Weight – 12lb 6oz
Catch – 27 Roach, 6 Skimmers, 1 Carp, 1 Hybrid, 1 Rudd, 1 Perch
Weather – Mild, cloudy and very windy. Rain later.
Match - Glenfall Christmas Match - 3rd overall
For the 3rd time of asking we were at Ivy House for my clubs Christmas match. Originally we rescheduled just to have the island on the main lake, but today we had the whole lake, which at least meant more room. Whilst having my breakfast I also found out that the ice had killed all the carp in the old canal, because the lake isn’t that deep and there was more ice than water!
Today was also the final of the knockout, between Andy Lord and myself with a free season ticket at stake. Andy however had some practice yesterday, winning Saturdays open with 14lb caught on the feeder. Apparently very few carp showed and those that targeted them blew out.
There was a decent turnout today of 18, which also included a couple of guests. Andy being the venue expert, because he does fish here quite often I needed a bit of luck at the draw. Unfortunately peg 35 found its way into my hand, which was on the left hand side of the island and I would have the strong wind blowing across me left to right. Andy in the meantime drew peg 5, with the wind blowing from behind and a millpond in front. A quick chat with Gary Etheridge confirmed my fears about my peg. Not great.
The draw was at 9, fishing 10-3, but by the time I unloaded the car and got to my peg is was already 9.20 and attempts to get the start pushed back fell on deaf ears. With the wind blowing the way it was I decided on a light feeder (.10 bottom & 20 B911) to fish at 13m. My reasoning was that if the wind dropped I could fish the pole over the same line, without the need to keep loads of lines on the go.
At the all in the feeder went straight out, whilst I set up my remaining pole rigs. A Jean Francois 0.6g at 13m (.10 bottom & 20 silverfish pellet) and a Jolly 4x16 at 8m (.10 bottom & 22 silverfish maggot). On Gary’s advice I also set up a 4x12 to fish at 5m in front of the platform on peg 36, where it was shallower, but never had a bite on it.
40mins on the feeder and all I had to show for my efforts was 1 squashed maggot. However the wind had dropped a little and 1st put in on the pole resulted in a bite, but the small roach fell off. Next put in a 2oz skimmer was in the net. At least I avoided a blank and so far I had only seen 2 others catch. Ian Pople on peg 19 who had 2 carp on the feeder, but that was it for him for the rest of the match and Don Smith on 37 with 2 skimmers, including 1 about 1½lb, again on the feeder.
My 13m line started to produce small roach and skimmers, but I was losing too many in the wind. Barbed hooks would have sorted that out!
For the next 2hrs, I kept rotating between 8 & 13m, depending on how bad the wind was. I couldn’t see Andy, but I reasoned if I kept putting fish in the net, the better fish would turn up.
On the 13m line I was cupping a pinch of micros and caster every 15mins, whilst 6-8 casters went in at 8m every couple minutes. The 8m line was producing more fish, but a 1½lb skimmer from the 13m line on double red maggot was very welcome. Over the 13m single maggot only produced small fish, whilst expanders didn’t produce a bite, so I stuck with double maggot.
Unfortunately going into the 4th hour the wind increased again and I spent more time at 8m. I tried fishing the straight lead over the 13m line, but I couldn’t get a bite, which was frustrating, because I knew there was fish there.
With 20mins left, I hooked something more substantial at 8m on single red maggot. Initially it just sat there pretending to be a snag, before it decided it was time to move. As it headed for the middle of the lake, I preying I had hooked it properly and the size 22 would hold. 5mins after the all out and much plodding around I eventually landed the fish.
The question was how had Andy done? Unfortunately it was quickly established that he had 5 carp and a big skimmer, which meant he had won the match and the knockout.
My silvers weighed 4-14 and my carp was 7-8. So 12-6, which was enough for 3rd overall and a brown envelope.
1st Andy Lord 26-1 – peg 5
2nd Kev Millard 14-4 – peg 47
3rd Ken Rayner 12-6 – peg 35
4th Ian Pople 9-2 – peg 19
5th Chris Derrick 8-8 – peg 13
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