste short first, top 2 plus 2 on the inside and after 10 minutes the float sailed away and fish on, a nice little common of about 2lbs. I fed a little more were I had caught this fish and then tried my 13 meter line into the bay and about a foot out from the reed where it was about 3'. I think the paste must have just hit bottom and a carp grabbed it. This fish was better and I had to add force to keep it out from the jungle. The No.14 elastic soon tamed it and a 4lb common was netted. Fish were moving continuously but did not appear to be getting their heads down. I had another just short of the first hour. Looking around there did not appear to be much happening although the guy on 13 was getting a few on the method. I stuck it out on the paste until about 14:00 but changed one of my paste rigs for fishing banded pellet very shallow in the left hand margin after I saw peg 13 getting a couple down toward the empty pallet on 14. This was the turning point in the match for me and I started to put quite a few in the net for the remainder of the match. It was nerve racking stuff trying to get them out of the snags and reeds and I did loose a few as well as trash 3 rigs.
In the final hour I was match the angler on 13 fish for fish so it was going to be close altough I had no idea if anything was being caught around the sides and top end of the lake. I was thinking I had around 40lb.
I walked up and met the scales around peg 8, up until then top weight was 39lb 3oz. Alvin Jones was on 8 and put 54lb 2oz on the scales so word was that would be hard to beat. Paul Jackson was the angler on 13 and he had 42lb 10oz so it was going to be tight. My weight of one small tench and carp went 39lb 4oz so 3rd overall at that point and thats the way it remained.
In the final hour I was match the angler on 13 fish for fish so it was going to be close altough I had no idea if anything was being caught around the sides and top end of the lake. I was thinking I had around 40lb.
I walked up and met the scales around peg 8, up until then top weight was 39lb 3oz. Alvin Jones was on 8 and put 54lb 2oz on the scales so word was that would be hard to beat. Paul Jackson was the angler on 13 and he had 42lb 10oz so it was going to be tight. My weight of one small tench and carp went 39lb 4oz so 3rd overall at that point and thats the way it remained.
Birthday boy with his catch on reflection I should have won it!
Top 5 as follows then...
1st Alvin Jones Summerhayes 54lb 2oz
2nd Paul Jackson Summerhayes 42lb 10oz
3rd Ivan Currie Maver Cadbury Angling 39lb 4oz
4th M Addicott Sumerhayes 39lb 3oz
5th Rod Wootten Clevedon 34lb 14oz
Silvers
1st Nigel Wickham Summerhayes 15lb 4oz
2nd Ray Wickham Summerhayes 6lb 15oz
3rd Glyn Wickham & Roger Russell both 5lb 15oz
Full results below.
Well done mate and Happy Birthday (it was mine yesterday too!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jamie strange birthdays on the same date. Hope mum is ok and keep up the pace in your league.
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