Despite having a decent result at Willinghurst on sunday (well I did but Don blanked) we decided to fish a hastily arranged match on the Silvers Lake at Sumners Pond on wednesday.
Tuesday night saw me sitting in front of the telly surrounded by ridiculously light line and small hooks as I put together a few rigs for the following day. You don't realise how thick 0.18 line is until you start tying rigs up with 0.10 !
Anyway I managed a few rigs with tackle that Mike Sanders had recommended to me for my trip to Barston the other month, a couple of 4x16 Carpa Chimps on 0.12 line with 0.10 hooklengths with T213 size 18 hooks and also an 0.12 hook in the loop rig. I was really getting
into this silvers lark until I was interrupted by the weather forecast which showed far too much blue shading on it for my liking and a temperature at Horsham of about 3 degrees - and that was the day time temperature !
The following morning we arrived at Sumners to find that the small pond was covered in ice but although very very cold, the big lake was ice free. Whilst I ate my breakfast Terry Harrison was dispatched to peg the lake and despite having all the lake to use, squashed a load of the pegs up together as he tried to keep everyone out of the cold wind.
Whilst I appreciate how difficult it is to peg a lake sometimes, my draw on Peg 5 put me halfway into a large bush and quite close to Marcus Page on Peg 4 ! Anyway I tackled up my two rigs to fish at 12.5.metres at 2 o'clock as the light was better there and I wanted to fish away from Marcus to my left. I also fed a line by the bush to fish for perch as there are some big perch in the lake and they often get caught by the features.
I began the match by cupping in a pot of chopped worm and maggots by the bush and kinder cupped a few 4mm pellets on my long line. Whilst the fishing was very slow, especially by Sumners standards, it really was cold and I don't think there would be many venues where you would get loads of bites on such a cold day.
I started to catch the odd skimmer but they were mostly fish of between 5 and 8 ounces whilst Marcus and Terry Harrison to my left were catching fish over a pound. With half the match gone, the lady who runs the cabin came round to see if anyone wanted anything to eat, which was good news for Gadget as the sausage roll he had turned out to be his only bite of the day !
For those who know Gadget, it was brilliant, I've never known him be so quiet !
As the match moved into the last two hours the bites became less and less as the weather turned even colder and at 3.30 when we packed up, most peoples car windscreens were frozen solid and my pole sections were frozen and wouldn't budge.
On a tough day where most caught a few fish, all my fish fell to 4mm or 6mm pellet and I never had a bite in my "Bush Peg" on worm or maggot. The final result went something like this:-
Peg 1 Ray Tingley DNW
Peg 2 Gadget DNW
Peg 3 Terry Harrison 18-0-0 1st
Peg 4 Marcus Page 14-9-0 3rd
Peg 5 Dave Pearson 8-10-0
Peg 6 Mick Keeper 8-2-0
Peg 7 Adam Lee 6-0-0
Peg 8 Neil Jakes 17-0-0 2nd
Peg 9 Don Garnish 14-0-0
Peg 10 Barry Upperton 10-14-0
Peg 11 Derek White 8-2-0
Peg 12 Rob 14-1-0 4th
Peg 13 Tony 4-6-0
Peg 14 Glen Wills DNW
Whilst I didn't exactly set the world on fire, I quite enjoyed my first silvers match of the winter and have to say that I haven't laughed as much on a match in ages !
We are back at Sumners next wednesday if anyone wants to join us but in the meantime I have round 2 of the Molesey Pairs League at Willinghurst on Sunday where Don and I are sitting in 5th place (out of 20) no thanks to my 3 points in round 1 !
JPZ's from Marukyu - "The Dogs Danglies"
Jordan Whitby with a PB Carp of 18lb from Newdigate
Maggotdrowning.com
Exclusive Pictures
Fred Davis with his personal best chub of 7-2-0 from the River Lea
and his 6-8-0 tench !
Neil Humpage with part of his 89-10-0 match winning chub catch from the River Wye
Mike Spragg with his personal best Barbel from the The Wye, a whopping 10-1-0.
Davey P's Locker - Tackle I would recommend
Drennan Lake Floats - I used to use these floats for crucians and have recently started using them again for my silvers fishing, The cane bristle makes them especially sensitive.
I use this hook for nearly all my carp fishing from Size 10's with paste, 14's with the knotless knot on the lead and 18's for Hook in the loop rigs and they have never let me down.
How smart are this lot - Andy May and his wife with some of the motley Total fishing.com crew. There is a small pond just out of the picture and they fished a small sweepstake between the wedding ceremony and the reception ! Andy May won, Haisman was last - no change there then !
Myles Levy and his mate Chris with a 59lb catfish from France.
When I was writing in the Angling Times I promised some friends that I would try and get "Fish Cakes" mentioned in an article. However, as I was sacked before I could do so, I thought I'd put them on here ! So Mick and Karen Jones, here they are as promised !
At least one member of the Baxter clan can catch fish ! Young Dylan with a 4lb bream.
Hathers at Stafford Moor - Let this picture be a lesson to you all, those last couple of drinks the night before are never a good idea !
World Exclusive !!!!!!!
Andy Toplis playing a fish.
Ryan Hughes with part of an 80lb bag from White Springs Fishery in Wales
Mick Bull wont have received many points for this dive - but having just won the Fisho Final and £25k I don't think he really cared !
Another exclusive for Pikey's Progress - Terry Molloy not talking ! Oh yes and with a decent River Thames Pike.
OK Own up - who lent Mick The Bookie some fish to pose with ?
Martin Harper with a superb 8lb tench from Farlows Lake
Young match star Tony Curd with an 11lb barbel from the River Kennet - he didn't say where, these spessy hunters are so secretive !
Total Fishing's Justin Laundon with a fine net of fish from Lindholme Lakes
Fred Davis with 3 chub over 5lb and a small one from the River Lea.
http://www.carpvader.com/index.asp
Jeff Moors took part in the recent Catfish Challenge and caught this one - more of a "kitten" than a cat really !
And here are some proper ones that the winners had.
BNF - with part of a near 100lb haul from the Glebe
Scone - Angling writer, float maker and all round good egg !
"Hathers" with his 3-8-0 roach from Timsbury Manor - some claim it was really a hybrid, I couldn't possibly comment !
"Fordy on the Telly" with 40lb of prime River Kennet chub.
.........and this one weighed 5-2-0
Alan Dove with a small Skimmer Bream of 15-8-0 from Walthamstow Reservoir
Fred Davis plied Alan Dove with coffee all day then when he went to attend to a call of nature caught this one with his gear !
Colin Ormston (Billy no Fish) with the reason that some anglers still fish rivers !
Phil Stone (Pebs) with a fine net of roach and rudd from Witherington Farm
Total Fishing.com ventriloquist Gary Haisman with his two new dummies - Billy No Fish and Pebs.
