No picture of the peg today - the bright glaring sun in front of me made it practically impossible to get one! Anyhow, you only need to look at last weeks blog to see - as with a high attendance meaning most pegs were in, I still managed to draw the same peg as last week. In fact, I think three of my last five matches have been sat on that peg now!
There's no real need to run through the rigs either - I had the same set-ups as last week, with the conditions practically the same as before. The wind did manage a slight breather and dropped totally before the whistle, but it turned out to be the calm before the storm, and predictably it started again, right on the whistle!
I started the match on the long pole while the wind wasn't so bad. I searched along the far bank hoping to find some signs of life but none were forthcoming. On the half hour mark I gave up wrestling with 16m of pole and dropped in on the 13m line, dripping odd grains of corn in. As I caught late on off that line last week I was confident it would go again, so I plugged away at it for a while.
After ninety minutes everybody I could see to my right (sat in the sun) had carp, and some people had two or three. The sun hadn't came round the island where I was, but was glaring off the water around my nets, and even with glasses on, a peaked cap and one hand in front of me it was a nightmare as the ripple shattered the reflection - and led me to come home with a thumping headache which still hasn't quite faded.
The glare led me to plug away on the bomb for a bit, but it wasn't until there was just under two hours left before the rod went round with a fish on. It was a decent fish too at around 5lb, falling to double corn. The rod went round on the next cast after a similar ten minute wait, but in-explicably there was nothing on the end. If it was a liner, it was the most savage I've ever had!
I plugged away at the bomb for a while after, but no more bites came, so with an hour-and-a-bit to go I went back on the 13m line, certain that it would produce. I gave it until there was just under half-an-hour to go, but had no signs on it. Rather fed up, I threaded three grains of corn on one of the longer haired hook-links I had for the bomb (for bread) and cast out to where I'd had my one fish. I then proceeded to have a cup of coffee before packing away my pole rigs. The bomb had been out for about that "magical" ten minute mark before the rod near went in the lake! A 4lb common then came in like a wet sack - it'd obviously used all it's energy on the bite then! The same trick was repeated and shortly before the end of the match the rod went round again and a 5lb common made the net shortly before the whistle.
I didn't bother to weigh in - I could see a few people with more fish than me, plus my pounding head just wanted to get home! I perhaps should have plugged away on the bomb a lot more during the day, but I was sure I could make the pole work - I guess I was wrong!
The top weight on the day was peg 51 with a little over 80lb - the conditions combined to make that area of the lake carp soup. It's the shallowest part of the lake, was off the worst of the wind and in the sun the whole time it was out. It's not often that peg fishes in the winter, but it was spot on yesterday! 46lb was second from peg 44, before three weights all around the 30lb mark.
For me it's a disappointing end to the year - the winter has been hard for me angling wise as I've struggled to gain any sort of form and confidence. The draw bag has played some part in it granted, but I just can't seem to get in to the swing of things as I did over the summer. I can't complain too much mind, as on the whole I've had a fish-filled year - four of the five ton+ match weights from the venue were in my nets. I guess the slow last two months is just a leveller for the great summer I had.
Tight lines to all, and a Happy New Year for 2013. Here's hoping it's a good 'un!
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