I'm Sitting pretty
For years the pan in the outside gents toilet at Decoy has been wobbly. Sitting on it used to remind me of the old cakewalk at the visiting fairs. You needed a good sense of balance to remain in position to perform the required bodily functions. But now - Hallehujah. The new owners have fixed it and its as firm as the Rock of Gibralter, and much more comfortable. I'm impressed as they've been there only two weeks.
For years the pan in the outside gents toilet at Decoy has been wobbly. Sitting on it used to remind me of the old cakewalk at the visiting fairs. You needed a good sense of balance to remain in position to perform the required bodily functions. But now - Hallehujah. The new owners have fixed it and its as firm as the Rock of Gibralter, and much more comfortable. I'm impressed as they've been there only two weeks.
Peg 30, Wednesday, October 13
Now to the Spratts club match. Fifteen of us were on the strip lake Yew, and I wanted to avoid the first half-dozen pegs on each bank ie 1-6 and 25-30. But no, Fate gave me an advanced 79th birthday present in the form of Peg 30, in the corner. It's a lovely-looking swim - a tree to the right, with a pipe to the left protruding from the end bank. Lots of features. But it's not got a brilliant reputation, and the wind was down to the far end, where the preferred swims are.
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| At the start of the match the ripple was all at the far end of the lake. |
No matter - I was up for the challenge. Now this won't take long (can I hear a sigh of relief?) Half an hour on the feeder brought just one liner, near the end bank. So I put out 13 metres of pole and dripped corn in a swim next to the end-bank reeds. Nothing. I'd been flicking corn into both margins, but there was nothing there. So it was out to 1.5 metres in front of me with an expander and then corn.
Bingo
Two hours after the start, and still fishless, I dropped a margin rig into a spot I hadn't fed, and Bingo., First drop the float dragged under and a 14 lb mirror came grudgingly to the net. At this point Peter to my right had just one fish while John Smith, nearly opposite on 3 had not had a bite.
Two hours after the start, and still fishless, I dropped a margin rig into a spot I hadn't fed, and Bingo., First drop the float dragged under and a 14 lb mirror came grudgingly to the net. At this point Peter to my right had just one fish while John Smith, nearly opposite on 3 had not had a bite.
A foulhooked barbel
An hour later in the reed swim I foulhooked a 5 lb barbel which brought about some gritted teeth but which I managed to keep out of the reeds with my Preston 17 yellow elastic, and that, too, ended in my keepnet. Since there were barbel around I put in a pot of maggot and hemp, and fished with a bunch of maggots, and took three quick...perch! About half-an-ounce each. Now the wind had moved from South to West and was in our faces on this bank, and it was cold.
An hour later in the reed swim I foulhooked a 5 lb barbel which brought about some gritted teeth but which I managed to keep out of the reeds with my Preston 17 yellow elastic, and that, too, ended in my keepnet. Since there were barbel around I put in a pot of maggot and hemp, and fished with a bunch of maggots, and took three quick...perch! About half-an-ounce each. Now the wind had moved from South to West and was in our faces on this bank, and it was cold.
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| John Smith didn't get a bite for more than three hours, but managed 42 lb 5 oz for sixth place. |
Another hour went by and now John had his first fish, while I took a 3 lb barbel from the reeds swim on corn, and half-an-hour later a 3 lb ide. Then a strange thing happened - carp suddenly started appearing in the corner to my left. Dozens of them. I could see their dark shapes moving about around the pipe, out to about ten feet past it, and back again. But they never came as far out as me.
I dropped a rig in among them, more in hope than expectation, and I could see them swimming about just below my float, but I never had a single liner. I am convinced they were in that heightened state of awarenesss that happens sometimes and they could see the line and avoided it.
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| My second fish was this 5 lb barbel - foulhooked next to the reeds which were 13 metres away! |
The wind kept changing
Now the wind was almost from the North, so it had swung round almost 180 degrees, and then it settled back into our faces, but was still cold, and I doubted it would bring the fish on. An hour left and in desperation I dumped a pot of maggot and hemp into my left margin. In seconds carp started swirling over it, producing strong vortexes which swept the floating leaves back and forth and round in circles. But I never even had a liner - just one more tiny perch. Ridiculous.
Now the wind was almost from the North, so it had swung round almost 180 degrees, and then it settled back into our faces, but was still cold, and I doubted it would bring the fish on. An hour left and in desperation I dumped a pot of maggot and hemp into my left margin. In seconds carp started swirling over it, producing strong vortexes which swept the floating leaves back and forth and round in circles. But I never even had a liner - just one more tiny perch. Ridiculous.
Half an hour to go, and John was now landing his sixth or seventh fish opposite, and it appeared he was just flicking loose-fed corn over his rig on a top two plus one, and leaving the bait there, not moving it, so I did the same (in fact he was using 8mm expanders). Ten minutes later a 2 lb F1 obliged, and ten minutes after that a 4 lb common. The final action was a big fish which came off and left its calling card in the shape of a big, yellow-tinged scale the size of a 50p piece.
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| Trevor Cousins, winner on Peg 7 with 73 lb 14 oz. |
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| Runner-up Shaun Buddle, 66 lb 9 oz. |
The weigh in
Peg 1 wasn't used, so first to weigh was John Smith on 3. It had taken him around four hours to get his first bite, but he finished with about eight carp for 42 lb 5 oz, which I thought was a quite excellent performance from that peg on a difficult day.
Peg 1 wasn't used, so first to weigh was John Smith on 3. It had taken him around four hours to get his first bite, but he finished with about eight carp for 42 lb 5 oz, which I thought was a quite excellent performance from that peg on a difficult day.
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| Wendy Bedford's best fish was this 16-pounder, taken on a feeder. Wendy framed in fifth place. |
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| John Garner, fourth in Peg 16 in the corner. |
Alan Porter in the corner peg 15 took the bulk of his 50 lb 2 oz in the margin for fourth place, while in the opposite corner John Garner weighed 54 lb 13 oz for third, also on the pole close in. Then Shaun Buddle, on 20 (which I had told him was usually a good swim) took 66 lb 9 oz for second. He told me afterwards that he had lost three times as many fish as he had landed!
Thoughts on foulhooking
Shaun had been fishing with paste which is heavy, and with a heavy bait when a fish brushes or sweeps against the line and you strike you're bringing the bait up almost vertically, so have a good chance of foulhooking the fish. With a lighter bait there's more chance of the hook being pushed away from the fish, and less chance of your hooking it. That's my take on it, anyway.
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| By the end of the match the wind was blowing straight into my corner peg. |
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| Operator Error! Joe Bedford may be 91, but I can assure you he has a whole head! His three pretty fish were all the same size. Total 27 lb 9 oz. |
My fish went 33 lb 3 oz, which left me eighth and since I beat the two anglers to my right I was satisfied with that in the circumstances. Next match on Elm, pegs 1 to 12, on Sunday. I'd like anywhere from 8 to 12. Then to Beastie next Thursday, where Trevor Cousins has threatened to take out Pegs 2 and 18, where I have won my last two matches on Beastie. See if I care, Trevor!!! 😜😜😜
THE RESULT
30 Mac Campbell 33 lb 3 oz
28 Peter Spriggs 20 lb 11 oz 3 John Smith 42 lb 5 oz
26 Mick Ramm 9 lb 9 oz 5 Bob Barrett 32 lb 7 oz
24 Wendy Bedford 48 lb 14 oz 5th 7 Trevor Cousins 73 lb 14 oz 1st
22 Peter Barnes 17 lb 13 oz 9 Bob Allen 16 lb 10 oz
20 Shaun Buddle 66 lb 9 oz 2nd 11 Joe Bedford 27 lb 9 oz
18 Mick Raby 36 lb 1 oz 13 Mike Rawson DNW
16 John Garner 54 lb 13 oz 3rd 15 Alan Porter 50 lb 2 oz 4th
28 Peter Spriggs 20 lb 11 oz 3 John Smith 42 lb 5 oz
26 Mick Ramm 9 lb 9 oz 5 Bob Barrett 32 lb 7 oz
24 Wendy Bedford 48 lb 14 oz 5th 7 Trevor Cousins 73 lb 14 oz 1st
22 Peter Barnes 17 lb 13 oz 9 Bob Allen 16 lb 10 oz
20 Shaun Buddle 66 lb 9 oz 2nd 11 Joe Bedford 27 lb 9 oz
18 Mick Raby 36 lb 1 oz 13 Mike Rawson DNW
16 John Garner 54 lb 13 oz 3rd 15 Alan Porter 50 lb 2 oz 4th
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