Weight - 86lb 12oz
Catch - 17 Carp, 2 Roach
Weather - Cloudy and breezy. Rain late on.
Match - Tackle Den (11 fished) - 3rd overall
For various reasons we were low on numbers today, which at
least meant there would be fewer poor pegs in the bag. The good news was we could
still drive round the lake, helped by loads of wood chipping being laid down in
the worst affected areas during the previous rain. The question however, was, would
the forecasted rain later in the day start before or after the match?
I drew p18 on the far bank opposite the island, but I would
have preferred p20 or p21, but with the wind blowing into my bank I was hopeful.
I started on the method cast ¾ of the way towards the
island. I didn’t wish to cast any closer due to the various snags by the island.
After 3 casts on the method without any indications, I wasn’t convinced the feeder
was the right approach, so switched to an 8mm red pellet and a tea bag covered
in p-nut oil, resulting in my first carp. The 2nd hour was better
adding another 5 carp, mostly on 8mm meat covered in a-krill cloud and a pellet
cone with bubblegum micros.
The 3rd hour was disappointing with no more fish. In the
meantime, I had been feeding meat and 4mm pellet at 11m, but only caught a
couple of roach and a crayfish, so I started feeding meat and micros down the
right margin.
Fortunately, the fish returned over the far line adding
another 4 fish, plus 2 from the right margin, but roach playing around with the
bait were being a real pain.
With 45mins remaining, I felt I was behind all 3 anglers to
my left and needed to get rid of the nuisance roach and catch some margin fish.
So, I opened another tin of meat and fed both margins, just as the rain started. The right side was still
full of roach, however 5 fish from the left margin in the last 30mins for 30lb
was really useful to win my side of the lake and finish 3rd overall.
1.
134-15 – Pete Phillips – p6
2.
100- 7 –
Matt Greaves – p2
3.
86-12 –
Ken Rayner – p18
4.
83-13 –
Andrew Black – p4
5.
78- 8 – Dan Barnett – p21