Sumners Pond - Match Lake, Silvers Match

With the weather being absolutely freezing and not likely to get any warmer for a while I wasn't really looking forward to fishing the Silvers match at Sumners Pond but as I was running it I had little choice really !

For those who don't know it, the Main Lake at Sumners (or the silvers lake as we call it) is surrounded by caravan pitches and at this time of year caravaners all congregate there for the New Years Eve Party. Due to the number of people there, Simon (the owner) put us on the Match lake rather than have anglers fishing outside the caravans.

With 16 of us fishing, I collected the money and sent Terry Harrison off with Steve Gardener to sort out the pegging and with the lake being frozen solid, it was really just a case of spreading everyone out.

For the first time in all my trips to Sumners, I drew in the big bay on the left hand side and knowing that it was probably the deepest part of the lake, I was quite optomistic although I expected those that could get near an island to catch some chub. I also had Terry Harrison at the next peg so if nothing else I'd have an entertaining day.

At this point I have to say what a star Mr Harrison is, as despite acting like a bid kid for most of the time, he is one of those anglers who will always help you out. Today having broken the ice in his own peg, he then did Jeff Dickinson's, mine and Jeff Simmons as well, not only breaking the ice but also putting his hands in the water to push the sheets of ice on top of the unbroken bit. Thanks Mate.

Luckily the depth in the peg was fairly uniform and one rig covered all my lines - Two at 10 metres at eleven and one o'clock and just down the shelf at 6 metres. The rig was a 4x14 Malman stable on 0.12 G line with an 0.10 hooklength to a size 20 B911. I don't think the type of float really makes that much difference when lakes are frozen as there is no tow but it was the only rig I had tied with a lightish hooklength !

I began on pellet hoping to catch some of the hordes of small crucians but after ten minutes without a bite, and with Terry H already having 4 roach on maggot, I made the switch to maggot. First put in I had a small roach and continued to catch small roach for the next hour or so. Terry was catching better than me, Don was catching a few crucians on pellet and Steve Gardener had lost a carp and caught one of about 5lb - that didn't count as it was a silvers only match ! I tried a white maggot rather than the usual red and started to catch a bit quicker, although the roach were still only small. I also had some casters with me that I had left over from my biteless day at Bury Hill on sunday and wondered if the roach would be any bigger if I fished caster. Well, they certainly were a bit bigger so I switched bait once again.

I then had one of those fortunate moments where something happens and your match gets better and better. As I was shipping back, the hooklength managed to tie itself into one of those knots that you know is never coming undone. Due to my poor preparation (probably cos I didn't really want to fish) I had no hooklengths tied and had to try and tie one with freezing cold hands. I eventually managed to do it but it was probably six inches longer than the original one. I intended to plumb up again but for some reason put a caster on and shipped out with the rig now set well over depth. Out went the rig, the float sat there for a while then dipped straight under and I soon had a roach in the net that was probably twice the size of the ones I had been catching. I'd been flicking casters over the 6 metre line and when I fished the rig over the shorter line, still well over depth, I started to catch even quicker. Steve Gardener had caught 4 chub over by the island and with a load of roach as well he was likely to be the only winner, but if I could just keep the fish coming for the last hour of the 4 hour match then I thought I might just sneak a frame place. I actually caught a couple of 8 ounce roach and a lone half pound chub in the last hour and a fish last cast ended a lovely days fishing with more bites than I think I've had in the last 6 weeks.

Result

Steve Gardener 14-13-0
Dave Pearson 11-8-0
Ian Chatfield 10-10-0
Terry Harrison 9-7-0
Terry Pettam 9-2-0
Ben Emery 6-6-0
Donald Garnish 6-3-0

All in all a lovely day, and to make matters even better, I'd had a £5 bet with Marcus Page for charity and beat him for what is probably the first time ever in a silvers match, Terry Harrison says he is now going to give up fishing as he can't believe that I beat him off the next peg on a silvers match and I took another pound off Jeff Simmons - although he did rush off without paying !

Sunday might not be quite as good as we are back at Willinghurst for round one of the Willinghurst Masters and with the freezing weather set to continue I think it will be a struggle for most.