I manage to frame at Frazer's - Emily's Lake at Frazer's. Ely

A cool, strong North-Easterly greeted the 20 anglers who fished this Pensioners’ match and I drew Emily’s again, with 10 anglers on. This oval circular, deep  snake lake is regarded as harder to fish than Mark’s lake, and Frazer tells me that Mark’s has a lot more fish; but they tend to grow bigger in Emily’s, as you would expect. He told me that on my peg, 3, he never fishes more than a top three, so I stuck with that, except...

A strong North-Easterly soon enveloped my nice-looking swim.

I couldn’t resist starting with bread over towards the far-bank reeds, at  only about 11 metres, though I plumbed up a swim on a top two, another one half a section further out where it was 18 inches deeper, and the left margin which was about two feet deep. The sun was in my eyes when I looked to the right, so that margin swim would be difficult for the first half of the match. The wind was in my face, from the left, which meant that to fish the left margin I would have to be facing the wind – not easy as it affected the presentation.

Tony Carr was to my right on peg 2, and
won the lake with this 38 lb 4 oz. I
 think he, like me, used mainly corn.

Three quick fish on bread

First drop-in over to the far bank with bread, and a 3 lb common came in. Second try, and a big fish was hooked, which stretched my 13 Hollo elastic so far I couldn’t believe it – the fish went almost down to The Vicar, who was two pegs away on 5. It turned out to be a near- 5lb mirrror foulhooked in the side, but I eventually persuaded it to dive into my landing net. Next cast produced a 2 lb common – 10 lb in the first half-hour. But then only roach took the bread, and most of them dropped off.

I’d put a bait dropper of dead maggot in the deepest swim, and a pot of pellets in the top-two swim, but now had to abandon the far bank, and have a quick look in the margin with corn. First drop-in and a 2 lb common took the corn; but it took me another 45 minutes to get the next couple.

The top-two swim produced one bite and a 6 oz bar of soap, while the longer swim produced just one tiny knock. So it was back to the margin, and a quick drop-in on top two to the right margin, almost next to my keepnet, produced a 3 lb common, but no more. After a long lull I tried the right margin about six metres along, and hooked a fish first drop-in, which came off. Obviously the flashings of those fish were spooking any others that may have been around.

Fishery owner Frazer won Mark's
Lake by 8 oz with this 58 lb catch.

Foulhooked fish

The angler to my right, Tony Carr, was taking occasional fish to 4 lb on a long pole in his right margin, slightly round the corner so he was a little  less handicapped by the sun than I had been. Like me he kept having to change swims after hooking a fish. I managed one more on bread across, and he went across and promptly foulhooked three in three casts, all of which came off.

John Millard was the unlucky
runner-up on Mark's, beaten by 8 oz.

Regular Joanne Banks always catches
fish, which have a smaller average
weight on Mark's than Emily's.
 But where did that dog come from?

I finished with a few  more in the last couple of hours from the left swim, and then one more five minutes before the end. I dropped back, expecting another bite – which I got! But I missed it, and within seconds the match ended. While Tony seemed to be fishing within inches of the reeds I had to go about four feet out, where the water was slightly deeper, to get a bite. At one point I put on a worm, but had no takers. The fish seemed to want the bait lifted slightly – the majority of the margin fish took like that. And after the sun had moved I tried the near right margin again, without any sign of fish.

The result on Emily's Lake. The weigher's-in
cannot resist adding a little humour to the weight sheet...

I need to go to Specsavers!

I didn’t check my clicker, and after I had packed up I told Tony I thought he had 40 lb and I had about 25 lb. In fact he weighed 38 lb 4 oz, for the lake win,  and I weighed 34  lb 8 oz – one more 3 lb fish would have won me the lake.

As expected the weights on Mark’s were bigger. Robert Edmondson, whose opinions I respect (even though he tries hard to wind me up), says the fishing is much easier on Mark’s, and quite difficult on Emily’s, so as a relative

 newcomer to the water I 

was happy with my performance.

Mark's result.

My next match

I’m on Six-Island at Decoy on Friday, and have no preferences at to where I draw – it all depends on the wind direction. It’s forecast for a continued strong  ENE, so pegs 4 to 9 and 24 and 25 would give a back wind, which will suit me. I expect I will get 10 to 15, facing it! Actually I would particularly like peg 17, no matter what direction the wind is in, but have drawn it only once, when I won. It's in a gap between the island and a corner, and offers lots of options.

NOTE:
It's not on Six-Island, it's on Horseshoe, and I have no preference as to where to draw, though it will be head wind on 1 to 8. Nice margins all round this lake.