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Diary Of A
Matchman Part 12
by
Giles Cochrane.
Match lake, peg 14.
It would appear that I am using additives or some kind of powder on my luncheon meat because someone has been spreading rumours to that effect and this demonstrates how good this method is when people are claiming that secret baits are involved. I know why these rumours have started and by who and I have no problems with that but there are reasons why I have been catching so many carp and that is to do with feeding. Anglers around me are copying the method when they draw next to me but are not weighing in much because they are sitting there and waiting. I have been fishing and feeding half-inch cubes of meat because they make a splash and you can feed them further than most anglers can feed corn. This is the secret because carp are coming to the sound of bait going in. I used to fish shallow quite a lot and I found that by feeding very often and very little amounts then the peg would be solid after a while and this is because fish swim around all day and the more often bait falls in front of them, the more chance you have of stopping them. I think bait is redundant when it is lying on the deck so that is why I use this approach. Carp are no different and I sometimes go a hour and half before I land any carp. I look to catch around seven to ten in a match to frame and that can be done in the last hour when they turn up so it pays to feed it properly. I have won a few matches this year where I have had four carp and some chub and then caught another five in the last hour.
The other reason I think the rumours have started is because the fish I am catching are consistently bigger than anyone else is landing and I have a theory about that which is being tried and tested every time I go fishing. Larger carp (over ten pound in weight) are the fish, which cause the most problems these days, and I can remember when we first used chopped worm at Docklow in the festivals a few years ago. We used to catch whatever came into the peg, regardless of size and every bite was hooked in the mouth. A season later, we were foul hooking carp everywhere and this was because the bigger fish had wised up to feeding patterns. They come into the feed but they sit there sucking and blowing so that the bait is going in and out of their mouths without registering. When they decided that they didn't want it they spat it, causing the float to bury and this causes most of the bites. This is why so many are foul hooked because we are striking at the wrong time.
The past few matches I have given this some serious thought and I am convinced that the carp on the pole line are easier to catch on the straight lead. This is because they feed by sucking bait in and then rejecting what they don't want- the bait with the hook in it. I think I have solved that problem with the anti eject rigs as fish suck the bait in, realise that they don't want it but then find that they cannot get rid of it. One of two things usually happens; they either swim off rapidly having failed to eject the bait or they bolt towards the direction they feel the hook pierce their skin. This means that you have to fish with very short hook lengths because they dislodge the lead which results in drop backs. I have found that the bigger fish are causing the drop backs.
On the day anglers were making some jokes about me not drawing in the 30s, not that I wanted to be there in the first place but I did fancy peg 14 because there is an island to chuck to and sheltered water in front of you where the fish are likely to settle on any bait that anglers cup in.
Throughout the match I had caught some chub and carp but the peg had died completely with an hour to go. The five carp I had taken from the island probably weighed around 20lb and not really enough to do any good on the day as the anglers on pegs 34 and 31 had been sharing a shoal of carp. The match was due to finish at 4:45 and I had fed the pole line throughout but every time I went in for a look I had a small chub. At 4:00 I decided to drop one short to see what was there and by 4:10 I had netted one about 11 lb. At 4:20 the tip dropped back again and had one 10lb plus and the same thing happened at 4:30 with a similar sized sample. Time was getting on and I was hoping for another but is wasn't to be as it was now 4:40 but then the tip pulled round slowly and then dropped back very sharply but as I lifted the rod there was nothing on the end. I started to wind in but there was nothing, no weight at all and then the rod arched over and I felt something shaking it head violently. It decided to run for it and was about three pegs up the lake before it stopped. I decided to stand up and give it some grief but the fish had other ideas- it snagged me solid on the island and all I could do was wait to see if it was going to swim out. After about 30 seconds I decided to pull for a break and I felt it shake it's head again. I wound it straight in after time and it went about 12lb. You are not going to get those fish out on the pole when they do that. I weighed 66lb and 63lb was second so I was well pleased with that and I am grateful to pick up so much money so consistently through the winter, which is my worst time of year really. All this has been a practice for the annual All Winners final which takes place at Docklow every year. The only conditions for entry into the final are that you must win your lake or a match throughout the winter series.
All Winners Final
Peg 29
On the day of the match anglers were speculating where they would like to be and I admit that having walked around the match lake, it was clear that you needed to draw between the islands. The Farmer Jack was in too but I didn't want to be on there because if the match lake fished you would be fishing for your section or a few frame places at most.
I told some anglers where I wanted to be on the day and those pegs were 6, 7, 9, 10 and opposite 28, 29, 30 and 31. Quite a few to choose from but there are plenty you could have drawn and not won a penny on the day. I drew 29 and people were saying that I would win it from there but you never know with the match lake because those pegs are better suited to more pegs being in. The carp settle there later when they have had wagglers chucked at them from too many anglers.
I only set one rod up, as usual and I thought that I would fish the straight lead to open water, leaving the islands for the other anglers around me and I could see carp rolling on the surface which is a good sign. I caught steadily throughout the match but I didn't feel I gave it my best performance as I had been suffering from the flu all week and I would have been happy to just sit there at times but the rod tip kept going round and I was obliged to pick it up. I had three carp come off the hook throughout the match and I know that sounds a little petty but recently I have hit every bite and landed every fish in about four consecutive matches.
Three in the same match is not good but I landed 27 carp for 130lb. Richie Hoskins was on the bridge peg on the Farmer jack and finished second with 70lb and I was happy with the payout at the end of it which made it worth while suffering all day.
There is not much else I can say about the match because when pegs fish well you don't really have to think about bagging because the fish seem to be queuing up to get in the keepnet.
I don't get the opportunity to fish during the week so I usually take my youngest son somewhere on the Saturday which gives me the chance to catch some fish. This week we went to Docklow because it is consistent and I would rather go there than anywhere else. I met Scott Essery there for a session on the hair rigs and although it wasn't brilliant on the day, it was relaxing and enjoyable. Its nice to put names to faces and I think Scott enjoyed himself. We fished the Moby Dick and chucked leads to the island but I did manage to put one in the over hanging branches and another over some line hanging from the trees so I had to get hold of some more leads so I could fish the match the following day. When I think I used to tie rigs the night before I went fishing, what a waste of time that was!
Individual League
Peg 12
The winter series has finished now and we have all booked into the individual league which promises to pay some good returns at the end of. The matches are spread throughout the summer over the Match Lake, the Farmer Jack and the Snake. Following our little bagging session the day before I felt confident that the method was going to work and on the way up Docklow, my travelling partner Mr Perkins declared that he was determined to make this straight lead work for him today as he was only setting the one rod up wherever he drew. I said that I would put him right and check he had his hairs tied the right way round as many anglers seem to have overlooked this little fact. We drew next to each other, I was on peg 12, he was on 16 but it was clear that there were some fish in front of us at the start. I sorted out his rig so that it was facing the right way and we were off. Throughout the match we were neck and neck and every time I caught a carp, he would have one too. I was casting to the island and all of the carp I was netting were on the small side, while his fish were much bigger. We ended up with 13 carp apiece but with the chub and skimmers mine went 57lb 12oz. His fish went 63lb and those bigger fish from the open water make all the difference. He did well to land so many fish that size and we ended up first and second. He is now a covert to the effectiveness of the method and is looking forward to the next match. Unfortunately its on the Snake so it will be pole fishing unless I draw one of the wide pegs like 97. Then the lead will be the only bit of kit out of the bag.
Tuesday Affordable Open, Woodland View
Peg 7
Due to work commitments I am unable to fish mid week matches throughout the year because the lectures take up most of my time. Admittedly, I only teach once or sometimes twice a day for around two and half hours at a time but it would be impractical to book into any matches. Now that the Friday afternoon matches at woodlands have started it means that I can go in the week so I am looking forward to that over the summer months.
The first match I attended was a bit of a rush as I was still teaching at 11:45 am but I got to woodlands in time for the one o'clock draw.. Just! I was determined to have a go on the straight lead to see what damage I could do and to assess the likelihood of this method working throughout the summer. Anglers are sceptical as to whether this approach will work on the pole line but that is only because they are having trouble understanding how it works in the first place. Personally I know why they have their doubts and they see the pole as the best solution to catching carp because of the sensitivity factor and the number of bites they get. I am saying that the reason they foul hook so many is because the float going under does not necessarily mean a proper bite. It may be better for some anglers to have 150 bites and weigh 40lb but I think it is about time we redressed this imbalance in the ratio of bites to fish.
On the day I drew peg 64 on back deans where many anglers wanted to be apparently but I suppose you have to go by what the top anglers tell you these days. Klaus Fix said he didn't fancy it because it is a shallow peg and the water level is down a foot and a half. That is enough for me because he does know the venues better than most. Nevertheless I decided that I was going to set one rod up because that was the reason I was there and I have to confess that I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked. Anglers around me were catching the odd carp but nothing very much and I could see that anglers on front deans were catching quite well and the only one to be catching on our lake was Klaus on peg 42 (the bonus peg)
I managed to put fish in the net throughout the match and at the end I had 23 carp and crucian, all on hair-rigged meat on the lead. Klaus had about the same amount and there were two weights from the front of 79lb 5oz. Klaus weighed 85lb to win the match and I had 78lb. The fish I was catching were smaller but to be honest I was pleased with the weight from that peg, fourth overall and some coin.
Based on that result I was up for the Tuesday affordable open because of the attendances they get for those matches. I was confident that the method was going to work wherever I drew but I didn't allow for the conditions. It was blazing hot and I drew peg 7 front deans. I could see fish cruising in front of me and I decided to give it a few chucks on the lead for the first hour and then go shallow for the carp. I had a few indications on the lead but I was itching to get the shallow rig out as I could see fish swimming through. They do not always feed when you can see them but I do enjoy catching shallow, especially when I have been watching the tip for the past five months.
I did have about five carp on the straight lead towards the end of the match when they stopped feeding but throughout the match I managed to get a few shallow for an enjoyable day in the sun. I had a few big lumps by mugging them but in general most came to meat fished a few inches deep at 14 metres. It didn't fish too well on the day and I won the match with 65lb. I was cursing the 12lb fish which rolled on the line which would have made a perfect day had the hook not pulled but I was happy enough with the result. I think there were a few 50lb weights for second and third so it was fairly consistent over the two pools.
With the weather warming up we are now fishing summer tactics although it is still April but it will be interesting to see how effective this straight lead method is over the summer months. Anglers are dead keen to find out how it is done and I have been happy to show them but there are quite a few who have their doubts. Fair enough, each to their own but I have heard from a reliable source that certain anglers are dead against the method because they cannot fish like that. watching the tip isn't proper fishing apparently. It is to me!
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