Army 6 Todber bogey again on longest day

An early start required needed fuel had a flat tyre etc etc. Still got to Skevys Cafe on time for my heart attack on a plate.  Good job too. 49 Anglers all wanting a mega breakfast is no mean feet to get through.  Well done to Sue and her team .

Pushed forward to draw I once again drew well for the team but not for myself.  Having been told by the guy in the shop last week the new lake would not be used it was and although I had some inkling from Chris Perry it would be in.  I went armed for F1 fishing on white posts or Park lake.  But oh no I drew in the middle of the new lake not good.

Straight away I realised it was going to be an easy day , virgin water (although well stocked with fish) barren of feature , a long strip two shelves either side and 5.5 to 6 feet down the middle of sticky blue clay.  To top it all we were sat in a construction site as new lakes were being dug and shaped all around .  The deafening sound of tracked caterpillars and dozers, mots unwelcome.

After plumbing up I set up my rigs not realising that the fish were going to be so small ( 4 to 6 ounces)  So it was clear early on I had prepared all wrong.  Having practised White Posts and Park, I was trying to keep it simple on bait.

This lake though was different, my 8 mill meat cubes, 4 and 6 mill hard pellet hollow 10 and 12 elastic plus one top kit with double 8 in were all too heavy.  To lighten the load I had left my light elastics at home.  I did have a Carp on the method across straight off but after 20 biteless minutes and everyone around me catching it seemed I came in and fished the pole.

It took a while and many changes of rigs to find a bait and set up that would work but eventually sussed a method.  Ultimately though the stamp of fish in front of me were to small.  A busy day bagging four ounce fish is ok , but it ain't gonna win anything.

Neil Gaff three pegs left of me and Pez were catching much bigger fish and more of them.  Ben Bentley he of the named peg

were going great guns Ben having tench after tench and Tree Sansom was matching him, if not in front.  If I was to fish this lake again I would fish it different certainly bait wise, they simply didn't want 8 mill meat or hard 6 mill pellet.  

If I was thinking straight I should have bit the bullet got of my peg go back to the shop and get the right bait.  But I didn't want to leave my peg i just kept thinking Pez's bigger fish would or other bigger fish would come into my swim.  

I did have 4 skimmers jigging a 6 mill hard pellet but that didn't last.  So Todber continues to be a bogey water 9th with nearly 15 kilo it certainly was MIDSECTIONBLUES today. My bigger fish below + 37 four ounce stack carp, a busy day till 1.30 when the bites stopped suddenly and only had a few more bites in the last hour

Brian came along for a chat; and said with an hour to go he only had a kilo.  Then caught 6 lumps in the last hour for 18 kilo so he finished one place ahead of me again.

Kev East did the scores on the doors for the last time before moving on.  He has run it brilliantly for the last two years.

So the scores on this very long and noisy day, i ll be glad to get home.  One day I will get Todber right in a match, and watch out. 

 Well done to my team mate Mike Poolman, Dave Burns and myself let him down today.

Well done to Rocky, Chris Glover, H , Mike Poolman and the other winners of dosh.  Back on the canal Sunday see you there. PS well done 1 RHA team winners. Scores below mine and Dave's 9 and 10 are round wrong way but doesn't affect the scores