I couldn't wait to get back to Willinghurst for the wednesday open on the Top Lake as the carp are waking up from their winter semi hibernation and have started to eat PASTE ! Not only that but I was armed with version 4 of Hillbilly's prototype shallow water paste float and I couldn't wait to try it out.
Arriving late for the draw as the kids were back at school and every mother and small child inthe South of England seemed to be in our way, there were only two pegs remaining and I drew Peg 23 on the back spit, leaving Steve Gardener with Peg 4. Personally I think there are better pegs on the spit but nevertheless I was happy to be there as a few fish were showing. I actually fancied the pegs behind me on the main lake to fish best as there were some repairs on the far bank path etc being done so we had to leave out one bank meaning that Pegs 16-20 had nobody opposite them to share their fish with.
I know I said I'd set up a lead rod this time but with a few different lines to fish on the pole, I didn't want to confuse myself further by fishing yet another line and also didn't want to drag any far bank fish through my pole lines. I also believe that if you don't feed the farbank line then the fish will eventually come on to the pole line. I therefore set up two paste lines, one by the edge of the bush to my left and one at 2 o'clock at about 11 metres. Both were 0.18 G line to a 14 B911 with Hillbilly's Prototype paste floats. I also set up a margin rig to fish to my right and fish with luncheon meat and hemp.
The match started well for me with two quick fish for about 15lb from my longer paste line but no signs at all by the bush (which I thought would be my banker), although to be fair I was sharing the bush with Brian Wharton at the next peg ! I cannot comment further on that though as otherwise solicitors might get involved ! Anyway, as the longer line looked like being more productive, I set up another line - using the same rig at 10 o'clock so I could alternate between the two. This seemed to work well and with an hour or so gone I think I had 5 fish but then action slowed considerably - as it always does at Willinghurst.
I then spent a few hours catching the odd fish before they started to feed properly again with a couple of hours to go. It is quite amazing the difference that occurs as fish that were just mooching about with little interest in feeding suddenly get their heads down and all the little knocks and dips on the floats go and proper "Unders" appear. There isn't much to describe in a paste match when it goes well as you basically cup the bait in and then the float settles before going under and you net the fish and repeat the process !
Jamie Matthews behind me did his best to wind me up in the last hour as he was bagging on the waggler and all I could hear all the time was his clutch going but I thought I was still staying ahead of him as I had caught better in the early part of the match. The other dangers were always going to be Harry "The Hat" who drew Peg 13 at the en do fthe lake and wihtthe repairs goin gon it meant he had half the lake to himself and Ross was in Peg 1 where Ian Summers had won on saturday. I knew I was in trouble when I asked Ross how many he had casught at the end and he said "A Few" as that usually ranges from 20-30 !
I finished the match with a 5lber on the whistle and my 20 fish pulled the scales round to 124-7-0 and a very pleasant days fishing indeed, although I was disappointed not to have caught by the bush or in the edge.
Result
Ross Nursey...........Peg 1.................143-8-0
Harry Clements.....Peg 13...............137-0-0
Dave Pearson.........Peg 23...............124-7-0
Jamie Matthews...Peg 20.................94-8-0
Terry Harrison......Peg 18.................81-8-0
Alan Harrington....Peg 27..................75-0-0
oh yes, and Steve Gardener was last with 40lb !
Sunday I am back at Willinghurst on Pittance Lake but the weather for the weekend looks rubbish. Come back Monday to see if I got wet and more importantly if I caught.
