This match was spread over both the main pools, Moorhen and Heron plus the 1st canal. I fancied a canal peg as both main pools hadn’t really produced big weights lately so when peg 47 stuck into my hand at the draw bag I was pleasantly pleased. 

Just one problem today though, a really strong crosswind at right angles pretty much ruled out fishing long to the far bank. So the plan was to fish a short 2+2 maggot line, Soft pellet over to the aerator, a likely fishing holding area and the right hand margin with pellet and corn. 

I started across to the aerator alternating between maggots and pellets but all that seemed to be there were small Roach with the maggots so I quickly changed to a soft 4mm Pro Expander and fed in a few cad potted fishery mirco’s. The result was the same, just small Roach! I quickly changed to the 2+2 pole line as the crosswind was making the presentation difficult to the aerator. 

The 2+2 line again was only producing small Roach. The Carp and F1’s weren’t feeding and we were now 2 hours into the match. Luckily every other angler seems to also be struggling and I could see only a few had caught a couple of carp/F1’s. 

So while I continued to loose feed maggots on the short line I tried the margin next. Cad potting in a few fishery micro pellets. Again nothing was really happening in the margin despite trying soft pellets and corn. 

It was 12.30pm now and I hadn’t caught a carp or an F1 it was tough going. I decided to return to the short pole line with maggots and hoped something would happen in the last couple of hours. At least it was easier to fish in the wind. Finally I caught an F1 and slowly a began to catch some more. I was drip feeding maggots now via hand but feeding every minute just to keep some bait constantly going in. This seemed to work and my catch rate began to get better. The other anglers in the section were also beginning to catch carp and F1’s now but I felt I was leading. So I stayed on the short maggot line for the rest of the match. 

Come the weigh in my 48lb was enough to win the section with the next weight being 33lb so a good day. The actual match was won with 83lb with some good back weights from the two main pools. Which had been a change from recent weeks where you needed to draw a canal.