Autumn match on Cedar

Peg 13, Cedar
Hardly a breath of wind greeted us on Cedar, Decoy, for this Spratts match. And yet again I was pegged next to Roy Whitwell. On peg 14, opposite, Smug Smalley had weighed in 170 lb a few days earlier, in the Open, but it was very windy that day, with Smug sitting in calm water. There's been a suggestion, recently (I think it was from Jamie Hughes) that in a cold, strong wind carp will tend to feed better in calm water, where the temperature is more stable. That makes sense to me. But today there wasn't any at all.

Lovely cut-outs on the end bank to my left. But I never had a fish there.

The fancied pegs
Roy said he fancied the middle pegs around No 9 to do best, based on recent match results. An hour spent on a Method feeder with wafter brought me not even a liner, but we had seen Martin Parker on peg 8 catch three fish on a pole, and someone past him had a couple as well. Then Mick Ramm on 10 had a fish or two on feeder. But Roy and I stayed fishless for an hour.

Eventually I turned to the pole. I'd forgotten to put my 14.5-metre section in the van, so 13 metres it would have to be - actually with a short top it was a bit less. But previous Winter sessions on these strips nearly always saw carp feeding well out from the bank for most of the day, so I stayed on that long line for hours.

Roy lands one of his early carp, on a small method feeder and banded wafter.

Worms do the business
Micros and dead maggots were put in, but no bites came, so I tried worm (which was was Smug had used for his big catch). Within half an hour I'd an 8 lb mirror in the net. Then followed a 2 lb F1 and then a foulhooked 3 lb bream which leaped at least two feet clear of the surface on being hooked. But those three fish were all I had halfway through the match. I think Roy had two carp by then, on feeder.

I also tried the cutout to my left, on the end bank, which was very inviting, but had only one bite there, which was probably a liner.

Five fish lost
I kept seeing tiny movements on the float in my long swim, and in fact hooked and lost no fewer than five good fish, all foulhooked. I was down to a size 14 on a 5 lb bottom and two of those fish broke the hooklength. That shouldn't happen, but with Roy being in the next swim I had to hold them just a litle harder than I would have liked. 

The problem was not just the power of the fish, but their sudden burst of speed. They all came in fairly well, and didn't seem foulhooked. But those two suddenly shot off like an express train and I could feel the judder as the hooklength broke. That doesn't happen if they are hooked in the mouth,

Two more carp and an F1 ended in my net in the next hour, all on worm, but then nothing for over an hour. Then with 15 minutes left I went out on the feeder for the last time. John Garner had just had a carp on feeder, and then my tip went round and I was playing one myself. I looked round and saw that Roy also had a fish on, and John Garner was now playing another.

My fish, about 5 lb, was landed, and though I never had another, Roy had another quick one - his fifth. I ended with seven, but fancied that Roy, who had five, had beaten me with that last-gasp carp.

  The winner! Martin's 52 lb 6 oz
was all taken on a long pole.

The weigh in
Martin Parker was the only angler with two nets in, and indeed he had won it - 52 lb 6 oz, all on the pole, mainly on corn, with one on a pellet and the last three on dead maggots. Next to him on 7, Kevin Lee had 37 lb 8 oz for second place on pole and cat meat. Everybody weighed in, so it was a good, tight, club match. Roy was third and I was fourth with 26 lb 2 oz. I give myself 7/10 for perseverance on a day when evry fish hooked was a minor miracle. And I will always have worms with me from now on.

   Good to see bream still in Decoy.    

I have a wormery, from which I use the compost. The cold winters kill most of the worms every year, so I add just a few in the Spring, and they breed. That means I can always find a few worms in seconds. But I will have to bring the wormery undercover soon, with temperatures falling below -10 seemingly every year.

And from now on I will also always have dead maggots with me. Very cheap as I re-freeze those I don't use.

THE RESULT

4 Bob Barrett         11 lb 14 oz
5 Dick Warrener    15 lb
6 Mike Rawson     12 lb 6 oz
7 Kevin Lee           37 lb 8 oz        2nd
8 Martin Parker     52 lb 6 oz        1st
9 Trevor Cousins   20 lb 1 oz
10 Mick Ramm      20 lb 5 oz
11 John Garner       24 lb 10 oz
12 Roy Whitwell    32 lb 9 oz        3rd
13 Mac Campbell   26 lb 2 oz        4th

Fenland Rods 2026 final results

My thanks, as chairman, to Mel and Sharon Lutkin, who collate every match and work out who is our Champion of the Year.

Here is the final table:

     Name                     No of matches fished      Total points

1 Roy Whitwell                    22                            312

2 Kevin Lee                         23                            304

3 Callum Judge                   23                            255

4 Mac Campbell                  20                            235

5 Martin Parker                   20                            210

6 Allan Golightly                 23                            184

7 Dave Garner                    21                            174

8 Mel Lutkin                        19                            173

9 Mike Rawson                    19                            147

10 Dick Warrener                13                            117

11 John Smith                      12                            113

Note: Our guests, fishing their first season, are not included this year, but will be included next year.

We give 15 points to the winner, 14 for second etc.

Spratts on Beastie

Big carp are still coming out of Decoy, and some were taken in the latest Spratts match, which I couldn’t fish. Roy Whitwell drew my favourite peg 18 on Beastie lake, and won fishing pellet and maggot close in, taking carp to 12 lb in his 70 lb 4 oz catch.

Peter Spriggs was second on peg 30,  with 64 lb 10 oz of carp to 8 lb, taken mainly on cat meat in the margins. Organiser Trevor Cousins  had two carp on the Method early on, on peg 24, and added fish from the margins in his total of 54 lb 11 oz. His best carp weighed 14 lb 9 oz.

THE RESULT

3 Mike Rawson                        5 lb 2 oz
5 Graham Ward                       18 lb 13 oz
13 Mick Ramm                        7 lb 11 oz
15 Peter Harrison                    53 lb
17 Bob Barrett                        15 lb 15 oz
18 Roy Whitwell                      70 lb 4 oz    1st
22 Dick Warrener                    4 lb 12 oz
24 Trevor Cousins                    54 lb 11 oz    3rd
29 Martin Parker                    22 lb 1 oz
30 Peter Spriggs                      64 lb 10 oz    2nd

Fenland Rods last match, on Cedar

Peg 8, Sun, Oct 25
Our final match of the season is usually on Damson, but with Storm Boelo howling, it would have been in out faces, so we were able to move it to Cedar, giving us a back wind. (Thanks, Decoy). Even so it was hairy, and before we'd all got to our swims Roy Whitwell's rod and pole holdall was blown in, though he and Kevin Lee managed to get it back before it sunk.

Trolleys had to be wedged securely on the bank, though Frank Snow's trolley decided to take a walk towards the water; I played the part of hero, and grabbed it, wheeled it back, and laid it on its side. But the persistent gale led me to decide to fish the rod all day as I've lost too many pole sections blown into the water to risk trying to use it in that wind. Roy Whitwell two swims my right felt the same - though in the event he needed only his rod to thrash us all.

A rubbish first five hours
I managed to hook two fish in the first three hours on a little Method feeder and a wafter, but both came off; one close to my bank, and the other after a few seconds. Roy, though, had a fish or two in that time. A change to a maggot feeder brought me a half-ounce roach, and with no more fish for the next two hours, with ten minutes to go that was all I had in my net.

It doesn't look rough, but it really was. This was Roy's first fish of the day.

The brick wall
But Roy picked up speed in the second half of the match, and started finding good carp right across, also on a Method feeder and wafter. It was as though there was a brick wall between us which the feeding fish would not cross. I did hook one carp, obviously foulhooked, in that second part of the match. I played it for several minutes and never got it to within 20 metres of me before it pulled off. 

  Another one for Roy towards the end of the match.  

Ten minutes to go, and suddenly the rod pulled round...not a lot...and a 2 lb bream came in. Two minutes later a 7 lb carp did the same thing and ended in my net. I looked round and Frank, to my left, was landing his first and only fish; and to his left Dave Garner was also landing a fish; meanwhile, Roy had also just landed another. The fish were just coming on! Then the match finished. The story of my life.

Allan Golightly, wrapped up against
the wind,  with his single carp.

The weigh in
We started at peg 13, where Allan Golightly had one carp; Callum Judge had none; and Mike Rawson won that section with three carp form 21 lb 9 oz, taken earlier in the match on a feeder with an 8mm Robin Red pellet. 

Dave Garner on 10 had had three fish, all in the last half hour (we finished at 3.30 pm) for 22 lb 8 oz and the section, Frank's fish weighed 7 lb 5 oz and my three (don't forget the half-ounce roach) were 9 lb 5 oz.

Section winner Mike Rawson.

Then the top three weighed in. Roy had a magnificent 90 lb 11 oz; Martin Parker had had occasional fish all match for his 39 lb 13 oz; and Kevin Lee had fished pole and feeder (though not together) and had all his 61 lb 8 oz on the pole and cat meat.

Finally, on end peg 2 Mel Lutkin had two for 7 lb 3 oz, winning his section by treble default. I had made the end section a four-man one, fully expecting the best weights to some towards that end. In the event the best anglers in the club drew them anyway.

Winner Roy Whitwell weighs in
one of his nets, all taken on feeder.

So ended our final match and we adjourned to the open-air cafe for our end-of-season presentations, having found previously that the JV anglers make so much noise in the cafe after their match that you can't hear yourself think. Sorry, lads, but it's the truth. See you next week when I start fishing your matches...be gentle with me.

Marks out of ten
Actually I think I fished my best match of the season. I rang lots of changes as far as bait were concerned, loaded the feeder perfectly every time, cast pretty accurately, often landing just inches from the far bank (which was where Roy picked up a lot of his fish), and managed to get the feeder almost under one of the platforms opposite. I felt I couldn't have done much more. In additon nothing blew in! That was a bonus. So as a parting shot I give myself 10/10. And that's a first.

Here's the result, followed by the season's winners.

THE RESULT

The Club Cup (first match of the season) went to Kevin Lee.

The Bedford Cup (today's match, fished in hounour of Les Bedford, who actually died at Decoy after fishing a match) went to Roy Whitwell.

The Handicap medals (fished on Crow, at Pidley) went to Mel Lutkin (1st); Kevin Lee (2nd); Roy Whitwell (3rd) And that's the seventh placing for Mel in the seven years we've fished that match!

Shield for the biggest fish went to Dick Warrener, 19 lb 5 oz carp from Beastie.

And finally the Top Rod (our Champion) went to the Wizard Roy Whitwell for the second year in a row. Well done, indeed Roy. Kev Lee was runner-up, Callum third, and I was fourth.

L-r Roy Whitwell; Kevin Lee; Mel Lutkin; Dick Warrener.
The medals are the Handicap Match medals.

THANKS

No club continues to run without the members helping out. And although I do the bookings each year, and make occasional decisions, we rely on Kevin Lee, our treasurer, in particular. He takes the pools, pays them in, keeps the Golden Peg going, acts as our timekeper on the bank, and weighs in every match. Of course he gets help weighing in, always from Dick Warrener and Roy, and other members if needed.

Meanwhile Allan Golightly and Mel Lutkin are tasked with deciding which pegs we fish if we have a choice (today they decided to put all 13 pegs 1-13 in the bag). And we all abide by their decision. And Mel Lutkin is responsible for collating the results of every match and announcing the winner after the match match of the season. Thanks for that, Mel.

Most of all my thanks goes to all our members for turning up, and helping whenever they can. That's why it's such an easy-going, happy club. And we can accept more. If there are locals near Whittlesey or Peterborough who would like to try us out, contact me on 07941 291076. Mac Campbell.

We move the clocks back tonight!

 Just a reminder! ^^

Horrendous headwinds and rain greeted the Spratts anglers on Wednesday on Damson; I couldn't fish. Most of the fish were caught on feeder, or on pole in the deep water. Bad weights indeed. Here's the result:

4 Peter Harrison        14 lb 7 oz        4th
5 Mick Ramm        DNW
6 Martin Parker        25 lb 7 oz        1st
7 Kevin Lee            19 lb 2 oz        3rd
8 Graham Ward        DNW
9 Roy Whitwell        14 lb 6 oz        
10 John Garner        9 lb 9 oz
11 Trevor Cousins        7 lb 3 oz
12 Bob Barrett        DNW
13 Peter Spriggs        20 lb 9 oz        2nd

Tomorrow (Sunday) see Fenland Rods' last match, and the presentations. Rain is not, at the moment, forecast during the match hours, but the winds will be nasty on Damson. If the anglers wish, I will ask on the morning if we can move to one of the strips, with back wind.

I get bad wind on Six-Island

Peg 25, Tues, Oct 13
I was happy enough with peg 25 in this Spratts match, as at the draw it was obvious that it would have the wind blowing straight into it, giving me some raspberry ripple. BUT when we got fishing that wind was stronger than I had realised. To my right Martin Parker had a little shelter from the island in front of him, but by the end that didn't seem to have done him any good.

I started by fishing a straight bomb and wafter at about 20 metres, without a touch. The wind was now not particularly cold, and carp were showing on the surface in places, so I though a big weight might be on. I'd also found a nice hard bottom about 6 metres out, so after the bomb I went onto the pole, with five dead reds over hemp and dead reds.

Gudegeon!
That produced a gudgeon, then another, then another, then a tiny perch. All on five dead maggots on a 12. Then the rain started, and how it blew! It was back to a feeder as it would have been almost impossible to even see a float; I glanced across to Martin and he was like me - head down facing the howling rain, peering at the rod tip. But mine never budged.

Half an hour later it stopped and I went back to catching gudgeon, all the while expecting a carp to appear...but one never did. So it was now into the margins, and suddenly I foulhooked a 4 lb carp, which ended in my net. But the match was now halfway through and I took a walk along the bank. The wind was the same, but it seemed a little less along there.

Dick lands his last carp after the whistle (actually a shout).

Worm for me
Martin had what I think was an F1; Dick had two carp I think, and John on peg 20 had just landed his second, taking both on worm. So when I went back I put on worm, and stayed on it for most of the rest of the match, mainly in the left margin. But it wasn't until 2.30 that I had another fish, a near-10 lb carp. Then a five-pounder; then another big one foulhooked; and then another smaller one.

I catch an orphan carp
Presentation was a nightmare, with the wind still gusting very hard, and an undertow away from the bank and left to right. No fish came from right against the reeds, where there wre a lot of snags, while floating reeds coming into the swim made things even more difficult. But I did manage several more fish on the six-metre line, all on dead maggots on a size 12 hook, including one small carp, which must have been an orphan because the rest of his family never showed. By the end I thought I had about 32 lb.

The match ended and Dick was playing another carp on peg 22, taking just out on top two plus one. He had side wind, so that must have made things really difficult for him. I had no idea what the others had, but as always in Summer and Autumn I fancied peg 6 to so well, as it has magnificent margins.

Kevin Lee's best carp was probably over 15 lb.

The weigh in

I thought Mike Rawson had done well on peg 3 with 9 lb 14 oz, condsidering he had the wind whistling down between the bank and the island. But round the corner the weights soared, and Kevin Lee had 113 lb 15 oz on peg 6 despite also having a head wind. On the opposite bank Roy Whitwell winkled 93 lb 10 oz from peg 13 for second. I was last to weigh, with 1 lb 13 oz of the small stuff, total 34 lb 11 oz.

Marks out of ten
Actually I thought I had done well from that swim. And to rub salt into the wounds, as I was packing up the wind dropped for a minute or so, and I could see swirls of fish somewhere under the surface in the left margin swim I had been fishing! I give myself 8/10, although I finished nowhere. I actually don't think I had a chance of winning in that swim on that day.

THE RESULT

3 Mike Rawson        9 lb 14 oz
4 John Garner          24 lb 6 oz
6 Kevin Lee            113 lb 15 oz         1st
8 Bob Barrett           37 lb 8 oz
9 Trevor Cousins    78 lb 2 oz            3rd
11 Mick Ramm       37 lb 14 oz
13 Roy Whitwell     93 lb 10 oz        2nd
14 Peter Spriggs       55 lb 7 oz         4th
18 Graham Ward        3 lb 11 oz
20 John Smith            11 lb 10 oz
22 Dick Warrener      20 lb 8 oz
24 Martin Parker         DNW
25 Mac Campbell     34 lb 11 oz 

Leaqving it late on Cedar

Peg 2, Cedar, Sun, Oct 11
There was a cold wind blowing at the start of this Fenland Rods match, and some of the anglers preferred to fish back wind. Personally I would nearly always choose to fish the opposite bank of Yew lake, where the margins are better and the reed growth thicker. And especially if the ripple was over that side (which it was). But as chairman I made the decision to fish back wind; it's a club, and it's my job to satisfy as many people as I can.

That meant that we all set up with calm water in front of us, though most started on a feeder cast across into the ripple. With nothing coming on that, I ten went out into the shallowest water I could find at about 3 ft 6 in,  with a pole, as the wind was losing some of its bite, and I expected fish to be in shallower wateer. That, though, also yielded nothing. Pushing out the pole to 13 metres I found five feet of water...but still no bites.

I do an "Ivan Marks"
After a couple of hours, with nothing in my net, I did a walk along, and there were a very few fish caught towards the far end (the higher numbers). Dick Warrener was the nearest to me with a carp, on peg 5. I then managed to foulhook a four-pounder in my left margin, and that was all I had at the halfway point. 

As I walked back from the end peg Martin Parker hooked into his second fish.

Not huge, but very welcome on the day.

Fish in my swim!
It was not until well past two o'clock that I started getting touches on my Special method, so at least I knew that there were fish in the swim. In went some dead maggots and with four or five deads on the hook I managed to winkle out four more carp - two of them around 10 lb - before the end of the match, also losing two foulhooked.

And although that first fish had come from the left margin, which I kept looking in, all the rest came from the right, and all on dead maggots. Meat and mussel didn't get a touch, though I admit I didn't try them for long. And by the end the temperature had gone right up, so the opposite bank would have been very nice to fish, with a ripple.

To my right Callum had four late fish, and I thought that he had probably beaten me (I actually thought I saw him playing five - perhaps he lost one).

Nice to see a tench, caught by Callum.

The weigh in

The word from the anglers walking past me to their cars was that Mike Rawson had several big fish, with the first possibly near 20 lb. But Callum was first to weigh, and to my astonishment  had only 10 lb 3 oz, which included two small tench. I'd assumed his fish were all bigger than mine. My five fish went 31 lb 11 oz; Allan Golightly hadn't had a single fish; but Dick Warrener had 40 lb 6 oz, all taken on a feeder, mainloy in the second half. So I knew that unless he finished in the top three I hadn't won the four-peg section.

    Mel Lutkin on peg 7 caught a common    
we weighed at over 17 lb.

As I followed the scales it appeared that there were a few more fish willing to bite towards the far end, where the water seemed to be shallower. Mike hadn't got a fish near 20 lb, but weighed in 64 lb 7 oz, to lead at that point. However on end peg 14 Roy Whitwell beat him by the equivalent of one fish, taking 67 lb 1 oz to the scales for a very hard-earned win, taken on feeder early on and in the margins late.

  Mike Rawson had just eight carp on  
 pole for 64 lb 7 oz.

Several anglers took all, or almost all of their fish, in that last hour. And I suppose that's what will happen now, as temperatures fall. However, it was generally agreed that we would have caught more from the opposite bank.

Marks out of ten
Actually I felt I had winkled out as much as I could on a difiuclt day, so I give myself 9/10 because I didn't make any stupid mistakes. I didn't overfeed, and felt that I felt just enough to draw fish in without making them suspicious. Who knows?

THE RESULT