It was an all-out worm war for three and a half hours tonight, which resulted in Graham Johnson winning his second match in two days.
"I'm struggling for a bite here" and "You don't half know how to draw good pegs, you" were all I could get out of him yesterday and 13lb later he was off home with the lion's share of the pools money. Alas, dear sluicers - it was the same again tonight. Half a hundred-weight of worms were stowed on his barrow and threatened to capsize him as he made his way to his peg. "I've only come to dry my gear out from yesterday" was the start of it - I braced myself for another session like yesterday.
True to form, he was into fish from the start on the wrigglers - some from the margins and quite a lot more from under the far side reeds.
Meanwhile on the poor relations peg next door, my match started in much the same way as yesterday too. Small fish - anywhere I cared to plonk a hook. I fished at 13m on the maggot and started getting the odd skimmer, losing a decent tench without really having it under control.
I'd fed some worm closer in and it had started to fizz so in went a dendy. A few minutes later I was into something that didn't really want to move - it plodded about a bit then saw my way of thinking, surrendering to the landing net like a soggy footy sock; a battle-scarred bream around four pounds. Inspired - and wishing not to be wasteful, out went the salvaged dendy again and this time a lift bite signalled the arrival of the other half of the bream bros - I'd already caught abramis - this time brama was on the other end. This one had taken better care of himself, but was around the same size.
Brama decided to spit the hook straight through his lip, so it had embedded itself in my landing net. Whether the delay while I re-tied it was critical I know not - all I know is the bream were twins & not triplets; no more showed on that line for the rest of the night.
I swallowed my pride and decided to join the distance fishing challenge that had suddenly started around me. Hodgy was giving it large on the left - out at 16m. On my right Graham was already baggin' at that range, so out came the two extensions and then we were all out there. A few skimmers later, and I was starting to feel a little optimistic. Graham had gone a little quiet, so his peg must've done the same. Then, my float shot under and I lfted into something a bit more 'urgent'. I dropped the pole in the water and started to ship back. It felt a bit numb at first then all hell broke loose as I got down to the top four. Fine wire match hooks weren't meant for Tench, but this one stayed on long enough for me to land it and I was back in it again.
RESULT:
1 Graham Johnson 16lb 8oz
2 Mike Derbyshire 13lb 4oz
3 Mark Rimmer 11lb 12oz
"I'm struggling for a bite here" and "You don't half know how to draw good pegs, you" were all I could get out of him yesterday and 13lb later he was off home with the lion's share of the pools money. Alas, dear sluicers - it was the same again tonight. Half a hundred-weight of worms were stowed on his barrow and threatened to capsize him as he made his way to his peg. "I've only come to dry my gear out from yesterday" was the start of it - I braced myself for another session like yesterday.
True to form, he was into fish from the start on the wrigglers - some from the margins and quite a lot more from under the far side reeds.
Meanwhile on the poor relations peg next door, my match started in much the same way as yesterday too. Small fish - anywhere I cared to plonk a hook. I fished at 13m on the maggot and started getting the odd skimmer, losing a decent tench without really having it under control.
I'd fed some worm closer in and it had started to fizz so in went a dendy. A few minutes later I was into something that didn't really want to move - it plodded about a bit then saw my way of thinking, surrendering to the landing net like a soggy footy sock; a battle-scarred bream around four pounds. Inspired - and wishing not to be wasteful, out went the salvaged dendy again and this time a lift bite signalled the arrival of the other half of the bream bros - I'd already caught abramis - this time brama was on the other end. This one had taken better care of himself, but was around the same size.
Brama decided to spit the hook straight through his lip, so it had embedded itself in my landing net. Whether the delay while I re-tied it was critical I know not - all I know is the bream were twins & not triplets; no more showed on that line for the rest of the night.
I swallowed my pride and decided to join the distance fishing challenge that had suddenly started around me. Hodgy was giving it large on the left - out at 16m. On my right Graham was already baggin' at that range, so out came the two extensions and then we were all out there. A few skimmers later, and I was starting to feel a little optimistic. Graham had gone a little quiet, so his peg must've done the same. Then, my float shot under and I lfted into something a bit more 'urgent'. I dropped the pole in the water and started to ship back. It felt a bit numb at first then all hell broke loose as I got down to the top four. Fine wire match hooks weren't meant for Tench, but this one stayed on long enough for me to land it and I was back in it again.
RESULT:
1 Graham Johnson 16lb 8oz
2 Mike Derbyshire 13lb 4oz
3 Mark Rimmer 11lb 12oz
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