Catch - 35 Carp, 2 F1
Weather - Warm & sunny
Match - Open (14 fished) - 1st overall
Due to low water levels (down
about 2ft) Gary limited numbers to 14, which meant everyone would have some space.
On the all-in I started across by
the island on So Simple Kriller paste, netting my first fish after 15mins and a
2nd after 30mins. I could see plenty of fish by the island but
catching them was a different manner. Looking down the lake it looked like
everyone was struggling to catch and I decided to ignore the far bank 
and
concentrate on my margins and short line.
When I switched, I tried fishing
pellet in 2ft of water 6m to my right, but it became obvious the fish wanted to
be in shallow water so that rig was never picked up again.
In the meantime, I had fed 4mm baninion
pellet and micros at top kit + 1, fishing paste expecting an immediate response.
When the float did go under it was a decent fish but I couldn’t catch another.
So, it was time to try my margins
sooner than expected. I had been feeding 4s and micros 6m down the right margin,
and there were plenty of fish showing, but again catching them was tricky.
After 3hrs I was up to 12 fish, as
well as losing a few foul hookers. I started to catch more regularly on 8mm pellet
toss potting a few micros and 8mm.
I had kept my short line topped up
but as yet it hadn’t produced much and I decided to feed more heavily. I also
started feeding micros to my left by the inlet pipe and this started to produce.
By alternating between both margins my catch rate increased fishing paste.
I tried my short line again and
this time I caught, staying on this line for most of the last hour,
occasionally trying both margins when it needed resting.
On the all-out I was fairly sure I
had beaten most of those I could see and it was a pleasant surprise when the
normal flyers in the ‘teens’ hadn’t produced meaning I won the match.
1. 121- 5 – Ken Rayner – p1
2. 110- 2 – George Organ – p4
3. 108-12
– Ray Russell – p16
4. 99-11 – Andy Pollard – p19
5. 89-13 – Elvis – p5
