Rob ‘Weasel’ Deacon managed to win the latest open at Orchard Place Farm with an impressive 137lb 12oz. Not bad in winter and on his first visit for five years!

The Drennan Bordon team man’s impressive winter catch consisted of 76 F1s and showed the importance of working the peg and varying swims to keep fish coming throughout the day. Here’s how he did it:

“I started fishing at 5m with expanders and managed 22 F1s on pellets in the first 90 minutes. The rig was a 0.2g AS3 float on 0.10mm line to a 0.08mm Supplex hooklength and a size 18 Silverfish Match hook.

“After an hour I started priming a 13m line, pinging maggots. The rig was once again an AS3 but with a smaller size 22 Silverfish Match hook. Switching to this line brought around 10 F1s before it dried up.

“A big pot of maggots was fed here before I had a few casts with a small maggot feeder further out to add a few smaller F1s to the net. Back on the 13m line and another run of around 10 F1s followed.

“With 90 minutes remaining, a line 3m off the bank and 6m down the peg was fed with slop and maggots. I fished this swim for the last hour and managed to put around 50lb in the net from this new swim.”