May Madness at Mansfield’s.
Well it was back to Mansfield’s Lake again today, for another MD’s Knock Up organised by Mick(The Chippy)Pearson with the help of “The Committee”, and with the promise of loads of banter, a few fish and a ready supply of bread pudding and cakes in the offing, it looked like it would be fun.
Now it’s a bit of a trot for me (65 miles) but a nice sunny morning and a surprisingly clear A2/M2 saw me arrive just after 8am to find to find a number of
Anyway with full bellies, and the chat being about how well it might fish as some decent weights had come out recently we assembled for the draw. Hand into the bag and I found peg 17 on the North bank would be my home for the match.
I have to say that I was a little disappointed as I fancied one of the pegs on the South bank as they all had beds of lilies or rushes offering features to fish to. However I had nobody in the pegs to my left and Ryan to my right for company. Opposite I had Mike, with Richard(DHLman) to his right and Vince to his left, so at least I would be able to keep a check on the destination of the £1.
With a overhanging tree I was a bit limited, but set up 3 top kits. The 1st was for around 7mtrs where the old stream bed was and I had around 6½ft of water and that consisted of a 4X16 Preston Bazzerla PB19 on 0·16 to 0·14 bottom with size 16 Drennan Match Carp hook, the 2nd for the left hand margin that shelved off into around 3ft of water towards the empty peg 16 was a smaller 4X12 Preston Bazzerla PB19 on 0·16 to 0·14 bottom with size 16 Drennan Match Carp hook while the third consisted of a Malman MTD2 dibber on 0·14 direct to a size 18 Drennan Maggot hook for tight into the right hand margin where there were a load of small roach apparently spawning in the weeds.
Bait for the day was a mix of pellets, punched meat, corn and hemp.
So at 10am Colin gave a blast on his whistle to signal the All-in and we were off. I potted a mix of pellet, hemp and a few grains of corn onto the 7mtr line and the left hand margin and just flicked some hemp into the right hand margin. Out with a pellet to 7mtrs, the rig settled and stayed there. An hour later and the float tip was still dry as a bone. Vince however had nicked an early Carp that looked around 3lbs on the waggler while he let his pole lines settle…
and Mike had had a couple of small Tench on paste tight to the lilies. Sport in general was very slow though with just the odd fish showing, and most of those appeared to be coming from the opposite end of the lake where the deeper water was. Ryan was getting the occasional tiny roach while Pete next to him was biteless like me.
Two hours in and Mike had added a small Carp, Richard had had a couple of small Roach and I still hadn’t had a bite, it was starting to look grim. After another half an hour I decided to take a stroll and see what was happening elsewhere (and get some maggots off Mick). Standing on the empty end peg (peg14) and looking down the lake it looked lovely….
and I could see a couple of tail patterns in the water, perhaps the fish had backed off into the quieter parts of the lake? Mike however wasn’t happy with the lack of action, he’s one of those anglers that likes to keep busy……
Vince was looking quietly confident as there were obviously fish in his swim (could this be the day he finally prized a Golden Nugget from my grasp?) Kev obviously had a shed load of fish in the reeds in his left hand margin, but could he solve the problem of interesting them in his bait? Mick had taken what he hoped was a first Crucian of many and kindly let me have some maggots and casters. Dean aka Marvin Waggler had accounted for a couple of Carp and Tony was determinedly trying to feed off the small roach. Meanwhile Mutley had extracted 3 Carp from the lilies next to his platform. Keith (Ryan’s Dad) had snared a solitary Carp while Mick(Old Carper) was having a bit of a struggle (and dreaming of Manor House cake and Country Slices)……
and at the same time having to watch Al opposite get amongst a few Carp, Indeed by the time that I got round to Al he was playing his 6th Carp of the day and already looking good to take the win ……
Bill had had just 2 bites all morning, but at least had 2 Bream in the net………………
………and Mick’s brother Geoff was concentrating hard in an effort to get one over on his brother for once…………
……… while Colin had a couple of Carp and missed an absolute sail away on the paste as I watched and Dave had just a solitary carp to show for his efforts……
As I walked back I noticed Vince playing what looked to be another Carp, and as he netted it and popped it into the keepnet I’m sure I saw a little smile of satisfaction on his face ……
Settling back in at my peg, another look at 7mtrs produced nothing with a similar result in the left hand margin. Remembering the tail patterns I’d seen earlier I kept feeding the left hand margin heavily, in the hope that some fish might wander down late on and dropped a maggot on the dibber rig into the right hand margin in an effort to avoid the dreaded DNW. It did the job and in the next half hour I stuck around 25 tiny roach into the net that might have weighed a total of 8ozs if I was lucky. Mike opposite had decided on a similar approach to keep himself busy but had been unfortunate enough to have hooked a couple of Carp that broke him in the lilies and when it happened to him for a third time around 2pm it was the final straw and he decided to pack up and head for home as he wasn’t enjoying himself.
This however opened up an option for me, so I quickly got my feeder rod out of it’s ready sleeve and changed the cage feeder that it was rigged with for a ½oz bomb with a hair rigged piece of punched meat. The overhanging branches were a bit of a problem but with a sideways flick I could drop it onto the edge of the pads opposite, now I just needed an inquisitive Carp to co-operate to be in with a chance of salvaging my £1 coin from Vince, and more importantly avoid the inevitable stick that would come my way on the forum should Vince take it off me in the assembled company.
This however opened up an option for me, so I quickly got my feeder rod out of it’s ready sleeve and changed the cage feeder that it was rigged with for a ½oz bomb with a hair rigged piece of punched meat. The overhanging branches were a bit of a problem but with a sideways flick I could drop it onto the edge of the pads opposite, now I just needed an inquisitive Carp to co-operate to be in with a chance of salvaging my £1 coin from Vince, and more importantly avoid the inevitable stick that would come my way on the forum should Vince take it off me in the assembled company.
An hour later and I hadn’t had a touch, Richard had managed to extract a couple from his patch of lilies and a few more fish had been caught further down the lake, most notably by Dean (Marvin Waggler), Geoff who was looking to put one over on his brothers Mick and Richard, while Colin had tempted a couple more from down his margin.
With 45 minutes to go it was looking as though Vince was going to mug “Mugger” when I noticed a tail pattern in the left hand margin that I’d kept feeding heavily. Having had no joy with punched meat on the feeder I tied up another hair rig to take 4 bits of corn hoping that a highly visible bait might do the trick and dropped it in and waited.
10 minutes later and the tip wrapped round and after a couple of anxious minutes a Common Carp of just over 3lbs was safely in the net. Could I get another?
With 45 minutes to go it was looking as though Vince was going to mug “Mugger” when I noticed a tail pattern in the left hand margin that I’d kept feeding heavily. Having had no joy with punched meat on the feeder I tied up another hair rig to take 4 bits of corn hoping that a highly visible bait might do the trick and dropped it in and waited.
10 minutes later and the tip wrapped round and after a couple of anxious minutes a Common Carp of just over 3lbs was safely in the net. Could I get another?
Dave walked up and as we chatted another fish topped, but the tip stayed still. I could hear Mick saying that the All-out was imminent when I remarked to Ryan that I could see a Ghostie hovering over where my bait was, but refusing to go down on the bait when the rod was almost wrenched out of my grasp, almost instantly the whistle blew for the All-out and I shouted “Fish On”. From various parts of the lake I could hear shouts of disbelief or was it encouragement and I have to say that I was one very relieved angler when I slid the net under a Common Carp that looked to be just over 4lbs.
Looking across to the opposite bank Vince’s face said it all, had he had his moment of triumph snatched away from him in the final seconds by “Mugger” ???????? As we packed away there was a lot of banter flowing back and forth. Ryan reckoned that I’d hooked the fish 8 seconds from the end of the match, now it would be all down to the scales.
As the scales made their way round Dean in his 1st ever match had taken the early lead with 26lbs 10ozs edging out Mutley by 4lbs, but I was taking my gear back to the car when Vince’s fish were weighed and nobody would tell me what he had weighed as it came to my turn. As I tipped my fish into the net there were various mutterings and when the weight of 8lbs 10ozs was called Vince’s face gave the game away, The Mugger had struck again and yet another Golden Nugget was coming my way.
Al was last to weigh and took the honours on the day putting a very creditable 44½lbs on the scales on what had proved to be a very hard day.
Looking across to the opposite bank Vince’s face said it all, had he had his moment of triumph snatched away from him in the final seconds by “Mugger” ???????? As we packed away there was a lot of banter flowing back and forth. Ryan reckoned that I’d hooked the fish 8 seconds from the end of the match, now it would be all down to the scales.
As the scales made their way round Dean in his 1st ever match had taken the early lead with 26lbs 10ozs edging out Mutley by 4lbs, but I was taking my gear back to the car when Vince’s fish were weighed and nobody would tell me what he had weighed as it came to my turn. As I tipped my fish into the net there were various mutterings and when the weight of 8lbs 10ozs was called Vince’s face gave the game away, The Mugger had struck again and yet another Golden Nugget was coming my way.
Al was last to weigh and took the honours on the day putting a very creditable 44½lbs on the scales on what had proved to be a very hard day.
A quick mention should also be made of the fact that Mick (the chippy one) is for the most part a confirmed rod & line man when it comes to his fishing, but Bill has taken Mick under his wing so to speak, in an effort to impart some of the dark arts of match fishing and the use of the pole. Well today the pupil beat his teacher and he fished the pole all match. Does this mean that Mick has graduated or will the teacher be putting him in his place next time out? We’ll see.
Back to the car park and Mick (Old carper aka Mr Kipling) had set the table for tea and cakes……………
Back to the car park and Mick (Old carper aka Mr Kipling) had set the table for tea and cakes……………
while the Pearson brothers Mum had supplied Bread Pudding for all, as had Vince’s Mum in Law. All in all a very civilised way of ending the match.
Vince somehow managed to raise a smile when he manfully posed for a photo as he handed over another Nugget……
Vince somehow managed to raise a smile when he manfully posed for a photo as he handed over another Nugget……
While Mick had to part with a Golden Nugget to Geoff in the battle of the brothers…
Al took home a nice tankard complete with a few beer tokens for 1st on the day……
While Dean(Marvin Waggler) fishing what was his first ever match took more coin for his second place than he reckoned he’d spent on his rod.
A little bonus for me was that the assembled company reckoned that my last minute Carp, was best fish on the day, due to the amount of entertainment that it had provided for everyone at the end of the match, so £10 came my way.
Finally Vince presented The Chippy One with a little something to show our thanks for his efforts ………
evidently it’s part of Mick’s autobiography…
Thanks to Mick and “The Committee” for organising the day, and to all that attended, making for a good day despite the fishing being a little harder than we would have liked.
Next Saturday it’s Faye’s Match at Monk Lakes that Bill G has organised. It looks like being a good turn out and hopefully Faye will be attending herself and we’ll be able to raise a few bob for her nominated organisation http://www.postpals.org/
Obviously you’ll be able to read a report on the day here.
| Position | Peg | Angler | Weight | |
| 1st | Peg 28 | Alan(Al)Loader | 44lbs 08ozs | |
| 2nd | Peg 6 | Dean(Marvin Waggler)Kershaw | 26lbs 10ozs | |
| 3rd | Peg 3 | Jon(Mutley)Reed | 22lbs 10ozs | |
| 4th | Peg 21 | Colin(The Pike)Sharrard | 19lbs 12ozs | |
| 5th | Peg 24 | Geoff(geoffallday)Pearson | 14lbs 05ozs | |
| 6th | Peg 17 | Peter(Mugger)Morton | 8lbs 10ozs | |
| 7th= | Peg 4 | Tony(spamwham)Roberts | 7lbs 08ozs | |
| 7th= | Peg 8 | Mick(The Chippy)Pearson | 7lbs 08ozs | |
| 9th | Peg 20 | Dave(The Fish)Collier | 7lbs 03ozs | |
| 10th= | Peg 11 | Vince(VinceG)Gould | 6lbs 12ozs | |
| 10th= | Peg 26 | Bill(Zak Dingle)Gibbins | 6lbs 12ozs | |
| 12th | Peg 1 | Mick(OldCarper)Perry | 6lbs 01ozs | |
| 13th | Peg 2 | Keith(Chief)Wells | 5lbs 00ozs | |
| 14th | Peg 13 | Richard(DHLman)Pearson | 4lbs 06ozs | |
| 15th | Peg 10 | Kevin(KevtheCatch)Loveland | 2lbs 08ozs | |
| 16th | Peg 18 | Ryan(Zephyr)Wells | 1lbs 08ozs | |
| 17th= | Peg 19 | Pete(petemid)Midgley | DNW | |
| 17th= | Peg 12 | Mike(OmegaMike)Jameson | DNW | |
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