Seventeen of us turned up for this Spratts match, all, no doubt, grateful that the temperature was due to have dropped after several days of blazing sun and not winds from Africa, though there was the possibility of thunderstorms. The water was fairly green, and at the start it was cloudy with just a light South-Westerly breeze, though this picked up during the day.
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| The day started dull, but the sun came out eventually. Luckily the storms stayed away. |
It was difficult fishing from the start for most of us, and after starting on the pole at 11 metres with expanders, and changing down to a 4mm to try to get it to drag in the very slight undertow, I had managed three bites, with one fish hooked and lost after about an hour. I saw hardly a fish caught in that time.
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| Trevor had a bagfull almost before I started catching fish. |
In the next hour I managed a 3 lb bream on a top three, followed by two tiny perch and a roach when I immediately changed to a worm. Meanwhile Peter Spriggs, opposite, had caught a fish or two, and Trevor, on my right, had had two or three fishing shallow. Fish were still turning, but unless they came close it was not possible to see them properly. But Trevor is a master of this method, and today told me that he had a couple dropping it in front of a bow-wave.
My left margin was very shallow right next to the bank, and I ignored this as I thought I would see some sign if the fish came in. So it was down to the deep margin, where I managed to hook and lose a couple more, probably foulhooked. Then I hooked a fish properly and after two minutes I was down to a top two when it suddenly shot under the platform and snagged the keepnet. Fish Gone!
A quick walk up to my mate John on 12 brought the information that he had 'only' two carp and a barbel. Looked like I was way behind, as Trevor and Peter had both had another fish or two.
Then I had a five-pounder on corn first drop on a top three and foulhooked another on cat meat which I saw. It was about 8 lb and I had it over the net three times, but couldn't guide it in and eventually it pulled off. I was really chinkered about that. Eventually a four-pounder stuck. Then the cloud moved away and for an hour it was like being in an oven. I applied skin cream - especially to the backs of my hands, which catch the sun wherever it is.
Three hours gone and I had about 12 lb and I then had a bad spell (!) made worse by seeing Trevor taking fish shallow on a top-two-plus-two. I had tried this, but never had a take. Peter, opposite, had half-a-dozen fish. I managed to foulhook another couple which both came off.
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| Wendy caught 35 lb 11 oz on a feeder, which surprised me as the water seemed very dead. |
To my left ninety-something-year-old Joe then had four fish on a feeder and I seriously considered changing. The undertow I had found out at 11 metres now seemed to have vanished, although there was a much stronger wind now. The left margin seemed almost devoid of fish - even the little roach which had been hitting my float had vanished.
But then, with 90 minutes left I saw Trevor take a fish in the side. So I had my first look in the right margin. The bottom was all higgledy-piggledy so I put in a few grains of corn a few feet from the bank, just above the deepest part of the swim, and dropped in a rig. First cast and I was playing an eight-pounder. Safely landed I put in some hemp and next cast briefly hit another, which came off.
The next hour saw the fish start to feed, and I landed four or five around 4 lb on cat meat, which seemed to work better than corn. Some came just up the slope, and a couple in the deep water. But they insisted on playing with the bait for a long time before taking it. In fact they looked like roach messing about with it - I just had to sit tight and be patient.
Another couple came off, though I did land one about 10 lb hooked on the outside of the mouth - the worst place to hook a fish, I have found. Then, with 15 minutes left and an estimated 35 lb in my first net I managed to hook another double-figure fish which fought strongly on the 17 hollow Preston yellow elastic but ended up in my second keepnet. I do like this elastic, provided the nearby anglers, and snags, are not too close. It stretches well at the start but powers up nicely when you use the puller.
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| My net which I had estimated at 35 lb - it weighed in at 58 lb 12 oz! That cost me third spot. |
Five minutes left and I hooked another big one and the shout went up to end the match, so I shouted "Fish On". That was met with much merriment and guffaws from my mates, as the shout had come from the match behind us. To be fair they had started their match with a whistle!
Three minutes later our match finished and I shouted "Fish still on", met with another fit of giggling along the bank. Five minutes later and my shout of "Fish In" was met with absolute silence - but I know that they were all thinking "Bugga! I wish it had got off!" I would have....
Mick Linnell on 1 weighed in 38 lb 6 oz - every fish a barbel. Then Mick Raby had 42 lb 5 oz, most from very very close in - that made me realise that I hadn't tried down in front of the platform, or to the side, where sometimes you can find fish sheltering on a difficult day.
Down to Trevor who had 93 lb 14 oz, and whose best spell was shallow on a top-two-plus-two with a red banded pellet. Then down to me.
I was admitting to 55 lb, and my second net , with the last two fish, went 18 lb 13 oz. But when I came to lift my '35 lb ' net I couldn't! Mick Raby helped - and as it went on the scales Trevor cast me a warning glance. It went 58 lb 12 oz. How did that happen?
How did that happen?
My old school pay Mick Ramm - we both went to St Peter's
School in Wisbech 70 years ago!
Perhaps I was in a parallel universe for a time, where clickers are not available.
Perhaps someone had come up behind me and reverse clicked fish for a time.
Perhaps I'm just an idiot!
So I was credited with 68 lb 13 oz, which was second from the nine anglers on that bank. Then round to Peg 14, where Peter Chilton had three nets...and managed to surpass my mistake, with 59 lb 4 oz in one net, cut back to 50 lb. Had he gone 60 lb then, under our club rules, that net would have been disqualified. Peter was credited, at the end, with 113 lb 12 oz, for the win - taken on baked beans (honest).
I held third place up to Peter Harrison on 24, who totalled 72 lb 12 oz. That gave him third spot - but if my nets had all counted I would have been third, of course. Not the first time it has happened, unfortunately. Martin Parker ran me close from corner peg 26 with 66 lb 1 oz, and I ended fourth.
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| Mike Rawson with 25 lb 7 oz from Peg 4. |
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| There were some good legs on display! |
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| Peter Chilblain (sorry, Chilton) hot-footed it to first place in the windy corner Peg 14 using baked beans. |
My next match is Sunday, on Yew, on the East bank. Only eight have signed up, so I expect we will fish alternate swims. I'd prefer to be drawn on 16 up to 22, but what do I know?
THE RESULT
24 Peter Harrison 72 lb 12 oz 3rd 3 Mick Raby 42 lb 5 oz
22 Alan Porter 20 lb 2 oz 4 Mick Rawson 25 lb 7 oz
21 John Garner 10 lb 6 Wendy Bedford 35 lb 11 oz
19 Peter Spriggs 41 lb 9 oz 7 Trevor Cousins 93 lb 14 oz 2nd
18 Bob Barrett 29 lb 9 Mac Campbell 68 lb 13 oz 4th
16 Peter Barnes 12 lb 11 oz 10 Joe Bedford 27 lb 1 oz
14 Peter Chilton 113 lb 12 oz 1st 12 John Smith 22 lb 5 oz
13 Mick Ramm 46 lb 8 oz
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