Trinity Waters Xmas Match, Sunday 9th December

Woodland Lake was the venue for Trinity's Xmas match and with a turnout of 22, given the unsettled weather I though that it might fish a bit hard, looking at the wind blowing down the lake, I commented to Dean Malin that peg 2 would be a nice draw, wind off your back. Before the draw Misha took some good natured banter as she dished out the coffee's and I was shocked and stunned when I drew, opening the swimcard to reveal peg 2. That never happens to me, fancying a peg and drawing it, that's usually reserved for Mike Nicholls and Tony Rixon.

Whilst getting my gear ready on Saturday afternoon, I decided as it was a 5 hour match to dump all of the rods and reels and go with a pole only approach, I made up four rigs to use, two 0.6g NG XT Gimp floats, one on 0.16 with a 0.14 hooklength and a 16 63.13 the other on 0.14 with an 0.12 hooklength and a 18 Drennan Carp Match. Both of these set with the traditional bulk and two droppers. Another NG XT Gimp this time 0.4g on 0.14 with a 0.10 hooklength and a 20 Carp Match, this with a spread out shotting pattern as the fish don't always sit on the bottom in this deep lake. A MW float whose name escapes me completed the set up, this on 0.18 to a 0.16 hooklength and a 16 PR28 (shame they don't make these anymore).

Bait was like wise simplified, casters, which ended up as bird feed, maggots and pinkies, which ended up frozen as all they did was attract micro roach, Devils spawn and corn. This seems to be the one venue where I catch on corn, its been spectatcularly unsuccessful every where else I've tried it.

On the all in I fed some pinkie short to the rushes, as I had set up a 4m whip in the spare time I had, this didn't produce a single bite, I fed at 12m, 3 and 4mm devils spawn with a couple of grains of corn in, straight in front, hoping that John didn't move the cement mixer at the opposite end of the lake, which was my marker. I fed some dark groundbait with pinkie and caster in at 9m slightly off to my left, some corn into the RH margin and onto the flat shelf in front of peg one, I fed this quite heavily with devils spawn, corn and caster - a throwaway line and that what it was, not producing a single bite,

I had my first carp after 20 minutes, on devils spawn at 12m, then I started to get a few bites I couldn't hit, suspecting tiny roach, I switched to corn and the float shot under again, carp No2. I topped up with devils spawn and corn after each fish and had a little run of four or five fish one after the other, so by 12.30 I had 6 carp. I was getting the odd liner as well, foul hooking one that came off as it ran towards the middle of the lake. I then hooked a big fish, one that plodded around, I managed to get it right into the edge, but it took off for the margin brambles and trying to stop it saw the 0.14 hooklength part at the loop knot.

That seemed to slow things down, so into the margin and first drop in the float settled and carried on under, smallest fish of the day about 2lb soon netted, but that was to be my only bite from the margin. Back out onto the 12m and this produced the odd fish until the whistle, I lost one with 2 minutes to go making it 3 lost in total, giving me 10 carp for what I thought would be  a high 30's weight and probably enough to win. I had fed half a small tin of corn and not much more than a handful of mixed devils spawn. The scales gave me 6oz for silvers and 45.11 for the 10 carp, 46.01 total being enough to trouser the winnings and for the second year running take home a big hamper of goodies, I'll be trying hard for the hat trick next Xmas.

Thanks to Misha and Tom, John and Sue, another good day at this fishery, John seems to be tireless in his efforts to improve the fishery and facilities, so I'll be back supporting them again next year. I'm working until Xmas now, so no fishing for me until Sunday 30th, unless anyone knows of a match on Boxing Day, if so, please let me know.

Merry Xmas to anyone whose managed to get this far down my ramblings.

1) Chris Fox 46.01 peg 2
2) Brian Slipper 25.11 peg 20
3) Kev Perry 25.00 peg 32
4) Barry Fowler 21.12 peg 7
5) Nick Harvey 19.09 peg 28
6) Mark Broomsgrove 18.11 peg 6

Silvers were concentrated in one corner.....

1) Mark Broomsgrove 14.14 peg 6 (roach on the waggler)
2) Barry Fowler 9.06 peg 7
3) Phil 'Fabio' Harding 8.04 peg 8