I draw a ‘flier’, but... Magpie, Rookery Fishery, Pidley

Peg 33
Thirty-four of us fished the Over 60s on Magpie, which meant all except two pegs were taken. It’s so quick and easy now – park; dip nets; mask on; up to the shop; hand over money; and a peg is drawn for you. Then you can go straight to your peg. Good old Tim drew me 33 – a good ‘un. Then into the socially-distanced cafe for a tea while I consider my good fortune. But all the others were regular, while I am just an occasional visitor – a bit like the skylark.

The previous Thursday I had had a look at the end of the match on Magpie, talking with the angler on Peg 5, who had 126 lb. But he said that 33 and 34, on the island opposite, had a lot more. Indeed they had – they weighed 190 lb-plus. BUT the water was flat calm. And you need 16 metres on Peg 33 to get to the small island in front of it.

That willow opposite was overhanging, so a pole would have been
the only way of putting a bait very close to the bank, where fish
were moving. PS. The water was actually level (!), and this was taken
after the match, when the wind had died right down.

Today, at the match, there was a strong wind across my swim, and the ones to its left, so although I had a full 16 metres of Browning pole with me it was going to be impossible to use it all. And with an overhanging willow on the island waggler and feeder were never going to get close enough. That was annoying. because fish were moving under the surface just to the left of the tree.

I mention having a Browning pole (the Z12 you ask) because the stated length is accurate, unlike several other makes, who add up the different section lengths to come to a final figure, ignoring the overlapping ferrules. I measured my previous 14-metre pole, from a well-known make, at 12.75 metres!

A fish on immediately
Thirteen metres was the longest I could fish properly, but I started at 11.5 metres, to take account of the fact that the wind might increase as soon as the match started – which it did! Within two minutes, fishing a 4mm expander, and putting in only eight more with a pole-tipped pot, I had a carp on. Unfortunately it came adrift, and I spent the best part of the next hour trying, unsuccessfully, to hook another.

Ron Clarke, on my left, had two on a top-two-plus-two, so I had a look in the deeper water on a top three. Nothing there. A quick look in the margins also drew a blank. So in went a bait dropper of maggot and hemp, and I had several bites on a bunch of maggots, but as I hit nothing I had to assume they were roach. A change to expander eventually brought a carp, which came off after two seconds.

Eventually I went back to the long line and hooked three, with the bait just drifting along the bottom, but lost one. Two in the net.

Even the weigh-in is Socially-Distanced. Here
James German stands and waits for Dave Lack
to put his catch into the waiting weigh bag.

At this point Ron put out a Method feeder to the point of the island and first cast – I swear the feeder had not even hit bottom – he had a wrap-round and brought in a five-pounder. But he had no more. After a long blank spell I put out a bomb and corn to the other point of the island, and then to the open water, but had just liners.

Luncheon meat works
A change to luncheon meat on the long line brought three more carp, averaging 3 lb to 4 lb, and I saw small indications time after time – the fish were milling around off bottom, but I didn’t fish for them properly off bottom, which I should have done. I had bread with me and should have used it, hanging mid-water. I am an idiot.

Tony Watling shows his runner-up catch of 
93 lb 13 oz. Note the artificial covering at
the platform, keeping it free from mud.

Forty minutes before the end the wind abated a little and I went out to 13 metres, and hooked four more on luncheon meat, landing three, one of which was foulhooked in the fin, and losing the last one five minutes before the end. If only I could have fished long all day... And to rub it in, within two minutes of the match ending the wind dropped. By the time we had packed up it was no more than a gentle breeze.

I wasn't the only one struggling

To my right Ken Gammon on rated Peg 34 also struggled, catching just four. Ron on my left ended with seven for 35 lb 6 oz and my eight weighed 30 lb 8 oz – not enough to frame, but in fact it put me 15^th. I felt I had not disgraced myself, and had I landed the six lost fish (some of which were possibly foulhooked) I would have been somewhere near fourth place.

Brian York on 25 won with 100 lb 2 oz fishing long on bread punch, with Tony Watling Snr on 28 second with 93 lb 13 oz, taken on 2+2 with maggot. He told me afterwards that he thinks he would have had more on bread punch fished shallow, but hadn’t yet started bringing bread with him – but he will from now on.

The full result - a struggle for most.

My plans
I’m booked to go back to Rookery, on Jay lake, next Wednesday, and have booked into the 14-match Winter League on Rookery this Winter. I will be totally outclassed by a bunch of regular Open Matchmen, including Mark Pollard, Tony Evans, Tom Edwards, Jimmy Brooks, Josh Pace, Stuart Bracey and a load more. Stupid of me, but it’s what I do...

Saturday sees me on Decoy, on Beastie (we have pegs 1-20, and give me any of these please – 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 17, or 18), and Monday at Decoy again, on Damson. Busy times are ahead.