Alders Farm Pines 12 07 16

What a difference a couple of month's away from a fishery makes. I have popped down for a social cup of tea and viewed Ash lake and Oak lakes but had not ventured up to Pines since about April. I had booked into the Cheap Tuesday Open on Pines lake as I had a day off and fancied a day's fishing. On arrival I did the norm and took my gear straight up to the lake and was blown away. Gone are a lot of the trees and bankside hazards. Nice solid platforms changing it from 31 dodgy pallets to a comfortable 25, all with plenty of space.It looked and felt so different.
As I just fancied a day out and was not really bothered about the match itself, I just took a couple of kilos of corn, a couple of bags of fishery 4mms and had a few 6mms for the hook. With 9 in attendance, it was simply about recharging the batteries. I drew peg 1, which used to be a decent area, when the hazards were there, as fish congregated by the brambles and it was a case of hit and hold. With no brambles now, it would be interesting to see what would happen.
My approach. Corn at 2+2 and down the left hand margin, 6mms for fishing up at 12m. Rigs for 2+2 were MW Diamonds .3g to a size 16 PR36 on .18 Stroft. For the edge it would be a Del Smith Green to a size 14 PR36 and .20 Stroft. All elastics were red hydro.
At the all in I cupped a small pot of corn and 4mm pellet onto both the 2+2 line and down the left hand edge at 11m. I started on the 2+2 line and started throwing in 6 grains of corn every 30 seconds. After around 10 minutes I had my first carp, around 2lb. Keeping the feeding to 6 grains, it was slow going, so moved a foot closer and sneaked another couple of fish before getting pestered by crayfish, 6 in 10 put ins is a little steep.I shallowed up by 6inches a nicked another fish.
After an hour I had a look down the edge as this was where I expected to catch the bulk of my catch. I was already behind both Pete Archer and Nick Pringle. After a few changes to the rig I got it to settle properly and started to catch a few more carp, nothing big but they were still pulling hard,attempting to get right into the corner or undercut banks. I lost a few fish trying to get them into open water. I was also foul hooking a fair few fish. Something we all do at Alders.
By chopping and changing lines I reckoned on 60lb at the end of the match. Not the glorious return to Alders but at least a days fishing. Both the end pegs had performed well with Pete Archer winning with 199-10, Lee Newson second with 181-15 and Charlie Lancaster third with 167-02. The rest of us had between 43lb and 80lb.