Peg 12, Damson, Friday, Aug 29
Happy with a swim, in this Spratts match, towards the far end of this lake, where the margins are deeper. But to be honest I rate pegs 11 and 13 (in the corner) as better than 12. Peg 13 has lots of reeds both sides, and an end bank to fish to (and even I have won from there), while 11 has a large bush on the left which has yielded a lot of very big weights in the past (and I've won from there, too). I had reeds to one side and bare bank to the left. Still I had a job to do, and was singing (at least in my heart) on my way to work. Just nine of us fished - the rest are in exotic places like Acapulco, Bondi beach, or Skeggy.
Happy with a swim, in this Spratts match, towards the far end of this lake, where the margins are deeper. But to be honest I rate pegs 11 and 13 (in the corner) as better than 12. Peg 13 has lots of reeds both sides, and an end bank to fish to (and even I have won from there), while 11 has a large bush on the left which has yielded a lot of very big weights in the past (and I've won from there, too). I had reeds to one side and bare bank to the left. Still I had a job to do, and was singing (at least in my heart) on my way to work. Just nine of us fished - the rest are in exotic places like Acapulco, Bondi beach, or Skeggy.
The rest was pretty simple. The margins were at least two feet deep, with the drop-off to over six feet just a top-two out, and I opted to start on caster shallow about a metre out, over the deepest part of the margin. Some F1s had been showing, as they usually do in this lake, right in front of me before the start. So I knew they were there, and were willing to come into the margins. I also had a shallow rig with a pellet in the band (though I never used this), and a deep-water rig ready for use, plus two 'normal' margin rigs at about two feet and three feet depths.
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| Not a lot of raspberry ripple in my swim! |
Quick fish on casters shallow
In went some casters, but it was a couple of minutes before fish showed, and then I had a 1 lb F1. As in my last match here I could see fish going for the bait, though most rejected it unless it was in the middle of loose-fed casters. I took several twitching the caster along, and could see fish following it. Very exciting when they actually took it. Sport with these F1s was steady, and after an hour I had about 30 lb. To my left Trevor also started shallow, but with pellet, and he was willing to go out farther and mug passing fish, which resulted, very early on, in one that looked about 5 lb - much bigger than any I had.
Several times, when fishing caster shallow, I saw a carp or F1 take the caster in, but when I struck, there was a perch or small roach on the end. How Do They Do That?
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| My building site before the start, with Trevor probably looking for fish to mug. I took a few fish from this left margin, but Not A Lot! |
On to the bottom
The second hour was slower, and eventually I went on to the other margin rigs with corn or cat meat on the bottom, or slow-sinking, mainly towards the reeds, but every now and then, when fish appeared that I could see, I'd change rigs and nab two or three on caster shallow before they moved away again. After three hours I had about 60 lb, but I suspected that Trevor, who had some proper carp under the tree, was ahead of me. I couldn't see Neil Paas on 13, but there was a lot of splashing in his swim!
The second hour was slower, and eventually I went on to the other margin rigs with corn or cat meat on the bottom, or slow-sinking, mainly towards the reeds, but every now and then, when fish appeared that I could see, I'd change rigs and nab two or three on caster shallow before they moved away again. After three hours I had about 60 lb, but I suspected that Trevor, who had some proper carp under the tree, was ahead of me. I couldn't see Neil Paas on 13, but there was a lot of splashing in his swim!
Then out in the deep water
At that point Trevor said his fish had gone completely, as had mine. So I moved out to the deep water, put on a piece of cat met, and dropped the rig in, without putting in any feed. That resulted in a 2 lb miror, so of course I repeated the action! In the next hour or so I had perhaps ten fish, while Trevor persisted in fishing either shallow, or under the tree. I have no doubt that if he had fished the deep water he would probably have kept catching, but he likes his shallow fishing. Trev has nothing to prove - he's won far more Spratts matches than anybody else, and often seems to carry on fishing shallow just because he enjoys it. But in that time I believe I overtook him.
At that point Trevor said his fish had gone completely, as had mine. So I moved out to the deep water, put on a piece of cat met, and dropped the rig in, without putting in any feed. That resulted in a 2 lb miror, so of course I repeated the action! In the next hour or so I had perhaps ten fish, while Trevor persisted in fishing either shallow, or under the tree. I have no doubt that if he had fished the deep water he would probably have kept catching, but he likes his shallow fishing. Trev has nothing to prove - he's won far more Spratts matches than anybody else, and often seems to carry on fishing shallow just because he enjoys it. But in that time I believe I overtook him.
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| Action from peg 11, with Trevor hanging on to a hard-fighter. |
When the deep-water swim slowed I went back to the margins with corn or meat, and scrapped a few more. Other anglers said that their fish went off, also, at about 1 o'clock and several had hardly a fish after that. But I'm good at scrapping, and had fish from all over the swim on corn or meat, plus a few more shallow, ending with two or three in the last few minutes on corn with my float almost touching the bank to my left. That's always a dangerous manoevre, because the margins are very snaggy, but I got away with it and had my last fish, a 2 lb mirror, seconds before the final whistle. Oh, yes, we now have a whistle rather that a shout. Sophisticated or what?
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| John Garner - should have topped 100 lb! |
I arrived at the scales in time to see John Garner tip 57 lb into the weigh-bag. He was not a happy bunny, because that was reduced to 50 lb. His second net held 47 lb, total 97 lb which should have been 114 lb. He was overtaken, though, by John Smith who had a fishless first 15 minutes, but made that up so quickly that he reckoned he had 50 lb after the first hour! Then, as almost always on Damson, fishing became harder and he ended with 122 lb 3 oz to take the lead.
Roy Whitwell had, as he so often does, a good spell on the feeder and he ended with 118 lb 3 oz. Trevor had 97 lb, and the scales came to me. I was worried that, although I had stopped my first net after clicking 30 lb, and the second at 33 lb, I might be overweight in them. It's so difficult when the fish are around 1 lb or 2 lb, and in concentrating on catching them I think I often forget to click. I simply felt that I had a lot more than I had clicked, which is why I started new nets.
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| Still sunny and hot - Trevor brings in one of his three nets. |
To my relief my first net went about 48 lb and the second 47 lb, with almost 20 lb added for the last, which I had taken in the final hour. Total 115 lb 13 oz. But Neil in the corner topped us all with 135 lb 10 oz, including a few on the feeder, leaving me fourth. No cigar (top three paid) but I'd had a really enjoyable day.
Marks out of ten.
I thought, afterwards, that as usual I hadn't tried enough change baits like worm or pellet, whihch might have winkled out some bigger fish (I had only about three over 2 lb) but all round I give myself 8/10. Perhaps should have put out a feeder, but I was enjoying myself!
I thought, afterwards, that as usual I hadn't tried enough change baits like worm or pellet, whihch might have winkled out some bigger fish (I had only about three over 2 lb) but all round I give myself 8/10. Perhaps should have put out a feeder, but I was enjoying myself!
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| Neil Paas took a lot of fish for his winning weight of 135 lb 10 oz. |
THE RESULT
5 Bob Allen 54 lb 1 oz
6 John Garner 97 lb
7 John Smith 122 lb 3 oz 2nd
8 Roy Whitwell 118 lb 13 oz 3rd
9 Dick Warrener 53 lb
10 Mike Rawson 29 lb 2 oz
11 Trevor Cousins 96 lb 7 oz
12 Mac Campbell 115 lb 13 oz
13 Neil Paas 135 lb 10 oz 1st
Peg 2, Horseshoe
There I was, sat sitting on my box, quietly adjusting the seven rigs I had selected to fish with, when I glanced down and saw - a fish! Right down in front of the platform. "That's unusual," I thought. Cos it's not often, on Decoy, that you see fish in the margins before you start. And it wasn't just any ole fish - it was a nice, big mirror carp. Then a minute or two later a big old common came drifting in towards the reeds on the right.
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| A nice-looking swim is peg 2, with the nearest lillies only about 12 metres away. You can see I had a lot of rigs ready and waiting!. |
The margins on Horseshoe are different to those on the other lakes at Decoy - much shallower. Even so I was surprised when I dropped a rig with a plummet down where I'd seen the first fish - it was about ten inches deep! BUT my hopes were high, because I knew, at least, that the fish were willing to come in to the side.
A plan (of sorts)
This was a Fenland Rods match with just ten fishing the even pegs, 2 to 20, so I was end peg, though I don't think I've ever fished peg 2 before. However, I was hopeful that I hadn't scared the fish, as I'd deliberately taken out lots of rigs so I didn't have to get up again and possibly scare any fish close-in.
Dick Warrener came over and I told him I'd seen fish in the side, and I saw no reason why they wouldn't be willing to also drift into his margins. Then the match started and after plumbing up farther out, to find that it was less than four feet right out to about ten metres, I dropped a rig in the side, baited with cat meat, with no loose feed.
There were weeds right where I had seen the fish so, hoping that would give the carp confidence, I dropped in beside them. It wasn't long before the float dipped and I was playing a five-pounder! With the pole kept low I was able to bring it in without too much splashing.
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| The left margin along the bank was VERY shallow - I took all the early fish from next to the little piece of weed you can see bottom right. |
Yes - a good start
Within the first hour I had managed two more from that spot, totalling about 15 lb. That doesn't sound much, but for the first hour at Decoy that's usually pretty good. Then I started introducing hemp and casters, and within a short time I was greeted with tails waving at me just under the surface.
To be honest I really should have gone into water at least two feet deep, but instead stayed in 18 inches, and occasionally another five-pounder would take the bait. Hemp definitely brought fish in - you could see them swimming around the area, just under the surface, before disappearing down. I am afraid I was mesmerside by those waving tails, which promised so much, but the pickings were a bit sparse. I also went to my right, in front of the reeds, in over two feet, and took two fish immediately there - surprised it wasn't more.
Mussel and meat
Two hours after the start I had a look at 13 metres to the lillies to my right, with caster shallow, but after catching three or four roach, and not seeing any sign of carp coming to the feed, I gave that up. Three or four more carp came from the shallows, on mussel and meat (but none on corn) before I saw splashing in Mike Rawson's swim, and saw he was fishing a fair way out. So I went out to ten metres, where the deeper water started. Immediately I had a bite or two on corn, but no fish.
A change to a cube of Coshida beef in gravy (quite a small cube) brought another five-pounder first drop, and I took another couple there, with one on worm, which was followed by a tiny perch (!) before coming back inside. At that point I realised that I ought to try the water a metre or two past where I had been feeding the left margin, which is often a good ploy where carp are concerned. There was about two feet of water there.
The last hour was best, but...
That move out proved to be decisive , and in the last hour I added over 30 lb, best fish around 7 lb, taking three or four on mussel and a couple on cat meat, after having put in some dead maggiots, which really seemed to keep the fish in the swim. Should have done it earlier! Using my special method was the key - it helps me avoid a lot of the foulhookers, though occasionally that doesn't work, and in fact I foulhooked one with ten minutes to go. It took me right into the lillies, actually jumped up two or three metres in the lillies, and winked at me. Then the rig line broke, and I lost the lot.
Back onto another strong rig I had ready, and seconds before the match ended I hit another good fish on mussel. That seemed to be coming in nicely, and I shouted "Fish On!" Then somebody must have stuck a red-hot poker up its backside, because it shot out towards the far side, through a gap in the lillies, and with only the top two in my hand, and me gritting my teeth, the the line broke at the hook. And I shouted (a little less enthusiastically) Fish Off!"
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| John Smith didn't have as much as some thought - 84 lb 5 oz for fourth. |
The weigh in
I was first to weigh, and I got the impression, from what the others were saying, that I had done alright, though someone then said that John Smith had been catching "all day". I had packed away only half my gear, while everyone else seemed to have trundled their trollies back to the car park already. And I still had pictures to take...
Good old Dick Warrener (that's old as I've known him several years) brought in my last-hour net - 36 lb. Then nets of 48 lb and 47 lb (proud of that) for a total of 131 lb. And that held all the way round, with Roy Whitwell on peg 18, behind where I sat, second with 93 lb 2 oz, and Callum Judge with 85 lb 5 oz just edging John Smith (84 lb 5 oz) out of third spot. So a nice win for me from a swim I don't think I've ever fished before.
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| Mel Lutkin on peg 12 watches as Kevin Lee delivers the verdict - 52 lb 2 oz. |
But I had an appointment to go to Dick's house and collect a fabulous home-grown Savoy cabbage and a cucumber in exchange for the tin of hemp I had given him, followed by a mug (two actually) of tea in Judy's cafe. So it all ended well.
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| Callum Judge - third (just) with 85 lb 5 oxz from peg 14. |
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| Allan Golightly won his section with 67 lb 1 oz. |
Marks out of ten
I should have gone into in the slightly-deeper water much earlier. Having said that I played the fish OK, with not too much splashing, and religiously re-baited before every drop-in - just a few pellets, corn and a little hemp, just to bring fish in and start them browsing.
So I'm worth 7/10. Having said that I think I could probably have won from almost any swim doing what I did - special method and hemp being the key. Is that arrogant? Next match on Elm, which did not fish particularly well last weekend, but it's usually kind to me. Pegs from 8 to 12 will be a good start. 😀 Ah, no - next match is on Lou's on Sunday, where 6 is the flier, but I'm happy anywhere. I won from 14 last time I fished there.
THE RESULT
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