01/05/2011 - Fishponds

Weight – 118lb 10oz
Catch – 14 Carp
Weather – Very windy. Mostly sunny
Match – Club 2nd (out of 15)

1st club match of our season and 15 booked in.

Today the strong NE wind was a major factor, although fortunately the trees surrounding the lake managed to shelter most from the worst. However, I drew peg 12, which meant I had it blowing straight into my face, but at least it meant I could keep the method feeder rod in the bag and could concentrate on the pole and paste. I also set up a pellet waggler, in case the fish came shallow.

As well as the waggler, I set up a shallow pole rig, plus 2 paste rigs to fish 8m at an angle and in the margins. Feed was loads of 8mm pellet – Time to be positive.

The 1st hour was entertaining for all the wrong reasons. Whilst fishing the 8m line, I had started feeding pellet over the shallow line, but ducks had taken an interested and since I was the only 1 feeding a long line regularly I was their main focus! After seeing a couple swirls decided to give the waggler a quick go, but a duck got there 1st and I hooked it in the leg – bugger. As I was trying to reel the duck in the male swan got involved and started attacking the duck, which just sent the duck into more of a panic and promptly made into the reeds where I couldn’t get at it. I nearly pulled it out, but the line broke above the float. (The duck did manage to rid itself of my rig and at the end of the match it didn’t seem any worse for the experience, scoffing some bread that had been thrown in).

At least I didn’t have a duck problem anymore since the other 2 soon disappeared, although they did return much later in the match. I wasn’t the only 1 having a bad start. Jim Taylor had hooked a carp, got it down to his top kit, but forgot you need to keep hold! So now there was a carp swimming around with a top kit attached. Fortunately, Jim managed to retrieve the top kit, minus the carp.

So after an hour I was bite less, whilst a Kev Millard on 8, Graham on 18 and Ian on 22 all had a couple of fish. Have to say I was starting to wonder whether I should be fishing pellet on the deck, but just after an hour I had my 1st fish and another on the next put in. Here we go, I thought, but it didn’t.

I caught all my fish at 8m, but I couldn’t catch more than 2, before trying somewhere else. I didn’t get a bite from my margins and despite feeding my shallow line for 4hrs I didn’t a get a touch. The fish weren’t having it properly, but on the flip side the fish I was catching were proper ‘uns with the biggest about 14lb.

At the all out, I thought Kev was favourite to win and that’s the way it turned out, but you have to laugh when you weight in 118lb and get beat by 2oz!

1st 118-12 – Kev Millard – peg 8
2nd 118-10 – Ken Rayner – peg 12
3rd 74- 0 – Ian Pople – peg 22