Three Spring matches (Oak, Raven, Elm)

I've had a burglar - one of my mouse traps was nicked from my garage the other day. Two had been set beside each other; one was there and the other  was gone. Then all was revealed - it was under some shelving, and in its jaws was a dead mouse. But how the hell did it pull that trap two yards  when it was dead? I had a hell of a job to get it out from under the shelf - I had to half open the trap to pull it out. However I found another trap nearby which held a mouse which was VERY dead - I lost that trap last summer!! I have now invited all the remaining mice in my garage and shed to enjoy the surrounding countryside in the sunshine which has just appeared. Bye-bye meeces.

Peg 25, Raven, Pidley, Wed Mar 8

This was the Over 60s Open on Raven and Magpie, with my peg 25 towards the end where there are often good catches. The water was flat calm most of the time, and the poor light meant the float was not easy to see. I've fished Raven only about four times, and never yet won anything. Nothing was to change...

Flat calm at peg 25.

Like most I decided to start dobbing bread over the far side margin, but after an hour hadn't had a touch. I'd been right along the bank, with 14.5 metres plus a half butt, which enabled mt to rach some reeds to my right, which looked reasonably inviting. I managed to avoid hooking them, but the angler on my right hooked some opposite him, and I saw him pulling; no idea whether he had to break.

Pretty if the sun is shining, but it wasn't; it
remained murky all day.

First drop with maggots saw a bite and an 8 lb carp came in, after a long fight, foulhooked in the base of a pectoral fin! But I never had another touch, in the far margin, the near margin, or in the deep water close to my own bank. 

Ninety minutes from the end I tried the deep water towards the far bank, where it was about six feet deep, with maggot. This brought a 3 lb carp and three small F1s. I lost one 4 lb carp right over the net when the hook pinged out just as I was about to lift, and another fish came off just as the whistle went.

I weighed in 18 lb 3 oz which was about average on the lake, but won nothing. I will try the deep water earlier next time!

Raven 1-22

Raven 23-29

Magpie 1-22

Magpie 23-36

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Peg 8, Elm

Only a light wind for this match on Elm, Decoy, but what there was was quite cool. Twenty-one of us fished this JV club match, with half on Elm and half on Cedar. Opposite me Ernie Lowbridge was soon into fish on a pole - roach at first, so I assumed he was fishing maggot; and then a couple of bigger fish. I started on a feeder, but after half an hour went on to the pole.

The angler on my left had an early fish on pole.
What is that truck doing there? I assume the
owner had permission to take it down the bank!

I had a nice spell fo half an hour, with a big carp and then three or four F1s, also on maggot. Not much seemed to be caught on my bank, but my good early spell failed to continue and I spent the next couple of hours fishless. Two hours before the end another big carp came in, on maggot, but that was the last fish I had. 

Ernie included a couple of barbel from peg 18. They must be 15 years old.

Now that fish is a real bruiser!

To my right John Knights hooked a carp about 8 lb a couple of minutes before the end, landing it after the whistle. When we weighed in I found that that fish had beaten me - John had 31 lb 12 oz to my 26 lb 15 oz. Our lake was won by Adie (don't know his name) just to Ernie's left, on the opposite bank with 51 lb 10 oz.

John Knights' last carp, landed after the match finished. That fish beat me!

 Cedar fished a little better all-round, won yet again on peg 1, where Andy Mitchell had 102 lb. My next match was due to be on Sunday on Oak, which has not been fishing particularly well by Decoy's high standards, but I couldn't fish it. Result below.

 

ELM

CEDAR

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Here's the result on a Spratts match on Oak I couldn't fish. I see it was won yet again from peg 21, which has always been a favoured draw. Well done Peter Spriggs on winning there with 139 lb 9 oz - that's a great performance, especially at this time of year. I'm due to fish there on Sunday with JV - looks like it could be a good day. Guess which peg I'd like! If not 21, then corner pegs 15 or 16, or 30. Roy Whitwell did well there I see. But strangely peg 1, opposite, is not as good in Winter, and I see Martin Parker struggled there.