I had heard good results for the place, last week Les 'War & Peace' Peace had won the match with 230lb+. One-time Oaks Lakes regular Andy 'Rosie and Jim' Stonner had 113lb for about 7th in the match.
As I had not seed the place before, I rang Rosie and Jim and had a natter and got some ideas of what I needed to do. Fish shallow at 11-13 with 4mm pellet. One lad last week had 130lb+ on worm and caster.
I spoke to Frontrow and he opted to fish worm and caster and I was going to pellet it.
We arrived for about 8.30. Following the venue rules, we dipped our nets and left them to dry whilst we had a quick look at the complex.
There are 3 lakes in total with about 80/85 pegs in total split across the 3 lakes. The lakes are Top, Middle or Bottom - a bit like that game show 'Strike it Rich - where do you want to go, Top, Middle or Bottom'.
We were on Bottom Lake. The pegs looked a bit tight and close to each other, but the venue was clean and fresh looking. The lake was rectangle in shape and there was a central island about 14m away.
The Draw
I didn't know where I wanted to be. I put my hand in the bag and drew peg 23 and Frontrow drew peg 8.
I arrived at my peg to find that I had War and Peace on end peg 25, Howard (? - don't know his surname) was on peg 24, 22 was empty and Mick Owen was on peg 21 to my right. Rosie and Jim was on peg about peg 17.
The Rigs
I set up 3 rigs as follows:
Shallow 1- was a .1g Garbolino DC2 with a .12 baitbanded hooklength, set about 1ft deep and I tied this to a double 5 Preston Slip elastic.
Shallow 2 - was a .2g Garbolino DC 2 also with a .12 baitbanded hooklength set about 2ft deep and this was attached to a hollow Drennan green elastic.
Margin rig - was a .2g Sensas Powerpencil float with a .12 hooklength. This was attached to green Preston 13h elastic. I plumbed up and found that I had about 2.5-3ft down the edge. This was the depth at the next platform - which was top 4 kit away (I said it was close!!!)
(Apparently the lake is about 7ft deep down the middle).
Bait
For bait, I bought a bag of the venues own 4mm sinking pellets. I also had some Dynamite Baits 4mm and 6mm sinking pellets for the baitband and about 2pts of 6mm cubed meat.
That's it, I was ready.
Time - to start
At the start of the match, I baited up shallow rig 2 with a 4mm pellet, shipped out, pinged about 6/8 4mm pellets out over the top of the float waited all of 15 seconds before the float shot under and I caught an F1 about 6oz. I repeated the process and managed to catch 5 fish in quick succession, then the fish seemed to disappear. I then started to get liners, so I baited up the .1g rig and dropped that in. I twirled the rig a couple of times, slapped it in and caught another fish.
I was now about 1hr into the match and had about 25 little f1's, the biggest being about 12oz. Mick Owen was emptying it to my right, Howard was struggling as was War and Peace.
As I seemed to be doing okay, I decided to continue to fish shallow. Howard kept trying across to the island and was snaring one or two fish but seemed to be waiting for bites.
I persevered with fishing shallow for the next few hours. The fish seemed to be coming in two's and three's, catch a couple then nothing, put on the deep rig, catch a couple then nothing. Throughout the duration of the match, I was flicking a few bits of meat down the edge.
I realised that although I was catching a couple of fish now and again, I was getting beat by Mick and now War and Peace was catching a few as was Rose and Jim and Pete on peg 15/16 ish.
Last Two Hours
I decided to go down the edge.
I baited up with a piece of meat, dropped in and waited. I didn't have to wait long. The float dipped, went sideways, then shot under. An f1 about 12oz was soon in the net.
I re-baited and dropped in again, the elastic was ripped out of the pole tip. Another f1 was soon subdued. I then fished down the edge for the last part of the match.
That was it. The match was over. How had I done???, I knew that Mick Owen had caught and Les 'War and Peace' Peace started catching late on. Rose and Jim had caught a few down the edge. When I looked up everyone around the lake seemed to be catching fish. I thought that I might have about 90-100lb.
The scales arrived at peg 1 and he plonked about 64lb on the scales. By the time that the scales had arrived at Frontrow's peg, 80 odd pounds was winning. I walked round to Frontrow and asked how he had got on, he said that he had about 40lb. Frontrow uses a clicker to count his fish - which due to his short memory span (I am sure that it is shorter than that of fish), he said that after 10 fish, he got sick of pressing it and binned it. I suggested to him that the springs had gone haywire and the clicker had exploded. The scales will tell. He tipped his first net and had 32lb, his second net wen 38lb for a total weight of 70lb - the lying bar steward. The scales arrived at the bottom bank and 96lb was winning by this point. James Burke plonked 117lb on the scales - the new leader. Pete Gosney had about eleventyseventysix weighs and plonked 178lb on the scales. Rose and Jim was next and weighed in 122lb. The first peg to weigh on my bank dropped a mid-ninety on the scales. Mick weighed in his first net and put 52lb on the scales, his 2nd net needed two weighs and went 85lb for a total weight of 137lb.
As I had been walking around, I had seen the typical stamp of fish being weighed in. There seemed to be two sizes primarily - 4 - 6oz and 8 - 12oz. I was starting to 2nd guess my weight an started to think that I had about 80lb. There seemed to be lots of fish caught and I honestly did not think that I had caught that many fish - although I had been steadily away all day to the extent that I did not get off my box to have a pee (mental note made to self, next I go to Barnburgh Lakes, take a catheter bag with me).
I lifted my first net out and dropped 47lb on the scales. I had been splitting my fish pretty much evenly or so I thought, so that would give me a 94lb weight. I lifted my 2nd net out and there were a few more fish in this one. The needle spun round and ended up at 58lb for a combined weight of 105lb. I was well happy with that. Howard plonked 45lb on the scales. Last to weigh was 'War and Peace', he had two nets and weighed in about 45lb and 51lb for a 96lb total weight. I had come fifth. Very, very happy with that.
Full Result.
1st Pete Gosney - 178lb
2nd Mick Owen - 137lb
3rd Andy Stoner - 122lb
4th James Burke - 117lb
5th Mick Herrington - 105lb
After speaking to Rosie and Jim post-match, he informed me that I was in the small fish pegs as they hang around between pegs 22 and 25.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice bunch of lads. Good fishing, plenty of bites and a really nice day out.
'Til next week, tightlines.
Big Pellet.
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