The level was right down on the pond again but there were plenty of fish showing and I was determined to do better than the last evening match. There were only six of us fishing and I drew out peg 14 with Martin Heard on 12, I could see a carp and some bream up in the water to my left so I decided I would put some bait in at 10 metres towards them. I set up my 4 metre whip with a Drake Crowquill waggler and a Drennan Roach rig for the long line. I mixed up some Dark Frenzied Hemp groundbait and was ready with 10 mins to go.
It was down to me to shout the all in, which I did at six ‘o’ clock and we were off, I cupped in two balls of groundbait at an angle, 10 metres to my left before starting on the whip. Bites were instant and I was soon catching small roach and perch, I kept shouting up to Martin for a fish count and it was neck and neck with me on 48 fish and Martin had just a couple more. I was getting more small perch than the last match and kept trying caster to try and sort out the better fish. I was getting bites but just couldn’t hit them so had to keep going back to maggot where I would get a couple of roach and then start catching these tiny perch again.
The second hour was much the same for me and I added another 49 fish, Martin was 5 or 6 fish ahead and crucially he seemed to be avoiding the perch. Moses on peg 21 hooked and successfully landed a chub on his whip and was looking good for his third victory on the bounce and the £5 sidebet from the rest of us. I hadn’t seen Bob on peg 18, Justin on 3 or Alvin on 7 catch much but you never can tell here. I was getting odd better roach on caster but missing far too many bites, the better rudd weren’t showing either and they can really boost your weight.
Scotty Russell turned up and sat behind me and I was still catching roach including the odd better 3-4oz fish and I knew I was going to beat the 115 fish I had last match but I wasn’t so sure I would top my weight from last time (8lb 6oz). With only six fishing, Alvin was only paying the top two and I knew I wouldn’t catch Moses and I was pretty sure Martin would beat me too. I ended with 144 fish and Martin had 164 so I reckoned he’d done me by a couple of pound. Moses was first to weigh and put 11lb 3oz on the scales (his third 11lb+ weight in three matches), Bob had 2lb 4oz and then my fish went 8lb 1oz, which I was quite disappointed with. Martin had 9lb 14oz to go into second place and then Alvin beat me as well with 8lb 5oz (and I thought he’d been struggling!). Justin didn’t weigh again so I ended up with 4 points which saw Moses leapfrog me into top spot in the league.
It’s all very tight with Moses on 5 points, me on 6, Alvin on 7 and Martin on 8. I just wish I could sort out those better fish!
1 – Moses Holbrook (Ilminster) – 11lb 3oz
2 – Martin Heard (Tiverton) – 9lb 14oz
3 – Alvin Jones (Enterprise Angling) – 8lb 5oz
Sunday sees me back at Perry St and I’ve still got a corner to look forward to (peg 10 please!)
