Getting back home I had another chesty cough and blocked nose, about 5 times in a year now, which also kept me off the bank. Midweek working up in Yorkshire I felt like I wanted to go fishing, the temperature was coming up and lakes thawing out. With no river matches on that I could see I booked in for Windmill. Then the weather changed and got cold and I was thinking it was going to be tough.
After watching the Gas win (been a while) and a few celebratory drinks I was looking forward to Sunday. A quick breakfast to fuel me and then off to the fishery. 12 fishing today, not surprised by the low turnout as it was absolutely freezing! Nick Sanders did the draw and I pulled out peg 23. I had to be happy with this as it seems the carp are this end of the lake, and on Thursday Kai Hurley had 53lb off it for fourth. Being the shortest walk I was soon at the peg.
First obvious spot to fish to was the island reeds, just to the right as the angler on 25 can cast to the end of the island. I had a lead rod for here, and pole at 16m with 4x12 in about 3 1/2 feet of water, 0.11 to 18 GPM.
I also had a 4x16 rig for fishing two 14.5m lines in the deep water.
Lastly my 16m rig would do for fishing next to margin reeds at 12m, it was a float length deeper here.
With only 12 here I had lots of room, with Gary Bedford on 21, Antony Bright on 25, bang opposite me on 1 was Jon Osbourne. We started at at 10:15, thirty minutes later Mr Bright has a carp on method feeder, and two chucks later another. Soon after Jon had a carp and lost one on the long pole in deep water. I’d been dobbing various areas without a sniff, nothing on my deep swims. A hour in and I had my first bite from 16m, 15 seconds later it came off.
Another hour or so and no bites, Gary had 2 carp and John 2, but on peg 3 Gerry Welsh had 30lb dobbing. Eventually I got bored and despite 5 layers was feeling the cold, so I went for a walk. Other than Gerry and John Williams on 6 (which won on Thursday) not much was caught, even the likes of Shaun Townsend were blanking. What was noticeable was that a few anglers had carp moving in the reed, but my reeds were empty. I returned to the peg and still couldn’t get a bite anywhere, I was a bit fed up as clearly there were carp this end but I was avoiding them. The margin line was dead, and so I started to loosefeed maggots here with a catapult to try to make something happen.
Just after 1:30pm I hooked a carp on double maggot in the margin. Landed a 5lb fish and then realised I had not put my keepnets in, so thought I better put one in! Next drop in the margin and waited about 15 seconds for the float to go under, carp number 2 was soon in the net, a nice 9lb common. Next drop in missed a bite, but soon attached to carp number 3 and another 7lb in the net. At this point Leyton Palmer sat on the bench by me, he saw me hook and shortly afterwards pull out of a carp. Luckily it was well away from the margin and I was soon into another carp.
By 2:30pm and with an hour to go I had 47lb on my clicker, and Glenn Bailey and Dave Haines had also been watching me. The margin line then died, not really surprising considering the great spell I had. I’d tried toss potting, fishing further away but no more bites. I tried my other lines to rest the margin, but no bites anywhere. I decided to sit it out in the margin for the last 20 minutes (finishing at 3:30pm), but there were no signs. Just as I said to Jon “is it all out yet” my float dipped and as I struck the all out was called by Nick… “fish on!”. A nice 8lb mirror to end the day.
I had the scales and had to weigh from peg 11 back to me. It wasn’t going to take long. Gary on my right had 3 carp for 23lb 11oz and that was the best until I weighed 55lb 4oz.
Winner today was Gerry Welsh with 60lb 11oz, all caught dobbing, well done Ger!
I was second, and third was John Williams with 33lb on peg 6.
Silvers was jointly won by Paul Barnfield and Mat Tainton with 4oz. I think the lakes silvers have been decimated, the clue being 14 cormorants on site.
I was happy to get home and get warmed up, and reflected on a poor day brightened up by a wonderful hour. Don’t think the temperature got much above 3C today and in my book any result in winter is a bonus. I was glad I finally found the fish and didn’t pack up which did briefly go through my mind lol!
