Hillview Lakes - 29/07/2009

6 Pegs

The weather was dreadful today with none stop rain which resulted in hardly any one turning up which was dissappointing but meant there would be some good weights due to the space.

I didnt really mind where i drew for this one as i knew weights would come from all over moorhen which is always the case when there is a lot of space available. Peg 19 it was which was on the deep bank. I actually waited half an hour to see if the rain would slow down or stop, it didnt so i proceeded to set up.

I got hardly any pole out and went for the all or bust route purely and simply as i didnt want to get everything drenched! I got out just 2 top kits both housing double number 8 elastic. My first rig was for paste which was a Preston Durafloat on 0.22 silstar to a size 12 PR36 hook. I was literally fishing in between my keepnets on my top 2 (half a top kit i was fishing). The next rig was for the margin to my left by the hay bale. This again was on 0.22 silstar but with an Ackoo Margin Mugger (which are mega strong and needed for fishing close to snags) with a number 4 Tubertini 175 hook. My bait tray was simple, 1 pint of paste, 3 pints of 4mm pellets and 2 tins of corn.

At the all i moulded a rather large piece of paste and filled my toss pot with 4mm's and lowered it all in. Within seconds my float flew away and a carp was hooked in 30 seconds, unfortunately it dropped off. I just re-baited and again lowered in my rig. My float was dancing around, up and down all over the place until eventually it buried and my first fish was in the net, a skimmer about 1lb. More pellets in my toss pot and another piece of paste, again the float flew away but this time an angry carp about 6lb was in the pan. This carried on until about 12 o' clock where then i started to lose a few fish, so i decided to finally feed my edge with a full pot of corn and pellet and leave it 10 minutes. After half an hour on my paste i was catching really well again so i potted in my margin again and left it.

Half 2 soon arrived and i had been trickling bait in my margin whilst bagging on the paste short. I had come even closer to my feet where it was shallower still (about 2.5 foot) to reduce foul hookers and it was working a treat as every fish i hooked was hooked in the mouth and 9 out of 10 ended in the net. It was solid. I decided to rest the paste line and see if i could catch quicker down my edge, so i fed 2 full kinder pots of pellet and went down the edge baited with a lump of paste and 10 grains of corn in the pot, before the float had even settled the elastic was pulled out. This continued for the rest of the match and i was having a fish as soon as the paste was lowered in. The fish were about 2lb a piece (the new stockies that were put in not long back and have really put the weight on fast) but i was catching them a lot quicker than on paste in front of me.

The last half an hour i changed back to my paste short and put 5 more carp in the net, one pushing 15lb. At the all out i was shattered...And soaked! I was first to weigh in and put 193lb on the scales which was my personal best. I was gutted though as i was so close to the 200lb but still pleased as i had won comfortably with the next weight being 140lb and i also put the best weight of the year on the board!