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!!!