Autumn finally hits us - Willows, Decoy

Peg 16, Saturday, October 2
Ten hardy (or stupid) souls turned out for this Fenland Rods match, despite heavy rain and strong winds being forecast. We were given pegs 16 to 35 on Willows, and my peg 16 was (obviously) end peg. Peter Spriggs told me before we started that it was "the best peg on the lake". I know he has won from it in the past but I (and probably he if he were honest) would have picked 25 had we had a choice, as it's a recognised flier. I think it was just gamesmanship - not that I would indulge in such underhand activities!

Of course conditions would dominate, and with the sudden change from mild to distinctly cooler weather I wasn't expecting big catches. However, within a few minutes Dave Garner, to my right on 18, was playing a near double-figure fish, taken in the margins. So after a few minutes I moved from fishing at about 8 metres to coming into the side.

My swim (if the video works).

A slow start 
The wind was blowing a little from the right, and I fancied the left margin best, so concentrated on that side. But it took an hour before my corn over a little hemp on a top two tempted a 4 oz roach, and 30 minutes later a 1 lb common and a 2 lb F1 followed - in successive casts. Cracked it! Nope - nothing more came from there so I moved farther along the bank, and almost immediately an 8 lb mirror took a piece of cat meat.

Halfway through the match, and the rain started. Everyone, so far as I could see, put up their umbrellas and that was justified, because the rain never stopped until way after we had packed up. Dave and Kevin, on 20, had both had two or three good fish, and I was way behind.

Dave Garner on 18 hit an early big fish, before the rain started.

Liners!
But I was now getting proper liners, every cast. Moving the bait brought what looked like proper bites, but apart from two foulhooked fish, which both came off, I had nothing. I wonder if the fish were hitting the bait with their tails? However, leaving the bait stationary for several minutes did bring about three good fish on cat meat, all over 6 lb, with another one on a bunch of manky maggots. Moving out about a foot into water about two inches deeper brought two more, and with an hour left I put on a piece of mussel - my secret weapon.

Immediately I had a bite, hooked a fish, and it was obviously foulhooked as the Preston 17 hollow elastic stretched - I swear - at least 50 yards. I couldn't believe my eyes. The fish showed a massive tail close to the corner of the island somewhere opposite Peg 9, and the line broke just above the hook. And that was the last fish I hooked - although I carried on getting liners, so the fish were interested but not taking the bait. I have a lot of faith in mussel if I know that there are carp in the swim, but this time my confidence was misplaced.

I think I might be last
Kevin now seemed to be catching odd fish, and Shaun on 22 had a couple of good ones, and I guessed I might be last with abut 40 lb. In desperation I tried the right margin, but never had a sign of a fish there. I also went out to my original 8-metre line, and that seemed to be devoid also. I even dumped some dead maggots into the margin next to my platform in case there were barbel lurking there, but never had a touch.

The rain was heavier now, the match ended with Kevin playing yet another big fish to the net, and I guess nobody fancied packing up and having to do it a downpour, but there was no choice. My feeder rod lay beside me, unused - normally I would have tried it, but the rain dampened my enthusiasm somewhat, and I didn't bother (I should have, of course).

New Umbrellas required!
I had seen Mike's umbrella on 24 completely collapse on him, and Dick came round, having packed up early, to say that his had been completely destroyed. Dave next to me then told me that his had gone the same way - kaput! I was actually pretty dry, in my 27-year-old Gortex jacket, and my umbrella was stable in the high wind thanks to the storm cap I had screwed into a long bankstick beside me. 

I feel ill

After I had packed my pole away I started to feel hot, wet, and definitely dodgy, so stopped packing away, and decided I had to go to the toilet.

I started carrying my pole and rod holdalls back to the van, but my strength suddenly just ebbed away and I simply had to drop them before I slowly climbed up the small bank. Dave very kindly picked them up and laid them on the top, and I drove round to the toilet. Immediately afterwards I felt much better and arrived back in time to see them weigh me in, the last man. My weight was 45 lb 10 oz.

A welcome third spot for me on a very difficult day.

The result

To my astonishment that put me in third spot, just 8 oz behind Mel Lutkin in second. Kevin won with 57 lb 7 oz, thanks partly to three fish he had picked up on a feeder cast across to the far bank, while Dave, beside me, said he had had a very poor second-half. The fliers on 24 and 25 just didn't produce, though Peter Spriggs round the back of the lake on 35, ended just 6 oz behind me. I think the conditions were probably much worse there, with rain into their faces.

I was last  getting completely packed up, and by then was really drenched, but hot tea with John Smith, who lives locally, revived me, and I am rarin' to go to the nest match. Almost everyone came and asked if I needed help before they drove away, for which I am very grateful. However, I managed it in my own (slowly).

Final thoughts
It's that time of year when conditons are altering from day to day. Today, Monday, had been delightful in out village, but rain is forecast all day on Tuesday, when Spratts have a match on Elm. There are likely to be more than 12, which means we will have to peg both sides, and some with have the rain in their faces. Currently the forecast is for 'light' rain from dawn until about 3 o'clock, when the wind and rain both pick up.

It's still better than work - even though I had the Best Job In The World as features editor of Angling Times.