The wind bloweth and the rain wetteth us on Damson

First, a correction. John Garner, who won last week's Spratts match on Yew 13 with 57 lb 14 oz, fished a pole not far out, in the deep water, and NOT on the feeder, as I wrote. His car companion Neil Pass, who fished opposite, did fish the feeder for 53 lb 4 oz and second place.

Peg 3, Damson
I was happy to get peg 3 in this Spratts match - the peg where Kevin Lee had won the last Fenland Rods match, mainly fishing the feeder over to the far side. So I had the feeder rod by me, but started on a top two in the side, as so often the fish will feed there at the start, before moving away.  The wind  was into us from the left, and rain was forecast at some time. As the match went on it picked up considerably.

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud. And it got worse once the wind and rain picked up.

To my surprise my banded pellet fished shallow didn't get a touch for five minutes, so it was over to a grain for corn fished on the bottom, in about two feet of water, two feet from the reeds, to my right. That did bring two F1s between 1 lb and 2 lb, in the next ten minutes. But it soon became obvious that the fish were not going to go on a feeding spree today.

I persevered with corn, and had a look under the tree to the left, but the strong wind made any decent presentation very difficult. However, I began to see movements on the float when I went back to the right, so I knew that fish were there. That was when I made a crucial decision - I freeze my left-over bait, and now put a piece of corn on which I had thawed the previous day.

A little 'secret'
Freezing the corn makes it squishy, and the kernel tends to fall out, leaving a very light bait, but one which will hold on the hook perfectly well, and I have used it for F1s in the past. This bait brought several more indications, and when I dropped it a few inches farther out, so it was off bottom, I had a proper bite, and another F1. A second came immediately afterwards. 

The bait was just hanging off bottom, and it seemed the fish were taking their time to play with the bait, before eventually taking it properly. I was counting, as I usually do, and both those fish took at around 100. I carried on putting in just a few grains, and baiting with the frozen corn, and soon had a better F1 over 2 lb. Ninety minutes had now gone, and I had to see a man about a wee problem, then walked up to John Garner, on my left. He had just one fish!

Mike Rawson shows the size of fish we were catching.

Back to my swim, and I had three hooked in the side of the face - the fish were definitely hitting the bait several times before taking it. Eventually I went out to the deeper swim, on a 2+2, and had a 2 lb mirror first cast, laying the bait on the bottom - it was too rough to present a still bait at that distance off bottom. But the next half-hour didn't bring another fish there.

I was using a 1.5 gm float there - heavier than many would use, but it held beautifully in eight feet of water. Still, if it wasn't working, I had to do something else.

I act on a whim (as you do)

Next. halfway through the match, with possibly about 20 lb in the net, I had a cup of coffee and rang my Dearly Beloved We Are Gathered Here Together, to tell her I was still alive and the life insurances would not yet be needed. The feeder rod was ready to be used - on my right Peter Barnes had had several fish on a feeder, and I thought I might be getting behind. But on a whim, when I had finished the call,  I decided to give the right margin another 10-minute look.

In went just three grains, followed by my bait, and yes, the fish were still there, but I got the impression that they were moving up and down the very steep shelf, so kept moving the rig around. Again, I was having to count to 100 before the float would give a proper bite. But occasional fish kept coming. Then the rain started! It really pelted down, but although Peter Barnes had put up his umbrella, I decided against it, because some gusts were getting pretty strong. My Imax jacket and Goretex bib and brace kept me dry, but it was a bit miserable at times.

A change of float helps
Up to then I had been using a fairly thick-tipped float in the margin, dotted right down, but now the rain made it impossible to see it. So I changed to my favourite Drennan Tuff-Eye, which has a very thin antenna. This was set to show about half an inch above the surface, but when the corn sank, it took the tip down, leaving a quarter-of-an-inch showing. This worked fine, and I could read the bites better, and a couple of better mirror carp came in, plus a couple more F1s. I kept on putting in just about three grains at a time, hoping not to excite the fish too much.

I lost about six fish, which were probably foulhooked. To my right Peter Barnes now had an occasional fish on feeder, but I guessed that towards the end of the lake, in the higher numbers, where the wind was blowing, they probably had good catches. I was now expecting an indication about 18 seconds after I dropped in, but I still had to count past 100 before the fish gave a proper bite. Very slow, but at least it was interesting.

All hands to the pump as Martin Parker weighs in.

I nearly picked up the feeder rod (!)
Several times I was about to pick up the feeder rod, but seconds later I would get a proper bite, or a fish. So I kept on the pole, and when the heavy rain stopped it was very pleasant. I then flicked in a dozen maggots, followed it with a bunch of three on the hook, and took a nice F1; but next drop a half-ounce roach was my prize! 

I looked at the watch on my tray, and with eight minutes to go I took a chance and put in hemp and some corn, hoping for perhaps two more fish...and immediately Peter Barnes shouted to me, and waved his arms around to say the match had finished! That watch was slow - it must have lost a few minutes since the last match. I was annoyed with myself, because I felt that the fish were about to feed properly. Must remember to correct it before Sunday's match with JV on Elm lake.

The weigh in
I was amazed to see Bob Barrett weigh just 15 lb from fancied peg 1, with John Garner on 12 lb on 2. My net, which I had estimated at 40 lb, weighed 45 lb 2 oz, and next door Peter Barnes had 34 lb 13 oz. I didn't photograph him because I assumed that much better weights were to come.

Peter Harrison -a hard-won 28 lb 5 oz from Peg 6.

But as we walked along the catches were in the teens or 20s, and it dawned on me that it had been hard here as well. Martin Parker had three nets in, but had split his fish and totalled 32 lb 12 oz. Even Peter Spriggs, Trevor Cousins and Peter Harrison, who are our must consistent members, had catches in the 20s. 

Finally up to John Smith, who was Golden Peg, and who someone said had been catching fairly well, but even John, on end peg 12, could manage only 40 lb 2 oz...though he said he had lost a fish at the net which must have been around 5 lb or 6 lb. Oh dear - that would have beaten me, but lost fish don't count 😂 and I ended as the winner, with John second, and Peter Barnes third. Next Spratts match is  Wednesday on Cedar.

Although the forecasters are saying it's mild, I will soon have to start wearing my heated vest, as those Fenland winds don't half cut through you. I can't remember who wrote the poem "Welcome, Wild North-Easter" but sure as hell he didn't live in Whittlesey!!

It was still blowing a hooley down on Peg 12 when John Smith weighed in 40 lb 2 oz for second.

THE RESULT

1 Bob Barrett            15 lb
2 John Garner           12 lb 13 oz
3 Mac Campbell       45 lb 2 oz          1st
4 Peter Barnes          34 lb 13 oz        3rd
5 Alan Porter            12 lb 4 oz
6 Peter Harrison       28 lb 5 oz
7 Martin Parker        32 lb 12 oz        4th
8 Peter Spriggs         20 lb 2 oz
9 Trevor Cousins      21 lb 13 oz
10 Bob Allen            16 lb 4 oz
11 Mike Rawson      17 lb 12 oz
12 John Smith          40 lb 2 oz         2nd