With only two pegs left in the draw bag, I couldn't believe that my "Usual Peg", Peg 8 on New was still in there but I then managed to draw the other one leaving "My" peg to Ross. My location for the match was therefore Peg 7 on Old Lake, a peg I didn't mind but not one with any recent form. My usual revue of the draw sheet showed that Tony Yianni was likely to be the match winner as he'd drawn Peg 19 on Old Lake which was the same peg that he had 205lb two weeks ago and I was also going to struggle to win a pound off Plummers as he had drawn Peg 13 on New lake where Ross won from a couple of weeks ago with 140lb.
I won't give a full report of my match but it went something like this:-
I started reasonably well with a couple of carp and a 4lb bream but then the wind started to get up and despite having Brian Wharton as a wind break on Peg 1 the wind was hitting the lake in my peg and making it very difficult to fish paste. Tony Yianni had already started to catch on the method feeder and his squeeky reel was already starting to annoy me !
Time for a walk !
Back at my peg I caught a few more carp when the wind eased and Yianni was now catching even faster...........squeek,squeek, squeek ! I spent the next few hours switching between 6 and 12 metres nicking the odd fish but always had the feeling that if it wasn't for the wind then I could have had a decent weight. Walk number two was a bit longer and took in both lakes ! Plummers was now bagging and as I reached his peg he told me to look down the edge where he had been flicking bait and there was a big brown cloud where the carp had been stiring up the margin - I was very pleased for him !!!!!
Having passed a number of anglers who were all having varying levels of success I arrived at Alan Harrington's peg. I knew he had been bagging on paste and couldn't believe what I saw as he put his paste on the hook shipped it out keeping the paste clear of the water and lowered it in. A minute later the float disappeared and he soon had another 6lber in the net. In all the time I've fished paste I've never used a mix that I could use without a paste cup and always considered it wrong to use anything harder on the pole - just goes to show you that there is sometimes no right and wrong way to fish a method doesn't it.
Suprisingly as I passed Tony Yianni he was just netting a fish (see left) as was Donald Garnish as I went passed his Peg in the corner. Arriving back at my peg I now had 2 hours left to try and propel myself up the leaderboard and decided to try and catch at 6 metres as it was a lot easier to fish there in the wind. When I had 7 or 8 fish in the next hour I was just beginning to think that I might at least nick the section when the peg slowed considerably and I only had another 2 fish in the last hour.
Paul had very kindly dropped off the scales at my peg so on the whistle I packed up quickly and made my way round the lake - with the help of Jason Morgan who had come down after work to help out with the weigh in. Thanks Mate. With the weights recorded, I'm just glad that I did the board and Jason actually did the weighing !
Pound Watch
There's no stopping Plummers at the moment as he followed his win on Sunday with a second place and my pound for the third match in a row - I'm not allowed to mention that he draws better than Rolf Harris as it will probably sound like sour grapes........and it is !
Result
Tony Yianni...................Old 19......................277-14-0
Tony Plumbridge.........New 13.....................146-14-0
Alan Harrington...........Old 24......................136-3-0
Donald Garnish.............Old 11......................122-8-0
Peter Turnbull..............New 10....................103-15-0
Mick Keeper.................New 6........................101-2-0
Ross Nursey.................New 8..........................93-2-0
Dave Pearson................Old 7..........................91-10-0
Jim Long .......................New 5 ......................78-6-0
John Clifford..................Old 26......................68-6-0
Brian Wharton..............Old 1.........................67-8-0
Jeff Dickinson................New 3.......................50-0-0
Marcus Page.................Old 5.........................DNW
So, all in all a very frustrating day for me due to the wind, especially as most of the other pegs on the lake were flat calm but a decent set of weights none the less. Saturday sees me competing in the Leatherhead DAS "Top Pond Championship" at the ponds round the corner from my house and sunday we are back at Willinghurst for a club match on Pittance and Horseshoe Lakes - keep your fingers crossed for me that I draw on Pittance please !
Ross also found a new way to dry his nets out !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't forget you can sponsor me for my "Fish for Rainbow" match at http://www.justgiving.com/Dave-Pearson/
