With that in mind, that beating 19 would be unlikely, I decided to fish for skimmers and take any carp that came along, although I did set up a method feeder and a waggler rod, just in case. Topkits were simple, a 10 solid, 0.16, a homemade diamond 0.4 float and a 0.12 hooklength with a 18 Kaizen hook. I did set up a rig with 0.16 and a banded 16 B960, but that never saw the water, a paste rig and a margin rig were also assembled, the margin rig as 17 was empty.
With the lower overnight temps and recent rain, I wasn't convinced it was going to be an easy match - if there is such a thing here - but started by putting in 4 balls of GB at 14m, only one of which was full of caster and chopped worm. Then a chuck with the method, then another and then I was bored of it - managed 9 minutes before it went up the bank.
Out over the GB with double caster and it didn't take long to get a 1lb skimmer, but nothing else on it, so a switch to worm and a couple of skimmers on that, but it was far from manic action. Dead maggot was my next choice and this brought a couple more, I reckon I had 7 or 8lb at the end of the first hour. I topped up the GB and this brought an immediate response, but only one fish again, it was proving impossible to string a couple together. I had a couple of quick liners, which I suspected were carp, I have a feeling that there weren't too many skimmers in the peg and the carp were unsettling them.
I had been pinging a few 6mm pellets out towards the middle, so picked up the waggler rod and had a few chucks with that, I managed a 4lb carp on it, but no skimmers, so back on the 14m line. This gave up another skimmer and a carp, before going dead again. This formed a pattern for the rest of the match, catch one from that line, try something else - I did have some liners on the waggler, so got off my box and took the set up pellet waggler from the holdall. By now the wind was gusting and constantly changing direction coming from over my left shoulder, to directly behind, then over my right shoulder, then it swung back This was making feeding with a catapult tricky and casting, first chuck I lost my float by over casting and the hooklength went round the dividing rope.....
New float and hooklength on and it was a wasted effort, not a single bite on it.
I had fed the RH margin with pellet and corn, LH with GB and maggot, but even with quite a few drop-ins over the last couple of hours, I couldn't get a bite there. By now 19 was catching carp, especially down to the end bank, as I expected would happen.
I had been feeding a short line, just up the slope with pellets and dropped in here with paste, this was good for 2 decent skimmers and two carp, with a couple more skimmers nicked from the 14m line.
I knew I had been well beaten by peg 19, but you can't see all the lake from here so was unsure how I was doing in relation to everyone else. I put 23.04 of skimmers on the scales (not bad I had clicked 22lb) and the four carp went 24.04 for 47.08. This was beaten by a few on match lake and canal - which produced the winner and silvers winner, my 23.04 was second on the day, but only one silvers was paid....... typical!! Thankfully peg 19 snuck into 3rd place, so I got the section by default.
Back into the café for the results and it took a lot of will power to not have some of this......
Not too many fisheries that have homemade cakes after the matches!!!
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