Upper Thames Winter League Final Round. ESKIMO FISHING! 05/12/10

The final round of the Upper Thames Winter League on The Kennet & Avon Canal at Devizes had come around, after some heavy snow the previous week and some severe frosts prospects looked hard for the match. Whist the snow had gone, several days of brutal frosts were going to make conditions and fishing very tricky. At the draw the team was on peg 2, and I was on b2 on a section up at Allington. I had not fished this bit before so new territory for me. After a long walk to the canal, I was greeted with a frozen canal and the prospect of an ice braking session, whilst I knew it would be frozen, I just didn't realize quite how thick it would be. My section was split either side of a swing bridge, with B1,2,3 one side and 4,5,6,7 the other. I got to my peg and dug the ice breaker out of the carryall. The first three chucks with the ice breaker did not go well, bouncing across the surface of the ice! After a few expletives about how thick the ice must be, I started attacking it from the edge first.

After 10 minutes of furiously swinging the ice breaker over my head I finally managed to break through, the ice was 3-4 inches thick! This was going to turn into a mammoth ice breaking session, one way of working off your breakfast and keeping warm! It was extremely hard and exhausting work chipping away at it, after 2 hours and the match due to start and a couple of huge blisters on my hands, I had managed to break to a distance of 6 meters, that would have to do! Talking to Simon from Blackmore vale next door he arrived at the same conclusion! A few minutes with the net to clear all the broken ice and I was ready to set up! I had just put my box in position when someone shouted the all in, hmm I was going to be a bit late in starting fishing! I set up 2 rigs, both 0.9 to 0.7 on 1-2 elastics, one had a 511-22 and one a 511-24, plus some finer hook lengths should they be needed. Whilst I was setting up the ice was forming in the hole I had just created, and had to swirl the pole cupping kit to keep it ice free. I was going to fish at 5m, and at 6m, as far as I had broken. I did touch the ice with one of my rigs whilst setting up, and there it stayed glued to the ice! ( note to self don't touch the ice with your rigs! )

Just before 11 o'clock and I was ready to fish, I cupped in some punch crumb on the two lines, hopefully I would get a few on the punch. I kept alternating between the two lines but nothing, not even an indication, no one had caught to my right either, but the guy to my left had 2 small perch. After 45 minutes the float moved sideways slightly, I lifted and felt resistance, I carefully played it and slipped the net under a 2oz skimmer, phew! I hadn't blanked! Back out on the punch but no more bites, so I decided to turn the 6m swim into a worm line, as the chap to my left had another small perch. I chopped up a lobby and a few dendrabena and included a pinch of squatt and minced it up. I fed this, and had another cat ice clearing session, which was forming every few minutes. Out with a squatt on the hook, after a few minutes the float buried but I missed it! I wasn't quite expecting such a positive bite! Back out again with squatt and the float dipped, this time I hooked it, it turned out to be a netter roach, as far as I could tell I was doing well! No more bites for twenty minutes or so, time for a re-feed. Again a lobby, a few dendra and a pinch of squatt minced up.

After a phone call from Dave Tucker using Kieth's phone, ( cheapskate! ) I went back out on the squatt, the float dipped again and another nice netter roach, I was beating the guys around me as Simon was still blanking and the guy to my left was only catching the odd tiny perch. The ice was forming quicker now and keeping my hole clear was becoming a problem. I had a few small roach and a tiny perch, then the bites slowed. Another re-feed again not to much, buy now it was 2.30pm. It was getting colder buy the minute, and so was I. After 10 minutes or so after the feed the fish had switched on, catching tiny roach with the odd bigger one thrown in, even missing a few bites. I was catching well when the all out came even catching a few on flouro pinkie. Simon blanked next door and I knew I had beaten the guy to my left, just had to wait for the scales to see how the other side of the bridge had done. Following the scales the ice the other side of the bridge was a lot thinner, at the weigh in I put 2lb 1oz on the scales, this was made up of 23 fish, for 3rd in section, not to bad a day after all.

Back at the pub for the results, the team had done it! Second on the day with 50 points, and winning the league! A superb result for the whole squad. A nice trophy and medals for the squad, and an individual champion in the guise of Stu Dabbs. A hard day for everyone but a thoroughly enjoyable one for every body, and a semi final to look forward to at Gold Valley in March, lets hope it's warmer!

Round 5 Upper Thames Winter League 21/11/2010

No post for a bit due to not going fishing, ( circumstances beyond my control ) sorry about that but normal service is now resumed! You can tell I haven't blogged for a bit because I keep forgetting to take the camera! Oops! Words will just have to paint the pictures for me! ( I hope I don't bore you to tears! ) Having walked the bank last week, and with Andover still leading the league, I was looking forward to it especially having not going out for a bit. The canal around Bedwyn had fished well the previous round, with some good weights, just a couple of sections seemed to be fishing hard. I had prepped my gear, tied numerous rigs, and loads of hook lengths, all systems go.
At the draw Barry had pulled peg 4, all the team on 4 just different sections, A4, B4 etc. I had F4, in a section known as the Beeches, it had fished well the previous week, with the winner coming from this section, catching some sizable perch, and with good back up weights of small fish. When I got to my peg I was next door to the match winning peg from the previous round, I had reeds at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock on the far bank, with a gap in between that went back to metal piling's. Info from the John who was in this section last week was that it would be a fish race, apart from the end peg flier. Plumbing up I found no depth at the piling's, I had 18" at the reeds at 2 o'clock and 2ft at the 10 o'clock reed swim, both theses swims were at 14.5m. These 2 swims I was going to fish positively with chopped worm and caster, hoping that some of the big perch in the area would make an appearance! I set up an Image dibber on 0.10 straight through to a 611-16,to a nice soft pink hollow elastic. I had two other swims, one at 5m in front of me which was for the punch, a Garbolino 0.4 gram DS9, 0.9 to 0.7, 511-22 to a 1-2 elastic, and a squatt and ground bait line at 11.5m at 10 o'clock so to speak, a 0.3 gram Preston classic, 0.9 to 0.7 511-22, to a 3 elastic.
At the all in I fed a small pot of liquidized bread at 5m, 3 balls of ground bait laced with squatt and a few caster at 11.5m and both the two reed swims got half a pot of chopped worm and caster, I was going to have regular looks on the reed swims all day so I decided to feed it from the off. In on the punch line, bites straight away from small roach, but it was not as quick as I was hoping, a couple of bites and then nothing for a few minutes, I soon realized what the problem was when I had strike from a pike! After a few bite less minutes I re-fed and left it, by this time either side of me were catching a lot quicker than I was. A quick look on the reed swims produced a couple of small perch, so I fed those again and went onto the squatt line. This proved to be crucial as I started catching very quickly, catching up the two anglers either side, I was loose feeding squatt regularly and getting a bite a chuck. After 45minutes I fed a small ball of ground bait and had a quick look on the other lines.
I had a look on the 5m punch line, whilst I had a few fish it was nowhere near as quick as the squatt line, even so I kept feeding just in case that pike showed up on the squatt line! Over to the reed swims, I had half a dozen 2 oz perch, before it went quiet, not the size I was hoping for but not to be sniffed at. I re-fed these 2 swims and went back onto the 11.5m squatt line. The squatt line was still fishing well and I caught regularly for the next hour before this slowed a little, I gave it a couple more balls of ground bait before having a look at the reed swims. Just over half the match had gone and I was doing ok, I think I was still behind those either side of me but only just. First put in on the 10 o'clock reed swim resulted in a small perch, I shipped back out with another half a worm on and the float buried, and this time I was met with something a lot bigger. Playing it carefully I slipped the net under a perch of just over the pound, back out again and the next bite resulted in a perch of similar size, it is funny how they come along in two's! The chap to my right had just landed a big perch to, I was now well up in the section, only a couple of small perch off the other reed swim so I re-fed and went back onto the squatt line.
I was still getting regular bites off the squatt line, putting a few fish in the net, I kept having regular looks on the reed swims but this only resulted in small perch, I kept feeding hoping for another couple of big uns! The chap to my right had another couple of big perch, putting me second in section as far as I could tell. I kept swapping between the squatt line and the two reed swims for the rest of the match, a minute before the all out I hooked a lump on the squatt line, I played it carefully shouting fish on at the whistle, a couple of minutes later I finally saw it, a 5lb Pike, I was hoping for another big perch! I pulled for a break and that was that. At the scales I weighed in 8lb 11oz for second in section, very pleasing for my first match for a while. The chap to my right won the section and finished second overall, the peg is the proverbial flier! Another great team performance saw us third in the match, still first in the league overall with one round left, looking good!

Greenridge Farm MCC 1. 13/06/10

Lake 1 at Greenridge.


Greenridge Farm's lakes 1&2 was the venue for the first of Andover's MCC matches, the weather was warm and I was hoping for a better day than I had at Greenridge a couple of weeks earlier. At the draw I didn't really fancy the middle of lake 1, as it is not a noted "flier" area, unfortunately I pulled peg 5 ! Smack bang in the middle of lake 1 ! When I got to my peg I had an empty peg either side of me, which hopefully would aid me . The water in the lake seemed to be down a bit, which would make fishing the margins tricky as they would be very shallow.



Peg 5.


I set up two rigs tight across at 14.5m, one on the deck but as the lake was down a bit, I only managed to find about 18 inches of water, both rigs were KC carpa cubes on 0.16 to 911-16, one set at depth and one at half depth, both were attached to green hollow Garbolino elastic. The next line was at 5-6 meters, at the bottom of the near slope, I decided to plumb here as the margins were shallow and I felt that the fish wouldn't come in to the inside. This was a 0.3 gram DC6 0.16 911-14 to Orange garbolino. I did set up a rig for the margins either side of me, this was a 0.2 gram durafloat on 0.18 to 911-14 to orange Garbolino, it was a similar depth to that across, although I am happy to fish in that across I felt it would be to shallow for the margins to work well, if they did move in I would see them as they would certainly stir the bottom up. On the bait table I had three pints of caster, two of maggots and corn, the caster was mainly for across and in the margins, the maggot would also be loose fed in the margins and the corn was for the 5m swim. At the all in I fed half a pot of corn on the 5m line, and half a pot of caster and maggot on the two margin swims. I went across on the depth rig with caster on the hook and a toss pot full of caster, it took about 15minutes and a few tosspots later before I had my first fish, it wasn't that big but it did give me a scrap. A few minutes past before I had another bite, this time I lost it at the net, not a brilliant start but Greenridge is notorious for starting slow, although Paul in peg 3 was catching the odd one or two, I could see fish milling about against the far bank in his swim and not in mine, which was a bit ominous. I could see most of the lake and no one else was doing allot so I wasn't to perturbed. About an hour had past and no more bites so I picked up the catapult and stated to ping in the caster at the far bank, a couple of foul hooked fish later was enough to convince me to use the shallow rig, this resulted in a couple of good size carp. In the mean time I was loose feeding the 5m with corn every few minutes, and the margins with caster and maggots. One more fish on the far side on the shallow rig and that was it for the far swim it died completely. Half way through the match and as far as I could tell I second behind Paul who was beginning to empty his peg, and not content with catching fish he catches a terrapin as well! After having a look in the margins, which resulted in no bites I switched to the 5m line. Slipping a couple of grains of corn on to the hook and dropping the rig in resulted in an instant bite, which I missed. Out again this time a foul hooker which I pulled out of. I knew there were a few fish on the 5m line and I couldn't work out the best way to feed for a proper bite. After a couple of missed bites I finally hooked one in the mouth, a good sized fish of 5lb. I decided to feed the peg with just 6 grains of corn in the toss pot, and not feed again until I hooked one properly. I was still missing good bites and foul hooking a few but I was beginning to hook a few more properly, which was building the weight slowly. Into the last hour and I could see fish being caught further up the lake. I carried on catching, missing bites and foul hooking fish until the all out. It was clear that Paul had easily won the lake, but I wasn't sure how I had done against the rest of the field. In the end I weighed in 36lb 10oz. good enough for 3rd on the lake, not to bad but to many missed bites and foul hooked fish had cost me, but that's fishing!


My 36lb 10oz. catch.

Hard Work At Billhook.

Billhook Lake.



Billhook Lake at Odiham was the venue for the opening match of the Andover Angling Club 2010/11 match calender. It looked lovely, warm, overcast with a gentle breeze, and fish moving all round the lake, we were all hoping to get close to the huge weights that had been coming out, how wrong we were! At the draw I didn't really mind where I drew as the lake has a lot of features and the fish seemed to be moving everywhere. I stuck my hand in and pulled out peg 27, when I arrived at my peg it looked quite nice with some Lillie pads out in front and an empty peg to my right.

Peg 27.

I decided on 4 lines of attack, one at 14.5m about a meter short of the Lillie's, two at 7m, 10 o'clock & 2 o'clock, and a margin line too my right. The depth was pretty consistent all the way across at about 2 feet, which was handy as I could double up on rigs. The 14.5m line was a shallow set up, a big dibber on 0.16 to a 911-16 to green garbo, set about a 8-12" deep. On the 7m lines I set up a paste rig, kc carpa 4x12, 0.18 to a 911-12 to orange garbo. The second was a 0.3 gram dc6, 0.16 to a 911-16 to green garbo. The margin rig was a 0.3 gram durafloat 0.18 911-14 to orange garbo. All of these rigs could be used on all the lines as the depth didn't alter much. The plan of attack was to pot in pellets on one of the 7m lines, meat on the second 7m line, and feed the margin by hand, whilst feeding the up in the water line with a catty. The all in sounded and I fed 2 large pots of pellets on one of the 7m lines, a half a large pot of meat on the second 7m swim, and stated to ping pellets at the far swim. Straight out onto the 14.5 m line with an 8mm soft pellet on the hook, there were plenty of fish milling about but most of them were hanging very close to the Lillie's, I was hoping with constant feeding I could lure them away from there and perhaps after a bit could get them closer still. After about half an hour and no bites things were looking a bit slow, no one else as far as I could see had caught anything. I left that line but carried on feeding regularly, and had a look on the other lines. After spending twenty minutes or so on the other lines without even so much as a tremble on the float I went back to the far swim. This time I put the 16m extension on and fished it tight to the pads, to try and get a few bites, as there still wasn't anything much being caught! Constant feeding eventually resulted in elastic pouring from the pole as a carp decided to feed on my 8mm pellet and hook itself! A nice carp of 2.5lb. Feeding all the time and lifting and dropping the rig eventually resulted in carp number 2 roughly the same size. 2 1/2 hours gone 2 carp and three pints of pellet lighter! The strange thing was no one was catching anything, apart from Phil who had a few. Talk from round the lake was just the odd fish being caught, a bit grim. I persevered with the far line but by now the wind was getting up a bit and my back was giving up a bit! In the next 1/2 hour I hooked carp number 3 ! Again a similar size. I left the far line for a bit to rest my arms and back ( when I win the lottery I must buy a stiffer pole ! ) I had a good look on the other lines for a good hour, but with no success, I even set up a tip rod and had a chuck to the Lillie's just for a change, but the fish seemed to be in spawning mode and not very interested in feeding. Into the last hour and I decided to go all out on the far swim as I had three fish from there. After battling with the wind I eventually hooked carp number 4! Again about 2 1/2 lb ( consistent if nothing else !) I did loose a couple in the last hour, but the wind was making it very difficult to control the rig. The all out sounded and that was it! 4 fish, 6 pints of pellet lighter and aching arms and back! A few fish were caught late in the match by some, but it was a bit of a grueller for most anglers, myself included! My 4 fish weighed 9 lb 10 oz. In conclusion I don't think I did anything wrong, it just seemed the whole lake was off, ah well there is always next week.........!

Not Much To Show!

Going Red In The Sun At Greenridge.

Peg 17 on Lake 2 at Greenridge.

lake 2.

A blistering hot day was in order for the final round of the Challis Tackle spring series at Greenridge farm, Lakes 1 & 2. At the draw I didn't really want the middle numbers on lake 1, and after the rush I pulled out 17, middle of lake 2, not to bad. With Paul and Keith leading the series both on an end peg, ( they don't draw to bad do they! ) it looked like they were fighting it out for the spoils. Three lines of attack was the plan for today, one tight across at 14.5m next to the small gorse shrub, one slightly staggered at 7m, and the two margins either side. Across I set up carpa cubes on 0.16 straight through to 911-16, one shallow ( about a foot deep ) and one at dead depth, both were attached to Green Garbo hollow. A garbo dc 4 at 7m 0.16 straight through to 911-14 attached to green garbo, I also set up a paste rig to cover the same line, 0.18 straight through to 911-12 to orange garbo, and finally a durafloat on 0.18 straight through to 911-14 attached to orange garbo for the two margins. I had luncheon meat, paste, corn and some 6mm pellet as well as 4 pints of maggot. I had clean forgot about the caster and how well it avoided those troublesome minute gudgeon and minnows, ( another lesson learned ! ) having not fished the venue since last year.

At the all in I fed a medium cup of corn on the 7m line, and started to feed the margins by hand with maggots, and went across on the meat, feeding meat through the toss pot. The heat was building and you could see carp swimming about following each other, and it looked like they were getting ready for spawning. The float was dipping and dancing all the time ( pesky minnows!) as they wouldn't leave the hook bait alone, but after 15 minutes and a few toss pots later I managed to hook a nice 3lb carp. A few more minnow bites followed before another carp on the meat. Then nothing for an hour, except for the pesky minnows! It was slow around me with just a few fish being caught, but Jocky to my left was beginning to catch shallow on the caster, so I decided to leave it for a bit and to start pinging maggot across whilst fishing another line. I went onto the 7m lime with the paste, after a couple of minutes I striked the paste off and re baited, half an hour had past and still no indications, so I had a quick look in the margins. No indications there except minnows and gudgeon so out with the shallow rig across. Half way through the match and not a lot to show except sun burn! Out with maggot on the shallow rig, after a few minutes of minnow bothering, the elastic streamed out of the pole and a nice fat common was in the net. This continued for a bit, with the maggot being pulled around by the gudgeon and minnows, before the carp would nearly pull the pole in! Jocky was catching well to my left, and James catching a few two pegs down, the lake seemed to be switching on a bit. I then had a large 8lb fish that was trying to make it into Dave's peg on my right, it did give me a bit of hassle but eventually I beat it. Into the last 45 minutes and the carp bites had stopped across, so it was time to have a look on the other lines. By now Dave to my right was beginning to catch in mid water on the corn ( surprise, surprise ! ) so I followed suit, and had a couple as well as foul hooking a few. The last few minutes I had a look in the margins which can be so productive at Greenridge, but no big fish had moved in on the feed. The all out sounded and I followed the scales on lake 1 first. Mike was 1st with 72lb, 2nd was Paul with 67lb odd, and third was Mayo with 47lb odd. On to lake 2 my lake, 1st was Keith with 93lb, second was Jocky with 85lb odd and third was James with 55lb odd, I weighed 46lb for 4th on the lake. Keith took the series by weight, over Paul second and Mike third. Overall a very enjoyable series for me, with some good results, but the blow out at the beginning, and a match missed due to holiday had cost me dear. With the Andover match calender starting in a couple of weeks, I think I need to tie some rigs!

My catch for 4th on Lake 2.

All is dandy at Dandy's Ford

Peg 10 At Calvert's lake looking at the island.

Peg 10 from another angle, the reed mace in the bottom right of picture, main catching zone.

Part of my 70 lb 09oz. catch.

Round 5 of the Challis Tackle spring series was on Calvert's Lake at Dandy's Ford Fishery. A new venue for me although I have had a pleasure day on there a couple of years ago, I had not fished a match on it and was looking forward to it, as I have heard good reports about it's fishing. I missed the earlier round which was won with 80lb, so I was hoping it would fish well. Calvert's lake is an odd shaped lake with lots of bays and islands, with plenty of features to fish to in most pegs, it is also a very pretty lake, and it is always nice to fish some where in such pleasant surroundings. As I knew so little about it I had no pre-conceptions as to good pegs or areas. At the draw I picked peg 10 off the floor, ( all the pegs were on the floor where Mike had chucked them! It was beginning to spit with rain and he probably wanted his hat back on his head! ) After finding where it was on the lake, I made my way round to peg 10 and was quite pleased with my draw, an end of an island to chuck to, and a nice margin to my left, with no peg 11 in I was hoping that the fish would be in there. ( Twice in two weeks curb crawling, I'll be getting a reputation! ) I set up a bomb rod for the island, I had left the waggler rods at home so a bomb rod would have to suffice, two rigs for down the edge at 7m to my left next to some reed mace, the first a paste rig on 0.16 straight through to a 911-12, to Orange Garbolino hollow, no shot on the float just using the weight of the paste to cock the float. It was a bit tricky plumbing up as it slopes away from the edge quite a bit. The second margin rig was 0.3 gram durafloat 0.16 straight through to 911-16 married to green Garbo. This was for fishing standard baits over the same line. I also set up a paste line at 6m, and two lines at 13m, these were quite deep at 6-7 feet, so a DC 11 0.5 gram on 0.16 to a 911-16 was set up to cover these 2 lines. The final rig was a shallow rig, a large dibber float on 0.16 line, 911-16, set about two feet deep for fishing up in the water at 14.5m. For bait I had a soft paste, soaked micros, 6mm pellets, two different sizes of luncheon meat 4mm and 6mm, (one for feeding and one for hooking ) and some soft pellets for hookers.

The weather was a bit damp with some heavier rain now and again so I set my brolly up, something I don't like doing, but as there wasn't much wind it kept the worst off, and hopefully it would clear away later in the day. At the all in I cupped in half a pot of meat and micros in the margin swim, half a pot of corn and micros on the 13m lines, and a full pot of micros and 6mm pellets at 6m. I decided to let that settle and go on the tip, I hair rigged an 8mm soft pellet and chucked it out. I fed a few pellets with the catapult by the island, After five minutes I had a couple of knocks before the tip went round, and a small carp was on, unfortunately I pulled out at the net, not a good start! Next cast I fed a few more pellets and waited again about 5 minutes again before the tip flew round and a nice fat carp of 1lb went into the net. A couple more casts and two more small carp, the trouble was I was having to wait for bites and Stu Dabbs to my left on peg 12 was catching a few on the waggler to the island, and was getting a lot more bites than I was, time to have a look in the margin swim. First put out with the paste on, the float shot under shortly after settling and I hooked into a small carp, which I pulled out of, I got the impression the orange garbo. was a bit heavy, so I had a look on my other margin rig with meat on the hook. The float settled and almost instantly the float buried and I hooked into a carp which took me straight into the reeds and snapped me! First two put in's and both fished lost and a busted rig, things weren't going quite to plan! After setting up another rig, I moulded a piece of paste on my paste rig and lowered it in, within seconds the float sailed away and orange garbo steamed out of the pole, this time it didn't get away and it went into the net. A few more followed and I was off and running. After a bit the bites slowed, so I switched to the meat rig, this resulted in good bites but the fish were either silvers or smaller carp. I switched back to the paste rig and had few more better carp, again the bites slowed, but swapping between the meat and the paste kept me catching steadily. After 3 hours all bites had tailed off, so I fed it with two pots of meat and micros and decided to have a go shallow at 14.5 m, as Stu was getting a few shallow on the waggler. Out with a 8mm soft pellet and I started pinging pellet around the float and lifting and dropping the rig. It took about five minutes before a carp hooked it self, a nice one of 2lb, in the next half hour I had another six, there were a few there but I felt that I wasn't catching quick enough, so I went back to the margin swim for the rest of the match. First put in after the rest and probably the biggest fish of the day for me swallowed my paste bait a good fish of 4lb, the rest had done the swim some good and I was getting good bites and things were going well until the last twenty minutes, when the bites became very twitchy, even on the meat, I couldn't hit anything, and on hind sight it was probably small fish. The match ended and I felt I had done ok, following the scales round, Paul Barnard was setting the target weight of 78lb 1oz, Keith Theobold was taking second with 70lb 9oz, round to me and my weight went the same as Keith's, 70lb 9oz! Joint second in the match, and overall a good day. There were a few other sixty pound weights, including Stu to my left, and afterwards I asked him why he didn't fish his right hand margin, the reeds were being knocked about to his right all day, and he explained that he couldn't fish there due to the shrubbery, this probably helped me out and improved my margin swim. One round of the spring series left to go at Greenridge farm, and it looks like Paul and Keith have got it sewn up, but you never know!

Edging It In The Park.

Part of my 118lb catch.

Looking down to the little Willow where I caught.

The view of Park lake from my peg.

Todber Manor's Park Lake was the venue for round 4 of the Challis Tackle spring series. I missed the third match due to holiday, so a good result was needed. I always look forward to Todber as it has been kind to me in the past, and a good day can be had by most anglers, the only problem I had was whilst cleaning my pole the night before I found a bit of a ding mark in my number 5 section, probably from the match at orchard, so I taped it up and hoped it would last the match. Talk at the draw was that you would need the end pegs, as the whole of the lake wasn't in, pegs 14, 25 & 38 were the favoured pegs. As usual I waited for the mad rush to ease, before going to the draw bag. Paul Barnard was just before me, and as he drew, he dropped one on the floor, so I claimed it! Knowing the way Paul draws it was bound to be good, and as it turned it was peg 38! Mind you he pulled out peg 25, boy he can draw! Once I arrived at my peg the happier I was with my draw, as the nasty cold wind that was blowing down the lake was relatively calm in my peg, and I had a lovely quiet margin swim, which turned out to be the focus of my attack. I decided on a three prong attack, a far swim tight to the island at 14.5m, a down the track line at 7m, and a edge swim at 7m to my right, just in front of a small willow tree. I had a couple of pleasure anglers opposite me in the part of the lake that wasn't in the match, but as they were fishing in mid water they would not influence me at all, in fact they would benefit me as they were not fishing there far bank, which was to the right of my edge swim, due to the shape of the lake. I set up a Karpa cube on 0.16 to 0.14 hook length 911-16 on green Garbolino on the far line, A Garbolino DC11 on 0.16 straight through to a 911-16 again on green Garbo. I also set up a paste rig to cover the same line, 0.16 straight through to a size 12 911. For the margin swim I set up a 0.3 durafloat 0.16 straight through to 911-16 attached to Green Garbolino hollow. I also set up a heavier rig on 0.18 and orange garbolino, in case my first rig wasn't strong enough. On the bait table I had corn, paste, luncheon meat, soft pellet and 6mm hard pellet for feeding. At the all in I fed a medium pot of pellet and meat on the track line, and decided to have a look straight away on the edge line. Out with corn on the hook and a toss pot full of pellet to my edge swim just in front of the little willow, the float settled and ten seconds later the float buried and a carp of 2lb was in the net! A good start, in again and the float buried again this time with a better carp, things were looking good. A few roach followed, before more carp, some of them were lumps which tested the gear out, but things were working well. I swapped the baits about, but the roach were ragging the meat to much so I concentrated on the corn whilst feeding pellet. I felt I was doing well and was catching steadily, with some big fish thrown in, which was helping me build a nice weight. I could here Dave to my left catching a few, but as I had my back to the rest of the field, I had know idea how every one else was doing. Going into the last 2 hours things were slowing down on the edge swim, still getting some but by now the bites were getting a bit twitchy. I Hadn't touched any of my other swims so far, and was tempted to leave the edge swim alone for a bit, but switching to an 8mm soft pellet on the hook improved the bites, but I was having to wait a bit longer for the bite, but when it came it was usually a good fish, so I persevered. Into the last hour and I was still catching, although I did have little run of bumping and loosing a few fish, and one which took me into the tree, but I did manage to extract the rig. I was still catching right up to the whistle, and my perseverance down the edge hopefully would of paid of. The weighing in started at the other end of the lake with me last to weigh, Mayo on peg 14 weighed 96lb, Paul on peg 25 weighed 109lb, and I knew it would be close, the favoured pegs were putting up the leading weights, with a few good back up weights in the mid eighties it was time for my weigh. The first net went just under 60lb, which was pleasing as I knew I had a similar weight in the second, after the second net I had a total weight of 118lb, more than enough to win the match, and more than I thought I had. I had a good match fishing down the edge, and my pole managed to hold together despite being held together with tape! I think a repair is in order!