Two matches in glorious sunshine

 I've had the gremlins in, and am not a happy bunny. Spent an hour and a half writing this, adding pictures, and was just finishing when I lost the lot! Vanished. No idea how it happened, so here is a short version, with pictures.

Peg 1, Six-Island. Friday, Feb 28

Flat calm most of the day, with just a few clouds.

The Friday Old Codgers match on Horseshoe and Six-Island. It was the last day for using bread on Decoy, so I dobbed it in the deep water, at 13 metres and 14.5 metres, a foot off bottom for one big carp, and added a few roach later on maggot from the margin. Weighed in 11 lb 11 oz for a default section win.

Phil Stubley on peg 24

Phil Stubley caught one carp about halfway through, and another later, with a couple of roach, but didn't weigh. If he had he would probably have beaten me.

Ron Cuthbert in action late on, peg 22

Ron Cuthbert struggled for hours but eventually hooked three roach, two of which dropped off. The third he swung over the bank before taking his pole apart...and sure enough the one also fell off! On to the grass. Like a leopard Ron leapt off his box, snatched up the fish, and put it in his net, to avoid a blank. That was the most excitement I had in the middle of the match. Near the end his elastic stretched...and stretched...with a 2 lb barbel. End of match for him.

Gordon Parker, peg 3.

To my left Gordon Parker was blanking after about two hours, before putting a hybrid feeder and a wafter right across to the far bank. Normally that would not be possible because there would be anglers there, but not today, so Gordon took advantage, winning with 59 lb 1 oz, to win the lake. He never had a bite on the pole. Well done, Gordon.

Gordon - winner with 59 lb 1 oz.

Horseshoe

Six-Island result.

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Peg 3, Willows, Sunday, March 2

Calm at the start, with a little ripple later, and sun all day. I dobbed an F1 18 inches deep on two maggots in the first halfhour, and never had another doing it. Concentrated on the aerator to my left, and eventually had abut three roach, and then a 4 lb carp foulhooked in the tail.

My office for the day.

Peter Harrrison - winner of my
section with 23 lb 1 oz, all
taken on a long pole with maggot.

Concentrating there I picked up two or three F1s on maggot before going out to my second swim at 14 metres, were a single maggot up the shank of a size 16 picked up another small carp and another three F1s in the last 45 minutes. Weighed in 19 lb 5 oz, beaten by Peter Harrison for the section.

All together a lovely day in the sun - though I doubt if Chris Saunders agreed, and he packed up, having not caught much. As expected the better weights were in Deadmans Bay - 16 to 25.

Roy Whincup plays his first fish, an F1.

A very late 5 lb carp brought Roy's weight to 10 lb 10 oz.

Winner Dan Pettigrew, peg 24. He had
fish on a feeder until the last 90 minutes,
when he switched to a pole at 14 metres.
Final weight was 70 lb 2 oz. Sorry about
the picture - too much sun!!!

Pete Molesworth was second on 27, casting a Method feeder up between the islands. Not easy to cast and not easy to land fish. Well done to Dan and Peter (and the rest of us, 'cos the water is like ice.)

Best bit was when I twice saw a kingfisher - second time it sat on the aerator for a few seconds. Magic.

THE RESULT