Black Friday

With a business trip up to London looming over the weekend and the prospect of no fishing I was keen to get to the Friday open at Mawgan Porth. I was absolutely amazed to see the car park full of angler’s cars, it looked like it was a ‘proper match’ today. Janet was delighted with the 31 angler turnout after a run of smaller attendances. There was no doubt in my mind that it would be a little harder today and now was the time for a reasonable draw!
I positioned myself amongst the anglers trying to guess where Bernie would stand with the drawbag, he always keeps me guessing by standing in a different position every match. This time was no exception and I failed miserably as he moved well to my left, I really  wanted a dip when all the pegs where there for the taking but it wasn’t to be. My turn came and out came peg 45 on the island. Not at all what I wanted, when most pegs are in these pegs feel a little closed in to me. It’s just with this area being double banked, not so bad with a good edge but this one is shallow and snaggy. I have drawn it on a couple of occasions previously as well as the ‘pier peg 44’ that was occupied on this occasion by venue record holder Skip McCabe.
Tail waving

As we were tackling up Skip was telling me that he had fish mooching around his edge, colouring up the water and he even hooked one on a bare hook whilst setting his rig! I personally always take this as a bad sign, it gives some anglers confidence thinking there is a shed full of hungry fish waiting for the bait. However, I often find it’s the opposite and I hate it on a couple of occasions it has happened to me. I remember drawing at Gwinear peg 56 in a festival and catching one before the start on a bare hook and that was the only carp I had in the match!

Weather wise it was very strange I was told we were suffering from high pressure after a period of lows, it was very overcast without the slightest breath of wind, and unusually for Cornwall it was muggy and slightly uncomfortable. The writing was already on the wall.

Conventional Approach

I had abandoned my up in the water approach that I had planned for the day and set up various rigs that I hoped would find me enough fish to compete. I had an edge rig that comprised of a 4 x 10 Carpa shelf for the shallow swim to my right. I also decided to fish longer than normal at 5 metres on the deck. Cralusso Capri’s in the .2 gram size where the rigs for this. One with a size 12 hook for paste. I also set up some shallow rigs in the hope that it would fish. The only bait I had with me was 4mm fishery pellets and Yorkshire bait soft hookers in garlic and kopy cat flavours. I would have had some maggots if I realised so many were fishing.

At the start I fed lightly to my right and the water immediately coloured up, Skip was playing a fish and had a couple before my float went under. I had three fish quickly and it went all quiet! Skip also was now struggling. Sounds daft struggling after five minutes! But there were just no bites to be had, you do need a good start at this venue. I had hoped for a quick fire 20 or so fish before the line slowed but it was not to be. I had been trickling a few pellets on my longer line and I was quickly on that, I started to catch some fish but with no speed. Before long my mates the skimmers moved in and the float was performing a merry dance!

Lesson from Pete

Just about opposite me on peg 31 was Kernow Match Group rod Pete Thomas , he was the only angler I could see catching consistently he was taking a couple of fish from one side of his platform before swopping to the other side. I was pleased to see the way he was fishing as he has put a lot of time, effort and money in match fees into his fishing and I am pleased to say there is a distinct improvement. He has recently taken a personal best, beating the 100lb barrier for the first time and from what I could see it won’t be long before he beats his next goal of 150lb.

My peg had gone, I just could not get a bite, Skip was the same and word was the lake had turned off big style! It is unusual but happens occasionally, even on those odd occasions  its not this slow. At one stage I listened and never heard a fish caught for over five minutes, normally everybody is bagging.

I changed over to Yellow Toffee paste and before long I was getting the odd fish, but it was again painfully slow. After awhile my float started dancing again but it was those pesky little skimmers that had taken a fancy to my paste. I even went out to 11 metres and fed a new line very carefully but it was no good, I only managed a couple of skimmers. I tried fishing with smaller hooks and lighter lines but it made no difference, I didn’t think it would but felt I had to try.

Is the net half full?

We were all suffering long spells of no fish, this is normal on a lot of waters but at MP we get used to the odd two minute quiet spell and when that stretches to a hour it seems like an eternity, I asked Skip how long we had left, my head dropped a little lower when he told me it was only half way through! Normally this is the time to switch to the second net, on this occasion the 20 odd fish had plenty of room.

I’m afraid this is one of those matches where I would have given up the ghost and gone home but there were a couple of things stopping me. Firstly, I had given Harry a lift and it would have been a long walk home for him. And secondly I was on the island and you cannot come off it whilst the match is in progress, damn that bridge!

Eventually the whistle went to end the match and it was a welcome sound. I decided to weigh in rather than tip back, just to see how poor it had fished. I was disappointed to put 23lb on the scales which ranks as one of my lowest weights on the venue. It is just one of those things that happen in fishing and it does bring you down to earth with a bump.

Talking to Janet after the weighing and she was telling me that she wasn’t tired, normally she shattered after lifting thousands of pounds of fish on and off the scales, today was like a stroll in the park for her.

The match was one from peg 7 by Andy PROSSER who caught all his fish on the paste. This peg is not normally in and I remember Simon Poynter winning from this swim a few months ago, when the lake was also out of sorts. Second was Harry with 60 odd pounds from peg 16. Pete Thomas managed to win his section with 43lb. Special mention to young Sam Prosser who also won his section with 43lb from peg 14 next to Harry.

Oh well better luck next week, they will have had a rest and should ravenous by then.