Another scratcher, but at least I caught – Magpie, Pidley

Peg 9

Eighteen of us fished this Over 60s match, and Will Hadley, who was on Peg 5, said that when he’d fished 8 a few days earlier fish were rising at about 13 metres in front of 9 and 10. So i started dobbing bread there on a pole, with no result at all. The water was flat calm and I couldn’t see anyone else catching early on, either.

Calm and not cold - but the fish were finicky. The reeds are about 25 metres away.

After a long time I had a look with maggot and in the next 45 minutes took three or four roach and rudd to 6 oz. But eventually I decided I must have a look with waggler to the reeds opposite, and that’s when the debacle started...

There wasn’t really enough line on the spool to allow me to cast a small waggler right across, and after a few casts I decided I must put on more line. So I broke off the end line, tied on another 80 metres or so of 4 lb line, re-attached a slightly heavier float, and had another go. First cast with bread fished two feet deep a 2 lb carp came in. Success. But next cast the float wouldn’t fly out. I checked and the knot I had used to join the two lines was protruding from the spool – I had forgotten to tuck it down on the bottom of the spool.

Winner Mick Cox with part of his 55 lb  12 oz catch.

My main action came on the bank!

Nothing for it but to walk up to Mick Cox on peg 11 to my left, drop the business end on the grass, and walk back past my peg, paying out line, right up to David Gayford on 7, until the offending knot was free. I tucked it well down, wound in, and started again. That took ten minutes and concluded most of my action in the first three hours!

No more carp came on the waggler -  only a small roach to maggot. Mick Cox now had a fish or two on bomb and bread, casting about halfway to the island, so I went back to my maggot swim and a few roach came, then three carp to 4 lb on a single red maggot. That was my lot, but Mick had suddenly started to catch more fish , and was going like a train as the match ended.

The weigh-in

I weighed 16 lb 12 oz, without losing any, and was satisfied with that when I saw that both Chris Saunders on 2 and Will Hadley on 7 had failed to break 18 lb. But on my left Mick Cox weighed 55 lb 12 oz to take the win. He’d ended by casting bomb and bread  into open water well out towards the ropes, and Trevor Watson on his left on 13 was third with 40 lb 12 oz taken on a 13-metre pole, mainly on maggot. The favoured pegs in the bay (25 to 27) and 34 and 36 didn’t produce.

The result., with several DNWs.

I ended eighth, and was satisfied that at least I hadn’t embarrassed myself (except for the mess over my waggler gear). Not sure when my next match will be.