NOTE: The template from blogger.com has altered and I've found it difficult to position text and pictures. Hopefully, in the fullness of time, all will be well. (But I wouldn't hold your breath!)
Peg 20
Thirteen of us fished this Fenland Rods Waggler-only match, on
pegs 14 to 26, the Eastern bank of this strip lake.
I would have picked the higher numbers, given a chance, but my platform was nice and level with the bank, and the margins looked fine, so I was happy with peg 20. The hot favourite was obviously Dave Garner, former club champion, who only ever fishes a waggler, and he was on 15, next to the corner, and was on the smaller Golden Peg (we stop when £100 is reached, and start another).
The wind stayed at roughly the same strength all day, setting
up a good undertow which enabled me to search my swims.
The wind was North-Easterly, over our back from the right, and I had three rods made up. One was a heavy Power Waggler which I didn't actually use. The others were a short Pellet Waggler, and a light Method Feeder rod. This was the one I started on; after catapulting corn out towards the middle I dropped in the side with a very light long-stemmed antenna float baited with corn.
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| Dick Warriner with a fish typical of what we were all catching on the day. And boy, did they fight! |
Stupidly I started baiting to my left, only to soon realise that there was an undertow to the right, so I sort of kept moving the baited area that way. Twenty minutes saw just one dip of the float which I missed (probably a liner) and I went out on the longer line. This was with a 3-Swan Ivan Marks waggler, and it flew out with no trouble at all, the bulk easily picking up the undertow and slowly moving the bait into the wind. But 20 minutes later all I had had was some liners, caused by fish near the surface hitting the sunk line.
Still fishless after 90 minutes
A change to using a proper pellet waggler was called for and I started catapulting 6mm pellets out, and baited with a banded 6mm pellet. I fished hard for three-quarters of an hour and had two or three missed bites, probably liners, and just one hooked fish which came off. Things didn't seem right - I had fished all depths from 12 inches down to the full depth. Ninety minutes had gone and I was fishless, but Dick, on my left, had two carp fishing well out with cat meat.
Banded pellet takes fish
So I changed back to the big waggler, baited with a banded pellet (something I rarely use), and eventually took two carp of 3 lb and 5 lb. Then a lull, and Dick took two more - I was behind again. A change to a 6mm expander brought a fish of 7 lb and another. Then a piece of cat meat brought one more - about 8 lb. But when I looked on my clicker it said 14 lb, and I was sure I'd forgotten to click one, and couldn't remember how big it was.
So I changed back to the big waggler, baited with a banded pellet (something I rarely use), and eventually took two carp of 3 lb and 5 lb. Then a lull, and Dick took two more - I was behind again. A change to a 6mm expander brought a fish of 7 lb and another. Then a piece of cat meat brought one more - about 8 lb. But when I looked on my clicker it said 14 lb, and I was sure I'd forgotten to click one, and couldn't remember how big it was.
Halfway though the match,and I had another look inside, with corn, intending to use the third rod at about five metres with cat meat as my final throw of the dice. The deepest part of the swim was about six feet from the bank, and the undertow was most pronounced here. Fish slowly started to come on this inside line to corn - good fish from 6 lb to 10 lb-plus. Some came in quite quickly, but others screamed off taking line, and one went dangerously close to Dick's swim, so he lifted out his rig for a minute. Later in the match I was able to repay the compliment, when he shouted to warn me of a probably foulhooker close to me.
I start to catch fish
I was starting to make up ground on Dick, and Allan, to my right, but playing these fish on the short, light feeder rod, was murder - my arm ached and my back hurt terribly. Hooking fish at distance, which is what you'd normally do with a feeder rod, means that by the time they approach your bank they have probably used a lot of energy; hooking them under the rod tip often means they are fresh, and make a dash for the margins.
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| Allan Golightly in action on Peg 19. The North-Easterly wind had a little bite to it. |
In addition with a pole I can hold the pole steady and let the elastic keep in contact with the fish and do the playing for me. With a rod you have to keep adjusting the pressure all the time. And I really needed one with more backbone - at times the rod was bent double. Anyway, I found it hard work.
My routine now, as I had only one swim on the go, was to throw in two handfulls of 6mm pellet, wait until they had sunk, then follow it up with half-a-dozen grains of corn, and immediately drop my rig in over the top.
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| Allan Golightly with a cracking common. |
I get a tangle
At one point the float somehow got into a tangle and I had to cut the line and re-tie it below the float, using a double grinner, which never lets me down, though in the wind it was a bit dodgy tying it. Now the rig had a knot above the float when I had tied on the rig; another knot under the float; and two loops because I was using one of the Guru ready-whipped hooks.
As I was playing the next fish I was so worried about something giving that I promised myself I'd re-tie the whole rig. But when it held I decided to keep using it - so may times you can re-make a rig exactly, and then regret it because it doesn't work.
Memories of Ireland
I remember fishing the Sealink Classic at Trory, on Loch Erne, and having an absolute field day taking bream on a big waggler cast into the wind from one of the stone-built piers on the loch. I was probably easily leading the section with 20 lb after an hour, and while I was unhooking a bream the head wind blew the float into a crevice in the stones and I couldn't get it out. I had to put on another float, and re-shot it...and never had another fish! Lesson learned.
The knots hold!
Back to Cedar, and the fish kept coming (and still the rig held) and I stopped the first net at 38 lb, making an allowance for the fish I thought I'd missed. I had only five in my second net for almost 50 lb and started on the third net with about 80 minutes to go. Three or four fish came quickly, and with half-an-hour left I thought I would need a fourth net. I had one on cat meat, but the rest on corn, which I felt they were taking better. But suddenly they seemed to leave.
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| Kevin Lee struggled in corner peg 14. |
As I was playing the next fish I was so worried about something giving that I promised myself I'd re-tie the whole rig. But when it held I decided to keep using it - so may times you can re-make a rig exactly, and then regret it because it doesn't work.
Memories of Ireland
I remember fishing the Sealink Classic at Trory, on Loch Erne, and having an absolute field day taking bream on a big waggler cast into the wind from one of the stone-built piers on the loch. I was probably easily leading the section with 20 lb after an hour, and while I was unhooking a bream the head wind blew the float into a crevice in the stones and I couldn't get it out. I had to put on another float, and re-shot it...and never had another fish! Lesson learned.
The knots hold!
Back to Cedar, and the fish kept coming (and still the rig held) and I stopped the first net at 38 lb, making an allowance for the fish I thought I'd missed. I had only five in my second net for almost 50 lb and started on the third net with about 80 minutes to go. Three or four fish came quickly, and with half-an-hour left I thought I would need a fourth net. I had one on cat meat, but the rest on corn, which I felt they were taking better. But suddenly they seemed to leave.
I had had to keep experimenting with the shotting and depth all day - sometimes putting all the shot under the float, sometimes just touching bottom, and at other times laying on several inches. Now, with ten minutes left, I put the rig at least a foot overdepth, with shot just off bottom, and first drop in I left the rig start to drag the bait, and the float dragged under.
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| John Smith's biggest fish was the biggest caught by a club member this season - 14 lb 15 oz. |
A big fish shot out, making the reel clutch scream, then it flew back to the margins, where I had a job holding it out. When the match ended ten minutes later I was still playing it. Ten minutes after that it came in, and my back was killing me. It was a big mirror - my best fish of the day - and we later weighed it at 13 lb 13 oz.
The weigh-in
I missed the first weighs, as I was even later packing up than usual, thanks to the big fish. But I was amazed when Rob Allan, two to my left, who I had seen landing two or three fish, weighed in only 33 lb. Then Dick, who had been beating me at the start, weighed 44 lb. I had been concentrating on my own swim, but had assumed he would have had quite a lot more, as he had started so well.
I missed the first weighs, as I was even later packing up than usual, thanks to the big fish. But I was amazed when Rob Allan, two to my left, who I had seen landing two or three fish, weighed in only 33 lb. Then Dick, who had been beating me at the start, weighed 44 lb. I had been concentrating on my own swim, but had assumed he would have had quite a lot more, as he had started so well.
Top weight was Mel in the corner, peg 26, with 86 lb 1 oz, but I was sure I had more than that, and estimated I had 40 lb-plus in each net. That was correct - all around 45 lb, and I totalled 135 lb 4 oz.
Now down to Allan Golightly, and as I had seen him land about four big fish I thought he might, also, have a big weight. Not really - he weighed 39 lb 9 oz, but John Smith, on the next peg, had 94 lb 2 oz.
Apparently Dave Garner had fish fight from the off, fishing well out with cat meat or paste, and he smashed it with 171 lb 10 oz for a marvellous win. Like me, Kev Lee in the corner had a bad start with just one tench in the first hour, and totalled 72 lb 13 oz for fifth, leaving me as runner-up.
Now down to Allan Golightly, and as I had seen him land about four big fish I thought he might, also, have a big weight. Not really - he weighed 39 lb 9 oz, but John Smith, on the next peg, had 94 lb 2 oz.
Apparently Dave Garner had fish fight from the off, fishing well out with cat meat or paste, and he smashed it with 171 lb 10 oz for a marvellous win. Like me, Kev Lee in the corner had a bad start with just one tench in the first hour, and totalled 72 lb 13 oz for fifth, leaving me as runner-up.
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| Winner Dave Garner - 171 lb 10 oz. |
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| And he had lots like this... |
Final thoughts
I was might pleased to get second. I really had entered with no confidence at all, but once I had the big waggler sitting pretty out there at 20 metres I felt quite at home. However, not being able to use pole cups to bait made me realise just how accurate these are.
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| A mixed bag of results...but Dave Garner dominated yet again. |
And in the end I felt I had done right to concentrate on presentation on the inside line, where I could bait accurately. I could do with a strong, light, waggler rod. The pellet waggler was OK, but it's a bit short. I've still got a match waggler rod at home, but that was never meant to handle big carp.
Next match on Beastie on Thursday - but the forecast is for things to get colder on Wednesday night, and I was told that 32 lb won the match there Sunday. So I am looking at using maggot and worm, and fishing as though it's Winter.
Next match on Beastie on Thursday - but the forecast is for things to get colder on Wednesday night, and I was told that 32 lb won the match there Sunday. So I am looking at using maggot and worm, and fishing as though it's Winter.
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