I DNW on Elm - and the Open result

 Peg 1, Elm, Decoy
Blimey, that was difficult. I thought that being at the top end of the strip lake, with the wind behind and from the right, would give me a bit of shelter. Not a bit of it - the wind whistled across the field and the car park and through the gap and it was impossible for me to lay my pole sections or tops on the bank without having to wedge them to stop them blowing along the bank. All my empty bags went into the van for safe keeping, and I had to lay my umbrella in front of the trolley to stop it being pushed along.

The surface of my swim was calm, but the wind soon picked up and was wicked,
 and became very cold until an hour before the end.

Five of us in this JV match were on Elm and six on Cedar, all with back wind (though another eight or nine hadn't turned up - sensible people!).

After a couple of hours fishless Ivy Tilsley (sorry, Steve) in Peg 4
changed to a waggler and this was the result - his first fish.

The water in my swim was sheltered by the end bank and was almost flat calm for the first few feet, which was strange, considering how strong it was along the bank, but when I walked along the strip towards the higher numbers the wind seemed to be filtered a little by the tall reeds along the edge of the stock pond behind us, though the surface of the lake was really rough there.

Adam Lowbridge - third on Peg 12.

A nightmare

Whatever the reason, it was a bit of a nightmare for me - an hour on the maggot feeder produced not even a liner. Then a look with the pole to the end bank proved to be a problem, as I had to turn into the wind, and after a short time it became bitingly cold. No fish there, so back on the feeder so I could have a cup of soup, and then a long pole in front of me, which produced a half-ounce perch to maggot. Steve had a strong tow against the wind, but in my swim it was only a very slight pull.

Several of the anglers on Oak and Yew, fishing in the Open, packed up halfway through the match. I stuck it out, with no more bites until half an hour before the end when, very cold despite my heated vest, for only the second or third time in my life I started to pack up early. I was on the scales and wanted to be able to take my time packing up - Steve Tilsley, who had four fish for about 15 lb, did the same.

Kevin Wilmot - winner with 106 lb 12 oz - 
a magnificent effort in those conditions.

.

Lots of fish...
So after taking my time to pack away (which left me less drained than usual), followed by a quick trip to the toilet for me we marched down to peg 12 to start the weighing-in, which took place in a light rain. There were fish there - lots of them, in Adam Lowbridge's net. He'd taken his fish on a pole at 11 metrres, but when he had to come back to nine metres sport slowed down. Even so he weighed  83 lb 15 oz.

Lee's catch of 88 lb 8 oz was nearly all barbel.

Next door on 9, Kevin Wilmot, who used to be my boss on Match Angling Plus, had even more - 106 lb 12 oz, taken on bomb and bread, maggot feeder and maggot on the long pole. He's a very tidy angler indeed, so I wasn't surprised he won. While the wind was blowing hooley there was a strong tow against it, and Kevin caught well, but when the wind eased the tow went the other way and sport tailed off.

Next door on 7 Lee Kendall had a most extraordinary catch - 88 lb 8 oz which were nearly all barbel taken on a maggot feeder cast across to the far side. He showed me where he fished - to the platform opposite or along to the tree a few yards to the left.

Steve Nurse with 46 lb 12 oz from Cedar lake.

On Cedar the weights again increased as we went from the low numbers to the higher numbers, won by Roy Whincup who fished a feeder mainly to the middle of the lake on Peg 11, with 58 l 6 oz. A great day for some - a day to forget for me. Next match probably Sunday with JV.

THE RESULT (and the Open)

ELM

CEDAR

THE OPEN RESULTS

The Open was won by Andy Rayment on Six-Island Peg 11. He had a backish wind and caught most of his fish on maggot and pole at six metres. Damson and Lous fished very consistently but the two strip lakes used, Oak and Yew, fished much better at the far end than the car park end - as did Elm and Cedar that our club fished. In fact Yew produced third-best weight of 90 lb 10 oz in corner peg 15.

OAK

YEW

SIX-ISLAND

LOUS

DAMSON

WILLOWS