Tuesday morning started bright but the hot weather was due to be replaced by more normal weather, but still dry according to my weather app. The match we were all fishing today was the Tuesday Viaduct open match on Campbell, with some very good anglers here today and I knew I would need a good draw for my good run to continue. Well Matt Long once again did me proud giving me 111, not sure when I last had this peg, but it is a consistently good one usually. I almost ran to the peg lol.
It was going to be another day of ear ache (no Glenn was not pegged next me lol) as I had the aerator on in the peg, this would make and chatting tricky, though I could talk to Lee Masey on 110, Lee was staying in the other Lodge.
On peg 112 was a chap called Rich Yeo, and I thought he would do well off that peg though 113 was in it had silvers angler Nigel Bartlett on it. Dan Squires on 115 was going to be hard to beat as was my Thatchers team mate Gary Webber on 132. Again I had to consider how would I do best today, and best compete. I set up pole rigs for 5m and 13m but in truth never really gave these much attention. I had a brain wave that on a recent match an angler won on the feeder off here, so set that up. As I was assembling my margin rig Gary Webber came round for a chat, and to be honest he put me right, he said get the straight lead on and I would expect you to be on that for the first half of the match. he also said to fish a heavier float in the margins, so on went a 0.4g, with 0.19 to a 12 XSH. Gary was very helpful, and showed his class, he's always been a great angler but since he retired and can fish more he's winning even more. He did say though that my peg had not been so great lately with more carp being in the middle of the lake by the new second aerator.
On the all in I cast out the lead and fired out some 8mm pellets, it wasn't at all long before the 0.19 and 14 KKM was attached to a carp, an angry one too that went everywhere and behind the aerator, oh great I thought or similar. Lucky man I was I got back round, it was a fish of maybe 7lb but was on steroids it seemed. Next cast and similar result, and the next and the next... Probably had not far off 40lb by the end of the first hour, a great start and other than Gary on 132 not a lot was being caught. Just into he second hour yielded another fish but then I had 30 minutes blank, tries on the pole were fruitless, although Rich had 3 carp on the pole short mid match then nothing. The carp were still out by the aerator as I was getting liners, trying different hook baits had no effect and then all of a sudden the tip started to go around and the reel clutch screaming. Lee Masey next door later admitted the sound of my clutch was pissing him off lol. The weather certainly turned today, and I was glad I had my fleece, at one stage we had drizzle and I was getting wet, but it soon stopped which was good as I had no coat.
I kept feeding my RH margin with a mix of pellet/hemp/corn and was looking for signs of fish but never saw any boils and no bites when I tried, so I stayed mostly on the lead nicking the odd fish. With 20 mins to go I lost a fouler on the lead and looking at the margin I thought the colour of the water had changed but couldn't see any boils. Still thought I had to try it now, went in with double corn and within 20 seconds it shot under and a near double was landed, next look and another, now 1 minute left dropped in, and with 10 seconds to go float flys under but I missed it, end of match. Looking at my clicker I had 170lb on it, but as I tend to over estimate the big boys I said I had 160lb.
Matt started weighing as he does from 132, so a long wait for me to weigh in, with Gary weighing 132lb on 132 it seemed most people had me down as the winner. However, the scales are the true reflection and in the end I did not win despite have many more carp than anyone else. Dan Squires on 115 had I think just 12 carp, all caught in the last 3 hours, these weighed 164lb 5oz. My fish went 159lb 2oz, enough for second but just agonisingly one fish short of the win. Rich ended with 90lb and Lee with 73lb
Silvers winner today was regular silvers angler winner Dave Willmott with 41lb 13oz all on casters, Dave really has this method sorted and wins numerous silvers prizes, great angling Dave.
My last two fish in the margin went 21lb, not the real edge monsters that can be caught here but still very nice fish. Three matches and three pick ups, and so nearly could have been three wins, but as I did say to my fellow lodgers before we went, I hadn't fished a carp match since before lockdown so was going to be rusty and could I have some tips? Truly I was so happy to be doing so well, but the lodgers kept reminding me of my pre holiday statements lol! Oh and the only tip I got was from Martin Reyat, draw well ;-)
Think we had a takeaway curry that night, a few were not happy with their meal, but I really liked mine and once again it was a large amount of grub to consume, ooof.
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