Jungle Warfare

Just the one match again this weekend and a trip to Royal Berkshire Fishery, filling in for Tyrone on the Summer League. I fancied a nice steady peg where I could fish nice and sensible tackle for the venue’s lovely carp and F1s. However, I’ve drawn a very scary peg 61 on Lake 3 instead!

This peg comes with its own bleep machine! I’ve drawn it before, but in the winter, and had a good result dobbing bread in the Norfolk reeds, using strongish gear. However, it’s a totally different proposition in summer as the reeds have really shot up and the lake’s level, like most venues up and down the country are down, so the fish go ballistic when you hook them! It’s a jungle warfare peg and the only thing I fished in that direction was my Torque margin pole and riot gear. That meant 20-22 Slik in just the tip section, hit, hold and hoist, then pray they don’t plough through the densest thickets!

Unfortunately the lake fished extremely hard on the day and after two hours I’ve got just two fish in my net and lost two. The reeds my side just weren’t knocking much at all and I wasn’t getting any bubbles or signs to suggest fish were there. Fishing ‘normal’ gear to my left produced just one F1 all day too…

Two hours to go I decided enough was enough and chopped some worms up and started to feed that instead. Really wish I’d done that sooner as I finally started to get bites. Annoyingly, a couple of times I’d do all the hard work of heaving a fish away from the jungle, only for the fish to ping off in open water.

I’ve ended up with just 40lb 10oz, which surprisingly wasn’t too bad as just 73lb won the lake, which was Geoff Edwards on my favourite peg 63. Second was 53lb and I think 42lb was 3rd. I got a default section envelope for my efforts but definitely left a few fish in the peg. Certainly enough for 2nd. That’s the nature of the beast, though. It’s easier to work things out if you’re getting bites, but the lake had totally switched off on the day.

Still nice to be back to such a lovely venue and they’re always a nice and friendly crowd. I must say a big thanks to the legend Flinty for the caramel Freddos, too! No fishing today as I’ll be paying my respects to an angling friend, then thinking about packing for a much-needed holiday. Hope you’ve all had a good weekend.