Telling's Times: Mick Telling

Peg 12

34lb

Section win

7th overall

20 fished

Going back to one of my old haunts, Wickwater 2 aka Staits Lake, on the South Cerney water. I've had some great matches years ago and I won't bore you with the old years. Hey' "don't look back, look forward". I had some fun times with the old man, especially on the Thursday night league, that was awesome. I did feel strange to fish this lake without him and I am getting a little emotional even writing this piece on him now.

The fishing match was a sell out and all 20 anglers turned up that was suppose to, so happy days. Expressed the rules and wanted to ensure everyone's nets were bone dry, especially with KHV out break. The weather was far from ideal, it was hot, really hot and the British weather has finally got good. I pegged the lake, which I knew was going to be a little difficult on the bottom bank, especially with overlap. I expressed my concern in my opening/ welcoming speak and that I wanted "everybody to enjoy it, and be mindful of casting especially on the bottom bank, and it's only a fishing match"..... I got Matt Greaves son Finlay to drew me a peg, peg 12, which was the bottom bank with the wind bowling into it, couldn't ask for more of a peg?!

The match started with me feeding to pole lines at 6 meters and 13 meters, short line pellets and paste and long line pellets only. Chucked the pellet feeder 20 yards, on my trustee Colmic Next Adventure 60 and unfortunately it sat there, no liners nothing , but had a couple of small carp crash in the edge, so decided to chuck the pellet feeder into the corner after a quick look on pole. Things were looking bleak after 40 mintues and Glen Picton had a couple of carp on the Waggler, and Andy Burns also switched to Pellet Waggler and caught. I'd been pinging, my waggler/ bomb line for about thirty mintues and after Martyn Howard taking the pi$$ out of me, I chucked the bomb round, ate my salad and too my surprise the rod got dragged in!! Unfortunately, the peg never took off, and had two quick bites on the pole, which result in one lost carp, a 6lber at the net and his smaller brother instantly followed. This was looking grim for me, frustrating, but enjoyable. I had 7 tiny carp and 8 roach for 34lb, which wasn't enough to get me through, I lost two carp on the bomb, one pulled out instantly and other half my back. Gutting, this match meant more to me than the Fish O Mania qualifiers.... didn't get through.

Always next year.

Top 5

Andy Burns 84lb

Steve Rich 42 lb

Cliff Dutton 41lb 8oz

Glen Picton 41lb 2oz

Terry Hicks 39lb 12oz

At the moment we have raised £1572 (20/07/16) for cancer research which is fantastic amount of money. So cheers fellers.

Gear used...

Colmic Scrape range, Colmic Adventure 60, 11 foot, Colmic Zartan 400 reel. Method line, 0.20 and X5000 0.18 hooklength.