Some weeks ago, due to a bit of toy chucking on one of the fishing forums, I somehow ended running this match at Framfield - mainly because the alternative was to cancel the match and then I wouldn't get the chance to fish what is one of my favourite venues. Match day arrived and with the whole lake booked and only 15 angler fishing, it turned out to be quite expensive day ticket wise but nevertheless a decent days fishing.
Plummers arrived to pick me up at 5.50am and 60 minutes later we were sitting outside the Little Thief near Uckfield where I prepared to be fleeced for £23.24 for two breakfasts and two small bottles of drink ! What a bargain.
At the fishery Chris sorted out the pegging for us and with everyone having a lot of room or a noted peg, I really didn't mind where I drew. By the time the others had drawn Ricky said there was one number left in the bag and he then revealed it was Peg 71. Now my experience of Framfield told me that the near end of the lake is usually not good but as I heard that Calvin Lawson had won the wednesday match from my peg with 240lb+, it was clear that the fish do sometimes venture up there.
With local expert Mark Sandford on Peg 67 I knew he would be hard to beat but being the end peg and with so much room, I did fancy my peg for a weight. Although I could probably have reached the island with 16 metres, I didn't fancy fishing paste at that distance and settled for a line at 8 metres straight out in front and one each side in the edge. In the past I have found that Framfield is another one of those venues where some anglers try so many different baits and methods that they just confuse themselves and end up doing none of them properly. I had therefore brought some pellets and some paste so if they didn't want paste then I was going to struggle !
I started feeding all three lines with a pot of pelletts and then began on the longer line where the fish were already blowing. After 15 minutes, although there were fish in the peg, I'd not had a proper bite but had foulhooked 2 fish up in the water. A switch to the right hand edge was little better and after an hour I'd missed probably 20 bites, lost 5 foulhookers and caught 1 skimmer and one 3lb carp (which I was lucky to get in as it swam straight under my keepnet when I got it into netting range).
In the next two hours I managed to put together a few fish by switching about sizes and texture of my paste but still felt that I wasn't catching fast enough. I then decided to try and catch to my left using just the top two of my margin pole - I was convinced that it was too close to catch and continue catching as I would almost be playing and netting the fish where I originally hooked them. Still it was worth a try as I wasn't exactly bagging up. I threw a handfull of pellets down the edge and left it for 10 minutes or so.
First put in the float sat there for about 2 seconds before disappearing from sight and I soon netted a 3lb fish, with all the comotion in the peg, I didn't expect to catch again straight away but 10 seconds later I repeated the feat. I continued to catch on and off for the rest of the match sometimes it was absolutely solid and other times the fish just disappeared or became finicky for 10 minutes or so. It also went a bit "tits up" in the last twenty minutes when I trashed a couple of rigs - one of the floats shot out of a foulhooker and hit my finger causing much pain and copious amounts of blood but the fish didn't seem to mind a bit of blood in their paste !
I ended the match 5 minutes early as I had no more rigs set up and didn't really have time to make up another. Grabbing the scales, I made my way round to the other bank where after numerous weighs Ian McCulloch (Eels) was leading from Peg 49 with 118-3-0.
Moving swiftly onwards we came to the bank with the local experts on where Stu Williamson took the lead with 146-7-0 from Peg 60, before Mark Sandford just pipped him with 152-6-0.
My 129-7-0 put me 4th behind Stu and Mark and also John Reed who weighed a usefull 140lb all on the feeder. Whilst I do like the fishery, it is tough to compete against the locals when you only fish it once or maybe twice a year. I do however intend to arrange another match or two in the summer now I think I've got it sussed (although I doubt that I really have) !
Result
Mark Sandford..........................Peg 67.......................152-6-0
Stuart Williamson ....................Peg 60.......................146-7-0
John Reed (Mutley).................Peg 63.......................140-11-0
Dave Pearson............................Peg 71........................129-7-0
Plummers..................................Peg 64........................123-15-0
Ian McCulloch (Eels) Peg 49........................118-3-0
Keith Axle..................................Peg 42........................117-1-0
Ricky Baxter (Happy Dangler) Peg 47.......................90-5-0
Gary Haisman (Milo)............... Peg 50.........................84-13-0
Clive Pritchard........................ Peg 48...........................81-13-0
Tony Baker...............................Peg 58..........................76-14-0
Ross Nursey..............................Peg 55..........................74-13-0
Stuart Wilson (Squeeky) Peg 45.........................58-2-0
Reg The Edge............................Peg 57.........................53-15-0
Mick The Chippy......................Peg 62..........................27-3-0
On Wednesday I have wangled a day off work and for some reason (I know not why) I shall be going to Willinghurst for a few less bites than I had on Saturday at Framfield !
