Sunday 27th August 2006 – The Oaks Lakes, Sessay

Cedar Lake.

Panic was a no go, so I was left to travel by my own devices. I arrived in plenty of time in order to partake in the onsite breakfast, although I am now only having a small breakfast and I have managed to lose 1.5stone in about 4 months.

One of my first tasks was to pay Orc his quid from last weeks match and congratulate him on fishing a blinder, I also told Orc not to get too attached to my quid and DON’T SPEND IT. I managed to squeeze my quid out of Toddy’s pocket from last week, so I ended up even stevens before the match had even started. Toddy (Peg 38) was on for a repeat as was the usual quid with Orc (peg 26) and Chappy (Peg 25). In view of Orc being next to Chappy, I felt that an easy quid was going to be coming back my way from Orc as he would be astounded by Chappy’s fish catching ability. Micky ‘Dierdre’ Barlow made the trek, bringing his up and coming protégé with him, his son Connor. I recall reading that this lad is starting to go places in an article about him in Matchfishing magazine. If he comes on my match, pays his dues and wins, it is his money, not his dad’s. Fair play to him for taking on the big boys.

By the time of the draw there were 46 of us paid on. Where has everyone gone? Last week was a low attendance, so people stayed away this week thinking the same. If they had attended the attendance would have been nearer 60 than the 48 that arrived.

There were 3 jackpot pegs as follows, peg 36 - Tony ‘Polish Mick’ Kozaczek – No chance, peg 65 - Adam Jarvis, even less chance than Polish Mick and the ever present Dave ‘Pimmy’ Pimlott – peg 68, some chance if the peg had form, which it hadn’t, thank god. The reason that there are so many jackpot pegs is that I cap the jackpot winning money at £400 and for every £400 put into the fund I add another jackpot peg until £400 has been won.

I put my hand in the bag and pulled out peg 64. I recall that Harry Potter had a weight (90 odd lb) off the same peg last Sunday for 6th over all.

The wind, the wind.

Upon walking to my peg, I noted that the wind was ever so slightly breezy and was already moaning about it before I had even got to me peg and sat down. By the time that I had sat down, I was feeling much better. The wind was coming straight off my back and in view of the high bank (again) behind me, I was sheltered from the said wind.

My attack for today was going to be out and out pellet approach, across, down the side (if needed) and up in the water. I was hoping to be able to make my main attack up in the water, but you know how sometimes the best laid plans and all that…

I set up 3 rigs at the start.

Rig 1 was a .2g DC6 float this was set up to fish on top of the shelf, where I had about 2ft of depth to the front of the stickups both in front of me and also to the end of my peg at 14m. The float was attached to .14 Maver Genesis line, direct to a size 16 Kamasan B911 hook. This rig was attached to grey hydro through the match 2 & 3 kit.

Rig 2 was a .5g Drennan Roach. This was attached to .16 Maver Genesis line tied direct to a size 14 Colmic WN501 hook. I also attached this rig to grey hydro (set a little tighter than the shallow rig). I plumbed up at the base of the far shelf and found approx 5ft of depth.

Rig 3 was a Bazzerla PB2 float. I attached this to .3 Preston Powerline tied direct to a size 16 Colmic WN501 hook. This was also attached to grey hydro. I set this float to fish about 12” deep. After setting the depth, I also plumbed right across to the mud line with this rig and was planning on using it as a dual purpose rig. I had about 12” of line between pole float and pole tip, this would allow me to alter depth to try to find the fish.

Question, in view of the amount of time that most people have been using diameter to determine line choice, how many of you reading this actually know the stated breaking strain of the line being used, because believe you me, I don’t. The only time that I buy line by breaking strain is when I buy reel line for feeder/leger fishing.

My bait consisted of 1 tin of hemp, 3 pts of 4mm pellets, bought on site and some 4mm and 6mm (conkers) BBPC expander pellets. I mixed half a tin of hemp in with 1 pt of pellets.

After tackling up, I, dressed in my t-shirt, went to go and speak to both Pimmy and Lee Furness (peg 67) who were dressed in hoodies and the windstopper jackets.. With the wind blowing side on for them, it felt about 10 degrees colder. I quickly hurried back to my warm peg.

I had Adam Jarvis ‘Cocker’ to my immediate right on peg 65 and Gordon ‘Chubby’ Brown to my left on peg 62. The wind was blowing down both arms and making it uncomfortable. In view of Adam generally coming last (except when I take the honour), I offered a little bit of advice. I advised him to fish slightly down wind as this would aid his pole and bait presentation. He ignored me. Oh well.

At the start of the match, I cupped in some pellets and hemp at 7m. I placed a bit of bait (pellet and hemp mixture) in a fruitshoot top, baited up the 12” deep rig and went right over to the mud line. I tipped the bait over, the bait hadn’t even touched the bottom and the elastic screamed from the end of my pole.

2 minutes into the match and I have 4lb in the net already. Wwwhhhooooooo. I started to throw 4mm pellets by hand and wind assisted out to 6 or 7 metres. I re-baited the rig, put some more bait in the fruitshoot and went back over to the mud line. I waited all of 3 or 4 minutes and another carp joined it’s relative in my already bulging keepnet. After 20 minutes of feeding up in the water and fishing across, I decided whilst shipping the shallow rig across, to quickly drop the rig in at 6m. The float never even settled and another carp was on its way. By now I would estimate that I had nearly 10lb in the net. I was getting dizzy from the constant stream of fish coming my way. I wasn’t used to it.

Over the next few hours, I fished up in the water at 6m, but I was struggling to gauge whether or not they wanted the hemp and pellet mix, or if they wanted just pellet. I was also struggling trying to gauge how much to feed, whether to feed 6 pellets little and often or not so little and often.

Cocker on the next peg hooked a fish down the middle on paste and carefully played with deft agility right into my peg, where it swirled on my 6m line. I nearly called him Darryll for a minute, but he probably wouldn’t get it. Oh hum.

Although I was catching fish on a regular basis, the fish kept on coming and going and I couldn’t work out if it was because of the way that I was feeding which I would say was sporadic. I was also starting to miss a couple of bites. I quickly set up another rig as follows:

Rig no 4 was a .2 DC 6 float set up on .14 Maver Genesis tied direct to a size 16 Kamasan B911 hook. The rig was probably 12” from pole tip to hook giving me about 3 inches between pole float and tip. I attached this rig to white hydro in the event that I hook a fish; it runs out of the peg spooking less fish in the swim.

3 hours in

I baited up with pellet, threw a few pellets out, shipped out, dropped in over the top and the white hydro shot out. I was by now some 3 hours into the match and I would estimate that I had about 50lb.

I continued in this manner for the next hour or so, and I felt as though the peg was steadily dying. I put some bait in down the side and didn’t fish it until I saw it clouding up. After about 20 minutes, there was a swirl and a large cloud where I had fed some bait. I dropped in with my white hydro shallow rig (rig 4) and waited. After about 3 or 4 minutes, the float dipped, then buried. A carp of 3lb was soon in the landing net. I fed some more bait and went back out to the middle. I managed to snare a couple more carp, they seemed to be getting smaller, before I saw another cloud down the side. I dropped in, the float buried and shot under. I struck and 8m of white hydro was doing it best to maintain what was on the end. But to no avail. The fish shot off towards peg 65 and went round the corner. I tried to put the brakes on it, but it broke me.

Into the home straight

There was some 30 minutes of the match left and I would estimate that I had between 65 and 70lb. Chubby Brown was struggling as was Cocker and I couldn’t see anyone else. I continued at 6m up in the water.

With about 10 minutes to go, another cloud appeared down the side. I dropped in down the side again with rig no 3, and no sooner had the rig settled when it started wobbling. A float appeared at the side of my float, I was fishing about 12” deep in 8” of water, laying the rig up the slope. My float shot under and the said float was entangled in my line. I lifted my float out of the water and the attached float came with it. After some 4 minutes or so I transferred the offending 3lb’er back to the water but it some how landed in my keepnet.

I managed to snare one more carp from the up in the water swim, then it was all out.

I would estimate that I had some where between 70 and 80lb. Pimmy was admitting to 60lb.

By the time that the scales had arrived, Harry Potter was winning with 98lb 5oz from peg 28 and Chappy weighed in 77lb 9oz. This was going to be close!! Toddy weighed in 46lb 9oz and Orc had 34lb 2oz – told you he’d be blinded and his head will have gone up his jacksey. £2 up and one to go!!

Whilst Gandhi was weighing Chubby Brown in on the next peg, the weigh sling broke and Chappy was stood behind me asking how much I had caught. Marco lifted my net out and estimated that I had about 65lb in two nets. Chappy said that I had more and a bet was struck between the two of them, at my expense, that for every pound over 65lb I weigh, Chappy will get 10p. There was nothing said for me weighing in less than 65lb. Chappy was in a win, win situation as usual.

By the time that a replacement weigh sling arrive, Chubby weighed in 25lb 8oz. Cocker at the other side had packed up and gone so was a DNW.

My first weigh went 29lb 4oz. My second weigh went 45lb 2oz. For those non mathematicians reading this and for Adam’s benefit (he can’t add), my total weight was 74lb 6oz. Not enough to stop me giving Chappy his quid, but a good days fishing none the less. I was by now, in 3rd place with only Pimmy stating that he had a weight (some 60lb or so).

Pimmy plonked 35lb 4oz on the scales as his first weigh, and then put another 40lb 10oz for his second weigh for a total of 75lb 14oz. 60lb my foot. He obviously goes to the Chappy school of estimations. I had come in 4th and with no Purverted in sight, I got to keep it all to myself.

Where is the rest of my cashbook when I do well, there was no Panic (£1), Purverted (£2), Macca (£2) and Pacifier (£2). I was seriously out of pocket this week. With the quid’s that I would have won, I could have afforded to feed the good lady wife and the kids this week.

Could I have done anything different? The only thing that I think would have made a difference would have been to have some Skinz Pellets as on a few occasions I had to come back and re-bait, so would have save time and possibly put another couple of fish in the net. Also, if I had got the fish out that broke me, it would have been a little closer between Chappy and I. I may have even ounced him.

Final result:

Rob Minikin (HAS) 98-05
John Chapman (Garbolino Elton) 77-09
Dave Pimlott (Garbolino Elton) 75-14
Mick Herrington (Oaks/Bob-Co) 74-06
Dean Smith (Garbolino Elton) 68-10
Jt 6th Adam Richards (Elton Tackle) and Mark Whittaker (Oaks) both 64-03