Holiday Final Day - Campbell Costcutter

 Last match of the holiday, the weather so far had been better than what I had expected but then I had been lucky to draw in the sun every day. However, today it was forecast to be much cooler and windier and the wind would be blowing into the top end of the lake. Breakfast first at M&M I had a couple of hash browns on the breakfast, when I came to pay the bill I was taken aback at the price, others thought the price was a bit steep and we might have to rethink next  year.

As this was a costcutter match the payouts were top 3 overall and top 3 silvers, and so you've got to really pick your quarry and go for them all match. As I have mentioned in a previous post I did not bother to make up lots of PVA tea bags so I was going to fish for silvers I thought. I drew peg 123, another corner peg, and with the wind blowing up into this end I wondered if I might get the carp to play ball, plus there were lots of regular silvers anglers here meaning getting in the top 3 was gonna be hard, especially with one of the best silvers anglers here Rob Eagle on peg 124 which has produced silvers well this week.

Got to the peg and got my lead rod out, and then a silvers rig for fishing 6m and 11m, also a silvers rig for the margin, and a carp rig for 8m along the bank. As you can see my set up was not at all in lone with my go for one quarry, but my plan was try for carp straight away on the lead and if I caught them stick with it and expect to catch in margin later. In reality what happened is this, I feed my silvers lines with gbait, chucked the lead out, gave it 20 mins, had nothing and that was the end of my carp fishing. Rob Eagle had started steady on the skimmers and I had given him a head start which wasn't a good idea. My 6m line was fizzing so I tried there first as it would be easy given the increasing wind, but I didn't catch one. Out to 11m and this was better as I was getting lots of indications and catching skimmers on various hookbaits but worms seemed best. For the next hour I probably was fish for fish with Rob.

The wind got stronger, the rain came and it was uncomfortable fishing where I was, I then went through a bad time of foul hooking what seemed to be every other fish. This meant I fell further behind Rob. I cannot really say why this was, or why all of a sudden I stopped fouling them. My catch rate was never quite as good as Rob, and he also seemed to be catching bigger skimmers than me, whatever he does, he does it well and he landed a lot more foulers than me too lol! I think it was about an hour to go that the carp started to become evident and both me and Rob started hooking a few, I landed two including one of about 14lb. I kep going and swapping between the two lines, despite the 11m line being best I had to rest it. Right on the all out I put the landing net under my best skimmer of probably 3lb, a nice way to end but I thought Rob had doubled my weight and that meant only one more angler could beat me on silvers if I was to get a pickup.

The scales always start on peg 132 and Martin R had top silvers with 49lb 2oz before Rob plonked a massive 89lb 5oz of skimmers on the scales, wow what a performance. 

Picture courtesy of Viaduct Fishery, think it’s a stock shot as weather was not that nice 😂

Luckily for me Rob hadn't quite doubled my weight as I weighed 49lb 13oz (my two carp went 20lb). The scales went off and I packed off not really thinking I had done enough as 60lb+ had been been needed last match for silvers money. I was late getting back to the shop as we had to pack another anglers gear up and I pushed his trolley back, as he had to leave early due to an emergency. I was then chuffed when Steve Long passed me a brown envelope, I had scraped in 3rd place in the silvers.

Overall today

1st Tony Wittcomb 160lb peg 125 all on the tea bag

2nd Glenn 124lb peg 112 finally caught on the paste!

3rd Woody 122lb peg 118 (or was it 117..) on the tea bag and a few in the margin

Silvers

1st Rob Eagle 89lb peg 124

2nd Nigel Easton 62lb peg 135

3rd Tim Ford 49lb 13oz peg 123

Picture of winner Tony, definitely taken on the day!

I drove back to the lodges and saw a group of the lads having a beer, I showed them the envelope and said I've got an envelope. Martin R said is that mine? But I had to tell him it was mine and I had beat him by 11 ounce thanks to my last gasp skimmer.

I definitely need to go back to Campbell and fish for those skimmers again, I need to put in a better performance, and although it's hard to beat those guys who fish it every week I think I need to try again.

As it was the last night and no need to get up early and go fishing the next day we all said we would have a few more beers, though truth be told a few were struggling to keep their eyes open as the evening went on and some light weights went to bed early, they missed the cheese fest.

Well as ever the holiday was a lot of fun, the fishing on Campbell was not as was in previous years, and clearly I should have taken pva bags, but that said it did appear that you needed to be above the rope most of the week to catch any carp. Also with the silvers weights being so good you needed to fish for them all match, and I should have done more of that. Just shows how a venue can change, and next year it could be different. I'll certainly remember that net of tench at Acorn  for a long time to come.

Before leaving for home on Friday a few of us took a walk around the lakes and took in the scenery of the Carey Valley. Spending time at such a beautiful tranquil place is just fabulous. From next weekend I hope to be spending more time back on the river, and I am booked in to a pairs series at Newbridge with partner Rich Lacey, now need to get my river gear sorted for that, all change!