A couple of evening matches

Last Wednesday saw the penultimate evening match at Whinwhistle. The match was to be held on The Square and with 9 fishing there wasn't a great deal of room. We didn't draw until 5.15pm and with a 5.45pm start it was a bit of a rush to say the least!I drew peg 20 on the spit,a peg that used to have a bit of form but since the changes to the lake I wasn't sure what to expect. I quickly assembled two rigs,one for meat at 5m- 4x12 KC Chimp,0.16-0.14 and a 16 B911 matched to yellow drennan bungee. I then set up a rig for fishing at 10m to my left towards the tree on the corner. This was a 4x10 Scone GAZE on 0.18- size 3 Tubertini 175 matched to orange wilkie hollow. For bait I had some damp micro pellet,a tin of corn and a tin of 6mm meat. I was just about ready for the all-in and cupped in 20 odd cubes of meat and a pinch of pellet at 5m before shipping down to my left with a single grain of corn and a pinch of pellet in the cad-pot. All the while I was flicking 2-3 cubes of meat at 5m and after 5 minutes I dropped in at 5m and took a 1lb skimmer straight away. I then picked up a few smaller skimmers but it was pretty quiet. I then hooked a better fish that tore off and I soon netted a carp of around 2.5lb.

It then went quiet again and I couldn't buy a bite off either line. I notcied the reeds twitching slightly to my left at 4m so dropped in with a grain of corn and a pinch of pellet and caught a similar sized carp straight away. I dropped back in without feed and caught another similar sized fish before things went quiet. I took my final fish off the 10m left line but frustratingly lost two more that I pulled out of trying to get them out of a snag.

The all-out was called and I knew I wouldn't beat Colin opposite as although we had a similar amount of fish he had caught a vital lump of 7-8lb. My fish pulled the scales around to 14lb 8oz which was enough for 2nd place to Colins 22lb. The rest of the lake had fished hard with 7lb enough for third.

Wednesday 19th August saw the final evening match of the year and this time it was on Keepers lake. Again there were 9 fishing but this time we got the draw done just before 5 meaning it wasn't such a rush. There were two 'open water pegs' with all the others having a feature of some sort. I was first into the bag and pulled out peg 6...one of the two without a feature,great!
Peg 6 used to have a good edge to fish but on arrival I found that the post at 10m to the right had been moved to around 4m....double great!! I plumbed along at 11m to my right but it was very snaggy and hard to find a clear spot. I set up a 4x10 Scone Gaze on 0.22 to red J-Range as I wanted to ensure I landed anything I hooked. This was tied to a size 3 Tubertini 175 and shotted with a bulk of 10's. I also plumbed to the post at 4m and found a flat spot with the same depth. My other swim was meat at 5m (usual rig,4x12 chimp,yellow bungee).

The all-in was called and I cupped in a small amount of meat at 5m before shipping out at 11m with a grain of corn and some pellet and meat in the pot. A bite after 5 minute's saw a carp on before it swirled on the surface and the hook pulled. It was very snaggy which didn't help matters. After a while the sun made fishing down the edge impossible so it was to 5m on the meat where I caught a few small skimmers but it was very slow. Andy on peg 10 had caught a few tench and skimmers and was doing OK. With 90 minute's to go I put a full pot of bait at 4m and decided I would give it 20 mins before dropping over it and if I had no signs I would pack up.

With nothing at 11m or 5m I drooped in to my right with an over-soaked 6mm expander and missed a bite instantly....small fish. I dropped straight back in and the same thing happened but this time the strike saw the elastic pouring from the pole...maybe not small fish then! A few minute's later I netted a fat common of around 9lb...nice! While I was playing the fish I was flicking meat in to my right and went back out with a full kinder pot of pellet. After around 3 minutes I had another bite and soon netted an 8lb common. It then went quiet so I fed a full pot of pellet and meat and went back long. With no bites I dropped in at 4m and again a quick bite saw a 5lber in the net. It then went quiet so another pot of bait went in and a few minute's later the float buried and a beautiful 7lb linear mirror was soon in the net with his three mates.

The last half an hour was pretty uneventful and despite re-feeding I didn't manage another bite. Andy netted a fish after the whistle to go with the lump he had caught with half hour to go...all 14lb of it! This would be close.....

I tipped 30lb 8oz on the scales to take the lead. Vic on peg 8 then put 17lb odd on before Andy's two carp and silvers went.....30lb dead! 8oz....hard luck mate!

So that concludes the evening matches for another year. It has been an enjoyable series and quite profitable for me personally. I was pleased to finish with the win and will be back at Whinwhistle on Sunday for the final round of the summer league. It is a no-pressure match as I have already won the league but I will still be going all-out to win on the day.