Rob's day
Back to Hall Farm, this time for the over 65's match – nine on today so all on the low bank – 1-10 (no peg 7 as a few wasps around there causing issues). We all wanted a low number peg today so a bit disappointed to draw peg 9 – in between Peter on 10 and Jeff on 8
Just set up a couple of shallow rigs and a couple for the margins today – also a feeder (also for close in). Not the greatest peg for the margins – a small shelf right in at about 2 ½ feet sloping off into the depths at 7-8 foot then deeper further out.
Started on the shallow rigs and a fish after 5 minutes promised a lot but sadly this was the only bite after a couple of hours. A quick try on the feeder short bought a quick pull round but this somehow came off. With 2 ½ hours left it was the margins or nothing. Jeff looked to be having a good start with a couple of carp and three skimmers, Peter also now catching a few.
Laying the rig in with bait going down the slope was always going to be an issue with foul hookers and that’s what happened. A couple of carp landed but was losing half of what I was hooking. Eventually started to get proper bites and caught reasonably well till the end to weigh 60lb 13oz – way off the top weight I thought – if we were catching well for the higher number pegs surely the lower numbers would be bagging up. Peter had a really good finish – Jeff also catching.
At the weigh in a lot closer all round than I thought. Peter put 70lb on the scales and Jeff 61lb 13oz. The better weights did come from the car park end but not by the amount expected – John Carter's fish went 86lb 3oz from peg 6, Tony Heath 75lb 3oz from 5 to take third place and John Todd 31lb 6oz from peg 4. Fred's fish went 64lb 11oz from peg 3. Next was Graham on peg 2, firstly weighing 4oz of roach which would be crucial, others had put back their silvers. With Graham's two carp nets his total was 86lb 6oz – pipping John by 3oz. Finally, Bill on peg 1 weighed 54lb 5oz but apparently losing a lot of fish around the reeds.
Well done to Graham today (and today's photo) for his win and thanks for all taking part.