This match had been changed I think from one of Tony Rixon's cancelled teams of 4 events, but Tony said it would be top set plus 3 sections. As I said on my last post with every peg on the venue going to have an angler (on Paddock) the draw would be important. Travelled down today with Glenn, and as he had fished the open the day before (he had 97lb for 6th) he was well clued up and was going to stick to his tried and tested paste. I had an open mind and came prepared for carp or silvers especially as the top lake was also in. I must say it was really nice seeing a good turnout on a Sunday at a commercial, we get them all the time of course on river winter leagues lol!
After a reasonable brekkie at the venue it was time to draw, though Tony was insistant on an orderly queue and sat in his van, that didn't work either and it was a brawl! My luck at the drawbag was very good when I saw peg 27 staring back at me, it is right at the top end of the venue but just out of a corner and so would give me that extra bit of space I reckoned would help. I dropped Glenn off so he could walk to peg 2 and then drove round the lake to park right behind my peg, nice! For company I had Joe Thompson on 26, Dave Roper on 28, an empty peg (the only one) then Mike Nicholls on 29. I set up a paste rig for the deep water at the farthest length of pole at 2 o'clock a size 12 Drennan nu hook to 0.16, a 6x10 pencil float for meat at 4mtrs in front (nothing on this so forget it), a paste rig for down the marginal shelf toward the corner, and a 4x10 rig with a band that would do for pellet, corn or meat with a 16 PR36 to 0.16. It appeared a number of anglers in my section were going to fish for silvers but I decided I had to go for carp (as the rigs above suggest) and with £45 for the overall section winner and silvers section winner there was plenty to go for.
To start the match I fed a pot of 4mm pellets on the long pole and margin lines, and threw some meat in at 4mtrs (but as I said we will forget that meat line). I went straight out with paste on the long line and it took me a couple of drops to get the float depth set just right and then I hooked a decent size carp which halfway back came off. Oh dear, not gonna have the same trouble as Wednesday again!!!! It was a slow start and after an hour I had 4 carp and had lost 3, but most people were struggling although Mike Nicholls had begun well. After the 2nd hour I had added 3 more carp and two 8oz skimmers, slow but OK compared to those around me but then this line really slowed. An early look on the margin produced nothing and I stuck with the paste out long. I was not getting hardly any fizzing and very few liners, so there were not many fish in the peg, I would try and feed a bit of pellet to get a response but it just seemed to go dead for 15 mins then I would get a fish or maybe two before I would have to feed again. I was of course hoping the margin would be the banker line in the last two hours and for once I managed to catch some here. I tried pellet but just had the odd liner, so put my shallow paste rig in (was about 2ft deep) and bang the float went under. I had two quick fish and then nothing so went back long, took a couple of fish and then back into the margin where I then had a good run of 3lb+ fish. I felt I was clawing myself back up the section, as both Mike Nicholls and Bob Gullick had more than me before this spell.
I kept swapping between the two paste lines as the margin faded badly and I felt it needed resting, but the last half hour was not the best as I bumped a carp on each line, but a carp on the whistle from the margin made it a nice way to finish. The good thing about today was that I had not lost that many fish, certainly a lot less than Wednesday, and I finished the match a lot happier with how things had gone. I thought I had 80lb but Dave Roper said 100lb to 110lb was nearer.
The scales started at peg 1 and by the time they got round to me Glenn was winning with 111lb (he had 2 carp after 2 hours and then bagged up the last 3) and Bob Gullick was winning my section with 80lb+. My fish weighed 98lb 10oz which turned out to be enough for 3rd place (Alan Oram took 2nd from peg 7 with 103lb) and last in the frame coin. Glenn continued his good run at Acorn on the paste! Silvers was won by Tom Thick from the top lake, all the results will I am sure be on Tony's blog.
It was a happy car travelling home with the winner and the journey flew by, I was glad I had managed to put right the mistakes I made on Wednesday on what was a good peg. My Sunday matches will now be on rivers next week I will be on the super league at Newbridge followed by the winter leagues, a lot more expensive and effort required than commercials but I just love flowing water, just hope the roach are gonna play!
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