Commercial Matchman: A good 'un for me on Oak, Decoy (and the Open results)

That forecast of heavy rain and gales cut down our entry to this JV match from an expected 18 to nine. But since they were nine of the best in the club I was eager to confront the challenge. However, news before the match cast a bit of a damper on me.

Ron Cuthbert told me that Dennis Sambridge had died the previous week. Dennis had told us last year that his cancer was terminal, and that he would be lucky to see Christmas. In fact Ron told me that Dennis had turned up, only this year, to a match at Pidley; the two had breakfast together, but Dennis decided it was too cold for him and went home. Ron never saw him again.

Dennis, in his late 80s, was a lovely bloke, and a darned good angler, especially with the worms he loved using. I hope he realised he was loved and respected by the anglers he fished with. Certainly the local match scene will be the poorer for his passing.

Peg 9, Oak, Decoy
We were (thank goodness) all pegged with our back to the howling wind, and I was happy with Peg 9, though Peg 11 has been producing good catches (it's opposite where the bird hide used to be, which was always a good area). The wind was just very strong indeed at the start, so I kept it simple - a feeder rod and two pole rigs - one long, and one short.

Not too bad at the start, but the wind got stronger and colder.

I had Chris Saunders to my right - not for the first time lately - which I was glad of, as I like to be able to watch better anglers than me closely during the match. The habit of spacing everyone out has definitely slowed down that learning curve we used to benefit from when we all fished at adjoining pegs.

A 'new' tactic
I decided to start by putting in some groundbait and dead maggots via a big feeder - not the huge ones we used to use to lay down bait for bream on Earlswood and Ferry meadows, but the largest in the Preston ICS system. I've recently seen one of the Matrix Submerged videos, and was intrigued at how long the tiny particles of groundbait stay in the water after the feeder has sunk, which would also be a different tactic to what most of the anglers in this match were using - they would probably use just a maggot feeder.

So out went four feeders with a very light, dry, groundbait and dead reds. I left each one a minute, then twitched it back a foot, left it another minute, then struck the groundbait (if there was any) out. Then I changed it for a maggot feeder, which took me less than 30 seconds - the system is so good.

Barry Gibb had just three fish for his 28 lb.

I avoid all tangles
My hook length was a nine-inch length of Drennan Supplex, which is quite stiff, to keep the six-inch hooklength from tangling, and I never had a tangle all day. I cast right across to a bunch of reeds on the far side, but when I retrieved it, there was weed on the hooklength, so I came back a few feet. Within about 20 minutes the rod was almost pulled off the rest and a 4 lb common was in the net, followed 50 minutes later by another. Forty minutes after that a seven-pounder joined them.

Beside me, Chris had tried a feeder, pole and a waggler - this looked so good across the far side that I fully expected Chris to start catching, but he didn't. Then he had an ide on feeder. To our left I saw Steve Tilsley land two good carp on a feeder, and Chris said that Ian Frith, to our right on end peg 3, had had some fish on pole. I actually saw him land one.

Weighing in the rain...but none of us were singing!

I was itching to try a pole myself at 13 metres, which was still possible in the wind, but never had a bite. So back to the feeder for a carp about 4 lb, a 2 lb ide, and a better carp of 7 lb. The bites from the carp again almost took the rod off the rest, but came out of the blue, one after two minutes, and the others again taking longer. All came from about six feet from the far bank, in the deep water.

One fish lost on pole
The wind blew even harder, with some huge gusts, and with 90 minutes left Chris packed away his pole, fearing that the wind would blow the lot in. I took a chance and left mine on the rollers, then had a go myself, at 10 metres which was as long as was possible. I hooked a good fish, played it for about 30 seconds, and then it came off.

Steve Tilsley, winner with six fish for 45 lb 11 oz.

So back to the feeder. with a live red, and dead red and a flouro pinkie, and this brought a carp about 3 lb and a 2 lb F1 five minutes before the end. Chris had another late fish about 2 lb on the feeder. Whether my initial feed of a light groundbait to leave a cloud had any effect I an mot sure. Probably not, but it worked.

The weigh in
Just as the match finished a light rain started to fall - Sod's Law. Ian Frith asked me what weight I had, and I admitted to about 30 lb, which he said would probably win. Then he proceeded to put 42 lb 5 oz onto the scales!!! 😍 He could do with a trip to Specsavers...

Roy Whincup had just three fish on a feeder for 14 lb 4 oz, and Chris' fish went 4 lb 4 oz. To my suprprise mine weighed in at 43 lb 3 oz, to lead up to Steve Tilsley, who had four fish on waggler and maggot to add to those two earlier fish on bomb and popped-up bread. They totalled 45 lb 11 oz, leaving me in second place, which I was very happy with in that company. Next match probably on Decoy on Sunday, but I don't know on which lake.

Our (damp) weighing-in sheet.

Andy Rayment had some big fish in his 82 lb 12 oz.
THE OPEN

The Open fished extraordinarily well. Behind our lake Andy Rayment sat on Cedar 26, facing the wind and started like a train with eight carp in the first half-hour on bread dobbed at 14.5 metres to the end bank on his left. Sport then slowed a little, and almost fishless after the wind got up. He took the bulk of his 82 lb 12 oz in that first 90 minutes.

Rob Goodson was also facing the wind, on Cedar 24, and took his 56 lb 8 oz in the five-foot deep margins - showing that fish will come to the side at this time of year if conditions are right.

The match was won by organiser Tony Evan on Willows 29 with 132 lb 5 oz, and there were several other weights over 100 lb from Willows, Beastie and Elm, which will show the competitors in the Angling Trust Winter League final on February 26 that there are still fish willing to feed even in atrocious weather.

Here are the results: