Got nearly halfway to Decoy and realised I had left my bait behind! But luckily the roadworks which had been such a bane of my life had vanished, and I was able to turn round, pick up my bait bags, and arrive at Decoy within seconds of the 8.30 am draw deadline. Though I don't suppose they would have refused my money if I'd been a little later... My wife simply looked at me, pittyingly, and said: "There's not much hope, really, is there?"
Actually I keep some spare bait in the van - pellets, cat meat, corn and hemp, but I like to have the option of the few little extras like worms, mussels, some liquidised corn, different-coloured wafters, different-coloured feed pellets and even paste (though I hadly ever use it). But eventually I was set up on end-peg 12 in this 12-entry Fenland Rods match, the last of the season, competing for the Bedford Cup.
 |
| Bright sun but a cool wind greeted us. The reeds on the left are on an island, and I had a feeder rod ready, but I never went over there. |
 |
| My left margin. Peter's platform is just this side of the bush, and he caught against the few reeds out in the water. |
First drop in the two-foot deep margin with a shallow banded pellet saw a fish take five seconds after the match started, and two seconds later it came off. Ten minutes later that was still the only fish I had hooked, though I had indications on the float. Fishing deeper, right on the edge of the drop-off saw one more fish, and bites dried up. eter had a fish or two on cat meat or paste, and I changed to a piece of corn.
 |
| There were tall reeds to my right, which restricted how far I could fish against them along the bank. |
Then came a long blank spell, and yet again my special method came to my rescue, and I started picking up about one fish every ten or 15 minutes. Peter was ahead of me, catching on paste or cat meat, and to his left I saw Shaun Buddle catch a few, I think in the deeper water. Halfway though the match John Smith came wandering along and said he had two very small carp, and things were bad, so I thought I wasn't doing too badly, and landed I think my 15th fish as he stood there.
As I have found so many times this season, I found I had to fish the bait an inch off bottom and allow it to drift into the shallower water. I sometimes had a bite when it hit the bottom, if not I dragged it an inch or two and sometimes had a bite then. But it was very frustrating, particularly when the odd better fish came swimming along the margins.If I dropped a bait in front of it, it would always veer away.
 |
| Peter Spriggs, on the next peg, had a better start than me. |
I never did go into the deep water, but managed to keep putting the occasional fish into the keepnet (which is always good advice) and I fancied that I was now catching up Peter Spriggs. I started a second net when I had about 34 lb on my clicker. I had a feeder rod made up ready to cast to the island but never used it, and kept plodding on taking fish up to about 2 lb, with one three-pounder, most on corn but a couple on a small piece of cat meat and one on mussel (which also snared two gudgeon!)
 |
| Callum Judge struggled, like almost everyone else in the first ten pegs, but ended fifth with 20 lb 11 oz. |
The last hour was poor, and with 20 minutes to go I had another look a few feet to the left, where I had had an occasional fish. But 15 minutes there saw me foulhook and lose just one, and with literally five minutes left I went back to the right, about five feet from the bank, into water three feet deep.
A minute or so later I managed to tempt a fish, by lifting the corn an inch, and a two-pounder went into the net. There wasn't time for another and I knew that Peter had been catching the occasional better fish and probably had more than me.
 |
| I was really upset to beat Peter Spriggs on the next peg by 6 oz! |
Peter Spriggs weighed in 67 lb 10 oz, and my first net (estimated at 34 lb) went just 29 lb-something. So I needed over 38 lb to catch Peter. I didn't think I could beat him, but towards the end my fish were slightly bigger, and the scales showed that net to go 38 lb and a few ounces, leaving me as the winner by just 6 oz! That last little carp had won me the match, and the cup.
I give myself 8 - I never did try worms, nor hard pellet after the first few minutes, and think I put on cat meat only once. And at the end, when bites slowed up, I should probably have put those dead maggots into the lefthand margin. If they had brought in roach it wouldn't have mattered because I had the other side, where most of my fish had come from.
Afterwards we adjourned to the (very noisy) cafe for our annual presentations, culminating in the announcement of our Club Champion. I was fourth; Peter Spriggs third, Callum Judge second, and Kevin Lee the winner. John Smith, chairman and secretary for the past 25 years, presented the trophy to Kevin, while John himself has our warmest thanks for keeping the club going and putting in all the hard work necessary. I have taken over his duties, but will no doubt need some advice along the way.
Handicap medals went to Martin Parker (1st); Wendy Bedford (2nd) and Allan Golightly (3rd). Peter Spriggs won the big fish shield with a carp of 18 lb 10 oz, and he also won the Club Cup (first match of the season). Finally I presented myself with the Bedford Cup, shook hands with myself, and we scattered until next season.
 |
| Peter Spriggs won the big fish shield and the Club Cup (he won that last year as well). |
 |
| John Smith (r), our brilliant retiring chairman, presented Kevin Lee with the Club Championship cup. Kevin has won it several times previously. |
We decided to keep every match counting towards the club championship. There will be sections of three or four in matches (by default), which I will handle. And our Golden Pegs will now be pegged at £50 maximum instead of £100. Some thought weill have to be given to the way the Pairs match, which is popular, is organised, and there was also a suggestion that we fish more of them. We'll decide that next season.
My next match is on Beastie, with Spratts when I would like 18. But I'm happy anywhere at this time of year - it will be hard for some I guess.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
I remembered my bait! But Beastie welcomed us on a dull, very misty morning, with a cold NW wind. The first proper Autumn morning, really. My favourite peg 18 went to Shaun Buddle, and I hope I stifled my groan. Peg 2 went to Bob Barrett, but although I love it, and have done well on it, it's not really a feeder peg, and I didn't rate his chances, because Bob feeders all the time.
Peter Spriggs, who could catch fish in a puddle, was on peg 5, a noted swim which he has won from in the past, but there must have been a mistake somewhere along the line, because he wasn't the Golden Peg! That went to Steve Engledow on 3.
 |
| "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness". Well the mist was certainly there... |
The wind was mainly over our right shoulders, so I didn't feel cold. I started on a feeder in open water, but after ten minutes without a touch I followed Peter and Shaun on to the pole. Before the match 'Smug' Smalley, who had come down to do some pleasure fishing, said he had baited in front of peg 14, to the left, recently, and had won fishing that area towards the end of his match. So I put in some corn and hemp there and left it.
I went out to an easy 2+2 with banded pellet in front of me, and eventually had a 2 lb bream. Occasionally I would get a liner, then a small F1, but after about an hour I felt I had to look towards peg 14. That produced a couple of liners, which I was happy with, as it meant fish were willing to come into the margins.
 |
| The mist persisted, but I could see Peter Harrison snicking a few early ones out! |
Out to 2+2 again, with corn, and bream of 2 lb and 3 lb came in, plus a 3 lb F1. Three times, though, I lifted the rig out only to find myself hooked on the bottom - until the bottom slowly started to move. They were obviously carp, foulhooked somewhere underneath, and thankfully they all came off quite quickly. But it told me that the carp were willing to come to the feed, even if they weren't yet ready to feed properly.
But no 'proper' carp ended in my net...yet! I had tried using my special method in the right margin, but it seemed to show me that there were no fish there, so I went out on the 2+2 again, but had to move a little to the left as the sun had come out and was now glinting off my original swim.
That move, only a metre or so, proved to be good, as I had my first 'proper' carp of 3 lb there, on corn. But I couldn't resist trying again in both margin swims, and the swim next to peg 14 then produced a couple of F1s on corn. A change to mussel brought a 5 lb carp, but then the fish seemed to move, so I tried the right margin again.
 |
| Joe, at 93, still keeps comimg. He had only two fish today on peg 24, but they weighed 16 lb 6 oz! |
My special method produced the goods again. Firstly it showed me that there were fish there, probably carp. So I changed form the corn rig to a heavier mussel/cat meat rig, using mussel, and had two or three carp to 8 lb. I switched to the left swim near peg 14 platform, and again had a couple of nice carp, before switching back.
Sometimes mussel worked best, and sometimes corn. But I kept putting the occasional fish into the net. Then I came in to a top two to my left, next to the reeds, and immediately found the carp were there - two or three to 8 lb came quickly.
At one time a big, golden, carp was clearly visible in the right margin, and it hung around for a minute or two. I dropped my rig, with corn, beside it, and it went down., Seconds later I had a bite, struck...and up came a 1 lb F1! But at least it showed me that fish were down there on the bottom, and I was mighty pleased.
Peter Harrison had had what looked like proper carp from his 2+2 swim early on, and then another fish or two, plus some fish on a feeder. At one time I saw him fishing the margin to his right, and landing a nice carp, but he kept switching swims, and then went out on the feeder again, so I guessed he was struggling. I had see Shaun on 18 land several carp in the first couple of hours, but now I didn't hear much splashing from his swim.
 |
| The sun came out mid-match and by the end it was really warm. Here Shaun Buddle watches as his catch, from peg 18 next to the bridge, is weighed. |
As often happens, the fish came on again in the margins in the last half hour, and I nabbed two or three on mussel, getting them into the net quite quickly, thanks to the short top, and that gave me time to get one of at least 10 lb on the last drop. I thought I had 41 lb in the first net, 34 lb in the second, and just three fish in the last, which was started with 20 minutes to go.
Shaun said he had clicked 113 lb, and asked what I had. I said I had 34 lb in the first net (forgetting I had 34 lb on the clicker but I then added a seven-pounder); 34 lb in the second and perhaps almost 30 lb in the last - total 98 lb-ish.
 |
| Next to me Peter Harrison fished pole and feeder for 71 lb 2 oz and fourth place. |
Peter Harrison said he had 60 lb-ish and his catch actually weighed 71 lb 2 oz - I was chuffed to beat Peter. Then Shaun weighed, and he had 85 lb 6 oz after two nets. He needed 29 lb 2 oz to beat me, and his last one went 26 lb 12 oz, which left me as the leader by a small margin. He said he had 80 lb in the first two hours but then the wheels fell off.
 |
| Shaun Buddle - second on peg 18 with 112 lb 4 oz. |
The pegs in the 20s were still to weigh, which often produce big catches, but not today. Trevor Cousins on 29 had 61 lb 15 oz, and Martin Parker on 30 - a noted peg - also struggled to 22 lb 2 oz, which left me as the winner. Only by a couple of pounds, but I'll take that.
As usual I left one margin swim alone for a time - the top-two swim on my left. But I probably didn't look there quickly enough. Also I didn't try hard pellet there, which I could have done by shallowing up the first rig I used. I fancy an 8mm -pellet might have tempted another couple of big ones. But at least I didn't do anything stupid, though I remember losing some, clearly foulhooked. But because I was using a fairly light elastic on that rig (14-16) they all came off well away from the margins. So I think I was worth another 8.
 |
| Trevor Cousins included this clonker of 16 lb 11 oz in his 61 lb 15 oz bag on peg 29. |
 |
| The higher numbers didn't fish as well as ours on the spit. But Mike Rawson on peg 26 winkled out 21 lb 9 oz, fishing seven metres in front of him. |
No comments:
Post a Comment