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.

+

Not my finest hour on Damson

Peg 7, Thursday, Nov 2
Although my local forecast internet site said that there was only a small chance of rain, and the wind wouldn't be really strong, the overall impression the other anglers in this Spratts match had was that it could get a bit nasty. So for once I kept it simple and didn't even take the feeder rods to my peg on Damson. In fact I took out only the top four sections, which is all you need on Damson most of the time.

Before the match some of us went up to Bob Barrett on peg 1, to see the fish in front of him, within inches of the bank. Shaun Buddle said that earlier he had seeen a lot of them, all over 2 lb, but it's not unusual on Damson, and we fully expected similar fish to come to our bait as soon as we started throwing it in - which they did.

I prepare to fail
BUT I admit I had failed to prepare, and the banded pellet rig I started on wasn't ideal. I'd used it on Willows, and just pushed the float down. However the rig was really a bit heavy, and the float too long. Still, I had some fish very quickly on a 6mm hard pellet; but the band had stretched and I had to put another pellet in it. In addition most of the fish were only 3 oz, with one about 1 lb

The wind started in the East and soon swung round to the North-West. It also became colder.

A sad story

To cut a long, sad, story short after a few minutes I had had enough of re-banding the pellets and picked up a 'normal' rig to fish with corn. The wind at that time was over our backs, and it was all quite nice. There were fish in among the reeds to my left, a metre from the bank, and in the next hour I had probably 25 lb of carp around 1 lb 8 oz.

Then they slowed up, and I went out a bit farther into three feet of water for another 15 lb. By now the wind had strengthened and came from the front right, making it very difficult to fish to the right; in any case the righthand side was very shallow indeed - only ten inches, a metre from the bank. 

Then came a very slow spell, with occasional fish hooked and lost - obviously foulhooked as I was lifting the rig out and would hook a fish off bottom. They all came off. But occasionally a better fish would take the corn, right against the reeds, and the best was 5 lb. Cat meat brought the odd fish, but corn stayed on better, as the fish were knocking the bait about.

A big one lost
Then I hooked a really big fish, which I briefly saw and estimated it to be perhaps 10 lb. I played it for three or four minutes (so probably foulhooked) before it came off. I know they do come off, but after that amount of time I had expected to land it. It came just as I had had two or three quick fish, and when I went back they had gone!

To my left Peter Spriggs was switching from inside to the deep water just over the ridge, and back, and taking fish steadily. Eventually, with about 45 minutes left, I put out the 1.5 gm rig into seven feet of water and started getting fish - probably six or seven around 2 lb each, before the match finished. I should have gone there earlier.

Trevor took every one of his fish shallow, on a 6mm banded pellet.

The weigh in

Bob Barrett on peg 1 had fished with a pole, which is unusual for him, and had 60 lb 11 oz, and Shaun on 3 had 76 lb 5 oz, which I didn't think I could beat.  The winner was Trevor Cousins, on 11, who told me he had fished shallow all day with a 6mm banded pellet, under the tree to his left, for 135 lb 8 oz. At that point I realised I should probably have picked out another banded rig when I discarded the first, but on Damson sometimes the window when the fish feed in the margins is so small. I remember Trevor catching 50 lb in the first hour of a six-hour match, and ending with 54lb!

But I am sure I would have done better with a shallow rig, as it works so often on Damson. Why didn't I try it again, as soon as the fish went off the corn rig? Another mistake was not putting on a slightly heavier rig in the margins when the wind got up, as presentation definitely became worse.

One explanation is that on these small platforms, because I have a back on my box, I can't just swivel round and walk off the back - I have to stand up and inch round my gear to get to anything out of a holdall. It means that often I don't change something when I should. 

Peter Harrison, on my right, was second with 98 lb 9 oz, after going over the 50 lb limit, which didn't affect the result, and Peter Spriggs was third on 92 lb 13 oz. Out of the seven I ended sixth with 72 lb 7 oz - but I had had an enjoyable day, and my local internet weather site was correct - the only rain we had was very light, just as we were packing up. And the wind wasn't bad at all.

But next time on Damson I will make sure I have a nice short-stemmed float ready on a banded rig, with a new band!

Marks out of 10 - 1 for turning up; 1 for staying to the end; 1 for catching some fish. Total 3.

Next match Sunday on Oak and Yew, pegged so we will have back wind, so Facebook informs me. Although catches of 100 lb were made in the week I wonder whether the prolonged rain we have had will have put the fish off. Bread is allowed from Nov 1 - will I remember to take some?

THE RESULT

1 Bob Barrett                60 lb 11 oz 
3 Shaun Buddle            76 lb 5 oz
5 Peter Spriggs             92 lb 13 oz      3rd
7 Mac Campbell          72 lb 7 oz
9 Peter Harrison          98 lb 9 oz        2nd
11 Trevor Cousins     135 lb 8 oz        1st
13 Dave Hobbs           90 lb 3 oz