Two good days on Elm

 Peg 4, Elm, Friday, Nov 10
Eleven of us in this Spratts match, pegged from 2 down to 12, and as always on Elm at this time of year, and in Winter, I'd plump for 8 to 10, which tend to consistently produce catches of carp. I had my Veterans National travelling companion Martin Parker on my right, and Dave Hobbs and Trevor Cousins to my left on 5 and 6. What little wind there was was behind us.

After my second place in the JV match the previous Sunday on Yew, where I had fished mainly a feeder, I had enough confidence to start like that again - a hybrid with micros and a 6mm orange Bandum wafter on the banded hair rig.  Both Dave and myself had an early carp on the feeder, mine being about 6 lb. But then I had a long fishless stretch, and after nearly two hours I think Trevor had two in his net, Dave three, and Martin two on a pole. One quick look in the margin failed to register even a liner, so I quickly gave that up - but at least I knew that the float rig was set 100 per cent correctly, ready if I wanted to have another look.

I had a nice-looking left margin, but the fish didn't show there in the clear water.
Oh, by the way, that's Dave Hobbs in the background, playing a fish taken under the far bank.

Dave and I both changed to a pole at the same time, fished long, and I had a good hour or so, taking firstly two small F1s and then some better carp, to 8 lb, all on corn at 11.5 mtres. Martin was also catching slowly, but steadily, on his pole line, but when he swapped to a feeder I guessed his bites had slowed, as had mine. 

My favourite float
I was using my favourite Drennan Tuff-Eye floats, dotted right down, but towards the end the light started to fade and there was a bit of ripple, and I had to take two No 9s off, so I could see the float tip properly.  I do think that that caused me to miss some of the  really tiny bites, and when I got home I got out a 0.5 gm Cralusso, with interchangeable float tip, because it has a slightly thicker stem. This would be ready for the next match if the light faded again (as it surely will).

Darkening skies towards the end made it difficult to see the float. This is Martin Parker in action to my right.

  Winner Martin Parker with 69 lb 1 oz from peg 3.  

Trevor had had a fish or two on bomb and bread - I tried one cast without result, and I though he was way ahead of me, especially when he had two or three quickly at one time. I came in, onto a 2+2 line for the last hour, still with corn over micros and hemp, and picked up four nice fish, best two over 10 lb. Inevitably two or three had come off during the day, but I guess everyone had that problem - a couple of mine were hooked on the outside of the mouth, which showed they were  not feeding properly.

The very last fish of mine came off - a big fish, but I never actually saw it.

The weigh in

On peg 2 Mike Rawson had 39 lb 2 oz on a pole, I think, which was a good start; but Martin beat that with 69 lb 11 oz, and I had 65 lb 14 oz, second at that point.  I was certain that Dave Hobbs, who had had two or three last-gasp fish, had beaten me, but this fish couldn't have been as big as mine, because he totalled 50 lb, and next door Trevor, who told me he had had fish on bomb and bread, a wafter, and maggot feeder, ended with 59 lb 3 oz.

Thanks to Bob Allen for keeping the scores every week - no
this is not him (he's camera shy). But John Garner had to pay
Bob a whole £1 piece this week after losing to him, so as
compensation I took his picture...with Bob's fish!

Only Bob Allen with 46 lb 7 oz from peg 9 managed to approach those weights, and I finished second to Martin. Lost fish were crucial, as the weights were close - but I guess everybody had that problem.

Marks out of ten 
I reckon I was worth seven. I kept my gear and bait simple, but should have tried the pole earlier, just in case! I also had a maggot feeder ready, but didn;t use it. yet Trevor said that on his very first cast on a maggot feeder he had a bite within seconds of casting out. I should have tried it! That last-hour move closer in seems to still be paying dividends, and I will do it in the future.

Yet again I lost a place (and the match) after losing a big, late fish. But ce'st la vie I guess. (That's Life).

Next match two days later on Elm with JV club. I guess it may be put on Elm and Cedar if enough fish. Looking forward to it - but I's still go for pegs 8 to 10 on Elm, or the car park end on Cedar..

THE RESULT

2 Mike Rawson        39 lb 2 oz
3 Martin Parker        69 lb 1 oz        1st
4 Mac Campbell       65 lb 4 oz       2nd
5 Dave Hobbs           50 lb               4th
6 Trevor Cousins      59 lb 3 oz       3rd
7 John Garner           19 lb 11 oz
8 Wendy Bedford        6 lb 13 oz
9 Bob Allen               46 lb 7 oz
10 Bob Barrett           21 lb 11 oz
11 Joe Bedford            DNW
12 Dick Warrener        9 lb 7 oz.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Peg 6, Sunday, Nov 12

I had Tony Evans to my right in this JV match, with both Elm and Cedar lakes now included. A year or two ago I had Tony on my right, and he was taking fish on a feeder while I couldn't catch any. He had a longer hooklength than I did that day, so for this match I had about 18 inches, and decided to fish bread on the bomb, hoping that the slow fall in the last few inches might attract fish..

There wasn't much wind at the start, but part way through it picked up a little from the South-East and became quite cold. However, all-round it was a nice day for fishing, I had sorted out a Cralusso loat with a thickish stem, ready for the pole when I decided to change.

First cast on the bomb I caught a 6 lb commmon, and second cast I hooked a fish of similar size, got it close enough for me to see it before it came off - the first fish I have lost while using the N-Guage feeder rod. On he fourth cast (I was leaving it for between 10 and 15 minutes) a double-figure mirror came in.

My left margin looked great, but the bush swim
didn't produce even a single liner.

A new landing net

I've treated myself to a new Advanta X5 landing net, with grab bar, which is so handy when you have to stoop down to lift a big fish in it. I chose the 18-inch one, since I've been using an 18-inch net, though I always take a 20-inch to the peg as well. It has a flattish, pan-shaped net and found that it is hardly big enough for these big fish. It is a bit hairy unhooking them when they in are tail-first, with their head level with the frame! But I managed it without losing any.

In the last match I broke the end of my four-metre landing net handle - I think the damage occurs when I put the big fish into a keepnet, and the weight of the handle in the air causes a fracture. Anyway, the end broke, with about a foot of the handle, and finished up in the keepnet with the fish. In future I will make do with just the two sections, though having the extra length is a real boon when the fish come up well out.

Three-quarters cast best

Back to the match and more good carp came to the bread, and I found that casting right to the far bank saw my hook covered in weed, so I came back to three-quarters of the way across. After two hours I had probably 40 lb. Tony had three or four fish, I think, also on the bread, but now he had reverted to the 13-metre pole with maggot, and was taking small fish - mainly roach, immature carp, and bream, regularly. I assumed that eventually the better carp would turn up and he would overtake me rather fast.

One of Tony Evans' early fish on the bomb and bread.

On my left a young man I had not seen before, Charlie Lawrence, had also had carp on a bomb, and he also swapped to pole around this time. I went out to 13 metres with corn over micros and hemp and had two carp around 3 lb quite quickly, but then things slowed up. I wasted too much time there, really, taking just the odd small carp. The Cralusso worked nicely, and a switch back to the Tuff-Eye, which was on a lighter elastic (about 10 I think) did bring me a nice F1 and a couple of small carp.

A lucky unlucky break

I had had a quick look under the bush to my left, which looked so fishy, but never had even a liner. Now I had another quick look there, also without a touch, and managed just one more on the bomb and bread before going back out. I had just landed a 3 lb carp, rebaited, put the top two into the rest of the pole, and rolled it forwards. But the rest of the pole didn't fiollow. I assumed two sections had become uncoupled, but no! The Number five had broken - I have no idea when it had been damaged. I couldn't telescope it, and had to make do, for the last few minutes, with just the top four.

A REALLY big fish

So with just a few minutes left I went out to 2+2 slightly to my left with the Tuff-Eye rig. The first bite I missed, but the second saw me connect with something really big.

I didn't realise it was big for the first few seconds, as it just drifted towards me. But then it came alive. I played it for several minutes, and got it close enough to see it was well into double-figures. But I was cursing the fact that I was using the light elastic. It didn't look foulhooked as it cruised past, just under the surface, but I later wondered whether it was hooked in the snout, because several times I thought it should have come in towards the net, but it just didn't turn. Then suddenly, unaccountably, it came off, and I said a naughty word!

A last-minute saver (literally)

A super net of mainly small carp, bream and roach for Tony.

Three minutes were left, and I picked up my heavier rig, set the depth against the original rig, and put it back out, baited with corn, Unbelievably the float went down and I was playing yet another good fish when the match ended only 30 seconds later. A few minutes later that one was in my landing net - also 10 lb-plus. The last half hour had seen Charlie, on my left on peg 7, net three or four fish, though he told me later that he had lost some. But I guessed he was well ahead of me. As for Tony, I really had no idea what he might have.

The weigh in

Top weight down to me was Ian Frith on 3 with 64 lb 14 oz - Tony had put together just 46 lb 15 oz, which I was amazed at. Clearly the better carp hadn't fallen for his maggots.

Charlie Lawrence on peg 7 beat me by almost 6 lb.

I weighed in 70 lb 14 oz, but Charlie pipped me with 76 lb 10 oz. However, farther down the lake Andy Gausden on 10 had 95 lb 5 oz, and Sean Coaten on corner peg 12 won the lake with 139 lb 13 oz. He had plumbed up and found the bottom of the shelf running along the end bank, at 13 metres, and had had most of his fish there. I think he fed with micros and hard pellets, but baited with corn, not putting any loose corn in. A great way of celebrating his retirement just two days earlier!

The first four on our lake were a section, so I ended as section winner, with Charlie unlucky not to win anything for his excellent catch. On Cedar the weights were lower, with the top weights  from pegs 9, 11 and 7.

Marks out of ten

Only worth 7, I think. That last fish lost wouldn't have won me the match - it was just unlucky. But I shouldn't have spent quite as much time at 13 metres, and I probably should have picked up the maggot feeder.

Next match Friday is Spratts special Christmas match, on Oak lake. In the meantime I and my brother will be carrying the coffin of our younger brother at his funeral, and I will be delivering a eulogy. I'd rather be fishing!

THE RESULT

ELM

CEDAR