Boat 13. Unlucky this time

It was the odds and sods eliminators this weekend and I needed a real good day to go through.

Practice day was looking good, decent ripple and overcast. The fish were up and feeding in the top. My key learning's were Rectory Bay, Hedge end and G buoy were my key spots, Floater the top line and any flies with with a red head.

Mike Philpott was my practice partner and set me up as best he could finding the fish, the line and a good number of flies. After I started on the wrong gear I was playing catch up and with Mike bagging up by 2, I was only half hour behind him and catching up fast, after he had a few rests (It's the age you know). In fact I am sure one of these was actually mine as he had a double hook up without knowing it and after netting the first he was all tied up. So I gabbed the line from the net and played and landed the second. As you can see from the photo below he was highly delighted.

Hares ear, Charlie Chaplin, Daiwl Bach's and Crunchers were probably the best flies and it seemed strange that the fish must have been very deep and coming up for the flies as the intervening depths seemed devoid of fish. The fish were a decent standard and the 4lb 1oz rainbow below is my second best of the season

All in all a good day and I was ready.

Competition day and I was feeling confident. The wind had dropped and more sun than cloud but I was hoping that this would all be better for nymphing. My partner for the day was Paul Wild who is Treasurer for Rutland Fly Fishers and the FFMFA so was looking forward to something in common.

WE agreed on rectory Bay and as we stopped Paul flicked his flies out and had a fish, second cast the same and another. I wouldn't have minded but I was getting no interest. Another two fish for Paul in the next 40 minutes on Crunchers and I was left having no option but to change to the Slow intermediate with a booby and nymphs.

I had no luck what so ever, a couple of soft pulls but nothing of interest. At this point I was ruing my conversation with John Mees about boat 13 on two occasions and if I am honest my day was done at that time.

However the wind had picked up slightly and I decided to go with what I knew best and stick with it. The floater with a cormorant variant, Daiwl Bach, Cruncher and Charlie was put together and I stayed on it for most of the day and persevered. It was a good tactic and I started catching, not many but a fish, then another, then another and I was growing in confidence. It was a bit frustrating that they weren't coming quicker but it was amazing how the fish went off when the sun was out and then come on top with cloud. We were working around the clouds now and preparing, five, four, three two, one, yes there's a fish!! A cast across wind into its path, leave the line to settle and then a couple of long pulls and it all tightened and a fish was flapping about on the surface, hooked!

I do enjoy catching off the top and my only regret is that it wasn't faster.

While Paul had the fist 4, I had managed the next 6 so the luck was not with him either. We ended the day on 7 and 5 and thought we had done fairly well with no luck. However it is amazing what good company you are in when then were anglers all over sitting still - bagged up.

Edward and Brad had also struggled on the day but managed to go through to the National Final because of their Rutland placings. Richard Slater won the day with 8 fish for 23lb 6oz with time bonus and managed to finish 16th overall which should be enough to go through. Ash Cooper had a great day as well with 8 fish by 3pm. Stewart Thomson also had a good day finishing 3rd and 24th overall. Craig Barr came 4th and managed to take the overall top spot with just 7 points.

I managed another 27th place which was 24th overall without any luck. So next year i'll have to make my own luck and give it a go again.