Round 2 of the Knacker Tappers Winter League and another full house. Weather cold but mainly dry. No rain forecast but we were subjected to heavy drizzle for about an hour during the match (if memory serves).
Welcome to Glenn Greasley of Barnsley Bait who joins us in place of Paul Yates. Paul has a chronic back problem and has been advised that sitting five hours on a tackle box and holding a pole is not good for his health. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope he may be able to guest later on in the series. Also welcome to Mick Pegg – Mick took a guest spot, standing in for Scott Gibbon who is suffering from work commitments!!
Team draw was done by Alan before the main draw.
Everybody on time, plenty of loose change (thanks lads) and draw bang on 8.30. Mine out first and peg 18 is my spot for the day (ain’t complaining). Eric helped at the draw so his was next and he gets peg 4 (definite cries of “yeah what!!” and “fix” over both – but are we bovvered???).
Almost everybody seems happy with their lot but spare a thought for Andy Beech – who drew peg 14 again – and offer special prayers for Roger who drew peg 10 for the second match running. Roger’s first request was for the Samaritan’s telephone number. Not even the encouragement of brother “I was on 22 last time and now have drawn 15A so should get a few carp” Gary offered any hope.
Andy Scott asked me if the teams were the same as last time. No I said as each team of three is drawn from each section prior to the main draw at each match. So how come I managed to end up with Big Martin and Ryan again (ain’t complaining – I need all the help I can get!!!)
There was a strange sight at the draw. Mr 2E was sadly missed but a rather portly Jan Porter dress-alike appeared, took his draw and proceeded to peg 3, sat down next to the willow tree between pegs 3 and 4 and promptly disappeared. A pole was seen mysteriously waving around the peg and (much) sound emanated from the area – but no-one could be seen!!!!! A strange camouflaged mass was eventually spotted and we realised Graham WAS in there somewhere. He did offer to get similar attire for Byron, if they stocked it in Mothercare, but decided against it as the close similarity to adjacent foliage would have seen Mr Dell re-christened “Bonsai”.
Match kicked off at 10.00 and Mark Carpenter on peg 22 was leaning into his first carp at 10.01. Apart from that everyone else seemed to get off to a slow start. Banter (??) is heard coming from the region of pegs 3 and 15 as Byron and 2E attempt to get their bombs to clash in mid-air!!
I stuck it out with bomb and pellet for almost an hour but realised I was missing opportunities – falling asleep whilst watching a static tip soon passes the time – so switched to corn over pellet at 12.5 metres and slowly started to get bites. Eventually I was rewarded with two small skimmers. Then I heard a whoosh/creak next to me, turned right to see Andy Scott (peg 17) leaning into the first of 13 carp he was going to land. My float went under and as I lifted the pole several feet of elastic were pulled out. Hooray my first…………………no! elastic comes flying back into pole as carp makes a swift exit. Struggled to get bites after that.
Whoosh/creak and Andy is into carp number two.
I change top kits and go out about 4 inches over depth and bigger hook. Float buries, carp on, carp in net at last. No more bites. Carry on feeding at 12.5 metres but ship out to 13 to see if the carp have backed off. Float buries and carp number two is landed.
Whoosh/creak and Andy has carp number three.
Nothing else at 13 so ship all the way to 14 metres. Float buries immediately and carp stays on for about 10 seconds. Pity we can’t weigh scales as that one would have added about 4 oz to my weight! No more bites so try the caster line and am rewarded with immediate bites and 5 or 6 roach. Pity they must weigh all of 1 oz (in total – not each). Andy has pulled two more carp on his pole line but then tries meat on the bomb. I give up on the roach and go back on the long line.
Whoosh/creak and Andy has another carp.
My team mate Ryan, on peg 16, is catching steadily and snaffling one or two carp.
Whoosh/creak and Andy has another carp. Whoosh/creak and Andy has yet another carp. Meat is doing the damage and he got the last one on the drop!!
Seeing this prompts me to re-feed at 14 metres but to try plan X while letting it settle. Out comes the pellet wag. Several chucks, several changes of depth, several different wobbles on the retrieve yields absolute nothing. Waggler goes back in bag!!!
Whoosh/creak and Andy has bagged another carp. Where will it all end!!
I now go to 14 metres and start to get one or two fish. These appear to be larger than Andy’s but not enough in number. Lesson learned – should have done it sooner. But now the end of the match draws nigh and we have less than a minute to go. I have one eye on the watch and one on my float. 30 seconds to go. 15 seconds to go and float disappears. Believe me it is not easy to lift the pole with the right knee while trying to hold up a coat sleeve to view a wristwatch. I managed it and elastic was streaming from the pole as I shouted “time” and “fish-on” in the same breath. After a 10 minute tussle a fish of 9lbs 7oz was nestling in my landing net.
Winner on the day was Ryan with 47lbs 1oz, including two or three pretty decent carp (that all weighed 1lb according to Ryan). All caught on the pole line on corn then 6mm expanders. Scotty was in second with his 13 carp totalling 34lbs 5oz and third was Mark Carpenter with an all carp 34lbs 2oz taken on bomb and pellet. Three big 20’s filled the next three spots – all including a healthy weight of carp. Top silver weights came from Ben Lindley on 23 (16lbs 8oz from a total of 22lbs 9oz), Big Martin with a straight 16lbs from peg 6 and Bonsai Byron who nabbed 13lbs 9oz from peg 15.
The top two teams were tied on points between, you’ve guessed it, me, Martin and Ryan with Scotty, Craig and Eric. The decision went back to weight and Team Organiser (??) came out victorious with a total of 91lbs 11oz to team Scotty who totalled 85lbs 10oz.
See you all next match – 8th December
