It doesn't seem long for this annual event to roll around, although this year is a smaller match than previous years given the situation at Viaduct where Cary is no longer available to book for matches. This means that next year I have booked Shiplate Farm Fishery, so the event will revert to fishing pile only one day on one lake and any method the other on the main lake.
Thanks to Steve and Helen at Viaduct for hosting this year, the usual friendly welcome (hope Matt is feeling better, as we didn't see him, he was confined to his sickbed).
21 Fishing, the usual crowd down from Smithy's in a lodge, boosting the local pubs profits..... and still managing to fish the next day. The match was filled by invitation only, those who had previously fished, Friday saw everyone turn up promptly and pay their dues, so we could get the draw done on time. 21 on Campbell, 3 sections of 7, only section money to fish for on the day.
I got Paul Nichols to draw my peg and he didn't endear himself to me when I opened the card and saw 130 - not the worst peg on the lake, but probably not the one you'd choose in a two day combined weight match. Never mind, after ensuring I'd stashed the cash away safely, I went to the peg hoping to maximise the weight in readiness for a better draw on Saturday.
As it was pole only, nice and simple to set up, meat short, pellet at 11m, no skimmer rig today, as I wanted land every carp hooked, another rig for pellet at 14m, didn't think there was a need to go longer, but had the sections ready if it was necessary. A margin rig as well, although with 129 and 131 in I wasn't at all convinced the margin would be a banker.
Started on meat short and had the usual skimmer, I also had a carp, but it was slow going, I did persevere for a bit, but eventually went out to the 11m line where I had 3 carp straight away, but then nothing. It was a day where you had to switch lines and hope to nick a fish, before moving again, as expected the short line started to come good towards the end, leaving me with 134.10 which was 11th on the day, leaving me needing a big weight tomorrow. Paul Faiers on 113 won on the day with 206.01.
Saturday morning saw a few hangovers and the normal pre-match banter and stating which pegs were desirable. Today I dropped Paul Nichols from drawing for me and Mike Walker got the prestigious slot... He drew me 132, which is a peg that can be good and also has off days, I must admit it's not been a peg that I have had much success from.
A sunnier day than yesterday, I did expect the fish to be shallow, so a shallow rig and a swinging/mugging rig set up and a depth pellet rig The usual meat line rig, margin rigs one to fish further up the edge and one to fish on the shallow shelf in the peg.
Had one carp on the meat short and one skimmer, but there was little activity to keep me on that line, I went out shallow but couldn't get a bite, the sun had come round a put most of my peg in the shade, the fish seemed to want to be out in the sun.
I did have a couple by sticking it out long on pellet on the deck, the LH edge was seemingly devoid of fish and the RH edge which was to be my banker was similarly biteless in the deeper water on pellet, tried meat and that produced one perch. I fed some GB and maggots onto the shelf and that brought plenty of bites, but it was all perch, skimmers and hybrids, no carp.
I was now convinced I was falling well behind Phil on peg 131, as he was catching shallow, every time I looked round his elastic was out. I went back to the previous days tactics of rotating lines and picked off an odd fish, but really couldn't put a run together. Finally at 16:30, with 30 minutes to go, some tail patterns down the edge and I started to catch, too little too late, ending with 147.02 for second in section by 3lb. Dan White winning from 115 with 253.03.
Dan White did enough to take the win and pocket the £350 top prize, along with the section money and superpool, with Andy Lloyd in second, after drawing the same peg both days, Paul Faiers with third place and Last in the money Alex Nadin.
Thanks to all who supported the match and I'll put full details of next years match at Shiplate on 2nd/3rd Sept 2022.
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