Sunday 7th May 2006 – Cedar Lake, The Oaks, Sessay.

The Quid’s.

I was already on a downer this week as two of my bank managers had cancelled off during the week so I was going to be down at least £3. Perverted was at a youth football match with his young 'un (down £2) and Poison was fishing elsewhere (down £1). After seeing Poison at Bob-Co he also informed me that he wasn’t sure when he would be joining us next as he was on clubbie matches for the foreseeable future. I said that it had something to do with him ending on a high after taking my quid last week.

Oh well, there is still Orc’s and Panic’s quid(s).

Under Orders!!

The draw this week went without a hitch (thank God). The golden pegs were 37 and 47. One of them could have been in danger of going as Daylite had drawn Jackpot peg 37, I advised Tom (the pond owner’s son) to make sure that he had £400 quid available should Daylite bag up. Keith Mitchell drew the other one, so that one was safe at least.

I drew peg 48, although not a good peg it has had some form in recent week’s months and I was hopeful of catching a few. I had Keith Mitchell for company one side (Jackpot peg 47) and Chappy for company on the other peg 49. Adonis was on peg 50, and Mr Allerton was on peg 44. Daylite was over my right shoulder and Granddad was more or less right behind me, so I was in very good company.

I tried to get Keith up for a quid but he wasn’t having any of it, although Chappy did bite my hand off at the offer of a quid. I am currently £2 down to God, but hey, you don’t mind giving money to good anglers (do you?).

The Rigs

I set up 4 rigs as follows:

Rig 1. Following a discussion with Chappy last week, I set up a rig on top of the shelf in about 2ft of water. The float was a 4x12 Colmic pattern on .12 Fox Match Plus line to a size 18 Kamasan B911 hook. Pellet and pellet were my chosen baits, including the conkers if needs be.

Rig 2. A 4x10 version of the above float attached to same line and hook. This was set about 1ft deep to fish down the side on the top 2 and also to fish the mud line across.

Rig 3. A 4x14 adapted Drennan Roach rig on .13 Preston Powerline to a size 16 Kamasan B911 hook. I plumbed up down the middle on this rig and found about 5ft deep. I was planning on fishing the conkers on this rig.

Final Rig was a 4 x 12 Colmic float (I use the Colmic floats a lot as you get to learn how a certain pattern behaves and sits by adding/removing various sizes of shot) on .12 Fox Match Plus line to a size 16 Kamasan B6ll hook. I plumbed up with the top 3 kit slightly to my left and found about 3 ft of water. I was planning on fishing pellet over pellet on this rig. (I never actually used this rig throughout the entire match as I could see that Granddad was trying a similar line and, although he was catching the odd fish, he wasn’t bagging).

My bait for the entire match was pellet and more pellet in various sizes and guises.

First Blood

I shouted all in for the match to kick off. I put a few micro’s in my fruitshoot top and put a conker on the hook. I shipped out to the far side, tipped the bait in, let the float settle and a 3lb common was soon in the landing net, after bottoming out the white hydro through my No.2. First blood to me, I could already see Chappy panicking and we’d only been fishing a few seconds, Chappy hadn’t even finished shipping out his bait. Following this first fish. I then went wrong for the next hour or so and I learnt that although the fish were coming to the bait, they were not going mad for it, let me explain.

Follow the capture of the psychotic fish within the first few seconds of the match, I decided to get the catty out and I started to fire a few pellets over to the far side (there were a lot of fish moving about up in the water for most of the match). For the next 20 minutes or so, I fished the same line across and every time I fired some bait across, I got a little indication (possibly fish moving out of the way of the bait raining down on them), but no more bites.

There Is A God!!

Whilst I was pratting about as above, Chappy had put 5 fish into his net (not net’s), and had hooked into a good fish. I had, all the while, been putting a few bits and pieces down the side. I saw a cloud appear down the side, so decided to have a look. My look transpired into 4 fish for about 5lb. Chappy was still playing his fish whilst I was catching down the side. I started to make comments about losing fish and if it was foul hooked us mere mortals would have lost the fish by now. What should happen? Yes, you guessed it, there is a God. The hook pulled. I could tell that he wasn’t too happy but I wasn’t laughing much, although I did have to mute the laughter as Chappy is bigger than me. He he he!!

I then started to try to rotate three swims, either side of me and the across rig. I was starting to pick up the odd fish from all lines, although I had to wait for bites.

Whilst I had been feeding by the catty, a few of the pellets had gone further over on to the mudline and every so often, I could see a swirl then the water would cloud where the bait had landed. I decided that it was time to have a look across.

I dropped in and waited, and waited and waited. I got a ‘dink’ and that was that? Although the water was clouding now and again, they weren’t really having it. Over the duration of the match I caught probably 3 fish from the mudline.

Clicker

I hadn’t used my clicker this week (it was raining and I didn’t want to get it wet ;-)), so I am unable to estimate what weight I had at various points of the match and about 2/3 of the way through the match, Chappy asked me what was my clicker estimating my weight at? I confessed that I couldn’t tell him as I hadn’t used the clicker.

The Deep

I had been feeding pellets by catty throughout the match down the middle of the peg, with the intention of trying to get them up in the water (although I did try it half-heartedly). I dropped in on the deep rig, waited about 3 minutes, the float buried and a fish about 2lb was trying it’s best to get round the other side of the lake. Grey hydro soon stopped it in it’s tracks.

Whilst feeding pellets little and often I would sometimes get a liner, indicating that the fish were up in the water, but every time I tried the shallow rig, I couldn’t get an indication or bite.

What I realised throughout most of the match was that you could catch maybe 2 or 3 fish (if you were lucky) from one line before you had to move to another swim. By the time the match had finished I had caught fish from 5 lines (1 either side, 1 deep, 1 on the shelf and the other on the mudline).

The Last Hour

In the last hour it would have been close between both Chappy and I, with the result possibly going in my favour, JUST!!!

Chappy, realising that he was in danger of losing his quid started to get his head, and his act, together and proceeded to put a procession of fish into his net. In the last hour I would estimate that he caught about 10 fish to my 4.

In order for me to get bites, I had to poke the rig underneath an overhanging plant/bush/reedmace (or whatever) and seriously control my striking for fear of the rig getting snagged. It was going to be close.

Meanwhile, Keith on the next peg, had hooked into a good fish and was playing it for all it was worth. My comments and prayers to God were in free flow. After some 15 minutes, Keith was still playing the same fish. I advised Keith that I only allow 15 minutes after the end of the match to get any fish out, any more than that, I just cut the line. He then dragged the fish out. Estimates were that the fish was approaching 7lb

2 Weighs

In view of now having to fish with 2 keepnets, I was trying to alternate fish in each net, which isn’t easy when you are concentrating on catching the next one. My first weigh went 18lb 5oz and the second weigh went 29lb 3oz, so I wasn’t too far out in alternating my fish. Chappy on the other hand put 11lb 12oz on the scales first (he commented about having 2 weighs because I had 2), his next weigh went 39lb 15oz. I think his guesstimating alternating fish went awry somewhere. Also, to further add misery to losing a pound Mr Rambow (Geriatric) had put Chappy down for a total weight of 60lb 11oz, until I pointed out that 11 add 39 equals 50.

£1 down but what about the other quid’s. Panic weighed in 36lb from peg 26 and Orc had 24lb from peg 72. Down a pound one moment, then up a pound the next.

Chappy

Seeing the way that Chappy celebrated beating me off the next peg was enjoyable (although I had lost a quid), as I realised just how hard both he and I had tried to beat each other. He came over and gave me a gentle (?) punch, but I could see that he was happy at beating me. At times it was very nip and tuck between us both and at the end, I couldn’t call it. Chappy did, although, try to make me think that I had taken his quid easily by offering me a quid prior to the scales, but I said that I would wait for the scales to confirm the outcome.

I must also add that I was on the edge of the fish because - Adonis Mitchell at the other side of Chappy had 67lb, Chappy had 50lb, I had 47lb and Keith Mitchell had 28lb. Nuff said.

Age and Experience (or should it be Age Concern)

Age Concern showed that both AGE and experience beats youth and enthusiasm by beating Gary Jubb of the next peg. Mr Jubb also had an empty peg one side, but in this instance you could have said that Age Concern had an empty peg one side. In Mr Jubb’s defence, I must say that (as far as I am aware) it is his first visit to the venue, courtesy of Daylite. Age Concern also managed to snare the section weighing in over 53lb from peg 11. I am surprised that he remembered to come back to the cabin to pick up his envelope. Then again, by the time that he got back to the cabin, he had probably forgotten that he had won his section.

A special mention has to go to Mark Calvert (Cleveland Angling Centre) for setting a new lake record. On Saturday (6th May) he weighed in over 150lb, a mixture of carp, ide, chub, etc, etc (if it swam he caught it) by fishing worm from peg 79. From what I can gather 90lb didn’t even win a penny.

Another 100lb Weight

Harry Potter won the match from peg 57 following 3 weighs with 109lb 13oz. There was a 19lb one side of him and an empty peg the other, with Pimmy at the other side of the empty peg weighing in 38lb.

Full Result

Rob Minikin (Harrogate Angling Supplies) 109-13. Peg 57.
Gaz Pawlett (The Oaks) 83-10. Peg 9.
Mark Calvert (Cleveland Angling Centre) 74-13. Peg 14
Mal Bailey (Garbolino Elton) 72-08. Peg 28
Adie Mitchell (Harrogate Angling Supplies) 67-12. Peg 50
S Maitlane (?) 53-11. Peg 54

S1. Bruce Poland 53-06
S2. Greg Norris 47-05
S3. Bert Poole 51-04
S4. S Maitland 53-11
S5. Tim Moran 51-08
S6. Lee Kerry 53-01