17/08/08 - Fishponds

Weight – 117lb 8oz
Catch – 14 Carp, 3 Bream.
Weather – Windy, showery start, then mostly sunny.
Water temp – 18.5c > 18.5c
Match – Club - 2nd

I finished this match, thinking what do I have to do to a win at the moment? I’m fishing with confidence, got some good section results and frames, but no out right win.

Today was a club match, where 13 members turned up. Heavy overnight rain could make things interesting and a strong wind blowing into peg 1, meant many thought that Graham would walk the match.

My peg was 18 at the other, more sheltered end of the lake. I always fancy a few on paste at this lake and that was my main attack. Kev, who is one of the best anglers in the club, was on peg 20 to my right

My main swim was 11m to my left at the bottom of the shelf in front of peg 17. Due to the heavy overnight rain, I decided on a cautious approach. Therefore I fed a few 8 & 11mm pellets via a tosspot, with my paste, every put in. It wasn’t long before I started to catch, as was Kev who was matching me fish for fish.

2hrs in, I had a slight lead over Kev and felt I leading overall, but I began to have dodgy middle part of the match. Thoughout I tried the margins, I did catch 1 on 11mm pellet, but then lost a couple, which trashed my rigs. I then couldn’t get a bite over my main swim and when I did I seemed to foul hook a couple. The final insult was I landed a fish on a new rig, next put in I got a bite and when I struck there was no rig attached.

Whilst I was struggling, Kev kept catching and with 2hrs left (of a 6hr match) was 4 or 5 carp ahead of me. I had also noted Roger on peg 13 started catch well.

Time to really concentrate! I felt my main swim needed an injection, so a cup of pellet went in and this seemed to help and I started to catch again. More importantly I was catching Kev.

On the whistle I landed my final fish, but thought Kev had beaten me. In the end Kev weighted 121lb 13oz, which was a lot closer than I thought. Roger was 3rd from peg 13 with 90lb. The surprise of the day was Graham on peg 1 who struggled and finished DNW.

I was pleased with the weight, which normally would be good enough to win here, but I was also disappointed with the middle part of the match, where I fished like a muppet and feel I should have won.