Lands End League Review

Those that regularly follow my blog will already know I was disappointed to finish the Lands End Winter League in 11th place, particularly since I thought a top 7 place and paying position was a realistic goal.

I then began to wonder whether I should have done better from the pegs drawn or had I been unlucky with my draws. The short answer is I know I should have done better in at least 2 rounds, which would have given me the points to break into the top 7, but what about the other rounds, did I make the most of them?

It’s easy to over analysis situations, but I thought it would be interesting to look over my results during the series. Many anglers have said you need a bit of luck to win an 8 matches series, but is luck really a factor? Or is it the angler who makes the most of the peg drawn? You are never going to win without some skill, which is why you always see the same names leading the league tables. There are of course other factors to consider, such as weather conditions, which can turn a good peg into an unfishable peg.

Since I produce the league tables for Mike, it allowed me to provide an accurate review of my series. For this purpose I calculated the average points gained from each peg, which highlighted the best and worse pegs. So could I find an excuse for my shortcomings? A little, but that’s not my intention, since I wanted to identify were I could improve.

During the series a section win attracted 6pts, whilst a section last was 1pt. The issue when calculating averages is if all the good anglers fish the same peg, then the average points gained will be higher than if the all the poor anglers fish the same peg. Whilst not scientific, it does provide a guide since even the poorer anglers will have their day on a good peg and a good angler can increase the average of a poor peg.

What I also did to help put the peg averages into context was rate them A to C. The top 4 pegs on the lake were rated A, the middle 4 were B and worse 4 pegs were rated C.

Round 1 – 12lb 7oz - Match Lake P24 – 5pts (peg average = 5pts – A rated)
A good initial start to the league which went to plan and I felt I got the most from the peg on a cold day.

Round 2 – 1lb 9oz – Johns Lake P41 – 2pts (peg average = 3.67pts – B rated)
This round was a nightmare and one were I should have done better, however there was a number of factors against me, not least my mental state. Around this time I was under a great deal of stress with work and my wife losing her job, so my mind really wasn’t were it was suppose to be. As a consequence I didn’t make the most of the peg.

The other factor was the weather. It was a really windy day, which was blowing straight into my end of the lake and bait presentation on the pole was very difficult. And now the luck bit, or lack of it. With 30 minutes to go I was 3rd in section (4pts), but 2 anglers managed late carp on maggot to beat me.

Definitely a day to forget and a below average performance form the peg.

Round 3 – 13lb 14oz – Sydney’s Lake P78 – 5pts (peg average = 3.5pts – C rated)
I was determined to make up for my last round, but this wasn’t a great draw. I kept working to keep the fish coming mainly small roach & skimmers, plus some small carp down the edge to claim 2nd in a very tight section. Over the series this was the best result form the peg, so in hindsight a really good result.

Round 4 – 7lb 15oz – Speci Lake P34 – 6pts (peg average = 5.17pts – A rated)
A section win, from what has been a good peg. So at least I fulfilled the pegs potential on what was a cold day.

Round 5 – 26lb 3oz – Match Lake P16 – 5pts (peg average = 5.25pts – A rated)
Interesting one here. Yes I got 2nd in section, but should I have won the section? Probably. A lost carp hooked on my silvers rig ruined the swim for at least an hour. Had I been patient and struck with the carp rig, I would have probably landed the carp, had a settled swim and caught a few more.

Round 6 – 29lb 14oz – Johns Lake P51 – 4pts (peg average = 3.67pts – B rated)
Despite a good start to the match I struggled until the last couple of hours. The weather was a major influence today due to very heavy winds. On reflection, I am not sure I could have beaten the pegs at either end of the lake, although another 30 mins I could have pushed peg 55 (end peg to my left) for 2nd in section. 4 pts was probably a fait and average result.

Round 7 – 14lb 2oz – Sydney’s Lake P84 – 2pts (peg average = 4.33pts – B rated)
This is 1 round that deep down I know I should have done better. Although the weather conditions were against me, being bright & flat, compared to the rest of the lake which was rippled by the wind, I cant place my finger on what I could have done better. Having an empty peg opposite didn’t help either, but I’m not convinced that could be used as an excuse. A very frustrating day.

Round 8 – 20lb 9oz – Speci Lake P36 – 3pts (peg average = 2.4pts – C rated)
I was defeated by the draw for this round and needed another 13lb to claim just another point, which on the day wouldn’t have meant much, since as it turned out, I needed at least a section win to get back into the leagues top 7.

I finished the league with 32pts and 11th place. Based on the average points from each draw, I should have claimed 33pts for 9th place, so overall a slightly below average performance. However, I reckon I should have gained at least another 4 pts, which would have pushed me into 5th place, but how many times have you heard that from anglers? There are always hard luck stories after each match.

My main problem is patience. I don’t like sitting and waiting, whilst those anglers who have done the best in this league have on the whole adopted a single minded patient approach, waiting for the carp to arrive. My busier approach has been successful, but this season only in winning the silvers or picking up sections.

Adrian Clarke who won the league, only dropped 1 point over 8 matches, which is a fantastic performance, but did he have the luck of the draw? Well yes, but that shouldn’t distract from the fact he kept things simple and got the most from the pegs he drew. Just wish I could have drawn 5 A rated pegs, 3 B rated peg and no C rated pegs.

In conclusion, yes the draw bag didn’t do me any favours on occasion, but neither did my ability to get the most from my peg. There is always the next league, which will be Tony Rixons Float Only League and with any luck or skill I’ll get into the money winning positions.

1-Adrian Clarke 47
2-Nicky Collier 43
3-Anton Page 39
4-Andy France 37
5-Mike Duckett 35
6-Kev Molton 34 (197-5)
7-Rod Wootton 34 (180-10)
8-Larry Burns 34 (144-3)
9-Alan Oram 32 (216-14)
10-Martin Pettifer 32 (148-12)
11-Ken Rayner 32 (126-9)
12-Mike West 32 (126-1)