I fall short (not for the first time) on Damson, Decoy.

 Peg 3, Wed, June 1
Happy with Peg 3 on Damson, because the larger fish often tend to show up in the first four swims. Thirteen of us fished this Spratts match (I should call it Spillers, really, since that was its last name), in a light head wind from the right and showers forecast. In the event there wasn't much rain at all.

Shaun, next to me, prepares to weigh his catch. My swim looked much
like his - bank; platform; water; fish (hiding, in my case).

Next to me, on 4, was Shaun Buddle, who is having a great season, and he started out in the deep water - about seven feet in depth- and started catching fish almost immediately, on paste. I preferred to start close in, in the shallows, and first drop had a 1 lb F1 on a banded pellet. It was longer than most F1s, and was followed quickly by several more, all like peas in a pod.

Possibly new stock?

The fact that those fish were all the same size and shape, and colour, and many had an orange spot on their chin, made me wonder whether they are part of a recent stocking, possibly from the nearby stock pond. Anyway, after 90 minutes they had become more spasmodic, as they often do on Damson lake, though I had liners of some sort almost every drop in, but Shaun as still catching similar fish regularly. No pictures of my swim (which was mainly water anyway) as I forgot to take one!

Soon I tried corn in the shallows, but it was never as effective and with about 40 lb after two hours I went into the deep water where Peter The Paste, to my left, had also been catching regularly, with some better fish to 5 lb. However, despite fishing really sensitively for half an hour with corn over micros I never had a touch, not even a liner. Very strange.

Peter Spriggs, on my left, had some small fish to 
begin with, but some bigger ones later in the match.

Fish on cat meat
Back inside I took another fish or two before going out not quite as far - right at the bottom of the slope - with cat meat, which I could reach on a top two. The difference was remarkable, with half-a-dozen fish very quickly before they slowed up. One or two were a bit bigger - up to 3 lb. Then, with time ticking away I tried paste and yes, it took several more. Mussel immediately hooked a big fish which came off, but then the rest of the fish in that swim decided mussels were off the menu.

 By now Shaun had slowed up badly and I had visions of overtaking him, but suddenly I was having to wait five minutes for a bite, and even then I missed most of them. Peter was still catching steadily and Alan Porter, on 5, who had taken a lot of fish on feeder early on, was now on a pole and catching quite well. 

Alan Porter had some better fish early on,
on the feeder cast right across to the far bank.

My excuses for no action shots 😢
I now resolved, since my bites had slowed up (though still getting liners all the time), to get a picture of Shaun in action, for your delectation; but for the rest of the match his fish either came in so quickly that I hadn't time to grab the phone, or I was playing a fish at the same time as he was! To my left Peter Spriggs was totally obscured by a small tree, and all I could see was his landing net snaking out and bringing back mirror carp. Not an inspiring picture for you to feast on. Just Man Landing Fish without the man!

The end came with Shaun piling corn into the shallow margin, fishing paste, and heaving out about eight fish in the last ten minutes while (not seeing that), I concentrated on trying to winkle out one or two more on paste. In the event they made no difference - I was comprehensively beaten both sides.

Bob Barrett also had a busy time on the feeder!

The weigh in

On Peg 1, the favourite swim, Joe Bedford, I know, tried both feeder and pole for 18 lb 8 oz, which was bottom weight; but since he's 92 (or possibly 93 now) and still capable of framing, you have to say the day was a success for him. How many others of that age wish they could still catch fish, of any size?

Peter The Paste used his favourite, home-made bait (guess!) for his 101 lb 9 oz, which was less that I had assumed. My fish went 85 lb 12 oz, but I knew the next two had beaten me - Shaun with 116 lb 7 oz and Alan Porter with 97 lb 4 oz. That net included one or two much better fish, to 6 lb.

Peter Harrison on 10, casting a feeder to within a foot of the island time after time at the start, weighed in with 106 lb 4 oz, while Trevor Cousins on Peg 12 fished (as I guessed he would) with banded pellet all day in the shallows for 99 lb 3 oz.

Last man to weigh, Dick Warrener, in snaggy Peg 13, shows me 
his seventh-placed catch of 75 lb 9 oz, and a smile.

Completed, the weighing sheet showed Shaun to have won. His rescent results have been so well deserved, as I know how much time he has been spending on getting his gear and bait just right. 

Shaun was followed by Peter Harrison and Peter Spriggs. I was sixth, and have to admit that after a fantastic start catching six fish on the same pellet in a lasso, in about six minutes, when the pellet came out I found that the lasso wouldn't slip open, and I lost time putting on a band. Trevor has told me in the past that the lasso is quicker than a band because the pellet slips out far less frequently. I must re-make one or two ready for next time.

The good bit
So far as I am concerned there were two real plusses for me - I practiced on Fields End a couple of weeks ago using banded pellet and paste, both of which I have neglected for years. But at least in this match both caught fish, and in particular I was chuffed that my paste (a secret recipe, Peter) worked well, and has given me bags of confidence for using it in the future. 

It doesn't work, Trevor.
Trevor Cousins tries, in vain, to encourage the scales to move up a little.
But No, don't mock the afflicted!!!

My next match may not be until Thursday, as the weekend sees me attending a village lunch with many others (some of whom no doubt would rather be fishing), in order to prevent World War Three breaking out in my front room.

THE RESULT

1 Joe Bedford            18 lb 8 oz
2 Peter Spriggs            101 lb 9 oz        3rd
3 Mac Campbell          85 lb 12 oz
4 Shaun Buddle           116 lb 7 oz         1st
5 Alan Porter                97 lb 4 oz           5th
6 Mike Rawson            23 lb 13 oz
7 Peter Chilton             49 lb 2 oz
8 John Garner               42 lb 14 oz
9 John Smith                70 lb 4 oz
10 Peter Harrison        106 lb 4 oz        2nd
11 Bob Barrett              74 lb 7 oz  
12 Trevor Cousins        99 lb 3 oz         4th
13 Dick Warrener        75 lb 9 oz