Before the match today I walked all three lakes. It was noticeable that the Carp were feeding heavily in pegs 61, 60, 59 & 58 on Withy and pegs 1, 24 and 31 on Bridge Pool. However, interestingly all the Carp were feeding in the margins in very shallow water.
The pegging was really good today. Credit where credit is due, Bob Warren and Terry Bruton were spot on with their peg selection.
I was hoping for peg 24, but was equally pleased with pulling peg 16 (I have kept the draw card as memorabilia of the day – right). It was also going to be an interesting match as my good friend Terry Bruton had drawn next peg 15! My plan was to fish for Silvers for the first three hours anticipating on catching 20lb, which would normally get you in the Silvers frame. The last three hours I planned to fish for Carp (as peg 16 is a noted Carp swim). On the whistle out on the caster and after two hours the Silvers started to back away (Carp driven I think), however, I still persevered with the Silvers until the third hour as planned. I reckoned that I had reached my target of 20lb, which included two bonus Tench. Terry by this time had landed seven Carp. So dead on time into the margin with paste and within twenty minutes I had caught Terry up!! As soon as my float cocked in got ripped under by Carp to double figures for the rest of the match! I had fifteen Carp in one net and nine in another. Terry had sixteen. Terry reckoned I had easily beaten his previous match record of 134lb. I weighed 22lb 9oz of Silvers and 179lb 5oz for a total of 201lb 14oz and a new venue record. This put me first overall and second in the Silvers, a pick up of £20 and more important a new personal best match weight (a pity it wasn't all Silvers!!). Terry came up to me after the match and shook my hand (us pictured right). Indeed, a memorable day.
All my Carp were caught on 0.18 mm diameter G Line straight through to a 10 Colmic Nucleari hook and Gerry’s of Nottingham 0.3 gram Corn/Paste floats (I used more than one!). I caught on just my top set (Colmic "No Limit" Carpa) fitted with Maver dark red 22 elastic. I only shipped on the top four and five if the Carp ran towards the left hand tree, otherwise I played them on the top set irrespective of size - the 707 is an amazing pole. I fished to the left of the swim in 3 foot of water next to a tree (hence three lost Carp and two smashed rigs).
The Silvers was won by Tom “The Bomb” Coulston with 24lb 8oz of Skimmers from peg 24 (told you). Tom caught on pellet and bread fishing a 4 metre whip. Well done Tom, excellent Silvers weight on the day.
Driving home after the match I was wondering what weight I might have had, if I had gone after the Carp earlier, on the two hour mark when the Silvers when iffy. One thing is for sure I would have needed to borrow a fourth keep net!! But always stick to the plan! For me the most difficult aspect of catching big weights of large Carp is keeping concentration whilst playing them, I find in monotonous. My lack of concentration lost me the biggest Carp of the day - play every Carp if it is your first and last.
Full Result:
1. Mike Nicholls 201-14-0 peg 16
2. Terry Bruton 120-14-0 peg 15
3. Pete Phillips 57-08-0 peg 23
4. Bob Warren 38-0-0 peg 7
5. Tom Coulston 31-14-0 peg 24
6. Dave Bacon 31-03-0 peg 10
Top Silvers:
2. Mike Nicholls 22-09-0 peg 16
1 comment:
Fair play Mike, days like that don't come around to often. Bet you wish you'd dropped in a bit earlier on the carp though!
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