Sunday 13th March 2016 - Landsend Fishery

After the latest match reports and a cold Saturday night, I was expecting a hard day. And, after I got out of my car and went ass over tit on some ice I truly learnt the meaning of hard!!

Tony and Danny were in the portakabin with the owner Mike Duckett decided where to peg the 17 of us as to be the most fair, considering how the lakes had been fishing. A few of the other guys were filling themselves with breakfast in the newish Landsend café. The decision was made and we were going to fish three sections; the south bank of Speci lake and the north/south banks of match lake. The Golden peg was drawn, peg 7, and that was then drawn by Dave Allen but he wasn’t expecting to pick up the pot. I picked out peg 27 and had no idea of its pedigree so I set off around the back of Speci lake in ignorance and soggy backside from my earlier fall. Four other anglers joined me on the lake with Tony Fry to my left on 25, Tony Newell on the right, peg 29, then Danny and the corner Rob Eagles.

Peg 27

At the peg, I made an immediate decision to fish for silvers. Three rigs were set up to fish the margins, 8m and 11m all with small Nick Gilbert floats and size 18 hooks to fish dead maggots, 4mm & 6mm expanders and corn. The expanders and some micros were soaked in strawberry flavouring. I decided the only feed I’d put in was a few micros and maggots from a toss pot, every put in.

On the horn I went onto the 8m line with dead maggot. Seconds later a splash to my right told me that Tony Newell had hooked a good double on the far bank. Alas for Tony the fish came off at the net. My first bite was a slight dip of the float and I was wondering if the fish were too small to give a good bite but it did turn out to be a 4oz roach.  I had a slow procession of this size of fish from this spot until a large common decided to get in on the act. But, as per Tony, I lost it at the net. So, the first three hours were spent waiting for these small roach and skimmers. I was able to take in the activity around me and it was clear that Rob Eagles was doing well as his rod and waggler were in constant motion.

After the clock went past 1:00pm, I decided to try my 11m line and was immediately rewarded with large skimmers, bream and crucians. This was productive for a hour until a big lump muscled in and snapped my light hooklength. I alternated between these two lines and a quick dabble in the margins until the end of the match catching a few more but nothing like that first hour on the 11m line.

South Bank of Speci Lake

In the last hour of the match, voices could be heard from the match lake and I guessed it was those who were not catching had got bored. At the all out, us on Speci lake were weighed first. Tony Fry put the first weight on the board with 10lb 11oz, I was next up and posted 14lb 1oz. Tony Newell was surprised when he put 14lb 2 ½oz on board. Danny registered 15lb 10oz and Rob Eagles had a great net of silvers at 32lb and one carp to total 38lb 10 ½oz. (PS: Rob tells me he doesn’t like the nickname ‘Big Bird’…… So, we’ll go with ‘Bald Eagle’ instead).

The scales moved onto match lake while I put my gear away and I met them again on the north bank. Horny Beards was nervous that he might lose a £1 to Tony Fry but luckily his carp and bits went 11lb 4 ½oz beating Tony by 9 ½oz. Steve King then put 31lb 5 ½ oz on the scales to win that section. The south bank section had been won by Martin Western with a net of 46lb 14oz.

Wednesdays match is at Emerald Pools and Sunday is at Chilton Trinity. Phone Tony or Danny for bookings.