Another good day, on Oak, Decoy

 Met up with one of my old bosses (old as in former) in the car park at Decoy - Mel Russ, who was editor of Sea Angler. After our visit to Fields End last year he mugged up on fishing The Method, and added some banjo feeders and some hair rigs fitted with Quickstops to his tackle box. Mel hadn't fished at Decoy for some years, and was happy to tackle the carp there.

With rain possible I decided we would fish with our back to the West wind, but the early pegs on Cedar would have meant fishing with anglers behind us, on Elm. So we moved to Oak, and I chose Pegs 9 and 10. Mel chose 9, which has a nice platform level with the bank. We both started on banjos.

Mel is off the mark
It took a little while to get a bite, then Mel hooked, and landed, an 8 lb mirror, which he was very happy with. Another followed, then I got one about the same weight. Then Mel added another eight-pounder and I had one about 3 lb, before bites tailed off.

Mel in action early on. Not much wind, but it picked up a little later.

I got up and put up my pole, potting in maggots to my right, near a bed of irises. A barbel followed fairly quickly, around 4 lb. Then another, followed by a couple of F1s on pellet in front of me. Then Mel landed a really good fish - I estimated it at 14 lb, and took a picture. He was using two hair-rigged grains of corn, with maggot on the hook It's a method Wendy Bedford uses in out club matches, and I should try it more often.

A move to my left with maggot brought three or four more barbel, and a couple of small carp. Then I had a look down beside my platform, but it was quite shallow, and I really shouldn't have wasted time there. It took a long time to get the fish back in that left-hand swim, but eventually in came a 5 lb barbel, which took a worm and two maggots, plus an F1 and a tench. 

That lovely-looking fourteen-pounder took a corn and maggot combination.

Fish in the side
Suddenly I fancied I saw a fish turn right in the side just to my left. I plumbed up and it was no more than a foot deep. But I put in corn and maggot and followed it up with a bait. No response, but I fancied I saw clouds of mud a little farther out, so adjusted the depth to 18 inches. Sure enough, two F1s came in, best 3 lb. Then the rain started and we packed up, with Mel having added fish of 3 lb and 5 lb to his tally.

I didn't fancy trying to hold this muscle-bound barbel in my hands!

Mel must have had about 45 lb, and I had a similar weight, and we had left by about 3 o'clock. Very happy with the day's fishing. And glad we fished back wind, as it was quite cold by the time we finished.

Lessons learned
 I really must try the maggot-on-the-hair-rigged-hook trick in future. And I was amazed that even at this time of year fish were willing to come right into the really shallow water. So often I don't try there because I can almost see the bottom. 

I hope to go somewhere next week, but the choice of venue will hinge on the wind direction and whether I have my trolley motor working.