The weather forecast had said Saturday dry and sunny and Sunday wet and windy (although they are not often right) and with no league matches this Sunday and Terry Molloy running one of his matches on Sumners Match Lake, on Saturday, I chose to fish that. Although the lake has 35 pegs on it, the pegging is quite tight and usually fishes best with 20 anglers on it and I was therefore a bit concerned when Terry was pegging it for 29 ! Most of the carp had around the first and second islands recently with the far end only producing the odd carp or two and loads of tiny crucians. Looking at the pegging, the bit I really didn't want to draw was Pegs 13-18 on the bottom island (although 16 could be ok as it was on it's own in the corner). So, where did I draw ? Peg 14 right in thre middle of the third island, cut off at both ends and just where I didn't want to be ! Oh why didn't I choose yo swap days ?
The island here was about 15 metres away and I set up a rig to fish about a yard short of it in the deeper water, a paste rig to fish down the middle (just in case) and an edge rig for later in the match. I started fishing across and had a few small chub up to a pound and one 3lb carp but bites were very few and far between and the wind was also getting stronger and making it difficult to fish across. I didn't have a touch down the middle or in the edge and walk Number 1 took me up to Don on Peg 7 where he to was struggling and had one carp and a tench. I did however stop for a quick chat with Terry Harrison on his usual peg on the point of the second island and I think he admitted to catching 21 carp so far, fishing a small method feeder with corn hookbait.
Back at my peg I gave it another 90 minutes with only a couple more chub to show for my efforts then decided that I was wasting my time and took the long walk to the cabin for a bite to eat. Passing Terry on the way, he said it had slowed considerably and he now only had 26 carp - I did feel sorry for him !

Arriving at the cabin and being in a generous mood, I thought I'd have a pasty and a tea and take a pasty up to Terry as well as with all that catching, he'd need to keep his strength up. Jenny heated them up for me whilst I had a quick wander round the silvers lake to speak to Ian Chatfield asnd Marcus Page who were fishing a little club match - yes, don't worry I did all the "Are you short of money" " Robbing the poor old club anglers" jokes ! Then it was back to the match lake for me to sack up in the last hour. The good news for Terry was that he'd had a few more fish whilst I'd been away but the bad news was that I ate my pasty on the walk back and it was so nice that I ate his as well !
I arrived back at my peg with 45 minutes remaining and decided to concentrate on my edge peg. First put in I missed a bite (the first indication I had had down the edge all day) and the old enthusiasm came flooding back as thoughts of bagging up entered my head - but not for long as I had a small roach next cast, then three monster tench that probaly went 4 ounces between them. I looked at my watch with about a minute to go and was just going to ship back and start packing up when the float disappeared and I had a carp of about 3lb, and then the whistle went.
So, all in all, not a brilliant day as my bulging net of carp and chub went 7-8-0 (I always weigh in so I can report back on here) and as I type this, it is sunday morning at 10am and the threatened rubbish weather has not materialised as it is bright and sunny outside ! I just knew I should have fished today. Oh yes, I nearly forgot, to round off a perfect day yesterday, Don decided to play his Will Young CD in the car on the way home so I had to suffer half an hour of that as well !
Result
Terry Harrison 163-8-0 ..............But No Pasty !
Derek White 73-8-0
Jamie Maddox 54-0-0
Adam Lee 51-0-0
Steve Gardener 40-6-0
Paul Taylor 38-10-0
Wednesday should be fun as we are fishing the small lake at Sumners, it looks brilliant with rushes and bushes all around it but it is only 11 pegs and will be interesting to see how it fishes with every peg in. It will however make a change to fish a lake that most of us have ever fished before - come back Thursday to see how we got on......it will probably be won with 3-10-0 !