There are a number of matches that I really really look forward to each year and the Leatherhead DAS matches on the Small Lake at Willow Park are always a couple of them. I've always loved the place and with it responding to paste in the summer, I have often picked up money there with weights between 60 and 80lb. Hopefully, this time would be no exception and despite the cooler weather when I drew Peg 9 outside the cafe I was more than happy - although to be honest with only 17 anglers on the lake, we all had plenty of room.
For company I had Smiffy (Mark Smith) on Peg 7 and following last years titanic battle where we went fish for fish for most of the match on Pegs 13 and 14 before I finished 6lb in front with 66lb, I was again looking forward to a decent contest and quickly struck up a pound side bet to add to the ones I already had with Plummers and Simmons.
To cut a long story short, I fished like a complete Muppett catching 1 carp (foul hooked in the tail), 2 F1's, 3 skimmers and a roach, either on paste at 12.5 metres on a bar that runs across the peg or in the edge on corn. Smiffy caught mainly F1's throughout the day on pellett on the same bar - but he had to fish 16 metres to reach it from his peg.
I've never known it fish as badly on paste and although I wasn't catching early on, I still expected it to suddenly leap into life at any stage but it just never happened. There was a full moon the night before so maybe that was the reason.
Anyway, as we entered the last hour Smiffy was still catching on 6mm expander on the bottom, Pete Turnbull was bagging up On Peg 14 (the peg that has won our last two matches at Willow) and Plummers was catching in Peg 18 - where he had a lovely edge peg and the wind blowing into it. I was now bagging as well, with two skimmers down the edge !
It wasn't until we weighed in that I realised how hard our side of the lake had fished with Haydon Woods on Peg 1 weighing 20-8-0, as did John Clifford on Peg 4, Jason the Tapper had 19-10-0, I had 19-11-0 and Martin Jackson 19-12-0 the other side of me. Only Smiffy really caught on our side as his 51-0-0 was enough for third place behind Peter Turnbull - 62lb and Plummers with 54lb.
My pound side bets didn't go too well either as even Simmons started to catch in the last hour or so and weighed in 31lb so I ended up with a resounding 3-0 defeat. And the victorious three can be seen above celebrating their victories !
I'm off this week on holiday with Mrs Pikey so have no fishing on Wednesday or next sunday ! I will therefore be seeking a couple of guest bloggers to make sure you don't miss out on your fishing fix for the week.
