A good day on Sex-Island, Decoy

Peg 15, Sunday, May 29
Every year John Garner arranges an invitation match on Six-Island, for his friends, old and new, and this year 19 of us fished. I was happy with peg 15, where Callum won our club match a couple of weeks ago, especially since the wind would be down towards that corner. However, things changed a bit when we could all see fish occasionally swirling and crashing about in the reeds near the car park, spawning.

Down at peg 15 things soon started to hot up, with massive splashes along my lefthand bank, towards the corner, and opposite in the margins of the island. That went on for at least five hours! My first thought, obviously, was to start fishing in open water.

Not much wind at the start in our little corner.

At the start there was hardly any wind, and Dick Warrener on my right, and myself, found it hard going. I took an F1 of about 1 lb on a 6mm expander fished well out, and then saw Kev Beavis on 18 land a couple of fish. But it was a long time before Dick had his first carp, fishing in the margins with a pellet. 

Two fish shallow
I still didn't fancy going anywhere near the spawning fish, so tried a corn skin shallow. There weren't many fish showing on the top, but when I saw what looked like two or three together I plonked my bait in front of them and within a second the elastic had stretched. It all happened so fast that I assumed it was a fish foulhooked, but No! A four-pounder was hooked in the mouth.

I thought I had taken a video of fish spawning in
the corner, but must have got it wrong. 👎 Debris
soon accumulated along the bank for a metre out.

Nearly an hour later I had another carp shallow, purely by accident. I'd had the bait lying out there about 18 inches deep, and decided to bring it in and try something else. I took the first two sections off, turned my head to guide the next two over the rollers, and felt resistance - a fish had taken the bait. Pure luck, but it ended in my net.

I have to try close in
Halfway through, and the pegs around 18 now had some ripple, but it wasn't coming down to us. But Dick now started to find fish in the side, mainly fishing to his left, towards me. There was one small area where fish didn't seem to be swirling - about four feet from my platform, to the right. So I used my 'special' method for the first time recently, with corn, and took a big carp. Obviously I stayed there for a time, taking half-a-dozen more, and putting in just a little hemp and half-a-dozen grains of corn at a time. I then had a terrible spell where fish came off, including two obviously foulhooked.

Some I landed were hooked in the snout or the chin, so they were not taking the bait properly. Most took after I had lifted the corn. Leaving it stationary meant bites came much more slowly.

After losing several fish I had a look just to my left, on the short top, away from the bank, but where there were clouds of mud coming up. Nothing! I reckon the fish were super-sensitive because of the spawning, and managed to avoid my rig. Around this time I saw Kev Beavis on 20 landing more fish, as did Shaun McKenna on 17, round the corner to my left, while Dick was also taking fish steadily. I though he was beating me.

Catch One Get One Free
Back to the right margin, still only feet from the platform, and more fish came, though they sometimes took a lot of persuading, one or two more came off and once, when I netted an eight-pounder there were two fish in my landing net! Only the second time that has ever happened to me. I had seen that mine was a mirror, so I shouted out that I'd got two, and put the slightly-smaller common back. Funnily enough I hadn't seen the other fish swim in, and didn't see it until I lifted the net...

Dick Warrener's best fish must have been at least 10 lb.

When bites slowed there I tried way out to the left, where Callum had had most of his fish in the previous match there, but never had a bite. I couldn't get in close to the bank at all, as debris and reeds had piled up against the bank for a good metre out. Fish were still swirling in the rubbish, and I was sure I'd get carp in the deeper water about four feet out, especially as the wind was now giving me a ripple there, but never had a touch.

The victim of a trick
One ten-pounder, hooked in the right margin, played a trick on me. I thought I had it beaten and broke down to the top two, whereupon it made a play for my nets. We engaged in a tug-of-war for about a minute, which ended with it coming out from the nets twice, but then managing to get round the righthand net and hooking the hook into it. Fish lost...and I might have said a naughty word, very quietly. I was fuming, because it was entirely my own fault.

I had clicked about 35 lb in my first two nets (fishing to a 50 lb maximum) when I put in the third with half an hour to go. I'd not been at all confident at the start, so had put in only two. Now it's strange how many times getting up and putting in a third net results in a long blank spell after a really good spell. But not today! I had a seven-pounder within two or three minutes, and two more followed in the next 20 minutes. That's not fantastic when the fish are feeding well, but today was obviously proving quite difficult for everyone, and I fancied I was now doing as well as I possibly could.

A very big fish
Literally four minutes to go and I hit a big fish. After a couple of very powerful runs I had it in the landing net, using the short top, which I have found brilliant. But it was very heavy, and I had a job pulling the net in. The fish was thrashing about - always a problem when you land a fish quickly - and though I strained every muscle trying to keep the net high, suddenly it actually jumped over the rim. It was definitely at least 15 lb, and probably bigger.

The fish was still hooked, and made a powerful run towards Shaun McKenna 25 yards away. I gritted my teeth and stuck the pole tip under the water, and everything held. I had a short Number three attached, and that allowed me to use the puller with that section still attached - another massive advantage of using the short top.

Disaster
The fish came straight back into the net, and lay still. I had to swing the net round to my right, into the bank, and slowly reach down to grab the net itself. Up onto my lap, and disaster!

I had seen a small hole, about half-an-inch across, earlier, and now the fish had its mouth just in that hole. I wasn't bothered...until it suddenly thrashed its tail and with a split second had glided through the hole and plopped back down the front of the platform. For a second I thought I could push the pole, through the hole and perhaps land it, but the rig had broken, and the hole in the net was now a lot bigger...

Good to see Kev Beavis on the bank. He weighed 99 lb 9 oz on peg 20.

I carry two spare landing nets in the van, and if I had realised that the one I was using had rotted I would have changed immediately. I really had no idea, as there were no other holes in it. And that carp could have been the biggest I have ever landed. It was huge, by match standards.

Dick had a spare net with him, but there was only a minute left and by the time I'd screwed it on I had only seconds left. Even so, I do believe that given a few more seconds I would have had another fish, as suddenly the air seemed warmer, and I was 'in the zone'. But I didn't.

The weigh in
Dave Garner, one of our most consistent anglers, on 2, had a bad day - 12 bites and just three fish, for 20 lb 2 oz. Shaun Buddle took the lead on 3 with 83 lb 6 oz, but Peter Spriggs, fishing to the side bank on 9, had 119 lb 2 oz. I was surprised that some of the others hadn't had 100 lb-plus, and was amazed when Dick weighed in only 68 lb 15 oz, as I was sure he'd got twice that amount. It seemed that every time I looked up either he or Steve Engledow, on the next peg, was playing a fish! 

Organiser John Garner with 64 lb 5 oz on peg 8.

I admit that I do concentrate quite hard when fishing, so obviously I hadn't looked up as much as I thought I had. I estimated I had 90 lb, but my fish went 113 lb 6 oz - nets of 44 lb, 48 lb and 20 lb approx. That was second, round to Trevor Cousins on 22, who had just two fish mugging in the first two hours, and who then went down the margins, to finish with 110 lb 4 oz. 

I ended second, and either of my two lost fish would have won me the match. C'est la guerre.

Definitely a match for me on Elm 1-12 on Sunday, and back to Six-Island on Monday, complete with my spare landing net. Looks like being a North or North-Easterly again, and I would pick around 7-9 on Elm and 8 round to 15 on Six-Island, or 18 or 19.

Steve Engledow and Dick Warrener next door had a good battle - 15 oz between them!

Trevor Cousins, third after taking just two fish shallow in the first two hours.

Peter Spriggs - yet another win, this time on Peg 9, with 119 lb 2 oz. Well done!

THE RESULT

2 Dave Garner           20 lb 2 oz

3 Shaun Buddle         83 lb 6 oz

4 Callum Judge         45 lb 10 oz

6 Bob Allen                54 lb 1 oz

8 John Garner             64 lb 5 oz

9 Peter Spriggs         119 lb 2 oz        1st

10 James Garner        73 lb 8 oz

11 Mel Lutkin            55 lb 12 oz

12 Roland Butcher     56 lb 5 oz

13 Steve Engledow    68 lb

14 Dick Warrener       68 lb 15 oz

15 Mac Campbell     113 lb 6 oz      2nd

17 Shaun McKenna    92 lb 5 oz      5th

18 Wendy Bedford       DNW     

19 Mick Rawson         DNW

20 Kevin Beavis         99 lb 9 oz     4th

22 Trevor Cousins    110 lb 4 oz     3rd

24 Allan Golightly     58 lb

25 Joe Bedford            DNW

The carp came two at a time (like on the ark) on Cedar

Peg 1, Cedar, Friday, May 26
Plans at home changed and I managed to wangle another, unexpected, match on the Friday - fourteen of us fished this Spratts club match at Decoy. After the pegs I fancied most (26, 24, 22) had gone I was happy enough with 1 as it's at the favoured end of Cedar, though it can't usually compete with 26, opposite. The cool North-easterly meant that no fish were moving on the surface in front of me, though when I walked along the bank before the start they were certainly moving a few pegs away. This end of the lake was pretty calm, even though the wind was blowing towards us. And all-round I felt the water was dead.

Peg 1, facing East, but the North-Easterly somehow gave us mainly calm water
for the majority of the match at this end of Cedar

Dave Hobbs on 26 took an early fish or two by picking them off from among the reeds to his left (the end bank), and though I saw the occasional fish moving, they were all on their own, swimming quickly towards the end bank. I started out at 13 metres beside reeds, with an expander, but never had even a liner. Then I went right up to the end bank, where there was only a foot of water, and then out in front of me on 2+3. After 90 minutes I had just one fish on a corn skin dropped in front of a five-pounder.

Trev is so good at dobbing carp
Trevor, down to my left on peg 5, towards the middle of the lake, was catching fish shallow, though, mainly by mugging them (targeting fish he could see), and said he now had about 60 lb! I could see the occasional fish under the surface in his swim, so I went back and eventually had another carp shallow on a small piece of cat meat from a sachet, also about 5 lb, the only two I had shallow. Two hours later, after looking everywhere, including my left margin, I had two carp  around 8 lb in two drops in the deep margin to my right, near the scum, also on a small piece of cat meat. 

Opposite me Dave Hobbs, on end peg 26, found a fish or two early on,

I'd had some tiny touches in that swim, so I was hopeful, when I had those two fish, that there were others around, but suddenly they vanished! Dave was now catching fish quite well, but I must have gone another two hours without a touch of any kind.

It now started to get quite cold and I was about to put on a fleece when the wind died a little and it seemed warmer, so I didn't bother. Dave Hobbs now seemed to be catching fish from both his margins. I couldn't get a bite, and still the only fish I could see were swimming fast towards the end bank, mainly too fast to get a bait in front of them. It was as if they were hoping to spawn but the cold wind meant conditions weren't right.

I start a new swim late on
Finally, with an hour to go I saw Mick Ramm, to my left, land a couple of fish from his margin, and I decided I had to start another swim. So in went some pieces of mussel ten metres to my left, with half a mussel on the hook, I dropped it well out and brought the float back to within a foot of the bank and let the bait sink slowly. First drop something hit the bait on the drop but didn't take it properly. 

However, next drop and just after the bait had hit bottom a carp jagged the float under and I was playing another eight-pounder to the net. Using my newish short tops it took only half the time it would have done on the longer, bendy tops, even the Power tops. And next drop the same thing happened - a carp landed.

Then two more...
Six in the net and I guessed I was still well behind most of the others, even though I'd not seen much caught. A gap of 20 minutes, and then another two carp came along one after the other from the mussel swim, the best a good 10 lb. I had resigned myself to doing badly, but I particularly enjoy those days when you have to work hard for every fish, Like Winter Leagues in the Summer! One angler on the Maggot Drowners website once insisted he always catches at least 100 lb when he fishes a commercial. He should come to Decoy on days like this...

The weigh-in
I was first to weigh, estimating I had 45 lb-ish, but they weighed 58 lb 3 oz, which I was satisfied with. Two pegs along Trevor had a magnificent 142 lb 14 oz, and I guessed that would win. Indeed it did, with only Dave Hobbs threatening that weight, with his 102 lb 13 oz. I thought he had a lot more - funny how everyone else always seems to be catching so fast! 

Trevor, winner with 142 lb 14 oz, with his best carp, well over 10 lb.

To my surprise every other angler had also struggled, even worse than me, and I ended a very surprised third. Two anglers told me that towards the other end of the match there were a lot more carp shallow, all day. I didn't feel so inadequate about my shallow fishing after that! I like to think that if I'd had a load I would have caught at least a few. But a very well done to Trevor, catching on a banded pellet on a day which foxed the rest of us. 

Yet again he took almost all his fish by dropping the rig in front of more than one, which he thinks brings out the competitive instinct in the carp. He told me had had snared only two fish swimming on their own.

John Garner - 28 lb 2 oz from corner peg 13. I kept taking pictures, 
assuming someone other than Trevor would have a big weight...

Mike Rawson, complete with sensible hat to keep the sun off his
neck. He  had 24 lb 1 oz from peg 20 on the Eastern bank.

Dick Warrener took most of his 43 lb 12 oz shallow
from peg 22, nearly opposite the winner. He ended fourth.

Runner-up was Dave Hobbs with 102 lb 13 oz from corner peg 26. 
The lake behind him is Oak, the third of the strip lakes.

Next match on Six-Island on Sunday, when (of course) I'd like to get in the wind, if it's warm, preferably from peg 4 round to 18 or so, with 10 to 15 plus 18 and 19 favourite because they have nice shallow margins.

THE RESULT

                        East bank                                          West bank

26    Dave Hobbs        102 lb 13 oz  2nd         1 Mac Campbell     58 lb 3 oz       3rd
24 Steve Engledow    25 lb 12 oz                    3 Mick Ramm         40 lb 9 oz
22 Dick Warrener       43 lb 12 oz   4th           5 Trevor Cousins   142 lb 14 oz     1st
20 Mike Rawson        24 lb 1 oz                     7 Neil Paas              37 lb 8 oz
18 Joe Bedford           24 lb 8 oz                     9 Bob Barrett         `15 lb 3 oz
16 Wendy Bedford     10 lb 12 oz                   11 Bob Allen           17 lb 5 oz
14 John Smith            14 lb 10 oz                   13 John Garner        28 lb 2 oz

Poor draw - good result on Six-Island

 Peg 24, Sunday, May 21
I guessed, as soon as our draw was made, that Dick Warrener and I, had drawn perhaps the two worst pegs on the day on Six-Island at Decoy. The problem was wind - forecast to be North-Easterly, blowing over our backs. Next day the newspapers wrote about people flocking to the beaches on the South coast, which had the hottest day of the year. Not here it wasn't!

In bright sunlight, especially in the cold wind which caused Kev to have to walk up to his van after an hour or two to get another jumper, you need ripple to break up the shadow of the pole on the water. And Dick and I had no proper ripple for the first ten or 12 metres out all day, and as I wrote in the previous blog, the pegs at the Southern end would be windiest. In fact the wind was mainly Northerly, which gave all of the other pegs a good ripple, except for the first pegs on the West bank, protected by the island, where Dave Garner also struggled. 

Cold wind and bright sun with no ripple close in -  not good conditions on pegs 24 and 25.

At least I was fishing

No matter - a day's fishing was on the menu, and that's never bad! I started this Fenland Rods match fishing 13 metres to catch some ripple, with banded 6mm pellet, and never had a touch of any kind for 40 minutes. I'd been flicking casters into the left margin, and had a quick look there before going out to the right margin, near the aerator, where maggot eventually took a gudgeon and a tiny perch. Everything felt dead, with nothing moving.

Then it was out to 10 metres, where it was easier for me to control the rig, in a wind that now blew first from the left and seconds later from the right - a nightmare scenario which caused Dick to go over to a feeder.

The fish were ice cold
Eventually I sneaked out a 1 lb F1 on an expander and, soon after, a two-pounder, while Dick had a fish or two on his feeder. The bites were the tiniest imaginable, and the fish, and the bait, both felt ice cold. But every 20 minutes or so I'd hook a fish, and the best was 3 lb, with some on corn. Halfway through the match I had 15 lb on my clicker and felt I simply had to have a look in the right margin, where fish were basking in the sun.

Dick Warrener on my left sensibly switched to a feeder early on and found a few fish.

That brought one bite, which turned out to be about 4 lb foulhooked in the anal fin (that's the one underneath in front of the tail). I didn't want to foulhook any more, so I put out a feeder while I had a cup of coffee. That didn't work either!

Fish in the right margin

I'd deliberately not fed the right margin, but now it was my best chance, and with an hour to go and I put a load of dead maggots in, about five feed from the bank, where it was was about 30 inches deep. Soon clouds of mud came up, but not in that spot - they were right next to the bank where it was only 18 inches deep. But they couldn't fool me, and I spent about 30 seconds there before putting a bunch of eight deads farther out. Success! First fish was nearly 10 lb, and three or four more followed, all 3 lb-plus, before everything went dead, although the mud was still coming up. Most bites came when the bait was an inch off bottom.

First man to weigh - a hard-won 23 lb 24 oz for Dick.

I think everybody suddenly found a fish or two in that last hour - on end peg 12 John Smith had two tiny fish at 3 o'clock.but added over 30 lb in that last hour.

The weigh-in

Dick was first to weigh - 23 lb 14 oz all on a feeder - which I reckon was a good performance in that swim. The decision to go onto a feeder to get into the ripple was a good one, though he ended by taking fish in the margins.

 My fish went a bit heavier than I had thought - 43 lb 6 oz; and next to weigh, round the corner sheltered by the island, was Dave Garner - last with 10 lb 4 oz, which must be the first time he's ever come last.

After that every swim had a lovely little wave on it, though the wind had been very difficult for the pole anglers. Shaun Buddle on 20 hadn't fancied his peg, but I know it can produce in difficult conditions, and he made the most of it with 77 lb 6 oz for second spot. Next to him on 18 Allan Golightly found an early double-figure fish and added more from the margins for 59 lb 2 oz and third spot.

Allan Golightly had big fish, but not enough of them.

The winner used mussel!

Winner was Callum Judge, who was also on the Golden Peg, and who used mussel all day for109 lb 2 oz, taking most of his fish in the corner on his left. Well done Callum. He's used mussel to great effect since Peter Maskell first told me how good it can be about two years ago. I ended fourth, and I honestly think that was about as high as I could expect from the two pegs at the car park end.

Afterwards I realised that I should have tried a smaller bait at the end - perhaps just three maggots rather than eight, as the fish were still very finicky. Or mussel might have taken an inquisitive fish or two simply because it was slow-sinking and different.

Next match probably Sunday, on Six-Island in John Garner's invitational match. Just put me in the wind!!

Callum Judge - match winner and on the Golden Peg.

THE RESULT

12 John Smith               30 lb 5 oz
13 Peter Spriggs            29 lb 1 oz
14 Dave Hobbs             23 lb 10 oz
15 Callum Judge         109 lb 2 oz        1st
17 Kevin Lee                25 lb 15 oz
18 Allan Golightly        59 lb 2 oz          3rd
20 Shaun Buddle          77 lb 6 oz         2nd
21 Mel Lutkin               21 lb 11 oz
22 Dave Garner            10 lb 4 oz
24 Mac Campbell         43 lb 6 oz         4th
25 Dick Warrener         23 lb 14 oz

Things are coming together on Oak, Decoy

 Peg 11, Thursday, May 18
My 96-year-old grandmother started walking 10 kilometres a day a fortnight ago. I think that's marvellous at her age.

She is probably about halfway to Torquay by now...

Oh, I am feeling whimsical after a match which ended well for me. Fifteen of us started in the cold Southerly wind for this Spratts match, and I had to put on my Goretex jacket. But I made an interesting discovery on peg 11, which was in the area I would have picked, though I favoured the Eastern bank opposite. As I plumbed out to 13 metres the water became deeper, especially to my right.

Now on the four strip lakes at Decoy the deepest water is always close in, with it getting slightly shallower as you plumb out. But on this occasion is was definitely suddenly almost a foot deeper once I got well out, which could explain why this area - approximately 9 to 11 and opposite on 20 to 22 - often fishes well, especially in Winter.

The day started cold, so I went out long to try to find the ripple. 

One fish on banded pellet

So of course I started out there on a 6mm banded pellet, flicking casters to my left margin in the right-to-left Southerly wind. I started to get liners almost immediately and eventually hooked, and landed a 10 lb mirror carp, which was foulhooked. No more fish came from there, but Wendy on peg 21 landed a couple of early carp on her feeder.

Fish were occasionally breaking the surface so I tried a banded caster fished shallow out on the long pole. Again I managed to catapult casters out with my left hand while holding the pole with my right arm (something I have previously found very difficult) but in 20 minutes I never had a touch, so I gave this up and came in to the deep water out on a top two.

Another on corn
Again, some tiny bites were forthcoming  on corn and half an hour later another ten-pounder came in. But things didn't seem right, and I had a look in the left margin earlier than I had intended to after seeing some whirls made by fish under the surface. The water about a metre from the bank was less than 18 inches deep, so I went  out another metre, in about two-and-a-half feet.

Wendy Bedford, fishing peg 21, had a couple of fish early
on her feeder. Brother-in-law Joe, though, beat her by 10 lb.

Two on caster
Sure enough four casters on the hook took two good fish. Then back to the top two with corn over hemp and a big fish was hooked. I didn't see it for about two minutes, but using the technique Ben Townsend taught me last year I had it in the net soon after that - all 15 lb of it! Spratts fish to a 50 lb limit, so I put it in my second net.

The match was now halfway through and the weather was definitely warmer, so I took off the Goretex jacket and a fleece, and I was still warm. I hadn't seen much action around me, so I felt I was still in the mix.

More on dead maggots

But the bright sun and the light wind, not giving much ripple, seemed to put the fish down, and I started yet another swim with dead maggots in the right margin. Fish soon came in, and were stirring mud up next to the bank. Inevitably I was tempted to try there, but soon logic prevailed and I went out to the slightly deeper water. Over the years I've wasted hour after hour trying to catch those fish I could see waving their tails at me close in, and it's never worked properly. I've ALWAYS eventually gone out deeper and caught them, though usually too late..

Mick Rammfound 40 lb 14 oz from peg 18 on the opposite bank.

Immediately I had fish on eight dead reds, which came in quickly (the fish, not the maggots) on one of my new short tops, and Matrix 16-18 elastic. And they were all good fish - smallest 6 lb, one of 8 lb and others around 10 lb. I kept switching to the left margin, which I produced one more fish, and also to the top-two swim, where double corn took three or four.

Once I hit a really big fish which drifted lazily to the surface as I hooked it, and I could see it was around 15 lb, hooked in the mouth as I could see my corn on the outside of its lip. It must have been a vey light hookhold, though, as seconds later the fish came off.

A good last 20 minutes
A quick look in the right shallow margin brought another big fish foulhooked, about 10 lb, so I never tried that close to the bank again. Then with 25 minutes left I had used three nets and had to walk up to the van for a fourth (I have been taking only three nets the last few months, but have now put four in the bag). Around this time Dave Hobbs, to my right, landed two or three fish, but I wasn't sure how many he had had earlier.

I sat down again with 20 minutes to go and in that time hooked three more big fish on a bunch of dead maggots, over dead reds and hemp, landing the last one literally seconds after the match ended, giving me a total of 16.

Trevor Cousins - big fish in his 54 lb 5 oz.

I had tried cat meat once, without getting a bite, and didn't put mussel on the hook, even though I had some with me, because I felt that I was doing OK as I was. In fact most of the fish took the bait within about 20 seconds of it hitting bottom, and sometimes as it hit bottom. I found that fishing just touching bottom was best, and some came as I pulled the bait along.

Not a lot of bait
Altogether I got through a tin of hemp, a tin of corn, half a pint of casters loose-fed, and about a pint of dead maggots. I again got the impression that casters not only attracted carp, but kept them in the swim for longer than other baits. And I was happy that I was getting the fish in more quickly than I used to. It's not a question of dragging them in, more a gentle persuasion. I wish it worked with my wife!!

The weigh-in
Weights were quite low in the early pegs, with Trevor Cousins leading down to me with 54 lb 5 oz on peg 5. My 16 fish went 150 lb 4 oz. Opposite, Martin Parker broke the 100 lb mark with 109 lb 1 oz on peg 24, with most of his fish coming close in near the platform to his left. And Peter Harrison on 28, who started with cat meat at 11 metres and then came in to the margin with maggots, ended with 128 lb 1 oz, leaving me as the very happy winner.

Me with four fish for 40 lb-plus. My16 fish averaged over 9 lb 6 oz.

Martin Parker - third with 109 lb 1 oz. We will be travelling up
together to the Veterans National on Partridge Lakes, Warrington, in July.

Neil Paas, complete with Nottingham Forest cap,  did well to come fourth
 with 76 lb 8 oz from corner  peg 30, where the water was calm for much of the day.

Next match Sunday on Six-Islands, where we have pegs 12 to 25. The wind is forecast to be NE again, so it wouldn't surprise me if it is difficult. Pegs 12 round to 17 may have the most ripple, so that's my pick.

THE RESULT

                            East bank                                                                       West bank

30 Neil Paas                76 lb 8 oz        4th   

28 Peter Harrison     128 lb 15 oz       2nd                          3 Dick Warrener       19 lb 14 oz

26 John Smith            40 lb 6 oz                                          5 Trevor Cousins      54 lb 5 oz

24 Martin Parker      109 lb 1 oz        3rd                            7 Peter Spriggs         34 lb 8 oz

22 Shaun Buddle        31 lb 8 oz                                         9 Dave Hobbs           47 lb 5 oz

21 Wendy Bedford     30 lb                                                11 Mac Campbell     150 lb 4 oz       1st

18 Mick Ramm          40 lb 14 oz                                      13 Bob Allen               57 lb 7 oz

16 Joe Bedford          40 lb 3 oz                                        15 Bob Barrett            37 lb 1 oz         

                                     

The weather is such a tease, even in May...

 

Peg 8, Crow, Sat, May 13
What a difference a wind makes! During the week I'd had 90 minutes fishing Crow lake, at Rookery Farm Fishery, Pidley, just a 20-minute ride from my house, and had had fish after fish on peg 16, on four different rigs and three different baits, practicing for this Fenland Rods match. But that was in a warm Southerly wind, blowing towards the high numbers, while for this match the wind was Northerly and COLD. So cold at one time I had trouble putting a pellet in the band, even with a bander.

IF I HAD REMEMBERED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF MY SWIM IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE

Bad start
I'd started on  pole and 6mm banded pellet at 11.5 metres because with a slight back wind the best ripple was well out. But after an hour I'd not had a fish, while Martin Parker on my left had had three feedering to the far bank with a big old Method feeder. However I had had a lot of touches, so I was sure that the fish were coming to the few 6mm pellets I had been introducing with a small cad pot.

I carried on for a little longer, while the wind swung so it was straight down the lake, left to right, towards the low numbers, and in fact I managed three small F1s, but Martin had had a couple more better fish, so I put on a hybrid feeder and a wafter. Casting short of the far bank brought nothing at all, but getting to within a foot or so, right on the mudline, brought liner after liner, but no fish. I couldn't see anyone to my left catching anything, and in fact Dick Warrener on 11 told me that he hadn't had a single fish.

Fish close in

Great to see Matthew Lutkin, who used to fish all our
matches until he went to university and then became a solicitor.

So it was back on the pole, and after three hours I was languishing with just five small F1s.A look on the edge of the shelf, on roughly 2+1, with luncheon meat, brought a 2 lb mirror first drop, but then nothing. A switch to the left on a top two, about 18 inches deep, also brought a fish first drop, about 4 lb, but then nothing. I was surprised that the fish were so close in, considering the temperature, but I alternated between the two, and with 90 minutes to go I had probably12 fish, mainly F1s, while Martin had a similar number, but I thought they were considerably bigger than mine.

The last 90 minutes saw me also try close in to the right, about 18 inches deep, and suddenly I found that if I could JUST touch bottom I would get a bite by lifting the rig two inches and allowing the bait to drop. Martin was catching more than me, however, and I estimated he had at least 20 fish.

My fish get bigger
My fish, however, started to get bigger - not the ones in my net (!) but the ones I was catching. A five-pounder than a six-pounder, and others slightly smaller, all on two 4mm cubes of luncheon meat. Corn didn't seem right. With a minutes to go I had 18 fish, and was flying, and then hooked a better one. The match ended and Dick called out, about five minutes later, that I should stop fishing. I was grateful for the advice, because I don't always hear the start and end of matches, but it was difficult for me as a ten-pounder was still stretching my elastic...

My last fish, landed five minutes after the match ended.

It was a happy ending, though, as it eventually ended in my net - a lovely common. But Martin had absolutely slaughtered me and said he had also ended on luncheon meat, and I kicked myself because I had actually swapped the band on my feeder rig for a quickstop, intending to do the same. I then wished I had done so.

 I estimated I had 40 lb-plus, while Martin must have had at least double that on his feeder.

The weigh-in
Peter Spriggs, on peg 3, who had 85 lb 8 oz, mainly on cat meat on a pole on 2+2 on the the edge of the marginal shelf, before the water dropped down another couple of feet. Dave Garner on 5, fishing his usual waggler, ended with 73 lb 6 oz, and my fish went 65 lb 7 oz, much more than I had estimated. But we used the fishery-required three nets, splitting the fish, so I didn't have to click them. and I had been concentrating on just catching 'em.

Dave Garner - second with 73 lb 6 oz. on a waggler.

A surprise

Then - a massive surprise. Martin did, indeed, have more fish than me, but they were much smaller than I had assumed, and he weighed in just 47 lb 9 oz. From then on everyone had struggled, down to Callum judge on end peg 24, who had tried casting to the end bank, but had not had a bite there. His fish came mainly from the far bank. So the windy end of the lake fished best, and I ended third. That last-minute fish didn't actually help me, but I enjoyed catching it, as the fish had just started to really feed. 

I felt I had scrapped around OK, but should definitely have tried the meat, and tried close-in, earlier, and should have had more confidence in cat meat, even in the cold. Next match Thursday on Oak at Decoy, My choice would be on the Eastern bank, which has more shallow areas, around peg 21, thank you very much.

Callum was top in a line of 11 anglers from end peg 24.

THE RESULT

I demonstrate my Degree in Stupidity on Willows, Decoy

Peg 4, Willows, Wed, May 10

A West wind with heavy rain later was forecast for this 14-entry Spratts match on Willows, Decoy, and both were wrong! What little wind there was certainly started sort of West, then turned Northerly, and ended from the South. But with bright sun for the first few hours fishing in the almost-flat-calm was difficult.

Bright sun and calm water - but look at that lovely ripple in the distance!

Peter Harrison picked the favourite peg 1, but I fancied my peg 4, because of a lovely tree stump in my left margin, which screamed 'fish.' I had read my blog for the last time I fished Willows in warm weather, when I had had an early fish or two on a feeder, so that's how I started, and while I waited for bites I constantly catapulted out casters, hoping to catch shallow later. A fish took the yellow banded wafter on a hybrid with micros first cast - a 2 lb bream. Another followed, and a small F1, until I felt I simply has to try the tree stump.

That tree stump looked such an attractive spot...

First cast to the stump
First drop there with corn took another 2 lb bream, but then no more bites, which seemed very strange. A look in the right margin didn't produce, and although the water in this part of the lake was flat calm I felt I had to have a look shallow with banded caster. So I went out on 13 metres, and although the float kept going under, and I varied the depth from 12 to 24 inches, I took just one 10 oz ide. Most of the bites must have been roach, I think. To my right Peter Spriggs wasn't faring much better.

Another spell on the feeder for one fish meant that halfway through the match I had about 10 lb. I flicked a grain of corn at some carp which were cruising around near the bank, and as soon as the corn hit the water the fish usually scarpered. So I reluctantly abandoned the 'shallow with casters' plan and turned to a banded pellet fished on the bottom at 10 metres. Cupping in about eight 6mm pellets at a time brought F1s from 1 lb to 2 lb, steadily but not fast.

I'd forgotten to charge my phone, so I switched it off,
and by the time I'd started it up and was ready to
get Peter in action it was all over!

With about 25 lb in the net I switched to corn in the same swim, and probably shouldn't have done, because the bites were a little longer coming; but I was still catching the occasional fish. A short shower came in, but soon went and the sun did go in for short periods, but we never had much of a ripple along this bank until the last hour or so.

Into the right margin
I had put some hemp and corn in the right margin, in a cut-out close to the platform, and eventually saw some whirls in the surface there. So with about 25 minutes left, and with Peter now connecting with better carp in the margin, I staked everything on getting some bigger fish.

The first few drops with cat meat and corn produced just some annoying dips of the float which looked like roach, but I was sure they were better fish. Then, at last, I hit a really  big fish on corn. It stretched the orange 20 elastic well out, and I was confident of landing it, until I realised it was slowly battling its way towards that stump on my left. Stupidly I hadn't got the next section ready to put on, and the fish was pulling so hard I couldn't reach for it.

Disaster
Horrified, I watched the elastic turn towards the bank and everything went solid. I put on as much pressure as I dared and I felt the fish coming back out, but something was rasping against the line. It came a long way out, but the snag must have been a branch well out in the water, because the rig just wouldn't come free. Then it broke!

Four minutes left and I picked up one of the other rigs I'd used and put on a piece of cat meat from the tin I had kept in a cool bag, with an ice pack, until I had opened it. I dropped back into the swim and threw in a few cubes of that cat meat...only to see it float! My piece was sinking, thanks to the weight of the hook, but very slowly, and I now had no confidence in it. So I swapped it for a piece of mussel, as I knew that would sink normally. The other half of that mussel followed my bait in.

We all watch the weighing, by which time, thankfully,
 the late shower at the end of the match had stopped. 

...and again
Seconds later the float shot down and I was attached to another big fish. Now if there was a category on Eggheads for Stupidity I reckon I would get all the questions correct, as I have a degree in it. AGAIN I had not got my extra sections ready, and for 30 seconds I held on, with teeth gritted, hoping the fish would go out in front of me so I could jam the top two (short top and Number three) into the three sections lying on the rollers behind me. It never happened...

'Crack', the line, which I had realised was only about 6 lb, instead of my more usual 10 lb margin line, broke, and my last chance of beating Peter went with it. End of match.

I made the right choice to come into the margins for the last half-hour (probably should have done it a little earlier), but quite simply I cocked it up.

Peter Harrison, the winner with 122 lb 1 oz from Peg 1.

The weigh in
Peter Harrison was top from peg 1 with 122 lb 1 oz, with Trevor Cousins second with 105 lb 9 oz from peg 20, half of which was taken mugging. Trevor is so good at that, though he did say that there was a lot of floating rubbish around, which may, perhaps, have made the carp less suspicious. Either way, that was a very good performance in my book. I wish I could do it.

I admitted to 40 lb, which turned out to be 51 lb 4 oz for eighth spot, with Peter next door weighing in 63 lb 9 oz, about 15 lb of which was taken in the last 30 minutes or so. The floating cat meat was a surprise, as it was Vitacat meat - I never buy fish because it so often floats. Looks like I will have to check the tins before I leave the house.

Biggest fish was probably this one, to Wendy Bedford.
Joe, her brother-in-law, watches in the background.

Second man Trevor mugged half his fish.

Next match Saturday on Crow, at Pidley, when the wind is forecast to be NNE, blowing into the low numbers. The favoured pegs tend to be from about 16 to 25; but I am really looking forward to it wherever I get pegged, as Rookery Farm Fishery is always a pleasure to fish - great, safe platforms on the bank, and a brilliant tackle shop and cafe.

                            THE RESULT

1 Peter Harrison          122 lb 1 oz            1st
2 Mike Rawson                DNW 
4 Mac Campbell           51 lb 4 oz
5 Peter Spriggs             63 lb 9 oz
7 Bob Barrett                    DNW

8 Dave Hobbs               73 lb 4 oz              4th 

10 John Garner             58 lb 14 oz

11 Wendy Bedford        26 lb 8 oz

13 Joe Bedford             12 lb 9 oz

15 Bob Allen                68 lb 7 oz 

16 Mick Ramm            17 lb 10 oz

18 Shaun Buddle         31 lb 13 oz

20 Trevor Cousins     105 lb 9 oz            2nd

22 Neil Paas                73 lb 15 oz           3rd

The weigh sheet, with an important announcement from the recorder Bob Allen!