The fish are still bunched up, on Yew, Decoy.

Peg 11, Sunday, March 12
My day with JV club started brightly - I sailed through Pondersbridge, which has been closed for Yonks, and arrived all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Then I drew peg 11 on Yew, which I really fancied, as I had weighed in the winner of the Winter League from around that swim, and he told me he had fished at 13 metres. And when I plumbed up I found that at 13 metres there's a drop-off of several inches - that looked good to me.

The wind was quite strong, over our right shoulders, but not too cold, so I carried my optimism down to my peg - then Chris Saunders said that some of us might not get even a bite because of the cold snow water in the lake. That brought me down to earth...

But I'm an optimist with new spectacles (after three visits to get them put right) so I cast out my bomb and bread to the far bank; then I cast out my bomb and sweetcorn; then I put out my pole at 13 metres; then I realised three hours had gone and I hadn't had a fish.

A strong wind greeted us, with hardly any sun. Here Jim Regan plays his only fish of the day.

Chris Saunders gets fish!
To my left Chris had had two nice big carp after a couple of hours on the pole, with Jim Regan on my right having an F1 on the bomb. Away to our left on 15, in the corner, Barry Webb had started well with fish on a hybrid feeder cast right across. Actually virtually everyone had started casting right across with bombs or feeders, but it seemed that, as we had half expected, the early pegs were struggling. So was I!

So do I!
Then, hallelujah, my feeder rod bent round and a near-10 lb carp came in. Not long after that another, about 7 lb, took the bait within about 30 seconds of the lead hitting bottom. I reckon they do that just to annoy us! Then I hit another good fish, which somehow came adrift. Not a happy bunny. 

Chris Saunders on 12 nets his first carp of the day - a real big'un.

Back on the pole at 13 metres,  but I never had a bite there. Back on the bomb, which landed a beautiful three feet from the platform opposite (where I had had my two fish) but the tip never moved, and when I picked up the rod I found out why - it was snagged solid.

I wound in, pointed the rod at the water, and walked backwards; and after a full minute of straining the rig came back...including the hook! I couldn't believe that the line had not broken. But the hook was straightened, so I had to change it, and put on a six-inch hooklength. 

A barbel
No bite on the next cast, so I added another six inches of nylon, giving a one-foot hooklength, which seems to be better, lately, than the shorter one. That brought a 3 lb barbel on corn. 

The high numbers start bagging...
With an hour to go both Barry, and Sloane Kane on 13, were now catching on the pole closer in, while Chris had a fish on the bomb. Then Chris added two or three more, and Sloane had a purple patch (he told me afterwards he'd had six big carp in the last 40 minutes), which persuaded me to try closer in, with corn, with just 15 minutes left. 

Barry Webb - second with  85 lb 15 oz, but he lost a huge fish
which would have easily won him the match.

No bite with the shot spread, so I pulled them all down to within eight inches of the hook, put out corn and a few micros, and sure enough, another nice carp, around 8 lb, was my prize. I had no time to get back in, and was annoyed that I hadn't made the change earlier. But while I know fish will come into the margins in the afternoon, I hadn't expected them to be cruising along the 2+3 line. Why would they do that?

The low numbers struggle

Sure enough the early pegs had struggled - Roy Whincup had a 3 lb ide at the death, while both Steve Tilsley and Ernie Lowbridge said they not had even a liner. Peter Harrison was top at that end with 29 lb 10 oz  on maggot. I weighed 27 lb 10 oz, for fifth spot, behind Peter.

Chris had 35 lb 13 oz for third, with Sloane the winner with 93 lb. Barry lost a huge carp he said must have been at least 16 lb or 18 lb, which would have won him the match, but he ended second with 85 lb 15 oz. So I won my four-peg section by triple default!! Has my luck changed? 

Winner Sloane Kane  fished the bomb and feeder to start with and ended catching on the pole.

THE RESULT