RUDD

[paul.saunders]

how did you get on with the winter leauge match on sunday. you haven't let us now yet. did you blow out? or are you still hung over celebrating your win.

[RUDD]

Erm yes well................

 

Ok at the start of the final match I was in 2nd place in the league.

The top five in the league get a pay out.

Half of the cash from each match gets paid out on the day and half in the kitty for the top five.

 

The blokes in 6th and 7th could not catch me even if they won and took max points.

Any of the 3rs,4th or 5th placed could catch me.

 

This means I was guaranteed a end of series payout as the lowest I could finish in the league was 5th.

 

Mathmaticaly I could have won the series.

I had 47 points and the leader 63

Being practical I knew I had to somehow hold on and catch as much as possible to get as many points as possible as the other three were not far behind.

 

We do the league like this as mathmatically you could finish 6th 7th or 8th in a few matches then have a good one and still be in with a chance of a payout at the end of the series.

 

I drew peg 43 which is a good peg in the middle pool.

Strangley I drew the same peg in the 1st match finishing 6th, in the second match finishing 5th and getting a section win and now in the final match.

In the 3rd match I drew peg 19 on the top pool and won the whole match with a decent bream and around 6lb of very small roach and perch.

 

On sat night the thermo at the pools told us it had reached -5 brrrrrrrr

On the sunday it started very cold and very very very bright with the pressure rising.

 

Not good at all!!!!!!!!!

 

I started the match ok with some small perch on the waggler.

After an hour and a half I lost a good fish that streched my 7 elastic, I would say it was in the 2.5 to 3lb bracket and I think it was a bream as it did not fight very hard.

Not good.

Did not get another bite on the pole line for the rest of the match.

Had a few more tiddlers and with an hour to go two big ghosties showed up.

One took my single maggot on a 22 to 0.08mm hooklength.

It did not stay on long and ruined my peg!!!!!!!!!

I did get one more bite and the fish put a fair bend in me rod but the hook pulled.

 

While this was going on two of the anglers who could catch me were on the same pool and neither had had one fish.

They are both decent anglers which shows how hard a day it was.

With 15 min to go one of them had a good chub, then an 8oz rudd, a 6oz roach and a small perch all in a row.

The other had two 1lb+ perch one after the other with minutes to go until the whistle!!!!!!!!!!

 

Being the netsman for the pool I had to weigh them both.

2.10lb and 2.4lb

I only managed 1lb on the dot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Looking at the results at the end I dont even think I will get many points at all.

 

The match was won with 6.10lb and second and third drew with 6.3lb

 

One of the 6.3lb came off peg 19 (where I won the last won) and was all roach.

 

I am certain that when the final league is draw up I will be in 5th (maybe 4th if I am lucky)

 

That lost fish on the pole has probably cost me three places in the league and about 100 quid.

 

I only fish the matches for the social side and the challange of doing well off whatever peg I draw. It also gives me a days fishing as I dont get much chance these days due to work and having two young kids.

I know I am fishing against blokes who fish two or three times week, some used to fish for Ipswich breakaway wasps or Ipswich viscount tackle who were the cream of match fishing in this area. Most of them fish matches at other local clubs as well.

 

I see any sort of win as a bonus.

I have had 50 quid in winnings already with a further payout to come so I feel I have had a good run.

 

I have learnt some more painfull lessons from this series.

The main one being it aint over until the final whistle blows.

How many of you could of sat there for nearly 5 hours biteless (a few packed up early and went home) just hoping for one good fish despite everything you had tried.

Them other two anglers did and in the final minutes they have cost me!!!!!!!!!

In one of the other matches an angler had had a perch and with ten mins to go hooked a good carp which he landed on 2lb line.

 

He won the match and has also now won the league!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thats match fishing.

[paul.saunders]

As kong as you enjoyed yourself at the end of the day Rudd thats the main thing. i enjoy match fishing myself and if i come up then thats a bonus. Where was the venue suffolk water park

[RUDD]

Ladywood - Nacton

 

I have never fished the water park.

They do have some big matches there with some top anglers compeating.

They never seem to be adverstised.