Alan Scotthorne wasn't actually at this Spratts club match, you understand, but it was a recent quote from him I had seen that definitely increased my catch. The advice was from Alan to Tom Scholey, published in the most recent edition of Match Fishing, and described by Tom as one of the best pieces of advice he's ever had. It was, quite simply: "If you think it, do it!"
Now I've always tended to spend too much time, if I know fish are in the swim but not biting properly, trying to catch them, knowing that I really ought to change swims. I'm not alone - who can resist trying to snare those pesky fish waving their tails at you in shallow water next to the bank, but refusing to take a bait of any sort? It becomes a sort of personal challenge, which I nearly always fall for. Today was different - I made several changes much more quickly than I usually do, and in the end they paid off, so thanks for that, Alan.
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| Trevor makes the draw. |
Peg 18 used to be the 'flier' on Six-Island, but recently other pegs have been just as good. However, on this day I was invited to draw the Golden Peg out - and 18 stuck to my fingers! So no pressure, then...
The fog was quite thick on the journey to Decoy, and rain was forecast, and indeed some did come down while we were setting up. I got an umbrella up quickly, and luckily a few minutes later the rain stopped, and we had only a few more spots during the match. The sky was overcast at the start, but the sun came out later and it was a very pleasant Autumn day, but the fishing was hard.
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| Fog at the start, but it slowly cleared. Peg 18 is only about 10 metres to the far bank. |
Next fish was also foulhooked, about 6 lb, hooked in the pectoral fin, but it ended up in my net. However after an hour that was all I had, though I had had some tiny knocks, showing that fish were in the swim, so I switched to fishing the far bank, which in this swim - the narrowest on the lake - was only about 10 metres away. Again it took half an hour to get a bite, on corn, but no fish. However three F1s came in the next half-hour, but I also lost three, which came off after just a few seconds.
With about 11 lb in my net I wandered along to my left to see John Garner, who said he had five fish for 2 lb 8 oz, and he said John Smith, to his left, probably had just one good fish. Back to my swim, and after another 45 minutes two or three more F1s, best 4 lb, came in. I was getting touches all the time, and the corn was so cold to the touch that I wondered whether a different, smaller, bait would do better for the F1s.
Maggot was the obvious choice, and for once I didn't waste time - I switched to maggot straightaway, but the result was a tiny perch, and I went back to corn. I was pleased that I didn't just carry on, all th while wondering whether maggot would work. Bu I couldn't see things getting any better, and the wind was getting stronger, so minutes later I switched to a swim to my left in the deep margin.
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| The winner, Bob Allen, was camera-shy, but Bob Barrett, third on Peg 11 with 51 lb 3 oz,had no such qualms, |
Within minutes I saw a couple of swirls, and dropped in my shallow rig with corn - nothing! Mud came up, which is always exciting, but I spent no more than ten minutes there. Next I put casters and hemp farther out on the next shelf, about three feet deep. There I got bites, but no fish. So it was quickly back out to the deeper swim again, and an 5 lb mirror was my reward.
Again I had lots of knocks on corn, so put on a big worm. Result...a tiny perch. Back immediately to corn and the result was...another tiny perch. On corn! That one worm, which I had taken off the hook when I unhooked the perch, must have leached smell into the water which was still attracting perch. No other explanation. Thanks goodness I hadn't put in any chopped-up worms.
An hour to go and I had an estimated 28 lb. I had lost another fish or two, one of which was a big F1 clearly hooked in the mouth. One or two I had landed had been hooked under the chin, so they definitely weren't taking the bait properly. But I was pleased that I was landing these hard-fighting F1s in half the time I would normally take, following Ben's advice.
Next thing I saw John Garner landing a good carp; then another; then another, all from the deep margin. I assumed he was using cat meat (he was) but I couldn't see why better fish wouldn't take my corn bait, and I was still getting liners. HOWEVER I remembered that quote and got off my box, picked up a cat meat rig, put in a few cubes, and dropped in a cat meat bait. There was just 30 minutes of the match left.
No more than a minute later I was playing a 7 lb mirror; then next drop another the same size. Suddenly the sky became so dark that I had to take off some shot to be able to see the float better, and wasted two or three minutes doing that. No bites in the next few minutes so I changed to mussel and hit another big fish which came off after a minute or so. Five minutes to go and the next fish, also on mussel, was a small F1; then no more time, and the match finished. John Garner had had at least one more good carp, I saw.
On Peg 1 Peter Barnes had one fish with half an hour to go, but added four in that last, frantic, 30 minutes, and totalled 25 lb 10 oz. Round the corner, then, to the anglers I hadn't been able to see, with Mike on 4 weighing 29 lb 13 oz and and on peg 6 Bob Allen had fished paste all day for a brilliant 79 lb 15 oz. He said he had dripped in half-a-dozen pellets first cast, followed it up with a lump of paste dropped on top, and and been playing an 8 lb mirror within 20 seconds!
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| Joe, at 92 years old, can still catch 'em. He was fifth with this 42 lb 14 oz catch, taken on feeder. |
The next three anglers, Joe, Bob and Wendy, had all fished the feeder all day, mainly close to the bank, for weights of 42 lb 14 oz, 51 lb 3 oz and 26 lb 9 oz, putting Bob into second place and 92-year-old Joe into third. To my considerable surprise I then weighed 52 lb 12 oz, just pipping Bob. John Garner's last-hour sprint on my left had taken him to 42 lb 8 oz, while our organiser Trevor on 24, with the wind in his face (which he and the rest of us thought would be best) had a roach and two carp and didn't weigh in.
That left me in second spot, thanks to that vital last-hour change, when many times I wouldn't have bothered - but the Golden Peg was a roll-over, of course.
Steve (aka Ivy) Tilsley is a local legend who posts his results on Facebook, and from time to time he announces a Twat In The Hat award for memorable acts or comments on the bank. I wouldn't be so cruel as to do that...but if I was it would go to John Smith. As we were packing our gear away after the match John said he had about 13 lb - possibly 15 lb.
His weight? It was 25 lb 14 oz, with one fish that must have weighed almost 13 lb on its own!!! I think a visit to Specsavers is on the cards.
THE RESULT
3 Martin Parker DNW
4 Mike Rawson 29 lb 13 oz
6 Bob Allen 79 lb 1 oz 1st
8 Joe Bedford 42 lb 14 oz 4th
11 Bob Barrett 51 lb 3 oz 3rd
13 Wendy Bedford 26 lb 9 oz
18 Mac Campbell 52 lb 12 oz 2nd
20 John Garner 42 lb 8 oz
22 John Smith 25 lb 14 oz
24 Trevor Cousins DNW
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