ULC – Match 2, 19.05.13, Rufford Canal , Meadow Lane

Weather: 12C, Westerly wind 8mph, Sunny Intervals

If you read my last blog you would know that I wasn’t looking forward to this match as I am now commercialised. My whole set up is geared around fishing commercials so when one of these canals comes around it means that aswell as the normal routine of preparing rigs I also have to change 3 or 4 elastics and prepare my bread punch, making preparation time longer. Preparation is made slightly easier because Christine refuses to fish these canals and I don’t have to help her to make her rigs up. Anyway, slight moan over and back to the day….

I decided to get there at 7.15am, 45 mins before the draw as John and Ray who normally collect the pools and sort the draw, would not there today so I would be doing that aswell as collecting subs (I didn’t want to be rushed). John is another one who refuses to fish the canals and with him being Ray’s lift, this means Ray will miss out also.

A poor turnout of 8 out 15 members were present at the 8am draw. It looks like the members are now ‘voting with there feet’ and staying away from the canals. I think keeping the canals could be detriment to the fututre of the club because, keeping these natural venues within our match program means we are not inticing new members and some of what I call the fringe memebers could easily leave the club to another with an all commercialise match schedule. Anway, second moan over…….

I was last to draw and I was left with the end peg, which I was well chuffed with (unfortunately it was the wrong end). I noticed on arriving at my peg that the water was extremely clear so I made a point of leaving a long line between tip and float, to avoid spooking any fish (what fish!!!)

I had 3 rigs set up to preston 4 slip. 2 Karpa lakes, 4X12 with a bulk and one dropper, one would be fished at 5 ft down the middle and the other would be fished about 8 inches up the far slope. I also set up 4×10 Karpa tricky with button style shotting (styles) at 3 ft to fish across on the far ledge. All rigs were on powerline .09 to .07 bottoms and size 20 or 22 B511’s. If the tow became stonger I had a 4×14 Karpa lake at the ready.

My plan was to feed an active groundbait just up the far slope and leave this for at least an hour whilst starting short on breadpunch and catapulting pinkies across on to the far ledge. As I had an end peg and space to my left I decided to make up a second groundbait up of Sensas lake fishmeal which would be used on a swim down the channel but 14m to my left, in the hope that some skimmers would settle over it.

At the all in I cupped a golf ball of breadpunch at 5m, I then put 3 balls of my active groundbait at 11m and I put 5 balls of lake fishmeal 14 m to my left. I then went over the breadpunch. After 10 mins I got a bite and missed and then I caught 2 roach on the run (the 2 of them didn’t make an ounze). The bites dried up and although I re-fed and persevered for another 45 minutes I could not muster another bite. I had a look over my active grounbait swim, but nothing. I had been catapulting 6 pinkies every minute or so over the far shelf so I decided to have a look on thus line which did bring a run of 3 fish and one of the was a hybrid of about 3oz (wahoo!!). I did try my channel skimmer swim after two hours but this produced nothing. 2 hours in and I was longing for the all out, but I stuck with it and manage another 8 pair of eyes. With 10 minutes to go the two anglers to my right Mark and Timmy were already packing in, so I decided enough was enough and I began to tackle down.

I weighed in 8oz for 3rd, which I was happy with, as it had been a struggle at our end with Mark next to me weighing in one fish for 1/2 Oz and Timmy next to him weighing in 3 fish for 1 1/2 Oz. Brian Mitchem on peg 1 won it with a net of 2lb 7oz includiung some nice roach that he had caught on bread punch. Colin was second on peg 2 with 2lb.

Before the match I would have took the 3 points, because as you have probably guessed, canals are not my forte and I can easily blow out on them and end up blowing my points for the season.

On reflection I don’t think I would have changed anything that I did. I think to stand a chance on this match I would of had to be in the first four pegs where they had some cover, being trees behind them and some 4 ft high brambles on the far bank, The next four pegs were baron with a bare far bank and no trees behind us. Definitely a draw bag job (or am I just a sore loser)

I really hope these canals don’t get voted in next year because I think like many others I will be voting with my feet and not attending.

Anway I’m off to ditch my Number 4 slip elastic and get proper stuff in it, ready for our next match at Sixfields on 02 June. I won this one last year with 69lb.

Tight lines

Brian