Not my finest hour on Damson

Peg 7, Thursday, Nov 2
Although my local forecast internet site said that there was only a small chance of rain, and the wind wouldn't be really strong, the overall impression the other anglers in this Spratts match had was that it could get a bit nasty. So for once I kept it simple and didn't even take the feeder rods to my peg on Damson. In fact I took out only the top four sections, which is all you need on Damson most of the time.

Before the match some of us went up to Bob Barrett on peg 1, to see the fish in front of him, within inches of the bank. Shaun Buddle said that earlier he had seeen a lot of them, all over 2 lb, but it's not unusual on Damson, and we fully expected similar fish to come to our bait as soon as we started throwing it in - which they did.

I prepare to fail
BUT I admit I had failed to prepare, and the banded pellet rig I started on wasn't ideal. I'd used it on Willows, and just pushed the float down. However the rig was really a bit heavy, and the float too long. Still, I had some fish very quickly on a 6mm hard pellet; but the band had stretched and I had to put another pellet in it. In addition most of the fish were only 3 oz, with one about 1 lb

The wind started in the East and soon swung round to the North-West. It also became colder.

A sad story

To cut a long, sad, story short after a few minutes I had had enough of re-banding the pellets and picked up a 'normal' rig to fish with corn. The wind at that time was over our backs, and it was all quite nice. There were fish in among the reeds to my left, a metre from the bank, and in the next hour I had probably 25 lb of carp around 1 lb 8 oz.

Then they slowed up, and I went out a bit farther into three feet of water for another 15 lb. By now the wind had strengthened and came from the front right, making it very difficult to fish to the right; in any case the righthand side was very shallow indeed - only ten inches, a metre from the bank. 

Then came a very slow spell, with occasional fish hooked and lost - obviously foulhooked as I was lifting the rig out and would hook a fish off bottom. They all came off. But occasionally a better fish would take the corn, right against the reeds, and the best was 5 lb. Cat meat brought the odd fish, but corn stayed on better, as the fish were knocking the bait about.

A big one lost
Then I hooked a really big fish, which I briefly saw and estimated it to be perhaps 10 lb. I played it for three or four minutes (so probably foulhooked) before it came off. I know they do come off, but after that amount of time I had expected to land it. It came just as I had had two or three quick fish, and when I went back they had gone!

To my left Peter Spriggs was switching from inside to the deep water just over the ridge, and back, and taking fish steadily. Eventually, with about 45 minutes left, I put out the 1.5 gm rig into seven feet of water and started getting fish - probably six or seven around 2 lb each, before the match finished. I should have gone there earlier.

Trevor took every one of his fish shallow, on a 6mm banded pellet.

The weigh in

Bob Barrett on peg 1 had fished with a pole, which is unusual for him, and had 60 lb 11 oz, and Shaun on 3 had 76 lb 5 oz, which I didn't think I could beat.  The winner was Trevor Cousins, on 11, who told me he had fished shallow all day with a 6mm banded pellet, under the tree to his left, for 135 lb 8 oz. At that point I realised I should probably have picked out another banded rig when I discarded the first, but on Damson sometimes the window when the fish feed in the margins is so small. I remember Trevor catching 50 lb in the first hour of a six-hour match, and ending with 54lb!

But I am sure I would have done better with a shallow rig, as it works so often on Damson. Why didn't I try it again, as soon as the fish went off the corn rig? Another mistake was not putting on a slightly heavier rig in the margins when the wind got up, as presentation definitely became worse.

One explanation is that on these small platforms, because I have a back on my box, I can't just swivel round and walk off the back - I have to stand up and inch round my gear to get to anything out of a holdall. It means that often I don't change something when I should. 

Peter Harrison, on my right, was second with 98 lb 9 oz, after going over the 50 lb limit, which didn't affect the result, and Peter Spriggs was third on 92 lb 13 oz. Out of the seven I ended sixth with 72 lb 7 oz - but I had had an enjoyable day, and my local internet weather site was correct - the only rain we had was very light, just as we were packing up. And the wind wasn't bad at all.

But next time on Damson I will make sure I have a nice short-stemmed float ready on a banded rig, with a new band!

Marks out of 10 - 1 for turning up; 1 for staying to the end; 1 for catching some fish. Total 3.

Next match Sunday on Oak and Yew, pegged so we will have back wind, so Facebook informs me. Although catches of 100 lb were made in the week I wonder whether the prolonged rain we have had will have put the fish off. Bread is allowed from Nov 1 - will I remember to take some?

THE RESULT

1 Bob Barrett                60 lb 11 oz 
3 Shaun Buddle            76 lb 5 oz
5 Peter Spriggs             92 lb 13 oz      3rd
7 Mac Campbell          72 lb 7 oz
9 Peter Harrison          98 lb 9 oz        2nd
11 Trevor Cousins     135 lb 8 oz        1st
13 Dave Hobbs           90 lb 3 oz