Mathern \Mill Saturday open.

A nice short 7 minute drive to Marthern Mill for one of Norm Sterry`s knock ups. Only 9 fishing today, but I guess the amount of rain we`ve had and the fact it could kill the fishin I off put a few off today. Into the draw bag and out pops peg 16. A good peg over the years with a nice bomb chuck to the end of the island and open water options. I decided today to go for silvers as long as possible and take the carp if they came along. Getting to the bank I could see the water was gin clear and I could see down at least 2 foot. Not good!!. I started by drip feeding a few micros and casters at 11m hoping the skimmers would have a go but nothing happened. Rich Heatley, Chepstows newest overseas resident, had a carp first drop in before he had even emptied his toss pot on peg 21 and Rich Candy on 22 had one pretty early. But the lake was very quiet. in fact it took me over two hours to register my first bite that I missed. The sun had just dissapeared and the light levels dropped quite a bit and that kicked everybody into catching. Except me. I had a few quick bites that I couldnt make contact with on three different rigs and baits. So I wasnt sure why I was missing them. Norm to my right had a few at half way catching mainly 16m down his right side on bomb and pole. I did hook and loose 2 lumps on my silvers rig but lost them both. It was 4 hours before I put a fish in the net. I had it chucking a bomb close to the island with a wafter popped up about one inch off the bottom. That started a run of 4 big fish in 40 minutes and one on the pole in an area I was catapulting 1 piece of corn every 5 minutes. I alo lost one next drop in so that did sort of work, but it didnt last long. it went quiet again untill 5 minutes from the end when I took another on the bomb. At the end I thought my 6 carp would go 45lb but they had obviously fattened up for winter and I put 56-02 on the scales. They are big boys in this place. First on the day was Darren Witton on peg 11 who had a good second half of the match catching on the feeder cast  to his righ close in, with 102-15. Second was Norm Sterry on 14 with 79-07. Third on peg 3 and out of my sight was Byron ? with 91-05.