With the cold weather looming, it will soon be the time to put the gear into hibernation.for a couple of months. I have done my time breaking ice and with ageing years and bones, I must say it is not something I enjoy. Still we are not quite there yet and although the weather forecast was sunny but cold, I was happy. Overnight there was no sign of the frosts that greeted me getting into my car after a night shift.
Mick and I were both in attendance along with a few regular faces, a few visitors practising for the upcoming winter league and a few new faces, well new to me.
With our monies paid and the whole lake to go at, Trevor set about spreading the anglers out as best as he could, trying to give everyone a bit of room. Mick was in his customary position towards the front of the queue whilst I slipped in unnoticed at the back. Peg 2 was to be my home. A good summer peg with the cafe wall and reed beds to go at, but in winter I have always found fishing long to be more beneficial. Mick was still drawing flyers in the shape of peg 8, a good peg with decent depth close in.
My plan was a simple one. two rigs for 10 and 2 o'clock one for pellet, the other maggot, scaling down to .13 hooklengths and size 16 or 18 KKMB hooks, Both using .3 MW Steadies. Black hydro completing the set up. I did the same at 5m, plumbing up lines at 10 and 2, the same as long. Still on this line I would throw back but on the longer lines everything would go in via a tosspot. Feed wise I had 3 pints of maggot, 2 pints of fishery 4mms and around a pint of fishery micros. Hookbaits would be 4 and 6mm expanders, maggot or 6mm hard pellet if the fish were having it.
At the all in I went out to 12m at 2o'clock and the float stood still, nothing was coming from the pellet line, lifting a dropping a 4mm expander saw a small indication on the float but the float did not go under. Bringing the rig back in I added another shot and greased up the bristle to hold in the surface tension. Back out and the float buried after a 5 minute wait. A 6oz skimmer being the culprit. Out again and nothing, so re-fed the line with half a small pot of micros.
Moving to the 10 o'clock line with maggot saw a procession of small perch and odd skimmers.I was now feeding via a tosspot on this line and adding a pinch of micros to each pot of maggot. Feeding needed to be regular to keep bites coming and after an hour I had my first carp to go with a few silvers. However, whilst placing the fish in the net I glimpsed up and saw Mick playing a fish.
For the next hour I kept switching between the two long lines for another couple of maggot fish. Hour three saw me having a couple of looks at 5m, I had been feeding it regularly, both by hand and accidently shipping out to the long lines. Only 1 bite on a 6mm expander but no fish within 30 minutes so I binned the lines,deciding to stick to 12m. Hour four and five saw me catching well on maggot over the micros and I felt that the fish had finally arrived, too late to do any damage, but still I was catching and learning.
Realistically I must admit that I probably had 20lb after three hours but doubled that towards the end.
Overall
1st Trevor Price 99-05
2nd Peter Archer 93-05
3rd Sean Wain 88-06
My weight of 65-11 was not too far off the pace, ifs, buts and maybes but was still a days fishing. I also managed to secure another MK Nugget off Mick as his flyer peg was only good for 48lb.
Keith 12
Mick 6
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