Two posts again

Back to Shiplate for round one of Ron starks,s silvers league, enjoyable as you get plenty of bites for the large head of skimmers of various sizes,(normally).
Into the draw bucket and peg 13a stuck to my hand, that's ok, it's on the far bank and traditionally the best bank for silvers. For company I had league organiser Ron stark on 14, and mr.Walsh to my right on 13.
I was.going to fish three areas of my peg, toast and two with caster and a bit of groundbait, 11 mtrs straight out with the same groundbait approach but fed positively with 5 balls, and a slightly less positive line at 13 mtrs off to the right with a few micros in the groundbait for soft pellet.

After feeding all lines I began on the short line, I had a handsize skimmer straightaway, then a few roach, not what I wanted, Rob had begun further out and was catching small skimmers, so after about thirty minutes I was out on the long lines, hmmm, no bites, it took me quite a while to begin getting indications, and start to add fish to the net, triple dead.red turned out to be the best bait, but it was a waiting game for bites, but I did get odd better fish amongst the small skimmers, at the end I really thought Ron had beaten me,  it his fish turned out to be mostly small skimmers as he had 13lb+, I new I had more than that and ended up with 18.6, which was a good start to the series as it was enough for the all important section win,

Top.weight on the day was taken by Andy fry on peg 10 with 21.6, well done andy.

Weigh sheet below.

PART TWO
I decided to have a go at one of the veals leagues run by steve ace at either Littleton or aust, and on Friday night it was going to be at aust, early in the week the forecast looked good with moderate southerly winds , so mainly off our backs,  it by the time Friday night arrived it was going to be South westerly blowing up to 30 mph with rain, it Steve assured me that as it was along the riverside walkway it would be quite an easy walk even if it did rain, so that was ok then, got to the draw and luckily for me and steve Nick snow turned up with a double whopper meal for the pair of us, thanks matey. The rain was hammering down , so into the draw and I pull out card,5, Steve assured me it was a good area, but a bit of a walk, I started.to think the double whopper meal may have been a mistake, set off on the long walk straight into the wind and rain, so much for the easy walk, there had been some heavy plant going up and down meaning the walk was going to be torture, slipping and sliding all the way, if my pedometer on the phone can be trusted it was a 2000mtr too in really severe conditions, but I made it and set about assembling the kit, the business end had a two hook flapper with the third hook flowing, by now it was hammering down with horizontal rain, at least I had struggled up.with the brolly, so the kit was dry, Bait today was just lug and ragworm, just lug on the Top two hooks, and a lug and rag cocktail on the bottom hook.
At the 8.15 start I sent it out into the blackness, then settled down to wait for the first bite,

 after 30 minutes the tip banged and the lead broke out, dead handy, the fish turned out to be a nice flounder, the weights are worked out on a length to weight chart, and I was more than pleased to see my neighbouring angler confirm a length of 39cm, a big flounder to be sure, no picture as by now me and everything else was covered in mud, and even the fish after being dragged in was a sorry sight, so fish returned safely , Bait changed and back out, the angler.to my left came.down and had a top up codling, and just as he left my.peg, my lead broke out again, wound it in and was surprised just to see a 16 cm top up on the Top hook, I couldn't believe a fish so small managed to trip the lead, so fish recorded and returned went back and started.to refresh my hookbaits, it was then I noticed a codling on the bottom hook, so wandered back to my neighbour and got him to verify it and at 37 cm a handy fish, if not a tad embarrassing that I hadn't known it was on the end, LOL.
I had to wait till the last hour for another bite and that resulted in another flounder, a bit smaller at 37cm, but dead handy.

The match was due to end at 12.15 am, but I packed up 10 minutes early, partly due to the fact if I did catch another in the dying minutes I had no realistic way of returning it, so back for the return journey, the mud was even worse now , but at least the walk back was wind assisted, but arduous, it turned out I had won my zone and had the biggest flatfish on the night, so at least intent home with £70 to show for my efforts, but more importantly I had beaten mr ace on the night, so I reckon I can extend the bragging rights for weeks yet lol.