Milemead open.

Sunday 01 August 2010.
Approximately 16 of us turned up for this one on a nice fairly cool and overcast day. I wasn't really fussed where I drew, and was pleasantly surprised with peg 28. With only 1 other angler to my left on 29, it meant i had plenty of water in front of me to go at. For some reason I thought it might fish quite hard today, especially after Thursdays disappointment. So with this in mind i decided to fish the straight lead towards the island slightly to my right. There was some nice cover there in the way of overhanging bushes and reeds, and i figured that a nice softly softly approach could pay dividends. In addition to the lead rod i set up a mini pellet waggler rod just in case, and i also set up 2 pole lines out in front.The first for paste and the second for soft pellet and skimmers. But it was the lead that i started on, fishing it free running with a snap link swivel on 6lb sensor and a korum quick change bead on the end. Atteched to this was a size 16 PR36 tied knotless knot style on .19 Guru N guage hooklength and a hair rigged 8mm skretting coarse pellet. The plan was to ping pellets over the top and try and build the swim going for 1 fish at a time and in the first hour I had 8 fish including 2 carp pushing 8lb a piece. All the time though i continued to feed the pole lines as a back up for when the lead swim eventually slowed down. The second hour was just as productive but i was waiting longer for bites so i decided to mould some paste around the pellet and fish 'the conker' Stafford Moor style!!
I also cast tighter to the cover and although my catch rate never really increased, I was getting better fish with some right old munters wrapping the tip around.
The third hour was a bit iffy as i felt i was feeding a bit to often and as i suspected the commotion caused the fish to back off. I therefor came inside and had a look on my pole lines but after 15 bite less minutes it was back out on the lead. This time however i kept it neat and tidy and just pinged 2 pellets at a time and kept it all fairly tight. By switching between the pellet and the conker i had a good run of fish and was getting one a chuck right up until the whistle. I finished with approx 39 carp for 126lb 4oz for first and a new 6 hour match record in the process. I fished a tidy match and didn't suffer any losses. When something like a hooklength needed changing I just went about it in a cool composed manner and i suppose my decision to take it slowly slowly paid off well. I just had a feeling that the method or a pellet feeder would have been to much today, and so it proved.