Lakeside, Ranskill. 15-10-2006

The last match in our club league saw us visiting one of my favourite waters. Having one a match here two weeks previously I was optimistic that I would be the business, especially with the title at stake. I came into this last match a couple of points behind the current leader and if I could get a half decent draw and see him blow out I could be in with a chance of retaining the title. My hopes seemed to be dashed at the draw when my closest rival drew peg 12, a flier by anyone’s standards.
I drew 28 so I knew I should be in a for a few.

I setup up two 17′ rods, one with a Drennan upside waggler and one with a stick float. Both had 6′ rigs attached which were made up of 0.12mm Trabucco Diamond Race to a 0.12 Reflo Precision hook length with a size 18 Middy 73-13. These would allow me to fish caster shallow.

I also setup up two pole rigs:

At the all in I put in a handful over casters over the stick line, put a few casters on the close line and went out on the stick. Here’s where it all started to go pear shaped. First cast saw me hook a small ide but as I was bringing it in the hook pulled as the rig ended up in the tree. Rig no 1 trashed! After attaching another rig I was back out. I was playing catch up to the next peg after only 10 minutes.

I was catching steady up until lunch time when my nearest rival on peg 30 had two decent size carp to put me even further behind. Knowing that there are some big carp down the edge and the had been feeding I decided to give it a go to see if I could claw my way back. A couple of foul hookers later and I’d lost another hour with no fish to show for it.
With nothing coming close in on caster it was back out on the stick line started catching again. I began to get bigger skimmers, up to about 1.5lb which meant I was able to start clawing back some of the deficit. I managed to hook a carp on this rig but pulled out of it, than managed to trash another rig with about 30 minutes to go. I finally managed to hook and land a carp with about 10 minutes to go which was probably close to double figures.

At the weigh in I weighed 53lb, not far behind the 64lb that won from peg 30. Looking back if I had stuck to my original plan instead of wasting an hour looking for a bonus fish, I reckon I could have won the match comfortably. Lesson learnt!

As it was I didn’t do enough to win the league again, the leader up to this point won his section and ended up second in the match with 56lb. My points were enough to put me in second overall which I was still reasonably happy with.