Peg 3, Cedar, Decoy
I was happy enough with peg 3 in this Fenland Rods match, until I cast out to clip up to the far bank, and realised it was all bare bank over there. I would rather have had reeds, giving cover to those big ole carp I was hoping to catch, but there you are...
I was happy enough with peg 3 in this Fenland Rods match, until I cast out to clip up to the far bank, and realised it was all bare bank over there. I would rather have had reeds, giving cover to those big ole carp I was hoping to catch, but there you are...
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| Martin Parker plays his first fish. The wind was cool and from the North, but later turned round a little to the East. |
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| About 8 lb, and into the net. That was Martin's biggest fish. |
Martin Parker on my left was casting to within inches of the reeds opposite him, and had a carp within the first hour; and Whitwell the Wizard on my right had a couple, I think, in the first two hours. I had nothing until I cast several metres away from the far bank, and caught a 2 lb-plus bream on an orange wafter. An hour or two later another bream came in, but Roy Whitwell had another two or three.
Nowt on the pole
A spell on the pole at about 10 metres using pellet saw not a bite for me, but Roy was now catching occasionally. In the deep margin two more bream came to my corn, and I lost a couple of big fish, possibly foulhooked, and had some liners I was sure were from carp. I wasted too much time there, and with a little over an hour to go, with just those four bream in the net, I tried the 10-metre swim again. To my amazement I had another bream, and then a carp of 8 lb.
A spell on the pole at about 10 metres using pellet saw not a bite for me, but Roy was now catching occasionally. In the deep margin two more bream came to my corn, and I lost a couple of big fish, possibly foulhooked, and had some liners I was sure were from carp. I wasted too much time there, and with a little over an hour to go, with just those four bream in the net, I tried the 10-metre swim again. To my amazement I had another bream, and then a carp of 8 lb.
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| Roy Whitwell had a slow start casting to the far-bank reeds, but caught better when he shortened his cast. |
The bites out at 10 metres were tiny, but more followed and I netted about four smaller carp and an F1. Meanwhile Roy had more carp, now casting often only halfway. I think he ended up using hard pellet in his hybrid feeder. But he had peg 1 vacant to his right, giving him plenty of water, and had been able to go a fair way towards the platform opposite on 26. I think he ended on the pole in the margins.
Almost last?
That last hour was by far my best and I wondered if they would have been there if I'd gone bacl onto the l9ine earlier. Martin had only the occasional fish in the second half. And I had no idea what any of the others had. I guessed I would probably be almost last, as Roy obviously had over 100 lb and I estimated mine at 30 lb.
That last hour was by far my best and I wondered if they would have been there if I'd gone bacl onto the l9ine earlier. Martin had only the occasional fish in the second half. And I had no idea what any of the others had. I guessed I would probably be almost last, as Roy obviously had over 100 lb and I estimated mine at 30 lb.
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| Carp in one of Roy Whitwell's three nets. |
Sure enough, Roy had 108 lb 7 oz, which easily won. The rumour was that Mike Rawson had caught an 18 lb carp. I weighed in 34 lb 6 oz, with Martin having just 15 lb 15 oz. Weights were much less than I had imagined, and that big carp by Mike weighed 12 lb 1 oz - funny how everbody else's seems bigger! It's now in the lead for the Biggest Fish cup we award at the end of our season. Callum Judge fishing on 13, in the corner, was second with 44 lb 12 oz.
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| Mike Rawson carefully picks out his best fish. |
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| Here it is - 12 lb 1 oz and heading our Big Fish trophy list. |
Marks out of ten
I can't blame myself for expecting to catch carp in the margin, as I am sure they were coming in at times. I was just pleased that I could spot those tiny bites out in the waves, and as a consolation for coming sixth out of 12 I won my four-peg section by default. I give myself 6/10.
I can't blame myself for expecting to catch carp in the margin, as I am sure they were coming in at times. I was just pleased that I could spot those tiny bites out in the waves, and as a consolation for coming sixth out of 12 I won my four-peg section by default. I give myself 6/10.
One thing I experienced was that the Sonubaits expanders that don't need pumping were not as nice to put on the hook as the Spotted Fin ones whhich I tried (pinching them underwater to get them to sink).
Next match is Saturday on Magpie, Pidley. I wonder whether I can catch shallow now that the water is a little warmer? Otherwise it's probably small cubes of luncheon meat.
Here's Monday's Spratts result from Beastie lake - I see weights are definitely picking up, and the carp appear to be moving all over the lake now (though those pegs from 22 to 24 seem to hold fish all year ropund). I had to miss this to play a bowls match. We played the league leaders, who have lost only three games out of nearly 30, losing by just two shots - a good result for my team. I have signed up for Summer bowls again - no leagues, we just draw for teams each time we play.
3 Dave Hobbs 67 lb 15 oz
4 Trevor Cousins 35 lb 4 oz
5 Roy Whitwell 84 lb 8 oz 5th
7 Rod Melnyk 17 lb 15 oz
13 Graham Ward 32 lb 9 oz
15 Neil Paas 48 lb 14 oz
17 Mick Ramm 9 lb 8 oz
18 Peter Spriggs 102 lb 12 oz 2nd
21 Mike Rawson 33 lb 13 oz
22 Bob Walker 37 lb 6 oz
23 Peter Harrison 140 lb 4 oz 1st
24 Kevin Lee 93 lb 11 oz 4th
29 John Garner 94 lb 13 oz 3rd
30 Bob Barrett 27 lb 13 oz
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