Saturday 24th October - Clevedon Open Acorn Paddock Lake

With my daughters 30th Birthday Party on the Sunday it was a case of whether or not to bother at all. I really need my weekly fix so despite the weather forecast turned up on spec at our Club Lake at Acorn Fisheries to fish what was billed as an 'open'. I knew there had not been many attending these matches but at least I would be fishing with a bit of company and I have got to know the water a bit more.
Saturday morning came and as I turned up at the fishery at around 08:30 Mark aka the 'paste' Walsh was already walking the bank looking where to peg it. Naturally he was surprised I had turned up as I don't normally fish Saturdays nor Acorn for that matter. I asked how many was fishing and he said 5 up until now including me. I wasn't bothered about the numbers, just glad to get out.
5 was the final number and with £15 a head there would not be much in the pot (was not bothered about that either). Mark did ring Adie to see if the peg fee could be wavered and it was so Mark decided to pay out top 2 and at £45 and £30 it was worth a punt. Then another debate started as to where it should be pegged and even so talk about using the top lake which we would have to pay for lol, mad I thought. Eventually common sense was applied and we used 5 pegs between 31 and 40 giving everyone plenty of room. I was last but one to draw and not that there was a big que so was quite please when peg ping pong ball 40 came out in my hand. I had won from this peg earlier in the year.
As we set up to fish 10 - 4 only one other pleasure angler turned up. The weather at the time was OK but dressed for the heavy down pours that was forecast later on.
Two top kits were set up, one across at 13 meters just up the far shelf and one for the middle in front of the bridge. My favourite straight lead rig was also set up just in case the wind got up along with the rain.
Three pegs down was venue expert Mark on 37, he has been doing well on the venue fishing short and his set up today was no different and I did see him mixing up some paste. He fishes short alternating between left and right. I was just going to use banded pellet across and soft down the middle feeding sparingly.
First drop in I had a carp across which was about 3lb followed by 3 more on the trot then I lost a few but in the first hour I had 6 fish to Marks nil, I could not see anyone else catching much either. The far line died on me and the rain came pelting down so switched to the middle feeding through a pole pot. It took a while for them to respond but the bites came but a little finicky. I was catching a much smaller stamp of fish but decided to stick with in. Mark started to catch some bigger munters short so his patience was paying off and I thought he was catching me up.
I did enjoy the day, there was plenty of bites and I coped with the wet.
Mark did take the £45 first prize with just over 70lb of munters and I was one or two fish away with 65lb plus and £30 for second which paid for the day, that's my fifth pick up in consecutive weeks.

Result sheet as follows (no other pic due to weather)

Ist   Mark Walsh Clevedon 71lb 14oz
2nd Ivan Currie Maver Cadbury Angling 65lb 14oz

Back on Paddock on Sunday for a Clevedon Club Match.