Time, now, for big baits? Cedar lake, Decoy

 Peg 2, Cedar, Tuesday, Mar 21
There are times, occasionally, when the highlights of a day are not the fish we actually catch (or don't catch). This was, for me, one of those days.

Soon after our match had started, with me in peg 2, nearest to the car park (a swim I actually really fancied) a car came past. Minutes later I spotted the snowy-white hair of someone walking along on Oak lake. Not on the water, but on the bank! It could only be Peter Maskell, who used to work, with me, at EMAP, publishers of the angling magazines and books I was brought up on and later worked for.

I yoo-hooood him, and he came over. This was his first angling trip since a heart by-pass last year, and he was kind enough to say that reading this blog was the one thing which kept him bouyed up after his op. The one thing which stimulated his waning desire to get out on the bank again. That really chuffed me. One of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.

Another strong wind
There was a strong wind blowing and after a short discussion we agreed that back wind on Elm would be OK, and I suggested he try peg 8. In the event that turned out brilliantly for him, but I didn't know that until later. He offered to give me a few mussels as I had left mine at home. A pity I didn't take him up on that immediately, because I was still in Winter mode - small baits needed to get a bite.

I start on a maggot feeder
Back to the fishing, with 11 competing in this Spratts match and the wind over our right shoulder. I started on a maggot feeder cast to the far bank, but after 45 minutes my sole capture was a tiny roach. A switch to a bomb and bread, cast well over and to the end bank on my right, brought nothing after another 45 minutes. Meanwhile Peter Spriggs, on 4 to my left, had caught three on bomb and bread. The highlights of this spell were hooking a reed on the far side and walking round to free the feeder  (don't you feel a fool doing that?), and then spotting the flash of a kingfisher against the far bank.

Peter Spriggs lands his first carp on bomb and bread, well muffled up against the strong wind.

I had been flicking maggots to my left into the deep margin, looking for barbel, with a few on to the shallower shelf. So a change to that swim was called for, and almost immediately I had a real dive-under bite...and brought in a 2 lb barbel foulhooked in the dorsal fin. A quick switch to the shallower shelf, about three-and-a-half feet deep, brought an immediate bite and a 3 lb barbel came in. But after that - nothing. I had been sure that more barbel would follow, but no.

A switch out to 11.5 metres where I had been pinging 4mm pellets saw just a tiny liner or two on hard pellet and corn, and two fish briefly hooked which came off. I also had the unusual experience of twice striking and feeling some resistance but not actually hooking anything. I am sure this was carp taking the corn in their lips, as the corn had gone each time.

Half the match now gone and Martin Parker came along to say he had three good carp and a few barbel and bream. Peter Spriggs, meanwhile, had landed another three or four fish on a bomb.

Martin Parker had a good last-half of the match,
celebrating his recent birthday (not allowed to say
which) with 95 lb 1 oz for fifth place.

An ide

Another look in the deep margin brought a 1 lb ide, but after wasting the best part of an hour there I again tried bomb and bread. A drop-back saw me hook, and eventually land, a hard-fighting common of about 8 lb. Next cast the same thing happened - another eight-pounder. I suddenly felt that the wind had become warmer and things were changing, and a big fish turned in front of me about 15 feet out. So I put in a few grains of corn there and immediately got some small liners.

 As the severe undertow moved the float from left to right it occasionally dipped slowly, but never enough to strike at. Peter Spriggs on 4 also swapped to the pole at this time, and was soon playing a fish.

I persevered with corn for another fish, about 10 lb, and then had a bite or two on cat meat. But I had had the tin in my bag for a long time, and it was very soft and hardly held on the hook. If only I had had harder cat meat. Then I thought I ought to walk round to Peter and cadge some mussels, but I didn't!

In the last 75 minutes I kept getting those tiny movement of the float and managed just three more carp, on corn, including one about 13 lb foulhooked in the pectoral fin from the deep margin. Peter was now catching fish quite quickly and I estimated he probably had 15, while I had six. I then had a big fish right into the side, but probably held it a little too hard on the 13 hollow elastic, and the hook pinged out. Match almost over...

Just before we finished Peter Maskell came back, having packed up, and said he had had 22 big carp on mussel, and gave me some. First drop I had a fish on, but it came off and there was a scale on the hook. Match now definitely over...

Peter Spriggs managed to keep snicking fish out while
I couldn't catch anything. He ended with 122 lb 10 oz for third.

What a return

I was over the moon for Peter - what a return to fishing after his bypass; but he made me realise I had not been positive enough. I should have a) tried the hybrid feeder early in the match, and b) I should have tried different baits later - worms, 8mm hard pellet, bunches of maggots, paste made of micros - and I should certainly have had hard cat meat and gone over and cadged some of his mussels. When the water is towing that fast a heavier bait or bigger might have been what the fish would have taken better. I shan't make that mistake again, now that Winter seems to have completely gone.

The weigh-in

I was first to weigh and the scales went 60 lb - much more than I thought I had, but not enough to frame. Peter next door weighed in 122 lb 10 oz for third, saying that he had taken fish on the pole "on everything". That set me wondering why I hadn't caught more on corn in the last 90 minutes. Perhaps I had feed too much corn and other baits would have stood out.

Winner Peter Harrison had more barbel and bream in his catch than carp.

Peter Harrison won with 145 lb 13 oz on peg 8, almost all taken on a Method feeder and pellet on the far side. Second was John Garner on corner peg 13, almost all taken on cat meat fished to the end bank. That definitely made my mind up to use  it, or have it ready, in forthcoming matches.

So I ended seventh, with a definite Could Do Better verdict. Next match Sunday On Elm, and Wednesday on Six-Island - completely different lakes.. But cat meat will reign supreme! I hope.

A gorgeous golden common for Trevor Cousins...

And a scale-less mirror for second-placed John Garner on end peg 13.

My best-ever compliments

Peter Maskell's mention of my blog gave me a real lift. But the two  biggest compliments I ever had were many years ago. I used to do a lot of amateur acting, and after one play a professional adjudicator told me: "Your voice is a gift from the Gods".

Then, a few years later after another play (I forget which one) a man who was the boyfriend of a professional actress, and who had a great knowledge of the theatre, gave me his verdict . He said quite simply: "You remind me of Richard Burton". No-one will ever top that!

THE RESULT

2 Mac Campbell         60 lb
4 Peter Spriggs         122 lb 10 oz        3rd
5 Neil Pass                  96 lb 13 oz        4th
6 Martin Parker          95 lb 1 oz
7 Bob Barrett             40 lb 5 oz
8 Peter Harrison       145 lb 13 oz        1st
9 Steve Engledow      34 lb 12 oz
10 Dick Warrener       37 lb 3 oz
11 Bob Allen              14 lb 9 oz
12 Trevor Cousins      91 lb 4 oz
13 John Garner         125 lb 12 oz        2nd