21/02/09 - Lands End - Match Lake

Weight – 9lb 15oz
Catch – 15 Roach, 7 Perch, 1 Mirror Carp, 1 Bream.
Weather – Mild. Bright, cool breeze
Water Temp– 7.0c > 7.5c
Match – Open – 6th overall

With a week of mild weather and the results from Wednesday open suggested we could have a good day, although there was a stiff breeze blowing into pegs 1 & 24. As it turned out it was only a good day for those at the windward end of the lake.

I drew peg 16 again, which I was initially happy with, because it was out of the worse of the wind, plus I had a few here last Sunday, however peg 15 was in, which meant I didn’t have as room as before.

I started at 11.5m toss potting micro pellet, fishing pellet on the hook. I also potted micro pellet at the bottom of the far shelf, plus caster 5m in front of peg 17. After 30mins I caught 1½lb skimmers shortly followed by a 6lb carp and thought at least I would have a good day.

As the match progressed I began to struggle. I couldn’t get anymore bites on the pellet and the caster swim only produced a few fish. Time for a change of tact. With the increased wind, the lake was towing a little, so I set up a heavier rig to improve presentation, but this didn’t have any affect, it seemed there were no carp in the area.

Most were struggling including Alan Oram on peg 19, who won Wednesdays match from the same peg. The only person, who was catching, was Andy France on peg 24. In the meantime Andy Bryant on 15 had been catching silvers all day on top of the shelf with maggot and then pinkie. Although I tried the same line I had simply started too late and couldn’t catch quickly enough.

I was convinced the carp or even the skimmers would turn up, but they never did. In fact I was the only person to catch a carp between pegs 11 & 19. They really had followed the wind.

Andy France did win the match with 40lb and Andy Bryant won the silvers with 14lb. For me today was a bit of a non event, the fish just weren’t there. In fact Nick Collier drew the same peg on Sunday and tipped back 7lb. Hopefully it won’t be too long before the fish spread out.