Thursday costcutter, shiplate farm

It's been a while since I've been here, to long if I'm honest as it's a lovely venue with lots of options, and you are always met with a warm welcome from owners Steve and Carol.
I got to the fishery with time to spare , even after stopping at lillypool cafe for a 4.5 breakfast, just a quick heads up for anyone thinking of going there for breakfast on Sunday morning, the cafe isn't opening till 8am so another option for this week is called for.
Draw time came , and I delved into the bucket hoping for a draw on the far  bank as the bigger skimmers tend to frequent that side, or one or fifteen which are the flyer carp pegs. But no out comes peg 3 , a peg I have never fished before, it's a nice peg with an end of an island to fish to, if the carp decided to have a go, but I didn't think that was likely as the water was freezing.
I had good marker on the Far bank in the shape of the hls angling clubs silvers demon, Bolton George, so hopefully that would help me guage how the lakes silvers population were responding.

One of the best things about here is that you are never short of a bit of room in the swim, which is very handy when you as untidy as me.

I set up a wag to fish pellet towards the end of the island, 8mm over 8mm, but apart from a possible indication I never had a sign during the match, and I probably wasted nearly an hour on it, so no more about that then.
The only other kit I set up were two pole rigs , a .6g drennan as1 and a .4g drennan as4 , both with a guru size 20 f1 maggot hook on .10.
At the start I cupped in 4 balls of groundbait at 13mtrs with a few casters and micros in it, then started at 5 mtrs on caster, but 15 minutes in and not a bite, I went out on the heavier rig to 13mtrs, and I began getting bites straight away, small skimmers and smaller roach, but looking round, not a lot seemed to be happening, so I just got my head down and kept at it, the skimmers were mainly small  but I did get one of a pound and another of 1 1/2 lb during the match, but most were 4 to 6oz, just had to keep dropping an odd ball of groundbait in when the bites slowed,I kept trying the short line and did get two perch and a few roach, but  it  never warranted staying in it for to long as the bites were to far apart,  I've had a busy match , mainly down to the average size of the fish, it was obvious by the end that the overall monies would be going elswhere
Tom light was first to weigh on peg 15 and after putting 114.10 on the board that was first place sorted, and by the time the scales for to me there was already 3 weights over 20lb of silvers, being lead by Mike nicholls on peg 5 with 24.4 , I thought I may have 15/16lb but was more than surprised when Steve called out 24.12 , beating Mike by a few ounces to win the silvers on the day, I did feel a bit embarrassed to be so far out in my estimation, but it didn't last long, especially after Mike called me a rude name LOL.

Looking forward to going back again in a fortnight, hopefully it will warm up a bit by then and the carp will spread out a bit, but there is obviously a huge head  of silver,s in the lake and there is a chance of a day's fishing on most pegs. Weigh sheets below.

This weekend misha is running a match on woodland lake at Chilton trinity, so as it's also been a while since I've been there, I've booked in , looking forward to catching up with tom and mish, and the forecast don't look to bad.