I decided to book in for this league, as I fancied a bit of a change and also the dates mean I only have to use one annual leave day from work to fish all the matches. I understood that it can be a hard venue in winter, but given how mild the weather has been I assumed that the venue wouldn't have gone into winter mode yet..........
Into the tin, after a very nice breakfast in the fishery cafe, peg 42 was the number that stared back at me, apparently a reasonable draw, but likely to be beaten by the end peg - that was the information offered to me. It was full on wind in the face and with the forecast for the wind to increase during the day, I set up a waggler, two lead rods, one with a straight lead, the other a small Guru hybrid feeder. The pole I restricted to 13m, as the wind was also gusting from the side occasionally and I felt there was little point in feeding a line I could not then fish.
I had been given to helpful advice by Mark Poppleton regarding preparing expander pellets, after he took pity on me following last week's pellet phobia, self inflicted cock up. So I had in mind to fish expander on the pole over micros and the odd 4mm pellet, pellet on the lead and a variety of baits on the method. I set up 4 topkits, a 0.3g rig to fish expander, a 0.5g rig to fish expander in case the wind warranted it, a double bulk rig to bag up on skimmers (I was unduly optimistic given the mild weather.....) and finally a rig for fishing down to the unoccupied pallet of 43.
There was the odd fish moving before the start, but as the wind got up, the fish moved with it, along towards the aerator and round towards the lower numbers. First drop in I foul hooked a carp and came back with a scale, another 45 minutes without a bite had me coming in to 8m where I had fed a few casters, this line only produced micro perch and small roach and as the guy on 41 had a carp on his first chuck with a feeder, there was little point persevering with catching fish less than 1oz at 8m.
I went back to 13m and had a 8lb carp on the expander, then a small skimmer and that was to be my final action on the pole, the margin appeared devoid of fish, right up to the all-out, I think I overfed the 13m line trying to make something happen - and I barely fed more than a handful of micros and 4mm all day. I had nothing on the method, one 2lber fancied my 6mm pellet on the straight lead and with hindsight, I should have just fished a pellet line on the pole and a straight lead for the whole match.
It was a tough section and I was a miserable last but one in it, peg 41 had 3 carp for 27lb, peg 40 had 3 for 24lb, peg 44 had one which was 12l, peg 38 had one for 11lb and my two went 10lb - so it could have been better, not sure if there is a way of singling out the bigger fish or if its just pot luck.
One thing is for sure, the next round in two weeks time won't cost a lot in bait, Leon Hubbard had a chat afterwards and confirmed that feeding is a sure way not to catch, which is a bit of a bugger as I find it difficult to keep my hand off the catapult. I didn't stay for to see the end of the weigh in, not because I am unsociable or sulking, but I had get home and get to Worcester for a nightshift.
Next up for me is the Viaduct Silvers league next Sunday.
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