Christmas Eve on the Beastie

Peg 9, Sunday, Dec 24
Well, would you Christmas Eve it? Another good peg (literally, since JV use clothes pegs) stuck to my fingers - 9 on Beastie, with half of the field going to Willows. I've always liked Beastie peg 9, and I've never fished it without framing. Famous Last Words!

To be fair, the back of the spit, where Shaun Coaten and I were drawn, is something of an unknown quantity in the Winter - it can be great or ungreat (if there is such a word). But at least we had back-gale, from the left, while those on the early pegs, facing into the wind, could hardly hold a top two! And it was mild as well. And I had some advice from Tony Evans beforehand. What could possibly go wrong?

The bomb bombed...
This won't take long. I started on bomb and bread cast across and to the right, opposite where Tony reminded me there used to be a tree. Shaun, to my right on 12, also started on a bomb. I had two big liners, but no fish and after 40 minutes tried to have a look across the channel under the bridge, to the reeds, with corn (being positive, you see.) It was possible to present a bait reasonably on a pole for about 40 seconds, sometimes, before the wind hurled me round to the right, as if I was on a waltzer. Shaun also changed to a pole at about the same time, also fishless I believe.

Peg 9. The fierce wind was blowing over the bridge, making it impossible to properly
present a bait to the reed bed on the other side of the bridge.

I did eventually manage to foulhook a gudgeon! But after another 40 minutes I had to admit defeat, and went out in front of me at about 10 metres on corn and expander. That brought absolutely nothing. So I had a look with maggot and first drop a roach took the bait. Then a gudgeon, then another gudgeon, then another sudgeon...

It was enjoyable, but with the match now almost halfway through I had to catch something bigger. A move on a top two in front of me saw more roach, but at least they were approaching 1 oz each! Then something bigger, which turned out to be a foulhooked F1 of 1 lb. That encouraged me to stay there for too long, with no more F1s. So out to 10 metres, and soon a 2 lb bream came in, which encouraged me to stay there too long...

Last half-hour was best
Back in the side and it was tiny perch, roach or gudgeon on the maggot, and I tried putting on white maggots (lesson learned from last week) for bream. With half an hour to go I suddenly had a couple of 2 lb bream, and then hit a REALLY big fish which took me round under the bridge. I never felt that the pole would break, but eventually that fish came off. Soon another decent fish stretched out the 13 hollow elastic, but that came off as well, and one more bream of 1 lb came in before the match ended.

Earlier I fancied I had a knock when I went out with corn on a top four to my right, close to the reeds. I was still trying to stay positive, and aiming for carp, rather than roach. I stayed there too long, but had the feeling that there were carp there. Afterwards I realised I should have switched to maggot, as it seemed that everyone on Beastie had used it almost all day.

Shaun Coaten's 29 lb 10 oz ogf F1s and 'bits' from peg 12.
Blame the blurring on me, wind, and bad light!!

The weigh-in.

I weighed in 13 lb 8 oz, which was last on the lake. Shaun Coaten said he had about 10 lb of 'bits' and 20 lb of F1s, and indeed he was almost spot on - 29 lb 10 oz, all taken on a top two on the corner of the reed bed to his right. Peg 9 doesn't have reeds like that, and in that wind fishing to the nearest easily-reached reed bed, about eight metres to my right, made no sense, since I wouldn't have been able to see the float properly in the poor light and wind.

Eddie McIlroy was top weight up to us - he was in the wind on 5 and fished the maggot feeder about 8 metres out, for 59 lb 10 oz. Ernie Lowbridge  on 24 won Beastie with 84 lb 12 oz - not sure how he fished. Tony Evans won Willows from peg 19, fishing not far out, with maggot, with the wind, ie to his right, with wind from his left.

Marks out of ten
Although I was last on the lake I am not yet properly clued up for fishing maggot , so I give myself a generous 6. I don't think that I could have won from peg 9, though doubtless most of the others would have had more than me. At least I fished positively for the first half of the match, and managed to weigh in, while just that one biggest lost fish (which might have been foulhooked) would have taken me over 20 lb - the fish in this area can be very big indeed.

Next match on Sunday, with the exact lake unknown. Looking forward to it, but I have to get maggots first, since I think the shop on site will be closed. I'm not expecting sport to be very good, no matter how mild it is, but I will be at least able to use the shiny new 10-foot N-Guage feeder rod my daughter and son-in-law bought me for Christmas. What's not to like?

THE RESULT

Beastie (tie for section win)

Willows

Great peg - but a blow-out on Magpie...

Peg 33, Wed, Dec 20
It was a Christmas miracle - Magpie 33, on the island, stuck to my fingers. The peg everyone would have picked. "It's black with fish" said Alex in the shop. "Just tap in maggots at 13 metres". Which is what I did. It was the annual "bring a prize" Over 60s Christmas event, on Magpie and Jay, and Magpie has been fishing better.

Peg 33 is a lovely-looking swim, with an island at about 20 metres, though I remembered that recently Rob Heath, on my left today, had taken 25 lb from it,  while Ben Townsend had had over 100 lb on peg 34. So catching fish wasn't certain.

Peg 33 - with a cracking new, large, metal platform.

A bad first hour

Chris Clark from Sudbury on his first visit to Rookery Farm Fishery, was on my right on 34. And after a hour or so none of the three of us had had a fish! The water was very clear and almost flat calm, but overcast and not cold. What had gone wrong? It appears that the fish which had been in these pegs for weeks had moved back to the previously-favoured areas for a time.

My little size 16 hook with two reds did attract a liner or two; then I hit a fish, as I lifted the rig out to lay it in again. That came off after a few seconds, probably foulhooked. In the next three hours I lost three more, one of which I saw, and it didn't appear to be foulhooked before it came off. I played another for several minutes without ever seeing it before that also waved me goodbye. I had learned a lesson from Sunday, and had some white maggots as well (though a fat lot of good they did me!)

A second swim
I had a second swim at 10 metres a little to my right, which I fed and fished with 4mm expanders. Everything there looked great, and I felt confident that if there were fish there I would get bites, but although I looked in that swim several times I had just one tiny knock, and the expander wasn't touched.

Chris went on to a bomb at one time and caught a fish, and I think he had a couple on a pole.  I added the 14.5 metre section to move out farther under the overhanging tree, but never had even a liner there. A couple of small roach dropped off my hook, and then Rob had a couple of carp on his pole.  With an hour to go, I lost another carp! I had 13 hollow elastic in and in desperation changed it to a short top with 10-12 elastic.

A carp!
Rob had a great spell with four in about 15 minutes and Chris on 34 also had three or four, which looked to be four or five poounds each. My float refused to go under. Then, with 45 minutes left I managed to land a half-ounce perch! Soon after, I hooked a carp and it must have been nearly 15 minutes before it came near to my net. I could see it a couple of feet down in the clear water, and that meant it could also see my net! But eventually that was where it landed up... Phew.

As I lifted the net out I realised it was a big one - around 10 lb! I couldn't see the hook in its mouth - the line was lying underneath the fish. With some difficulty I turned the fish in the net, and there was my hook - in the mesh of the net! I think it must have been hooked in the side of the mouth, but into my waiting keepnet that beautiful, immaculate common carp slid.

Rob Heath took most of his 31 lb 7 oz catch in the last hour.

Ten minutes later I hooked another carp, and this took almost as long to land on the 16 hook to 5 lb line and the piddly little 10-12 elastic. And this one, also, was a common around 10 lb, hooked definitely in the mouth. A minute later the match finished, and I was left wondering why I couldn't catch  just a little earlier.

The weigh-in
I knew I had been banjoed, but I wasn't despondent, as I thought I had fished it OK. I think that four of the five I lost were almost certainly foulhooked, and the other one might have been, because when I dipped the pole tip to the surface the fish didn't slowly rise to the top as most carp will. 

Rob had eight or nine fish for his 31 lb 7 oz, and my carp and perch went 19 lb 12 oz. Chris had about nine fish for 34 lb 14 oz, and although he had brought a prize, he went straight home and never came to the presentations.  Out of 15 I finished 11th.

Top weight on Magpie was Tony (Moana) McGreagor with 109 lb 4 oz from 36, a peg which has been poor recently. How cruel - I'm sure he only moans occasionally! Second was Will Hadley on 2 (another area whioch had not been rated), who fished 16 metres with a long swinging lash to drop his bait into the far margin. He has a brilliant record in these matches, and it's not the first time he has caught fish like that. he had 98 lb 4 oz.

Jay didn't fish as well, won on corner peg 38 by Tom Neal with 69 lb 4 oz. I've seen a report that two cars were driven across the bridge before the end - surely only  acceptable in an emergency?

Marks out of ten
Actually I felt I had been quite disciplined, tapping in just a few maggots all day and hoping the fish would start feeding, with the pellet swim as a back-up. I had a few quick dips into the margins, but with water as clear as that I didn't expect to get any bites. Rob spent some time there, I know. So I give myself eight out of ten, 'cos I didn't do anything stupid, and the 13 hollow should have been OK to land those earlier lost fish if they had been hooked properly. 

Next match is Christmas Eve at Decoy (which is actually closed until Jan 4th) as JVAC fish there every Sunday during the year and will be allowed to access the lakes. The staff have started to work on the strips, having put fish from the stock pond into Elm, and I understand they intend to put the fish from Oak into the stock pond  while they work on Oak (the rain isn't helping!) Our match will probably be on Six-Island and another lake, as at the time of writing 18 have signed up.

Have good Winterval   Yuletide   Holiday   vacation   festive season.   Sod it - have a good Christmas everybody! 🎅🎅🎅

THE RESULT

Magpie 1-23

Magpie 24-36

Jay 1-22

Jay 23-47

First match since my lay-off, on Beastie.

 Peg 4, Beastie, Suinday, Dec 17
My first match after the op on my bladder and prostate (thanks for asking - everything is settling down, but it will probably be some weeks before it's near-perfect) and I really didn't want pegs 3 to 6 on Beastie, as they have not been fishing well. The pegs opposite, in the early 20s have been THE draw recently. But it was good to be back.

There were 12 on Beastie in this JV Christmas match, and ten on Horseshoe. And although the official forecast on the tele was 'mild' the forecasters wouldn't have though that if they'd been sitting in the teeth of the South-Westerly, which cut across my peg and that of Jim Regan on my right. I had to put on my padded Imax jacket before the start and it never came off.

Peg 4, with the wind cutting across through that gap on the left.

A lonesome F1
I started on a maggot feeder with two reds, casting three-quarters of the way across, then right across to the island, then halfway, then finally a quarter of the way out, which saw a 2 lb F1 nearly pull the rod in. But he was a lonesome F1, and no more came from there. So after about 90 minutes I had a look on the pole at 2+2, which brought a roach and then, when I veered towards the right with the wind, under the overhanging tree, some leaves and twigs. Almost every drop in near the tree saw me hook rubbish.

Jim Regan stayed on the hybrid feeder and took bream casting to the island.

Closer in on 2+2 a few more small roach came in, with slightly less rubbish, and when the wind became stronger, a 2 lb bream on 2+one-and-a-half. Meanwhile Jim, on my right on 5, had been casting a hybrid feeder with wafter to the aerator and had taken three or four fish - slow, certainly, and it seemed he was waiting anything up to half-an-hout for a bite.

I went out on a hybrid and red wafter to the reeds, which was a bit hairy, as some of them were leaning over the swim. Nothing, so I put on two red maggots and in came a small bream and another of 2 lb. Jim, though had a few more towards the end, mainly bream. I hadn seen Shaun Buddle, on my left, catch just one, but as we weighed in he hinted that he'd got a few.

That good carp made up more than half of
Chris Saunders' total of 15 lb 8 oz. taken on the pole.

The weigh-in
We had just the section of four to weigh in, starting with Chris Saunders, who had 15 lb 8 oz, all on a pole, which included a carp that was probably 8 lb. He had had a similar problem to me - wind gusting as the feeder was in the air, taking it off course (though a cast before the match had seen him foulhook a carp (on a bare hook), which came off halfway in!) In my case I had a problem getting the feeder right up to the reeds, which is where my two bream came from. 

Jim had 19 lb 9 and I assumed he would win the section, as my fish were a measly 8 lb 7 oz. But Shaun then said he had 20 lb, and he was right - 27 lb 13 oz of bream, all taken on two white maggots on a maggot feeder, cast right to the edge of the aerator. If he dropped short he couldn't get a bite, and he never had a single bite on red maggots.

Shaun Buddle won my section with 27 lb 13 oz of bream.

Then my mind sort of clicked into gear. Bream are the most finicky of feeders and on the Great Ouse Relief  Channel you often had to use coloured maggots, sometimes in a certain order, to get a bite. I once had a conversation with Boston angler Roy Jarvis (who won the Nartional on the Witham) and he said he had found the same thing - colour was very important. But it's so long since I targetted bream that I hadn't thought of that, while Shaun has been much more on the boil, deliberately getting a handful of whites in his reds so he can ring the changes. Lesson remembered.

The weights opposite were a bit better, and Eddie McIlroy won off 22 with 45 lb 2 oz. On Horseshoe the favoured pegs led, with Rob Goodson on 10 taking mainly carp, on the bottom, and a few F1s, totalling 72 lb 7 oz for the win. I ended two from last, but the club provided a prize for everyone, so I didn't end empty-handed. 

Marks out of ten
I give myself six for trying! At least I had a respectable catch in difficult conditions. Next match Wednesday on Pidley, for their Christmas match. Peg 33 on Magpie would suit me!

THE RESULTS

My section on Beastie

The rest of Beastie

Horseshoe

Still scraping around, on Six-Island

 Peg 11, Sunday, Nov 20
I can't remember the last time I ever drew a peg I really wanted in a match. Perhaps it's never happened before - if it has the memory has passed me by. But on Sunday - WOW. In the pre-match banter, when we ask each other where we fancy drawing, I'd told several that I fancied peg 11. I've won there before, it has a great right margin with a bunch of irises and reeds, and it has a big reputation in the Winter. Then it stuck to my fingers!

A racing start for Peter
Now the anti-climax - I didn't catch many fish. Peter Harrison on my left on 12 had a fish in the first minute, on a pole, while I was still adjusting the bomb and feeder I'd cast out. Then he had two or three more quick fish before I changed. I went out to about ten metres with corn, but by the time I had my first fish, of 5 lb, on a 4mm expander, Peter must have had six or seven. Then his swim slowed right down and eventually he went on a feeder - only to get a fish on within seconds of the first cast landing near his litle island. 

Peter Harrison's first fish - no more than a minute after the match started.

I tried  a bomb with bread and then a wafter, but nothing happened except that I definitely hit a fish which came off after about three seconds. So I went back on the pole, where a bunch of maggots brought some obvious roach tugs as they sank, so I refrained from putting maggots in.

A perch on corn
I struggled all day. It was warm and windy - too windy for me to get any sort of decent presentation to the left of my platform, so I stuck it out on the long pole, managing to foulhook a couple which came off, before eventually landing one foulhooked in the fin - that was about 8 lb. So into the deep margin I went (my rig, that is - not me!) only to get a 1 oz perch...on corn! Big fish kept splashing around all over that end of the lake, taunting us.

My lovely right margin held this bunch of reeds and irises.
Unfortunately old, strong iris stems overhung the front.

In that deep margin I put in my special rig, which will normally show me if there are fish there, and there weren't. I suspected that there were, but that they were finely tuned to the fact that there was line hanging down, and kept away.

Two in double-figures
Peter kept on landing occasional fish while I switched between expander and corn and scraped together a total of four more, two of which were thankfully well over 10 lb, and lost another couple of foulhookers. Opposite I could see Ernie Lowbridge landing a few fish, but Dave Parsons in the corner seemed to be struggling like me. That swim next to the reeds looked so inviting all day, but I had only two there. 

By the end I had six carp plus that tiny perch, and thought I had probably 50 lb, but guessed that Peter had three times as many fish as me, and he probably had over 100 lb.

I missed Ernie weighing in, but next door on peg 9
Dave Parsons had thgis catch of 30 lb 9 oz.

The weigh in
The other end of the lake weighed in first, and Lee Kendall told me that hardly any carp over 2 lb had been landed. Top weight there was Tony Evans on 24 with 34 lb 5 oz. But once the scales came round the corner to peg 4 it was a different story. On 4 Eddie McIlroy had 63 lb 10 oz, and on 8 Ernie Lowbridge totalled 85 lb 11 oz, to lead.

I was surprised that my fish went 57 lb 13 oz, but even more surprised when Peter's catch went just 71 lb 7 oz. He had a lot more fish than me, but they were smaller. The next two pegs, away from our end of the lake, were not good - Roy Whincup didn't even weigh. So I ended fourth and won my section by default. Lowest winning section weight was Gus Gausden with 13 lb, so you can see how difficult it was at the other end of the lake. But I have to say the sections were very well decided.

Peter Harrison's second-placed 71 lb 7 oz catch.

Marks out of ten
Very disappointed - I give myself 4. I should have tried the heavier rig, which might have picked up more of the light undertow against the wind, and dragged the expanded along the bottom. I should certainly have dumped some hemp and bait into the right shallow margin an hour before the end - at the end I dropped in the little bait I had left and am sure there was a cloud there a little later.

I could have put in dead maggots just to my left - it wouldn't have harmed the swims I was fishing. And I should have opened the cat meat sachets I had with me, as sometimes those very small pieces of meat will take fish when corn won't. And I never tried bread on the pole!

Addenbrookes calls this week, so I have no idea when I will be back. But as General McArthur promised: " I Shall Return." It took him two years, but I hope to be on the bank well before then...

THE RESULT

The sections are denoted by the coloured squares.

Carp bring some Christmas cheer

 Peg 14, Oak, Friday, Nov 17
It was Spratts' final match of the year, always held on Oak lake at Decoy - five teams of three with everyone winning some money, and prizes for everyone. But of course hoping to do well, just for the pride, was again top of the list.

The draw - Trevor Cousins and Bob Allen get to work in the sun.

I would have picked pegs 10 or 11, being opposite the famous 20 and 21. But Oak hasn't been fishing particularly well recently, compared with the other strips, and on a lake like that, with a cold start to the morning and bright sun for much of the day, anything could happen. My plan was to fish bread on the bomb, and as we were all pegged on one side of the strip, almost everyone, I imagine, started on the bomb or feeder, cast well across.

Slow start for me
One hour of that and I hadn't had even a liner, and neither had Dave Hobbs on my right, though John Garner on 11 had two early fish on feeder and said later that after 20 minutes he had 16 lb in his net. I had a quick look to my left margin, where there was an attractive-looking reed bed, using my special method, but after five minutes without any sign of fish it was back on the bomb. Another hour passed, some of it with corn instead of bread, but still without incident. 

My left margin held that nice-looking bed of dead reeds, with fish hopefully lurking underneath.
Meanwhile in the background, on corner peg 15, Bob Allen does his impression of a garden gnome.

Fish on...Fish off

At the same time Dave and I decided to have a proper look on the pole and suddenly he was playing a fish. It looked, to me, suspiciously as if it was foulhooked, so I took a picture of him in action, with his pole pointed down and teeth gritted. Just as well I did, as the fish came off. First drop back in my margin with corn had seen me briefly hook something which stretched the elastic and immediately came off - obviously foulhooked; but at least I knew that good fish were willing to come in close, under cover of the overhanging reeds.

Dave Hobbs had played this fish for a minute or two when I took this picture. Seconds later it came off.

Now in my margin there was a tiny jab of the float, and next drop a 2 lb carp came in. I was bagging! Nothing else came and I started flicking a few maggots down there, before going out to 11.5 metres with maggot. That produced a nice 6 oz roach on a bunch of four maggots. Now there was just two hours to go.

I persevered with maggot at 11.5 metres and a smaller roach came in. The water was clear, so I started alternating the swims, and in the margins, again on maggots over a few micros and a little hemp, I hit a carp that ended in my net - about 8 lb. Out to 11.5 metres and after a time I had another bite and this fish took a long time to land - Bob Allen on my left said it must be foulhooked, but I said I didn't think it was.

Foulhooked in the mouth
The 16-18 elastic on a short top did its job and eventually I slid the fish into my net. Thank goodness I had decided to put on my 20-inch Drennan landing net, and not the 18-inch one, because I doubt if I could have got it properly into the smaller one. That fish must have been at least 13 lb. "Foulhooked in the mouth" I shouted to Bob!

Next, a drop into the margin with a bunch of four maggots saw me hook something else that seemed heavy. I held the pole down, and still, and the fish drifted in, without fighting. In it came, and unbelievably it drifted straight into the net. I estimate it took between 10 and 15 seconds and it was BIG. 

Towards the end Bob Allen had a fish or two on a hybrid feeder.

Meanwhile Bob, on my left, had had a couple of fish on the feeder, and just as I was about to change to one, and with 15 minutes left, I hooked another carp, the same size as the previous one. This one didn't come in easily...but it did come in, although it was a bit hairy because the fish came into the net from the side, and the first time it turned its head at the last second and made off again. 

If you can get the fish to drift towards the net head-first with the pole pointed down at the surface, that's fine. But this one kept turning away. It was probably about 17 lb, and you can't bully them, splashing on the surface, into the net. At least I couldn't, not on a day like this when every single fish was valuable. Second attempt was successful, but that first couple of seconds as you lift the net so the rim is clear of the surface is always dodgy, and in the past I've had these big fish leap out of the net.  But not this time.

Those last two fish went into my second net because I found it easier to unload the fish - the top of that keepnet was a little bigger than the other one.

Mike Rawson, who won this match two years ago. found some good
carp, but not enough to win.

Fireworks
The match ended with Bob's usual rocket and firework display, and I forgot to lift my rig out of the water, I was so spellbound. Bob suggested I might have used that as an excuse to steal an extra few seconds fishing. The nerve of the man! As if I would! He shouldn't have lit such pretty fireworks....

On my right Dave Hobbs, who always catches fish, was still fishless, as was Bob Barrett on his right. But as I walked back to the van, past peg 3, I could see three nets on a keepnet bar. That was Peter Harrison's swim. If there are fish in his swim, it seems as if Peter will catch 'em. He has a very good record at Decoy. And such a nice bloke, as well.

Trevor Cousins was the first man in my team to weigh in.
He ended up fourth with 50 lb 10 oz.

The winner
I just missed taking a picture of Peter Harrison with fish, but he weighed in 103 lb 10 oz and was obviously the individual winner (and would have his pick of the prizes), as Spratts fish to a 50 lb limit and no-one else had three nets in. 

Trevor Cousins on 4 was first man in my tream and he weighed 50 lb 10 oz - a good start for us. Peter Spriggs was the other man in my team and he had 32 lb 2 oz, at which popint someone pointed out to me that Dave Hobbs, next to me, was in Peter Harrison's team, so wouldn't,be adding to Peter's winning weight.

Dick Warrener on 8 had gone 15 oz over the limit, but had added 50 lb to Peter Harrison's weight - their team totalled 153 lb 10 oz, while we had 82 lb 12 oz with me to come.

Peter Spriggs,  my other team mate, with 32 lb 2 oz.

A beautiful big barbel for third-placed John Garner

I admitted to 45 lb-plus, but needed over 70 lb to take my team to the top, and that was definitely not on the cards. However my first two fish to be weighed caused a bit of a stir - 30 lb 15 oz. For those with a matematical bent (and I suspect some of my readers are) that's almost 15 lb 8 oz average. And the big fish in the other net, together with two roach and the two small carp, must have been about the same size because they went 26 lb 13 oz. Total 57 lb 12 oz for second place individually after winning it last year. And we ended second in the team stakes as well.

Note: Wendy Bedford's platform on peg 10 was dodgy, so she was placed on Yew lake, where she took  a very creditable 44 lb 7 oz. And the icing on our cake was Decoy giving back to the club our peg fees for this match. Many thanks to manager Karen, who is doing a brilliant job at the fishery.

My next match is Sunday with JV on Six-Island - the wind will probably influence the result, but 6 round to 14 tend to be consistent. Then I'm into Addenbrookes hospital for an operation - not sure how long I will be off the bank.

Two big ole carp for me - 30 lb 15 oz of 'em.

Dick Warrener - a good end to his season in 5th place.

 

Winner Peter Harrrison takes his pick of the prizes, while Martin Parker
relaxes with a drink. I chose an air-fryer. Everybody won something and we
all went home with a Celebration tin of sweets.

THE RESULT

Team result

1st: Peter Harrison, Dick Warrener, Dave Hobbs           Total 153 lb 10 oz

2nd: Trevor Cousins, Peter Spriggs, Mac Campbell      Total 140 lb 8 oz

3rd: Steve Engledow, Mike Rawson, John Garner        Total 123 lb 13 oz

4th: Shaun Buddle, Wendy Bedford, Bob Allen            Total 70 lb

5th: Martin Parker, Joe Bedford, Bob Barrett                Total 47 lb 11 oz

Two good days on Elm

 Peg 4, Elm, Friday, Nov 10
Eleven of us in this Spratts match, pegged from 2 down to 12, and as always on Elm at this time of year, and in Winter, I'd plump for 8 to 10, which tend to consistently produce catches of carp. I had my Veterans National travelling companion Martin Parker on my right, and Dave Hobbs and Trevor Cousins to my left on 5 and 6. What little wind there was was behind us.

After my second place in the JV match the previous Sunday on Yew, where I had fished mainly a feeder, I had enough confidence to start like that again - a hybrid with micros and a 6mm orange Bandum wafter on the banded hair rig.  Both Dave and myself had an early carp on the feeder, mine being about 6 lb. But then I had a long fishless stretch, and after nearly two hours I think Trevor had two in his net, Dave three, and Martin two on a pole. One quick look in the margin failed to register even a liner, so I quickly gave that up - but at least I knew that the float rig was set 100 per cent correctly, ready if I wanted to have another look.

I had a nice-looking left margin, but the fish didn't show there in the clear water.
Oh, by the way, that's Dave Hobbs in the background, playing a fish taken under the far bank.

Dave and I both changed to a pole at the same time, fished long, and I had a good hour or so, taking firstly two small F1s and then some better carp, to 8 lb, all on corn at 11.5 mtres. Martin was also catching slowly, but steadily, on his pole line, but when he swapped to a feeder I guessed his bites had slowed, as had mine. 

My favourite float
I was using my favourite Drennan Tuff-Eye floats, dotted right down, but towards the end the light started to fade and there was a bit of ripple, and I had to take two No 9s off, so I could see the float tip properly.  I do think that that caused me to miss some of the  really tiny bites, and when I got home I got out a 0.5 gm Cralusso, with interchangeable float tip, because it has a slightly thicker stem. This would be ready for the next match if the light faded again (as it surely will).

Darkening skies towards the end made it difficult to see the float. This is Martin Parker in action to my right.

  Winner Martin Parker with 69 lb 1 oz from peg 3.  

Trevor had had a fish or two on bomb and bread - I tried one cast without result, and I though he was way ahead of me, especially when he had two or three quickly at one time. I came in, onto a 2+2 line for the last hour, still with corn over micros and hemp, and picked up four nice fish, best two over 10 lb. Inevitably two or three had come off during the day, but I guess everyone had that problem - a couple of mine were hooked on the outside of the mouth, which showed they were  not feeding properly.

The very last fish of mine came off - a big fish, but I never actually saw it.

The weigh in

On peg 2 Mike Rawson had 39 lb 2 oz on a pole, I think, which was a good start; but Martin beat that with 69 lb 11 oz, and I had 65 lb 14 oz, second at that point.  I was certain that Dave Hobbs, who had had two or three last-gasp fish, had beaten me, but this fish couldn't have been as big as mine, because he totalled 50 lb, and next door Trevor, who told me he had had fish on bomb and bread, a wafter, and maggot feeder, ended with 59 lb 3 oz.

Thanks to Bob Allen for keeping the scores every week - no
this is not him (he's camera shy). But John Garner had to pay
Bob a whole £1 piece this week after losing to him, so as
compensation I took his picture...with Bob's fish!

Only Bob Allen with 46 lb 7 oz from peg 9 managed to approach those weights, and I finished second to Martin. Lost fish were crucial, as the weights were close - but I guess everybody had that problem.

Marks out of ten 
I reckon I was worth seven. I kept my gear and bait simple, but should have tried the pole earlier, just in case! I also had a maggot feeder ready, but didn;t use it. yet Trevor said that on his very first cast on a maggot feeder he had a bite within seconds of casting out. I should have tried it! That last-hour move closer in seems to still be paying dividends, and I will do it in the future.

Yet again I lost a place (and the match) after losing a big, late fish. But ce'st la vie I guess. (That's Life).

Next match two days later on Elm with JV club. I guess it may be put on Elm and Cedar if enough fish. Looking forward to it - but I's still go for pegs 8 to 10 on Elm, or the car park end on Cedar..

THE RESULT

2 Mike Rawson        39 lb 2 oz
3 Martin Parker        69 lb 1 oz        1st
4 Mac Campbell       65 lb 4 oz       2nd
5 Dave Hobbs           50 lb               4th
6 Trevor Cousins      59 lb 3 oz       3rd
7 John Garner           19 lb 11 oz
8 Wendy Bedford        6 lb 13 oz
9 Bob Allen               46 lb 7 oz
10 Bob Barrett           21 lb 11 oz
11 Joe Bedford            DNW
12 Dick Warrener        9 lb 7 oz.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Peg 6, Sunday, Nov 12

I had Tony Evans to my right in this JV match, with both Elm and Cedar lakes now included. A year or two ago I had Tony on my right, and he was taking fish on a feeder while I couldn't catch any. He had a longer hooklength than I did that day, so for this match I had about 18 inches, and decided to fish bread on the bomb, hoping that the slow fall in the last few inches might attract fish..

There wasn't much wind at the start, but part way through it picked up a little from the South-East and became quite cold. However, all-round it was a nice day for fishing, I had sorted out a Cralusso loat with a thickish stem, ready for the pole when I decided to change.

First cast on the bomb I caught a 6 lb commmon, and second cast I hooked a fish of similar size, got it close enough for me to see it before it came off - the first fish I have lost while using the N-Guage feeder rod. On he fourth cast (I was leaving it for between 10 and 15 minutes) a double-figure mirror came in.

My left margin looked great, but the bush swim
didn't produce even a single liner.

A new landing net

I've treated myself to a new Advanta X5 landing net, with grab bar, which is so handy when you have to stoop down to lift a big fish in it. I chose the 18-inch one, since I've been using an 18-inch net, though I always take a 20-inch to the peg as well. It has a flattish, pan-shaped net and found that it is hardly big enough for these big fish. It is a bit hairy unhooking them when they in are tail-first, with their head level with the frame! But I managed it without losing any.

In the last match I broke the end of my four-metre landing net handle - I think the damage occurs when I put the big fish into a keepnet, and the weight of the handle in the air causes a fracture. Anyway, the end broke, with about a foot of the handle, and finished up in the keepnet with the fish. In future I will make do with just the two sections, though having the extra length is a real boon when the fish come up well out.

Three-quarters cast best

Back to the match and more good carp came to the bread, and I found that casting right to the far bank saw my hook covered in weed, so I came back to three-quarters of the way across. After two hours I had probably 40 lb. Tony had three or four fish, I think, also on the bread, but now he had reverted to the 13-metre pole with maggot, and was taking small fish - mainly roach, immature carp, and bream, regularly. I assumed that eventually the better carp would turn up and he would overtake me rather fast.

One of Tony Evans' early fish on the bomb and bread.

On my left a young man I had not seen before, Charlie Lawrence, had also had carp on a bomb, and he also swapped to pole around this time. I went out to 13 metres with corn over micros and hemp and had two carp around 3 lb quite quickly, but then things slowed up. I wasted too much time there, really, taking just the odd small carp. The Cralusso worked nicely, and a switch back to the Tuff-Eye, which was on a lighter elastic (about 10 I think) did bring me a nice F1 and a couple of small carp.

A lucky unlucky break

I had had a quick look under the bush to my left, which looked so fishy, but never had even a liner. Now I had another quick look there, also without a touch, and managed just one more on the bomb and bread before going back out. I had just landed a 3 lb carp, rebaited, put the top two into the rest of the pole, and rolled it forwards. But the rest of the pole didn't fiollow. I assumed two sections had become uncoupled, but no! The Number five had broken - I have no idea when it had been damaged. I couldn't telescope it, and had to make do, for the last few minutes, with just the top four.

A REALLY big fish

So with just a few minutes left I went out to 2+2 slightly to my left with the Tuff-Eye rig. The first bite I missed, but the second saw me connect with something really big.

I didn't realise it was big for the first few seconds, as it just drifted towards me. But then it came alive. I played it for several minutes, and got it close enough to see it was well into double-figures. But I was cursing the fact that I was using the light elastic. It didn't look foulhooked as it cruised past, just under the surface, but I later wondered whether it was hooked in the snout, because several times I thought it should have come in towards the net, but it just didn't turn. Then suddenly, unaccountably, it came off, and I said a naughty word!

A last-minute saver (literally)

A super net of mainly small carp, bream and roach for Tony.

Three minutes were left, and I picked up my heavier rig, set the depth against the original rig, and put it back out, baited with corn, Unbelievably the float went down and I was playing yet another good fish when the match ended only 30 seconds later. A few minutes later that one was in my landing net - also 10 lb-plus. The last half hour had seen Charlie, on my left on peg 7, net three or four fish, though he told me later that he had lost some. But I guessed he was well ahead of me. As for Tony, I really had no idea what he might have.

The weigh in

Top weight down to me was Ian Frith on 3 with 64 lb 14 oz - Tony had put together just 46 lb 15 oz, which I was amazed at. Clearly the better carp hadn't fallen for his maggots.

Charlie Lawrence on peg 7 beat me by almost 6 lb.

I weighed in 70 lb 14 oz, but Charlie pipped me with 76 lb 10 oz. However, farther down the lake Andy Gausden on 10 had 95 lb 5 oz, and Sean Coaten on corner peg 12 won the lake with 139 lb 13 oz. He had plumbed up and found the bottom of the shelf running along the end bank, at 13 metres, and had had most of his fish there. I think he fed with micros and hard pellets, but baited with corn, not putting any loose corn in. A great way of celebrating his retirement just two days earlier!

The first four on our lake were a section, so I ended as section winner, with Charlie unlucky not to win anything for his excellent catch. On Cedar the weights were lower, with the top weights  from pegs 9, 11 and 7.

Marks out of ten

Only worth 7, I think. That last fish lost wouldn't have won me the match - it was just unlucky. But I shouldn't have spent quite as much time at 13 metres, and I probably should have picked up the maggot feeder.

Next match Friday is Spratts special Christmas match, on Oak lake. In the meantime I and my brother will be carrying the coffin of our younger brother at his funeral, and I will be delivering a eulogy. I'd rather be fishing!

THE RESULT

ELM

CEDAR

Something to brag about on Yew

 Peg 15, Yew, Sunday, Nov 5
"A blind man could catch fish there," said Tony Evans after he had found out where I was pegged. "Ah, but could a deaf one?" asked someone (I can't remember who). But even I could pick up on the fact that peg 15, in the corner, was (or at least could be) a good draw.

I'd never fished that swim before, but Andy Gausden put me right. "It's 14 metres to the corner, and 16 along the bank," he told me. Now since I had deliberately left my 14-metre section at home, in an effort to slim everything down, that deflated me a bit. But I had brought my half-butts with me, and in fact once I was down at the swim I found that 13 metres of my Browning Z12  plus the half-butt could get me into the corner.

There were eight of us JV club anglers on Yew, and another eight on Oak, all pegged on the West bank, to give us back wind, and which allowed us to cast across to the far side.

That cutout to my left will be a great place for fish in Summer, at about three feet deep.
The corner is surprisingly deep - six feet only a few feet out, and only a little shallower next to the reeds.

Starting on the hybrid feeder
With the water clearing, and the wind feeling cold, I put in a bit of hemp and some 6mm pellets out at about ten metres with the pole, but started on the hybrid feeder, with a red pellet. To my right, Peter Harrison started on the pole well out. My first cast went right across, close to the platform on 17, and I had a liner. Second cast and the rod whipped round and something big clumped along the far bank.

These strips are about 40 metres across, and Peter Harrison was two swims away - pehaps 25 metres, and I shouted a warning the the fish was kiting his way. He said nothing, so I shouted a bit louder and eventually he said something., Then I could see why he hadn't looke up - he must have been playing a fish on the pole, because sudenly I saw him swing in a huge scale.

Think I didn't get this quite right. Peter Harrison seems to be missing!

That fish on my line eventually came closer to me, although it went into the marginal reeds to my right. But somehow it stayed attached and ended in my net - all 12 lb of it. But the red pellet was lost out of the band, so on went a 6mm Choc Orange Bandum Wafter. Next cast another fish came in, and Peter changed to a feeder. From that moment onwards my match was pretty simple - roughly every  15 minutes I would get a fish.

Lee's tactics
Lee Kendall, three anglers to my right, had told me his tactics - a Method feeder to the far-bank platform with pellet; a maggot feeder to the far-bank reeds; and a bomb to the middle or three-quarters of the way across. So I had a maggot feeder already made up, and the Preston ICS system allowed me to change to a bomb in seconds if I wanted to.

However, every time I was about to reach for the maggot feeder, the rod would wrench round and a fish would be on. So I stayed on the hybrid feeder up until the last hour. Meanwhile Peter had started catching in what I thought was a small feeder, with a longish drop of about 16 inches, cast about halfway across. In fact he told me afterwards that it was a bomb, with bread. He caught at roughly the same speed as I did, though occasionally I would see him get two fish very quickly, so I guessed he was ahead of me.

Casting into the far corner
At one point I had a quick look on the pole in the cut-out to my left, where there was about three feet of water. But I never had a touch, so spent only five minutes there and it was back on the feeder. Twice my hook, when cast right to the far-bank reeds, was covered in weed, so I came back a little, which was better, and also tempted a 2 lb tench. Casting into the far corner of peg 16, opposite, was a bit better, and I had four fish fairly quickly there. 

With an hour to go I had about 14 carp from 6 lb to 12 lb, having not lost a single fish. I put that down to the ten-foot Guru N-Guage rod, not to my skill. The rod is so soft that it seemed that most of the fish hardly, realised they were hooked, and came in close to the bank very quickly. At that point I found it a bit hairy, as the rod bent double and it felt as if I was going to pull out of the fish any second. But no - I landed every one. Once I had got used to the action I had every confidence in it.

On the pole
But bites slowed a little and with 40 minutes to go I had a look in the corner with a pole and corn. I dropped in without putting in any feed, and immediately had a bite, which I missed. After that happened twice more I realised they were liners, so put in a few grains of corn, into almost six feet of water two metres from the corner. The result was a bite and foulhooked eight-pounder, which I landed.

Back in, and this time the hooked fish was hooked in the mouth. To be honest I proably should have put on a float with a thicker stem, as the sun and the reflections of the reeds made it difficult to see the thin-tipped Malman float, But two more fish came in before the match ended, at which point I was unhooking an eight-pounder. I estimated I had 18 carp and the tench.

Sorry - got to Ernie Lowbridge after he had put his best fish back!

The weigh in

As I wheeled the trolley back Lee said: "Well done, Mac. You've won." But I had to reply: "No - Peter has more than me." 

"He said 150 lb" said Lee, and I replied: "I've not got that."

Lee was top weight in the first five pegs with 96 lb 10 oz. I knew he had had some carp, because I'd been able to see him strike and land fish. I would then watch to see how far across he was casting - it was usually well over. Contrast that with Peter Harrison, casting halfway, who then told me that he had been using a bomb and bread. I had bread with me, and had had every intention of using it, but hadn't thought of trying it as a change bait (bread is allowed on Decoy from November to March inclusive). 

The winner - Peter Harison with 180 lb 15 oz. The carp in
Yew lake must average around 8 lb, with lots in double figures.

Anyway, as I had suspected, Peter Harrison weighed in 180 lb 15 oz, and I knew I was well beaten. My fish weighed 145 lb 12 oz for second place on the lake. Oak fished quite badly in comparison, won by Tony Evans on 9 with 82 lb 3 oz. The club paid the winner on each lake plus sections, by default, so I ended with a section win, and was very pleased with that. In that company a section win gives some bragging rights (I don't have much to brag about, normally).

Marks out of ten
I give myself 8. I know that Peter, and several of the others, would have had more from my swim, but I felt that I had fished it OK - at least I hadn't cocked it up completely. I should have tried bread, and should have cast to the far corner before I did. But I guess nobody fished the perfect match - we are all human.

Next match on Elm with Spratts on Friday, and Elm again with JV on Sunday. Not sure how to approach it at this time of year.  But I will definitely have bread with me, and I have got three feeder rods ready with hybrid feeder, maggot feeder and bomb. However I hanker after another couple of N-Guage rods. I really did enjoy that day using mine.

THE RESULTS

Oak lake - two sections of four.

Yew lake fished much better.

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