Tuesday 1 November 2016

Drennan Alders Farm Tuesday Open 01 11 2016

After a reasonably mild October ( no frosts) we have finally arrived into November to be greeted by fog, it was not too bad in places but trying to find the match lake from the top of the hill, took a bit of doing. Yet once we were down there it had started to lift. It was agreed beforehand that dependant on today's result the MK Nugget challenge will be over for this year. I was fortunate to be leading 7-6 going into today and IF I won then that was it, IF Mick won then we would have a decider somewhere next week. The reason for this is that Mick likes to have a go at the rivers around MK, baiting up a couple of swims and roving between them. Fair play to him.
So today we had 11 on the match, with a couple of no shows, probably due to the fog. The match itself was on Ash Lake and with only 11 on we could all have a bit of room.
With pools and matchman league monies taken, it was onto the draw with Mick going in first, peg 19 with the light breeze blowing in. I drew near the back and peg 7 stuck to my paw, so that was home for the day. For Company I had Trevor Price on 5, Terry Lancaster on 4 and Madd on 10. Yet I could see the dam wall and keep an eye on Mick.
With the cooler weather in mind I decided on 3 lines today, a margin maggot line in 15inches of water on a top 4, a top four line with corn and a long 11m line for pellet. I was a little surprised how deep the "out " lines were and even had to add a little line to the 11m rig. The margin rig would double up as a shallow rig if required.
At the all in I cupped a half pot of pellet to 11m and a sprinkling of maggot to the left hand margin. Starting off on the top four corn rig. I started my normal regime of 3 or 4 grains and around a dozen pellets. After 10 minutes I noticed Mick into a fish and instantly missed a bite of my own. Back out and this time I connected with a 3lb fish. Eleven more followed in the first hour but the line was slowing and even upping the feed did not work. A switch to 11m saw a few bites but I could not hit them, suspecting they were liners I went out with the margin rig and bingo, a couple of quick fish but no more. A look down the edge on maggot saw me lose a fish first put in but no more so back to the top four rig.
I made a switch to pellet banded and I was now getting a few fish on the same line I started fishing with corn. Just goes to show, a change of bait can make all the difference. I stayed on the pellet for around 3 hours picking up odd fish, but still putting fish in the net. I needed to as Mick was catching every time I looked up. By the 4th hour the match was over, Pete Archer was catching very well on peg 21 fishing SHALLOW. Has anyone told the fish its November. I asked Madd at this time if he was OK, "why " he says. I respond that I just saw him pick up a landing net. Terry was his normal warbling self, serenading Trevor with the 1812 overture, the theme from the sound of music and a bit of Abba. Charlie was busy throwing his topkits all over the place yet Mick was still catching.
I decided to go down the edge in the last hour and although I had a few fish from there it died after 45 minutes and I was back out to top four territory. Another couple before the whistle and I felt I fished a tidy and good match.
First to weigh was Roy Makins with 99-15. That Trevor is a bad man. Ken Taylor on peg 2 did not bother to weigh in. Terry placed 146-12 onto the board to lead, Trevor chipped in with 133-13, with loads of fish coming off at the net. I sneaked into second with 140-06, before Madd placed 90-15 onto our board.
Starting from peg 30, Del Smith threw back around 120lb without realising his weight was a good one on the day. Nick Rowe put 119-12 to start the board. Pete Archer romped the result with 215-03. Mick was next with 129-08, thus meaning I would gain a final MK Nugget of the year and an 8-6 win. Charlie, despite his topkit tantrums place 122-08 on the sheet.
Overall
1st Pete Archer            215-03
2nd Terry Lancaster     146-12
3rd Keith Ashby          140-06
4th Trevor Price           133-13
5th Mick Wright           129-08
6th Charlie Lancaster    122-08
So that's it for a few weeks for me, I might venture out for a pleasure day somewhere and I will be sure to let you know how I get on. I have no more matches planned but if I get the chance to fish one I will.