One man went to bag - went to bag a netful! Yew, Decoy

 Peg 22, Sunday, October 24
I was happy with Peg 22, having preferred anywhere from 16 to about 22 on recent results. But the strong, cool wind, and the time of year, made it very likely that the fish would be holding in certain spots. Peter Spriggs was drawn - not for the first time recently - in corner peg 16, which I don't think he had ever fished before, but I was able to tell him that it has produced big catches in the past. 

Just ten of the Fenland Rods were fishing this penultimate match of the season, with the strong, cold wind from the left..

My swim, with a shallow left margin and a deep right one.

Back to my swim and my plan to fish the first half-hour on the feeder came to an abrupt end when Dave Garner on my left hit a big fish just minutes after the start on his waggler gear. I thought he was fishing the margins - in fact I learned later that he was about 12 metres out. And almost at the same time Dick Warrener just past Dave was also playing a big fish, which I assumed (wrongly, again) was also hooked in the margins.

Onto the pole
So my feeder rod was swapped for a pole and I spent the next hour fruitlessly fishing my right margin, and then farther out, with both cat meat and corn, while Dave added another three big fish. As he was landing his third, about 90 minutes from the start, I hit my first carp, about 9 lb, which ended in my landing net. Half an hour later I hit another, which seemed very powerful, but with the wind buffeting the pole it was impossible to play it properly, or know, with the pole under the surface, how much of the 17 Preston yellow hollow  elastic was out. Suddenly it broke me. Probably foulhooked.

Then followed nearly three hours during which neither Dave nor I could catch another fish. Indeed I didn't see anyone catch one - not even the anglers in the other strip lakes adjoining us. During that time I tried the shallow margin to the left and had another look on feeder. Then I walked up to Shaun Buddle, who  said he had two fish, and then on to John Smith, who was fishless but said that Peter Spriggs had had a lot of fish. Even later another trip along the bank saw Peter Spriggs now having four nets in, and John came up and said he had two tiny perch on worm.

Dave Garner plays a double-figure foulhooked carp.

Foulhooked fish next door
Back to my Peg 22 and as I walked back Dave Garner was playing a fish, obviously foulhooked, and I stopped to take a video of the last minutes. It was over 10 lb. At the same time an angler on Oak was obviously playing a fish, and Mike Rawson on Peg 20 had also netted one. Perhaps they were coming on! PS. The video is apparently too big to be imported onto this page. Back to the drawing board!

Safely in Dave's net after a fight lasting several minutes.

 I sat down on my box, started a new swim at 2+2 with corn, and turned to see Mike into another fish on his feeder. I was about to get up for a picture when the pole bend round and a 4 lb carp conveniently hooked itself. That had the same effect as a goal on lazy Premier League attackers - suddenly some sort of success seemed possible. I really started to concentrate - a few grains of corn and a pinch of hemp went in each cast, and I stayed religiously in that spot...waiting...and waiting.

Within half an hour another fish came, then another, and while this was going on Dave added another three, bringing hid total to eight - possibly 80 lb as I thought as they seemed big. With half an hour to go I netted another eight-pounder, giving me five fish. All the bites were different - one took the bait stationary, another as it dropped, and another as I dragged the corn slowly along the bottom against the wind, in the direction of any undertow.

My playing 'system'
Then I hooked the bottom...which suddenly started to move. The fish plodded around for ages, refusing to make any long runs. I have a system of playing carp - when I see it has been at least a foot off the bottom for several seconds I guess it's starting to tire. Then plunging my top two right under the surface as far as I can and just holding it steady usually (sometimes) sees the fish not only drift slowly in towards me, but also rise to the surface. 

Dave had eight fish for nearly 60 lb on a waggler.

This fish did just that, and by keeping the pole as low as possible to one side the fish slowly drifted within reach of my landing net. I had a strong orange solid elastic on, which I am getting very fond of.  A couple of times the fish shied halfheartedly away from the net, but just holding it steady brought it over the net again without it apparently realising. I estimated it at 10 lb and with 30 lb on my clicker already, it went into my second net, just so the first net would be easier to lift out.

Twenty minutes to go...but I couldn't get another bite. So when the match ended I knew that Peter had beaten me, and also Dave, and probably some of those to my left in the high numbers. I hadn't fancied those swims, but on days like this, when water temperature has dropped, pegs which don't produce in the Summer can come up trumps.

The weigh in
On end peg 29 Callum waited nearly four hours for his first fish, about 4 lb, then added another 45 lb in the last 45 minutes fishing under a tree to his left. He said he had tried it earlier and had not had a bite there. But that switch gave him 48 lb 11 oz, which, surprisingly, led down to Dave on 23. His eight fish weighed only 59 lb 7 oz - much less than I had thought. 

Peter had his best-ever weight of 192 lb 14 oz.

...including this fish of 18 lb 15 oz.

I estimated I had 40 lb, and had resigned myself to ending down at least fourth, behind Callum, but when that last 10 lb fish weighed in at 14 lb 2 oz I began to wonder whether I might pip him. I needed 35 lb to do so...and the first net of five fish went 38 lb 12 oz. Sorry, mate!

I was pleased to see Mike on 20 weigh in, as he often puts his fish back to get home early (he is nearly an hour away). His 22 lb 11 oz gave him a well-earned sixth place. Shaun hadn't added to his two early fish, while John had added just a 2 lb carp (foulhooked) to his two tiny perch.

A bonanza

In the corner Peter now had five nets out. He had started out on 2+2 without a bite, but had fed down the margin to his right. His first drop in there saw the float immediately shoot away, resulting in a 12 lb carp in his net. Then, throughout the day, big fish came in - mainly two quite quickly followed by a quiet spell before another couple came in. He said he caught on all sorts of bait - pellet, corn, meat, paste, and included two barbel on corn.

We weighed the biggest fish in his last net at 18 lb 15 oz, and he ended with a magnificent192 lb 14 oz, which he thinks is his biggest-ever match weight. AND he was on the golden peg. So celebrations all round for Peter.

I was very happy to end up in third place, on the sort of day that so often sees anglers starting to pack up just when the fish come on.  A typical cold-weather match, in fact. Next match is Friday on Six-Island, which is on the shallow side so I am expecting it to be equally hard.

Then next weekend sees the last Fenland Rods match on Damson, to be followed by the presentation of cups and Pairs winnings, including the overall Club Champion, and the Handicap medals. and a quick AGM because we didn't have one earlier this year (Covid restrictions).