A good match for me - but a traumatic ending. Oak, Decoy

 Peg 22
This was an 11-entry Fenland Rods match on the Oak strip lake, with us all on one bank from peg 16 to 30. We left out the two end pegs and put all the rest in the bag. In Summer Pegs 19, 20 and 21 would probably be my pick, because they have such good shallow margins. But I was quite happy with the peg picked out for me, until I found that I had no shallow margin on my left because of a big bunch of irises, and with a North-Easterly over our right shoulders that was anything but ideal. Still I had a job to do.

I suspect that most of the anglers make up probably just two rigs, but I almost always have more - today I had five: one for a long line, two for the deep margins (one for light baits and another for catmeat), one for the two-foot margin on my right, and another for a tiny four-foot-deep shelf against the irises.

The fish on Oak are mainly big carp, with not as many barbel as on Elm and Cedar.

A fish on feeder
I started, though, on a small banjo feeder with a yellow washed-out Wafter, and within ten minutes an 8 lb mirror was in the net. But the next 25 minutes saw no more bites, even though I varied the length of the cast from right under the far bank to a few yards short. Two pegs to my left Dick Warrener had a good fish on a pole at about four sections, and I changed over to pole myself.

It started off in reasonable conditions, but soon the North-East wind blew harder.

I had held out seven sections before the start, but that seemed to be the absolute limit I would be able to fish because of the strong, cold breeze. So I decided to start at six sections - about 10 metres - having potted in expanders and hemp. I am sure that hemp brings fish in to investigate in almost all conditions, even if they aren't feeding. But after feeding I first had a quick look in the lefthand deep margin, where the depth was about five feet, and where I had been flicking sweetcorn. I was surprised not to get any indication here, so I quickly went out to 10 metres.

I was using a rig which has served me well for several matches - a 0.5 gm Tuff Eye with a black tip put in (these floats have the option of four different-coloured tips which can be inserted). Normally I gravitate towards heavier floats in a strong wind, but I've got used to how this float behaves.

I pull back to the 9-ish metre line
After about ten minutes I had a fish of about 6 lb on a 4 mm expander, and from then on concentrated on that long line, although first I had to take off the pot on the pole as it was catching the wind; and then I had to start feeding half a section closer to the bank because the wind got worse.

However, I started to pick up fish quite slowly, and kept on that line as I couldn't see much else being caught. Next to me, on my left, John Smith then hit a fish or two fishing at about three sections. I carried on putting a fish in the net perhaps once every 20 minutes, but had quite a lot of line bites as fish were swirling about just under the surface. A top angler would probably have fished shallow for them, but I'm not very good at that, though I would have changed if I had been desperate. 

Out in the middle some of the big carp were humping like porpoises, even though the wind was still cold, and we were all wrapped up heavily.

Actually that's not strictly true - in the end two or three swims to my right it was like a pleasant Spring day, with little wind and the temperature five degrees above what we were enduring in the higher numbers, thanks to shelter provided by the high end bank. You could have fished there without the protection of a fleece-lined top jacket. Not that I am jealous or anything!!

The rig had to drift against the wind
There was a fair tow left to right against the wind and by sinking the pole tip a couple of feet I managed to pick up the tow. If I could do that I had the chance of a bite. A change to a 6mm expander seemed to make the rig a little more positive, but a switch to sweetcorn saw only one fish, and that was foulhooked. The rig needed to drag the float along with the bait touching bottom; when I tried fishing two inches off bottom I never had a bite.

The fish were mainly from 6 lb upwards and with 43 lb clicked for my first net I went to the second. Bites tailed off at one point and I had quick looks in the margins again, but never had a touch; meanwhile John Smith was making up ground on me. 

I had lost two or three fish, probably foulhooked, and then played a big one for at least ten minutes before it came off, Not only is it hard work, but it's valuable time lost. And with an hour to go I played one for about 15 minutes before it came off, never once managing to get it anywhere near the surface. I thought I was probably a foulhooked barbel, but the next fish behaved similarly (though I took only five minutes) and it turned out to be a ten-pounder hooked properly. I can't remember fishing at Decoy ever fighting as hard as they have this year.

I eventually have to alter the elastic
I hooked one carp in the nose - that's the worst place, I have found. You simply can't get their head up. Elastic for these was Middy size 18-22 Hi-Viz Shock Core Hollow, which I have found is a good all-round elastic for Decoy, but these fish were pulling so much out that I had yards of the stuff hanging out from the pole when I used the puller.

One fish around 10 lb left me so exhausted after playing it that I put it in the second net, started on a third net, and decided to alter the elastic. There were less that 30 minutes left, bites had slowed up, so I picked up the cat meat rig and put it out to the long line. John was striking at fish and missing and I (wrongly) assumed that he was using cat meat, so I was full of confidence again,

That rig had a big, thick  red elastic in, and it turned out to be much better. The first fish was about 6 lb; the second one about 10 lb, and the third one, which I landed after the match finished, as also about 10 lb. I should definitely have changed over before I did. My estimated catch was 43 lb+40 lb+26lb = 109 lb.

The weigh in (which I didn't see)
I didn't see the weigh in, and there are no photographs of catches, because I had a problem. I had packed most of the tackle away (late as I had five rigs and a feeder rod up) and was preparing to load it on the trolley, after which I would follow the scales and get a couple of pictures in the last pegs to my right. But suddenly I had a crippling stomach pain, which doubled me over.

I am really in trouble
More pains came and I felt I needed to go to the toilet. So I left the gear on the bank and started to walk back to the van, about 150 yards away. But after a couple of steps I found I could hardly walk - I felt absolutely drained and could hardy put one foot in front of the other.

I soldiered on a step at a time but three or four times had to drop to one knee to  summon up strength to take another few paces. If I had dropped to both knees I knew I wouldn't be able to get up again.

Two or three people came up to me - I don't know who they were - and helped me to my feet. The walk seemed to take a lifetime and for two pins I would have dropped to the ground and just lay there. Twenty yards from my van Dave Garner  came over and I asked him to help me back. He did so, and got me seated on the drivers seat.

After a time I felt just well enough to drive to the toilet. Afterwards I immediately felt so much better, drove back to the lake...and found that my mates had loaded my trolley and pushed it back to the van. Thanks everybody - much appreciated.

I asked what I weighed in
My 109 lb estimate turned out to be way out - the first two nets went 55 lb and 56 lb (knocked back to 50 lb each) and the 26 lb net weighed 37 lb 10 oz. Those last two fish must have been 14 lb each. So I ended with 137 lb 10 oz for third spot, the top two weights coming from the end pegs 16 and 29.

Not sure how winner Kevin Lee caught his fish. Sorry about that. But well done, Kev..

I could have been in serious trouble!
Then I realised that this had happed once before.  And it is frightening.

About 12 years ago in Tenerife my wife and I were in a restuarant. I chose sardines as a first course, and while choosing the second course I came over just as I had on the bank - stomach pains and drained of all my energy. I could hardy speak. The restuarant, thinking I was having a heart attack, called the hospital for paramedics to attend, but before they got there I managed to drag myself to the toilet and get rid of everything.

Immediately I felt better - it was almost like a miracle; and after the paramedics had given me the once-over I decided not to go to the hospital. Later my daughter suggested it could be clupeotoxin - Sardine Poisoning - and given the circumstances it clearly was. We Googled it.

Clupeotoxin
Clupeotoxin, or Sardine Poisoning, is due to a toxin found in some oily fish caught at certain times of the year in certain areas of the planet. I have been told, by someone who worked in the business, that's it actually illegal to catch those fish at that time.

The toxin is unknown, but is not destroyed by cooking.

There is no known antidote.

The death rate is 50%.

My symptoms - the sudden draining of all energy, and the recovery - were exactly the same this time. I didn't eat anything while fishing. BUT I did have a flask of chicken soup with me which I drank, and must assume that I hadn't washed the flask out properly after previously using it. Whatever the reason (and I know it sound pretentious) I reckon I could have cheated death not for the first time!

Next match
Back to happier topics - next match on Willows at  Decoy on Thursday. Willows is different to all the other lakes, much peggier, and can be brilliant or very difficult. Either way Peg 25 is favourite, but 16, 24 and 29 all have good form. Frankly I don't care where I get pegged as I usually do well on Willows.

Sunday see us on Elm again, but the next Sunday it's all change to Kingsland Small Carp Lake (that's the lake which is small - not the carp!)