A ‘Bit’ Breezy!
Did anyone notice it was a bit fresh and a touch breezy last weekend?
Saturday was the last round of the Tunnel Barn Winter League. Nineteen teams of four over 10 long rounds. We were sitting comfortably in 3rd but a good result and a bit of fortune ‘might’ have seen us creep up a place or two. For a change, captain Jack very unselfishly didn’t hog the flyers and drew three good ‘uns and, very sportingly, a poor one for himself, which surprised everyone including Jack!
I found myself on Extension 25 which is one of my favourite areas on the complex, so no complaints! Sadly the fish had other ideas and decided to sit out of the wind in the 30s! The top four weights on the lake were pretty much all in a row up that end, with Jake Robinson fishing really well to win the lake with 47lb. My 27lb 13oz beat the anglers either side but was only good enough for 9th in the 19-peg split section. Still cannot believe I couldn’t catch in the deep water as I had everything short and tight across, including two very rare chub!
Elsewhere Ben Sharp won New Pool and was 3rd in the split section, Jack Danby put in a great damage limitation effort from a very poor winter peg 4 on House and James Fowkes won the match off Club 13 with 67lb, sealing himself 2nd in the individual aggregate behind none other than Des Shipp, so a fabulous effort all round.
We ended up 2nd on the day and a single point adrift of South West who cemented their position as league winners for the third year. Very well fished lads. We clawed some points back on Preston NuFish but they held on to 2nd overall and we were just seven points adrift in 3rd spot. A nice end to a very competitive league. Well done to Tunnel Barn for running it so well, especially with all the craziness going on in the world!
Yesterday I drove up to Decoy Lakes for the open with a mega turnout with everyone there practicing for the Winter League Final. I drew end peg 12 on Elm and they’d very sensibly pegged just one side of the strip lakes with a hurricane forecast.
Unfortunately for me all the fish-holding trees down the margins have recently been chopped down and I only managed four barbel down there all day, plus one short and around 12 on the maggot feeder. Never saw a carp or F1 all day! My 17 or so barbel went 45lb for a section prize and 2nd on the lake. Even on our misbehaving scales they don’t weigh as big as they look, but I still love catching them. The bites are unmissable and they pull your arms off!
It seems like the storms really woke the barbel up as there were loads caught everywhere. The whole place fished pretty well with several 100lb weights, so it’s going to be a good Final for those involved. Hardest part was the long drive home through all that shocking weather. No more storms from now on please!
