Bit of a surprise on Jay

Jay Lake, Pidley, Peg 38

I managed to pick out the one peg I didn’t want in this 22-entry Over 60s event. I’d fished peg 38 in our club match last year and it’s on a corner, where rubbish and dead reeds collect, making it very difficult to fish right across. Also the wind was a very strong South-Westerly, and I guessed it would be mainly from the side.

Actually, when I got there I was pleasantly surprised, because siting my box across the corner of the platform, rather than fishing in front, gave me a nice back wind. It took me 20 minutes to get the rollers and box in exactly the right positions, which meant I had to improvise with the nets, as the concrete corner of the platform protruded out in front of the box.

 

Very windy, so I turned my box round to get back wind into the corner.

Good start

My Fenland Rods club has said they would never fish on Jay again, after a poor match last year when most could hardly catch close-in, believing most fish hug the far bank, at 13 metres, which most are unable, or unwilling, to fish. So I had it in my mind that fishing close-in would be useless, though Will Hadley, a regular, told me on the morning that in fact fish were caught in the deep water only a top-two out from the platform. Nevertheless I had it in my mind that I would probably need to fish right across, so chose a rig to fish at 13 metres plus the Browning half-butt as well as two swims for the deeper water and a shallow one for right next to the bank (which I never used)..

I started at top two plus two, with pellet, and caught two carp around 2 lb each quite quickly; so I put in a little bait and changed to fishing luncheon meat in the first drop-off to the left of the platform, on a top two, to see what might be there. Sure enough, two more carp came quickly, best 3 lb. A good start, but then it all went wrong.

Another 20 minutes close-in with luncheon meat, for nothing, then back out on four sections, but the fish had disappeared. So it was out to 13 metres, which I persevered with for 45 minutes. The wind was so strong I was able to throw pellets out by hand to the far bank! But fishing both shallow and on the bottom (not at the same time) brought me just one fish...and I didn’t know that was on until I lifted out to bring the rig back. I also hooked a scale, which fought hard for a few seconds before giving up!!

I think the main reason I struggled was a huge swell which built up in the corner, and at times swamped the float so it disappeared completely. The rest of the time the swell must have been lifiting the bait up and down. I’ve never experienced that before – there was hardly any  ripple directly in front of me, but the wind was so strong there were actual waves into the far bank.

In addition there were still reeds floating about, which meant I couldn’t get within about two feet of the far bank. I should have given up fishing there after five minutes.

Good old hemp

After about two hours I had just those five fish, and put in some hemp on the four-section swim, which seemed to kick-start it – not for the first time this summer. Gradually fish to 3 lb came to a 6mm expander, then slowed up, at which point a change down to 4mm kept them coming, though only slowly. I had quick looks on the meat swim, and across again, but didn’t waste much time there.

I fed a couple of dozen pellets with a tosspot after each fish, and found I had to top up with pellets and hemp every three or four fish, to keep them interested. The bites were quite timid, but I think that often happens when the fish are confident, and just picking up the bait unconcernedly, rather than snatching at it when they are dubious.

The last two hours saw fish coming more quickly, best almost 4 lb, though I had to continually change the presentation from holding back in the undertow, when the bait was taken as it hit bottom, to moving two shot down to within two inches of the hook and fishing with those shot on the bottom. Both methods worked. The final ten minutes saw me get three bites and hook two fish, both of which came off.

The weigh-in

Will told me that fishing cat meat on a top-two plus one had been catching fish for some. It seemed to me, as I followed the scales round, that no-one had caught fish right across – most would have found it impossible anyway in the wind. I knew I could not match those who had 80 lb, or winner Vic German with over 90 lb,  but was pleasantly surprised with my 64 lb 11 oz, which eventually gave me eighth place. Those final two lost fish probably cost me fourth spot, which was 69 lb 5 oz.

The result, on Jay Lake - the peg numbers are in the fourth column.

THE INQUEST

Actually I believe that if I’d had up-to-date info earlier in the week, or had fished the lake earlier this summer, I could easily have framed, or even won. I wasted too much time fishing across, and if I were to fish there again my main plan would be to fish two swims in the deep water – one with pellet and one with cat meat, which is a more positive way of fishing. I would consider fishing across only if conditions were really good and I could fish right next to the far bank.

Incidentally Ray Poolman on 41, which has trees opposite and a nice opening in the middle of them to the far bank, and has produced good weights since the Winter, fished nothing but feeder all day, casting right across, and weighed 66 lb 8oz. But I think you need to get close to the far bank to really get among the fish.

So from being sceptical about being able to compete because of the necessity of fishing long to the far bank, I am actually looking forward to fishing it again. The fish are in lovely condition, and fought like tigers. And I will definitely conside feedering it unless I get peg 38!