Gary's day

For the penultimate match of the 2025/26 season it was to be Beggar's Hall today. Wednesday's match was a tough one with blanks and single fish for most which did not bode well. Out of the bag came peg 16 for me. This is usually a pretty good peg but that and 17 fished poorly on Wednesday.

I set up a couple of feeder rods and the pole in case a few fish came closer. To the right of me most were hoping for a few coming from near the lilly beds. A carp rolling near Darren's patch of lillies just before the off reinforced those plans.

After an hour of searching along the island with a feeder things were not looking good with not a sign. Rob on flyer peg 10 was also struggling with 1 carp hooked and lost in the branches now in the water near the island. Darren though was getting a few silvers and then had a small carp.

2 more hours in still no bites for me not even a silver on the pole line on maggot. Rob and Darren had started to pick up a few small carp and were on about 3 each and then Bob, one along, had a carp. Were they heading my way?

An hour more and still no bites so I had a quick wander down to Fred on peg 18 as I was getting cold in the steady drizzle that was falling. Fred had 1 carp and had lost a couple, Tony H had had a couple on peg 20 and Tony C on peg 17 had had a bream. With the lake fishing tough I finally had a bite and a 6lb common was in the net. That was it though for my day and I just could not get another bite or even sign of fish. Rob and Darren had slowed too although Rob snook another on the whistle.

It looked like it was going to be tight between Rob and Darren at our end of the lake with Fred and Tony H down the other end being firmly out of sight so a bit of an unknown. Darren's half a dozen carp ended up a better average weight which gave Darren 27lbs 13oz to Rob's 16lbs 9oz but Tony Heath's half dozen carp were bogger still to give him a winning 41lbs 12oz. Today's photo is a very happy Tony.