Orchard lakes, Spring series round 2.

Peg 14 " Snag City! " and some of my 53lb 4oz catch above.

Orchard lakes in New Milton was the venue for the second round of the Challis Tackle spring series, not on the usual match lake, but on main and tench lake. None of us were to familiar with either of the lakes, but I had fished a knock up on main lake some time back, and with a little info stored in the old grey matter I was hoping for this lake at the draw bag. The weather had been kinder the previous few days and today it looked fair as well, hopefully making the fish feed a bit. At the draw I waited for the mad rush to finish before dipping in my hand, peg 14 on main, great got the lake I wanted and an island peg. After loading up my gear I made my way down the slope to my peg, it looked lovely! But looks can be deceiving as I new that it was very snaggy close to the island I would have to be careful. After looking at the peg for a few minutes, I decided on a pole only approach, the island was reachable at 11.5 m but there were some nasty brambles there so I decided that 13 m would do nicely. I had a nice margin to my right, and my third line would be in open water away from the island at 13 m. I knew there are quite a few silvers in main lake, but with one side of the island to my self, I decided on a carp approach. An 4x12 chianti 0.14 strait through, 911 size16 attached to green Garbolino hollow was for the open water, an 0.2 gram dc6 0.18 strait through, 911 -14 attached to an orange Garbolino hollow, was for the margins, as I have been told the fish run up to 20lb! Now for the island, this is where it went a bit pear shaped! After attaching an 0.16 rig I went out with the plummet, I decided that I wouldn't fish tight as I new it was snaggy, so I plumbed up about 2 feet off, the trouble is it was snaggy there! I lost the lot! Leaving my rig line and plummet creating an even bigger snag than before! Next rig a bit further up the island this time I decided to plumb about 4 feet out. Wrong! strait into another snag, lost the lot again! Not only was I leaving rigs behind, but I was running out of plummets! This was getting expensive! After having a drink, and calming down a little, I tried again, by know I would be fishing at 14.5m just to get away from my own snagged rigs. I came out a bit further still, and finally got clear of the snags, I set up a 0.4 gram dc6 0.16 strait through 911-16, to a Green Garbolino hollow, and also a 0.18 strait through 911-14 to an orange Garbolino, to cover the same line if the fish headed for the snags, the orange should be strong enough to bully them away. I had corn, micros, and some soft pellets, no maggots to forget this time! At the all in I fed a medium pot of micros and some soft pellets on the open water line and half a pot of corn and micros down the edge. Strait onto the 14.5m line just away from the snags with corn on the hook and some corn and micros in the toss pot. A bite strait away, a small chub on the drop, two more small chub followed, then a couple of small skimmers. I was getting regular bites but nothing of any size, out again this time a small carp of 1lb or so, out again and back to the small chub. I decided to feed a pot of corn and micros on this line and leave it for a bit, hopefully the carp would move in. I had a look in the edge swim, 1st put in and the float buried and a nice 2lb crucian! No more bites though so I re-fed it and went back out to the 14.5m line. A couple of small chub, but no more carp, about an hour had gone and I had about 5lb in the net. I could see most of the lake and it seemed that most people were struggling, I did hear that Maurice in the top corner was getting a few carp, as well as loosing some, it was time for a re-think. I could see the reeds moving next to the island and I knew that the carp were in there, it was just a case of how to get them out without loosing every rig in my box! I decided that i would fish up in the water next to the reeds, but away from the snaggy bottom with some heavy gear and hopefully get the fish away from the snags before they made into it, well that was the plan. Before that could take place I needed a comfort brake! I blame the bacon roll earlier! On the way to the toilet I past Maurice in the corner playing a nice carp, so that made my mind up, snag pit fishing it was then! Once I got back to my peg I set up a dibber on 0.18 strait through to a 911 14 onto fairly tight set orange Garbolino, I set it at a foot deep well clear of the snags below. 1st put in with corn on the hook, nice and visible, and with a toss pot full of corn and micros, the float dipped and a small chub came flying out of the water as I struck! Next put in the float dipped again, this time I hit into some thing that was intent on heading for " snag city " I leaned into it and steered it away from danger and into my net, perfect the plan was working. Out again and the same result, 2 carp in the net and no lost rigs! A few more followed, before the inevitable happened, Snag! Arghh! I pulled and the rig came back this time, although it had no float and a straight hook! I re-rigged but this time I put an 0.16 hook length on, in case I hit the snags again, hopefully all that I would loose would be a hook length. By now James to my right was catching steadily, and it was close between us, so time to get my head down, back out and strait into another carp, they weren't big but there were a few there. I would get a few then I would hit into the snags and have to pull for a brake, but I was only loosing the hook length. I was catching a couple, pulling out of a few, and loosing the odd hook length, but I was steadily building a weight. My plan was working! I rested the island swim for a bit, and had a look in the margins, which I had been feeding with corn by hand, after fifteen minutes and a few small chub later, I decided to leave it and concentrate on the island swim for the last hour of the match. James was still catching steadily, and as far as I could tell it would be between him and me. First put in at the island after looking in the margins, I hooked a fish that shed the hook into the snags, and had to pull for a break, next put in it happened again! I was getting a bit fed up with snags, and now I had run out of 0.16 hook lengths! All I had left was some hair rig method hook lengths on 0.18, so I chopped the hair off and used them! The last 50 minutes turned out to be the most productive stretch of the match, no lost fish and no lost hook lengths, and the added bonus was that slightly bigger fish had moved in. The last fish of the match turned out to be my biggest, about 5lb, as I unhooked it I realised that I had no float again, so that was 4 lost rigs, 2 plummets, and about 20 hook lengths! The all out sounded, and I knew it would be close between James and me, all down to the scales. I weighed before James, and the scales went 53lb 4oz, not to bad from " snag city " ! James weighed 48lb 12oz, I had done just enough to beat James, and after following the scales around the lake, it turned out that I had won the lake. Onto the other lake, Tench, and Keith had won his lake, and done enough to win the match, putting me into second, which I was very pleased about after the start. After two rounds Keith Theobold is leading the series with two section wins, but as you drop your worst result it is all to play for.