Sunday 9th August 2015 - Avalon Fisheries

After a hot sunny Saturday the forecast was for a cooler overcast day with a pleasant breeze. When I arrived at 8:15 there was more sun than cloud and no wind so I was thinking that I'd be a red and sweaty boy by the end of the day. Luckily it clouded over and provided a little ripple on the water.

Vic Bush had closed pegs 1-23 for the 18 of us although Matt missed the draw and was banished to peg 1 for his sins. Listening to the pre-match banter it seemed that a fair number of guys were going to target the silvers. Me being one!! The 9-00 am draw came and first into the bag was Phil 'the horn' Beards who pulled out peg 3.... Again!!! And the moaning started!! I lifted out peg 7, more of a carp peg but my mind was made up. Danny drew, yet again, the favoured silvers per 16, so he trotted off with a satisfied grin on his face.
This was my main view for the day...

I did have to put up with this view on peg 6, 'Bolton Boy' George Fletcher.....

To my left, peg 8 was not used and Paul Berry was on peg 9

My plan for the day was to fish 4 lines, 11m in front, 2+1 in front and left and right margins. All my floats were Nick Gilbert pencils with one rig having a banded size 16 hook and the other rig a just a 16 hook. The margin rig was obviously shallow and a size 16 hook. My bait compliment was 6mm hard pellet, 8mm expander, corn and worn for the hook and goundbait, caster and hemp for feed.
At the all in I fed the 11m with 3 balls of groundbait and then I decided to go bit bashing in the margins while I left the groundbait to settle. The 3rd put in to the margins threw up a surprise of a 2lb Tench. After 30 mins I went out to 11m with corn on the hook. There started the beginning of a frustrating day. Trembling floats, lift bites and tiny touches which on the majority resulted in no fish but also no bait. George, next to me was suffering the same and whinging like hell about it but then he whinges a lot anyway so it was difficult to know the truth.

One thing I did notice was that the all in there wasn't the usual sound of leads and wagglers assaulting the islands. Steve King was on peg 5 and got some early fish on the waggler. Paul Berry on 9 was catching a few on the island but was frustrated by the overgrown reeds. Paul did retrieve a pellet waggler with 30 metres of line so he was ahead on gear for the day. The banter for the day was definitely coming from pegs 3 through to 9 with Bob leading the singing from peg 4.

After 4 hours of very little fish I decided to bit bash my margins and 2+1 and and ultimately raise my silvers total to a meager 10lb 7oz. 3 carp did intervene in my silver endeavor, all smashing my lighter elastics and rigs. In hindsight, I reckon I could have caught more by using a whip and trying to catch those 3-4oz roach.

There was to be 6 prizes for the day, 3 overall and 3 silvers. The results are as follows....

1st overall - Eric 'Ninja' Searle (peg 21) 84lb 7oz
2nd..........   Steve King (peg 5) 83lb
3rd...........   Dave Allen (peg 13) 62lb 14oz

1st Silvers - Paul Bowyer (peg 22) 31lb 3oz
2nd............. Mike Davis (peg 10) 24lb 5oz
3rd............. Andy Danahay (peg 16) 23lb 11oz

The results sheet.....