A late finish at Pidley

Magpie Lake, peg 33

This was the regular Over-60s match at Rookery Waters, which is only 20 minutes from my home, and although the café serves breakfasts I usually make do with just a mug of tea. The draw is in the café and I drew on the island, peg 33.

This swim has had some form, though 35, to its right, has been a real flier this Winter. My peg has an island out at about 2 o’clock around 25 metres away and a sunken bed of reeds at 11 o’clock to my left, at about 20 metres. But the good news was that John, on peg 35, said a mate had fished on 32, to my left, yesterday and had 31 good carp – with several over 4 lb – at about 8 metres.

I looked and sure enough there were three carp not far out there, just under the surface. So I determined on three lines – in front at 11 metres, the same distance out towards 32 on the left (which had no-one in it) and a shorter line to the left at 8 metres, closer to the bank as the wind was from the right. I also had a hair-rigged leger, which I used towards the island.

Unfortunately my carefully-laid plans fishing pellet in front and maggot to the left, brought me just three roach in the first four hours! One reason was that five minutes before the match started the light wind, which had been bringing just a few spots of rain from the West, turned a full 180 degrees in seconds, picked up power, and immediately brought very heavy rain from the East, while the temperature dropped. I’ve never seen a wind change so quickly.

I had asked John, earlier, whether he would be putting up his umbrella – and, looking down his nose at me, he replied disdainfully: “No, I shan’t be doing that!” Minutes after the storm started I peered out from under my brolly to see John’s was definitely in place!

John had three early carp, then 90 minutes blank, and then a run of smallish carp around 2 lb. I hadn’t seen much else caught, though after three hours the angler on my left said he had had four carp. I tried touching bottom, laying on, and fishing up to a foot off bottom, with pellet, bread and maggot, all to no avail. So when my mate Colin came down with 45 minutes to go, to see how I was getting on, I was not a happy bunny. Finally, and partly because I was getting cold, I tried the leger again towards the island – once close to the reeds, then a few feet out, and then halfway.

The last cast with corn brought a strong pull, then the tip dropped back, then it went again – not a real wraparound but a definite bite rather than the tiny liners I had been seeing. I struck and it produced a 4 lb carp. There were now about 30 minutes left and I decided to go out towards the same spot with sweetcorn on a pole at 13 metres. It hadn’t worked previously, but I had just noticed three anglers lose carp, so perhaps they were on the move.

I put in a half extension to my Browning Z12 and it felt good, because it gives a nice balance and I can grip it really hard if I wish because it’s strong. The Z12 gives you three reversible half-butts, so they fit into several of the sections. A few frozen grains of corn went in with a tosspot. A couple must have floated and immediately attracted the attention of a couple of mallard. I don’t mind this as I am certain that the fish learn to associate ducks feeding with the opportunity of food for themselves. Even if the fish are not hungry I suspect that habit and instinct urge them to move towards the commotion.

Anyway, within a few minutes I was playing a carp, about 3 lb. Next came a missed bite, then another two carp around 3 lb. I found that I had to leave the bait still for a minute or two, then lift it and if I was going to get a bite it would come almost immediately. It felt as if the fish were lying in wait an inch from the corn and waiting for it to show signs of life. Then they would pounce.

The shout went up to end the match and John on my right was first to weigh, 25 lb, while my four carp and three roach weight 17 lb 10 oz. As usual I had underestimated the weight of my fish! Kevin on 11 won with 28 lb, and there were three around 25 lb – 26 lb. So I was probably fifth or sixth, but out of the frame. The angler on my left had another three carp, I think, for 16 lb

Conclusion.

I can’t pinpoint anything I did wrongly. Sometimes you know, afterwards, that there were things you should have tried but didn’t – not in this case . The angler opposite, I was told, had 16 lb all in the last 30 minutes. So it was probably just one of those days when the carp in some spots were willing to feed occasionally and the carp in others were late starters. The story of my life!