A Moody Mayfest
Tunnel Barn Mayfest this bank holiday weekend. I was lucky enough to win last year’s event, but not the greatest this time around. Random draw each day and this one’s on weight, not section points. With all the lakes a bit low and moody you really need to draw on some fish each day.
Won my section on Day 1 with 75lb off New 35. With just 3ft down the middle and no depth at all across, my shallow rigs sadly stayed in the bag. Nice start on meat short before swapping that to maggots. Worms worked reasonably well til I ran out of fish, then a few down the sides late over Match Method Mix, but they were extremely hard to catch.
Day 2 I was on House 24. Not normally where you’d want, but a big weight came off it the previous day. I was therefore optimistic and praying the F1s were still in residence. Sadly, after two hours with just 10lb in the net and everyone in eyesight struggling the writing was on the wall. I eventually lined up a few resident stockies on maggots at 10m, a few fish very late short on maggots and a few down to the left over groundbait, again very late. My measly 56lb was still 2nd in section and beat everyone around me, but the fish had clearly returned to their usual haunts. Incidentally, just 70lb won this lake on the final day, so the fishing was clearly getting harder…
Final day I was there more in body than spirit and hoping to draw on Canal or Jenny’s to end with a decent weight, but sadly I was back on New. Peg 1, though, which you’d always take, but no one was ever going to break the 100lb barrier the way it was fishing. I’ve had a reasonably busy day catching mostly very small F1s. A few on maggots, a few on casters, a run of fish to the island on worms and three better ones late down the side. This is the shallowest lake on the complex and everyone was suffering with fish coming in and clouding the peg but not being very catchable. I’ve ended up with 67lb in a very close section and 5th on the lake with Baz winning the lake off peg 7 with 88lb.
So that was that. Great if you’re on ‘em and still bites to be had everywhere, just extra moody fish at the moment, which often happens this time of year. Thanks to Tunnel Barn for excellent organisation as per usual and well done to all the framers. I’ve still got a mountain of bait in the fridge as I’ve not been on a peg where I could feed any!
Nice to be able to fish in a t-shirt most the weekend. The new Matrix Mesh Logo ones are very nice by the way! Key floats for me this time of year are definitely Stubby Slims and Mud Lines from 0.2g to 0.4g. Started to use stronger 12-14 Slik in a few of my top kits, too, as the fish are fighting hard and trying to get under your platform quite a bit now!
Oh and I also found a very manky and stinky hedgehog toy floating in my peg. Not sure if it’s much of a good-luck mascot, but I’ve given it a good clean if anyone’s lost it or wants it!
