I plod on and eventually catch some fish - Elm, Decoy

Peg 1, Tuesday, September 5
Many years ago Syd Meads told me, before he died (obviously) that he was taking cockles to the Woodbine Final he was going to fish on Coombe Abbey Lake. Seeing my eyebrows raise he explained, in words of one syllable (cos I'm only  a Simple Fenlander) that it is important, when nothing is happening in your swim, that you do something - anything - to try to get fish. "Otherwise," he said, "you tend to lose interest." I know that is the case, of course, but was surprised that a matchman of Syd's ability also sometimes felt the same way.

So when someone like Syd - who was so good that the Taxman tried to tax his enormous Irish winnings - says something like that it sticks, though I often forget it. But on this Tuesday, in our 13-entry Spratts match, I followed his advice. And to some extent it paid off.

Peg 1 - almost flat calm all day, sheltered by bushes on the right.

A cold wind blows onto the opposite bank
The forecast was for rain late in the match, and with a stiff South-Westerly blowing I suspect most of us wanted a backish wind in pegs 1 to 12, and preferably from 8 onwards. If the fish followed the wind, though, then the pegs on the opposite bank, 13 back to to 24 might also produce.

Alan Porter had a good start on 21, and finished fourth.

Peg 1 was the most sheltered on the lake, and I found out that for the first hour or so it was also the only one in shade, while everyone else was sitting in sun. So although it wasn't in my list of preferred swims I was happy to be backwind. Trevor Cousins was to my left, and he said he would be fishing corn all day, or fishing a small feeder with his usual Speedy Washter. I didn't fancy my peg to win, so mentally felt I was fishing against Trevor and Peter Barnes, opposite on 23.

I started on a feeder with a yellow Washter for about 20 minutes without any bites, and went out long on the pole. Trevor did the same thing about the same time. A 4mm expander and then corn failed to bring a bite in the best part of an hour, which surprised me, because Alan Porter on 21 had had a fish or two. So it was down on the inside with corn.

Peter Harrison was top on our bank with 74 lb 6 oz.

One fish, at least
That switch worked immediately, with a 4 lb common on corn in about four feet of water. The bank on Peg 1 has fallen in all along its length, and there's no real drop-off to target, so I had to fish just a little way up the gradually-sloping shelf. But no more fish came and halfway through the match I wandered up to Trevor, who said he had one carp, an F1 and a roach, but Alan Porter on 21 had had several fish on both feeder and pole. I saw that Alan was frequently fishing down the edge of his swim.

Back to my peg and after another look long on the pole, and more fruitless casts on the feeder (after Peter Barnes on 23, opposite, had a fish on feeder), I had a look on the pole to my left near a bunch of reeds, with a 6mm expander. For the next hour my float gave tiny indications of liners - it would slowly sink, then slowly wriggle along to one side, as if undercurrents were moving the line. And that went on and on, with the occasional quick dip which showed that there were definitely fish there. I struck at one or two of these, which looked like proper bites, but never felt a thing. Then even the liners dropped away.

Like me, Mick Ramm had almost all barbel.

I remember Syd's advice
At that point Syd's words danced in front of my eyes, and I rooted about in my bait holdall of my tin of maggots. "Anything" Syd said!

I put five maggots on to the size 12 hook, more in hope than expectation. I've been using Guru XS Carp hooks to nylon, though that's only because they happen to be the first ones I pick up from my box. I've a sceptic where hooks are concerned - I can't see that there's that much difference between patterns, so long as they don't straighten and the nylon doesn't break. The line was 7 lb, which I thought was OK since there are big barbel and double-figure carp in the lake.

Maggot brings a liner
First drop in with maggot and I got another liner. I then took a chance and put in about one-third of a big pot of maggots and some hemp - muck or nettles, I thought. But hurrah, I immediately got a proper bite which resulted in me hooking the bottom, except that the bottom then started to slowly move. Obviously foulhooked, and thankfully it came off after about five seconds.

But next cast another fish was on, and it played me for several minutes before ending in the net - a foulhooked 5 lb barbel (which elicited a round of applause from Peter Barnes, who obviously hadn't got anything better to do than to watch a Master at work). I was sort of surprised to see barbel in this cold weather, but what do I know? In went more maggots and hemp.

Bob Barrett yet again framed by using feeder all day, with banded pellet, and 
just casting along both sides in the margins. He ended second with 79 lb 14 oz.

Lost fish
The next three drops resulted in three fish hooked, and all lost. With barbel it can be difficult to decide whether they are foulhooked or not, but I changed the hook anyway. Success came, with the next three fish all landed - barbel from 2 lb to 4 lb, and the next fish was a carp of nearly 10 lb. All this had happened within the space of about 40 minutes and there were just 45 minutes left.

A disaaaaster
I'd been happy to get that big carp in very quickly, by tricking it into diving into my landing net, but there was a price to pay. It went absolutely beserk, thrashing about in the net, and pulling me from side to side...and my elbow knocked my Number 3 and Number 4 sections which were beside me. To my horror they both started sliding into the water beside my platform.

I managed to hold the Number 4, and if I had had my landing net handy I would have been able to grab it and catch the far end of the Number 3. But I had an angry fish in the landing net!

I gotta spare!
So the Number 3 was lost. And after about five minutes of swishing about with my landing net and my extra-long hook I said a silent prayer for the section now residing in Davy Jones Locker. But I carry a spare short Number 3, so I was able to carry on.

Two more barbel came quickly, and with 30 minutes left I landed my last one. The fish seemed to have gone, but with five minutes left I hooked another big fish which came off after about 20 seconds of plodding around. And so ended a most entertaining 90 minutes, thanks to maggots. And the rain mainly held off - just a few spots now and again, Life doesn't get much better.

The weigh in
I weighed first - 40 lb 4 oz, followed by Trevor, 11 lb 14 oz; Martin Parker with 14 lb 1 oz, and John Garner with 20 lb. This line of pegs were all backwind, at the opposite end to where I expected the better weights to be, so whatever my final result I felt I had scraped together a decent weight in the circumstances.

Peter Spriggs takes his second net from the water, on his way to a winning 124 lb 3 oz.

Peter used his magic paste again to finish first for the third time 
  in his last four matches.

I followed the scales round and the opposite bank had a much better ripple (actually small waves) and it was ten degrees cooler than on our bank. Even so it tended to produce better catches on this day, and Peter Spriggs, who has had a very good run recently, won on Peg 17 with 124 lb 13 oz.

Mike DNW Rawson
Mike  so often doesn't bother to weigh, even if he has caught fish, which I find frustrating - for him. He says he doesn't mind - so I was really pleased to see him weigh in in the Saturday match on Willows, with just 13 lb. The reason I was chuffed was that it was such a difficult day that the average pleasure angler would have been hard-pressed to have caught a single fish.

So in those circumstances I think he did really well. 

In this match he weighed 54 lb 8 oz - another good catch which gave him 5th place, just out of the frame. Our next match together is on Beastie, and it's a rover. Now that match will probably throw up very varied weights - perhaps a couple of big weights and some very low ones, according to where the wind is. It's not an easy lake to fish, so if Mike catches just a couple of fish I still expect to see him weigh in! Otherwise I will tell his wife!!!

PS
Mike came to my rescue after the match, throwing in his rake around the swim, and eventually coming back with my Number 3 section! If he'd been better looking I would have given him a kiss...

...instead I'll show him with his best fish, approaching 10 lb.

RESULT

23 Peter Barnes         DNW                        1 Mac Campbell    40 lb 4 oz

21 Alan Porter          72 lb 15 oz        4th   3 Trevor Cousins    11 lb 14 oz

19 Mike Rawson       54 lb 8 oz                 4 Martin Parker      14 lb 1 oz

17 Peter Spriggs        124 lb 13 oz    1st    6 John Garner         20 lb

15 Mick Ramm          28 lb 9 oz                8 Bob Allen            47 lb 12 oz

13 Bob Barrett        79 lb 14 oz        2nd    9 Shaun Buddle        DNW

                                                                   11 Peter Harrison      74 lb 6 oz    3rd

Autumn finally hits us - Willows, Decoy

Peg 16, Saturday, October 2
Ten hardy (or stupid) souls turned out for this Fenland Rods match, despite heavy rain and strong winds being forecast. We were given pegs 16 to 35 on Willows, and my peg 16 was (obviously) end peg. Peter Spriggs told me before we started that it was "the best peg on the lake". I know he has won from it in the past but I (and probably he if he were honest) would have picked 25 had we had a choice, as it's a recognised flier. I think it was just gamesmanship - not that I would indulge in such underhand activities!

Of course conditions would dominate, and with the sudden change from mild to distinctly cooler weather I wasn't expecting big catches. However, within a few minutes Dave Garner, to my right on 18, was playing a near double-figure fish, taken in the margins. So after a few minutes I moved from fishing at about 8 metres to coming into the side.

My swim (if the video works).

A slow start 
The wind was blowing a little from the right, and I fancied the left margin best, so concentrated on that side. But it took an hour before my corn over a little hemp on a top two tempted a 4 oz roach, and 30 minutes later a 1 lb common and a 2 lb F1 followed - in successive casts. Cracked it! Nope - nothing more came from there so I moved farther along the bank, and almost immediately an 8 lb mirror took a piece of cat meat.

Halfway through the match, and the rain started. Everyone, so far as I could see, put up their umbrellas and that was justified, because the rain never stopped until way after we had packed up. Dave and Kevin, on 20, had both had two or three good fish, and I was way behind.

Dave Garner on 18 hit an early big fish, before the rain started.

Liners!
But I was now getting proper liners, every cast. Moving the bait brought what looked like proper bites, but apart from two foulhooked fish, which both came off, I had nothing. I wonder if the fish were hitting the bait with their tails? However, leaving the bait stationary for several minutes did bring about three good fish on cat meat, all over 6 lb, with another one on a bunch of manky maggots. Moving out about a foot into water about two inches deeper brought two more, and with an hour left I put on a piece of mussel - my secret weapon.

Immediately I had a bite, hooked a fish, and it was obviously foulhooked as the Preston 17 hollow elastic stretched - I swear - at least 50 yards. I couldn't believe my eyes. The fish showed a massive tail close to the corner of the island somewhere opposite Peg 9, and the line broke just above the hook. And that was the last fish I hooked - although I carried on getting liners, so the fish were interested but not taking the bait. I have a lot of faith in mussel if I know that there are carp in the swim, but this time my confidence was misplaced.

I think I might be last
Kevin now seemed to be catching odd fish, and Shaun on 22 had a couple of good ones, and I guessed I might be last with abut 40 lb. In desperation I tried the right margin, but never had a sign of a fish there. I also went out to my original 8-metre line, and that seemed to be devoid also. I even dumped some dead maggots into the margin next to my platform in case there were barbel lurking there, but never had a touch.

The rain was heavier now, the match ended with Kevin playing yet another big fish to the net, and I guess nobody fancied packing up and having to do it a downpour, but there was no choice. My feeder rod lay beside me, unused - normally I would have tried it, but the rain dampened my enthusiasm somewhat, and I didn't bother (I should have, of course).

New Umbrellas required!
I had seen Mike's umbrella on 24 completely collapse on him, and Dick came round, having packed up early, to say that his had been completely destroyed. Dave next to me then told me that his had gone the same way - kaput! I was actually pretty dry, in my 27-year-old Gortex jacket, and my umbrella was stable in the high wind thanks to the storm cap I had screwed into a long bankstick beside me. 

I feel ill

After I had packed my pole away I started to feel hot, wet, and definitely dodgy, so stopped packing away, and decided I had to go to the toilet.

I started carrying my pole and rod holdalls back to the van, but my strength suddenly just ebbed away and I simply had to drop them before I slowly climbed up the small bank. Dave very kindly picked them up and laid them on the top, and I drove round to the toilet. Immediately afterwards I felt much better and arrived back in time to see them weigh me in, the last man. My weight was 45 lb 10 oz.

A welcome third spot for me on a very difficult day.

The result

To my astonishment that put me in third spot, just 8 oz behind Mel Lutkin in second. Kevin won with 57 lb 7 oz, thanks partly to three fish he had picked up on a feeder cast across to the far bank, while Dave, beside me, said he had had a very poor second-half. The fliers on 24 and 25 just didn't produce, though Peter Spriggs round the back of the lake on 35, ended just 6 oz behind me. I think the conditions were probably much worse there, with rain into their faces.

I was last  getting completely packed up, and by then was really drenched, but hot tea with John Smith, who lives locally, revived me, and I am rarin' to go to the nest match. Almost everyone came and asked if I needed help before they drove away, for which I am very grateful. However, I managed it in my own (slowly).

Final thoughts
It's that time of year when conditons are altering from day to day. Today, Monday, had been delightful in out village, but rain is forecast all day on Tuesday, when Spratts have a match on Elm. There are likely to be more than 12, which means we will have to peg both sides, and some with have the rain in their faces. Currently the forecast is for 'light' rain from dawn until about 3 o'clock, when the wind and rain both pick up.

It's still better than work - even though I had the Best Job In The World as features editor of Angling Times.

Update on the Gas Man saga

 Well, after the "Gas Man Cometh" story, in which he foundeth a tiny leak and switcheth off our gas so we had no central heating, we contacted our own, tame, gas man.

Lo and behold he cameth, new valve in hand; and two hours later he wenteth holding the same valve, which refused to worketh. So we still had no central heating.

Now he cometh again, e'en while I was preparing for another assault on Decoy, and fitteth another valve, and Hallehujah, it worketh. So we hath heat and are happieth. Well, the happieth we have been for ten days!

And now for those carp, which will hopefully feedeth!

A terible start on Damson; but a good finish on Willows

Peg 11, Damson, Decoy, Sunday, Sept 26
Two matches in two days started on Damson, at Decoy, in a Fenland Rods match, on the last day of Di's tenure. We wish her well in her retirement. 

Di Band's and her partner John are on the road to retirement.
Thanks for everything over the years, Di - I know you will both miss
the buzz of getting up early every morning! We wish you all the best.

Damson has a shallow margin, which drops off very quickly, so you can fish seven feet deep on a pole's top two. And traditionally the fish feed for an hour in the shallows before slowing down. Well, that happened in this match - every single angler I spoke to had a great first hour...except me! For some reason I couldn't get any fish to feed, but on my right Peter Spriggs, on 12, started like a train fishing his usual paste.

Peter The Paste, on my right, won handsomely with 139 lb 5 oz. 

I could see some fish around 3 lb in the shallows, but as soon as I dropped in my rig baited with an expander, banded pellet or corn, they spooked. If I left the bait on the bottom, several inches overdepth, when they came back and got anywhere near my bait they appeared to see the line and spooked again. And after an hour Peter must have had well over 40 lb, while I had just four fish for less than 4 lb, on a 4mm expander.

A bait switch turns the tables
Peter was still going great guns in the margin when I made a bait switch, in about three feet of water, on the edge of the shelf, and started to get fish. That switch was amazing, with a 2 lb carp first drop. But to my left Dave and Kevin had both been landing lots of fish, as I could hear the splashing. Peter's fish slowed a little, and he found some in the deep water before coming back inside.

Good to see Matthew Lutkin back on the bank.

Anyway, I kept managing to winkle out fish mainly around 1 lb on paste and then cat meat, and at one point found some F1s right against the reeds to my right, and targetted then with corn for a few minutes. Unlike many sessions recently I found I had to leave the bait motionless, rather than to twitch it.

 Gradually I put together a decent catch, best a four-pounder, with a couple of three-pounders, and several around 2 lb, and I never had a really bad spell all afternoon. Mussel took two or three fish at the end. But Peter obviously had me beat. I estimated I might have 90 lb, in three nets, but it's difficult to estimate accurately when the fish are that sort of size.

The weigh in
Every single angler I spoke to (and that was most of them) had indeed had a flying start,. but their fish ten went off, though James Garner fished the deep water all day for 111 lb 7 oz, which led up to Peg 9, where Kevin weighed in 130 lb 9 oz. Next to me Dave Garner said he had a bad second-half, and totalled 80 lb 6 oz.

Kevin fished the deep water, and his fish were
much, much bigger than mine at Peter's.

To my absolute amazement I managed 120 lb 8 oz, which was enough for third spot, with Peter winning with 139 lb 5 oz. On Peg 1 Callum said he had 32 lb in the first hour...and weighed in a total of 33 lb 13 oz. Some others had similar stories to tell. So why couldn't I catch in that first hour? I should probably have gone into the deep water, but when the bloke next door is hammering fish out from the margin the temptation is to follow him.

THE RESULT

Peg 27, Willows, Decoy, Monday, Sept 27

Sixteen of us fished this Spratts match, with heavy rain forecast, and unfortunately the forecast was right. My peg 27 is between two small islands, and I quite fancied it, though my plans were thrown into disarray when the wind which came from the left before the start suddenly turned to come from the right. 

My peg 27 - the wind became too strong to fish out to the islands.

I still fancied fishing a spot just off some reeds to my right, and started with a small pole pot just putting in a few 4mm expanders and fishing one on the hook. The temperature had dropped considerably overnight, so I fancied the fishing would be hard.

My biggest fish must have weighed at least 14 lb.

In fact within a few minutes I had managed to land  a 5 lb common carp, which was quickly followed by a two-pounder. A third fish shot off and snagged me - I managed to get the small branch out, and unbelievable the 4mm expander was still on the hook, so it was probably foulhooked, although I hadn't thought it was. This lake, surrounded by willows, has lots of snags, all broken branches and twigs, but that's where the fish hang out!

Wet, Wet, Wet
Somewhere around this time the rain started for an hour, and it was really heavy, with wind so strong I didn't fancy even trying to put up the umbrella. I could see a few anglers from my swim, and in the next hour none of them seemed to be putting much into the keepnet - but neither did I!

After the rain I plumbed up carefully to my right, about ten feet out, and found a small drop-off, where in the next half-hour three more fish came on corn - a 4 oz roach, a 3 lb carp and another of about 5 lb. Every fish so far had come when I lifted the bait very slightly, and I plumbed up very carefully and adjusted the float by a quarter-of-an-inch at a time until I felt I had the bait just touching bottom.

Martin Parker with his biggest fish, from Peg 15.
It was well into double-figures.

Eventually the fish feed (but not a lot!)
I then set up another rig to fish in the same way in the righthand swim, and although I didn't catch fish immediately fish were obviously playing with the bait, so I carried on hoping they would eventually start to feed properly...and they did. Because of the wind I had reduced my lash - between pole tip and float - to four inches, which I felt was the best way of being able to lift the bait cleanly. The four sections of my Browning Z9 were stiff enough for me to hold the rig fairly steady most of the time - you have to make compromises.

Two or three fish on corn were followed by me switching to cat meat, and this produced a good-un of around 14 lb! I carried on, as I couldn't see anyone catching much, and another two or three around 3 lb came before the end. I thought I'd probably got 55 lb, perhaps more, all taken with the rig set to just touching bottom, and lifting to produce a bite. I didn't lose any more fish.

Trevor Cousins lifts one of his nets out. He beat me
by just 8 oz, for last frame place, and later said he
was sorry (but he didn't mean it!)

The weigh-in
End Peg Peter Harrison, on 35, was in the lead round to me with 106 lb 10 oz, with Alan Porter on 31 having 74 lb 12 oz - he told me he had his best catches in the margin. But I couldn't see either of those anglers from my swim. 

To my right Bob Barrett didn't weigh, and I totalled 67 lb 3 oz, with Wendy on my left on 26 having three fish for 17 lb 15 oz. When I looked at the sheet I saw that Peg 20 was against her name, so she possibly fished the wrong peg, particularly as 26 is usually left out, as it's quite narrow.

Peg 25 and 24 both had less than 40 lb, and in fact I was in third spot round to 15 where Martin Parker was fourth with 73 lb 13 oz, fishing out in front or to his left (usually fish are taken from the right margin on this peg). Then followed Trevor Cousins, who did me by 8 oz, and finally That Man Again, Peter Spriggs, who won with 145 lb 11 oz on paste on a top-two-plus-one on Peg 9.

Winner Peter The Paste with a lovely barbel.

 So I finished sixth, beaten for last frame place by 8 oz. But I was very happy, and rate it as probably the best match I've fished all season as I felt I'd done the swim justice. I kept wondering whether to come into the margin, but  without being able to see what others were catching I had no way of gauging whether I was doing OK  or whether I should leave the swims that were producing the odd fish and take a chance in the side.

THE RESULT

9 Peter Spriggs            145 lb 11 oz    1st
11 Trevor Cousins        67 lb 11 oz      5th
13 Mick Ramm           33 lb 14 oz
15 Martin Parker         73 lb 13 oz        4th
16 Peter Barnes          30 lb 15 oz
18 Mike Rawson        18 lb 7 oz
22 Bob Allen               54 lb 10 oz
24 Shaun Buddle         37 lb 8 oz
25 Peter Chilton           22 lb 10 oz
26 Wendy Bedford       17 lb 15 oz
27 Mac Campbell         67 lb 3 oz  
29 Bob Barrett             DNW
31 Alan Porter             74 lb 12 oz         3rd
33 Mick Raby             40 lb
34 Joe Bedford            27 lb 6 oz
35 Peter Harrison       106 lb 10 oz      2nd   

Too many fish

 Peg 12 - Kingland Small Carp Lake
This lake is not permanently pegged, and my peg was three swims up from the North-Western corner. The surface would have been flat calm before the start if it wasn't for the big carp cruising around like sharks. But I was happy, as I had seen good carp come into my margins before we started, though Kevin Lee told me that the small fish were all over his swim. I wasn't worried about that...until I dropped the first bait in!

Flat calm, but the forecast rain held away apart from a few spots.

My grain of corn had barely touched the surface before a big black shape engulfed it - fish. Dozens of them; hundreds of them. Carp from one-tenth of an ounce to half-an-ounce came out of nowhere like piranhas and attacked not only the bait, but the line and the float, which bobbed about, dived under, slid sideways, and did everything except somersaults! And it was like that all flaming day...

Floating expanders bring up fish of all sizes

A quick drop into the left margin with corn got an immediate respose from a big fish which came off immediately, and even that commotion brought in the small fish. From that moment there was no pattern to my fishing.

I tried throwing out floating expanders which had been wetted but not pumped (floating baits are allowed on this fishery), and these were also attacked - though occasionally a better fish could be seen trying to get its share. And about an hour after the start I did manage to dob a ten-pounder which shot off as if foulhooked, but which eventually finished in my landing net, hooked in the mouth. It was the only one I managed to snare like that.

Winner Kevin Lee found the fish out at 11 metres, and
 didn't put any bait out there to attract the hordes.

Another plan, which worked fairly well, was to load in pots of hemp and corn, wait ten minutes, and then drop cat meat on top in the hope that there were big fish searching the bottom. The float still ducked and dived, and it was literally a case of trying to guess when a good fish had taken the bait. Strangely I never had a single really good bite with the float just disappearing and staying under - even the big fish seemed to be undecided about what to do with it.

But I did manage to catch occasional fish, from about 6 oz to 8 lb. To my right Kevin Lee latched on to the plan I should have taken up - he put out double cat meat at 11 metres without feeding anything at all. I had tried that at seven metres and picked up the odd fish, but Kevin had a good spell in mid-match doing it.

Frustrating
It was the most frustrating match I have ever fished. I kept trying to catch the bigger ones with floating pellet, but they could definitely see the pole moving above them. A pleasure angler on the lake had a field day fishing bread on a waggler - I had deliberately left my rods at home hoping for an easy day pole fishing, and I'd forgotten to bring any bread, which I then remembered often works better on the surface than smaller baits.

Because the bait - whether corn, paste or cat meat, was ragged by small fish within seconds, I rued leaving behind a tin of large luncheon meat cubes in the freezer. Dick next door gave me a handful of smaller cubes, but they didn't fare any better than the corn, which was regularly torn off in seconds.

Mike Rawson (above) came to the rescue of Kevin Lee early in the match
after Kevin broke both his top two and his landing net handle
on a big fish. That wasn't in Kevin's script, apparently!

Towards the end I found some fish around 4 lb right in the side, against the reeds, but even so it took about ten drops, and ten lost baits, before I hooked each good fish. I also rued losing an eight-pounder and a five-pounder which I had over my landing net. But we have to use the fishery's nets and mine was bigger than normal, but heavy, and I just couldn't lift those fish out in time, and they swam off again and eventually the hook pulled out.

I tried mussel, which has served me so well, but apart from the first drop, when a big fish gulped it down as it hit the surface, it was torn from the hook my the smaller fish in seconds. I had to give up on it, and worse, I kept foulhooking them.

Allan Golightly had 95 lb 3 oz for third, taking
fish on a hard pellet, which is what I should have done!

My biggest mistake
After the match had finished I had a lot of floating pellets left over and tossed them into the side, knowing they would be snapped up by the tiddlers. In fact suddenly at least two dozen big carp, all around 10 lb, appeared and started muscling in among the small fish, and scooping up the pellets - all within three feet of my platform. If I had had a rig ready I could have dropped bait right into their mouths. What a mistake!!! And it went on until all the pellets had gone. I was tearing my hair out.

Afterwards I also realised, following a remark that Allan Golightly made, that an 8mm banded pellet would probably have been my best bet - the small fish couldn't have taken that from the band. And I had a load of them in my bag.

The weigh in
Opposite, James Garner,. who I think was fishing a waggler, had 111 lb 15 oz, while to my right Kevin Lee won with 116 lb 1 oz. Allan Golightly with 95 lb 3 oz was third, including fish taken on hard pellet (!) and I was fourth with 81 lb 13 oz. Those two lost fish which I couldn't quite net could have cost me third spot.

Kevin with his biggest fish which caused broke his landing net handle.

Good news

The best sight of the day was the steps that fishery owner Richard has now installed on every swim. Previously getting to the platforms involved slipping down the grassy bank with tyres (to stop erosion) and holes ready to trip you up and pitch you in. When the grass was wet it was distinctly dodgy. Now it's easy. But I hope the vast majority of those tiddlers are eaten by their parents soon. How the angler who took 460 lb last week did it if those small hungry fish were around is beyond me.

The club pays a generous four - which meant I managed to frame.

On a roll...Yew, Decoy

 Peg 15, Friday, September 17

This bulletin is late, because on Friday, before I could put  pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard), the Gas Man cameth. He cameth after being summoned to investigate an offensive odour outside, right next to where gas is piped into our humble hovel.

The Gas man was very professional, and eventually proclaimed that whatever it was, it was not the smell of gas, and his equipment couldn't pick up any trace of gas. But before he went he would check our pipes and appliances. Accordingly he attached a water pressure thingy to the meter (I think that is the correct description) and dismally informed us that indeed there was a leak somewhere in the system - probably under our lounge floor. But not to worry, as our own gas man of choice would be able to dig the floor up and discover where the offending leak was.

But as a final check he would come in and turn the boiler off and on again, just in case the problem was there. In fact we had rung for the boiler to have its annual MOT only the previous week, when we discovered that our usual gas operative (must get the terms right) was enjoying a holiday in Spain, probably with Dominic Raab who, I understand, had earlier had his holiday cut short because of a problem which was probably not a gas leak.

With downcast eyes we awaited The Gas Man's verdict - it was not underground (heaven be praised) but a simple valve leak on the boiler. Our hearts soared with relief. Then, with a smile on his face, he disabled the boiler and the gas fire before turning off the gas to the property, so we have no central heating, no hobs on which to cook our meagre meals, and will have to use the immersion heater, which has not been turned on since being installed four years ago, for hot water. If it works.

Then, Hallelujah, our pet gas man arrived back from Spain, and will order a new valve, and will fix it at his earliest opportunity, which is likely to be in at least a fortnight!! Don't laugh....

The match
This followed a good run I've had recently, and when corner Peg 15 was picked out for me in this 16-entry Spratts match I was pretty pleased. I'd never fished the swim, and to be honest I would have preferred a peg on the Eastern bank, but when I trundled down to my swim I was very happy to see longish margin to the left which looked as if it might be shallow. And plumbing up showed Yes, it was a little less than three feet deep. I think it's the first time I have had a peg with a decent shallow margin on one of the four strip lakes for at least two years.

I couldn't fish right into the end bank because of reeds lying on the surface. but it didn't matter.
Yes, I know my gear looks like a builder's yard!

There was a Southerly wind, from my right into the end bank, but I didn't know whether that was a good thing, because this year so often good weights have been taken out of the wind. And I couldn't fish right into the end bank because the six-foot high reeds had ben basked about by the wind and were lying sticking out from the bank, making it impossible for me to get a rig right next to the bank.

Joe was opposite, fishing on both pole and feeder
(but not together).

The water, to be honest, looked dead, and after having five minutes in the margin with cat meat to see whether I could get an early fish, and then 15 minutes on a feeder, without any sign of fish, I went out to 11 metres with corn. I then changed to a 6mm expander, and then down to a 4mm expander, which allowed the float to trundle along into the wind, with the undertow.

To cut a long boring two hours short, this produced a missed bite, a foulhooked fish lost, and eventually a 1 lb F1. But I hadn't seen much action anywhere else.

At least there were fish in the swim
Next it was into the deep margin, where I missed a bite on corn, so at least there were fish moving. Cat meat then produced a near-10 lb common, and I was away. But to be honest I was scrapping about from swim to swim, and took one fish on cat meat in the shallow margin, and another in the deep margin, and missed two bites on corn in a small cut-out to my right, where I had to stand to see the float. Not easy.

Mike Rawson was on my right, fishing a feeder.

My brief prayers were answered
I also lost a couple of fish foulhooked, including a huge golden mirror. I had had a drop in towards the corner with corn and when the float twitched and dived I instinctively struck, thinking I had missed, but then to my horror realised I had hooked this golden beauty which briefly came up and lay on the surface before turning on its turbo-chargers and making for Joe on the far bank, opposite. My prayers were answered when the hook quickly pulled out. I really did not fancy playing that fish, which was obviously not hooked in the mouth.

Mussel works wonders
Things got better when I took two double-figure fish from the tiny cut-out, both of which took corn as it sank. So I changed to mussel, which sinks slowly and flutters down as it does so. This worked wonders and I had seven or eight more, all over 8 lb, in that last 90 minutes, from both deep and shallow margins. Unusually, I found that the fish were staying in the swim for long periods, so I didn't have to bait up before each one.

Trevor Cousins, second on Peg 11 with 81 lb 11 oz.

As has happened a lot recently I had a fish on when the match ended, which always means I am even later than usual packing away. But on Spratts matches Trevor very obligingly waits until we have largely all packed up before weighing in, so I can get pictures.

The weigh-in
It was patchy, with Peter Spriggs, one of the best anglers in the club, managing just three fish from peg 9, but Trevor two pegs away on 11 netting  81 lb 11 oz. My first net went about 40 lb, but the second one was way over our 50 lb limit. I watched as the scales went to 60 lb-plus, then back, eventually settling at 59 lb 8 oz. Eight ounces more and that net would have been disqualified! 

Mick Ramm, 45 lb 13 oz.

The last net brought my weight up to 131 lb 9 oz, which consisted of about 14 fish, and with no-one on the opposite bank managing to even beat Trevor's weight, I ended as the winner. Several fish were caught on feeder with Bob Barrett again putting an all-feeder net on the scales at 79 lb 13 oz for third. I don't know how he does it.

Bob Barrett, third with 79 lb 13 oz.

Me - top dog again. What can I say?
Modest as ever.

Peter Chilblain - 59 lb 10 oz on chick peas.

Wendy always manages to catch one of the biggest fish.
This one went almost 15 lb.

THE RESULT

30  Martin Parker          DNW (one fish)        1 Alan Porter        54 lb 8 oz
28 Mick Ramm             45 lb 13 oz                3 Bob Allan            45 lb 8 oz
26 Wendy Bedford        33 lb 10 oz                5 John Smith           52 lb 6 oz
24 Peter Harrison           66 lb                        7 Peter Barnes          DNW (nowt)
22 Shaun Buddle            68 lb 3 oz     4th      9 Peter Spriggs        17 lb (three fish)
20 Peter Chilton            59 lb 10 oz                11 Trevor Cousins     81 lb 11 oz    2nd
18 Bob Barrett              79 lb 13 oz     3rd       13 Mike Rawson       47 lb 6 oz
16 Joe Bedford             37 lb                           15 Mac Campbell       131 lb 9 oz   1st

So a satisfactory result, thanks to mussel again. Two days later we were on Kingsland Small Carp lake, which turned out to be one of the strangest matches I've ever fished (and where mussel was worse than useless).

I winkle my way to a win on Yew, Decoy

Peg 24, Sunday Sept 12
It was always going to be difficult, because at the start fish were drifting about just under the surface, which was flat calm. A South-Westerly was forecast but in fact when the breeze started it was from the North-East, which gave a ripple to the high numbers to my left, and occasionally on my swim, though Peter Spriggs in the corner Peg 16 never had any all day. Just eight of us fished (thanks to holidays, illness etc) on the even numbers from 16 to 30, on the East bank.

I would have chosen 16 back to 22, as these often tend to have an edge. but in particular Pegs 22 and 18 have a lovely long shallow margin, while my swim was boxed in with reeds and  had virtually no shallow water. For those who don't know it, Yew is a strip lake. Dave Garner on 22 - our club champion - remarked on his lovely margin and said he fancied starting there, which he did. On the Plus side I was drawn Golden Peg.

Flat calm at the start - not ideal conditions in the Summer.

My plan goes out of the window
My plan was to start on a feeder, which I did, but within five minutes John on my left was playing a big fish hooked close-in on a pole, and Dave on my right was playing a big fish hooked on a waggler in the side. I had one long, drawn-out liner obviously from a fish up in the water, and then another, which sprang the tip back and obviously moved the feeder, but this must have been another liner as there was nothing there.

So it was on to a pole earlier than I had anticipated, to my right, on a top two, in nearly six feet of water. Inches to the right of that spot my plummet had hit something just 18 inches deep and just beyond that it dropped again to five feet, with about four feet closer to the reeds, but this shelf was only inches wide. I tried it later in the match and never had a touch. Overall a horrible bottom.

Dave Garner in action, two swims away from me, using one of his waggler rods.

I am being thrashed

It took an hour or so before a 3 lb F1 took a piece of cat meat, during which time Dave had hooked another three or four fish - a tench and some double-figure carp. I was in the process of being thrashed! So it was out at 11 metres, on an expander, which brought one bite from a fish which eventually came off, possibly foulhooked. Half an hour later I came back in and in the next hour I managed a couple of good carp, around 8 lb or 9 lb, on corn over hemp, before turning in desperation to the left deep margin in front of the tall reeds, where I had been dropping corn. 

First drop on corn and I had a bite which turned out to be a foulhooked fish, which came off. I rested that having another quick look at 11 metres, with no result. So in went some dead maggots to the righthand swim, where a worm eventually took a tiny perch and then a roach.

My daughter has an aquarium with some tiny minnow-like fish in it. And I have noticed that when I feed them they always take a few seconds to actually come to the feed, and that even then some hang back for a minute or two. Previously she had some slightly larger species in there as well, and they, in particular, were always slow to approach the feed, even though the smaller fish were already feeding.

I am fairly certain that this applies to carp (probably to all species except greedy little perch), which is why I usually try to put in feed and leave it for a few minutes after the first helping before putting in my rig. So although I don't usually mention it on this blog, I often drop into another swim while waiting for the feed to take effect, and the fish to actually (hopefully) start to feed rather than drop in my rig immediately.

Mel Lutkin on 20 included a barbel or two,
and managed to go over the 50 lb limit in this net.. 

Fish just play with the bait
The maggots having not done any good I concentrated on the lefthand margin, because I had at least hooked a fish there, and definitely saw signs of fish knocking the bait around and not taking it properly. Thankfully I managed to avoid foulhooking any. It seemed all I could do was to wait until they started feeding, and with two hours left they did that!

 Three good fish around 10 lb came in three drops before there was a lull, and I went to the deep right margin. Dave was still hooking good fish, and I could see his rig was about two-and-a-half feet deep, so I tried the shallowest spot I could fish, but, as I said, with no result.

At this point I turned round to see that somehow my Number Four section had broken into two. It was on a roller, so I must have tapped it with my foot at one point, as I got off my basket. Luckily I have a broken spare at home which I have telescoped together, and which should serve until this one is mended.

I have a brainwave!
Then a 3 lb barbel came on meat, and I was getting anxious because although I had some taps all I could do was foulhook a couple - one was in the tail and after a ten-minute fish I had it over the net but of course it was swimming away from me and I missed. Soon the hook pulled out. 

Then  I had a brainwave - mussel. I had unfrozen about 15 at home, cut up three as loose feed, and followed in with a half hooked through the little round blob of gristle. This leaves the hook point showing. Sure enough first drop and I had a decent bite - a quick jerk down - which turned out to be a double-figure mirror. Three or four  more followed , all around 10 lb, and I tried the lefthand margin, and immediately had another couple. Meanwhile Dave was having another spurt and I could see some really big fish in his landing net as he unhooked them.

Dave Garner had several early fish while I was struggling.

A lucky last-five-minute fish
Back to the righthand and suddenly I couldn't get any sort of indication - it as as if the fish had all moved out. I tried lifting the mussel and also drawing it slowly along the bottom - all of which had worked earlier. Five minutes left, I was dragging it slowly along, and decided to have a final drop with corn into the left margin. So I lifted the rig out...and a big fish was on. Lucky me.

I thought at first that it was foulhooked as it shot out to the middle on my Preston yellow 17 hollow elastic, but resigned myself to the fact that taking my time and landing it was probably my best chance of a final fish. So I took my time; the match finished; and several minutes later I drew in a lovely double-figure common hooked in the mouth! I had, I think, just 14 fish in three nets.

The weigh-in                                                                  
Shaun Buddle on 28 had been catching on a 2+2 until with an hour left, some pleasure anglers on the opposite bank packed up, throwing their left-over bait into the water...and Shaun never had another bite. It might have had nothing to do with them, of course. He weighed 102 lb 8 oz.

John to my left on 26 was very happy at the start as he has done well from that swim this year, but today was not his day! He had lost that first fish, and ended with just four for 42 lb 8 oz. The first net I weighed contained that 3 lb barbel and just four carp - and it weighed 51 lb, knocked back to 50 lb.

It's so easy to go over the club's 50 lb maximum now, that I think I will have to suggest a slight relaxing of that rule at our AGM, if we manage to have one this year! I had used one tin of hemp, less than two tins of corn, a few 6mm feed pellets and those mussels.

Dave Garner with a 21 lb 4 oz beauty - Fenland Rods' best fish of the season.

That last fish wins it for me...
My total was 133 lb, however I was certain Dave had more. But No! He totalled 129 lb 8 oz, including a cracking common of 21 lb 4 oz (!) so my last carp had beaten him. Mike Rawson on 18 hadn't managed to take advantage of his lovely shallow margin and decided not to weigh his estimated 25 lb, and in the corner Peter Spriggs had struggled until the last hour, when he managed to find some fish against the reeds in the corner to his right, ending with 84 lb.

THE RESULT

So I ended as winner - the fifth win in my last 12 matches, which I am very happy about as it is generally agreed that the fishing this year has been very varied. In other words it's not a matter of lumping in bait and hauling in fish every week - it's been more a matter of winkling out odd fish during the first few hours and then hopefully adding a bonus fish or two near the end. Not sure how much the Golden Peg win will bring me, as the treasurer Kevin was not there. But it will be spent on hemp!

News on Terry
The latest news I have on Deeping angler Terry Tribe, who fishes with me in Spratts matches, is that he is off dialysis and the water retention problem seems to be lessening. He has now spent five weeks in hospital. I look forward to taking his picture as soon as he returns to the bank.

My next match is Friday, a Spratts match also on Yew, where 18 or 22 would still be my preferred spots. However, we will be using the whole lake of 30 pegs. Bring it on!