Peg 4, Sunday, Oct 2
The trouble with forecasts and predictions is that they can make you look stupid (or in my case more stupid) when circumstances change. You see, I said in the last blog that any of the pegs on 1-15 Oak were capable of producing the winner. I had checked my blog for the past five years and almost every match on 1-15 Oak from October onwards had been dominated by feeder, often with maggot as bait, cast across to the Eastern bank, and on the whole all those pegs 1-15 have been pretty consistent.
The trouble with forecasts and predictions is that they can make you look stupid (or in my case more stupid) when circumstances change. You see, I said in the last blog that any of the pegs on 1-15 Oak were capable of producing the winner. I had checked my blog for the past five years and almost every match on 1-15 Oak from October onwards had been dominated by feeder, often with maggot as bait, cast across to the Eastern bank, and on the whole all those pegs 1-15 have been pretty consistent.
Many years ago Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was asked what dominated his political decisions, and his answer was: "Events, Dear Boy, Events." Well, it's the same with match fishing - when we arrived at Decoy for this match on Oak, 1-15, the club was told that the whole lake was free, and the decision was taken to use the whole 30 pegs, on both sides...that really put the cat among the penguins!
 |
| My building site. The nets are put in 15 minutes before the start. |
No matter - there are lots of big carp in Oak. But over the years the East bank, which faces the prevailing winds, has tended to fish better than 1-15 on the West bank, and today was no exception. A lot of fish were caught. Peg 1 is in the first corner, and I have won from there in the past, but with both banks in I had hoped to avoid 2 to 5. However, Fate decreed 4 for me.
I go out to the ripple
I had a spare platform both sides, though to the right, peg 3 platform was not really fishable because of intervening reeds. The wind was from the left, slightly behind, but it meant that the best ripple was on the far side for much of the match. I decided to start well out, at 1l.5 metres, in the ripple, with corn and expander (though not both together). On my left Mike Rawson had an early fish on feeder and to his left James Garner, who has something about him that attracts fish, also had a good hour with a fish or two.
I had a spare platform both sides, though to the right, peg 3 platform was not really fishable because of intervening reeds. The wind was from the left, slightly behind, but it meant that the best ripple was on the far side for much of the match. I decided to start well out, at 1l.5 metres, in the ripple, with corn and expander (though not both together). On my left Mike Rawson had an early fish on feeder and to his left James Garner, who has something about him that attracts fish, also had a good hour with a fish or two.
 |
| Mike Rawson was soon in action to my left, on Peg 6, with a fish on a feeder. |
There was a very light undertow from right to left, and I soon changed from corn to expander so the bait could drag along the bottom.
No fish came for ages, and I was amazed at how cold the expander was, because the wind wasn't cold. A look in the lefthand margin brought nothing, but at least it showed I had the float shotted correctly. I then spent some times towards the platform on the left, at 11.5 metres, with corn, but never even had a liner, so I went back long.
The fish hook themselves...
In the next two hours four fish literally hooked themselves, before I could even strike. One was foulhooked and came off, and three ended in my net - carp of 9 lb and 7 lb, and a 2 lb F1. After three hours that was all I had.
In the next two hours four fish literally hooked themselves, before I could even strike. One was foulhooked and came off, and three ended in my net - carp of 9 lb and 7 lb, and a 2 lb F1. After three hours that was all I had.
 |
| Callum, opposite me, overtook me with his last fish of the day. |
Opposite me Callum Judge had about three fish, I think, but James had started catching quite well on 2+3 with cat meat. After those three fish in three hours I had a long blank spell! I tried starting another swim at 2+2, where James was now fishing, but never had a bite. It took an hour to get another carp, on corn from the left margin, and I had a look to the right, even though I didn't fancy it because it was bobbly - going from about 12 inches next to the bank down to four feet, but with very few flat spots.
Hemp the main attractor
However, after a few minutes of just dripping in three or pieces of corn, I had an indication, and five minutes later a mirror carp of about 6 lb. Two or three more fish came, but I had to feed, otherwise I never had a bite. Hemp was the main thing to attract them, I think. I kept resting that swim by looking in the left margin, where cat meat brought a good bite first drop, which I missed, but no more bites there.
However, after a few minutes of just dripping in three or pieces of corn, I had an indication, and five minutes later a mirror carp of about 6 lb. Two or three more fish came, but I had to feed, otherwise I never had a bite. Hemp was the main thing to attract them, I think. I kept resting that swim by looking in the left margin, where cat meat brought a good bite first drop, which I missed, but no more bites there.
 |
| Peter Spriggs with just one of his six nets of fish. |
Rumours at the weigh in
The word went round, as the weigh-in started, that Peter Spriggs in the corner peg 16 had six or seven nets in. But first to weigh was Allan Golightly in 1, who had had a good day with 96 lb 14 oz, fishing roughly opposite the second bush on the end bank. I knew I could not beat that, and admitted to 70 lb. In fact I ended with 78 lb 4 oz.
The word went round, as the weigh-in started, that Peter Spriggs in the corner peg 16 had six or seven nets in. But first to weigh was Allan Golightly in 1, who had had a good day with 96 lb 14 oz, fishing roughly opposite the second bush on the end bank. I knew I could not beat that, and admitted to 70 lb. In fact I ended with 78 lb 4 oz.
James was top on our bank from a peg I didn't particularly fancy - peg 7. A very good performance, that. His father Dave had 84 lb, on a waggler, then we all moved, expectantly, round to Peter Spriggs in the corner on Peg 16..
 |
| This was just one of many big double-figure fish Peter ended with. |
Peter had had only a couple of fish from the corner of the lake, but had found fish in his deep left margin. He had had a good start, but then he went for an hour and 40 minutes without a single fish before they came back, and he really made hay using cat meat He had taken only five nets with him, and had to borrow a sixth from an angler sitting behind him and fishing a match on Yew lake. That angler waited until we had weighed Peter in before he could retrieve his net...
Even so Peter went over our club's 50 lb limit on four of the nets, which included fish to 16 lb. The last net went in 40 minutes from the end, and it had more than 50 lb in, thanks to a big last fish, which Peter put in there because he had no more nets. His total was 298 lb 2 oz, but had all his fish counted he would have had about 314 lb - the catch of a lifetime. Obviously he had won.
 |
| A beautifully-conditioned common for runner-up John Smith. |
To his left John Smith had taken most of his second-placed 156 lb 10 oz on a waggler with small pieces of cat meat, while to his left Kevin Lee had 136 lb 12 oz, which didn't even frame. In corner peg 30 Shaun Buddle had fished long to the corner with mussell and ended fourth with 147 lb 4 oz. I ended ninth out of 12.
What went wrong?
Afterwards I couldn't work out why I didn't catch more, because I thought I hadn't made any silly mistakes. Then, after seeing others weigh in, I realised that my fish were smaller than the average - almost everyone else had big fish over 10 lb, with a much bigger average weight than I had. Also, I don't recall seeing anyone else with F1s, and I also wonder if that tench heralded the fact that the carp were not feeding well - that had happened in the past at Decoy. Perhaps it wasn't all down to me!
Afterwards I couldn't work out why I didn't catch more, because I thought I hadn't made any silly mistakes. Then, after seeing others weigh in, I realised that my fish were smaller than the average - almost everyone else had big fish over 10 lb, with a much bigger average weight than I had. Also, I don't recall seeing anyone else with F1s, and I also wonder if that tench heralded the fact that the carp were not feeding well - that had happened in the past at Decoy. Perhaps it wasn't all down to me!
 |
Kevin Lee is our hardest-working club member - he weighs in every match for us. His reward in this match was 136 lb 12 oz, which didn't even frame. But look at the size of that fish! |
HOWEVER let's get things in perspective - 78 lb would have been more than I used to catch in a season when I fished the Fen drains for roach in Wisbech association matches. In those days 1 lb of fish per hour would be enough to frame in most matches. So although I like to frame, I realise that catches like I now get would have been unbelievable 40 years ago. We are so lucky.
Next match is Wednesday, back on Oak. I imagine we will have enough anglers to fish both banks, so I'd like a peg from 16 to 30, preferable from 16 to 22, or 30 in the coner. Pretty Please!
THE RESULT
No comments:
Post a Comment