I arrived in plenty of time for the draw, the car park was busy as there was another match on the lakes today, but the PSV guys were on the 'leaky' match lake, the water was around 10 inches down, I think due to a leak somewhere.
I paid my monies, loaded my trolley and waited for the draw, Alan Healey was running the show today and he called golden peg as 15 (very nice, has a chance) and mentioned the rules like no method feeders and 12" hooklength on the 'tip rods should they be used.
For a change I plucked my peg around halfway down the queue of 18. My peg for the day wasn't one I fancied. I liked 12 or 13, maybe 24. But I pulled peg 18, down the left hand bank on the left side of the gap. Not the best peg but a couple options to go at.
For company I had on peg 17, Steve O'Toole, I seem to get drawn next to him down at Landsend quite regularly. On peg 19 was Lee Waller, whom wasn't going to be targeting silvers this week.
I could see Darren North and Adam Caswell on the pegs opposite. Oh and Alan Healey was on flyer, golden peg, peg 15.
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| Peg 18, Landsend Match lake. |
Rigs were a long stalking/slapping rig, a rig with a band for fishing at full depth and an identical rig with a standard hook for meat, Lastly I set up a shallow rig for tight across to some mud. This rig would do for tight against the bank down my right margin.
It all seemed a bit of a waste really as the day went on. The 10am all-in was called and it started slow for me, Steve and Lee. In fact after we all had brief moments with foul hooked fish, it was 1hr and 45mins before we all had a carp each.
It was bizarre really as the 3 of us all hooked and landed fish within seconds of each other.
Elsewhere it seemed the rest of this bank was catching a few. Adam Caswell had landed a couple but Darren North had a couple of perch and maybe a roach.
Another 90 minutes passed and the same scenario happened again with the 3 of us on pegs 17, 18 and 19 all hooking and landing fish within moments of each other!! My now regular scenario of me having smaller fish was obviously apparent as both Steve's and Lee's were somewhat larger than my 4lbers.
Further to my left Derek (peg 13), Alan (p15) and Chris Gay (p16) were all catching regularly, Chris in the 'tip. Word came down that Lionel Legge on peg 12 was getting a few and Matt Challenger on peg 1 was as well.
So by now, with an hour left, I had 2 carp, a crucian and an F1. I had changed a few rigs and tried various lines. The only one I could get a fish from was across by the island.
My short meat line, my margins and my pellet rig by the bush all failed to produce anything other than a few line bites and a couple missed bites.
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| This is what the right hand margin of p18 looks like. |
So the last hour saw me put another 6 carp, only babies, into my net. Lee Waller put in 4 lumpier carp, Steve also had 4 decent carp in the same period.
The all out was called and I guess I had around 26 to 30lb plus a couple of pounds of silvers.
I packed my kit away and pondered how I'd done, I reckoned it'd be close between us 3. Derek, Alan and Chris Gay would be up there as they'd done well.
I took my kit to the car and caught up with the scales, the board showed 78lb+ from peg 1, Darren North DNW'd, Adam Caswell had 39lb 6oz and Ryan Radford 38lb 4oz.
Si Belcham had 11lb of silvers before Lionel Legge's 82lb 12oz put him top.
Around the corner to Derek and he had the usual squeaker carp in his net of 42lb 6oz. Less than most thought.
Alan plopped 68lb exactly on the scales, Chris Gay's 94lb 4oz came next. Steve O'Toole's better stamp of carp gave him 43lb 8oz.
I weighed 38lb 14oz and Lee Waller put 34lb 5oz. We were both towards the bottom half of the final tally up.
I left the scales here and went to load the car etc. But there were a few 40 to 60lb nets and John Bradford's usual net of silvers from peg 3 held out for the silvers win, he had 17lb 8oz.
So a dire day in the scheme of things, the 3 of us on 17, 18 and 19, plus those directly opposite all struggle all day. The carp seemed full of spawn so a few warm days and a bit of sunshine may well get them spawning.
Results:
1st. 94lb 4oz. Chris Gay p16
2nd. 82lb 12oz. Lionel Legge p12
3rd. 78lb 12oz. Matt Challenger p1
4th. 68lb. Alan Healey p15
Silvers
John Bradford, p3, 17lb 8oz
Next week I had 2 days at Viaduct with the MFS crew and then Sunday I am on Sedges with the PSV guys in a match against Carpenters.
Until next time, take care.
Lee
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