My Golden Peg cock-up on Yew

Peg 18, Yew, Sunday, Apr 14
Fenland Rods' first match of the year, and I get Golden Peg. Just nine of us were fishing - there will be more next week. I trekked down the lake to peg 18 knowing that the fish were likely to be big, and that that end is often favourite. But my recent results have not been encouraging, and I wasn't confident.

Martin Parker was on end peg 16, and a newcomer Roy Whitwell was also with us - I hadn't pointed out to him that winning is not really the done thing on your first match with us. But would he have listened?

The wind was much lighter than it has been lately, though a little cool, and it was roughly Westerly, right in our faces. But at the start a few fish were showing, so I started with a banded caster, about a foot deep, at 11.5 metres, catapulting casters over the top. I was pleased to see them land roughly where I was fishing. I'd re-read my blog for last year at the same time and noted that busing a catapult with a flexible handle was much the best for me. So I'd found that one in my bag.

What a start!
No more than two minutes after dropping my bait in, my pole was pulled violently sideways - a fish was on. The 8-10 elastic stretched out and I just hoped it would hold the fish's first run. It did, but that carp put up a terrific fight before eventually finishing in my landing net. I always take two - an 18-inch and a 20-inch, and I was glad I'd chosen the larger one, as this fish was at least 12 lb.

Back in, and I had another two or three touches which might have been liners, so I shallowed up to the minimum 8 inches. Nothing. Then I realised that tyhe wind had died away, and the water was almost flat calm, while the higher numbers had ripple in front of them.

Wind...
Then the wind came back, but it seemed cooler, and it was swinging about from right to left. I fished shallow for another 45 minutes without a single touch, and I hardly saw a fish near the surface - they don't like that sudden change, I am sure. Probably should have given it up earlier. The next plan was 13 metres with corn or pellet, and over the next hour or so I managed three big F1s and a carp about 4 lb, while Callum, on my left, had not had a single fish. I had about 23 lb on my clicker.

Callum, on my left, had to wait more than two hours to hook his first fish.
Later the sun made it difficult for me to fish towards him.

Then, two hours and 20 minutes after the start Callum hooked his first fish, on a pole, and it was a good'un. On his left Mel Lutkin had had a fish or two on feeder, so I tried it - a hybrid with an orange wafter cast several metres short of the far bank. Ten minutes later The tip dropped back and a good carp was on. That was about 9 lb, but I decided to have a quick look in the margin with cat meat, as I fully expected that was how the match would be won.

Fish in the side
First drop into the deep water a metre from the bank and a big carp was on - that one was about 10 lb.And I prepared to really bag up. But the carp gods had other ideas, and although I had lots of touches the rest of the match saw me land only about four or five more, with about four foulhooked and lost. I know that because most left a scale on the hook.

I should have rested that swim properly - I have this theory that fish know when there's a rig in the water and eventually it scares them. But take it out and they soon regain their confidence. The left margin wasn't easy to fish because the sun was glinting on the water, and I spent only a short time there.

Snagged
I seem to be attracted to snags at Decoy. I've lost two fish on snags in open water lately and this time I dropped my rig in while I filled the cad pot before going out, and lo and behold I was snagged. A prod around with the hook saw the rig rise in the water, and it felt like a keepnet there. But it wouldn't come up, and I had to twist the hook round the hooklength and pull for a break. No Snags Please, We're Fishing!

A handsome-looking specimen...and the carp was nice-looking as well!

Callum had about three more carp on the feeder and another one or two close-in on the pole. Mussel had taken two of my fish, and I'd tried a bunch of maggots, which can be deadly for big carp, but I had only liners on them. Yet on Oak  one angler with 200 lb-plus had potted in a gallon of maggots, and caught on a big bunch. Not sure I have the nerve to do that.

Just before the end I put on cat meat again and hit a fish which I was playing on the whistle - a tench about 2 lb. Good to see tench at Decoy - there used to be lots 20 years ago, but like the barbel I expect most have died. A new stocking is perhaps called for.

I estimated I had 35 lb in one net and 38 lb in the other - 73 lb. But I know I tend to understimate.

Dave Hobbs, who brought Roy Whitwell with him, was third.

The weigh in
In a recent big feeder match Yew produced weights of 100 lb all down the line, with a weight of 200 lb-plus on end peg 30. Today Allan Golightly had 71 lb, which he must have been pretty pleased with, but the next three pegs all had 135 lb-plus, including newcomer Roy Whitwell with 162 lb 10 oz mainly on a feeder - at least he had the grace not to win (😀). The win went to Kev Lee on the next peg with 167 lb 3 oz mainly on cat meat and pole, with Dave Hobbs, friend of Roy, third on 135 lb 6 oz.

Then weights fell away. My first net weighed in at 36 lb and the other one 47 lb - and my 84 lb 9 oz was fourth until Martin Parker weighed in 89 lb 14 oz on the last peg, 16. This was the first time we paid out sections, so Martin, Allan and Mel Lutkin won their sections, the last two by default. Good to see Martin so perky after his tumour operation.

Winner Kevin Lee included some good barbel in his 167 lb 3 oz. His best bait was
double cat meat, and he took some out on the pole, with others from the margin.

My last fish, landed after the whistle, turned out to be a 2 lb tench.

Marks out of ten
I have little doubt that the fish were not feeding just in those three best pegs - it was down to the class of angler fishing them. A good angler on my peg would probably have won, because there were big fish there. And looking back I made so many mistakes in not moving about, that I give myself 2/10. As my headmaster used to write - "Could do better!"

Next match Thursday on Elm, Decoy. The strips all look similar but the fish are a different size (not so many lumps on Elm) and you can never tell which method will be best. There are some reasonable margin swims on Elm, but I must certainly look to put out a feeder more often. I had one cast on it in this match and had a 9 lb fish! Will I never learn? But when you know that there are big fish near the side the challenge is to catch them...and I fall prey to temptation.

THE RESULT