After my win last week I was happy to be heading the league going into the final round although I still thought that it was going to be a tall order having not seen the venue for many years.
I started my match preparation by popping over to the venue midweek and having a look and a walk along the match length along with reading any recent match reports. One of these was written by Bob Nudd from a recent match where he came second with 549 fish, now this was ok but it left me with as many questions as it did answers so I emailed him to see what else I could learn. Now I wasn't sure I would even get a reply but towards the end of the week he sent me a reply giving me some useful info that left me feeling a little more confident in the plan I had put together.
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| A view looking towards the sluice |
Match day arrived and there was a reasonable turn out with 20+ anglers in attendance with our team drawing the even numbers and from our envelope I drew peg 18 which was the peg to the left of the bridge. Lady luck was smiling on me again as this was one of the hot pegs or at least it normally was. My plan would be based around 2 lines the inside line at 4metres with a 1gr float and a second line at 9metres, I also set up 2 shallow rigs as this was the method that had done the damage in the recent HAJAC match. At the all in I introduces 2 balls of groundbait over both lines and then started on the 4 metre line, 10 minutes and not a sniff and it looked to be the same story for every one else. It was another 10 minutes or so before the float went under giving me my first fish, a Roach of around 1/2oz. I thought my match had just started and re baited and dropped the rig back in expecting a bite but nothing happened and so after a few minutes I had a quick look on the far line to no avail. About now the angler the other side of the bridge caught his first fish but still most sat bite less, after the first hour I had 3 small Roach for my efforts. I was wondering what I could do when I noticed a pike smash through some Rudd to my right 2 metres out from the bank so I picked up a whip with an Image waggler set to 2ft and flicked it to my right. Within no time the float started moving and I was into my first micro fish of about an 1/8 of an ounce so plan B would be to catch these tiny Roach and Rudd until things picked up so I set about catching a few fish while watching what every one else was doing.
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| Great floats for whip fishing |
As the match went on most people started to catch a few odd fish tight across but all of us to the left of the bridge just couldn't buy a bite like this so I reverted back to the whip along the margin but even this was patchy with the fish moving in and out of the peg. I was relieved to hear the final whistle as this had not been my kind of fishing at all but needs must and all of that, at this point I knew I had done ok on what had been an awful match but had it been enough to win me the league.
I had weighed in 128 fish for 1lb 7 1/2oz which gave me 4th place overall but more importantly 3rd place in the individual league round giving me enough points to win the league by 3 points.
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| A lot of fish for 1lb - 7 1/2oz |
Well what a return to match fishing after a ten year absence, I had thought long and hard about what club to join and Deeping St James AC was a great choice and provided me with some stiff competition from a number of good anglers. I think I will take next week out for some pleasure fishing and give some thought to what new challenges I set for myself. I may even have a go on a few commercials in the closed season to keep my hand in.
My League results: Final League Standing:
Round 1: 2nd - 9 points 1st Mark Horsley 40 pts
Round 2: blank - 0 points 2nd Andy Wison 37 pts
Round 3: 7th - 4 points Stu Redman 37 pts
Round 4: 2nd - 9 points
Round 5: 1st - 10 points
Round 6: 3rd - 8 points
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