An even more difficulter day!

Kingsland Small carp Lake, Sunday

Back to the lake I had fished two days earlier, and the weather was similar, with the wind in roughly the same quarter, though there was less ripple, and what there was was at the far end. There were agin 14 of us. This 17-swim lake lake is not pegged, so you have to put the numbers out beforehand. No matter – I drew in the corner swim next to where I had been on Friday! Flat calm again, with bright sun.

Peter is in this club also, and was lucky enough to draw towards the far end where there was ripple, so he would always be a contender fishing on the surface. I had the worst possible start when Kevin, on my left, started about eight metres out and started catching fish like there was no tomorrow. By the time I had two, on cat meat to my right, he must have had ten! I persevered in a small dip I had found by plumbing up, and had odd fish, until suddenly a big branch started showing under the surface, first rising then sinking.

A couple of times I hooked it briefly, but could not get it out as it seemd to be tethered. That had me worried, as one fish I hooked went round the branch but mercifully it came free. Anyway I tried a longer swim in the open water, which I had baited earlier, and had one carp and some liners, but nothing else. So it was down to the left with dead maggots, as I had done the previous day, and had just the odd fish. But I know they were there as I foulhooked (and lost) a couple.

Then it was back to the right, a bit father than previously, and nearer the corner reeds. I had a couple more but then lost two in quick succession as they shot straight into the reeds when hooked. I’d got tight 18 latex in the pole, but couldn’t hold them, but I could see one of them was well into double figures. Meanwhile Kevin had been for a third net after about three hours, but his catch rate had fallen as I had picked up a little. And I couldn’t see much action along my bank, but I was quite despondent, thinking that I might even come last. My clickers showed 38 lb and 28 lb.

At the weigh-in Dave on peg 1 had 99 lb, using his normal waggler (he doesn’t use pole), and Peter, who went for a fourth net with 10 minutes to go, had 135 lb.There was also an 86 lb next to him, but I was surprised to see some weights below 10 lb, and several below 30 lb, so I reasoned it must have fished harder than I had thought. Kevin, who has won our club chamopionship many times, was a surprise winner with 137 lb, so it was obvious I could not frame in the top four now.

But my 38lb net seemed heavy when I pulled it out and indeed went 48 lb-plus, while the 28 lb net went 40 lb (I must have forgotten to click a couple of fish). So to my surprise I had 88 lb for fourth and there was just the ‘flier’ on the righthand bank to weigh. Tony, a very good angler, was here but had just 50 lb-plus, no doubt because he had back wind all day with no ripple, and lost some in the reeds. I do believe that the majority of fish which immediately weed us are probably foulhooked. You can tell because they react differently to those hooked in the mouth; they seem to get a flying start, while those hooked in the mouth are are more cautious (though not a lot!) If you fish for carp you will know what I mean.

I had one fish which took off at a rate of knots, ploughed 100 yards across the lake and buried itself six feet into the far bank...unfortunately I was not attached to it for more than two seconds! At that point I put on a rig of 12 lb line straight through to an Animal size 12 hook, but it didn't feel right and I took it off after 15 minutes. I suspect it's still too early in the season for such gear, though once the water warms up and the fish are more enthusiastic it will be my first choice of rig on Kingsland. At the moment they are still a bit timid.

I felt it was a disappointing match for me, although I framed - which is always the target - because I felt I didn’t fish it very well. I was broken a couple of times, which always makes me question my choice of strong elastic – I couldn’t add sections quickly enough because the Browning Sting is a put-in pole, and it’s always more difficult than with a put-over. On the other hand only two fish made it into the reeds, and almost all were hooked within two feet of the margin. Light elastic would never have kept them out.

I used two different poles, one a Browning Sting and the other a stiff 35-year-old margin pole originally made by Century. It’s stiff, and fish don’t fight as powerfully on this as on the Sting, simply because they don’t like the bend in poles. But the Century is heavy and I have only two tops for it, so normally limit it to fishing close-in with strong gear and big bait.

If you don’t believe that stiff poles are better for fighting fish ask yourself why it is that if you point a top two directly at a half-beaten fish, with the elastic straight, it stops fighting. Raise the pole and the fish starts fighting again.

I should had concentrated on the open-water swim at the start, because Kevin made it work. He put in a big pot of feed after every fish, which confirmed my opinion that they were coming in, eating (or perhaps just looking) and then moving on. But, like Sunderland this season, I never really got started, which is a failing of mine. Both of us ‘Could do Better.’ I have a soft spot for Sunderland, so hope they make it back next season.

Finally, I will explain that on Kingsland, where the fish are big – up to 15-20 lb, I like using my Sting as opposed to my normal Browning Z12. It’s light and very strong and I feel that if I smash it on a big fish I won’t feel as bad as breaking the Z12. Also the top two is short, so the elastic is shorter, and bottoms out more quickly. Basically it’s delightful to use, except for the fact that it’s not as easy to add sections in a hurry. Well, you can’t have it all ways.