The Match you should have won

[crusty]

My first ever match was a junior match on a club water I knew very well. (Mortfield)
It was stuffed with 2oz roach.
My normal tactic was a stubby balsa float with fuse wire wrapped around the base, 12" hooklength, single maggot to an 18's.
But when my dad fished it he would always fish deeper and catch a lot fewer, but bigger 8-10oz fish.
So I decided that would be my plan, fish deep and try to get to the bigger fish.

I set up, 5' deep with bulk shot a foot from a size 16's and double maggot.

Whistle goes, first cast I hook a blade of grass behind me and a stuttering jerk of a cast ends with the float hitting the rod and a huge tangle 3/4 of the way up the rod with the float and rig dangling.
I dropped it in the rest in disgust and took a deep breath.

When I picked it up again there was a gudgeon on, I couldn't believe it, I'd never even heard of a gudgeon caught from there before.
So I thought I wonder?
Awkwardly I swung it out and instantly another gudgeon.
And so it continued for 3 hours and I finished 3rd.

Anyway, that qualified me for a big match on the Bolton canal.

On the Saturday morning my Dad dropped me of on his way to work.
I drew my peg and set up. It was then I realised I'd left my landing net in the car.
No matter, It's the Bolton canal in January, and scratching for bits.

Sure enough it was hard.
20 minutes left and I was biteless along with everyone else as far as I could tell. Then a lad walked past and said someone had had a couple of fish for about 4oz at the top end caught on bloodworm.

I didn't have any bloodworm so I thought sod it, nothing to lose. So I changed from a 20's and pinkie to 16's and a big flake of warbys best.
Flicked it out down the middle, it settled, quivered, and slid away. Struck and it was on!
I gently played it to the surface and it was a stunning roach of at least 12oz maybe a 1lb

Reaching for my net and remembering I'd left it in the car I looked to the lad on my right and said "can I borrow your net?"
He said "yeah sure" but his Dad said "No!"
I turned to the lad on my left and he also said no, so I pulled my keepnet, that was on a short bankstick, out the wall , lay down on the edge and tried to bring the fish over it.

Just as it touched the rim it rolled, and the hook fell out. I was gutted.
Next cast and exactly the same thing happened again with another big roach.

The whistle went and as I started packing up the lads Dad to my right came over and said "sorry about that, but it's a competition"
I told him to shove it. The lad and his Dad to my left couldn't look at me.

I stood on the car park and clapped the winner (4oz) and watched him walk away with a full set up of quality gear as a prize because no prize money for juniors.

I vowed never to fish another match, and I didn't (apart from 1 I got tricked into) until I joined MD

Ian

 

[NoCarpPlease]

Cabin fever so here's one for Chefster

In the 2008 Wye Champs held on Oct 26th, the river was 3ft up at the start and forecast to rise later in the match. I drew a peg near the dairy, I had no idea what my peg was like as I'd only drawn this section once previously in the Wye Team Champs one February just after the river had thawed after being frozen. On that occasion I'd had 28lbs of chub from a swim on the poplars that I would have loved to draw again but chances of that were slim

Walking down I saw the poplars and having noted the pegs I thought I bet I'm on the peg below where I was, stuck between a decent chub peg above and a barbel flier below on the cattle drink. Getting closer I soon realised that the pegging wasn't the same due to the extra water and the peg I'd drawn was just below where I had been pegged last time I drew there

Setting up 2 feeder rods with 6 pints of maggots and some 3mm hallibut pellets I was ready in no time. The plan was to fish the edge of the crease where the gulley was, two thirds across. Set up was simple 8lb Technium, a large 3oz Kamasn Black Cap on a semi running rig to a 3ft, 0.19 power line hook length with a Fox Series 2 eyed 14 and 4 maggots on the hook. Traditionally this match always required a big weight however with the extra water and more water forecast to come, nobody knew what would happen, so my intention was to fish positively from the off hoping for a few chub and barbel.

1/2 dozen quick casts a yd or so upstream and across with a good bow and I had a nice drop back after 20 minutes which was a small chub around 1.5lbs. This set the theme as I'd have several casts followed by either a sharp dink or drop back with most fish being chub between 12 oz and 3lbs. 1/2 way through the river started rising and colouring up and bites started to tail off. I'd had over a dozen chub and given that the river was creeping up I was happy with how the match was going.

Although my catch rate slowed, I picked up odd barbel as well as the odd chub, adding more lead to hold and starting to feed pellets in the feeder to avoid all my feed being washed downstream. In the last hour I struggled and had to move my box as the river rose rapidly, (5ft). By the end of the match I had around 20 chub and barbel of various sizes with nothing bigger than 4lbs. I'd had a good match and had 2 fish come off the hook, with no fish lost in snags or breakages, so all in all I was happy with how I'd fished.

The scales came and if I remember rightly my fish went 47lbs 12 oz. It was easily enough to take the section and I quietly hoped it would be enough for a low frame weight. Getting back to the draw rumour had it that nobody had ran away with it and I may be in with a chance, however it wasn't to be as Cheltenham angler Kevin Bellamy had weighed 48lbs 8oz of chub and barbel to take the title, leaving me with the runners up trophy.

To be honest I was over the moon to come second as it was a big match with excellent pay outs but driving home I did wonder if there was anything I could have done as either of the chub that came off would have been enough to take the title but it wasn't to be

For some reason I thought it was Steve Sadler that won it that year however after a quick check, that was another year

I remember that match Dave, never seen a river rise that fast ... I moved up the bank 3 times in the last hour .... ended up dropping the feeder off the rod end and had 3 dogs in the last hour.
i won the top section at Breinton with 25 pounds

 

[chris1967]

hmmm where to start , i know i've chucked loads of sections back cos i couldn't be ar$ed to wait for the scales to come round lol

 

[dave brittain 1]

I remember that match Dave, never seen a river rise that fast ... I moved up the bank 3 times in the last hour .... ended up dropping the feeder off the rod end and had 3 dogs in the last hour.
i won the top section at Breinton with 25 pounds

Alex I'd set up 3ft above the water because I knew it was going to rise however I still had to move. I think we've both got very good records in the Wye Champs however it's the one I'd like to win before I hang up my rods, unlike some who have a winners trophy already in their cabinet

 

[rob6709]

Lost two club match wins last year which cost me the league due to being over weight limits. One over by 2oz and a second in which I was well over as I forgot which net was which, both my fault, lessons learned F1s weigh more than they look!

I remember when you should have beat me off the next (end) peg. What happened?

 

[ATTICUS FINCH]

Had a near ten pound carp jump out of my keepnet and I ended up in third ,missed winning by four pound odd.

 

[90sGear]

I remember when you should have beat me off the next (end) peg. What happened?

I remember saying to myself halfway through slow down Robs travelled a fair distance today, let him have some joy

 

[DOGDACE]

I only really have one nightmare that springs to mind.
Should have won the “Gurkha” on the tidal Tyne. Long time ago now. I won my section but was on fish a chuck on the feeder but actually ran out of feeders as it was a snag pit. I cannot remember how many I lost possible between 10 and 15 .then .This was in the days of the long walk so gear was a minimum

 

[Caius_Martius]

As a 15 year old I was proud as punch to be the team captain for Worksop Junior National team in 1984 fishing the national on the Lancaster Canal. I fished a blinder with bloodworm and joker, the last 10 minutes comes around and bites have dried up, I decide its s**t or bust time and throw in my last ball of joker groundbait in with added redcap, our `secret` additive, double up on the bloodworm hook bait, on a size 26 hook, low and behold the float slides away and its the big bonus fish I wanted. I played the fish on a small hook, light line, my heart was pounding, the fish comes up to the landing net after seemingly an eternity, I go to scoop the fish a second too early and yes I knocked it off...I could've cried. As I collect my 1st loser trophy that fish would've made me a national champion....so close yet so far due to over-excitement and good old pure bad angling....lesson learned the hard way lol.

 

[DaveGas]

Slightly different but on a club match on Hallcroft with the usual banter from lads pegged opposite and both sides of me, I netted a small carp around a pound unhooked it in my landing net and it jumped straight up and back into the water, well the abuse and laughter from the others came my way but on looking down the carp simply sat in the water without moving away, a swift swipe with my landing net and with the other lads agreement as they said I had actually caught it ended up safely in my keepnet this time, I won the match by a pound

 

[Anglingman]

I have 2 that linger in the memory. I've probably recounted them previously so apologies to the older members !

1) Div 2 national Mid 90;s River trent East Bridgford. Drew end peg with a few deckchairs already in place to "watch me win the national" - no pressure !
Only assemble a small stick for the inside and big feeder for a rogue barbel/chub across not worrying about the pole or longer float line.

Low clear river, first run 2lb chub and with our team target of 11/2lb job done . Next run another small chub and then they back off, I make the mistake of keep pushing it for no reward. Have to turn to the big feeder with no thought of actually getting a bite...i didnt. afterr half an hour i return to the stick for another couple of fish before same happens and its back to the feeder. Just as i'm about to turn back to the stick the chief steward turns up standing high above my stick line skylining the peg completely. Words are exchanged and another fishless wait ensues. At the death I have 6kg 600, turns out this is beaten into 2nd place in the 87 peg section by a chub landed at the other end after the whistle the guy weighing 6kg 720.....ho hum. My fault for not having additional lines for winkling out a few small fish and the stewards fault, the chance of a national medal gone.....

2) White Acres 2007 the residents match in all winners final week (Oct ?), Peg 24 Trelawny. Nothing but liners the first hour fishing across to the far bank as instructed. Turns out fish are shallow 6m out ! 6mm meat takes a succession of fish right up to the whistle when i lose my one and only fish to a pig tailed hook with literally seconds to go.

After a weight mis calculation i'm eventually called as 163.08 and again am beaten by a last gasp fish by a guy on Pollawynn high bank with 165.08. 1st place and a free holiday went sailing by.... should have switched on to the liners sooner.

 

[dave brittain 1]

As a 15 year old I was proud as punch to be the team captain for Worksop Junior National team in 1984 fishing the national on the Lancaster Canal. I fished a blinder with bloodworm and joker, the last 10 minutes comes around and bites have dried up, I decide its s**t or bust time and throw in my last ball of joker groundbait in with added redcap, our `secret` additive, double up on the bloodworm hook bait, on a size 26 hook, low and behold the float slides away and its the big bonus fish I wanted. I played the fish on a small hook, light line, my heart was pounding, the fish comes up to the landing net after seemingly an eternity, I go to scoop the fish a second too early and yes I knocked it off...I could've cried. As I collect my 1st loser trophy that fish would've made me a national champion....so close yet so far due to over-excitement and good old pure bad angling....lesson learned the hard way lol.

Redcap the secret ingredient you could smell 3 pegs down A great additive in those days when many had a secret mix