After Picking Dave Moody up in Salisbury , we descended on Stoneham club water at Eastleigh. A very cold day awaited us with a surprise that the top four had been promoted so I was up into Div 1 of the Toyota league. Seven points and seven places behind third place Mr Moody. The quiver tip is the method here with big Carp and Bream the target...........if you can get em. That's not easy the water is very very very cold. We all gather at the club hut for the draw and there is a mountain of kit and expectant anglers keen to get underway if only to move warm blood around the body.
Tea and a custard cream and the draw gets under way.I draw a good summer peg. With Dave two to my left the first 30 minutes see my method almost ripped out of my hand by a ballistic carp which was on and off quicker than an easy girls knickers. Left with just a large mirror scale covering the point of my hook. One snapped hook link and a further reasonable fish lodged in a nearby sunken tree stump. Leave me cursing my luck. Two small Roach sees my tied with Dave M and leading the bank!!!!!!!! Its going to be tough day. The wind is biting and none of us have anything that will make the float move for the next 4 hours.
Rumours that end peg Rich Penney has 3 Carp (30+lb).Kev Downer has a tiny Tench and the guy to my right has 5 tiny fish for around 4oz. Dave and I nothing more. Then as all hope fades, and Dave asks me to go and warm the van up, he hooks a tiny Perch. I go down to a size 24 hook 6oz bottom and a single pinkie. Whack in some sloppy ground bait with pinkie in it. Come three inches of the bottom, and pick up a roach to match Dave. The guy to my right has a Perch of a pound. Gerry illingworth between Dave and me, has a roach and a tiny Perch. and I get another one. The match draws to and end much to all our delight. To Dave's left Dave Rickword has had a slab. Maurice has sat on the tip all day, had one slab first ten minutes, and two more in the last ten minutes - typical Maurice. In the five pegs around me we have probably caught 3lb and a third of that is a pound Perch to my right.
We finish and weigh in. Guy to my right(Perch man) has 1.5lb. I have 7 fish 10 oz , Gerry has 2 fish 3oz, and Dave Moody 5 fish 4oz!! I don't quite believe DMs weight one of his Roach was a good size and; I reckon he has at least 6oz and the scales were not zeroed. DM is too bloody cold to contest it and philosophically trudges back to the van as the snow and sleet begins.
The top weights came fom the other (deeper end) of the lake. Confirming my early thoughts. I hope to get back in amongst the good pegs soon.
We decide not to wait for the results, as we are just glad to get back in the flyer (my van) and head for home. Hope England won the Rugby, wonder what the wife has done for Tea? See you all next week. Eastleigh club match on the three lakes at Withy Farm.
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