29th April 1978 is the day I married the long suffering Vivien! 30 years of married life quite an achievement, I have a great wife and four smashing kids. I cannot believe where time goes. I am on the receiving end of a bit of ear bashing though! Quite right as well, I should have taken her on holiday, I will have to get my thinking cap on to make up for fishing this week! Enough of that sentimentality, back to the fishing!
Three Peaks
It’s a choice of three lakes today Canal, Acorn and Twin Oaks and all are fishing well. Thoughts are on peg 10 Twin Oaks as I work my way down the draw queue, a quick rub of my talisman and in with the left hand – out comes peg 16 Twin Oaks, not a bad area I am pleased with this draw. It is absolutely belting down with rain and I cannot help but think as I drive to the lake how pleased I am that I do not have to take a couple of pints of maggots with me, they would be everywhere! Bait wise I have with me 4 pints of meat, 3 pints of hemp and corn and 1 pint of pellets.
The wind is not too bad in my peg and at least it allows me to get the brolly up for some protection as some of the showers are akin to a waterfall!
I decided on a simple attack as this is out and out carp lake and a 100lb plus will be needed to win the section. My main line is to be the far bank fished with the meat feeder and a back up of waggler. I have just received some of the new Cralusso Velence wagglers, they are similar to the rocket but much shorter, I choose a 5 gram version for today. I have settled on two pole lines one at 5 metres and the other down the edge for later in the match.
The match starts and I cast tight to the far bank with the feeder and I expect a bite first cast but I am disappointed. In fact I do not get one until my fifth cast some 15 minutes into the match. Looking down the lake I can see it is not going mad. Only Mark Pleavin on peg 12 is putting a few fish together. I persevere but at the end of the first hour I have only three fish. I have lost a couple at the net that were just not hooked right. It’s very annoying when you have played the fish to the net and lose it just before you scoop it. There are a few fish topping so I try the waggler. A fish first cast is encouraging, but then a few missed bites and foul hookers. Changing depth brings a couple more but it’s very slow.
Chopping and Changing
I have been feeding the 5 metre line since the off and have a drop in there and I am rewarded with a carp within seonds. 15 minutes later and all I have added is a couple of silvers. There must have been a hatch of insects because all of a sudden the lake is alive with fish topping from the middle to the far bank. I quickly adapt one of my edge rigs and go out shallow at 14 ½ metres and by lifting and dropping and pinging a few pellets I manage a further four carp, frustratingly a couple are lost probably fouled. Half an hour goes by without another bite. I have to rotate all my lines and just take the odd fish from each one.
Time Marches On
I look at my watch and cannot believe its 4pm! Where does time go in matches? I intended having the last 1 ½ hours down the edge if I was not catching well on another line. I end up with a further eight fish in the last hour, Oh man, what a dipstick! At the weigh in I have 71lb. Mark Pleavin weighs 108lb for his third section win. Frustratingly for me there are two other weights of 72lb and 73lb which leaves me in fourth place. Fishing is all about decisions but you have to keep your eye on the time!
Time to Ponder
I am a little disappointed as the last couple of days I have had good draws and do not feel I have achieved the potential from the peg. And, I cannot blame the peg! Yesterday should have been 9 points and today at least 8. If I were to win my section on the last two days I could achieve a 32 point total and maybe a top 10 place. Looks to me that I am fishing the last two for the match!
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Jason
