This was my second JV AC match of the season, and I wasn't particularly taken with Peg 5, as Martin Parker had fished it the previous Wednesday in the Spratts match and I believe he didn't catch a fish for the first four hours, finishing with three carp for 25 lb 3 oz, which was 10th out of 12. I would have preferred being from 7 down to corner peg 13, or opposite.
BUT when I plumbed up I got a surprise - I had put on the rig from Peg 2 on Wednesday, and when I put it out to ten metres this swim was 18 inches shallower! Now that didn't mean it would hold fish, but at least it was different - I didn't realise it was that shallow in this area. So my plan to start on the feeder was now questionable. The wind was a stiff, cool breeze over my back - seven on my bank and seven opposite.
 |
| All match the wind blew onto the far bank; by the end it had died away. |
In fact I started in the left margin, the right margin being out of commission at that moment because the sun made it impossible to see. In any case I like to try rigs early on, to get them working right in my mind. The left margin was deep a metre from the bank - five feet or more, and just an inch or two shallower as I dragged the rig towards the reeds. I fished with corn for a few minutes, adding a No 12 shot to get the float dotted well down, and was finally happy that the rig was OK, even though I hadn't had a bite.
I was about to put out the feeder when Peter Harrison, on my right on 3, landed a fish. He was fishing a pole well out at about 14 metres, so that made my mind up - I went out with a banded pellet. I fished at only 11.5 metres, keeping the 13-metre section behind me. My GTI holdall has given up the ghost (another one is on order), so I'm using a smaller holdall- standard size - which is not long enough for my Browning sections, and I couldn't easily get the 14-metre section in, so I left it at home.
I went out to 11 metres, potting in 4mm pellets and a few micros, and fishing a banded 6mm, feeding each time with a pot on the pole. It didn't take long for me to get liners, but the first proper bite came after about 15 minutes - a 5 lb common. I fished there for the next couple of hours, taking perhaps one fish every 20 minutes. Two foulhookers came off, and it was interesting that I had to keep changing the shotting.
At one point, still getting liners, I came off bottom, and they stopped. Then I went back to full depth and pushed all the shot up under the 0.75 gm float, giving a long, slow fall. This brought a fish first drop, but then nothing. That happened several times - I would change the shotting and get a fish, but just the one. When the band came off I stuck on a 6mm expander and got a fish first drop, but then no more, so I put on another banded hooklength.
 |
| Steve Tilsley on 9 shows his biggest fish. It probably weighed around 13 lb. |
Meanwhile Jim Regan, hidden behind a bush to my left, was landing fish, but I couldn't see his pole sticking out. Eventually I realised he was fishing a straight bomb, out in the middle, and with about seven fish in the net I also put out a bomb, with a yellow wafter.
That brought a 2 lb F1, then a fish foulhooked and lost, and then a 2 lb barbel. Opposite me Chris Saunders had just landed a small roach - his first fish. They had the wind in their faces on that bank, and must have been very cold - at this point, even with the wind on my back, I had to put on my Imax jacket.
With less than two hours left the bomb seemed to be my best bet, but bites were so slow coming I had a look in the left margin, where I had been throwing in a few grains of corn. That was a good move, as I found fish there. There was no pattern except that I only got a fish if I had just fed (corn and a little hemp). These fish were a bit bigger - around 8 lb, and I caught five or six on a size 16 Kamasan Animal hook. I have a horrible feeling that these are no longer made. But they never bend, in my experience.
With 15 minutes left bites had petered out here so I tried mussel (which I should have done earlier). This brought bites immediately, but the fish were shredding the mussel and not taking it properly. The float would pull down slightly and stay there and if I struck I would come back with still a little bit of mussel hanging on the hook. I felt I had to stick to mussel for the last five minutes and indeed at last a fish was on.
That last one was just in the net when the whistle went - 6 lb, and foulhooked! I told Jim I estimated I had 70 lb to 80 lb. Opposite, Chris Saunders had his first carp with about an hour to go and I believe he ended with three, on the pole.
I committed a faux pas, forgetting that the first three weigh in, and I was third. As I took the holdall back to the van Peter asked me: Are you not weighing in?" (meaning was I not helping with the scales?) I replied "Yes", thinking he meant weighing in my fish. Suddenly I realised, and apologised to Gus, who was also helping, but he just said: "That's OK." A very friendly club is JV.
 |
| Jim Regan's fish weighed 105 lb 14 oz, taken mainly on a rod and bomb. You can see the quality of the carp - it's fabulous fishing for this time of year and we are so lucky to have a fishery like Decoy on our doorstep. |
Back with the scales (with my phone at the ready for pictures) my fish weighed 97 lb, which, not for the first time, surprised me. But Jim's fish went 105 lb 14 oz, for the win, and very well deserved. I ended second, which I was very happy with in that company, with Barry Webb in the car park corner on 30, third with 75 lb 15 oz.
It's the first time for a long time that I have been pegged in an area, on the strips, where the best weights have come from, and getting a good catch in those circumstances gives me confidence. The results show that the fishing towards the far end was indeed hard, with Roy Whincup, who is hardly ever out of the frame, struggling for 15 lb.
Afterwards at the presentation of the pools money, Andy Gausden politely mentioned - with tongue in cheek - that I seemed to have taken a long time landing my fish even though I have recently had a session with ben Townsend on landing fish quickly. He must have spent a long time watching me instead of his float (!).
Actually Andy was largely correct - I didn't land most of the carp very quickly. I wasn't bagging, so I did take my time, losing just two or three obviously foulhooked. However several times I almost got the fish in very quickly, but missed with the landing net. I was quite happy that I almost got it dead right a few times, and in any case three of the fish I did land were foulhooked. My landing net is of carbon, and fairly light and very strong, Ideally perhaps I need one of those extra-light, flexible, landing net handles, but you also need a very light net to go with them, unless you have the muscles of Arnie.
My muscles are from Tescos!
 |
| Result on my West bank |
 |
| Result on the East bank. |
Next match is Spratts big Christmas presentation match on Oak at Decoy, on Thursday, with 15 fishing all down the same bank. Trevor does an enormous amount of work for the club and getting the prizes for this match, helped by Rob Allen, and we are grateful to them. I'd like peg 9 or thereabouts, please, lads!
Well done mac a good weight in good company 🎣🐋👏👏
ReplyDelete