Round three today and I know I'm already out of contention after two disastrous rounds. But I was determined to get a result. At the draw I just wanted to be away from the bottom corner, as so far it has been the worst place on the lake, and I had drawn it both previous matches. Into the draw box, cardboard, very classy, and out comes 23, yep bottom corner again ffs. So off I trudge head down to peg. On my arrival it was clear it could be difficult as the wind was blowing a hoolie into that corner. So confidence was smashed out the ground especially as I had the legend Tony Rixon to my right with two empty pegs past him into the corner. Four rigs today. A paste rig to fish at max permitted length of top kit plus three sections. A .75 slim to fish the same line with banded 8mm pellet. A .2 margin diamond in 2 1/2 foot tight in to my right side and a slapper. Company was made up of the aforementioned Mr Rixon on 22, Steve Seager to my left, and opposite an array of reprobates in the shape of Father and son duo Martin and Joe MacMahon, and Jason Radford on 15. As usual the banter started early with Tony in the area and everybody was getting a bit. At the start I cupped in a big pot of 6mm on the longer line and a few down the edge then went out on the slapper. After a minute the elastic pulled out but the hook didn't set. And that was all the action I had on that, part from the annoying whitebait messing around with it. I stuck that out for 30 minute's then changed to the paste rig as I had some fizzing going on. It did produce a couple of bites but I recon it was small skimmers, so after a while I put the pellet rig out and had a small skimmer second drop in. It must have been lonely down there as that was all for a while, then I managed to hook and land my first carp. After Two hours Steve had two, Tony had knocked out a couple of carp and two skimmers, and the guys opposite had a couple each. Martin hadn't had any carp as he was hunting whitebait and eels. Things were looking tough all around and the wind didn't help. It was really hard holding the pole even at the short length. It got to a stage where I changed my pellet rig to have 6 inches on the bottom and two feet between the pole tip and float and it was still getting knocked around. Good bait presentation was almost impossible. So it was time for the margin. Even that wasn't easy as there was waves coming in making it hard to tell if it was a bite or just wave auction burrying the float. But it turned out to just be whitebait messing with the 8mm pellet. Stuck that for 30 minutes with nothing, then switched back to the longer pellet line. First drop and carp number two was landed and it was one of the larger specimens of around 15lb. After 3 hours it was looking grim. Tony was catching a few from his right side margin. Steve hadn't added any more and Joe and Martin hadn't put much more in the net. Jason had a few but they were only small. The second half improved. I had a couple more on the longer line and bumped a couple, also two good fish from the margin. Tony finished strongly and I knew he had given me a whooping. Steve struggled for bites most of the day and ended with three carp and a couple of skimmers but didn't bother weighing. I guessed my 6 carp would go around 55lb but was a bit disappointed when I totaled 49-1 with the skimmer, which gave me the section win, so it was a minor result compared to the first two rounds. Tony ended up with 93-13 for the match win. Well done matey from what had been a poor peg. Just to rub it in, the wind disappeared with 15 minutes to go. Mother nature taking the piss I recon.
1st, Tony Rixon, peg 22, 93-13.
2nd, Does Shipping, peg 10, 80-6.
3rd Tom Magnal, peg 30, 71-1.
Top silvers, Martin MacMahon, peg 18, 12-3
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