13/07/12 - Glebe - Pool 1

Weight - 53lb 0oz
Catch - 10 Carp, 12 Skimmers
Weather - Rainy start, cleared later, light winds
Match - MFS website - 38th out of 45 - 6th out of 7 section

Today was the first of a 2 dayer at the Glebe. I travelled up with Mark and we ended up having a pig of a journey with 3 lanes closed on the M42, we managed to get on the M6, but due to restricted access we had to go northbound and it then took 3 junctions before we could turn around and head back in the correct direction. Despite this it was still better than sitting in stationary traffic.

With the Angling Trust Masters next month I wanted to get some practice and today we had 45 anglers booked in over 5 lakes. I was just thankful to actually be fishing after pulling my back last weekend, but a rather intense osteopath session sorted me out. I also brought a Velcro strap belt to support my lower back and it really worked.

I found myself on peg 29 on pool 1 which was at the far end of the pool, one peg from the end. Reports suggested I was at the wrong end of the lake, with most of the recent weights coming from around peg 8. Steve on peg 30 said he struggled from the same peg a few weeks ago. Although there was no ripple in our part of the lake there was a few fish moving around on the surface, so I was actually quite hopeful of a good day, plus I had a spare peg to my left.

On the all in, I swung out the mugging rig with 8mm pellet and I had a 8lber straight away - perhaps I was going to have a good day after all. This was followed by a smaller carp 10mins later, but all the surface fish soon disappeared.

I had cupped in sweetcorn and hemp at 6m, as well as 13m. The 6m line produced a small carp, but the 13m had failed and with 90mins already gone I only had 3 carp.

A few skimmers had started to show over my 6m line by continually feeding corn and hemp, switching to just corn later, but they were coming too slowly and any carp I caught on the deck were only small.

Since the 13m line failed to produce I started to catapult 6s, switching to 8s later to try and catch shallow, but neither had the desired effect and with half the match gone I still only 3 carp, plus a few more skimmers from my 6m line.

I had brought some caster with me, but as yet hadn't fed any, mainly because I hoped to catch properly on pellet and keep my caster (by freezing them) for the more important matches at the Glebe, but it was frustrating that I couldn't catch so started to feed the caster over the 13m line. This would also show the difference between caster and pellet.

Well the caster certainly pulled a few fish in, but with no ripple as soon as I shipped out the pole, the carp would shy away and all I could catch was skimmers and a couple small carp. After an hour of this I was getting more frustrated, so I got off my box and set up a waggler to chase the carp. 1st cast I almost had the rod pulled out of hand, unfortunately the next carp didn't come quite as quickly. In fact I had to work really hard to get a bite, continually changing the depth of the waggler.

Going into the last hour Steve on p30 had stopped catching altogether, whilst I kept picking up the odd fish, including 2 carp in the last 10mins shallow on the pole. I thought it would be close between Steve and myself, but due to bankside vegetation I couldn't really see down the lake. As it happened, Steve weighed 49lb for last, whilst my 53lb was 2nd to last in the section, whilst the weights just got better the further down the lake you went. Today was a genuine case of drawing poorly, which was disappointing having travelled all that distance.

So onto our overnight accommodation which Mark booked. Image our surprise when we entered the room to see a double bed! Today just keeps on giving! Mark eventually got a twin room which involved 2 single beds being pushed together, which we soon separated! Then we dicided to eat the carvery at the hotel, which  was dry and horrible. So not a great day all in all

Having checked the results from Saturdays match a venue regular fished the peg and only managed 65lb for 30th overall. So definately not fishing well at this end of the lake.

1st 156- 4 - Woody - p66 (pool 4)
2nd 133-12 - Mark Poppleton - p92 (pool 6)
3rd 127-12 - Andy Toplis - p22 (pool 1)
4th 123- 5 - Hathers - p83 (pool 5)
5th 119- 6 - SBW - p102 (pool 7)
6th 119- 3 - Ron Byus - p104 (pool 7)