Alders Farm Pines Lake 15 09 15

It seems ages since I have been fishing and it must be the case because I have been away for a fortnight in Turkey and done a complete block of work before wetting a line. This was to be my last Tuesday match for a considerable amount of time due to changes taking place at work and myself being seconded to a different pattern of work for a year. So I was keen to do well.
Fourteen anglers booked into the match and with the whole lake to ourselves we could spread anglers out giving everyone a bit of room. With all monies paid it was onto the draw. My home would be peg 5, a decent peg in a decent area. I was happy as I had a bit of depth to work the corn and a nice margin with very little debris. I had for company Charlie Lancaster on 3 and Nick Wooding on 7.
As I always do I set up a standard top 4 with both strung out rig and a bulk straight out and another top 4 for fishing the end of the tree. All were tied to .18 Stroft and a size 16 PR36. I also set up a margin rig in 18 inches of water which I could double up as a shallow rig at 11m.
Bait was 2 kilo of corn and 2 bags of fishery 4mm pellet.
At the all in I fed both the top four lines and started on the shallow rig at 11m fishing a 6mm pellet and feeding the 4mm's. After a bit of banter from Trevor Price it was soon up the bank. I must admit now. I NEVER fish shallow, I do not know how to. I have no idea what rigs to use, how to hold the pole and feed accurately with a catapult or anything else associated with shallow fishing, but I thought I would give it a go. You have to try sometime.
I moved on to the top 4 lines straight out which I had been feeding 4 grains every 30 seconds or so and waited for the fish to come, they never did. I tried the tree top 4 and exactly the same, nothing, no bites no liners. Changes to shotting did not make any difference and after 2 hours I had one fish taken on the top 4 straight out rig fished at 11m (about a foot off bottom). I was not setting the world alight as you can tell, but I was not alone, everyone was struggling except Terry Lancaster who was catching shallow on peg 26. Colin Spencer and Del Smith had a couple of fish each and Ernie Waterfall was picking off a few from peg 1.
I could not buy a bite close in, top 4 or closer, so opted to practice my shallow fishing for the remainder of the match. HAHAHA.
I was fishing my margin rig when the wind was not blowing as I could see the float in the dark shadows of the trees and I was getting odd dinks and not connecting with many, but occasionally I would connect and the Orange NG Elastic would come out of the pole. When I had a ripple I fished a deeper rig but this time with a dark bristle to aid bite detection. I had also changed to a size 18 PR36 which seemed to help, I was foulhooking less and a bite was a proper bite. I also found that by sitting at an angle I could hold the pole better whilst feeding with a catty. Still bloody hard work though.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, or a short story shorter, I ended up with 8 fish on the shallow rig. I never had a touch on a top 4 or closer. At the weigh in I knew I would be last but I had learnt a few things along the way. Others had confirmed it had fished below standard and the top weights were all taken in the last part of the match.

Overall

1st   Colin Spencer               96-03

2nd Terry Lancaster             74-09

3rd Nick Pringle                  66-13

4th Henry Williams             63-13

5th Trevor Price                  63-00

6th Ade Freeman                 59-03

All in all, I enjoyed today, I learnt a few lessons, whether they are right or not I don't know but think dibber style floats are better than bristles in calm conditions, I fished too heavy all the way through, elastics and lines. A size 18 is about right. A hair rigged pellet may be better than a band but never tried this. Who knows?