Matches 16 - 20

Match 16 - Match Lake, Sykehouse Lakes, Nr Doncaster - 20th July 2014
Having never fished this lake, I was blind in terms of tactics, methods, bait, etc, etc.  I spoke with Andy Limpbiscuit who had been down and practised a few days before our match and he said it is shallow, shallow, shallow - all on pellet waggler.  I had a quick walk around and fancied pegs 16 - 24, primarily due to the way that the wind was blowing.  These pegs are pretty much in a bay and the wind was blowing into the bay.  I put my hand in the bag and peg 30 stuck to my hand.  I couldn't really get any further away from where I wanted to be.  Anyway 5hrs later, I had caught a few fish, although not enough.  I was last to weigh.

At one point, it started raining and given the warm weather both Limpbiscuit and Paul 'Castaway' Wilson sat out in the rain in just their shorts.  But the rain won in the end.  It was raining so bad, they both relented and put their waterproofs on, I think more from a point of view of keeping warm rather than dry.

Stuart Wilson won the match fishing worm on the deck and shallow and ended up with 94lb dead from about peg 17.  2nd was Dave Webster from about peg 12 who fished pellet shallow all day for 84lb 8oz.  Dave Horsfall took 3rd with 84lb 4oz from about peg 22 (the one at the top of the bay that looks down the long straight towards peg 7).  I had Lurch Moorhead near me who managed to stay for the weigh in and put 39lb 12oz on the scales.  The scales arrived at me and after 2 weighs, I managed 58lb 12oz for about 10th place, so a good match in all as there were plenty of fish caught.  I had lost a few method feeders on some roots (I was casting down the bank) and managed to get a couple of fish on the pellet waggler and a couple of fish from the next platform.

Full Result
1.  Stuart Wilson - 94lb
2.  Dave Webster - 84lb 8oz
3.  Dave Horsfall - 84lb 4oz
4.  Mark Wright - 81lb 10oz


Match 17 - Partridge Lake, Woodlands Lakes, Thirsk - 27th July 2014
I put my hand in the lucky bag and peg 14 stuck to my hand.  I had Paul 'Woofer' Clough to my left on peg 12 and Mark Wright to my right on peg 16.  Michelle drew one out of the corner on Partridge lake.  I caught a few shallow on the pole, and then some on the pellet waggler, then a couple down the edge late on.  I was going to be there or thereabouts today.

Andy 'Limpbiscuit' Limbert put 107lb 10oz on the scales, fishing at 14 - 16m shallow with pellet for most of the day.  Woofer had 39lb 6oz at the side of me.  I had 3 weighs for a total of 106lb 12oz.  Mark put 30lb 11oz on the scales and Michelle went on to win the match with 142lb dead, all caught on the method to the boards.  I could see her at the end and she was cranking fish in.  This is Michelle's PB match weight and was her first 'ton'.  Well done.

Full Result
1.  Michelle Webster - 142lb
2.  Andy Limbert - 107lb 10oz
3.  Mike Herrington - 106lb 12oz
4.  Dave Webster - 82lb 1oz

A good payday for Mr and Mrs Webster.

From the Club Champion points perspective, I was still languishing in 3rd place on 108pts, Stuart Wilson had 121pts in 2nd and Dave Webster was leading the points with 132pts.

My team however, was still leading the team weight with a combined weight of 2567lb.  Dave Horsfall's team had sneaked into 2nd place with 2421lb and Dave Websters team was in 3rd with 2418lb.

Match 18 - Pond 1, Wholesea Grange, Howden - 3rd August 2014
Here we were, back at Wholesea Grange.  Following our last match here, I was a little bit more confident with regards to the venue.  At the draw, I put my hand in the bag and snared peg 6, one off where I was on the last match.  For some reason, the venue seems to fish totally different, and more difficult from the last match that we had here.  Michelle drew peg 14 and had 3 weighs to put 110lb 15oz on the scales by casting the method over to the shallow bar on the opposite bank near the big bush.  Damn, 2 x 100lb+ match weights in two matches and two wins on the bounce.  Must have something good in her method mix. 2nd went to Pid from peg 1 - totally opposite end of the lake, who had 78lb 4oz.  He snapped a topkit whilst fishing next to some reeds and went in for it, the water only just got his ankles wet LOL.  Dave Webster took 3rd with 65lb dead.

Full Result
1.  Michelle Webster - 110lb 15oz
2.  Paul Farley - 78lb 4oz
3.  Dave Webster - 65lb dead
4.  Paul Clough -- 45lb 15oz

I ended up 5th with 44lb 7oz.

Match 19 - Oasis Lake, Lindholme Lakes, Epworth - 10th August 2014
I am sure that anyone that went fishing this day will remember it.  It was the horriblest and scariest days fishing for many years.  It was thundering and lightening from just about the start of the match for about 4 hours, and it rained incessantly to the end of the match (and long after).  We had pegs 2 round to peg 35 ish.  I drew peg 24/25 and I fished the long pole across to the far side for most of the match and was shipping my pole back underneath the cabin that had appeared behind me.  I was terrified when lifting the pole up to net a fish due to the thunder and lightening. I fished worm over groundbait and pellets.  I caught my first eel in a long long time on this match.  I caught steadily throughout the match and felt that I had done well, given the weather conditions.

There were some good weights spread out up and down the match.  Mark Wright set the ball rolling with 66lb from about peg 4.  Pid had 63lb.  I think that I had that.  There were plenty of weights between 30 - 60lb by the time that the scales arrived at my peg.  I had two weighs for a combined weight of 95lb 2oz and a win.

Full Result
1.  Mike Herrington - 95lb 2oz
2.  Mark Wright - 66lb 10oz
3.  Paul Farley - 63lb 12oz
4.  Stuart Wilson - 58lb dead


Match 20 - Maple Lake, The Oaks Lakes, Thirsk - 17th August 2014
We had the high numbers for this match from peg 35 round to peg 68.  I put my hand in the bag and drew a peg that I quite fancied, peg 66 which is one of the pegs with your back to the road near to the cafe.  I struggled again.  I could not get good presentation on the pole across due to the wind and was getting pestered by both ducks and crayfish...again.  I had no margin due to the height and depth of the reeds both left and right.  By the end of the match, I had been battered and ended up with 29lb for no good (10th place).

Full Result
1.  Paul Clough - 57lb 15oz (peg 57)#
2.  Andy Limber - 48lb 10oz
3.  Craig McKenny - 47lb 11oz
4.  Paul Wilson - 43lb 2oz

The next five matches to follow...