A better result than I dared hope for - Cedar, Decoy

NOTE: The template from blogger.com has altered and I've found it difficult to position text and pictures. Hopefully, in the fullness of time, all will be well. (But I wouldn't hold your breath!)

Peg 20

Thirteen of us fished this Fenland Rods Waggler-only match, on pegs 14 to 26, the Eastern bank of this strip lake.  

 I was not looking forward to the match, as I hardly ever fish waggler now - this would be only the fourth time in the last four years - all of them in this annual event. The rule is that it was rod-and-line only, all floats to be fixed at the bottom only, and the vote on the morning was for pole cups to be banned, so all bait had to be out in by hand or catapult. But several of the others regularly fish the waggler, so I knew I was outclassed. Peter Spriggs, fishing as a guest, was in my court - he actually bought a waggler especially for this match, as he hadn't got a suitable one.

The wind stayed at roughly the same strength all day, setting
up a good undertow which enabled me to search my swims.

I would have picked the higher numbers, given a chance, but my platform was nice and level with the bank, and the margins looked fine, so I was happy with peg 20. The hot favourite was obviously Dave Garner, former club champion, who only ever fishes a waggler, and he was on 15, next to the corner, and was on the smaller Golden Peg (we stop when £100 is reached, and start another).

The wind was North-Easterly, over our back from the right, and I had three rods made up. One was a heavy Power Waggler which I didn't actually use. The others were a short Pellet Waggler, and a light Method Feeder rod. This was the one I started on; after catapulting corn out towards the middle I dropped in the side with a very light long-stemmed antenna float baited with corn.

Dick Warriner with a fish typical of what we were 
all catching on the day. And boy, did they fight!

Stupidly I started baiting to my left, only to soon realise that there was an undertow to the right, so I sort of kept moving the baited area that way. Twenty minutes saw just one dip of the float which I missed (probably a liner) and I went out on the longer line. This was with a 3-Swan Ivan Marks waggler, and it flew out with no trouble at all, the bulk easily picking up the undertow and slowly moving the bait into the wind. But 20 minutes later all I had had was some liners, caused by fish near the surface hitting the sunk line.

Still fishless after 90 minutes
A change to using a proper pellet waggler was called for and I started catapulting 6mm pellets out, and baited with a banded 6mm pellet. I fished hard for three-quarters of an hour and had two or three missed bites, probably liners, and just one hooked fish which came off. Things didn't seem right - I had fished all depths from 12 inches down to the full depth. Ninety minutes had gone and I was fishless, but Dick, on my left, had two carp fishing well out with cat meat.

Banded pellet takes fish
So I changed back to the big waggler, baited with a banded pellet (something I rarely use), and eventually took two carp of 3 lb and 5 lb. Then a lull, and Dick took two more - I was behind again. A change to a 6mm expander brought a fish of 7 lb and another. Then a piece of cat meat brought one more - about 8 lb. But when I looked on my clicker it said 14 lb, and I was sure I'd forgotten to click one, and couldn't remember how big it was.

Halfway though the match,and I had another look inside, with corn, intending to use the third rod at about five metres with cat meat as my final throw of the dice. The deepest part of the swim was about six feet from the bank, and the undertow was most pronounced here. Fish slowly started to come on this inside line to corn - good fish from 6 lb to 10 lb-plus. Some came in quite quickly, but others screamed off taking line, and one went dangerously close to Dick's swim, so he lifted out his rig for a minute. Later in the match I was able to repay the compliment, when he shouted to warn me of a probably foulhooker close to me.

I start to catch fish
I was starting to make up ground on Dick, and Allan, to my right, but playing these fish on the short, light feeder rod, was murder - my arm ached and my back hurt terribly. Hooking fish at distance, which is what you'd normally do with a feeder rod, means that by the time they approach your bank they have probably used a lot of energy; hooking them under the rod tip often means they are fresh, and make a dash for the margins.

Allan Golightly in action on Peg 19. The North-Easterly wind had a little bite to it.

In addition with a pole I can hold the pole steady and let the elastic keep in contact with the fish and do the playing for me. With a rod you have to keep adjusting the pressure all the time. And I really needed one with more backbone - at times the rod was bent double. Anyway, I found it hard work.

 My routine now, as I had only one swim on the go, was to throw in two handfulls of 6mm pellet, wait until they had sunk, then follow it up with half-a-dozen grains of corn, and immediately drop my rig in over the top.

Allan Golightly with a cracking common.

I get a tangle

At one point the float somehow got into a tangle and I had to cut the line and re-tie it below the float, using a double grinner, which never lets me down, though in the wind it was a bit dodgy tying it. Now the rig had a knot above the float when I had tied on the rig; another knot under the float; and two loops because I was using one of the Guru ready-whipped hooks. 

Kevin Lee struggled in corner peg 14.

As I was playing the next fish I was so worried about something giving that I promised myself I'd re-tie the whole rig. But when it held I decided to keep using it - so may times you can re-make a rig exactly, and then regret it because it doesn't work.

Memories of Ireland 
I remember fishing the Sealink Classic at Trory, on Loch Erne, and having an absolute field day taking bream on a big waggler cast into the wind from one of the stone-built piers on the loch. I was probably easily leading the section with 20 lb after an hour, and while I was unhooking a bream the head wind blew the float into a crevice in the stones and I couldn't get it out. I had to put on another float, and re-shot it...and never had another fish! Lesson learned.

The knots hold!
Back to Cedar, and the fish kept coming (and still the rig held) and I stopped the first net at 38 lb, making an allowance for the fish I thought I'd missed. I had only five in my second net for almost 50 lb and started on the third net with about 80 minutes to go. Three or four fish came quickly, and with half-an-hour left I thought I would need a fourth net. I had one on cat meat, but the rest on corn, which I felt they were taking better. But suddenly they seemed to leave. 

I had had to keep experimenting with the shotting and depth all day - sometimes putting all the shot under the float, sometimes just touching bottom, and at other times laying on several inches. Now, with ten minutes left, I put the rig at least a foot overdepth, with shot just off bottom, and first drop in I left the rig start to drag the bait, and the float dragged under.

John Smith's biggest fish was the biggest caught 
by a club member this season - 14 lb 15 oz.

A big fish shot out, making the reel clutch scream, then it flew back to the margins, where I had a job holding it out. When the match ended ten minutes later I was still playing it. Ten minutes after that it came in, and my back was killing me. It was a big mirror - my best fish of the day - and we later weighed it at 13 lb 13 oz.

The weigh-in
I missed the first weighs, as I was even later packing up than usual, thanks to the big fish. But I was amazed when Rob Allan, two to my left, who I had seen landing two or three fish, weighed in only 33 lb. Then Dick, who had been beating me at the start, weighed 44 lb. I had been concentrating on my own swim, but had assumed he would have had quite a lot more, as he had started so well.

Top weight was Mel in the corner, peg 26, with 86 lb 1 oz, but I was sure I had more than that, and estimated I had 40 lb-plus in each net. That was correct - all around 45 lb, and I totalled 135 lb 4 oz.

Now down to Allan Golightly, and as I had seen him land about four big fish I thought he might, also, have a big weight. Not really - he weighed 39 lb 9 oz, but John Smith, on the next peg, had 94 lb 2 oz. 

Apparently Dave Garner had fish fight from the off, fishing well out with cat meat or paste, and he smashed it with 171 lb 10 oz for a marvellous win. Like me, Kev Lee in the corner had a bad start with just one tench in the first hour, and totalled 72 lb 13 oz for fifth, leaving me as runner-up.

Winner Dave Garner - 171 lb 10 oz.

And he had lots like this...

Final thoughts
I was might pleased to get second. I really had entered with no confidence at all, but once I had the big waggler sitting pretty out there at 20 metres I felt quite at home. However, not being able to use pole cups to bait made me realise just how accurate these are. 

A mixed bag of results...but Dave Garner dominated yet again.

And in the end I felt I had done right to concentrate on presentation on the inside line, where I could bait accurately. I could do with a strong, light, waggler rod. The pellet waggler was OK, but it's a bit short. I've still got a match waggler rod at home, but that was never meant to handle big carp. 

Next match on Beastie on Thursday - but the forecast is for things to get colder on Wednesday night, and I was told that 32 lb won the match there Sunday. So I am looking at using maggot and worm, and fishing as though it's Winter.

Cold and hard on Willows, Decoy

Peg 16

Fifteen of us fished this Spratts mid-week match, from 15 to 35, and I fancied any of the following pegs which were included – 15, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31, 13, 34 and 35, with 25 the best-known flier on the complex.

With just two pegs to be drawn and John Smith and myself still waiting, peg 25 was still in the bag, together with 16. Then: “Mac Campbell, 16!”

I didn’t fancy it, largely because it’s next to 15 (as you would imagine) which is a well-known peg on Willows. Still, I had a job to do, and I know, from speaking to anglers after matches, that more often than not they catch on peg 16 fishing down the track, at about 8 metres.

Sixteen metres wide, but the wind was too strong to fish that length.

A run-away trolley

First setback was coming down the bank with my loaded trolley. It’s fairly steep, and although I aimed it across the path it ran away from me, with me still hanging on to the handles, hit the far edge of the path, swung back, and turned over, spilling everything onto the grass. I was still running behind it and somehow managed to run past my box on the ground, round the rest of the stuff, missing the trolley itself, and keep on my feet. I managed to avoid falling over and,  with the lake looming, ran in a graceful ark along the edge of the water, towards an astonished Peter Barnes sitting on Peg 13, and finished still on my feet.

Trevor, next to me, found barbel on a feeder.

Looking back I was very lucky not to at least trip and break an arm or leg. But the only damaged transpired after I got home – a strap holding the battery in has broken.

So it was down to Peg 16, with a North-easterly blowing in from the front right. I was horrified to find that I had left all my expander pellets behind, so concentrated on corn, at two-plus-three with a 0.5 gram Drennan Tuff-Eye float. Within a minute of the match starting Peter Spriggs, to my right on 22, was playing a near-double-figure fish, and Trevor on my right on 18, had a small fish first drop.

Martin Parker on my left on 15 also started well, with several reasonable fish in the first hour.

A terrible start

But I couldn’t find anything and a look in the margins with maggot brought me just three small perch. However, once a ripple appeared I did manage to catch a fish an F1 about 1lb, and a 3 lb common. Trevor hadn’t had much else on a pole and after seeing Terry Tribe on 20 catch on a feeder he also put one up, casting to the far bank.

Peter The Paste weighed in 20 lb 15 oz after
 landing that big carp in the first two minutes!

From then on to the end of the match he kept hooking the occasional barbel there, and I had the occasional 1 lb F1 – about one every ten minutes. A look out to 13 metres kept me about three metres short of the far bank, but I had four or five F1s there, all around 1 lb. If the wind had dropped a little I would have gone back to the van and used the extra extrension to 14.5 metres, which would probably have been better.

I was now getting indications on every cast, but they rarely developed into a proper bite, and the only fish I hit were after I had waited for at least three seconds after the float disappeared before striking. I used all sorts of shotting patterns, even to the extent of putting shot on the bottom and laying on ten inches, but the hit rate didn’t improve. I had to drag the bait along to get a bite of any sort. I definitely now had the impression that it was a difficult day for everybody, and that a quick switch overnight to the North-Easterly wind was probably the main cause.

 Accuracy was a 'must'

Ted (92) with his biggest carp,
taken on a feeder down the edge.  

I alternated between the two swims, putting in about 8 grains of corn at a time in a tosspot. I had to get the bait right over the loose feed to get a bite. At around 2pm the wind started to get really cold, and it was like fishing in Winter. I decided to carry on putting fish in the net rather than try a feeder, but Martin had a very good last half hour, adding about three more good fish. I tried cat meat, but never had a knock.

Last-minute change works wonders

The last half hour had brought me only one fish, and I had about 25 in total. Then with three minutes left (I looked at my watch) and at a loss knowing what to do I decided to do what has brought me fish in the winter previously...why didn’t I think of it before???

I pushed my bulk shot down to within about four inches of the hook. I dropped it back and 15 seconds later the float went under and I hit another 1 lb F1. Drop in again – and another fish straight away. And the match ended. I am convinced that if I’d done that earlier I would have had a lot more fish. I don’t know why it worked, but it certainly did.

 

John Garner's third-placed catch was only
 1 oz behind Trevor Cousins' runner-up catch.

The weigh-in

Round the back of the lake, from 27 onwards, the anglers had back wind and it felt ten degrees warmer. Alan Porter on 35 was first to weigh, with 42 lb 9 oz, but Peter Harrison on 34 had 68 lb 10 oz, which in fact won. When I asked him what bait he’d used he said; “Everything I had with me.” Next was DNW Rawson, and then John Garner on 48 lb 13 oz for third.

John has a million-to-one incident On 25 John Smith had had a rotten day – the wind here was  very cold and stiff, and a freak occurrence took  place. He was fishing a waggler, cast over his right shoulder, and at that moment a gust of wind blew the line behind his ear, hooking his hearing aid and pulling it out of his ear. It carried on, described a lovely dive into the lake about eight metres out, and disappeared – apparently hearing aids can’t swim. Obviously that unsettled John – as it would me, if that had happened to me - but he stuck it out to the end. I said: HE STUCK IT OUT TO THE END. He totalled 36 lb 2 oz.

John (minus one hearing aid) with a barbel from Peg 25.

Round to Peter, who could add only 10 lb to his first big fish and weighed  20 lb 15 oz. Trevor weighed in 48 lb 14 oz for second, I totalled 36 lb 7 oz  (obviously my fish were all a little over 1 lb), and Martin on 15 was fourth with 43 lb 10 oz.

The winner - Peter Harrison with 68 lb 10 oz.

The result of a tight match.

I should have done better

So I ended sixth on a very difficult day, but if I’d made the switch earlier I am sure I could have done better. And I didn’t get any of the bonus carp or barbel that most of the others caught.

Next match on Cedar, which is a rod-and-line-waggler-only match. I’m not really set up for it, but will rig up a pellet waggler rod and one of my feeder rods. However, I don’t expect to do any good, as several of the others regularly fish waggler. Then next Thursday it’s Beastie, which I love as a match can be won anywhere, though I prefer some pegs more than others. Give me 18 and I will be happy.

Dave is on for the treble - Kingsland Small Carp Lake

 Superb service from a local garage meant that my poorly-sick little van is now healthy, with a new clutch, so I could fish this weekend after all, and 13 of us turned up for this Fenland Rods club match, on a near flat-calm lake with sun most of the day. There was actually a good South-Westerly breeze, but the trees around the lake meant we were sheltered from it, and there was no ripple.

Peg 1 was placed at the first corner, up to 7, then 8 and 9  on the end bank, with 10 to 16 down the North bank and 17 on its own. I wanted to avoid Peg 7, but fancied any of the three other corners, as I've always done well in them. In fact I realised after all our pegs had been drawn for us that they were all left out anyway, and Peg 2 wasn't drawn. That was fine with me as I though it made a more interesting match, with no obvious fliers.

First peg drawn for for Wendy, who took Peg 7. The one I didn't fancy. Then, eventually: "Mac Campbell"; and Peg 5 was drawn out of the bag. I had Dave Garner to the left, and Kev Lee to his left, so I would be able to watch them. Dick Warriner was on my right.

Almost flat calm. I would have liked a good, solid reed bed to fish to.

Although there was no ripple there was enough wind to blow over my back, and push the surface along. Not ideal for surface fishing, but I had some soaked expanders with me.

I had my main pole, and a spare, strong one about 40 years old, as there are some big fish here, and they are usually turbo-charged. Anyway, I was talking to Dick at the next swim when the shout went up to start the match, and by the time I had got back to my swim Dave was already playing a carp on his waggler! Perhaps they would be willing to feed...

A terrible start
I started out at about 8 metres, as Dave and Kev did, using corn or a 6mm expander, but had no bites. Yet Dave had more fish. A look inside brought me three 4 oz carp and, I remembered that when I had read my blog that this had happened before, and the bigger fish were a few feet farther out. I made the switch, which eventually brought a three-pounder. Almost an hour gone, and I was already 25 lb behind.

From that moment I stayed mainly near the margins, a few feet out,. and changed to cat meat, because I could see both Dave and Kev using it. And in the next hour I managed more bites, and about three fish. Gradually things got better, and halfway through the match I had about 35 lb. I had bite after bite on meat or corn  - most were liners, but even when I hooked a fish in the mouth I lost a load, which just came off. I know that some I lost were properly hooked as I had dropped a bait right into their mouths as they came for the floating expanders. Interestingly when I put on a worm I got nothing - not even liners. That proved to me that the liners were caused by fish interested in the bait.

Opposite I could see Tony slapping, and obviously looking for fish near the surface (floating baits are allowed here), but I didn't see him catching much. We have a club rule of 50 lb maximum, and Dave picked up his third net when I had just one fish in my second net. 

Dave ploughed ahead of us all
From then on Dave kept catching fish, and as the afternoon wore on Kev seemed to increase his catch rate. And although I was still landing some fish - and still losing lots - with the best around 7 lb. Dick on my right also seemed to be thrashing me, and I was clearly out of the running, barring a miracle. Two fish broke me - I played them for a minute or two, and then they suddenly charged off. I changed to using the old, stiff pole, which seemed a little better, but then a fish did the same thing on that one!

Dave Garner, fishing his favourite waggler, ended with five nets and a winning 218 lb 15 oz.

The last hour saw sport get better and better, though I still had to feed before every fish. Dave got a fourth net, I got a third, and less than an hour later Dave fetched a fifth! My cat meat was somehow being knocked off the hook within a minute or so. Afterwards some anglers said that it was small carp doing it, but I don't think that was correct in my case as I never had a small fish after the first three. However, luncheon meat lasted longer on the hook, and I had a good spell on it.

A problem
The main nets at Kingsland are rectangular and you can get the large landing net inside; but the spare nets are round, and it's impossible to get the landing net inside. After twice spending a fair time gingerly persuading fish to roll out of the landing net into my third, round, net,  I went to my van and took out a small landing net I keep there as a spare. Then I could transfer the fish from the large one to the smaller one and empty it into the round net. That  landing net was dry and I haven't used it this season, so there was no possibility of contamination.

Dick had also now got four nets - he had to walk round the lake for his fourth, which lost him a few minutes. Then 15 minutes from the end he started to pack up, because he goes round with the scales. That probably cost him a place.

Dick  Warriner with his 134 lb 7 oz, for fourth place.

The weigh-in
Kevin on Peg 3 had four nets in use , but was over in three of them, and couldn't get a fifth as all the spares we had been given were used. His total was 196 lb 12 oz, and I was told he'd dropped about 20 lb.

Next was Dave Garner, who had a magnificent 218 lb 15 oz. Whether Kev would have had enough to beat him I'm not sure. I had estimated my first net at 42 lb, the second at 43 lb, and the last at possible 50 lb. In fact the last one went 56 lb-plus! The others were 49 lb 7 oz and 52 lb. My total was 149 lb 7 oz, with 8 lb-plus dropped.

I suspected that the loss of that 8 lb could make a difference when they weighed Dick. But in fact he totalled 134 lb 7 oz - it's probable  that losing time fetching a net and then packing up early cost him my third place.

Dave's magnificent treble
The opposite bank didn't produce as many fish, and Dave deservedly won. He has already been a winner in the Pairs match, and has won the Club Cup. If he wins the Club Championship, which he looks like doing with five wins and four seconds, he will have done something no-one else has ever done. 

The South bank dominated the weights.

Losing fish

I am fairly sure that of all the fish I lost - more than I landed - only two were foulhooked. Other anglers lost a lot, so I don't know what else I could have done. The only answer might have been to use weaker elastic, in the hope that the fish didn't react so much to being hooked. A lot were hooked on the outside of the lip, and John, Opposite, said that when he put on floating bread he could see fish coming to the bait and deliberately knocking it until it came off the hook.

I guess that's one of the great attractions of the sport - we'll never know everything.

PS. The system used for laying out these pages has just changed, so there my be annoying gaps until I get used to it.

Are the fish well fed-up? Decoy, Elm

 My van is poorly-sick, requiring a new clutch, so the angling world is missing my pathetic performances On The Bank. That reminds me that I haven't yet received an invitation to appear on that exulted programme, though I did see John Arthur catch a new Decoy record of 426 lb or something, last week in the UK Championships...perhaps I will wait a little longer for that telephone call.

So Spratts had to manage without me for their match on Elm, and it looks as if the constant inflow of feed from matches on the Strips at Decoy is having an effect, with much lower weights than on might expect in this period of settled weather.

Anyway, here's the result - won by Farmer Harrison in the corner on Peg 24 with 115 lb 9 oz taken on maggot and corn at 8 metres, with the best fish around 8 lb. Bob Barrett, who is having a good run, 

Personally I'd rather go to a match won with 100 lb that one where I have to catch 300 lb to win. But I worry a little for the fish.

Peter The Paste came in third, only one fish behind Bob with 93 lb 5 oz from close-in on Peg 9, with former Div 4 National Champion Terry tribe on 7 fourth with 86 lb 5 oz, also fishing close in, with paste and meat (probably not together).

The result. Good to see Ted (92) is back with us.

Unfortunately my little van will have to remain in hospital until next week, so I will be missing the Fenland Rods match on Kingsland Small Carp Lake (that's the lake which is small, not the carp) on Sunday. But I hope to be sitting listening to the wind on the Willows next Wednesday.

PS. Blogspot are changing the set-up of their blog pages, and as you can see, with some lines set in a little, I have not yet worked out how to master everything. It's typical - mending something that ain't broke. Not like my van, which is broke, and missing me...😞

Result on Cedar, Decoy

I couldn't fish this Spratts match, but I have the result, and surprisingly the West bank (1-13) completely dominated. Perhaps it was a cold Westerly that put those on the East bank at a disadvantage. I can't remember one bank ever dominating a match on the strip lakes like this.

The winner was Peter  Spriggs, on Peg 1, at the car Park end, who fished paste close in for 165 lb 6 oz. Bob Barrett on 7 fished the method that has brought him a lot of fish recently - a feeder close in - and was runner-up with 142 lb 5 oz.

Trevor Cousins was third on 11 with 140 lb 14 oz, fishing corn over micros close in, with Peter Harrison completing the framing places with 138 lb 13 oz, also fishing corn at top two plus two.
Here's the full result, in Peg order: 1 to 13 on West bank, with 14 back to 26 on East bank.

1 Peter Spriggs,      165 lb 6 oz
3 John Smith,           70 lb 3 oz
5 Peter Harrison    138 lb 13 oz
7 Bob Barrett,         142 lb 5 oz
9 S Engledow,           42 lb 4 oz
11 Trevor Cousins, 140 lb 14 oz
13 Mark Parnell,     137 lb 9 oz

14 Peter Barnes,         72 lb 7 oz
16 Mick Ramm,          31 lb 8 oz
18 Bob Allen,            40 lb 13 oz
20 Terry Tribe,           81 lb 13 oz
22 Martin Parker,           DNW
24 Mick Rawson,           DNW
26 A Porter,                 34 lb 4 oz.

Excitement in the wind - Six-Island, Decoy

Peg 22

Fourteen of us fished this Fenland Rods club match, with each of us choosing a peg to put in, as Six-Island Lake has 25 swims.

Mel draws for all of us, under the Covid rules.

The wind was a strong North-Westerly and I put in Peg 9, as it was the only one with a back wind which also allowed you to fish to a bank with the wind blowing on to it – the end bank. Callum Judge drew our names out of a bag, and Mel Lutkin drew our numbers. Dennis Sambridge drew 9 and wasn’t at all impressed with my choice!

I drew 22, chosen by secretary John Smith, and I wasn’t impressed either – only because I’ve fished it several times and can’t remember having a really good catch there. In previous years there has been a big bed of reeds in the margin to the left, which look fine. But in fact they have been floating, and constantly move a foot or two in any direction  if there’s a wind.

The pegs I fancied were from 4 to 9, as the wind was blowing down towards  that end of the lake. It was cool, with rain forecast, but they gave back wind.

When I got to Peg 22 the large reed bed had gone, giving me bare bank both sides, except that to my left at about eight metres there was a small reed bed. During the day it appeared that this, also, was floating, and moving around slightly.

I started by fishing to the reeds on the left, about four feet from the bank.

I forget my tin opener

First problem was that I had left my tin opener at home, and needed it to open my sweetcorn tins. I guessed that Dick Warriner might have one, as several years ago I remember lending him one. Luckily Dick was on 24, just round to my left and yes, he had one he could lend me.

I was so sure that I wouldn’t catch much that I put in only one keepnet. And instead of starting well out on pellet, as I normally would, I decided to put in maggot in case the cold wind had put fish off feeding. I had found a nice little flat section near the floating reeds, and first drop in with a bunch of five maggots  I fancied the float kicked a little. Around that time Mat on peg 18 netted a good fish and as it’s a noted swim and he’s a very good angler I thought I might be in for a bit of a beating. But at least it told me fish were willing to feed.

A fish early on!

Next drop in the float seemed to vanish (I was fishing it very sensitively with a fraction of an inch above the surface). More in hope than expectation I lifted the pole, and the elastic stretched as a big fish lumbered out to the island opposite the peg on my left.

That weighed around 10 lb, and was followed by a couple of small roach and then another fish about 5 lb. A good start. Meanwhile Dick on Peg 24 had two or three early fish and looked to be on for a big weight.

Wet but still smiling - Dick Warriner got me out of a hole
by lending me a tin opener. Otherwise I would have been
gnawing at the tins to try to open them! 

As an insurance I started putting pellets out just in front of me to my right as the wind was over my left shoulder. But I couldn’t fish there at the time as the sun was straight into my face when I faced that way. So I kept fishing to the reeds and every now and then I’d catch a carp – all were between 10 lb and 5 lb. So after two hours I had about 40 lb, with one or two on cat meat. I then put out two more keepnets. We have a club rule of 50 lb max, with the net disqualified if it’s 55 lb, so we have to err on the  low side of our estimates.

I change swims

After one fish I decided to drop the bait, on a top two, out in front of me, and within seconds I had a small knock and pricked something, probably foulhooked. From that moment I made that my main swim, and every 15 minutes I’d get a bite and possibly a good carp. And I changed to corn, as the fish seemed to want a dropping or moving bait rather than heavy cat meat. In fact at one time I moved all my shot up to my float and fish were taking the bait on the drop.

I had to put in bait before every fish – pellet, corn and hemp. The wind seemed, by now, top be a little warmer, but the rain had held off.

Fish from the margins

With two hours to go I wondered if fish would come into the really shallow water to my right, and first drop got a liner. Next drop and I was attached to a leaping 6 lb carp foulhooked in the fin. That finished in my keepnet, but no more came in the next five minutes, though I had it mind to try there again if I became desperate, as obviously fish were willing to move in there. So I decided to have a look in the left margin, on a top two, where the water was a little deeper.

The margins to my right were bare bank, and only a foot deep, but held fish.

That brought one or two fish, and one or two lost, obviously foulhooked as fish seemed to be off bottom, but would not feed there. They were coming down, and giving me lift bites.  I then alternated between that swim and the one on a top two in front of me. The smallest fish was 3 lb, and several were 7 lb-plus. Then the rain started – not heavy, but persistent, and the fish seemed to go off. 

With an hour to go I put in a fourth net and added about four more fish, around 4lb each. With five minutes to go I added one of about 10 lb, and with three minutes to go went out and promptly hooked a scale! In again, and yet another foulhooker came off. That actually cost me. Then the match finished, and I estimated I had about 150 lb, but had no idea how others had got on, except that Mike, to my right, had only about seven or eight fish.

The weigh in

When I got back to the van with my gear Peter Spriggs said that he had 128 lb and there were two around 160 lb So I guessed I hadn’t won.

The scales came round to Mat on 18, who in fact hadn’t emptied the lake – he weighed  57 lb 5 oz. But when the anglers saw I had four nets out there was a general excitement – because I had forgotten I was Golden Peg, with £100 at stake. Top weight was 160 lb 6 oz – from Peg 9, which I had chosen. Perhaps Dennis has changed his mind about that swim!

Dave Garner was only 6 oz behind Dennis, with Kev on 131 lb, which I was sure I could beat. So my weighs were watched with bated breath. First was 27 lb – the last net. Then 40 lb, 43 lb, and 47 lb – not enough to win; total 157 lb 12 oz, for third place. But just ONE more fish would have won me the match and the Golden Peg.

Still raining, but I had a photograph to take...and I do believe that's my winnings hovering top left!

What I did wrong

Apparently Dennis fished worm – I had worm with me and never put one on the hook. I do think that during those times when I knew fish were in the swim but would not feed worm might have taken the odd one. Also I didn’t try using corn skin, which would have sunk more slowly that a full grain. And neither did I try a bunch of maggots during the second half of the match as a change bait – it works so often.

But with five big weights from 4 round to 10 (where Kev sat in a facing wind) I was pleased to be top weight from the rest.

Next match probably in two weeks on Kingsland Small carp lake, where the fish are big.  Not sure what the rule is about net weights there as we have to use their nets, and in the past we have run out fishing to 50 lb per net.

My run ends at last - Magpie, Pidley

Peg 7

It had to happen, and in a 28-entry match like this – the Over 60s – the chances are that I wouldn’t pick up anything, after nine matches when I had. And that's what happened. But I wasn’t unhappy with Peg 7, as I’d had a quick pleasure session on it a few weeks earlier, and caught a few early in the day.

I had Chris Saunders, a regular at Pidley, on my left on 8. The wind was pretty strong, in from our right front, but I started in the margin, with luncheon meat, half expecting fish to be there at the start – I was wrong. In the first hour I saw Chris take one out at about four sections, so I went out to three sections with expander and nabbed two fish. With two hours gone I put in maggot and took three more, all around 4 lb, and at that point I was probably ahead of both Chris and Vic German, who was on my right on 6.

My home for the day - Peg 7. Most of my fish came from the corner
of the reeds on the left, fishing with the wind.

I start to fall behind

Chris then started finding fish, in the deep water, about five feet,  on cat meat, and so did I – just over the margins. But although I was getting odd touches I took a fish only about every 20 minutes. However, I could hear Chris landing fish more frequently. I tried right down beside the front of the platform area, where I had caught on the pleasure session, but never had a touch.

An important  summit meeting on Peg 6 before the match. Well, they
 must have been talking about summit important!

Eventually I had a look to the right, but it was difficult fishing into that wind, though I did get a liner. So I persevered near a bunch of reeds and eventually, on cat meat, a fish hooked itself – a beautiful 5 lb golden mirror.

Pete Holland, on Peg 3, led right round to Peg 23.

One more fish came from the right margin, and then a switch back to the left deep margin saw me lose a big fish, and then hook another about 4 lb, which I was playing when the match ended. Like some of the others this was hooked on the outside of the lip – they take some landing when that happens. In the last 40 minutes Vic, on my right, had a really good spell taking about six  fish from the margin right against the grass, and I knew he had overtaken me.

The weigh-in

I estimated I had about 15 fish, and that Chris had about 25. I fact he said he had 22. It had clearly been a difficult day for most, as I hadn’t seen many landed opposite, on the island. But I was surprised, even so, when my  54 lb 4 oz was last on the sheet, weighing from 1. Pete Holland was leading with 128 lb  from Peg 3.

Chris weighed 82 lb 12 oz, and was top weight round to Peg 23, where Roy Whincup took 127 lb for the win. Peg 26 was third and Peg 1 fourth, with Chris fifth.

The weighing at these matches is so efficient. This is Clive Cole on Peg 11.

As I had guessed, Vic German on my right had overtaken me with that last-hour spurt, ending with 63 lb. But I wasn’t too downhearted, as 7 wasn’t one of the particularly favoured pegs, and the others are nearly all regulars on this water, whereas I fish it only occasionally. I felt I hadn’t disgraced myself, and finished about halfway down the field.

Saturday sees me fish Decoy, on Six-Island, but the weather doesn’t look good – wet and windy. However, I don’t mind that. It means that some of the others are half beaten before they start, and that gives me incentive to try harder.

Twenty-eight fished...but two failed to turn up!