A nice match on Jay, Rookery Farm Fishery, Pidley

Peg 25

I’d fished Jay only a couple of times in the past two years, so wasn’t expecting to do particularly well, as all the other 25 contestants in this Over-60s match are regulars here.

Lovely pegs, lined with astro turf - so no mud if it rains.

Vic German, second with 136 lb 2 oz - from peg
45 - just 2 oz less than the winner, Brian Yorke on 30.

The wind was Westerly, from my left to right, and although I’d checked the far bank –at least two feet deep – I didn’t want to start there, preferring to catch closer-in if possible, as it’s physically easier. I put a bait-dropper of hemp and corn out at two two plus two, but started inside, in the shallow margin. I had one tiny touch, and after a couple of minutes saw Mick Curtis on my right take a fish from the deep water on four or five pole sections.

I persevered inside for another 15 minutes, in which time Mick took another two fish, so I also went out longer. A 4 lb carp first drop-in was followed by one of about 1 lb, and another of 3 lb. But then bites dried up. I out some pellets to my right, down on the first drop-off, and immediately took two more fish, then a couple more missed bites, then nothing.

The next two hours saw me alternating between these two swims, taking the occasional fish mainly between 3 lb and 6 lb on corn, followed by an hour when I couldn’t get a bite.

With two hours to go I put pellets into the shallow margin to my right, and saw fish clouding the bottom, and swimming around just under the surface, but in the next hour I managed to land one, and lost about three foulhooked.

Peg 1 to 28

Finally with an hour to go the fish started to feed on corn – cat meat hadn’t worked up to that point – and I caught about six more. I weighed  85 lb 14 oz, which was eleventh, with ten weights over 100 lb, taken mainly on cat meat. However, I was pleased to beat the anglers on both sides, as Mick had 78 lb 8 oz, and Ray Myland to my left round the corner had 83 lb 2 oz.

Pegs 29 to 47

I should have concentrated on cat meat, probably just over the drop-off. But I look forward to the next time I fish Jay.