DAY ONE - SAT
Well it finally came that long awaited Nicholls Senior victory.
Anglers as usual headed to Orfe pegs 35 and 34. Pole with maggot, corn and pellet the chosen options.
Nicholls Senior at 8 metres and Nicholls Jr starting at about 10 metres, then 3 metres, then on feeder, then at 10 metres, then at 5 metres, no rigs , make rigs, change. And so you get the picture.
Early doors bits were picked up, roach, rudd, ide and perch. Slow doing for Nicholls Senior and chop and change for Nicholls Jr.
Nicholls Jr hit a carp close it and off it went, only to shed the hook after a few minutes. So with easy feeding at 3 metres, catching bits and missing a carp, out he went to 10 metres again? Catching the same bits but twice as much work and slower rate. Not happy!
12 noon came and the sun hit Nicholls Senior, with Nicholls Jr freezing in the shadow of the tree - was this a sign of things to come? Flu slowly taking hold of Nicholls Senior did not stop his determination. The King of Feeder was here.
Casting only about 20 metres he hit a carp after having a skimmer close in on pole, then another carp. He was pulling away 8lb plus in the net. Nicholls Jr responded by yet again changing to feeder and red maggots and three carp followed with less than an hour to go he had rescued it - or had he?
Nicholls Senior sensing it was slipping from his grasp hooked the winning fish a 4lb carp on red maggot sailed into the landing net. Nicholls Jr tried in vain to get something to match this carp but only bits followed.
At the weight in a steady feeder session without the chop and change had paid off.
Nicholls Senior 17 lb
Nicholls Junior 12 lb
Lesson learnt - stick at one thing, carp potentially further out in deeper water.
A rare moment of victory - is this the future has the gap closed that much?
DAY TWO - SUN
Scrapping the car at 7am wasn't the best sign for the day ahead.Overnight frost would make things difficult.
Today would be a different story. Firstly peg selection. In the sun on the other side. This paid for as soon as the sun was up. In a sun trap t-shirts were the option. Lovely. Pole was ignored and would later be seen as a mistake.
As flat as a pancake. Feeder at 25 metres. Spot on every time and building up a bed of bait. Bits and the odd stockie followed.
After a few hours it was clear he who caught carp would win. Nicholls Senior struggling to get a bite on anything. Nicholls Junior steady getting bits and the odd stockie all on red maggot. A change from three to one maggot pulled a few stockies in and the swim was alive with bubble. Pulling fish in but no indication of bites on a number of occasions. Why did we go for the feeder? It was still, warm and fish were on the top. The swim was alive with bubbles but bites couldn't be seen on the feeder! Pole and cup in would have been perfect for sensitive feeding. Oh well yet again live and learn.
Nicholls Junior 6lb
Nicholls Senior 2lb
A nice two days where the weather was good. Must be that Nicholson bloke that brings the rain with him.
