Partridge Fisheries - Spey 21/08/11

For once the weather was going to behave itself and sunshine was promised all day. I got there in plenty of time and looked at the lake for the first time. Its was a canal type lake only 13 metres across and looked good for a few fish on all the pegs.
 I dew peg 15 and and had my mate Jeff Taylor on my right and an empty peg to my left. I set up a rig tight across for the pellet, a Hillbilly Slim Shady to 0.14 line to 16s Preston PR36 hook. I set the same Hillbilly rig up again for the margins and another Hillbilly this time a Shindig float set about 5ft deep down the track. Finally I set up a caster rig for up in the water across.

Jeff On Spey Canal, Partridge Fisheries

The Empty Peg Was My Margin Attack

On the all in I potted 4mm pellets across and in the near margin against the empty peg to my left. I started across on the pellet and it was hard going to say the least. A couple of quick bites, then a F1 carp was all I had in the first hour. I tried down the margin and only had one bite, down the track and never had a bite. I then tried the caster about 8 metres out and started getting a few roach but they weren't big enough to persevere. Jeff was struggling worse than me and had not had a fish at this stage. Nobody as far as I could see was doing much and it looked like the Trevalyon curse had struck again. After half the match I had about 3lb in the net.
 I then tried caster across and was rewarded with a ide. I didn't even know they were in the lake. I then got a roach and another ide so decided to switch up in the water across and get more ide. It was a good call and I was getting ide on a regular basis. This continued the rest of the match and I ended up 2nd with 22lb 11oz. Jeff in the meanwhile was heading for a blank but three late carp on corn gave him about 10lbs and he wish he'd done that earlier.
  Big Dave Brown had done the business again and had won with paste down the track weighing in 33lbs. He's had a cracking year and fully deserves to be our champion this year. Well done mate! His lad Dave junior was 3rd for the first time after being fourth in the previous match and it won't be too long before he's beating his old man.
After the match I sat behind Dave watching him fish the paste and like all good anglers he makes it look easy. I should really give it a more of a go instead of giving up on it after ten minutes.

Gary