Commercial Matchman: Results from the Decoy Open, and our club match on Yew

Ice midweek on the lakes at Decoy, followed by icy blasts from the North Pole, had the inevitable effect of herding the fish into some areas at the weekend, leaving others almost fishless. However our club match, and the Opens, which attracted anglers practicing for the Angling Trust Winter League Final, went ahead, though some high-level casualties emerged at the end, including five-times World Champion Alan Scotthorne, who blanked in the Open.

Our JV club match

Peg 8, Yew, Decoy

Eighteen fished - nine on Cedar and nine on Yew, all having back wind. I drew 8 on Yew, and wasn't unhappy, as a match had been won on 7 a week or two ago. But Chris Saunders, next to me on 7, told me at the start that on Friday the Over 50s had seen most of the fish towards the Northern end, in the higher numbers. We were not looking at getting a lot of fish as on Yew the fish are mainly carp - with a big average and lots in double-figures.

Almost flat calm at the start, but the wind got up a little and it became very cold.

On Cedar the carp average a little less but there are more barbel and bream. But even though both lakes are just strips, sometimes it can seem as if a brick wall has been built under the surface and the fish will not go past.

This was a much action as Chris Saunders, next to me on Peg 7, saw all day!

The wind was Westerly, on our backs, but became very cold, and I pitied the anglers drawn on Elm in the Open who were facing it. The sun was really bright at times, but it didn't warm us up! Nearly everyone started on a feeder, as I did. Nothing on that, so I went on the long pole, at least 13 metres, and never had a touch. Like everyone else my main attack was with maggots.

Ron Cuthbert had 29 lb 2 oz for third.

Five in a line all struggle
Five of us in a line tried everything we knew but after four-and-a-half hours none of us had had a bite! To our left we could see the end three putting occasional fish in the net, and Adam Lowbridge on the other end peg 3 had a couple of fish early on, on a waggler. With 30 minutes left I was on a maggot feeder cast 40 yards to the far bank and suddenly, out of the blue, the tip jagged forwards and then sprung back. I picked up the rod and, wonder of wonders, a fish was on.

It came in fairly easily until a few yards from my bank, and with the water so clear I could see it was actually quite a good fish. Suddenly it had a new lease of life and threatened to charge through Chris Saunders' swim, but plunging the rod down under the surface persuaded it to come back. Then it refused to be netted - turning away every time it was within a foot of the net.

A few hair-raising minutes later it lay in the landing net. That was the sum total of our action for the five of us in this match.

Ian Frith - second with 100 lb 4 oz.

The weigh in
On end peg 15 Ian Frith had had to watch Roy Whincup, on 14, catch three fish on a maggot feeder cast to the middle of the lake, before he got a bite on the pole. But eventually sparse feeding with maggot saw fish come into the swim and Ian ended with 100 lb 4 oz, having used less than a quarter of a pint of maggot.

Roy fished a maggot feeder all day, taking the rest of his fish from the far side, ending with a winning 115 lb 9 oz. The next swim was unused, and on Peg 12 Ron Cuthbert managed to snatch a few stragglers for 29 lb 2 oz and third place, leaving Adam Lowbridge on 3 in fourth place thanks to a double-figure carp foulhooked on the pole towards the end to add to three on waggler, for 21 lb 2 oz. I ended fifth with that one fish of 7 lb 12 oz.

Roy Whincup, winner with 115 lb 9 oz, shows
one of his biggest fish. There are lots of carp
this size on Yew lake.

On Cedar everyone caught fish, with Steve Tilsley, who had won the Over 60s match on Jay lake on the previous Wednesday, making good use of his end peg 12 and ending with 52 lb 10 oz to win Cedar lake.

My next match will be at Rookery Farm Fishery, Pidley, on Wednesday, on Crow/Raven. Like most others I will hope to get drawn on Crow, as it's likely to give some sort of back wind, and I've had a first and second on the lake in my last two matches there.