Sunshine accompanied myself and Dave as we motored down the 303 in the flyer (had her up to 78 at one point).
First order of the day was breakfast at Woody's. We were joined at the table by Mike "Buzzer" Bernstein from Challis Tackle in Andover. Nice for me to listen to the experts talking through the old and new match fishing scene, and the current ups and downs of the tackle trade. Although I spend 98% of my coin in Reids Tackle always have done; I do also use Challis Tackle as I am a big fan of Garbolino floats.
 |
| The Happy Couple |
The draw was at 9 am and I was a little surprised to see we were fishing 10 till 4 pm. Not much time to set up. All the pegs were on Campbell lake. I drew 129 and Dave drew 130! Buzzer on 124.
The all in was whistled at 10, and I wasn't ready. Drawing 129 Meant I had the spit to my left. This had complicated my simple plan of straight lead, to the middle and ping pellet. Eventually fishing pellet waggler up in the water. Now I was setting up a shallow rig , meat rig for the bottom, and a worm and caster rig (for silvers). There was no mention or at least I didn't here a mention of silvers pool at the brief. More on that later.
Cupped in some hemp and 8 mill meat at the point of the spit.Some caster choppy worm and ground bait at 8 meters to my right at 2 o clock. Sat on the spit line for 30 minutes without a movement. Came over the caster line again 15 minutes and nothing. Back over the meat line by the spit all the time pinging 11 mill to the middle. 12 noon saw no bites of any description. DM had, had a tug on his worm but the skimmer was off before it was properly on. Dave was cussing the lack of bites, as were most people round the lake. The guy to Dave's right on Peg 131 had a few fish including Carp. So he was leading (our) A section. I gave up on the pole and went for it with the straight lead. Being nibbled out by thousands of fry, was not going to win today. A few people over the far side and the match organiser in the corner peg were catching down the edge.
12.30 and the first movement on the rod tip, but all a bit half hearted, no ripping round Viaduct style. I had fished Viaduct 10 days ago on scary Carey and 11 mill Donkey Chokers were the order of the day. Not today though it was all a bit tentative. Pushed the carp rod up the bank and got out my 11 foot Steve Gardner Milo bomb rod out. Tackle 8lb main line, 3/4 oz arlesley bomb, 15 inch 6 lb hook link to banded 8 mill red robin pellet. Clipped up and fired out. Pinged 6 pellet about every 2 minutes.
Frightener as the rod almost went in, just as I was catapulting in. Grabbed it and hung on. The line was down to the clip and everything was straining - and the fish was off. After losing five carp in my last match on Monday, I looked heavenwards and asked the gods of fishing (Ivan Marks, Ray Mumford, Ian Heaps etc) what I had done to offend them.
Didn't lose my temper, this time didn't swear, just fired it out again and carried on. 10 minutes and another ripping bite and after a steady pull I gently coaxed a 6lb carp over the net. Then a run of 4 lb fish, hope was rising.
DM was questioning what I was doing. Which was no different to what he was doing but; he want getting bites on the tip. He came over his 14 meter line and dropped a worm in, a carp took it and was on then off. Both DM and myself agreed he could probably bag up on silvers, but with no silvers pool whats the point. DM had a tench and then a skimmer, but couldn't buy a carp bite. The guy to his right had a couple of big lumps and few smaller carp.
 |
| The Silverfish kid
Me I was starting to catch the bloke on Peg 131 (to the right of Dave). Bites had slowed but I was getting one about every ten minutes. A check of the time on my mobile made me think I was not going to catch enough to win anything. My 8 meter swim was fizzing like a can of Vimto. What to do??? Come in over the caster ground bait or stay on the lead. 20 minutes to go. I come in over the short line and watch the float literally bob around in the mass of bubbles and small swirls and vortex's.
A couple of missed liners, and a nudge from DM to put the pole away, and get back on the tip saw two more fish in the last ten minutes.
The all out is whistled and I guess I have got 65 maybe 70 lb. I was disappointed to find I had 59 lb 6 oz. The bloke to Daves right had 61 lb 2oz. Bugger pipped for the section by a pound and half. The decision to go on the 8 meter line for 10 minutes may have cost me.
Dave had a creditable 23 lb which was 2 carp and the rest was silvers. Buzzer came along to say he had not weighed in his 4 carp,and just weighed in his silvers around 15 lb. This was when we realised there was a silvers pool after all!!!!"
I am sure DM would have smashed everyone on his silvers , he really had them going. But not realising there was a silvers pool he wasted time trying to catch carp when they were not having it in his swim.
Thanks to Dave (Reids Tackle) for the invitation, disappointed at coming second in the section, it was really a red letter day for me. To have DM and Buzzer in the same section and beat them both is a day I wont forget for a while.
I was seventh overall, the top weights coming from the corner swims.
1st 110 lb,
2nd 104 lb and 3rd 90 lb.
Fourth was 75 lb,
5th 66 lb
6th 61 lb 2oz then me 59 lb 6 oz. Yippee it is possible to land Carp after all.
Pewsey club match this weekend.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment