Gary's day

Today was the last of the friendly knock up matches before we head into the new season and, after a reasonably warm week, I was looking forward to getting a few fish at Hall Farm. Drawing peg 10 in the deeps was not the start I wanted with a warm wind blowing in to the shallower car park end.

After seeing a few bubbles whilst setting up I decided to try the feeder to start with. 30 mins later that plan went out the window as I had not had a sign. Worryingly not many others seemed to be getting any bites either. I finally had a bite at about the 1 hour mark on hard pellet into 7+ft of water (at 3 sections) and a 2lb f1 promptly fell off at the net. It was going to be one of those days. Just before 12 I finally had another bite this time on paste down my margin and this stayed on into the net - blank saved. Down our end of the lake it was fishing badly and Mark, Tony and Phil were now fishing for silvers.

I had been feeding a shallow line from the off with 4mm pellets and kept giving it the odd go when the wind dropped enough so I could hold the pole out there. Apart from a few rudd bites it was empty until I finally hooked something about 1pm. Straight away I knew something was wrong - the line had tangled round the pole tip with the wind. It was soon carp 2 Gary 1. The cold rain shower did not help lift my spirits at this point.

In desperation I dug out a very old pot of worms I had with me and popped a worm head on the hook just to get some bites. At last the float was moving and the odd roach and rudd heading to the net. And then the float shot under and a very angry carp was on and heading across the lake - carp 3 Gary 1. The roach bites slowed and the float shot under again - this time the carp made it to the net - carp 3 Gary 2. With time slipping away and the odd carp now getting caught it was time to gamble and so it would be paste until the end for the last hour. With about 15 mins to go the fish suddenly switched on but they would not stay on the hook and it was a very frustrating finish to the match for me - time to rethink my tactics for Weds when I will be sneaking onto the mid week match with it being half term week.

Peter was today's clear winner with 73lbs 5oz of peg 2 but then it was ounces between Fred Hunt on 42lbs 2oz who had had a few fish all day and Mark Halverson with 41lbs 9oz who had a frantic finish with most fish in the last 30 mins. Pic today is the lake from peg 10 just before the all in.