Andover Charlies Lake Open.

Slate grey December skies greeted me as I headed east toward what should have been the morning sun.  Odd to be heading east to go fishing.  Last time I went Andover way was when my brother lived in Charlton on the edge of Andover in the early 90's.  Foxcotte and King Arthurs lakes (now Anton Lakes Nature reserve) were our choice then.

Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac blasted from the speakers and I hummed along to "Black Magic Woman" and "the Supernatural" toe tapping stuff. My brothers place looked over some watercress beds and just before he moved house; this was converted to a lake called Peril lake.  These days the lake is called Charlies; and I was sad to be pulling up to fish there without my brother.

The place has changed a little from my memory, with platforms now in place, an otter electric fence,  and the trees have grown considerably.  There is now a cafe and it was here where we had a little breakfast whilst we waited for the expected ten anglers to arrive.  Si and I had a side bet of a pound.

 Two of the Pewsey lads and one local, couldn't make it so we decided just to crack on.  As day light filtered through I kicked myself for not bringing bread.  The clearing water screamed a bread punch attack.  We drew; and once again Brian Shutler drew an end peg the favored peg 33."I'm gonna nic name you the flyer" I said "you never draw badly!".

Second favorite 32 was next and I found myself at the far end away from the favoured pegs but an end peg at least.

The lads lined up for start and the horses in the stables behind us,  neighed the "all in" at 10.30.  With Danny to my right and Si next to him it looked like a tough task to frame today.  Pete White a fellow Pewsey stalwart was next then a couple of local Andover lads.  The water was really clear and I was mad that I had left bread at home.  I went on the tip to start, to let the cupped in ground bait time to settle.

One tiny roach in the first half an hour.  Si and Danny were catching on the Waggler.  So I came in over a slightly deeper area (about 6.5 feet) and started fishing the pole.  I had fed two lines one ground bait and pinkie, and one caster over hemp and chopped worm.

One o'clock came and I started to get a few small roach.  A few over ground bait, and then nothing so across to the hemp line for a few more before that died. The keep net was getting a bashing from a 9 lb Pike, which was ramming the tiny silvers he could see.

Bigger fish were there, every know and then I would foul hook a lazy torpid old carp that would just cruise slowly away, not realising it was hooked.  In one instance I had a scale so big on the hook I could have weighed it in at a silver fish.  The Pike was now bothering both Danny and my swims.

Suddenly the elastic was stretching away, and at last I had a decent fish, not a carp but a lovely slab of a Bream around 3 lb.

 Si had just had a phone call, his little boy had fallen over and been taken to casualty.  He quickly packed away his kit under a barrage of comments of how he had lost his bottle and was on the run, worried that Gary was going to take a quid of him for the second match in a row.

I would have to be on the Columbian dancing dust, if I thought I was in good shape to win; but the guys were struggling and my slab, had me well in front with two hours to go.  Time dragged as I pulled together a few more bits in between the Pike feeding, with every know and then the elastic stretching away as the Pike took fish and hook length.

With an hour to go Brian on the flyer and the guy next to him (Martin Buckley) started to catch both having a carp.  With half an hour to go Brian had a good slab too, and Martin a skimmer of around 1 lb.  With Si gone Danny called the all out in the fading winter light, and I helped do the weigh in.

I thought I had around 5 lb with the slab making up 3 of that. Net below.

Brian finished top of the pops with 16 lb, 13 and half ounces.  So he takes the money for first and the silvers pot as well; from the flying peg.

I picked up for third which meant a free days fishing.  Glad I went, shame about the low turnout, but it was good fun on a cold day.  The weights went as expected and the further left you went of the flyer the smaller the weight except my net; which was boosted by the slab.

Army Fur and Feather Christmas match on Wednesday lets hope the snake lake at Withy has not got its Scrooge coat on.  See you there.

		Carp	Silver	Total
1	Brian Shutler	1.12	15.1.5	16.13.5
2	Martin Buckley	4.4.5	5.5	9.9.5
3	Gary Williams		5.5	5.5
4	Pete White		5.4	5.4
5	Chris Mayne		2.2	2.2
6	Danny Jones		1.6	1.6
7	Si Iwin			DN Weigh
8	Nick Farmer			DN FISH
9	Steve Hiscock			DN FISH
10	Chris Rushton			DN FISH