Oude Ijssel - Hoog-Keppel - 14.04.2017
Today I went up to the fish on the Oude Ijssel in Hoog-Keppel with Roger and Nico.
They are both fishing a Federation Qualifying match there tomorrow, but I can't as I'm too old! I'm classed as a Veteran (over 55) now, so can't fish in some federation matches.
Nico fished on peg 7, Roger on peg 8 and I dropped in on peg 9. The wind is OK and it's dry - a good start.
I set up to fish the pole at 13 m and short at 4 m. Two rigs on the 13 m line where I had about 3.8 m of water. A 3 g DH13 for worm with a size 16 B560, and a 1.5 g Des Shipp Inter Carbon for maggot/caster with a red size 18 B512.
Short, I used a Drennan AS5 0.8 g float, 4 m to hand, 0.09 mm bottom and size 20 B512 - set at 1.5 m depth.
I made up some simple groundbait - a 50/50 mix of Secret and Expo - and added some dead maggots, caster and dead Joker.
Roger and Nico are fishing with Bloodworm and Joker, but I just have some old frozen Joker that I've added to the groundbait - no Bloodworm for me today.
I started by cupping-in 2 balls with some concentrated food and then balled-in 6 more balls. Roger and Nico balled-in about 10 balls of Joker in Leam.
I started short, throwing in a small nugget of groundbait every few minutes. After 20 minutes I hadn't had a bite. Nico had caught some small fish already but like me, Roger was also bite-less.
I changed to 13 m and after another hour, switching between rigs, I still hadn't had a bite. I was still feeding the short line, so went back for another go - nothing!
After switching lines regularly, feeding at 13 m and 4 m eventually I had a bite - at 4 m. Then, for the next 5 minutes I had a battle with a Tench.
On No. 6 slip elastic it put up a good fight and I didn't have much control. I added the No. 4 and 5 sections and it was OK.
Yes! Battle Won!
It was great to eventually be able to slip the net under it. It went 1.46 kg - or 3 lb 4 oz.
Not big, but more than welcome. It took a single maggot.
I decided to to stay short to see if there were any other fish there, and within 5 minutes I had another Tench on.
This one was a bit smaller at 1.12 kg - but who cares about weight when bites are hard to get.
Shortly after that I decided to try out at 13 m again but there was just nothing out in the deeper water. A quick try short before packing in brought no further bites.
I think Nico and Roger are going to have a hard day tomorrow. There are two 13-peg sections and you have to be in the top 3 in each section to qualify for the National Final. Unless you catch some big Bream and Tench I don't think you will qualify.
I was lucky to catch the two Tench. Nico had a dozen fish and Roger four. The weather forecast for tomorrow is a bit like today with perhaps more Sun - so the short line might work.
Roger and Nico are both prepared for the match - now all that's left for me to do is to wish them GOOD LUCK!
