Lots of luverly fish, but not for me - Decoy, Cedar

Weeds are the bane of my life. And life for me is a roundabout of cold compresses to my back, followed by hot compresses, followed by nothing, followed by compressing the offending area with a tight support. I can't yet bend down to pull those wretched weeds put of the ground, so there's no chance I could bend down to pick up a top two!

Still, fishing life goes on and the latest Spratts match proved to be yet another bonanza - with 11 of the 14 breaking the ton, and my old mate John Smith blitzing his way to a winning 221 lb 9 oz from corner peg 13, which is the opposite end to where I had expected the best weights to come from.

Another cracker from Cedar.

Although he favours the waggler the majority of his fish came to a margin pole, with a slow spell some time after 2 o'clock, when roach moved onto his cat meat baits. Opposite, John Garner reported the same problem. Then the scum which had collected blew away, and the big fish came in, best around 13 lb.

There were weights all around the strip lake, but there's still no holding Peter Harrison, who again managed a big weight with 195 lb, but I don't know how he fished - probably close in. Interestingly two days previously Fenland Rods held their match here, with another 200 lb winning weight, and from what I can gather the best catches were made well out, rather than in the margins.

A new box
I've ordered a Matrix P25 box (from the local tackle shop at Pidley fisheries) purely because it is much lighter than my Octbox, which I love, but which is so heavy. I have to take the drawers off, settle the footplate on the platform, and put the drawers back on...and even then it's a nightmare for me. Just lifting it all back on to my trolley creases my back. So I've surrendered to the march of time!

I hope to be able to fish within a fortnight. Fingers crossed.