It may look a bit back to front but if you look below this report you will find a write up about the practice day - which if you haven't already done so, you should read first !
Match Day 1
Having stayed in the Farmhouse and not being able to sleep (despite getting in at 1.30am) I was up early and walking round the lakes by 6.30am. My section of 10 was on Sellwood Lake and with some decent anglers in the section it was going to be a tough one to win. Looking at the pegging and the wind direction etc the pegs I really fancied were 6 and 9 which both had the wind blowing in to them and with 5,7 and 8 not pegged, they both had loads of room, especially in the edge which I thought was the place to fish.
A couple of hours later after a hearty breakfast, I got Scone to draw for me as I was helping out with the draw and his sweaty little hand picked me.........Peg 13, not one of the pegs I really fancied but it did have an empty peg to the left and despite the wind blowing away from it, I did actually expect to catch a few fish. And at least I avoided the two pegs I really didn't want - Pegs 10 and 14 which were hemmed in both sides and didn't really have an edge peg.
The Steve Ramsay Memorial Trophy is decided on section points and as you usually need two section wins to take the title, I have found that you have to be really positive about your fishing and whilst others will be swapping about targetting skimmers etc I go all out to catch carp as that is what will win the lake.
I therefore set up just two rigs, one to fish paste in the edge and one to fish paste straight out at 8 metres. The depth is almost the same on both lines, which I think is why as long as you have some room you can catch more carp down the edge than fishing in the open water as that is where all the cover is.
Things didn't exactly go to plan as after ninety minutes I was still fishless but as Haisman on Peg 9 and Steve May on Peg 6 had only had a couple of carp each, I was still in with a shout. I'd been fishing 10 metres along the bank but then decided to add a couple of sections and went to 12.5 metres to see if the fish were sitting further along the bank. Third put in on the longer line I had a fish of about 8lb which as I had two keepnets in, I had no trouble at all with it trying to get under the platform. A smaller fish followed about 15 minutes later and then suprisingly a decent fish from my 8 metre line - which was the only bite I had on it. As the match progresed it was clear that Haisman was going to win the section, followed I thought by Steve May and Andy T but luckily I came back to the 10 metre line along the bank and added 4 more carp in the last hour to finish with 7 carp and a small skimmer for 39-10-0, just ahead of Andy T (36-10-0), Steve May (35-2-0) and Buy Good Tackle (34-14-0) but behind Haisman who won the lake with 52-0-0 - Well Done Mate. Interestingly enough, my brother had been struggling for a carp then tried a piece of magic bread on the feeder to the island on Peg 15 and caught two "Barneys" late on - and I started to worry a bit as if he'd caught another couple he'd have beaten me for the first time since 1974 ! Although to be fair, we've only fished matches with each other about 6 times since then.
Elsewhere Mark Cannings had pipped Pete Bailey by 96-6-0 to 93-12-0 on Cottage Lake and Tim Suttle (Firstpeg) had won Barnmoor Lake with 50-14-0 of mostly red and white fish that looked like they'd come from the local fair !
So, after Day 1, based on previous years results there were really only 6 people in with a chance of winning the Trophy, Mark Cannings, First Peg and Haisman all on one point and Pete Bailey, Me and Phil Stone on 2 points although Mark and Pete had a serious advantage as in the event of a points tie, it would be decided on weight.
Match Day 2
After another sleepless night I was up and checking out the pegs in our section on the Outer Snake at 6.30am. At the time, the lake was flat calm with not a breath of wind on it and having looked at all the Pegs I fancied both end pegs (3 and 27) Plus Peg 23 which I knew from previous years is a very very good peg . Organising the draw for my section again, I decided to just wait and have the last peg. I hadn't really been concentrating on who had drawn what as I wrote them down but suddenly with just me and Scone to draw I noticed that the two pegs left were 9 and 23 ! I let Sconeeeee pick and having shuffled them about three hundred times and switched them about, he placed them both on the table and picked one. I quickly grabbed the other and opened it up to see 23 staring at me. Thank You God !
Having dropped my gear off at the Snake before the draw I just walked round the lakes and when arriving at the Snake I noticed that the wind had picked up considerably and was now howling down the first straight making it very difficult indeed to hold a long pole and fish the far side. The last three pegs in our section - Pegs 23,25 and 27 were all round the corner and had the wind blowing off their backs.
My plan of attack was to fish two inside lines, one just to my left towards Andy T at the next peg and one long to my right in front of the empty platform. With the far bank only 13 metres away and no wind, I decided to start off fishing paste tight across and see how I got on before switching to pellett or bread if need be.
Despite drawing the perfect peg I struggled to catch really, I had a couple of fish across, before a quick run of 4 fish down the edge to my right and then the odd fish before another little run of 4 fish in 4 put ins across near the end to finish with 12 carp and a skimmer. Those in "Windy Straight" had struggled to fish across and Haisman was top weight in the early pegs with 32lb (mostly foul hooked alledgedly) as my 59lb won the section.
Having weighed in, I reached the car park to find that as expected Pete Bailey and Mark Cannings finished 1 and 2 in their section but this time the positions had been reversed from the previous day with Pete winning the section by a couple of pounds. Early indications were that Mark had taken the Trophy on weight by just a couple of pounds. However, everyone seemed to have forgotten about Firstpeg whose section was still weighing in. As I reached their set of scales he was still winning the section with 54-10-0 with just Kev Downer to weigh in. As Kev pulled his net out, it looked close but much to Tim's relief the scales finally settled on 47-12-0 and I was first to congratulate him on his victory.
Final Result
Tim Suttle.......2 points.............105-8-0
Mark Cannings.......3 points.......193-11-0
Pete Bailey.............3 points........192-1-0
Dave Pearson........3 points.........99-2-0
Gary Haisman......3 points..........85-8-0
Tony Plumbridge....6 points......77-14-0
Steve May.... 7 points.........65-2-0
As usual, a brilliant weekend was had by all, Thanks to Nicholas Lund (Nicky The Brickie) for his superb organisation (as always) and Thanks to his little band of Witherington Farm helpers !
Well Done Phil Stone and Ant Sparrow for organising the raffle and helping to raise a superb £1,400 for Cancer research, I look forward to doing it again next year. Watch out Tim I'll be after that Trophy.
JPZ's from Marukyu - "The Dogs Danglies"
Jordan Whitby with a PB Carp of 18lb from Newdigate
Maggotdrowning.com
Exclusive Pictures
Fred Davis with his personal best chub of 7-2-0 from the River Lea
and his 6-8-0 tench !
Neil Humpage with part of his 89-10-0 match winning chub catch from the River Wye
Mike Spragg with his personal best Barbel from the The Wye, a whopping 10-1-0.
Davey P's Locker - Tackle I would recommend
Drennan Lake Floats - I used to use these floats for crucians and have recently started using them again for my silvers fishing, The cane bristle makes them especially sensitive.
I use this hook for nearly all my carp fishing from Size 10's with paste, 14's with the knotless knot on the lead and 18's for Hook in the loop rigs and they have never let me down.
How smart are this lot - Andy May and his wife with some of the motley Total fishing.com crew. There is a small pond just out of the picture and they fished a small sweepstake between the wedding ceremony and the reception ! Andy May won, Haisman was last - no change there then !
Myles Levy and his mate Chris with a 59lb catfish from France.
When I was writing in the Angling Times I promised some friends that I would try and get "Fish Cakes" mentioned in an article. However, as I was sacked before I could do so, I thought I'd put them on here ! So Mick and Karen Jones, here they are as promised !
At least one member of the Baxter clan can catch fish ! Young Dylan with a 4lb bream.
Hathers at Stafford Moor - Let this picture be a lesson to you all, those last couple of drinks the night before are never a good idea !
World Exclusive !!!!!!!
Andy Toplis playing a fish.
Ryan Hughes with part of an 80lb bag from White Springs Fishery in Wales
Mick Bull wont have received many points for this dive - but having just won the Fisho Final and £25k I don't think he really cared !
Another exclusive for Pikey's Progress - Terry Molloy not talking ! Oh yes and with a decent River Thames Pike.
OK Own up - who lent Mick The Bookie some fish to pose with ?
Martin Harper with a superb 8lb tench from Farlows Lake
Young match star Tony Curd with an 11lb barbel from the River Kennet - he didn't say where, these spessy hunters are so secretive !
Total Fishing's Justin Laundon with a fine net of fish from Lindholme Lakes
Fred Davis with 3 chub over 5lb and a small one from the River Lea.
http://www.carpvader.com/index.asp
Jeff Moors took part in the recent Catfish Challenge and caught this one - more of a "kitten" than a cat really !
And here are some proper ones that the winners had.
BNF - with part of a near 100lb haul from the Glebe
Scone - Angling writer, float maker and all round good egg !
"Hathers" with his 3-8-0 roach from Timsbury Manor - some claim it was really a hybrid, I couldn't possibly comment !
"Fordy on the Telly" with 40lb of prime River Kennet chub.
.........and this one weighed 5-2-0
Alan Dove with a small Skimmer Bream of 15-8-0 from Walthamstow Reservoir
Fred Davis plied Alan Dove with coffee all day then when he went to attend to a call of nature caught this one with his gear !
Colin Ormston (Billy no Fish) with the reason that some anglers still fish rivers !
Phil Stone (Pebs) with a fine net of roach and rudd from Witherington Farm
Total Fishing.com ventriloquist Gary Haisman with his two new dummies - Billy No Fish and Pebs.
