Breast Cancer Care Charity Match - Thursday 13th April 2006


Here Goes!!

The day was upon us and all the preparation and determination carried out by Johnathan(Cleggy) Clegg and his mate, Lee (Blaggers of the North) Blagden, both of whom are http://www.total-fishing.com/ contributors, was finally coming to fruition. The Breast Cancer Care, ( http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/ ) Charity Fishing Match was finally under way, taking place at Woodlands Lakes, Thirsk.

61 people had put their name down to fish this event. The match was being fished by England superstars past and present, including the ladies, master anglers from a whole host of disciplines and us mere mortals.

Having not fished Woodland Lakes for some 2 years +, I was relying on information received from 2 Oaks Lakes & Woodland Lakes regulars, Panic Poole and Granddad. Panic had come 3rd on the previous days open after drawing Curlew Lake and Granddad had won Wagtail Lake. Armed with all the information that I could usurp and enough bait (keeping within the lake limits) to feed the 5,000, I was armed and dangerous. I had riddled all the meat the night before for both Perverted and myself, put some new line on my reel (you know, one of them things you turn a handle and is attached to a rod).

I was probably nearer the front of the draw queue than the rear. In went the hand and out came end peg, Wagtail 3. I quickly rang both Panic and more importantly Granddad for some last minute information. Granddad had won the lake with over 40lb from Wagtail 6. Travelling partner (and halves partner – important to get that in) for the day, Perverted had drawn Partridge 32 with the wind blowing straight into his kisser. Having drawn Wagtail Lake, I was planning on a meat and or pellet approach, the worm and caster stayed in the car.

In the car park Wendy (Lovely) Lythgoe asked me if I had any info on Peg 3 on Curlew. I told her to wait a minute whilst I rang Panic and passed the phone to Wendy (she’s lovely, but can’t drive!!, please see below).

To say that it was windy when I got to my peg is an understatement. At the end of the match, Ian (X-man) Exley commented that it was so windy; he had to keep reeling in to get out of the way of the surfer dudes. I arrived at my peg to find that I had Andy (Jellybaby) May opposite me and his welcome was a ledger landing all but 5 yards from my feet. His words were “Ooops, sorry Mick”. A two finger salute was my reply. On the peg next to me I had no other than 4 x World Champion, Mr Alan Scotthorne. No pleasantries were exchanged, except when he walked past me and said (with a reet’t Rotherham accent) “that’t float’t is a bit light’t” or at least I think that is what he said?? I also had Blackworm on my bank, at the other end of the lake, it was like a mill pond up there!

I had set up a 4 x 16series float for 5ft of water. This was on .13 Preston Powerline, straight through to a size 16, Kamasan B911 hook. Following Mr Scotthorne’s comments, I also set up a 1gm rig incorporating a Dick Clegg float to the same diameter line and hook. One rig was attached to Grey Hydro elastic and the other was tied to orange hollow elastic.

I dusted the cobwebs off my Ledger rod and set up a paternoster rig with .14 Carptek hooklength (of about 2ft ensure that I a hooklength longer than 18") to a size 14, Kamasan B611. Attached to this I had incorporated a Korum baitspike and was planning on fishing hair-rigged meat, corn or pellet.

The start was announced and with great anticipation, the first cast out using the ledger rod was carried out. I tightened down to put a gentle curve in the tip rod. With the tow, the rod arched round and stayed there, every time I slackened off or reeled in a couple of turns the arch appeared again. After approximately 5 – 10 minutes, I reeled in and cast to a different spot. All the time, I was catapulting 4/5 pieces of cubed luncheon meat out to 12m, hoping to be able to drop in and bag up later on.

I cast to the boards in peg 1, I cast to the aerator further along the boards, I cast in to open water halfway across the lake, I cast short, I cast long, and I cast everywhere. Not a sign. After 1 hour, Jellybaby had 2 carp, the lad next to him had 3 and Mr Scotthorne had none, neither had I, so I wasn’t doing to bad. Perverted rang me to say that he had 6 fish, and one of those was double figures.

Out of desperation, out went the pole with the 1gm rig attached. I dropped the rig straight over where I had been pr-baiting and waited for the float to bury. I waited and I waited. I lifted the rig and ran it through again, and again, and again. Mr Scotthorne had also gone out on the pole and caught a carp. I was trying (trying being the operative word) to hold the float back, but with the tow, the float was almost horizontal. It was a bit windy!!

2 hours into the match, I was on plan x (still 2 plans to go) and I had exhausted all bait permutations. Out went the tip, a little further over than previous casts. It was okay, Jellybaby didn’t see where it had landed due to the waves. I just turned round to Mr Scotthorne to say that it was a tad windy and a bit dire (or words to that effect), when I looked round and the rod was all but being dragged in. Wayhey, they had arrived in my peg and a carp of about 2.5lb was in the bottom of the keepnet. Another 30 minutes later and nothing further was added. All the while I could see Lovely catching the odd fish on the tip as was Mrs Scotthorne, who was opposite Lovely.

I decided to go for a walk, should have walked into the onsite café and stayed there!!. I sat behind Lovely for a while and was having a little chin wag. She got a tentative bite on the ledger rig and struck into a carp, played it to her feet, where it broke her. I left before she blamed me!!!.

I walked to Perverted who informed me that he had about 40lb and the bites had died. The lad to the side of him (Tony Hopper) was now catching on groundbait feeder and meat on the hook. Perverted was now fishing double hair-rigged conkers, to try something different. I told him to keep his head down and keep doing what he had been doing all match.

With renewed enthusiasm, I went back to my peg. Mr Scotthorne had by now caught 3 carp.

After a further hour of boredom, I decided to start packing away my gear (with about 15 - 20 minutes of the match left). I later found out the Steve (Poolsfodder) May had used a 3gm float in 3ft of water, so he tells me, in order to present his bait something like. Bleeding ‘eck, all the shot in my box wouldn’t be able to sink that.

Perverted

Bram came for a wander and was stood talking to me with about 40 minutes of the match remaining. I called Perverted to see how he was getting on. His reply was “I have had about 22 carp averaging 3lb apiece, plus one of double figures”. I said “so, you have got over 70lb then?” He replied “no, I might have 50lb”. Was I confused, or was I confused!!

After the final whistle, Perverted called me to say that he had weighed in 98lb 9oz and that he was winning. Tommy Pickering had weighed in 86lb 4oz and was 2nd to press. Rumour was going around that Steve Ringer, who was yet to weigh in, had bagged. When the scales got to Steve, he could only muster 85lb 12oz. Perverted had done it. He can finally repay some of the winnings that he had been siphoning off me.

My lake had been won by Jellybaby with 43lb 3oz (12 Carp). Mr Scotthorne ended up with 8 carp for 30lb 8oz for 2nd on the lake.

My Turn

I didn’t mind having a bad match because my turn was yet to come. At the arrival of the match, all entrants were issued with 15 raffle tickets. I decided to buy another fivers worth and then had a second thought and bought a further fivers worth.

My first winning raffle ticket got me a Preston Innovations ‘Essential’ reel case. Upon closer inspection, the reel case also included an Okuma ‘Zorak’ feeder reel.

My second winning raffle ticket got me a Fox Stink Bag and Fox Match Rod Holdall.

My ‘piece de resistance’ was yet to come. I had won what was considered the star prize. A 2 day fishing holiday at Woodland Lakes, Thirsk for a family of 4. This included family room accommodation at ‘The Vale of York’ hotel, fishing for 4 people for 2 days, breakfast and afternoon meal. Alan Gregory informed me that this prize is non-transferable. Doesn’t bother me. I will be there.

Lovely Can’t Drive!!

She’s a woman. Whilst on route to the previous weeks Fishomania match at The Oaks Lakes, Thirsk, I was quietly (have you ever seen me drive quietly) minding my own business with Panic as my passenger. I was following the car in front (not by choice), driving through the picturesque village of Dalton, just outside Thirsk. The person driving the car in front decided to stop and ask for directions, with no warning at all. As I went past, I beeped my horn with the intention being that I knew where the said front car was going and for them to follow me. Just at that nano-second said car also decided to set off again, and jumped at the sound of my car horn.

Upon arriving at The Oaks, Lovely got out of her car and apologised for nearly taking me out, and her words were, and I quote “I just saw a man and I stopped”. Wish I’d been that man!!

Bait Limits

I had an interesting conversation with a Woodlands regular, bemoaning the rules and regulations, in particular the bait limits, as, in their words "having bait limits stops you achieving the full potential of your peg and limits your scope due to not being able to carry bait for all eventualities". A very interesting point!!

Everyone is a winner

A total of £6,321 was raised for Breast Cancer Care and a further £451 was raised for Duane. Duane is a regular poster on Total Fishing.com and has been diagnosed with leukaemia. I am pleased that such an amount was raised for both worthwhile causes and I hope that everything goes well for Duane and that he is soon back on the bank. Steve Ringer made the trip, to personally hand deliver the raffle money to Duane. What a touch!!

What a pleasure to be able to contribute to such worthwhile causes and to be surrounded by such class and I look forward to the next event.

Official Result:

1. Andy Purvis (The Oaks Lakes) 98lb 9oz. Partridge 32. All carp on bomb and either meat or pellet.

2. Tommy Pickering (Preston Innovations) 86lb 4oz. Partridge 7.

3. Steve Ringer (Shimano) 85lb 12. Skylark 15

4. Ian Toplis (GOT Baits/Sarfix) 72lb 2oz. Sklylark 7.

5. Tony Hopper – 66lb 0oz. Partridge 30

6. Wendy Lythgoe (Van Den Eynde) 65lb 4 oz. Curlew 3.