By this time last year my wife and I had walked scores of miles, on our local highways and byways, in an effort to remain what passes, for us, as fit. This year we've hardly managed a quarter of that thanks to the weather - cold and windy and wet. But that wind and lack of warmth must mean that the fisheries are all now saturated with oxygen, which accounts for how hard the fish are fighting. They are definitely fitter than I am!
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| Overcast with a nice big ripple at out end of the lake. Luckily the rain wasn't heavy. |
I was drawn 27 in our Fenland Rods match (entry down, unaccountably, to nine) on the east bank of Yew lake, which was at the Southern end, with a nice wave on it. However, when I walked up to the other end, towards the lower numbers, the water was flat calm and it felt five degrees warmer, being completely sheltered. Immediately I thought that, with the water in such good condition from the never-ending Fen blows, the fish might well choose that end to feed in. my choice would have been 20 or 21, or 16 in the corner, which also has a good reputation. Time would tell.
This won't last long! I started on a feeder and in the first 90 minutes took three carp approaching 10 lb on a washed-out wafter, cast about three-quarters of the way across the 40-years wide strip, and then lost two when the hook length broke. One of those was a very big fish indeed, and I played it for some minutes before the break.
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| Kevin Lee, on my right, battles yet another big barbel towards the end of the match. |
The hooklengths were self-tied bands, tied with the JB Clarke Match team nylon, about 5.5 lb. And after the second breakage I turned to some Guru bands tied to 7 lb. These Guru hooks, of whatever pattern, are the best tied hooks I've ever used. Two more fish came with no more breakages. I can't work out why the others broke. I now have complete faith in the Guru hooks.
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| A lovely-looking margin to my left. but it didn't produce. |
To my right on 26 sat Kevin Lee, who has won the club championship more times than anyone else, and he had four or five fish at this point on top-two-plus-two, including a bream and an ide, and I was definitely beating him. Then I wandered up to Alan Golightly on peg 30, to my left, who had won a club match on 27 last year. He had just one fish, so I guessed I was doing OK.
Back to my peg and after one more fish on the feeder I went out to top-two-plus-three and in the next hour caught two or three F1s and three or four carp to about 8 lb on corn over hard pellets and hemp. Two big fish came off - not sure whether they were foulhooked. Halfway through, and I was still ahead of Kevin. But then the wheels fell off. I went the next 90 minutes without a fish while Kevin, after failing to catch in the side to his left turned to his right margin and immediately had a purple patch with five or six fish in half an hour, mainly barbel which ran to to 5 lb.
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| Kevin, with 130 lb 10 oz, gave me a bit of a thrashing! |
His catch rate then fell away, but he still managed another half-dozen fish to 10 lb before the match ended. I could see liners in my left margin, and tried corn, expander and cat meat, but could manage only one fish there - a 5 lb barbel foulhooked in the fin on a bunch of dead maggots. My mistake was to keep fishing there, as the fish were obviously not feeding properly.
I did manage to add a couple of F1s to 3 lb and couple of carp from the long swim in the last hour, but I knew Kevin had me well beaten.
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| Peter Spriggs, obviously happy with second spot. |
Alan on peg 30 had found fish in the margin eventually, totalling 46 lb 4 oz and I weighed in 82 lb 10 oz, topped by Kevin's 130 lb 10 oz. He told me he had been using double cat meat. I should have tried that, and I should also have made a determined effort to fish the right margin properly for a time. as it was I had a couple of half-hearted drops there, without any success.
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| Current club Champion Gave Garner with friend. |
I was surprised that Kevin's weight was not beaten by the anglers towards the warmer end, and that only Peter Spriggs with 113 lb 4 oz beat my catch, leaving me third. and the last man to be paid out. Interestingly most of the anglers found, like me, that they couldn't catch in the margins.
So I hooked enough fish to have been second, and I can't beat myself up about losing some. For anyone to catch fish they have to get bites - that's the first requisite. If I get the bites I feel I haven't done too badly. Better to have hooked and lost than never to have hooked at all!!
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| Mike Rawson with a mirror we weighd at 12 lb 11 oz |
Next match Monday on Cedar at Decoy. It looks like showers only, and I don't care where I get drawn.
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| Our chairman/secretary John Smith was fourth. |
The Vets National is on Lindholme in July, and I am seriously questioning whether to travel up to fish it. I just can't gather much enthusiasm, as I know that the lakes are all different, and that some are likely to fish better than others. Last year's match on Decoy was cancelled when there was really no need - and on Decoy it's possible to win a match like that on ANY peg. I was looking forward to that. I guess we are spoiled.
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| The weights were fairly well spread. |
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