Well, the morning had a distinct chill to it! winter's definitely on it's way! That said, despite the cold start the carp in my pond were still feeding well so I hoped the carp in Westside would still be a little hungry...
I have to say I wasn't overly happy with my draw when peg 16 came out, it's only real form is as a margin peg, something I didn't really fancy after a few cold nights. Essentially I was fishing to the same corner that I had from peg 14, so maybe the fish would move in later. The main reason I wasn't happy was that it's deep against the island just over 4ft, but with it being 20m away I had to fish it on the tip as I had no wagglers with me (but a float road and the reel for it!) and I suspected that the fish would be up in the water in that depth with the high air pressure.
I had three pole rigs set up, one for the margin near some lillies 11m to my right in 3ft of water. The other two were for fishing in the deep water near a big weed bed at about 1 o'clock 11m out. It was a line I wasn't sure would go with over 6ft of water there so i put up a half depth rig there too. Both on .16 line with a 14 latex for the deck rig and black hydro for the shallow rig. Lastly I had a tip rod up for fishing the method tight to the island. Bait for the day was worm and caster for the pole lines, with a bit of hemp and corn too. I had a few red maggots and also some groundbait knocked up for the tip too.
I wasn't ready when the whistle blew so I hastily fed the pole lines before starting on the tip. The first three chucks on hair rigged corn gave just liners so the 4th was on a dead red maggot due to the cold. After perhaps a minute the rod wrenched round and a fish was on.... for about one second! next chuck and the tip goes round again in the same fashion and this fish was on for about 10 seconds before it hit a snag near the island and came off. Not the best of starts! After these the liners stopped and the swim was dead as can be.
I gave the pole lines an hour to settle, flicking casters to the deep swim with a catty, while topping the margin up every 40 minutes with a small pot of worm and caster. A bite on double caster deep first drop but the joy was short lived as a perch of perhaps an ounce came in, then no more bites followed. The margin was a bite a chuck, but again from perch, and many of those wouldn't have even been an ounce.
Back on the tip and with the 2hr mark on the clock the rod drops back before steadily pulling tight. After a brief fight a small common of about a pound is in the net, followed next cast by a 6oz perch on the dead maggot. Not typical method fish and definitely not a good sign. The next hour was just small fish on worm from the margin. Frustratingly odd carp were cruising along the island, very tight and high up in the water. I was cursing not having any wagglers (why carry the float rod and no floats!) although I never once saw a fish move away from the island, they were right tight. Still, I'll never know!
With an hour and a half left two quick bites on the method gave two small carp about 3lb each but hopes of a last late bagging spell went as the sun dropped behind the trees behind me and I never had another bite.
When the scales got to me the board showed that I wasn't the only one who struggled, 8lb was the top weight. My 3 carp and perch went 9lb 3oz so I was top weight at the time but had to make do with 4th in the end, with just 15lb winning and two 11lb weights taking the other places. The lost early fish had definitely cost me a place, probably a win but I couldn't believe how hard it had fished. Definitely time to make the winter rigs up then! I do think had I been on the next peg (17, which wasn't in and can reach the island with the pole) which is normally used instead of the one I was on I could have had a few fish by fishing shallow tight to the island. A bit frustrating but hey, if I had my float tube with me I possibly wouldn't have been saying that!
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