Maggotdrowning.com Midland Individual Championship Match
Me and Gem had our names down to fish. This year the match was being run by Alan (Genus9) instead of Vince who normally runs this event.
I woke up at 7.30 and was dressed and downstairs making a brew for me and Gem before she had even opened her eyes
I wanted to leave at 7.45 but by the time Gem came down it was nearer 8am we left (Typical Doyle) After a nice hour's drive we arrived at the fishery. We were last to arrive...thanks Gem
The cafe was full of familiar faces and some new one's. I paid my pools and the draw got underway. Numbers were placed in envelopes and then placed on the table and we all took our pick. I came away with peg 3 and Gem got peg 12.
I got to Gems peg and dropped her gear off and drove down to my peg. To say I was happy would have been an understatement
That was until I got a rig in the water and found I had 2 foot of water in front of me at 5 meters, 4 inches in the margins and 1 and a half foot topkit length out. The water level of the lake was very low indeed :( :(Here are some pics of my end of the lake
Fish4alaff to my left.
Bagger Pritchard on the Beast Peg 1
Alf on peg 2
My peg was about 6 meters out over the water, jetty style. I was less than impressed with the construction of it. Just walking on it made it flex and rock. Everytime I moved my topkits fell in the pool and everytime I landed a fish my landing net handle knocked my top kits in. No room at all
My bait today was simple like me....6 pints of bronze maggot. I was fishing for anything that swims and not just targeting the carp and F1's like everyone else. Caster and meat had been catching a lot of fish but I decided to stick with maggot.
I was fishing just my topkit length out where it was only 1 and a half foot deep, I would have liked another foot or 2 but hey ho. I started dead depth with single maggot and had a little skimmer right away followed by another and then a perch and then a roach. This was shortly followed by Gems Scream signalling her first carp
I was constantly feeding 3 or 4 maggots and this kept the fish coming. They were small fish but they all weigh 
I tried coming half depth which resulted in a slow down of bites so I put the rig back and started catching again. I was still carpless after an hour but had plenty of silvers. Everyone else around me was getting plenty of carp. Clive on peg 1 (where the big carp were) was having plenty of action and red hydro was coming from his topkit regularly. Shallowman (Venue Expert
) was also flying along, his landing net handle was glowing red lol.I finally got my first carp by feeding heavier and then it was catch up time. Fishing just my topkit meant I could catch quite quickly and soon started building my weight up. 6 hours later and Alan shouted the all out and my wobbly cheeks was quite numb having not fished a 6 hour match before
I was quite happy as I had also caught my first barbel, I had managed 3 of them all about 1lb - 1 and half lb. I know it was not from a river but its still a friggin barbel where ever it was caught from 
I was using a Jon Walker pencil float, 0.13 powerline, tubertini 808 size 18 and black hydro today by the way.
On to the weigh in and I was sure that bagger Clive had beaten and was even more convinced when he put a fine 80lb on the scales having being first to be weighed in. I lifted my first net out and was quite surprised at how much was in there :D it went 43lb and then I pulled out my second net and again had a little grin to myself as I thought it was about the same and that went 44lb odd giving me a total of 87lb 11oz Sorry Clive I thought I had less than that
Gem weighed in 22lb and managed to beat (me)Si of the next peg when he put 20lb on the scales.
Me weighing in
Me and Clive following the weigh in
Match organiser Alan Weighing in
Keith (Shallowman) weighing in another ton weight
Alan thought he was in 3rd place, I loved the look on his face when I told him I had beaten him, he thought I had 82lb
After the weigh in was complete it was back to the cafe for the presentation. Well supposed presentation
Everyone had gone home and only 5 people were left at the end. Poor form imo as all other MD matches I have fished everyone stays till the end to see the results and watch the presentation, must have been past everyone's bedtimes 
ahh well never mind....First and second place. Shallowman and silverslug, Fair to say Venue Experts also
[/img]Well done lads
Me, third place.
Clive, A section winner by default
Pole Addict, Section Winner.
Alan won the other section by 1 oz but was camera shy
Had a great day and it made a nice change from fishing for 10lb'ers at rolfs. Very well done to Alan on running a great match thank you.
Thanks to Clive for some great fun in our mini match
Please remember if Clive's moustache is moving, he is lying
Final results....
1st Silver slug 103.4
2nd Shallowman 101.6
3rd Simple 87.11
4th Genus9 82.5
5th Floatfisher Jnr 82.4
6th Clive 80.6
7th MickeyM 71.5
8th Gary West 67.7
9th Pole Addict 58.5
10th Alf Gillard 56.11
11th Neil of the Nene 54.9
12th Badpegpicker 51.14
13th Brian the Fish 41.1
14th Kieth74 34.9
15th Fish4alarf 28.5
16th Nemesis 22.7
17th Gemma 22.0
18th Me 20.7
19th BME Threw back, Suffered a terrible day,
Section A Clive 80.6
Section B Pole Addict 58.5
Section C Genus9 82.5
Drawbag 
