I’m happy on Jay Lake, Pidley - Xmas Open

This was a Saturday Christmas Open fished by 38 on Jay, Magpie and Raven. I drew 47 on Jay, beside the bridge. It’s recognised as a good peg but I had never fished it. A few weeks ago I went and helped Alex weigh in a match on Jay, and it was noticeable that while a lot of fish of 3 lb upwards were weighed in, the fish from pegs 2 and 47, each side of the bridge, were smaller.

So when I took two 4 oz carp, on maggot, in the first two drop-ins at 11 metres over hear the aerator on the corner of the bridge I had the feeling that it might be better to keep catching these smaller fish than to look for  better ones. Strangely I could catch fish only on the bottom, and never had a single fish off bottom.

Magpie produced the biggest weights

,,,but Raven was most consistent

However, the fish came in fits and spurts – I would catch two, then cast around trying to find them and after a fruitless 20 minutes, when I was about to start another swim, I’d get another fish. So I basically kept fishing around the aerator and taking fish intermittently. Two better ones (probably around 2 lb) came off early on, and in fact I did try bread off bottom over on 14 metres next to the far-bank reeds, looking for 'proper' carp, but never had a bite. I had the feeling that there were plenty of fish in front of me, just not really interested in feeding. All came to maggot, though I did try pellet.

The first half of Jay.

Tree On!

A look in the margins and under the bridge also never brought any result. I estimated I had 10 lb to 12 lb by the end, but wasn’t sure how this compared with any of the others, as I couldn’t see them properly. Five minutes from the end I had hooked another good fish but soon realised it was foulhooked, and as it neared the net the hook pinged out and caught in the overhanging tree.

Before I could extricate the rig from the tree the shout went up to end the match. I considered immediately shouting “Tree On” but realised everyone was so far away they wouldn’t have heard me! I assumed someone would probably have near 100 lb on this lake, but honestly didn’t see how it could have come from my swim.

I fact I weighed 20 lb 9 oz, which beat four of the 13 on Jay, and considering the standard of angler –all of whom are regulars at Pidley, I was very satisfied. The angler to my right, on 41, seemed to be fishing long almost all day and I assumed he was finding fish on bread off bottom, but he couldn’t have had many as he weighed only 10 lb.

The second half of Jay.

Back at the cafe

Everybody went back to the cafe afterwards, where Alex had a table full of prizes- everbody got one, and the three lake winners had a hamper of food and goodies. Free tea was provided, together with Claire's special home-made mince pies, infused with port.

At that point I was able to see the weigh sheets. Magpie produced the best weights with peg 19 a bit of a surprise as it produced 115 lb 5 oz to Flip Flop - he wears sandals in all weathers (they breed 'em hard round here). The other best pegs were 24 and 36, which tend to give good weights (I even came second in an Open once on peg 24 so it must have been a good 'un).

Raven was very consistent, though I got the impression that bread did not work as well as it has recently. Mark Pollard won (again) on peg 5 with Jimmy Brooks Jnr a close second.

As often happens Jay was more peggy - so often the wind affects the weights here, though today I and peg 41 had back wind and the best weights came from some of the worst-affected swims. But with top weight just 46 lb 10, that would constitute quite a hard day for these blokes.

PS. The weight sheet has me on peg 47 with no position beside it – Alex missed my weight when working out the positions, but as the prizes were drawn for it made no difference. My prize was a selction of cheeses, biscuits, some Bag-Em meat, and a Frenzee pole sock, which is the one thing I needed to renew. So Happy Days.

I fact I weighed 20 lb 9 oz, which beat four of the 13 on Jay, and considering the standard of angler –all of whom are regulars at Pidley, I was very satisfied. The angler to my right, on 41, seemed to be fishing long almost all day and I assumed he was finding fish on bread off bottom, but he couldn’t have had many as he weighed only 10 lb.

PS. The weight sheet has me on peg 47 with no position beside it – Alex missed my weight when working out the positions, but as the prizes (everybody got one) were drawn for it made no difference. My prize was cheeses, biscuits, some Bag-Em meat, and a Frenzee pole sock, which is the one thing I needed to renew. So Happy Days.

Five hours for two rudd – Magpie, Pidley

This was the annual Over 60s Christmas match, and as often happens in the Winter, especially after a cold, cloudless night, when temperatures plummeted,  the fish hung around the lillies, and were caught mainly hanging bread or maggot off the bottom.

 

The aerator was about 18 metres away, and the obvious place to fish.

Conditions were not bad for fishing - the cold wind was not strong, though the bright sun didn't help, and I fished most of the day at 15 metres towards the aerator on peg 31. Two rudd for 10 oz came in the space of five minutes halfway through the match, and 40 minutes from the end I hooked my sole carp, which came adrift after a few seconds, leaving me with a scale the size of a 50-pence piece. To rest that swim, and my arms, I fished maggot at eight metres from time to time, putting in just a pinch of micros and about four maggots at a time, and never had a bite. Alan, to my right, foulhooked one ten minutes from the end and lost it...

Top weights were from 24, 2, 28, 25, 1, 34 and 36.

Top weights came from 24, fishing towards the lillies with bread, and pegs 2, and almost opposite on 28, where Mick Curtis told me that he in fact caught his fish away from the lillies, and that he had fish showing in his swim from time to time. I never saw the sign of a fish all day.

Best part of the day was the presentation in the cafe, where tea and home-made mince pies and sausage rolls awaited us, plus a bottle (we all took one to the match) and prizes donated by the fishery. A good day all-round, even though most struggled. Oh, and I wasn’t last.

I've wimped out of this Saturday's Open after seeing the local forecast - down to minus 5 degrees with rain and wind!

At least I wasn’t last! - Raven and Magpie, Pidley

Twenty-nine of us fished the Winter Qualifier at Rookery Farm Fishery, Pidley, which was fished on Raven and Magpie – it was to have been Raven and Jay but the wind was so bad on Jay that Magpie was used. Results onj these  matches over two lakes are Continental style – top weight wins; top weight on the other lake is second; next weight is third and second on the other lake is fourth overall.

My lake - Raven

I hadn’t taken my trolley, as you don’t need it on Jay or Raven, and luckily I drew Raven – peg  22, where the wind was from the left but in to our faces, but still fishable at 14 metres. The wind was coolish, but bearable.  I hung bread off bottom over the far side for an hour, with no result at all. A change to a single maggot brought a carp over 2 lb first drop in, then nothing. I pushed the float up so the bait was on bottom, and immediately another two-pounder came in. Then nothing for an hour.

A look in the deep water on a top two brought some little perch and one decent fish lost. And the next hour-and-a-half wo hours I spent alternating  from the inside line to right across, where I eventually foulhooked a two-pounder in the dorsal fin. Then the wind got up and I was in danger of the pole breaking, so I concentrated inside, and over the final 90 minutes managed to catch four F1s on maggot.

A little white lie?

The angler on my left said he had ten fish for about 10 lb, all from the inside line  – strange that he then weighed in 19 lb!! My fish weighed 11 lb 12 oz while Bob Coulson to my right had 11 lb 4 oz, with only two from the far shallows. Top weight on Raven was 31 lb 2 oz to Tom Edwards, on the other side, who had back wind, with second on the end peg a few swims to my right.

Magpie fished better

Magpie fished better, with their top two weights opposite each other on 32 and 5, presumably fishing to the reeds down the centre, Simon Skelton taking the overall win and £200 Golden Peg money,

With some very good anglers not weighing I was happy, at least beating the angler one side of me, and look forward to the Over 60s Christmas match on Magpie on Wednesday. Like almost everyone else I will be starting on bread hung off bottom, if the wind allows it. With cold water being heavier than warm water, and sinking to the depths, it’s hardly surprising that fish tend to be out of the deep water at this time of year, and cruising around mid-water, especially if there’s a warmish wind.

Alex does a brilliant jop of organising matches on this fishery, and provides prizes - last year I won one without catching a fish!

A result that could not have been tighter!

Before our final Fenland Rods match we were told that two anglers were tying at the top on points, and that if either won that match they would end as club champion. But if neither won the match the club had a problem, because the best of the matches each would drop were worth the same points, so Mel, who was collating the results, asked for a ruling.

I can’t remember what was decided, but we all speculated on which two anglers were tying. I guessed probably Kevin Lee, who has won the championship several times in the past, and Tony Nisbet, who had had an amazingly-consistent season. But one could have been current champion Dave Garner.

Kevin Lee, who swept the board on presentation night.

In fact the match was won by Kevin Lee, who was now favourite in my book, but it wasn’t until the Christmas dinner this week that the Club Championship result was announced – and Kevin had indeed won – by one point. But who was runner-up? Handkerchiefs at the ready...it was me! I was surprised I had done so well, but I won it two years ago, and have been in the top three or four for some years, so no complaints. Our secretary/chairman John Smith was a very popular third, followed by Tony Nisbet.

Kevin also won the Club Cup Match, took top spot in the Handicap match, winning a medal, and took the Drawn Pairs event (and the cash), when he was drawn with Tony Nisbet – a most dangerous combination. Here’s to next season...

The last thing Bill Foster expected to win in the raffle was a fish!

I’ve found the answer!

For years I’ve been last to pack up in our club matches, but in Opens I’m about average. And during this season I think I’ve discovered part of the reason – some anglers start packing up before the match ends.

I’ve noticed them winding spare rigs back onto winders, putting spare bait in the water, and packing unused rods away, often when there’s still half-an-hour to go.

I hadn’t really noticed this before, as I tend to concentrate very hard, but sometimes, when someone is drawn dead opposite, I can’t help but see them moving about. However,  in my book that’s the time you’re  most likely to catch;  I’m not complaining though – Carry On Packing Up!

Sorry, could not fish a match this week – next possible date is Saturday, Dec 7^th.

I never got properly started – Magpie Lake, Pidley

The Over 60s match on Magpie Lake attracted 22 anglers, and I fancied a swim with some sort of feature apart from the margins – 1 to 5 where there are lillies or reeds in the open water; possibly round to 10 where there’s a reed island at about 20 metres; and then 25 to 36 most of which are on the island and several of which have lillies or reeds. In the event my sticky fingers pulled out 22, which I really did not fancy because it’s open water. And it was just about the only swim which never had a touch of sun all day thanks to the tall trees behind me.

That's the nearest the sun came to my swim. This was just before the start.

Not much happened – I started with a small Method feeder and maggot to the island, where I had a couple of liners in the first 30 minutes. A look on the pole at 13 metres saw two or three bites, all of which I missed. I had to assume they were liners as the maggots were not touched. After two hours it was really cold, in the South-Easterly breeze, which was blowing into me from the right, so I had a cup of hot Bovril and wandered up to the angler on my right. He had had just one carp, on the Method cast across.

The far-bank cut-out produced just a couple of liners. Some lucky
anglers were blessed with sun on the all day!

In the next two hours I managed to lose two carp on the pole, and then landed one after I had shallowed up to a foot off bottom. It was about 2 lb. I also had other bites, but am fairly sure they were liners. I tried hanging a piece of punch bread a couple of feet deep, with no result – you need to do this next to a feature for the best results. The margins produced nothing to maggot.

Three fish on feeder!

Then in the last hour, shivering with cold (despite having on seven layers of clothing plus my Goretex jacket), I reverted to feeder and took three carp from the open water on Method and maggot. They weighed 10 lb 2 oz and placed me tenth, with 11 anglers DNW-ing, though I suspect most had perhaps one or two fish.

The match was won by Will Hadley with 100 lb 12 oz on peg 34, fishing a 16-metre pole to the reed island and hanging a piece of bread two feet deep. He must have been very cold, as the wind would have been into his face from the right, though he would also have had some sun on his back.  Next three weights were from 9, 11 and 13, which would have had a backish wind.                                                  

So that result was probably as much as I could have expected from that swim, and at least I beat the anglers either side. No match this weekend, but I will probably go to the next Over-60s on Raven on Wednesday.

                

Christmas cheer - Cedar, Decoy.

Our Spratts Christmas match was on Cedar Lake at Decoy, and with 13 fishing we took the 13 pegs on the West bank, 1 to 13. I wanted one of the early ones, because these often have the edge on this lake, but Number 11 stuck to my fingers. The weather was cloudy – we didn’t see the sun all day - with a cool South-Easterly breeze into our faces from the right.

John Garner got proceedings underway 45 minutes before the match started when he cast out a feeder, with hook attached, to the far bank to clip up...and hooked a carp. Halfway through playing it to the side he realised he hadn’t got his landing net made up. I walked over, phone in my hand, and had to decide whether to put his landing net together or take a picture.

I took the picture.

This is what happens when you cast out, with hook attached,
before the match starts, and you haven't set up your landing net.
John Garner demonstrates the one-handed no-handle method.

Excitement over, and when the match started I put out some micros and corn to 12 metres, flicked some maggots into the deepwater margin to my left, and looked up to see Rob Allan, on peg 12, playing a 5 lb carp. Out went my Method feeder but after 30 minutes nothing had taken the corn bait; Rob hadn’t had another bite; John was fishless on 13 in the corner; and I hadn’t seen anyone in the three pegs to my right catch either.

Margin fun

A switch to the 12-metre pole line didn’t see a single touch, so with 90 minutes gone I tried the margin, on a top two. Tiny roach were obviously intercepting my maggot bait on the way down, but I caught a few to 2 oz before a 2 lb ide came in – foulhooked. It was fun catching at least something, but after a gudgeon or two, and some more roach and perch and a good fish lost in the first few seconds I felt I had to go out to 12 metres again.

In the next couple of hours Rob had two or three fish on a feeder cast right over, Peter Barnes on my right had one or two small ones on feeder and maggot, and I managed a roach and a 2 lb bream, followed, after a long interval, by a 7 lb carp and another of 3 lb.

Back into the side, and all the catcheable fish had gone, so the 12-metre line called again. I had to alter my depth to get the corn just touching bottom – half an inch too deep and I didn’t get a bite; but when I got it right three more carp from 4 lb to 2 lb came quickly. I tried fishing off bottom with corn and expander,  but never had a touch. Then a lull, and with an hour to go I reverted to the Method, with corn, cast right over. Three carp came in three casts, best about 6 lb, but the last half-hour was fruitless.

Camera - Action! This is Peter Barnes on the peg to my right. 

Clearly beaten

I had no idea how the low-numbered pegs had got on, as there was a bush in the way, but when I walked back I saw that from Mick on 8 up to Ted on 1, most had two nets in, clearly beating my estimated 28 lb. I wasn’t surprised, as these were the pegs I fancied drawing. The secret to doing well at fishing – as it is at poker – is to take advantage of any luck you get. So good luck to them – you still have to catch ‘em.

Winner Terry Tribe, no doubt
already thinking about the golden
 coin Martin Parker would
be handing over to him later.

Runner-up Peter Harrison -
he  has the Method sussed.

Terry Tribe, on peg 5, fished a method which has won him many Winter matches – corn on a straight bomb, catapulting a few grains over the top, and totalled 98 lb. Peter Harrison on 6 was second, fishing the Method all day with hair-rigged corn, and weighing 93 lb. Both have those methods down to a fine art, and fish them with confidence.

Down along the bank  to me, and afterwards I was actually pleased with my 31 lb, as it was top weight in the last five swims, and it won me a £50 Benwick Sports voucher and a little cash – our Christmas match gives prizes. The only think marring the day for me was raising a toast to absent friends, remembering member Peter Parlett, who died at the ridiculously early age of 61 earlier in the year.

During a match you can forget such things, but afterwards there’s always the sense that someone is missing.

Some good news

This was my first outing with my new Frenzee HGV Mk 2 barrow, and it was OK. Easy to steer, and actually quite quick to assemble. I managed to get to my peg in just one journey. Very pleased.

My next match is probably in the Pidley Pensionsers (Over 60s) next Wednesday on Magpie. No idea which pegs I fancy as at this time of year the fish get together and play hide-and-seek with us.

Left - the result. Note that somehow Peter Barnes, on 10 was placed in peg 9, and Bob Barrett on 9 was placed on 10, but their weights are correct.  Perhaps a visit to Specsavers for someone is in order...You can't get the staff nowadays! 

Unforgettable (with apologies to Nat King Cole)

I’m a classical music man – my favourite all-time singer is Paul Robeson and my favourite composition Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. But I am also keen on Shirley Bassey, Matt Monro, Ray Charles...and Nat King Cole, whose song ‘Unforgettable’ was a regular on the many radio request programmes during my formative years.

That’s a tenous link to the Pidley Pensioners’ match I fished on Wednesday, but the match was unforgettable for me because I can’t remember fishing in worse conditions during the past 20 years. It wasn’t the frost, or snow, or even rain – it was the sun! Low in the sky with hardly a cloud in sight, and blasting the water in front of those of us unlucky enough to fish from pegs 12 to 17 on Raven, and I was on 17. It was impossible to see properly from the start at 10 o’clock right up to the finish at 3 o’clock. And  the wind shook the shadows of the trees on the far bank across my swim from left to right all day.

The match for me was actually forgettable – half a dozen perch on maggot to stop me falling asleep and finally four small carp on corn from the bottom of the far shelf in the last hour. I was awarded 4 lb 12 oz...and wasn’t last! Several didn't weigh and I spoke to one angler who never had a bite. Raymond Poolman, next to me, had the right idea;  he fished a feeder all day and never even got a pole out of his van. Even so he said the sun was a real nuisance.

The match was won from peg 11, on the first corner,  by Roy Whincup, who took all his fish on either three or two sections. And all of the anglers I spoke to said they caught most of their fish from the deep water – not the far-bank shallows where most Raven matches have been won.

So a disappointing result, but I don’t think I could possibly have framed from there. I hope I forget about it quickly.