Peg 13
My highlight of the day came halfway through this 18-entry
Spratts club match. I was in a corner of the strip lake, playing a carp on a
top three, with the pole parallel with the water, when something shot past
Mike, on my left, and landed on my pole. It was a kingfisher!
It sat there for about three seconds before darting into a
bush at the end of the lake. I saw where it landed, and looked at it – a bright
blue in the sunshine – and only to realise that about two yards away was a
second one! It’s the first time I’ve had a kingfisher land on a rod or pole,
and while I’ve seen several kingfishers while fishing, it’s the first time I’ve
ever seen two together! Marvellous moment. As Marti Caine would say: “Not a lot
of people have seen that.”
Incidentally, I forgot to mention a week or two ago that I
saw a grass snake swimming along the margins of Six Island Lake at Decoy, and
watched as it swam under my platform. I saw one the previous year, as well.
I forgot my hemp!
Now to the mundane – the match. Peg 13 is on the East bank,
in the corner, at the North end. I remember having it once before and
struggling. But with the strong wind blowing into that corner I was quite happy
after the draw. However, just before the match I realised that it was actually
quite a cold wind, and my hopes dropped. Five minutes to go and I realised I’d
left my hemp at home, so went back to the van, where I keep some spare bait.
None there, so I drove up to the shop on the complex, and luckily Di was in the
shop, and sold me some cans.
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| A stiff, cool wind into my corner peg 13, with Peg 12 opposite. |
Walking back to my peg, and the match had started. But as I
approached the lake Peter Barnes, on Peg 24, had a bite in the margins, which
he missed. That gave me hope that fish might be willing to feed close in,
despite the cool wind. Then as I walked past Peter Harrison on 21 he was
already playing a carp about 4 lb. No more than five minutes gone, and it
looked as if some early fish might be on the cards.
Two early fish
In fact I put out pellet and corn at two sections plus
three, which was not difficult in that wind, but I had a look in my left hand
margin with corn. First drop into about two feet of water two feet from the
bank I had a bite, which I missed, and second drop a 3 lb carp was the result.
This was followed, a few minutes later, by one of 2 lb. But then no more, so I
switched to the right margin. Close in there was about two feet of water, but
five feet farther out the depth was nearer five feet so it was a steep shelf.
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| Peter Harrison, who has been on top form recently, had a carp on while I was returning to my peg! He finished with 92 lb 10 oz from Peg 21, well to my left. |
I used three different rigs to the right margin, down the
shelf, and just the occasional carp came in, but it was hard work just getting
a bite – it seemed to be necessary to feed before every fish. I eventually had
to swap rigs and tried the five-section line, but didn’t have a single bite
there on 6mm expander or corn. So it was back to the right margin swims.
Mick Raby, opposite on Peg 12 had had a good first hour but
he now seemed to have slowed right down, and I decided I would have to try the
deep water at the base of the shelf. So I got up and took out a spare top two
from my holdall, and put on a very special 2gm rig I carried for windy days. I
baited with cat meat, and soon had two or three carp to 8 lb, and a barbel or two. But they take so long to land!
Two lost fish cost
me...
I lost two fish through my own negligence (and a bit of bad
luck). One was a 5 lb carp I had in my landing net, at full stretch. I lifted
the rim clear of the water, but the fish lashed down with its tail and launched
itself over the rim, back into the water. I carried on playing it, but the
hook pulled.
On another occasion I hooked a good fish on corn and, assuming
it was a carp, broke down to my top two too early. Immediately the carp turned
into a barbel and shot under the platform. I gritted my teeth and used the side
puller to tighten the elastic as much as I could, but the line went slack – the
hook had actually broken and I was left with just the hook shank whipped to the
line. Never had that happen before.
Fish on platform 13!
Soon afterwards I
brought a rig in to adjust the depth, to lay on, allowing the bait to fall down
the front of the platform as I did so. Before I had made my adjustment the line
tightened and I was into a big barbel which, somehow, I managed to haul out
from under the platform. It weighed about 4 lb, and ended in my keepnet.
 |
| We weighed this fish, by Peter Spriggs, at 15 lb 11 oz. |
I decided to have a look down there later, but carried on
adjusting the depth...and blow me it happened again! But this time the fish
pulled off. So I had a proper look down the front of the platform, inches from
my net, and three more barbel came in, after I had to use brute force. Another
broke me, and then no more came.
The pipes held the key
Anxious to avoid barbel if I could catch carp, I went to the
right margin with corn, and let the rig drift right up to the pipes which run
out from the bank. There was a lot of rubbish on the surface, blown in by the
wind, and I thought I might get it caught round the rig. But to my surprise
something wrenched the pole out, and a 3 lb F1 came in. That was the start of a
good spell, with fish to 6 lb taking well. Then a lull, and after trying on the
long line I came in and had a look right in the margin, inched from the reeds,
where it was less than two feet deep.
 |
| Winner was Terry Tribe, 112 lb 11 oz, fishing cat meat or paste at the bottom of the near shelf. |
Surprisingly this brought more carp to corn, and I had
another good spell. With two minutes left I hooked a carp about 4 lb, and
assumed it would be my last. But my watch must have been fast, as I had time to
drop in for yet another, which I was playing as the shout went up to end the
match (we can’t afford a whistle). The shout is something like: “Hup-a-How-How-How”,
loud enough for me to hear, as they know I’m deaf as a post.
The weigh in
I deliberately took my time packing up, so as not to start
feeling queasy, and with six rigs to pack away I knew I would be probably last.
But with the motor on the trolley I was able to wheel it straight into the
van, which saves many minutes not having to unload, take the trolley apart and
re-load everything . And I was early enough to see Terry Tribe weigh in 112 lb
11 oz from peg 5 – hence the picture. That was leading Bob Barret who had 109
lb 6 oz. Terry said he got very hot during the day, which wasn’t surprising as
the temperature was 10 degrees warmer on that bank, with back wind and
sheltered by bushes all along the stock pond which runs parallel.
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| The result. Barbel showed up in most nets. Peter Chilton had to pack up early when he got a phone call from his wife to say their house was on fire! I hope to have the details next week. |
Round to me on the opposite bank, and I admitted to 90 lb,
but hadn’t bothered to click the last few fish as it was obvious I hadn’t time
to hit the 50 lb maximum in my third net. So was I very happy to be credited
with 109 lb, which ended third, and
top on my windy bank. I was very happy with that. But either of those lost fish
would have won me the match. Grrr.
So another frame, and it’s given me a boost for Sunday’s
match on Magpie at Pidley. The forecast is for temperatures to drop to
something more bearable. As before, I fancy pegs 1 to 8 or 9, plus anywhere on
the island 28 to 34. The forecast is for a West wind, which means the pegs from
about 10 round to 20 are likely to be calm. I framed from Peg 13 in last Wednesday's match, but I don't fancy the winning weight to come from that area.
Famous last words?
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