viaduct teams of 5

christ when will it end frozen again, draw done and it was my turn for match lake with 6 pegs on spring lake and as our team had the same team draw as last time i ended up with peg 3 on spring. potentially a good silvers peg with an island chuck for a carp BUT NOT TODAY. the only good thing about ice is that it stops those with the island pegs casting to them so it all becomes a lot fairer. back to the peg and after clearing the ice to about 14 mtrs i set about making two rigs , one being .5 grm with a 20 808 to .10 with the 2x 10,s just above the hooklength(5 inches)for lift bites from the skimmers i was hoping were there, and the other was a 4x14 with a 22 808 to .10 for bits with a bulk and three droppers, next mix up a bit of dark g bait and i was ready to go. we were meant to start at 10.30 but due to the ice breaking the start was put back to 11, or by the viaduct clock 11.03, i keep meaning to put there clock right but that might confuse yul sorry i meant steve.
2 balls were deposited with a few casters at 14 mtrs and 1 ball at 6 mtrs just in case and after about 15 mins i was getting a few bites and indications and some small fish were finding there way into the net, i was using the heavier rig with the 2 no 10,s by the hook and 30 mins in and the float lifted and held , lift into it and bump it (bugger). 10 mins later same bite different result , i managed to drop it off halfway in. i did manage a few hand size skimmers and small roach but the rig wasnt right as i was getting funny little indications that werent materialising into bites. a switch to the lighter rig which was better , and by laying the rig on the water and holding it tight it would either settle and go under or settle and come back up with a skimmer being the culprit they werent big skimmers, only 2 to 8 oz but it was enjoyable. i did get a few roach over the 6 mtr line but they wouldnt settle, you could get a couple then they would back off, with match lake behind me i wasnt to sure as to what was being caught but the six pegs on spring looked fairly even with all of us getting bites from small fish.
what was a surprise was the total lack of bites on caster i only had 1 roach on it, single red maggot was by far the best, also talking to people after a lot of people were getting indications that didnt turn into bites , i can only assume that it was fish off bottom giving small liners, even coming off bottom didnt help as you would get no bites at all.
the sickener came about 10 mins from the end when the float slid under and the strike met solid resistence , and what looked like a 3 lb bream came up under the ice , guess what halfway back with it comeing across the top it fell off aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh, and its one of those sittuations when you know its going to cost you.
it cost me 3 rd in the section and 2nd in the silvers but shit happens and its only a game isnt it NOT.
1st dick bull 45.13 peg 73 . 5 carp down the edge on maggot
2nd john howell 32.10 peg 7 3 carp down the edge on maggot
3rd gary wall 20.7 peg 13
4th phil caudwell 19.14 peg 42 all silvers(first)
5th tim(64 turns)pallant 18.8 peg 48
6th lionel legge 16.9 peg 59
silvers
phil caudwell 19.14
2nd alex murray 13.7
3rd stu foale 12.10
4th ME 10.01
anyone seen mat tomes lately christ he,s put some weight on , due mainly to the fact that he aint working, still if he gets short of money he can rent his extra chins out for advertising
top 4 teams on the day
westerliegh blue 72
somerset angling 70
viaduct allstars 66
team viaduct 61
lge to date top 4
keyford and somerset angling 138
maver veals red and viaduct allstars 129