Carp bring some Christmas cheer

 Peg 14, Oak, Friday, Nov 17
It was Spratts' final match of the year, always held on Oak lake at Decoy - five teams of three with everyone winning some money, and prizes for everyone. But of course hoping to do well, just for the pride, was again top of the list.

The draw - Trevor Cousins and Bob Allen get to work in the sun.

I would have picked pegs 10 or 11, being opposite the famous 20 and 21. But Oak hasn't been fishing particularly well recently, compared with the other strips, and on a lake like that, with a cold start to the morning and bright sun for much of the day, anything could happen. My plan was to fish bread on the bomb, and as we were all pegged on one side of the strip, almost everyone, I imagine, started on the bomb or feeder, cast well across.

Slow start for me
One hour of that and I hadn't had even a liner, and neither had Dave Hobbs on my right, though John Garner on 11 had two early fish on feeder and said later that after 20 minutes he had 16 lb in his net. I had a quick look to my left margin, where there was an attractive-looking reed bed, using my special method, but after five minutes without any sign of fish it was back on the bomb. Another hour passed, some of it with corn instead of bread, but still without incident. 

My left margin held that nice-looking bed of dead reeds, with fish hopefully lurking underneath.
Meanwhile in the background, on corner peg 15, Bob Allen does his impression of a garden gnome.

Fish on...Fish off

At the same time Dave and I decided to have a proper look on the pole and suddenly he was playing a fish. It looked, to me, suspiciously as if it was foulhooked, so I took a picture of him in action, with his pole pointed down and teeth gritted. Just as well I did, as the fish came off. First drop back in my margin with corn had seen me briefly hook something which stretched the elastic and immediately came off - obviously foulhooked; but at least I knew that good fish were willing to come in close, under cover of the overhanging reeds.

Dave Hobbs had played this fish for a minute or two when I took this picture. Seconds later it came off.

Now in my margin there was a tiny jab of the float, and next drop a 2 lb carp came in. I was bagging! Nothing else came and I started flicking a few maggots down there, before going out to 11.5 metres with maggot. That produced a nice 6 oz roach on a bunch of four maggots. Now there was just two hours to go.

I persevered with maggot at 11.5 metres and a smaller roach came in. The water was clear, so I started alternating the swims, and in the margins, again on maggots over a few micros and a little hemp, I hit a carp that ended in my net - about 8 lb. Out to 11.5 metres and after a time I had another bite and this fish took a long time to land - Bob Allen on my left said it must be foulhooked, but I said I didn't think it was.

Foulhooked in the mouth
The 16-18 elastic on a short top did its job and eventually I slid the fish into my net. Thank goodness I had decided to put on my 20-inch Drennan landing net, and not the 18-inch one, because I doubt if I could have got it properly into the smaller one. That fish must have been at least 13 lb. "Foulhooked in the mouth" I shouted to Bob!

Next, a drop into the margin with a bunch of four maggots saw me hook something else that seemed heavy. I held the pole down, and still, and the fish drifted in, without fighting. In it came, and unbelievably it drifted straight into the net. I estimate it took between 10 and 15 seconds and it was BIG. 

Towards the end Bob Allen had a fish or two on a hybrid feeder.

Meanwhile Bob, on my left, had had a couple of fish on the feeder, and just as I was about to change to one, and with 15 minutes left, I hooked another carp, the same size as the previous one. This one didn't come in easily...but it did come in, although it was a bit hairy because the fish came into the net from the side, and the first time it turned its head at the last second and made off again. 

If you can get the fish to drift towards the net head-first with the pole pointed down at the surface, that's fine. But this one kept turning away. It was probably about 17 lb, and you can't bully them, splashing on the surface, into the net. At least I couldn't, not on a day like this when every single fish was valuable. Second attempt was successful, but that first couple of seconds as you lift the net so the rim is clear of the surface is always dodgy, and in the past I've had these big fish leap out of the net.  But not this time.

Those last two fish went into my second net because I found it easier to unload the fish - the top of that keepnet was a little bigger than the other one.

Mike Rawson, who won this match two years ago. found some good
carp, but not enough to win.

Fireworks
The match ended with Bob's usual rocket and firework display, and I forgot to lift my rig out of the water, I was so spellbound. Bob suggested I might have used that as an excuse to steal an extra few seconds fishing. The nerve of the man! As if I would! He shouldn't have lit such pretty fireworks....

On my right Dave Hobbs, who always catches fish, was still fishless, as was Bob Barrett on his right. But as I walked back to the van, past peg 3, I could see three nets on a keepnet bar. That was Peter Harrison's swim. If there are fish in his swim, it seems as if Peter will catch 'em. He has a very good record at Decoy. And such a nice bloke, as well.

Trevor Cousins was the first man in my team to weigh in.
He ended up fourth with 50 lb 10 oz.

The winner
I just missed taking a picture of Peter Harrison with fish, but he weighed in 103 lb 10 oz and was obviously the individual winner (and would have his pick of the prizes), as Spratts fish to a 50 lb limit and no-one else had three nets in. 

Trevor Cousins on 4 was first man in my tream and he weighed 50 lb 10 oz - a good start for us. Peter Spriggs was the other man in my team and he had 32 lb 2 oz, at which popint someone pointed out to me that Dave Hobbs, next to me, was in Peter Harrison's team, so wouldn't,be adding to Peter's winning weight.

Dick Warrener on 8 had gone 15 oz over the limit, but had added 50 lb to Peter Harrison's weight - their team totalled 153 lb 10 oz, while we had 82 lb 12 oz with me to come.

Peter Spriggs,  my other team mate, with 32 lb 2 oz.

A beautiful big barbel for third-placed John Garner

I admitted to 45 lb-plus, but needed over 70 lb to take my team to the top, and that was definitely not on the cards. However my first two fish to be weighed caused a bit of a stir - 30 lb 15 oz. For those with a matematical bent (and I suspect some of my readers are) that's almost 15 lb 8 oz average. And the big fish in the other net, together with two roach and the two small carp, must have been about the same size because they went 26 lb 13 oz. Total 57 lb 12 oz for second place individually after winning it last year. And we ended second in the team stakes as well.

Note: Wendy Bedford's platform on peg 10 was dodgy, so she was placed on Yew lake, where she took  a very creditable 44 lb 7 oz. And the icing on our cake was Decoy giving back to the club our peg fees for this match. Many thanks to manager Karen, who is doing a brilliant job at the fishery.

My next match is Sunday with JV on Six-Island - the wind will probably influence the result, but 6 round to 14 tend to be consistent. Then I'm into Addenbrookes hospital for an operation - not sure how long I will be off the bank.

Two big ole carp for me - 30 lb 15 oz of 'em.

Dick Warrener - a good end to his season in 5th place.

 

Winner Peter Harrrison takes his pick of the prizes, while Martin Parker
relaxes with a drink. I chose an air-fryer. Everybody won something and we
all went home with a Celebration tin of sweets.

THE RESULT

Team result

1st: Peter Harrison, Dick Warrener, Dave Hobbs           Total 153 lb 10 oz

2nd: Trevor Cousins, Peter Spriggs, Mac Campbell      Total 140 lb 8 oz

3rd: Steve Engledow, Mike Rawson, John Garner        Total 123 lb 13 oz

4th: Shaun Buddle, Wendy Bedford, Bob Allen            Total 70 lb

5th: Martin Parker, Joe Bedford, Bob Barrett                Total 47 lb 11 oz