Oakfield Red Kite Lake 17.04.2019

Considering the amount of time I have been writing these blogs, I think I have tried to convey all the joys and some of the moments where you wonder where it all went wrong. I publish both and let others judge the content for themselves, they can either use it to there advantage or if the want to win, do the opposite.
After yesterdays match at Alders Farm where I sneaked in the coin with a section win and only 4lb behind second, I was buzzing. I think I am fishing well and getting my decisions right.
Today would be a test, a venue I cannot fathom out, Red Kite Lake at Oakfield Fishery near Aylesbury. I have been here at least a dozen times over the years and looking back I think 70lb was the best I could muster from it, more than often I have thrown back in the region of 30lb.
Mick was in attendance this week and with a MK Nugget at stake I would have my work cut out. Dave Stratful was still behind the counter and after a couple of Bacon Sarnies and a mug of tea I was happy. Mick was equally content with his Full English.
At the draw I let Mick go in first, as seems to be the routine and out comes 33. A peg on the right bank for him. I was next and peg 23, up the other end on the same bank. I had Neil and Paddy for company on 21 and 25 with Pete Alland and Richard Ives opposite.
I had been reading Gary Thorpe's report on the venue and knew I was not in a good area, whereas Mick could do well as the light easterly wind was blowing into that end of the lake. Looking out across the lake there was hardly a ripple with a lot of cruising carp pairing up, maybe getting ready to spawn.
I decided on four lines on the pole today, 12m pellet line both up and down. a 6m line for corn and two margin lines to the empty platforms with maggot.  I had a tip rod with me and decided to get it out if those around me were catching on it.
I started off at 12m and only fed through a toss pot to start with. A lesson learnt from another venue where I overfed it in the first 5 minutes and blew the peg completely. I was fishing a 6mm hard pellet but feeding 4mm fishery pellets dampened down. Nothing for 15 minutes. I switched to a couple of red maggots, nothing half hour gone. I had been feeding the 6m line with a few grains of corn and tried that, nothing. Rotating back around, nothing. Neil on the next peg was biteless, Paddy was biteless, the far bank were biteless.
Peg 27 and below had a fish each with the end peg 35 and peg 1 on the opposite bank had a couple of fish each. Mick was also catching.
I would like to say that things improved and keep you all on tenterhooks but I cannot. Neil on 21 had one bite at 1430 and missed it, I did not have a bite on any line. Paddy had one fish at 1500. Pete and Richard both had one fish and the guy in the opposite corner had three or four fishing to the left hand bank on the tip.
So a hard blog to write, as nothing happened, I changed rigs, depths shotting patterns etc. I just get the feeling the fish were not there, except cruising pairs. Even with a long line and short rig could not interest them in having a nibble.
Mick had come second on our bank with 42lb, fifth overall behind John Brewster's 45lb. Richard Wall won with 54lb from peg 1, Barry Eddy on 4 with 49 and Dizzy 44lb from 7.
So all the weights came from the entrance end of the lake. It was a struggle up our end with many not weighing in and others biteless.
So there it is, my first blank since I started blogging, not just this site but also the old Zanga site. Another loss to Mick to make it 3-1 in his favour and my next match is at Oakfield Red Kite next Wednesday. Things just get better.