Have van, will travel, to Willows, Decoy

 Peg 1
The forecast was for showers, and as I drove on to Decoy through the wind and on through the rain my dreams were all over the place; drove on, drove on, with hope in my heart... you know the rest. Got to Pondersbridge (I don't know who pondered what or for how long) where I turned right, cos the road ahead is closed. Drove alongside Bevill's Leam, over the bridge, up to the next corkscrew, one-vehicle, bridge that spans the Old River Nene, and into Whittlesey. A four-mile detour.

The official route
BUT from Pondersbridge the official diversion to Whittlesey now takes you about four miles back the way I came, to the Ramsey turnoff; then through Ramsey, alongside the Forty Foot drain and then, I suspect, into Chatteris to join the A47 towards March, round the bypass towards Wisbech, on to Hobbs Lot bridge (don't know who Hobb was or what he had a lot of) and up to the next traffic lights, where a left turn and a mere eight-mile drive through the villages of Coates and Eastrea, finally get you to Whittlesey. A Grand Tour of over 20 miles.

That's progress for you. The only good thing is that it's all caused by the new flyover on the main Peterbrorough to Whittlesey road which will eventually avoid the railway gates that used to get stuck in the closed position for hours at a time, paralysing that part of the Fens. And all the lorries carrying vehicles to Germany (where they make their own cars) and bringing back apples (which we grow in the UK) from Spain would actually clog up that bumpy, narrow detour I took, so I can see the reason for the change. Perhaps a reduction in the number of lorries?

If the video doesn't work, this was my swim at the start.

Back to fishing

Now the important bit. Peg 1 had a good reputation years ago but it's ten years since I drew it, in the middle of Winter, when the frost stayed on the grass all day and I caught very little. It's between pegs 35 and 2 and often not pegged now, but I was happy with it in this 20-entry Spratts club match, though the forecast South-Westerly was definitely more South-Easterly when I started, and right in my face. If it works, I include a video of my swim.

The first hour saw me take a 4 lb fish from a 6-metre line on an expander, then one of 6 lb, and then two more at 11 metres, about a metre from the far bank on corn. Wendy on Peg 3 to my right had two early ones (the only fish she caught) and Callum on 5 also had one or two. But to be honest the water felt dead. Then heavy rain made me (and most others) put my umbrella up.

A look in the left side with maggot, where there was a three-foot deep spot, saw a couple of roach come in and it was back to the longer swims, where an eight-pounder came at 11 metres, and I had a few very slight liners. Then the rain stopped and the sun came out really hot and the umbrellas came down. I wandered along to Mick Raby on last peg 35, to my left the other side of the island bridge, and he had one fish of about 1 lb. Those past him didn't have much more.

Ninety-One year old Joe still catches 'em.

An F1, but where were the rest?

Back to the peg and more light rain, where an F1 suddenly took maggot in the left margin, but try as I might I couldn't catch any more.  Strange, because they are not solitary fish.

Then  a dark cloud loomed, which saw my umbrella going up just in time to beat off the hail storm, now coming from the North, which enveloped us. The water was spattered all over meaning a float was almost impossible to see at distance, so I put some corn and cat meat into a very shallow 18-inch swim to my right - with no hope of the fish actually coming in there because of the weather.

However, when the hail eased up a little and I made a final plumb into that swim the float jagged under from a liner. I followed up with a piece of meat and, wonder of wonders, a near-10 lb carp was the result. After a lull I tried the same to the left margin, and another good carp came in.

I stay on cat meat
Now the sun was out again, down came the umbrella, and I fished the rest of the match with cat meat, taking a couple of F1s from each swim and an eight-pounder, with which I started my second net having clicked 34 lb for my first (but I always seem to underestimate). I also lost one when the rig broke at the hook, and that cost me the match. All the fish came using my special method.

The sun was so hot it brought lots of carp up to the surface where they indulged in the fishy equivalent of sunbathing, but without eating the offered free take-aways.

With twenty minutes to go and no bites for a long time I had a look with mussel - putting in about 15 cut in half and baiting with a half. No response, so with five minutes left I pushed up the float to lay well on, and suddenly the float jagged under and I was playing a four-pounder.

Trevor - another win under his belt. And a great guy (but don't tell him).

End of the match
I'm not the only one to find packing up a great strain - John Smith and Mick Raby were discussing it afterwards. There must be an alternative to joining the Old Age Club, cos I never paid a subscription! Then John Garner came along and took my holdall back to the van, coming back to push my loaded trolley as well - a really good friend. It left me with enough strength to walk along and get a picture or two of the catches.

The weigh-in

Trevor, on 22, started weighing at 24 with Terry Tribe, who had 42 lb 8 oz and led round past 35 and up to me. I was admitting to about 50 lb, but my first "34 lb" net weighed 44 lb 8 oz, and the second 14 lb 13 oz, total  59 lb 5 oz. which led the field right round to Trevor, who also had two nets.

John Garner found a few on Peg 34, but not enough.

Cliffhanger

Trevor's first net went 44 lb 1 oz, and the second was obviously less, He needed 15 lb 5 oz to beat me...and it went 16 lb 9 oz, for a well-deserved win. He took some fish on a feeder and then more to his left on a pole fishing to the platform on peg 21. I ended second, and very happy on a very difficult day when everyone struggled. But that lost big fish had definitely cost me the match.

FULL RESULT

1     Mac Campbell      59 lb 5 oz         2

3    Wendy Bedford      5 lb 4 oz    

5    Callum Judge        45 lb                4

7    Bob Allen               6 lb 14 oz

9    Peter Harrison       48 lb                3

11  Martin Parker        4 lb 13 oz

13  Mick Ramm         12 lb 11 oz

15  Peter Barnes         12 lb 6 oz

16 Peter Spriggs         22 lb 11 oz

18 Mick Linnell         26 lb 11 oz

20 Mick Rawson        DNW

22 Trevor Cousins      60 lb 10 oz       1

24 Terry Tribe             42 lb 8 oz         5

25 Alan Porter            30 lb 9 oz

27 Shaun Buddle        10 lb 13 oz

29 Bob Barrett            13 lb 12 oz  

31 Joe Bedford            15 lb 10 oz

33 John Smith             DNW

34 John Garner            25 lb 14 oz

35 Mick Raby            9 lb 13 oz  

The irrepressible Peter Harrison was third, Callum fourth, to keep up a very good recent run, while former Div 4 National Champion Terry Tribe ended fifth to take the golden coin from former Vets National Champion Martin Parker, who had a terrible day. Terry was really upset about that.

Next match Elm on Sunday, peg 1 to 12. I half expect pegs 8 to 12 to dominate, but I'm happy anywhere. I have re-made the rig which broke and with a decent forecast hope we can get by without having to constantly erect our umbrellas. I will have mussel on the menu for those wily carp which think they've seen it all...