Thursday 19/11/2015 - Harescombe - Cost Cutter - Match Lake

It looks like Two Pots and paste have gone into hibernation. The chest virus is all but gone but didn’t want to get wet so unusually put the brolley in the car as it promised to be persistent rain for most of the day brightening up around 3 o clock. And that how it transpired, except the temperature dropped once the rain stopped.

After a breakie I was first into the draw bag and out came peg 20. Happy with this as I reckon at the mo you need to draw middle - up, plus I fished it three weeks ago and had a good day next to Rich Heatley who we haven’t seen since – missing you matey come back up.

Found myself pegged opposite Tony Rixon (pictured right trying out his new Drennan Carp pole) but only for a few minutes because he had set up in the wrong peg!!

I was able to park behind the peg plus due to light winds able to put the brolley up. Last time on the peg I initially caught down the shelf then over to the far bank at 13 metres but due to the conditions I only set up the one top set, leaving the rest of the pole in the car. I attached a 4x10 Yoof to fish in both margins, the RH margin caster over caster and meat over pellet in the LH margin, so not much on the bait tray. I did feel naked not having set up the Jolly.

During the first two hours I was beginning to believe I had made a big mistake as Chris Fox was catching over and Martin Hook was catching short down the shelf with maggot (where I would have fished the Jolly). However, I was putting the occasional F1 in the net from both margins. Come mid match the fishing got better but it was hard to keep the fish coming. I then spotted the RH margin colouring up thinking it was Carp, alas not it was due the persistent rain running down the hill into the Lake. The caster was a bit disappointing adding only five F1’s plus my usual Barbel and a bonus 12oz Roach. The meat margin was working

best and into the fourth hour I started to catch steady anticipating a good last hour which I felt I needed to catch up Chris and Martin. Unfortunately the opposite was true – it slowed. However, during the last 10 minutes I put five F1’s in the net all averaging 2lb with one going 3lb.

I weighed 63lb 2oz which is a lot more than I thought for a narrow match win over Chris Fox (pictured right with the match winner)

Result:

1. Mike Nicholls 63-02-0 peg 20
2. Chris Fox 60-06-0 peg 14
3. Tony Rixon 52-10-0 peg 8 & 9

Weigh Sheet held by "Gordon blew-it Chef":