Witherington Farm open. 01/04/12

Back to Withy's inner snake lake, and the weather conditions were similar to two weeks earlier, with a sharp overnight frost. After the usual hearty breakfast, the draw was done and I pulled peg 80 out of the bag, a quick £1 side wager with John, just to keep him on his toes and it was off to my peg. It was a comfortable 13m across to the far bank and I had erasable depth at just over 2ft. This was going to be my opening gambit, I set up a 0.12 rig to yellow hollow 18 hook for this line. For the track line I set another yellow hollow this time with an 0.10 hook length 18 hook for the skimmers. Finally down in the margins either side with green hollow 0.14 rig 16 hook.
I had corn, 4mm meat and some 4mm pellets. I fed half a small pot of meat and pellets down the track at the all in before going over to the far bank with corn. I new it would be slow but I never even had an indication. To make matters worse either side had had a lump apiece ! I was now on "catch up" it took me over an hour before I had my first fish, a carp of just over a 1lb. The far swim was just not responding at all so I put half a pot of corn and pellet in, hoping some fish would settle. I had been trickling in the meat and pellets down the track and it was now time to have a look on it. Buy now the lads either side were catching odd smaller fish whist I still had the one! After a couple of missed bites I hooked the first skimmer on the track line on 4mm meat. Over the next couple of hours I Managed to string some skimmers together, the biggest about a 1 lb. They weren't exactly jumping on the hook and I was having to wait for a bite. I did keep checking the far line and the margins, but with no indications I decided to concentrate down the track for the last hour.
After a couple of more skimmers I hooked a carp, a nice bonus of about 3lb. A few more skimmers followed, and with quarter of an hour to go I hooked a lump, a bit of careful playing on the pull bung and it slid into my landing net. About a 7lb fish, and a nice bonus. I had one more skimmer before the all out. I felt I had caught up with either side and the scales had proven me right, I weighed in 20lb 14oz. I had beaten the anglers either side of me, but only just. A hard match which I had to work for every bite. It was unusual that the far line didn't produce, but the track line had come to the rescue. I came 7th overall, but I did loose my £1 back to John, look after it I will be winning it back!