The Marsh AC bandwagon is still travelling across the South East of England, this time stopping off at Hartleylands Farm Fishery to fish the prolific Nicks lake.
The day itself had started alright, I picked Mick up at the agreed 0500 and we travelled to the Knoxbridge Cafe for breakfast. Shut for the weekend. Not to worry they have a burger van at HLF so we will get a roll there. Arrived at fishery, No van. Things were not looking good, hungry and without a cup of tea, quickly turns me into a grumpy old git. They say that things go in threes and they do, Keith, can you help doing the pegging?. I live the furthest away from the lake, and get asked to peg it, nothing like local knowledge is there?
So with the pegs sorted and monies paid, it was into the draw. Peg 7 was to be my home.This is not the normal peg 7 but actually around peg 26. Mick had drawn peg 10, so we were in the same section.
My peg looked good for what I planned to do, pellet wag or bomb for the first hour, then 2+2 then margins or shallow at 11m. Bait would be 8mm pellet on the wag or bomb and corn down the edges. Shallow would be either 6 or 8mm pellet dependant on how it went.
I had Tony on peg 8, Gino 9 Mick 10 and Chairman Dave on 11 in my section so had my work cut out to win the section. The other section saw Rod on 1 Al on 2, Al Junior on 3 Tony W on 4, John on 5 and Clive on 6.
I started off on the pellet waggler fishing to the point of the island, pinging a few 8mms I was soon getting a few bites fishing 2ft deep.Only small fish around the 1 1/2lb mark but they were coming regularly. I did need to keep switching depths to keep them coming but at least the float was going under.After an hour, I had around 16 fish and was doing well.
Tony had been nicking a few fish fishing shallow and down the edge so at least I knew a few fish were about close in. Clive on the other side was getting a few fish on the pole at 11m.Word was that Mick and Al were both emptying the lake. I had my work cut out. I had planned to fish my match in 3 stages of 2 hour bursts, 2 hours on the waggler or bomb( never did use it), 2 hours on the long line or shallow and 2 hours late on in the margins.
Hour 2 saw me put another 12 fish in the net to give me 28 fish around the 1 1/2lb mark. Hour 3 saw me go to 2+2 line for no bites so started fishing long shallow again starting off at 2ft deep. I was nicking odd fish, and found that by fishing a long line and a float set a foot deep was the ideal. I was getting a few better fish around the 2 to 3lb mark. Hour 4 saw me continue in this vain. Hour 5 was a nightmare, Fishing in the margins I was getting a few better fish to 5lb and was snagging on the thin stringy weed that cost me time and rigs. Still I managed to place another dozen fish in the net.
Hour 6 saw me struggle. I broke a top kit on a fish. Snagged again on a piece of the stringy weed and lost the rig, so went back out shallow for the remainder of the match, putting another 12 fish in the net.
Packing away I thought it would be close between myself and Tony, he had kept fish coming throughout the day.
Overall
1st Al Loader 241-00
2nd Mick Wright 166-00
3rd Keith Ashby 154-00
4th Tony Roberts 151-08
5th John Holdsworth 119-00
6th Clive Pritchard 104-08
The lake fished well and I was pleased with the result. Everything I tried worked. I did lose around 1/2hr whist fishing the margins and this I feel cost me second today. Well done to Al on thew win and Mick for another performance worthy of the MK Nugget. 4-1 to Mick now, I must try harder or start sabotaging his gear.
Due to working away and the next match coinciding with the Yam Yam week away at Viaduct, I will miss the Tylers Common fixture which is a shame as it is a new venue and one I am sure I would have enjoyed.
