Sunday, May 27, 2007
Visteon Basildon Plant - Annual Spring Hourly v Staff Match - Churchgate Top Lake - 27th May 2007
Weather
Temp 8> 11°C
Wind: Westerly to Easterly (7 mph)
Relative Humidity (%): 86,
Pressure (mB): 995, Falling
Raining
14 Current and Ex Visteon Basildon Plant personnel gathered at Churchgate Lakes for the Annual Spring Hourly Paid versus Staff match. Mike Hacvker had travelled up from Bridgend specifically for the Match - Well done Mike.
Most hard a hearty breakfast by the time I had got there and the rain had just started and would not stop all day. (Traditional English Bank Holiday).
We made our way up the hill to the top Lake – You cannot park up the path anymore which makes parking spaces a premium now, plus a drag with your gear - Not as bad as Coming back up from Horeshoe Lake at Tylers Common though !
The Hourly’s drew the odd pegs and The Staff the even pegs – I drew Peg 6, but as I got there it was clear that Peg’s 4 & 5 were a double swim – and a bit tight. After a brief discussion I moved down a Peg to #7 and Big Al went down the corner Peg to make way for Dave Ellis in my 'drawn' Peg 6 – So having drawn 6, I was now fishing #7.
I set up on the feeder to the Island – some 75 yards distant, during which time I lost my experimental in line drilled out Middy plastic feeder to act more like cage feeder down through the platform. So set up on Standard Middy green plastic in-line feeder, and a pole l line at 7m where the shelf drops off.
Another of those days to hunker down under the brolly set up tilt style to keep out the rain on the Westerly Wind. Keep nets to the left and the feeder rod to the right. For the 1st hour tried several Baits – Single/Double red maggot Sweetcorn & pellet on size 16 3 lb -6-18” hook links – Best results came from 18” / double red maggot. A number of skimmers and a small slab of 2lb. Came in to the pole line – pastes with size 12 Middy paste setup – Roach bouncing off the paste – Tried Sweetcorn – Alfie Palmer to my right had already had a couple of 2 lb slabs with Corn at this length.
The morning passed quite uneventfully for me – just the occasional skimmer/ Ide on the feeder to the Island – swapping to the 7m line every now and again. Dave Ellis had a low nice looking low double Mirror using the method / corn. I thought about swapping to the method at that point, but just like somebody switching a baffle the wind shifted from Westerly to Easterly in a couple of minutes which meant rain coming into me.
I decided to shift my peg set round so I was now fishing ‘cack’ handed. I got smashed up by a ‘big un’ and lost all the end tackle so I swapped to my favourite In-line Middy 1/2 ounce maggot feeder and had a good run in last 1 hour and half to island on Double red maggot feeder bagging up on Ide of 4-10oz mark.
I kept loosing fish at 6m out, perhaps they were hitting the ‘shelf and bumping off. So I had a high rod position instead of the low side ways fighting position I normally adopt. Which resulted in no lost fish at that mark – Spooky !!?
In the mean time Dave Ellis had a nice Grass carp of 6 ½ lb which had to be weighed and returned (Lake rule) to go along a couple of other nice mid single carp.
What amazed me was I was using the fish as Hand warmers!! Just goes to show how cold my wet hands were aginst the Lake Water temperature.
The early weigh-in had the hourly’s in front with couple of nice nets of carp, Until we got to Paul ‘The Cat’ Mansfield’s nets’ – One small Crucian and 89lb of Bream & Ide. To finish 1st– I was surprised to learn that Paul ahs never had a Ton in a match !!!!
I weighed in 18 Lb12 oz to finish 5th – Much to my surprise,
Dave Ellis 2nd with 29lb 8oz with Mike Hacker a close 3rd with 29lb 5 oz of mainly Silvers.
The Staff run out empathic winners 42 points to 64.
So it was pack up time say our goodbyes and home for a nice hot bath and a few beers after hanging out everything to dry in the garage – Should be dry by next week – Clavering here we come.
Temp 8> 11°C
Wind: Westerly to Easterly (7 mph)
Relative Humidity (%): 86,
Pressure (mB): 995, Falling
Raining
14 Current and Ex Visteon Basildon Plant personnel gathered at Churchgate Lakes for the Annual Spring Hourly Paid versus Staff match. Mike Hacvker had travelled up from Bridgend specifically for the Match - Well done Mike.
Most hard a hearty breakfast by the time I had got there and the rain had just started and would not stop all day. (Traditional English Bank Holiday).
We made our way up the hill to the top Lake – You cannot park up the path anymore which makes parking spaces a premium now, plus a drag with your gear - Not as bad as Coming back up from Horeshoe Lake at Tylers Common though !
The Hourly’s drew the odd pegs and The Staff the even pegs – I drew Peg 6, but as I got there it was clear that Peg’s 4 & 5 were a double swim – and a bit tight. After a brief discussion I moved down a Peg to #7 and Big Al went down the corner Peg to make way for Dave Ellis in my 'drawn' Peg 6 – So having drawn 6, I was now fishing #7.
I set up on the feeder to the Island – some 75 yards distant, during which time I lost my experimental in line drilled out Middy plastic feeder to act more like cage feeder down through the platform. So set up on Standard Middy green plastic in-line feeder, and a pole l line at 7m where the shelf drops off.
Another of those days to hunker down under the brolly set up tilt style to keep out the rain on the Westerly Wind. Keep nets to the left and the feeder rod to the right. For the 1st hour tried several Baits – Single/Double red maggot Sweetcorn & pellet on size 16 3 lb -6-18” hook links – Best results came from 18” / double red maggot. A number of skimmers and a small slab of 2lb. Came in to the pole line – pastes with size 12 Middy paste setup – Roach bouncing off the paste – Tried Sweetcorn – Alfie Palmer to my right had already had a couple of 2 lb slabs with Corn at this length.
The morning passed quite uneventfully for me – just the occasional skimmer/ Ide on the feeder to the Island – swapping to the 7m line every now and again. Dave Ellis had a low nice looking low double Mirror using the method / corn. I thought about swapping to the method at that point, but just like somebody switching a baffle the wind shifted from Westerly to Easterly in a couple of minutes which meant rain coming into me.
I decided to shift my peg set round so I was now fishing ‘cack’ handed. I got smashed up by a ‘big un’ and lost all the end tackle so I swapped to my favourite In-line Middy 1/2 ounce maggot feeder and had a good run in last 1 hour and half to island on Double red maggot feeder bagging up on Ide of 4-10oz mark.
I kept loosing fish at 6m out, perhaps they were hitting the ‘shelf and bumping off. So I had a high rod position instead of the low side ways fighting position I normally adopt. Which resulted in no lost fish at that mark – Spooky !!?
In the mean time Dave Ellis had a nice Grass carp of 6 ½ lb which had to be weighed and returned (Lake rule) to go along a couple of other nice mid single carp.
What amazed me was I was using the fish as Hand warmers!! Just goes to show how cold my wet hands were aginst the Lake Water temperature.
The early weigh-in had the hourly’s in front with couple of nice nets of carp, Until we got to Paul ‘The Cat’ Mansfield’s nets’ – One small Crucian and 89lb of Bream & Ide. To finish 1st– I was surprised to learn that Paul ahs never had a Ton in a match !!!!
I weighed in 18 Lb12 oz to finish 5th – Much to my surprise,
Dave Ellis 2nd with 29lb 8oz with Mike Hacker a close 3rd with 29lb 5 oz of mainly Silvers.
The Staff run out empathic winners 42 points to 64.
So it was pack up time say our goodbyes and home for a nice hot bath and a few beers after hanging out everything to dry in the garage – Should be dry by next week – Clavering here we come.
Labels: Basildon Plant
