.......I'm one big fish.....

I was going to blip my 4 1/2 pound Bream from today's match...but in the end I thought Shaun and his 15lb Carp deserved it more!

We went for an early start this morning, up at 5.30, breakfast at McD's, draw at 8.00, match "All in" at 9.00. I started with the tip rod, first cast.....a bite on luncheon meat...but I missed it because Shaun was still banging on about Chelsea last night. For the next two hours I tried everything but not a touch...and it wasn't because I had my tactics wrong because Shaun beside me wasn't getting bites either.

I put the rod away and switched to the pole...another hour with no bites....I tried luncheon meat, sweetcorn, worm, chopped worm..in the end in sheer desperation I said to Shaun, "I'm going on maggots, because I'm bloody well catching something before this match ends". Treble maggots ...not a touch.......double maggots not a touch....eventually I went to single maggot....the smallest bait possible and caught a few tiny Roach.

About 3 1/4 hours into the match Shaun suddenly said, " Oh you little b.....big bugger", he'd hooked into a big fish......30 seconds later my float dipped and I picked up....a big fish. Shaun was struggling to keep his fish under control, it was all over the pond and his elastic was tight as a bow string....there was a real danger that if it came too far into my swim our lines would cross and we could both lose our fish...so I worked extra hard and landed my Bream in about five minutes. I put my pole down and let Shaun get on with it...he took over 20 minutes to land this beauty...he had to borrow a landing net because his wasn't big enough.....I had to hold the net for him because the fish was in danger of escaping...obviously the rest of the boys shouted "encouragement".

After he'd landed it there was just over an hour left....I caught four or five decent roach....Shaun eventually confessed that he had caught the big Carp on maggot as well! You don't think he'd copied me do you?

Shaun ended up third in the match....didn't even find out where I came...just glad to have caught something good.

Soon be time for some dinner and then a beer or two.

Das vidanya moy padruga.