I’m happy on Jay Lake, Pidley - Xmas Open

This was a Saturday Christmas Open fished by 38 on Jay, Magpie and Raven. I drew 47 on Jay, beside the bridge. It’s recognised as a good peg but I had never fished it. A few weeks ago I went and helped Alex weigh in a match on Jay, and it was noticeable that while a lot of fish of 3 lb upwards were weighed in, the fish from pegs 2 and 47, each side of the bridge, were smaller.

So when I took two 4 oz carp, on maggot, in the first two drop-ins at 11 metres over hear the aerator on the corner of the bridge I had the feeling that it might be better to keep catching these smaller fish than to look for  better ones. Strangely I could catch fish only on the bottom, and never had a single fish off bottom.

Magpie produced the biggest weights

,,,but Raven was most consistent

However, the fish came in fits and spurts – I would catch two, then cast around trying to find them and after a fruitless 20 minutes, when I was about to start another swim, I’d get another fish. So I basically kept fishing around the aerator and taking fish intermittently. Two better ones (probably around 2 lb) came off early on, and in fact I did try bread off bottom over on 14 metres next to the far-bank reeds, looking for 'proper' carp, but never had a bite. I had the feeling that there were plenty of fish in front of me, just not really interested in feeding. All came to maggot, though I did try pellet.

The first half of Jay.

Tree On!

A look in the margins and under the bridge also never brought any result. I estimated I had 10 lb to 12 lb by the end, but wasn’t sure how this compared with any of the others, as I couldn’t see them properly. Five minutes from the end I had hooked another good fish but soon realised it was foulhooked, and as it neared the net the hook pinged out and caught in the overhanging tree.

Before I could extricate the rig from the tree the shout went up to end the match. I considered immediately shouting “Tree On” but realised everyone was so far away they wouldn’t have heard me! I assumed someone would probably have near 100 lb on this lake, but honestly didn’t see how it could have come from my swim.

I fact I weighed 20 lb 9 oz, which beat four of the 13 on Jay, and considering the standard of angler –all of whom are regulars at Pidley, I was very satisfied. The angler to my right, on 41, seemed to be fishing long almost all day and I assumed he was finding fish on bread off bottom, but he couldn’t have had many as he weighed only 10 lb.

The second half of Jay.

Back at the cafe

Everybody went back to the cafe afterwards, where Alex had a table full of prizes- everbody got one, and the three lake winners had a hamper of food and goodies. Free tea was provided, together with Claire's special home-made mince pies, infused with port.

At that point I was able to see the weigh sheets. Magpie produced the best weights with peg 19 a bit of a surprise as it produced 115 lb 5 oz to Flip Flop - he wears sandals in all weathers (they breed 'em hard round here). The other best pegs were 24 and 36, which tend to give good weights (I even came second in an Open once on peg 24 so it must have been a good 'un).

Raven was very consistent, though I got the impression that bread did not work as well as it has recently. Mark Pollard won (again) on peg 5 with Jimmy Brooks Jnr a close second.

As often happens Jay was more peggy - so often the wind affects the weights here, though today I and peg 41 had back wind and the best weights came from some of the worst-affected swims. But with top weight just 46 lb 10, that would constitute quite a hard day for these blokes.

PS. The weight sheet has me on peg 47 with no position beside it – Alex missed my weight when working out the positions, but as the prizes were drawn for it made no difference. My prize was a selction of cheeses, biscuits, some Bag-Em meat, and a Frenzee pole sock, which is the one thing I needed to renew. So Happy Days.

I fact I weighed 20 lb 9 oz, which beat four of the 13 on Jay, and considering the standard of angler –all of whom are regulars at Pidley, I was very satisfied. The angler to my right, on 41, seemed to be fishing long almost all day and I assumed he was finding fish on bread off bottom, but he couldn’t have had many as he weighed only 10 lb.

PS. The weight sheet has me on peg 47 with no position beside it – Alex missed my weight when working out the positions, but as the prizes (everybody got one) were drawn for it made no difference. My prize was cheeses, biscuits, some Bag-Em meat, and a Frenzee pole sock, which is the one thing I needed to renew. So Happy Days.

Five hours for two rudd – Magpie, Pidley

This was the annual Over 60s Christmas match, and as often happens in the Winter, especially after a cold, cloudless night, when temperatures plummeted,  the fish hung around the lillies, and were caught mainly hanging bread or maggot off the bottom.

 

The aerator was about 18 metres away, and the obvious place to fish.

Conditions were not bad for fishing - the cold wind was not strong, though the bright sun didn't help, and I fished most of the day at 15 metres towards the aerator on peg 31. Two rudd for 10 oz came in the space of five minutes halfway through the match, and 40 minutes from the end I hooked my sole carp, which came adrift after a few seconds, leaving me with a scale the size of a 50-pence piece. To rest that swim, and my arms, I fished maggot at eight metres from time to time, putting in just a pinch of micros and about four maggots at a time, and never had a bite. Alan, to my right, foulhooked one ten minutes from the end and lost it...

Top weights were from 24, 2, 28, 25, 1, 34 and 36.

Top weights came from 24, fishing towards the lillies with bread, and pegs 2, and almost opposite on 28, where Mick Curtis told me that he in fact caught his fish away from the lillies, and that he had fish showing in his swim from time to time. I never saw the sign of a fish all day.

Best part of the day was the presentation in the cafe, where tea and home-made mince pies and sausage rolls awaited us, plus a bottle (we all took one to the match) and prizes donated by the fishery. A good day all-round, even though most struggled. Oh, and I wasn’t last.

I've wimped out of this Saturday's Open after seeing the local forecast - down to minus 5 degrees with rain and wind!

At least I wasn’t last! - Raven and Magpie, Pidley

Twenty-nine of us fished the Winter Qualifier at Rookery Farm Fishery, Pidley, which was fished on Raven and Magpie – it was to have been Raven and Jay but the wind was so bad on Jay that Magpie was used. Results onj these  matches over two lakes are Continental style – top weight wins; top weight on the other lake is second; next weight is third and second on the other lake is fourth overall.

My lake - Raven

I hadn’t taken my trolley, as you don’t need it on Jay or Raven, and luckily I drew Raven – peg  22, where the wind was from the left but in to our faces, but still fishable at 14 metres. The wind was coolish, but bearable.  I hung bread off bottom over the far side for an hour, with no result at all. A change to a single maggot brought a carp over 2 lb first drop in, then nothing. I pushed the float up so the bait was on bottom, and immediately another two-pounder came in. Then nothing for an hour.

A look in the deep water on a top two brought some little perch and one decent fish lost. And the next hour-and-a-half wo hours I spent alternating  from the inside line to right across, where I eventually foulhooked a two-pounder in the dorsal fin. Then the wind got up and I was in danger of the pole breaking, so I concentrated inside, and over the final 90 minutes managed to catch four F1s on maggot.

A little white lie?

The angler on my left said he had ten fish for about 10 lb, all from the inside line  – strange that he then weighed in 19 lb!! My fish weighed 11 lb 12 oz while Bob Coulson to my right had 11 lb 4 oz, with only two from the far shallows. Top weight on Raven was 31 lb 2 oz to Tom Edwards, on the other side, who had back wind, with second on the end peg a few swims to my right.

Magpie fished better

Magpie fished better, with their top two weights opposite each other on 32 and 5, presumably fishing to the reeds down the centre, Simon Skelton taking the overall win and £200 Golden Peg money,

With some very good anglers not weighing I was happy, at least beating the angler one side of me, and look forward to the Over 60s Christmas match on Magpie on Wednesday. Like almost everyone else I will be starting on bread hung off bottom, if the wind allows it. With cold water being heavier than warm water, and sinking to the depths, it’s hardly surprising that fish tend to be out of the deep water at this time of year, and cruising around mid-water, especially if there’s a warmish wind.

Alex does a brilliant jop of organising matches on this fishery, and provides prizes - last year I won one without catching a fish!

A result that could not have been tighter!

Before our final Fenland Rods match we were told that two anglers were tying at the top on points, and that if either won that match they would end as club champion. But if neither won the match the club had a problem, because the best of the matches each would drop were worth the same points, so Mel, who was collating the results, asked for a ruling.

I can’t remember what was decided, but we all speculated on which two anglers were tying. I guessed probably Kevin Lee, who has won the championship several times in the past, and Tony Nisbet, who had had an amazingly-consistent season. But one could have been current champion Dave Garner.

Kevin Lee, who swept the board on presentation night.

In fact the match was won by Kevin Lee, who was now favourite in my book, but it wasn’t until the Christmas dinner this week that the Club Championship result was announced – and Kevin had indeed won – by one point. But who was runner-up? Handkerchiefs at the ready...it was me! I was surprised I had done so well, but I won it two years ago, and have been in the top three or four for some years, so no complaints. Our secretary/chairman John Smith was a very popular third, followed by Tony Nisbet.

Kevin also won the Club Cup Match, took top spot in the Handicap match, winning a medal, and took the Drawn Pairs event (and the cash), when he was drawn with Tony Nisbet – a most dangerous combination. Here’s to next season...

The last thing Bill Foster expected to win in the raffle was a fish!

I’ve found the answer!

For years I’ve been last to pack up in our club matches, but in Opens I’m about average. And during this season I think I’ve discovered part of the reason – some anglers start packing up before the match ends.

I’ve noticed them winding spare rigs back onto winders, putting spare bait in the water, and packing unused rods away, often when there’s still half-an-hour to go.

I hadn’t really noticed this before, as I tend to concentrate very hard, but sometimes, when someone is drawn dead opposite, I can’t help but see them moving about. However,  in my book that’s the time you’re  most likely to catch;  I’m not complaining though – Carry On Packing Up!

Sorry, could not fish a match this week – next possible date is Saturday, Dec 7^th.

I never got properly started – Magpie Lake, Pidley

The Over 60s match on Magpie Lake attracted 22 anglers, and I fancied a swim with some sort of feature apart from the margins – 1 to 5 where there are lillies or reeds in the open water; possibly round to 10 where there’s a reed island at about 20 metres; and then 25 to 36 most of which are on the island and several of which have lillies or reeds. In the event my sticky fingers pulled out 22, which I really did not fancy because it’s open water. And it was just about the only swim which never had a touch of sun all day thanks to the tall trees behind me.

That's the nearest the sun came to my swim. This was just before the start.

Not much happened – I started with a small Method feeder and maggot to the island, where I had a couple of liners in the first 30 minutes. A look on the pole at 13 metres saw two or three bites, all of which I missed. I had to assume they were liners as the maggots were not touched. After two hours it was really cold, in the South-Easterly breeze, which was blowing into me from the right, so I had a cup of hot Bovril and wandered up to the angler on my right. He had had just one carp, on the Method cast across.

The far-bank cut-out produced just a couple of liners. Some lucky
anglers were blessed with sun on the all day!

In the next two hours I managed to lose two carp on the pole, and then landed one after I had shallowed up to a foot off bottom. It was about 2 lb. I also had other bites, but am fairly sure they were liners. I tried hanging a piece of punch bread a couple of feet deep, with no result – you need to do this next to a feature for the best results. The margins produced nothing to maggot.

Three fish on feeder!

Then in the last hour, shivering with cold (despite having on seven layers of clothing plus my Goretex jacket), I reverted to feeder and took three carp from the open water on Method and maggot. They weighed 10 lb 2 oz and placed me tenth, with 11 anglers DNW-ing, though I suspect most had perhaps one or two fish.

The match was won by Will Hadley with 100 lb 12 oz on peg 34, fishing a 16-metre pole to the reed island and hanging a piece of bread two feet deep. He must have been very cold, as the wind would have been into his face from the right, though he would also have had some sun on his back.  Next three weights were from 9, 11 and 13, which would have had a backish wind.                                                  

So that result was probably as much as I could have expected from that swim, and at least I beat the anglers either side. No match this weekend, but I will probably go to the next Over-60s on Raven on Wednesday.

                

Christmas cheer - Cedar, Decoy.

Our Spratts Christmas match was on Cedar Lake at Decoy, and with 13 fishing we took the 13 pegs on the West bank, 1 to 13. I wanted one of the early ones, because these often have the edge on this lake, but Number 11 stuck to my fingers. The weather was cloudy – we didn’t see the sun all day - with a cool South-Easterly breeze into our faces from the right.

John Garner got proceedings underway 45 minutes before the match started when he cast out a feeder, with hook attached, to the far bank to clip up...and hooked a carp. Halfway through playing it to the side he realised he hadn’t got his landing net made up. I walked over, phone in my hand, and had to decide whether to put his landing net together or take a picture.

I took the picture.

This is what happens when you cast out, with hook attached,
before the match starts, and you haven't set up your landing net.
John Garner demonstrates the one-handed no-handle method.

Excitement over, and when the match started I put out some micros and corn to 12 metres, flicked some maggots into the deepwater margin to my left, and looked up to see Rob Allan, on peg 12, playing a 5 lb carp. Out went my Method feeder but after 30 minutes nothing had taken the corn bait; Rob hadn’t had another bite; John was fishless on 13 in the corner; and I hadn’t seen anyone in the three pegs to my right catch either.

Margin fun

A switch to the 12-metre pole line didn’t see a single touch, so with 90 minutes gone I tried the margin, on a top two. Tiny roach were obviously intercepting my maggot bait on the way down, but I caught a few to 2 oz before a 2 lb ide came in – foulhooked. It was fun catching at least something, but after a gudgeon or two, and some more roach and perch and a good fish lost in the first few seconds I felt I had to go out to 12 metres again.

In the next couple of hours Rob had two or three fish on a feeder cast right over, Peter Barnes on my right had one or two small ones on feeder and maggot, and I managed a roach and a 2 lb bream, followed, after a long interval, by a 7 lb carp and another of 3 lb.

Back into the side, and all the catcheable fish had gone, so the 12-metre line called again. I had to alter my depth to get the corn just touching bottom – half an inch too deep and I didn’t get a bite; but when I got it right three more carp from 4 lb to 2 lb came quickly. I tried fishing off bottom with corn and expander,  but never had a touch. Then a lull, and with an hour to go I reverted to the Method, with corn, cast right over. Three carp came in three casts, best about 6 lb, but the last half-hour was fruitless.

Camera - Action! This is Peter Barnes on the peg to my right. 

Clearly beaten

I had no idea how the low-numbered pegs had got on, as there was a bush in the way, but when I walked back I saw that from Mick on 8 up to Ted on 1, most had two nets in, clearly beating my estimated 28 lb. I wasn’t surprised, as these were the pegs I fancied drawing. The secret to doing well at fishing – as it is at poker – is to take advantage of any luck you get. So good luck to them – you still have to catch ‘em.

Winner Terry Tribe, no doubt
already thinking about the golden
 coin Martin Parker would
be handing over to him later.

Runner-up Peter Harrison -
he  has the Method sussed.

Terry Tribe, on peg 5, fished a method which has won him many Winter matches – corn on a straight bomb, catapulting a few grains over the top, and totalled 98 lb. Peter Harrison on 6 was second, fishing the Method all day with hair-rigged corn, and weighing 93 lb. Both have those methods down to a fine art, and fish them with confidence.

Down along the bank  to me, and afterwards I was actually pleased with my 31 lb, as it was top weight in the last five swims, and it won me a £50 Benwick Sports voucher and a little cash – our Christmas match gives prizes. The only think marring the day for me was raising a toast to absent friends, remembering member Peter Parlett, who died at the ridiculously early age of 61 earlier in the year.

During a match you can forget such things, but afterwards there’s always the sense that someone is missing.

Some good news

This was my first outing with my new Frenzee HGV Mk 2 barrow, and it was OK. Easy to steer, and actually quite quick to assemble. I managed to get to my peg in just one journey. Very pleased.

My next match is probably in the Pidley Pensionsers (Over 60s) next Wednesday on Magpie. No idea which pegs I fancy as at this time of year the fish get together and play hide-and-seek with us.

Left - the result. Note that somehow Peter Barnes, on 10 was placed in peg 9, and Bob Barrett on 9 was placed on 10, but their weights are correct.  Perhaps a visit to Specsavers for someone is in order...You can't get the staff nowadays! 

Unforgettable (with apologies to Nat King Cole)

I’m a classical music man – my favourite all-time singer is Paul Robeson and my favourite composition Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. But I am also keen on Shirley Bassey, Matt Monro, Ray Charles...and Nat King Cole, whose song ‘Unforgettable’ was a regular on the many radio request programmes during my formative years.

That’s a tenous link to the Pidley Pensioners’ match I fished on Wednesday, but the match was unforgettable for me because I can’t remember fishing in worse conditions during the past 20 years. It wasn’t the frost, or snow, or even rain – it was the sun! Low in the sky with hardly a cloud in sight, and blasting the water in front of those of us unlucky enough to fish from pegs 12 to 17 on Raven, and I was on 17. It was impossible to see properly from the start at 10 o’clock right up to the finish at 3 o’clock. And  the wind shook the shadows of the trees on the far bank across my swim from left to right all day.

The match for me was actually forgettable – half a dozen perch on maggot to stop me falling asleep and finally four small carp on corn from the bottom of the far shelf in the last hour. I was awarded 4 lb 12 oz...and wasn’t last! Several didn't weigh and I spoke to one angler who never had a bite. Raymond Poolman, next to me, had the right idea;  he fished a feeder all day and never even got a pole out of his van. Even so he said the sun was a real nuisance.

The match was won from peg 11, on the first corner,  by Roy Whincup, who took all his fish on either three or two sections. And all of the anglers I spoke to said they caught most of their fish from the deep water – not the far-bank shallows where most Raven matches have been won.

So a disappointing result, but I don’t think I could possibly have framed from there. I hope I forget about it quickly.

I scrape a win – Decoy, Oak Lake

A strong cool Autumn wind welcomed the 12 members of Spratts club on Oak, blowing directly down from peg 1 to 15. We were all pegged on the West bank, and Trevor on 15, in the corner, was Golden Peg. I was peg 13, so needed wheels.

Problems before the start

I have been having back trouble pushing my Octbox with a single wheel. The culprits are old(er) age, and the hormone treatment I am on for prostate cancer – it has taken a lot of my strength away, and since I shall be on it for another three years I decided to get rear wheels for the box. Last week they arrived.

Unfortunately when I came to push it all along the bank it veered to the left. The problem appears to be a small amount of play in the front frame where the single wheel is fixed. I suppose three years heavy use has done it. Anyway, it didn’t work properly, even when I tried to re-distribute the load, and every few yards I had to lift the back and re-position it.

 I then made a separate journey carrying my pole holdall and bait bag, which are heavy. I got to my peg eventually, absolutely knackered, and decided I would just fish a pole and have a gentle day and not worry about the result.

At the end of the match things were even worse, and by the time I had got halfway back to the car I actually felt ill with the effort and had to stop. Luckily John Garner offered to push it back to the car, where I had a rest.

By the time I had partly recovered, the weighing-in was well along the bank, and my mates then told me I had missed the chance of pictures of big fish in the first few pegs. Thanks, lads!  Anyway, after we had all weighed John and Peter Spriggs helped me carry the last bits of gear back to the car – that’s what mates do.

I am looking at getting a four-wheel barrow, like most sane matchmen have. So back to the match...

 

Peg 13 on Oak. The strong wind was coming from the right.

A slow start

I started at top two plus two, which is where I could most easily fish, putting in some micros and thawed sweetcorn. You will know that when sweetcorn had been frozen and thawed it becomes soggy and light. In that strong wind I hoped to find a tow against the wind, and I did. Peter Spriggs on my right was fishing paste, so I knew his bait would be static. If he started bagging I would change baits, either to normal corn, or cat meat or paste.

On my left Terry Tribe found fish on a feeder (I think it was one of the new hybrid Methods) cast right across, using maggot. He had three before I had my first one, which turned out to be a 5 lb mirror. I had seen a few tiny indications on the float, so I knew that there were fish there. In my experience, if liners all look similar (which these did) it’s because fish are actually interested in the bait, even if they are not willing to take it properly.

Peter Harrison  with 26 lb 13 oz - I knew he was
struggling when I saw him get his pole out! 

Peter on my right had two or three early fish, and I assumed I was in for a beating. But then another, smaller, fish came in. An hour gone, and Terry now had four to my two. After a long fishless stretch my liners stopped and I briefly tried caster down the side where I had been flicking casters. I didn't see Terry get any more fish, and he had also tried pole, so was obviously struggling. Eventually I made the effort to put up a Method feeder – the new Preston interchangeable system has made me more amenable to fishing rod and line now. It’s a brilliant system.

Fish on the feeder!

I decided to cast to the middle of the strip lake, because in the Winter fish are almost always found well out on the strips, and often none will come into the margins. Several little flicking liners came, and on the second cast a 5 lb fish took my hair-rigged corn. A little later I managed, somehow, to foulhook a good fish which came off at the net. Then a little later a 2 lb F1 came in.

After a blank spell I went back to the pole on the four-section swim, still putting in only small amount of micros, corn and hemp. There appeared to be a very shallow dip in front of me, about half-an-inch deeper than the rest. After a lot of experimentation I got the depth exactly right, so the corn was tripping the bottom on the shallow section and the float tip was just above the surface. Then when it came to the deep section the float went under, though I could still see it. Then, when it came to the end of the dip the float tip came back, and that was where I got bites, a few feet past where I had fed.

Peter Spriggs was on my right. He works
wonders with his home-made paste.

I missed several bites, as did Peter beside me, but I managed about three fish, including one foulhooked and a ten-pounder hooked properly, before trying the feeder again. It was getting quite cold now, and I didn’t expect things to get any better, so I tried just a couple of drops in the deep margin, with no result.

The wind drops a little

Two more fish came on the feeder and with an hour to go the wind started to decrease a little, so I went back on the pole at five sections and started a new swim. The dip was there as well, and once I got the exact depth I managed another three fish in that last hour, best 7 lb and the last one a 2 lb F1, again a few feet upwind of where I had fed. Terry also started catching again in the last hour casting his feeder less than halfway, as did Peter. I wasn’t sure whether I had missed any fish they might have caught, because I had been staring so intently at my float.

My clicker showed 34 lb, and although I’d had an interesting day’s fishing I was sure I’d been beaten.

I'd recovered enough to show my winning
49 lb 8 oz  catch - but couldn't raise a smile.

The weigh-in

I missed the first few to weigh, and saw that John Garner was in the lead from peg 2 with 44 lb 7 oz mainly, I think, on feeder.Terry asked me what weight I thought I had and I said about 35 lb, which was the same as his own catch estimate. Peter Spriggs had about three fish late on corn, at about the same distance form the bank as I had finished up, and weighed 38 lb 7 oz.

To my amazement my net felt heavy and the scales went round to 49 lb 8 oz – I was flabberghasted. As Frankie Howerd would have said: My Flabber had never been so ghasted! Terry weighed 39 lb 9 oz – just 2 oz more than Martin Parker, and I know they always have a £1 side bet. I imagine Martin paid it grudgingly...

Trevor, in the corner, had an early fish but struggled and, like me, kept swapping from pole to feeder, so I knew he was struggling. He weighed 26 lb 3 oz, so the Golden Peg was safe and I had won.

In the end it was actually quite a tight match,
 with six weights over the 30 lb mark.

That win has given me confidence for the final Spratts match of the year, next Friday, on Cedar. There are more barbel there, and it’s possible the odd one will feed in the deep margin on dead maggot. It’s our special Christmas match, with prizes, and the presentation takes place in the restuarant at Decoy. The only problem (and it always happens) is that, because I am so wrapped up against the cold, when I go inside my spectacles steam up! The hormone treatment also gives me hot flushes, so I will be doing a quick strip beside the car before I go in to collect my prize (whatever it is). No cameras please!

Late news
I've just bought one of the new Frenzee Mk2 barrows, on the recommendation of Alex at Rookery Farm Fishery, Pidley. Wish me luck with it.

Fish give us a frosty reception – Six-Island, Decoy

Temperatures dropped the night before this match – Terry Tribe clocked minus 4C early morning – and there was frost on the fields. Eight fished – four at the car park end on pegs 24, 22, 18 and 17, and four at the other end, on 7. 9. 11 and 13.

Bright sun and a cold start, and we knew we would be struggling.

I was on 11, and remember seeing Steve Freeman winning a match here on a long pole to the island. I put up 13 metres, prepared to go to 16 metres if necessary, but at 13 metres it was still a long way from the island, which has rapidly reduced in size in the last few years. So I stuck with 11.5 metres, and had the next section by me if the fish looked like backing off.

Bob on 9 was playing a six-pound carp within a minutes of dropping in, and within another couple of minutes I also had one, about 6 lb. But then, nothing. I came inside, several feet from the bank, where the sun was shining on the water, and eventually found a few roach to 6 oz on caster. I plugged away and suddenly a 3 lb tench put in an appearance, then a 2 lb F1, and a 3 lb barbel, and a couple of small perch. An hour from the end I went out again, and first drop in hit a carp, which came off after about eight seconds. That was the end of my day!

Ted's 20 lb 3 oz - he's 91 in December!

Peter's five fish came to The |Method.

The winner

Round on 18 Trevor didn’t catch a carp until 1 pm, when the sun came round far enough to shine on his swim. He found 44 lb 8 oz, all on worm fished down the track. I had worms with me and didn’t think about trying them.

 

Six-Island was an enigma which none of us unravelled...

John Garner on 22 found 42 lb 6 oz on cat meat and paste – I had both with me and didn’t imagine for one moment that they would work in those conditions; shows how much I know. And on the bank opposite to me Peter Harrison took five carp for fourth spot on The Method with corn – I had a Method rod with me and didn’t try that either.

 Third was Terry Tribe who also caught all his carp after 1 pm – I didn’t ask what he caught on as it was bound to have been something else I didn’t try!!!

The result, for the record – Elm, Decoy

 I didn’t feel like writing up the match that Les died at. But here is the result.

The strong wind and rain died away in the last half-hour.

Les did well, from Peg 1, to come sixth, because the strong wind was blowing into that corner, and there was some heavy rain, as well as hail. I was on the opposite bank, on 19, and found a few fish in the deep margin on caster, loose-feeding caster and hemp. So in the first two or three hours I had a 3 lb tench, a 2 lb F1, and a 1 lb perch, as well as a few small roach and perch. But early on it looked like being hard.

Mel - third with 57 lb 9 oz.

The result.

A foray out to 12 metres with corn over corn and pellet brought five carp to 7 lb over about two hours, but the sixth one, which seemed a lot bigger, broke me. Three more eventually came from that line, plus a 3 lb barbel on a bunch of maggots from the left margin (I was playing it when the match ended) and I ended with 56 lb 11 oz, Kevin winning it from corner peg 13, probably on cat meat.

I should have gone back out half-an-hour from the end, when the wind had died, but was convinced there were fish inside. If the fish were willing to feed out there I could have won it even then.

A tragedy on the bank.

It with a heavy heart that I report the death of one our Fenland Rods members immediately after our match on Sunday.

Les, in happier times.

Les Bedford had been on oxygen for the last year, but that didn’t stop him and his wife, Wendy, from attending all our matches if they could. A covered trailer towed behind their car meant that they could load and unload two sets of tackle more easily. They would always be given the two most easily-accessible swims, and set off before the rest of us had drawn, to allow Wendy time to help Les get ready. Together, they were a real inspiration.

When I joined the club many years ago Les was one of the best anglers there, and always did the weighing-in. And even with the handicap of having to be linked up to an oxygen tank he was almost always well in the mix, and somewhere near the framing positions. In fact on Sunday, he was sixth with 52 lb 3 oz, only 16 lb less than the winner.  

Les was on Elm peg 1, close to where his car and trailer were parked, and the first to weigh. I understand that when the weighers-in got to Les he found it impossible to stand and walk up the bank. Two members helped him into his chair while they weighed in. Soon afterwards Mick Rawson (ex CID) came along the bank, took one look at Les, who was not responding, and immediately called the emergency services.

The first paramedics came in an ambulance and started CPR; then two emergency ambulances turned up, and then an Air Ambulance helicopter. They all worked on Les for over an hour, but he never responded and  they eventually had to declare him dead at the scene. He was 78.

Before the match started Wendy was telling me that Les had had a really good year fishing. It was probably one of the main things that had kept him battling on. And despite the heartrending circumstances I think all the club members, and probably his family, will be so relieved that the end came quickly and that Les died literally doing what he loved the most.

But, Oh how we will miss him.

Surprised to nick third spot - Damson, Decoy

Damson, Decoy, Peg 10

Just nine of us in this Spratts mid-weeker, and we were greeted by a stiff breeze into our faces – not particularly cold, and nothing we couldn’t handle. I had sort of decided to fish the deep water – seven feet at the end of a top two – but there are always fish to be caught shallow to start with, so I tried that. The average here is around 1 lb to 2 lb, with odd bigger one mainly in the first three pegs, which we did not use.

A stiff breeze at the start,  almost in our faces turned to a nasty, blustery day.

Trevor, on my left, set off like an express train, shallow on a top two out in front. But in the first hour or so, also fishing a banded pellet, I managed about eight fish for 6 lb while he must have had at least 30 lb! I was determined to catch shallow, but in the end I had to give up – so I had virtually wasted an hour. Next I looked down the side, feeding a few very old casters and baiting with them, and immediately I found fish to 2 lb. I fancied that they were a little larger than Trevor was catching; and he was still flying.

I stick to the margins 

I spent the rest of the match fishing the margins, up to about three feet deep – then it drops down almost vertically to seven feet. I had a rig ready for this, but stupidly never used it. Fish came steadily for the next two or three hours, by which time the wind had increased and became colder, and the fish seemed to be moving about, from a few inches deep out to the edge of the drop. Caster was good, and maggot brought mainly small roach so I quickly gave that up. Half a dozen barbel to 2 lb gave me real problems in the wind on my 13 Hollo elastic, and the purple Hydro I changed to eventually, to fish cat meat, felt much better.

Peter Harrison took 100 lb - he
never seems to have a bad day,

My best carp was about 4 lb, taken in less than  a foot of water next to the platform on cat meat. I had a good spell on this; then I had to try corn, which brought a quick run of several fish. With 80 minutes to go I went for a third net (Trevor had been for his almost an hour earlier) and when I returned I had to wait ten minutes for a fish. I had been feeding every minute or so all day, and obviously they had wandered off; but the cold seemed now to slow them down.

Winner was Peter Spriggs, with
209 lb 3 oz of small carp and barbel.

Towards the end I tried 6mm expanders, loosefeeding some, and that brought four or five quick fish to 1 lb 8 oz. But they wouldn’t stop in the same place for more than a few minutes at a time. The last 15 minutes were dire, and by this time even Trevor had had to come inside, with occasional tries shallow, so I knew he was struggling. When the shout went up to end the match the wind suddenly increased again, and became colder, I think we were all ready to pack up.

The weigh in

Peter Spriggs had five nets, fishing cat meat and paste on his top twoin front of him in the deep water. I am sure I would have done better if I had done this instead of sticking to my plan, but I didn’t...

He weighed a magnificent 209 lb 3 oz to win, and told me his best fish was around 7 lb. Along to Trevor, who had 136 lb 10 oz, much less than I had thought, so his fish must have been slightly smaller than  mine, because I estimated he was catching two to every one of mine all day. 

I weighed 113 lb 14 oz, for third, and my final net, taken in the last 75 minutes, weighed only 20 lb - so my catch rate had really sropped towards the end. Terry Tribe was fourth on 100 lb 2 oz, and Peter Harrison, who was over in both nets, had 100 lb taken mainly on hard pellet, with a few on feeder.

Terry Tribe, former National 4 Champion,
beat Martin Parker, former Veterans
 National Champion, by 24 lb...

A runaway win for Peter Spriggs.

...but he had to plead dire poverty in order to get an unimpressed
Martin to pay him the golden coin they had wagered at the start.

That first disastrous hour when I couldn’t catch shallow was my undoing; but I still think I would have done better looking for better fish in the deep water first. The one bit of good news is that the £100-plus Golden Peg, drawn by Bob Barret, is still intact.

Damson is a cracking lake, and still produces in the cold weather. A great place to take a youngster. I look forward to challenging it again in the future.

A difficult Autumn day - Decoy, Cedar

We thought we were on Oak, but it looked like a mistake somewhere at our end, and we were happy to fish Cedar. I would have chosen a peg at the car park end – 22 to 26 or 1 to 4 – but ended on 19, towards the far end, and on our £100 Golden Peg.

The night had been cold, but things were warming up and there was a nice breeze, into my face. However the sun on my left  made it difficult fishing that side. I started on The Method with maggot, as it looked like being difficult, and put in a few pellet and corn at six pole sections; but within a minute Dave Garner, on peg 7 on the opposite bank, landed what looked like a barbel, which made me think it might not be as diifficult as I had feared, if the barbel were already prepared to feed. 

So after 15 minutes I tried the margin to my right, where I bait-droppered maggot and hemp, and fished with a 0.14mm rig straight through to one of the newish Guru black fine-wire hooks (I forget the name) baited with a bunch of deads.

No prize, but I caught a couple of good barbel...

...as did Kevin, to my right.

First drop-in saw a 2 lb F1 in the net, followed by a 3 lb mirror. But then I could get only knocks from roach, some of which clung to the maggot before dropping off and I could see they were about ten to the ounce. In the next 45 minutes I had a couple of roach and a gudgeon, but on the opposite bank they all seemed to be catching, while Mel Lutkin, opposite me, seemed to be landing a 4 lb carp or a barbel every ten minutes.

The opposite bank was bagging!

A look in the longer swim brought two 2 lb carp to corn, but it took an hour to get them, and during the next hour I managed just a barbel and another 2 lb carp from the margin swim on maggot. So halfway through the match I had about 14 lb while Mel opposite must have had 40 lb or 50 lb, Dave Garner to his right also had several fish, and Tony Nisbet on 13, in the far corner, had also been catching regularly.

Mel had a great start, but had to wait some
time for each bite. He ended with 97 lb.

Tony fished peg 13 - and
it wasn't unlucky for him.
 He won with 106 lb 11 oz.

Later I found out that John Smith, on peg 4, had also had a great start: “I might as well have gone home at 12 o’clock” he told me. Yet to my right Kevin Lee, after taking the odd fish early on, was really struggling, like me. Odd fish now came from my two swims on corn until I had a look down in the deep-water margin to my left, where a barbel on corn made me swap over to cat meat. This brought intermittent carp to 5 lb and several barbel also to 5 lb, some foulhooked,  until I changed to a heavier 1.5 gm rig, which instantly upped my catch rate.

In the last hour things started getting better, and with half-an-hour left I hit three fish very quickly and looked to be headed for a cracking last 20 minutes. But then the wheels came off – I must have missed 15 bites on cat meat and I lost six fish, all after being hooked for about two seconds; I’m not convinced they were all foulhooked. With 30 seconds left, in frustration, I dropped back into the right margin and promptly hooked my final 3 lb barbel which I landed after the whistle.

Bill Foster calculates all our
weights and records them on the
board (gotta keep in with him!)

Dick, fourth from peg 24

The weigh-in

I estimated I had 60 lb-plus, which I was sure was definitely beaten by Les Bedford on 1 with 78 lb 4 oz, Dave Garner with 89 lb 8 oz (including a carp of 14 lb 4 oz), Mel with 97 lb and Tony with 106 lb – these all taken from the end bank on about 13 metres.

So round the end of the lake to pegs 15 and 17, both of whom had struggled to 40 lb-pus, and I was surprised to weigh  77 lb 2 oz, which was beaten on my bank by Dick Warrener on peg 24 with 83 lb 14 oz. He hooked five good carp in his first five casts, though the biggest one came off at the net.  I finished sixth, but if I had managed to land just a couple of the fish I had lost I would definitely have framed.

The result. This club has just one match left this year.

I should have had a look in my lefthand margin earlier; and I should have tried worm to see if the fish took it better at the end, when I was getting dodgy bites on cat meat. It seemed the fish wanted to feed but weren't taking the bait properly. 

Still, I was second on my bank with four of the top five weights coming from the opposite bank, so I can’t be anything but happy. And everyone else was happy as it was a Golden Peg rollover. But, Boy those barbel do fight!