22/08/12 - Lands End - Match Lake

Weight - 42lb 8oz (21lb 12oz - silvers)
Catch - 9 Bream, 5 Carp, 4 Perch, 3 Roach, 2 F1, 1 Tench, 1 Rudd
Weather - Sunny and warm, but increasingly windy
Match - Avon Angling Open - 8th out of 12 (1st in silvers)

I had decided to fish today's midweeker to get one of my 15 matches in before the winner takes all match, which was originally scheduled for the end of September. However, due to a clash of dates, the only Sunday available is 23rd December, which means no need to rush for the remaining 4 matches I need to qualify.

With only 12 booked in today, all anglers were on Match Lake and I found myself on peg 1, which was disappointing, since it hasn't fished well recently. I had John Bradford for company on p24, so I knew he wont be fishing beyond 5m.

The weather forecast was for a strong westerly, although when I arrived at my peg it was flat calm, but 2mins before the all in the wind started.

I started off by the corner of the island with 6mm meat, after cupping in a small amount of meat & pellet. I also deposited some meat and pellet at 13m in open water, plus caster along the left hand bank. I had considered feeding pellet along the left bank, but I would have required to go 16m to reach the overhanging tree where the carp live and with the forecast wind I didn't fancy fishing that long.

2 carp in the 1st 20mins was followed by 3 lost foul hookers and 2 trashed rigs that got snagged on the underwater rubbish. With the increasing wind I didn't bother trying here again.

I had also been feeding pellet by the bush to my right and already there was a bit of fizzing, as was my 13m line. As the match progressed, it became obvious there wasn't many carp in the area, since most were being caught by Tony and Tom on peg 5 & 7.

By rotating between the 13m line (using a HB chump 0.4g, 0.14 > 16 B911) were I continued to feed some meat and 4s and the bush swim to my right were I feed more heavily with 4s & 6s, I managed to put a few skimmers in the net, including a 3lber either on meat or 4mm expander. I did try paste, but couldn't get a proper bite.

Despite feeding caster regularly down the left hand bank, it produced very few fish, which was a surprise. Generally it was slow going and I was pleased to have picked up in the silvers.

The majority of the weights came from the bottom end of the lake, but at my end Martin on peg 3 had 37lb, whilst John on p24 and the angler on p22 DNW. If the westerly wind continues blowing I am such the fish will move again.

1st 154- 9 - Tom Thick - peg 5 (8mm pellet)
2nd 127- 3 - Tony Rixon - peg 7 (pellet & paste)
3rd 115- 8 - Trigger - peg 15 (pellet)
4th 112- 7 - Dave Roper - p13
5th 72- 2 - Fabio - p19
6th 59-14 - John Thompson - p11

Silvers
1st 21-12 - Ken Rayner - p1
2nd 15- 4 - Dave Roper - p11