With it being fairly local to us, just over an hour away, Arrans Lake is becoming a big weight water especially during the summer months. However, our club members struggle with the big weights for various reasons and a decision was made to bring forward our normal Summer match to the Spring, to try to bridge the gap and make for fairer matches. A move I welcome. Matches could now be won with 120-150lb rather than the 500-800lb matches in the Summer months.
I was driving ,so picked Mick up at 0540 and a nice steady plod through the M1/M25 corridor, saw us arrive just before 0700 at Rosie's Cafe just outside Chelmsford. A nice full English and a cuppa with Simon,Gino Tom and Bernie before the move to the lake 10 minutes away.
With Club fees and pools paid and barrow loaded, I was asked to peg the lake out with instructions to peg the car park bank and the right hand side. Allowing a bit extra room we did go one peg on the far bank.
At the draw I pulled out peg 4 with Mick drawing peg 12 and still he cannot get off that bank. After all it is a good bank, so he was not too disappointed. For company I had Jim and Dave Collier either side of me, with Al Loader on peg 6, I could keep an eye on him whilst he empties it.
All the good weights come from fishing close in, so set up 4 rigs to fish 2+2, 2+1 at 2 and 10 O'clock and a margin rig next to a clump of reeds. Line was .20 to a size 16 B911 to fish both banded pellet or corn.
At the all in I cupped in a small amount of corn and 4mm sinkers to 2+2 and placed a grain of corn on the hook and I was instantly into a Rudd around 6oz. A couple more followed before the black hydro came out a lot further and carp number one was in the net. After the first hour it was fishing harder than I expected. I had around 6 carp for about 15lb. Dave had caught a couple which looked bigger and Al was catching odd fish, but none of us could line them up in any numbers. Jim was busying himself trying to catch 40lb of silvers.This trend continued throughout the first couple of hours. Indeed we did not need the usual half time break.
Into the second half of the match, and I decided to up the feed and try to force the fish to feed. I was now getting a few fish and catching well on my margin rig, when the owner arrived and promptly stood over the margin watching my float. This had the effect of killing the swim dead and took nearly an hour to get back to catching from it. Dave and Al were both catching well now and I knew that "lost hour" cost me. Jim's silver fish quest had been curtailed as the carp pushed his silvers out and was getting a few carp to finish off the match.
Although the highlight for me and a lesson to all. Mick had placed a top kit on his roost with baited hook. A Mallard decided it was free food and promptly snaffled the tasty morsel and ran off with hook impaled and top kit following. Luckily the Mallard was safely caught and unhooked and flew off without being harmed.
Overall
1st Al Loader 221lb
2nd Simon Watkins 180lb
3rd Dave Collier 179lb 8oz
4th Keith Ashby 166lb
5th Clive Pritchard 143lb 8oz
6th Mick Wright 127lb
So the clubs decision to move the match forward worked as the match was much closer than normal. I managed the secure the MK Nugget and reduce the deficit to 2 with Mick still leading 3-1. Next match for me is a guest appearance on the Alders Farm Spring league for the Pringle's side tomorrow.
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