Perhaps I cudda, shudda won on Yew, Decoy

Peg 29, Sunday, Apr 24
It was all-change at the last minute for the ten of us in this Fenland Rods match, when we were told that instead of the pegs 1-15 we had been given, we could fish the whole lake. So the decision was made that because of the North-Easterly wind  that was blowing we would fish it with the wind at our backs, on pegs 16 to 30. I am afraid I rolled my eyes at this, because it meant that a) our bank would have less ripple than the opposite one, and b) the end two or three swims (16 to about 18) would have no ripple and without that wind it would become uncomfortably hot there. I knew this because I had had 16 the previous Wednesday.

Not much ripple on our side at the start, but it got better.

But my musings were cut short when my name was first out of the bag, and 29 was drawn for me. At least it was at the windy end of the lake. Now the wind was cold at that point, and I think some of the anglers assumed that the fish would want to be out of it. But the water has been warmed by many days of almost unbroken sun, and the wind has been in that quarter for a week or two - all of which hamade for a settled spell of weather so far as the carp are concerned.

You need that Raspberry Ripple
So to my home for the day, and gradually the wind seemed to move round so that we were getting a good ripple on our side. You can't beat a good Raspberry Ripple, as Bryan Lakey used to say. I started on a hybrid feeder with a wafter but had no takes, so it was down the deep margins to the right, where I had been flicking some corn. Sure enough first drop in saw a 5 lb common carp come in; and next drop I had another fish on which came off.

Kevin Lee was on 28, to my right, and fished
all day with his usual bait, cat meat.

I bring out the Big Guns

After another drop with nothing I brought out my big guns - mussel, to the left margin.  This worked well, and in the next 50 minutes I had four carp all around 10 lb each. But then they vanished. meanwhile Kevin, to my right, who had struggled in that first hour, had a big fish or two.

A blank hour followed until I changed to corn fished just touching bottom in the left margin, which brought three quick fish all approaching double-figures, and two more which came off, probably foulhooked. Then into the right margin for a 2 lb barbel on corn.

Foulhooked in the tail! 😟
Another blank hour followed, with Kevin, like me, getting fish in twos or threes, all on cat meat. So after another try on mussel I changed to cat meat for another two or three more, one of which looked to be around 15 lb. But I was snookered when, in the middle of a good spell, I foulhooked a fish in  the tail, and after about 15 minutes it came off just as I was about to net it. While I was playing that Kevin landed two! All these carp were around 10 lb. I also managed a barbel of 4 lb.

Peter Spriggs won with 138 lb 11 oz on Peg 25. 

I am an iriot

A quick look out at 11 metres where I had put hemp and corn saw a fish hooked first drop, but unaccountably it slipped the hook after a few seconds. No more came so I had to assume it was foulhiooked, although it didn't feel like it.

I was now getting liners in both margins, and should have tried a change of bait - I had hard pellet, paste, worms and maggots with me, but never thought to try them. Afterwards Mel on Peg19 told me had had most of his fish on worm. I am an iriot!

The occasional fish swam past, usually accompanied by others so I assumed they were hoping to spawn, I didn't have a mugging rig by me, but I doubt it would have worked. On the other hand fish were turning out in the middle, and I probably should have rigged up a pellet waggler, which had been in my original plans. But when there are big fish in the margins anything can happen if you have a 15-minute purple patch.

A last-minute loss
Nine minutes to go and I estimated I needed another big fish to catch up Kevin, and sure enough I hooked it! At first it seems not particularly big, but then suddenly became turbo-charged and shot off to the middle of the lake before coming close and charging off again.

Me with the sort of carp which were average on the day.

Ice cream anyone?

After several minutes fighting that fish, during which time an optimistic ice cream van drove down to our lake ringing its bell, it had managed to take enough elastic out to dive under the platform on Peg 30, and broke me. Possibly a foulhooked barbel, but I fancied I had needed that to stay with Kevin. I grabbed a spare rig and dropped it in, but 30 seconds later the match ended.

The weigh-in
John on 16 was first to weigh - three fish for 37 lb 11 oz, taken in three casts when a small amount of ripple appeared in his swim, and yes, it had become so hot he had really suffered, while at our end the temperature was just right. Next to him Shaun Buddle had a similar catch, taken early in the match, and weighed 39 lb 5 oz. I felt sorry for them, as on that day I don't think they had a chance of winning.

Peter Spriggs with a cracking 17 lb 14 oz mirror. You can see that the swims at the far end
were still very calm even after the match finished.

Mel Lutkin, always very consistent, had his 75 lb 13 oz on worm, and then after a few more average weighs it was along to Peter The Paste, who had fished very close in for 138 lb 11 oz, including one cracker of 17 lb 14 oz! Kevin to my right totalled 134 lb 7 oz, and I finished, as I had thought, one fish short with 127 lb 1 oz for third spot, having landed 14 fish and lost six more. The 'fifteen-pounder' I had actually weighed 13 lb 7 oz.

The result.

So ended a match I probably should have won. But it was good in that it was a re-introduction to warm-weather fishing after months and months of relying on maggot and waiting for hours for the odd bite. Next match Thursday on Beastie, where some of the platforms are down steps - something which becomes a bit of a problem at times the older you get. But we will have plenty of time to get ready, so bring it on and draw me peg18, 22 or 30!