Monday, 18 November 2013

17/11/13 - Todber Manor - Park Lake

Weight - 58lb 2oz
Catch - 19 Carp, 19 F1s, 5 Roach
Weather - Heavy cloud, but no wind
Match - Wests Open - 6th out of 21 (2nd out of 7 section)

I don’t think Sue was too impressed that I went fishing today. I’ve been feeling crap since Friday due to a heavy cold, also a lack of sleep wasn’t helping. However I reasoned some fresh air would do me some good, which it did although I forgot to take any medication and suffered as a consequence.

21 eventually turned up, which meant only one peg (p17) was put in on cyanide straight, which Fred Robert drew from match organiser Steve Ince, then promptly drew p5 for himself. As for me my drawing arm seems to have deserted me recently, with p28 being my home for the day. Not great, but usually there are a number of F1s in the area, although I couldn’t see me framing, so was hoping for a section win instead.

Following some cold nights, I decided a cautious approach would be best and see how the fish respond. Starting off fishing tight across (HB Frostie 0.2g > .12 > 18 silverfish pellet), slightly to my right with 4mm expander, toss potting a pinch of 4s and micros, I soon had a couple of carp and gradually increased my feed to a big pinch of pellet.

After an hour I had 6 carp and a roach, so it was steady. I had also started catapulting 4s into a gap to my left and by rotating both swims was up to 13 carp after 2hrs, but it was slowing down. Talk around the lake suggested most were struggling, except for Steve Musitano on p31 and Mark Poppleton on p32.

Hooking up on a snag from the right hand swim saw me move further right to ensure I didn’t catch it again. As for the left hand swim a switch to toss potting bait, instead of catapulting proved to be better, probably because a few pellets were getting caught on the overhanging sedges.

Weary that the far lines wouldn’t last, I had been feeding caster and later some corn at 5m, but only had 1 roach here. I had also been feeding meat into the left margin, but again without success.

So my main catching area turned out to be the left hand swim. The carp were replaced by F1s up to 1.5lb, but they are crafty little buggers. On a couple of occasions they managed to nip off ½ a 4mm expander, leaving the other half on the hook. Most fish came by lifting and dropping and towards the end of the match the carp returned.

Quite a simple match in the end and knew it was unlikely I would frame, but was hopeful of a section win, which ran from my peg round to peg 13. Come the weigh in Tom Ince on p22 had 85lb for 2nd overall, which meant I picked up the section money by de-fault. From my draw I was pleased to catch, because Craig on p29 had 25lb, whilst the 2 anglers to my left didn’t weigh. Overall the lake didn’t fish well, which seems to the picture with a number of fisheries at the moment. Once the fish settle down and get used to the cold things should improve.

1st 90- 8 – Mark Poppleton – p32
2nd 85- 0 – Tom Ince – p22
3rd 81- 8 – Fred Roberts – p5
4th 69- 4 – Steve Musitano – p31
5th 62-10 – Jon Howell – p11
6th 58- 2 – Ken Rayner – p28

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