Sunday 21st May 2006.

Rubber Landing Net.

After reading people’s views on total-fishing.com, I decided to invest in one of the new rubber coated landing net’s. There are currently 2 versions available, Diawa and Boss, although Maver are also expected to bring something similar out. It is said that they reduce hook ups, snagged fish and they also dry quicker, leading to less smells (mine will stay dry permanently, except for when it rains). Well, I still managed to snag about 4 or 5 fish, and I got my hook caught in the net twice, so the question is, how many more fish would I have snagged in the net and how many more times would I have hooked into my landing net?

But, I would also like to add that it scoops through the water with ease. I have bought 2 sizes, one for Woodlands (should accommodate fish to doubles from the boards) and one for Sessay (fish to 8/9lb), had a 5lb’er today that fitted in just right.

The only net that I haven’t had a problem with is a blue net that I have which has very fine mesh, but the drag when trying to scoop is immense, it could be comparable to trying to push butter through lard!!

Here Goes!

65 of us mad Englishmen attended this weeks payday.

The weather – Rainy with some more rain. In view of all of the rain, the water temperature (so I was informed) was 15o C.

Two jackpot pegs were drawn, pegs 8 and 60. They both had a chance of going this week with the right angler on them, and the right angler there was. Garry Jubb (Jubby) drew peg 8, which probably had the best chance of winning the jackpot peg and Derek Jackson (Jacko) drew the other peg.

I drew peg 5 and had Ray (Racing) Singh on peg 4 (with pegs 3 and 2 empty – 2 was empty because I had put the peg in for Jack Fergusson who failed to show) and I had Ian (The Quiet One) Hunter on peg 6. I could also, from my peg see if Jubby was catching and whether or not the Jackpot peg was safe.

There were fish topping all over the peg, at 4m, 9m, across to the far side. My mind was made up. Mistake Number 1 - I was going to fish up in the water .

I set up 4 rigs as follows:

Rig 1 – a 4 x 10 series ‘d’ float on .14 Maver Genesis straight through to a size 18 Colmic 501 hook. I plumbed up at 3m and found 3ft of water.

Rig 2 – 4 x 14 Drennan Roach float on .14 Maver Genesis straight through to a size 16 Colmic 501 hook. I plumbed up at the base of the far slope and found 5ft of water.

Rig 3 – 4 x 12 Colmic float on .12 Maver Genesis line straight through to a size 18 Colmic 501 hook. I plumbed up at the top of the far shelf, just where the shelf falls away down the slope.

Rig 4 – 4 x 10 Drennan Carp 2 on .12 Maver Genesis line straight through to a size 18 Colmic 501 hook. I plumbed up at the base of the mud line.

The Bait.

On offer today I had, 6mm expanders, 4mm expanders, 3mm expanders (for loosefeeding) and micro pellets. I also had some caster left from yesterday, which I never used (problem being that I didn’t have enough of them to try to fish caster shallow so used the 3mm expanders instead (rightly or wrongly)).

We’re Off

At the all in, I potted some micro pellets over to the mud line and down the middle. I also put some bait in down the near side.

I went across to the shelf and put in a fruit shoot of micro pellets and waited in anticipation of the float going under. After a fruitless 15 minutes, I saw the mud line clouding up. I got the mud line rig out, baited up, went across to the island, the float dipped and a 12oz carp was soon in the rubber landing net. Did the same again, the float shot under and the white hydro (through the no. 2 only) soon bottomed out. After a scary 3 or 4 minute tussle (which I thought that I was going to loose) a mirror carp of about 5lb was in the bottom of the net. On closer inspection the carp had been hooked in the pelvic fin. I must admit, with where the fish had been hooked and the hook that I was using, there was no way that the fish was going to come off.

I spent the next 15 minutes across to the far mud line, the wind had started to pick up and the presentation was less than perfect, I was constantly having to hold back on the float, and the float bristle was constantly riding out of the water (what do you do?). All the while I had been flicking about 10 3mm pellets down the middle, I decided that now was the right time to have a look. I got the deep rig out, baited up with a conker and dropped in, the float buried, missed it. Tried again, same happened again (and it was not the conker pulling the float). I got the shallow rig out, nothing.

I went back on to the deeper rig, shallowed up and went up the slope a little. The float shot under and a carp of 1lb was soon in the net. I put a string of fish together and before I knew it the line had gone dead.

About 1 ¼ hrs in to the match, The Quiet One had about 7 fish (skimmers, carp and tench all on chopped worm), for about 6lb, Racing also had about 6lb and I would estimate that I had about 14lb (according to my clicker).

Over the next 3 hours or so, I was rotating lines trying to find where the fish had gone, with my most productive line being down the middle. I had a couple of fish on the deep rig fished at 4m. I never had a fish at 3m or even down the side. I caught a couple of fish on top of the shelf and a couple more fish across to the mud line, but no matter what I did, I just couldn’t hold them.
The wind eased off in the last 30 minutes, so it was time to go back over to the far side and try again. I potted in a few micro’s over where I had attempted to fish earlier on, dropped in and waited. The float buried and a carp of about 1lb was soon in the net. I repeated this procedure and managed to catch 3 more fish before the all out. My clicker indicated that I had 26lb (and usually I am wrong by under estimating).

Jubby had been catching steadily all match from both down the deeps and across, and in most cases, his fish seemed to be 1lb+. He had tried down the side a couple of times but to no avail.

How many quid’s had I lost/won?
Had Jubby won the match and the jackpot peg?
Is it ever going to stop raining?

The Quid’s.

Purverted rang me to ask what I had weighed, I said 29lb dead (wasn’t too far out this time), he said that he had about 30 – 35lb, but the scales had not yet reached him. Sugar, I was going to be down £2 to him. When he came into the café, he said that he had 28lb dead. What happened to his other 7lb???? But I do know what happened to his £2, it went in my pocket!!

In view of my failure to pay Orc last week, I paid Orc his quid as he paid on the match this morning. Orc was only keeping my quid warm that I had given him before the start of the draw. He was a DNW, although he tried to get me to believe that he had ounced me (try again next time).

£3 quid up, 1 to go. Chappy came into the café with his hand out. He had weighed in 38lb odd.

Jubby hadn't won the match, Jonny Kenning weighed in 73lb and Big Mark had 70lb, well done chaps.

The match in general fished poorly in terms of everyone was expecting to bag up, but you have to bear in mind, it has rained nearly all week.

There were 26 weights over 40lb and a further 20 weights between 25 and 40lb, and with the average fish being about 1lb, there is still a few bites to be had. Middy had 22 fish for 44lb, and I would estimate that I had about 20 fish for my 29lb. Most of the fish that you catch down the middle have a tendency to be on the small side.

Full result.

Jonny Kenning (Diawa Goldthorpe) 73-06. Peg 56. Caught a mixed net of fish, fishing with pellet and worm.
Mark Calvert (Garbolino Elton) 70-11. Peg 78. Chopped worm.
Garry Jubb (Diawa Goldthorpe) 66-12. Jackpot peg 8.
Gareth Drury (Oaks/HAS) 58-01. Peg 79.
Alwin Ingham (Bob-Co/Oaks) 55-15. Peg 30.
Andy Hamilton (Diawa Cleveland) 52-14. Peg 13.

Ooops, nearly forgot - No it didn't stop raining.