Silverfox Match Angling: Thursday 08/12/2016 - Over 55's and Disbaled - The Dave Crookes Fishery

Thursday 8 December 2016

Thursday 08/12/2016 - Over 55's and Disbaled - The Dave Crookes Fishery - Withy Pool

Decisions, decisions Harescombe ruled out because it has gone clear, but with the mild weather? Windmill, might be too windy, so the choice was the Dave Crookes Fishery on Withy Pool.

The weather had a complete change from minus frost to plus 13 degrees this morning, temperatures which can be expected in summer, however, it was damp.

Defra has stated that all chicken, turkey and duck owners must keep them indoors for 30 days from yesterday and take steps to separate them from wild birds. So I was surprised for the first time to see four chickens on the banks of Withy, I was also surprised that the head count remained the same when I left!! Well Christmas is around the corner (pictured right - that's the Dawson picking up his dipped nets).

It was nice to see Terry Bruton here today especially as he was 80 years old last month. Unfortunately, Terry was taken ill during the match and was picked up by son Dave. Dave has subsequently confirmed Terry is now home and is as good as it gets at 80.

It was a too good a turn out for this pool with 22 fishing, a venue very difficult to peg.

In to the draw bag and out comes peg 61. Happy with this as the Carp can haunt this area during the winter. The problem it would necessitate to fish at 11.5 metres minimum. The wind wouldn’t hinder as it was blowing in at me, which I was hoping would reduce throughout the match – it did. For company I had Steve Dawson on our bank end peg 62 and on the other side Glynn Sage on peg 60 – if you’re hungry this is the man to be next too – sacks full of food on offer all day.

One rig a 4x16 Winter F1 a tad heavier for the five foot depth I found at 11.5 metres. I tied a 20 – 808 to 0.14 (I did expect a Carp or two) with a 12 inch hook length. The peg gets deeper the further out you fish so I set the depth so that it was just touching bottom at full length but allowing the wind to blow the long hook length up the slope by about 12 inches. Steve and I agreed that 5lb would be a good Silver weight from these pegs. So a negative start with a small knub of sieved Sensas Magic and single just wriggling red maggot on the hook and I had a great start with the dragging up the shelf working well catching small Skimmers to 4oz regularly. I then hooked a 10 lb Carp which gave a slight tightening of the bum before I netted it. I kept topping up with the GB catching small fish regularly, I did foul hook a Carp and I also lost a 3lb foul hooked skimmer close in, until 90 minutes to go and decided to kindering dead reds and micro pellet – a mistake as during the next 30 minutes I didn’t have a bite. The blackened float was very difficult to see and the headache started. I mixed up so more Magic and whitened the float tip and started a new line to my right in dark water. Amazingly first try I hooked and landed an 8lb Carp. The remainder of the match was slow adding only a few ounces to the net.

My two Carp weighed 18lb 2oz and my Silver 12lb for first overall and third in the Silvers.

The Silvers was won by Paul “Barny” Barnfield (pictured right with the match winner) with 18lb 10oz of waggler caught Roach with maggot hook bait fished over small catapult fed GB and maggot fished over to the old peg 50.

Full Result: