Beukers Canal 

The Beukers canal was the venue for our second match. Here we fished on the opposite bank to where matches are usually fished due to the strong North Easterly wind. 

11.5 m today, and I'm using my Carp pole as there is some strong wind forecast.

I've fished the Beukers canal before, and there is a good head of fish present. 

The water was about 3.2 m at 6 m from the bank, and very slowly dropped off to about 3.3 m in the middle.

I checked the depth with my Deeper Sonar - this gives the guys a heads-up on how long their rigs need to be, e.g. top 3, top 4, etc. In the sonar image above, you can see a lot of small fish in yellow. The water was 11°C.

Martin on peg 5 to my right.

With top 3's needed for me (my top 3 is 4.5 m long) I set up three pole kits for the day. I also have the licence for 3 rods even though I only use one top kit at a time. Stupid rule. 

My peg for today. This time with plenty of chopped-worm.

I set up 3 pole rigs, a 4x16 Chianti, a 1.25 g Preston Inter Carbon and a 1.5 g Preston Power. The Inter Carbon had a tapered string of 5 number 10 stotz to a size 18 N20 hook. The Power was bulk down with two number 9 droppers to a size 16 N20 hook. 

As it turned out, I caught 95% of my fish on the Inter Carbon rig today. The fish wanted a slow fall in the last 30-40 cm of water. 

I topped up regularly with a ball of groundbait full of bait - most importantly chopped-worm, but also casters and dead pinkies/maggots.

Roger was last today with 6 lb 1 oz but he is still in second place overall.

Phil had 6 lb 13 oz today which included this nice Roach.

Martin weighed-in 9 lb 7 oz from end peg 5. He had an angler fishing opposite him for most of the day - casting out a feeder. That didn't help much.

Vince included this nice Roach in his catch of 11 lb 5 oz putting him second on the day and third overall.

I had a better size of Skimmers in my catch which I am sure is because I put much more chopped worm in my groundbait than the others did - it's a theory anyway.

With my catch of 12 lb 14 oz winning the day, it also pushed me into the lead over the two days.

With a win today, I went to the top of the leaderboard just 2 lb 8 oz ahead of Roger.

The standings after two days of fishing.