Regular readers will know that as I am on holiday with Mrs Pikey this week and therefore not fishing, I have drafted in a couple of "Guest Bloggers" to fill in and give you all your regular fishing blog fix.
The first is one of my mates and long time fellow Leatherhead DAS member - Mark Hathway or Hathers as he is more often known.
Here is his report on the Leatherhead DAS club match at Monks Lake. The picture is of Hathers at Stafford Moor after a drink or three the night before !
It’s rare that Pikey doesn’t attend a summer Leatherhead club match, especially on a venue where the paste works. So with Pikey fishing the "Match Fishing Scene event at Holly Farm, 16 LDAS stalwarts turned out for match at Monks fishery on Lake 3.
This was my first club match of the season and I’d been looking forward to this match for a few weeks, unfortunately at Old Bury Hill during the week Colin Wood told me he was also fishing a match on Lake 3 so instead of being spread over 44 pegs we were confined to 22. This would no doubt bring the overall weights down and turn it into a peggy match. LDAS were allocated pegs 91-112, with 91 and 112 being the pegs to draw. I helped at the draw and with only 7 pegs left in the bag they were both still in, Eddie Derek pulled out 91, next up was the Mark Smith whose drawing hand has been on fire in recent weeks but not this time, soon there were 3 pegs left and I decided it was my time to go in, thank you God, 112 sat in the palm of my hand. I got the normal abuse, did a lap of honour outside the burger van took the money and went home! All right I thought I’d better fish for 6 hours.
Monks complex has 135 pegs on the match lakes and 112 is in the top 6 flyers, it sits on an end of a spit, has lots of room and usually has the wind blowing into the far bank. Strangely the wind was very light today and arriving at the peg it was flat calm. Drawing a flyer means you are on a hiding to nothing but I was just pleased to draw a peg that guarantee’s a good days fishing.
I set-up two margin rigs to 0.16 G line both carrying B911’s in a 16 and 18. These were to be fished at 3 mtrs to my right and at 14 mtrs along the far bank. I also set-up a paste rig for 5 mtrs in front using a Pikey paste float. In addition I had a length of line attached to 16 B610 on a hair for pellet. Bait-wise I had 10 pints of 6mm skrettings, 3 pints of maggot and 2k of Paste .
At the all-in I fed the 5mtr and 14mtr lines, I wouldn’t bother with the 3mtr margin until ½ way through. I went straight in on the paste and had lots of indications, 3 put-ins later the Pikey buried and an angry mirror of 2lbs was in the net, I was away or so I thought, 30 minutes gone and only a small blade had been added, all the time I had been flicking pellets across. Looking around the lake the flatness of the water was preventing the fish from getting there heads down.
With 45 minutes gone I went over at 14 mtrs and slowly started to string some fish together mostly mirrors up to 3lbs, a change to UITW line didn’t improve things but using this method I just waited for the pole to slap under the water. With the fishing proving difficult I slowly plodded along and after 3 hours had about 60lbs. I did try the paste a few times but it seemed alive with small blades. Listening to other anglers on both matches most were only catching odd fish and I probably had double anyone else, although to hear them you would have thought I had 200lbs already !!!It was my match to lose.
I’m sure the number of anglers and lack of wind was affecting this particular lake, the tree line was protecting the lake from the light winds. Although anglers bemoan the Monk winds, the fish are used to a tow and I’m sure it was a contributing factor to the slower than normal fishing.
I continued to nick odd fish across and had started to feed the 3mtr margin line with maggot, with 2.5 hours to go I had my first look and the pole was ripped from hand as barbel No.1 of 20 was put in the net. Whoever said they don’t thrive in still waters? Monks barbel which average 1:08 are very fit.
I continued to nick odd fish across and had started to feed the 3mtr margin line with maggot, with 2.5 hours to go I had my first look and the pole was ripped from hand as barbel No.1 of 20 was put in the net. Whoever said they don’t thrive in still waters? Monks barbel which average 1:08 are very fit.
In amongst the barbel I also had the odd Mirror including one of 5lbs (which is a lump for Monks), the peg was winning the match easily and I’m sure whoever had sat in the peg would have done well (apart from Spiiiiindle of course). I don’t want to sound conceited but I actually just went through the motions towards the end, the previous days paint balling was having an effect and I ended up just trying to catch barbel as they are so much fun.
The match came to an end and despite being told my weight by everyone else I guesstimated at 125-135lbs spread across 3 nets. The final weight was 130:08 and an excellent day. Tony Plumbridge (P109) had a good last hour to take 2nd and as expected the other flyer 91 filled the frame.
Result
1st ..............Hathers.......Peg 112................130-8-0
2nd ............Tony Plumbridge........Peg 109...........75-10-0
3rd..............Eddie Derek .......Peg 91............62-0-0
2nd ............Tony Plumbridge........Peg 109...........75-10-0
3rd..............Eddie Derek .......Peg 91............62-0-0
