Hard water

I will keep this short, Thursday and plantations main lake for a silvers match, had a couple of lightweights cry off for this one, so only 15 fishing, the lake had a hard surface, mainly.due to it being minus 9 on the journey down there.the ice wasnt to bad only about 15 mm, i drew peg 28, good enough i thought, i took me 3 1/2 hiurs to get a bite, then i managed 1lb 5oz of plippy roach, its been rock hard with mark broomsgrove only needing 6lb to win off peg 8, so well done mate.

Sunday and with the first round of the Landsend winter league being cancelled due to the ice, i managed to get me and chris fox into the heather bush memorial match at avalon, with all proceeds going to the air ambulance charity, a very worthy charity. The ice was a lot thicker today, over 2 inches for most, and really hard to break, most only managing 5 mtrs, me included. I was on 38, with martin rayet on my left, and shawn kitteridge on my right but couldnt break the ice so went home, the weather was atrocious, even though the temps were up a few degrees, we had rain all day and it was freezing, luckily it was off our backs , unlike the poor souls opposite, they had it really bad, another difficult day, martin to my right was catching after about 45 minutes, niel mercer opposite on 10 caught virtually straightaway, it too me over 2 hours for my first bite, then ive had indications right to the end to finish with over 6lb, of small skimmers and roach, hard to understand why martin has caught early, but its taken me all that time to get my first bite, the other side of martin chris fox never had a bite till ten minutes from the end, mr mercer.won with 14lb, martin second with 11, and paul elmes thurd from the only ice free peg in somerset with 10lb, well done all for sticking it out in terrible cold conditions, but itwas in a good cause and i think over £300 was raised forn the charity, well done andy gurd for providing sausage and bacon rolls in the morning, and after heathers mum made a big stew whuch was very welcome,the bush family did us and the charity proud, well done vic and the crew. plus mince pies,everone had a prize, and the raffle was.brilliant aswell and finally today huntstrete on bridge pool, 17 fishing so plenty of room, andy gard drew for me and gave peg 28, nice, opposite i had kev winstone who was telling me his nurse has told him he needs to lose a bit of weight, and judging by his paltform she aint wrong.

No ice today and the temperature was positively balmey, but it did rain most of the day, it was a good day compared to recent ones, i caught roach at 5 mtrs , and i could have caught well there but i intended to fish for f1,s out towards the island, so the last few.hiurs were spent doing just that, i had been cupping some casters out at 16mtrs, first try and i had an f1, but after that small roach were a problem, so i switched to cupping some corn in with the caster with corn on the hook, caught quite well right to the end, probably ended with about 25 f1,s, mainly small ones but jt was good considering the recent matches, finished with 29lb of f1,s and 5lb or roach, which was top on the day, phil"the fizz"morgan was second from peg 7 with 23lb, and andy greenham on 10 had 17lb, top silvers.went to dave.wride on peg 26 with 7lb.