Eighteen of us turned up for this Spratts match on an almost windless, cloudy day. Damson is like an inverted triangle, with Pegs 1 to 13 running from the bottom point up the right hand side; then 14 to 17 across the top, and 18 to about 26 down the lefthand side, stopping short of the narrow section. We fished 1 to 20, with 7 and 14 left out, having dodgy platforms.
Strangely, when I got out of the van in the car park I remarked how cold it was, but by the time we'd drawn and driven to the lake it was much warmer. Peg 1 was the favourite, and that went to Bob Allen. There was a tiny amount of ripple at the end, while I and 16 and 17 had back wind, so it was flat calm, except for the ducks!
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| Almost flat calm at our end. The fishing was very hard all round the lake. |
After that some turned to the feeder, while others, including me, went out to the deep water. I managed to snag four or five, mainly small but with the best over 4 lb, on corn by pulling the bait along very slowly. Leaving it just didn't produce. Eventually I had to have another look in the margin, in a small cutout in the reeds to my left, where to my surprise I found three F1s on corn fished a few inches off bottom in 18 inches of water. They fought like fury, probably full of testosterone, or the fishy equivalent.
Clearly hardly anything was being caught - Peter Harrison had some on a feeder and I could see Trevor catching on rod and line. It turned out he was fishing a waggler right across and had to get within 18 inches of the reeds to get a bite. In desperation I turned to my special method which at least usually tells me whether there are fish in the swim. Today it didn't bring a fish for 40 minutes, but I could see that there were fish down below, so I persevered.
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| Alan Porter, second by 1 oz after fishing a feeder in open water. |
Things became more difficult, and over the next hour I landed about one fish and lost five. I think one may have been foulhooked, but I'm sure the rest weren't. Others told me they also lost fish late on, so I have to assume the fish were getting finicky. I saw Martin try up in the water, and he may have had one. Several times I dropped my rig, with corn, in front of cruising fish, but none of them took it. The water felt dead all day, though the sun stayed away and conditions were pretty good.
I estimated I had 40 lb, but really had no idea how the early pegs had done. I assumed that one or two would have 100 lb or more. I was wrong...
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| Peter Harrison could catch fish in a bucket of concrete! He ended sixth today, having taken almost all his fish on a feeder cast to the island. |
Bob Allen on 1 weighed 47 lb 2 oz, and I caught up with the scales on Peg 5, to see that Trevor was second with 40 lb 13 oz. Then Alan Porter on Peg 8 weighed just 47 lb 1 oz. I watched as the scales refused to move upwards, and it left him in second place by just 1 oz! He caught his fish on a feeder cast to the middle of the lake.
Peter Harrison on 11 was opposite the island and had caught fish by casting right across to it with a feeder, but he managed only 35 lb 11 oz.
I weighed 43 lb 1 oz, which was third round to Terry Tribe who beat me by 7 oz, and left me in fourth place. I rued the lost fish, which certainly cost me the match, but hey, that's fishing for you. It's a Funny Old Game (apologies to Greavsie). So well done Bob - I don't know how he fished. Obviously well!
Next match Sunday on Kingsland's small carp lake, which has been in tantalising form recently - some days terrible, other days great. The corner pegs have an edge, and so does the swim on its own on the West bank, but I'm happy anywhere. The fish can be hefty, and I'm expecting close-in fishing, next to the reeds, will win. But sometimes the first four hours can be almost fishless, so I mustn't fall asleep.
RESULT
2 Mick Ramm 26 lb 8 oz
3 John Garner 17 lb 8 oz
4 Trevor Cousins 40 lb 13 oz 5th
5 Bob Barrett 8 lb 4 oz
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