Fished club match at New Farm Fishery near Maidenhead. The place had been good to me so far with three wins and a 4th in four visits so pretty confident with my approach which has been based around maggot at about 5-6m to start and gradually switching to across and/or down the side as the day goes on, expecting to feed 3 pints or a bit more over the six hour match.
Still had three and a half pints with me today but reckoned that with a couple of cooler nights might not be feeding as much as usual.
Anyway, drew Peg 1 on what's generally the better bank opposite the corner of the island. Dead bush in the water across and just to my left, 14m to reach that and 16 to get tight over, so set up a little method feeder in case needed to fish up the ratholes as a Preston Diatex Power isn't much fun at 16m for any length of time. Hopefully wouldn't need to go right over, plumbed up and 2ft right in the side next to some reeds to my left deepening to getting on for 6ft at 6m. Usual 4 topkits here, two white hydro, 2 black, one of each to depth and one each for shallow/ down the edge.
Started at 6m slightly left and had a carp about a pound as soon as the float settled, Brian on 21 had two very quickly in two chucks on a little method tight across just round the corner of the island from me so looked like a good start. Nope....Plague of little rudd, about 20 to the pound, moved in. After a dozen of these switched to a 4x14 float with bulk down but all that happened was that it got held up every time and usually missed the bite. Had been feeding across and down the side as well, went over to 14m for a 4oz skimmer straightaway, then nothing, very early for a look on the inside but did anyway and the rudd were there as well, same size apart from one about 3oz. Back out to 6m , tinies had slowed a bit but no better fish, a couple more small skimmers on the deck and an ide, going shallow didn't get the rudd in any numbers so 2 hours gone and lucky to have 3 lb. Matt on 2 had gone for a chopped worm and caster approach and after a very slow start began picking up tench with the odd carp, mostly 12oz to pound fish and then one of the lakes proper bream at around 6lb. I started getting some better rudd by increasing the feed so persevered with the maggot as sure the rudd activity would eventually pull in some bigger fish. Half time and reckoned I might have around 5lb but Matt probably at least 15 so finally decided to start a chopped worm line another metre out and straight in front and to bin the maggot at 6m but increase the feed inside and over. Slow start on the chop with just a 6 oz skimmer, nothing across but some more half reasonable rudd down the side, Matt had slowed down a bit but saw Richard on 5 net a couple of larger carp. Chopped and changed between lines not making any real inroads into anything other than the rudd, and not enough of these until with less than an hour and a half to go had just gone out over another pot of chop and the elastic came out properly, pound barbel and the lone carp finally had some company in the bigger fish net. Next three drops resulted in a tench , a carp and a pound goldfish which looked like a belisha beacon with a mouth. Bites dried up as quickly as they started, down the side for an immediate carp followed by a tench and another barbel, then nothing, refed worm at 6m for two more little carp. Still feeding across and some swirls now appearing. Looked like rudd but went over shallow just in case they weren't; they were, better fish of 3 to 4oz but they soon disappeared when fished for so back at 6m, one more carp immediately but nothing more. So down the edge for the last ten minutes, biggest carp of the day at about 2lb and a smaller tench.
Scales reached me, only a 7lb and a 9 12 from 20 and 21, my silvers net went more than I thought at 11-2, carp, barbel, tench (and the goldfish) went 14 4 so 25-6 and more than it looked like I was going to get at one time. Matt had 26-12 so quite close in the end. Richard on 5 won it with 34 14, a dozen or so carp and about 9lb of rudd and skimmers, no other weights beat me so crept into third place.
Feel I should have fed chop earlier although having said that it was a good while before it got any response. Definitely regret with hindsight not setting up a waggler as could have got the rudd a lot more quickly when they were there although doubt it would have been enough to win.
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