Dave is on for the treble - Kingsland Small Carp Lake

 Superb service from a local garage meant that my poorly-sick little van is now healthy, with a new clutch, so I could fish this weekend after all, and 13 of us turned up for this Fenland Rods club match, on a near flat-calm lake with sun most of the day. There was actually a good South-Westerly breeze, but the trees around the lake meant we were sheltered from it, and there was no ripple.

Peg 1 was placed at the first corner, up to 7, then 8 and 9  on the end bank, with 10 to 16 down the North bank and 17 on its own. I wanted to avoid Peg 7, but fancied any of the three other corners, as I've always done well in them. In fact I realised after all our pegs had been drawn for us that they were all left out anyway, and Peg 2 wasn't drawn. That was fine with me as I though it made a more interesting match, with no obvious fliers.

First peg drawn for for Wendy, who took Peg 7. The one I didn't fancy. Then, eventually: "Mac Campbell"; and Peg 5 was drawn out of the bag. I had Dave Garner to the left, and Kev Lee to his left, so I would be able to watch them. Dick Warriner was on my right.

Almost flat calm. I would have liked a good, solid reed bed to fish to.

Although there was no ripple there was enough wind to blow over my back, and push the surface along. Not ideal for surface fishing, but I had some soaked expanders with me.

I had my main pole, and a spare, strong one about 40 years old, as there are some big fish here, and they are usually turbo-charged. Anyway, I was talking to Dick at the next swim when the shout went up to start the match, and by the time I had got back to my swim Dave was already playing a carp on his waggler! Perhaps they would be willing to feed...

A terrible start
I started out at about 8 metres, as Dave and Kev did, using corn or a 6mm expander, but had no bites. Yet Dave had more fish. A look inside brought me three 4 oz carp and, I remembered that when I had read my blog that this had happened before, and the bigger fish were a few feet farther out. I made the switch, which eventually brought a three-pounder. Almost an hour gone, and I was already 25 lb behind.

From that moment I stayed mainly near the margins, a few feet out,. and changed to cat meat, because I could see both Dave and Kev using it. And in the next hour I managed more bites, and about three fish. Gradually things got better, and halfway through the match I had about 35 lb. I had bite after bite on meat or corn  - most were liners, but even when I hooked a fish in the mouth I lost a load, which just came off. I know that some I lost were properly hooked as I had dropped a bait right into their mouths as they came for the floating expanders. Interestingly when I put on a worm I got nothing - not even liners. That proved to me that the liners were caused by fish interested in the bait.

Opposite I could see Tony slapping, and obviously looking for fish near the surface (floating baits are allowed here), but I didn't see him catching much. We have a club rule of 50 lb maximum, and Dave picked up his third net when I had just one fish in my second net. 

Dave ploughed ahead of us all
From then on Dave kept catching fish, and as the afternoon wore on Kev seemed to increase his catch rate. And although I was still landing some fish - and still losing lots - with the best around 7 lb. Dick on my right also seemed to be thrashing me, and I was clearly out of the running, barring a miracle. Two fish broke me - I played them for a minute or two, and then they suddenly charged off. I changed to using the old, stiff pole, which seemed a little better, but then a fish did the same thing on that one!

Dave Garner, fishing his favourite waggler, ended with five nets and a winning 218 lb 15 oz.

The last hour saw sport get better and better, though I still had to feed before every fish. Dave got a fourth net, I got a third, and less than an hour later Dave fetched a fifth! My cat meat was somehow being knocked off the hook within a minute or so. Afterwards some anglers said that it was small carp doing it, but I don't think that was correct in my case as I never had a small fish after the first three. However, luncheon meat lasted longer on the hook, and I had a good spell on it.

A problem
The main nets at Kingsland are rectangular and you can get the large landing net inside; but the spare nets are round, and it's impossible to get the landing net inside. After twice spending a fair time gingerly persuading fish to roll out of the landing net into my third, round, net,  I went to my van and took out a small landing net I keep there as a spare. Then I could transfer the fish from the large one to the smaller one and empty it into the round net. That  landing net was dry and I haven't used it this season, so there was no possibility of contamination.

Dick had also now got four nets - he had to walk round the lake for his fourth, which lost him a few minutes. Then 15 minutes from the end he started to pack up, because he goes round with the scales. That probably cost him a place.

Dick  Warriner with his 134 lb 7 oz, for fourth place.

The weigh-in
Kevin on Peg 3 had four nets in use , but was over in three of them, and couldn't get a fifth as all the spares we had been given were used. His total was 196 lb 12 oz, and I was told he'd dropped about 20 lb.

Next was Dave Garner, who had a magnificent 218 lb 15 oz. Whether Kev would have had enough to beat him I'm not sure. I had estimated my first net at 42 lb, the second at 43 lb, and the last at possible 50 lb. In fact the last one went 56 lb-plus! The others were 49 lb 7 oz and 52 lb. My total was 149 lb 7 oz, with 8 lb-plus dropped.

I suspected that the loss of that 8 lb could make a difference when they weighed Dick. But in fact he totalled 134 lb 7 oz - it's probable  that losing time fetching a net and then packing up early cost him my third place.

Dave's magnificent treble
The opposite bank didn't produce as many fish, and Dave deservedly won. He has already been a winner in the Pairs match, and has won the Club Cup. If he wins the Club Championship, which he looks like doing with five wins and four seconds, he will have done something no-one else has ever done. 

The South bank dominated the weights.

Losing fish

I am fairly sure that of all the fish I lost - more than I landed - only two were foulhooked. Other anglers lost a lot, so I don't know what else I could have done. The only answer might have been to use weaker elastic, in the hope that the fish didn't react so much to being hooked. A lot were hooked on the outside of the lip, and John, Opposite, said that when he put on floating bread he could see fish coming to the bait and deliberately knocking it until it came off the hook.

I guess that's one of the great attractions of the sport - we'll never know everything.

PS. The system used for laying out these pages has just changed, so there my be annoying gaps until I get used to it.