**********SPECIAL REPORT********** LAKEVIEW FISHERY, Melton Mowbray, 26/4/12 ~ Living the Fisho Dream

As some of you already know, several of our members like to enter the Fishomania qualifiers and, more recently, the Maver Match This. Following allocation of tickets, news was that Pete Lucas had been offered 6 opportunities to fish while John Edwards and Neil Paterson only got one each. As fate would have it they all received tickets for the qualifier at Lakeview Fishery in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
About 6 weeks ago Pato mentioned to me that he had a day off on the Friday prior to his match on the Saturday, and he was considering a practice session. With tongue very much in cheek, I replied that if he took a lieu day on the Thursday prior he would be able to have 2 days practice. Surprisingly he gave me the nod so I went surfing for accomodation and booked the Premier Inn at Loughboro, with a twin room costing £29 per night and 'all you can eat' breakfast an optional extra at £8. So for £23.50 each per night, we had B&B.
I immediately texted Sumo and The Maestro with details of our plan. A positive response was returned, so we now had a mini practice festival because the fishery allows keepnets for pleasure anglers too!
Thursday morning came and we decided to call at the angling superstore that is 'Nathans of Derby' on route. It was like being kids in a sweet shop, such was the array of tackle on offer. I splashed out and bought a packet of hooks, while the others bought all sorts of must-have equipment including some branded clothing so they would fit in with the sponsored megastars that attend fishomania. Pato is now Senseless, while Sumo is Garbagelino.
We arrived at Lakeview about 11am, and met up with Lucas, who had already tackled up on one of the noted fliers. The rest of us drew for nearby pegs and agreed to fish from around noon until 6pm.
Pato fished mainly to the island at 13metres with banded pellet. He had a bit of a 'mare, losing as many F1s as he landed, but ended up with 30lb. Lucas messed about with bread and paste to catch mostly gudgeon for a couple of hours, before finding the carp with pellet, fished shallow at around 10metres. He weighed in a credible 32lb. Sumo fished a few lines, ranging from 3metres to 13 tight to the island. He found F1s and proper carp to about 3lb and totalled 53lb odd. I thought about fishing to the island and had to have a lie down. Recovering quickly, I decided on the opposite, and just got out a top2 kit. With quite a steep slope in front, it came to over five feet at 4metres, so i fished half way down in about 3 and a half feet. Micro pellet and a few grains of corn went in at the 'ten oclock' angle while a ball of groundbait and a handful of maggots went in at two oclock. After a few initial gudgeon and a change to 3 maggots on the hook, I caught a few F1s and a decent skimmer. I tried the corn line and added about 8 good sized F1s before switching back to maggot. For some reason I thought I'd give it a go about a foot deep, so moved the float down the line rather than set up another rig. Amazingly, after two roach shallow I started getting F1s to nearly 3lb, all on my top kit a foot deep! I ended up winning the first practice session with 66lb.
The evening saw us discussing the day's events, and plans for Friday in an Indian restaurant over a few beers (and lemonade for me). Amongst many topics, Sumo mentioned he felt it was important to have duplicates of each rig ready in case of tangles, etc. We agreed it was a fantastic meal, and a great end to a great first day.
With ten lakes being used in Fisho, we had to try another. The vote was that we fish 4 hours on one lake, then literally turn our gear round and fish another lake, immediately behind, for four more hours in the afternoon.
The morning was a miserable affair, with persistent rain and a cold wind making life very uncomfortable. Pato had learned from the day before, and adjusted his feeding. Instead of foul-hookers and lost fish, he put a healthy number of mirrors and commons in the net from his 13metre line, and totalled 36lb for an easy win. I fished short again, and managed a mix of cruies and F1s for 19lb and a distant 2nd.
As we turned round, the wind was now at our backs, and the rain finally eased off. Getting a bit cocky after some success, I again decided to fish ultra-short. After half an hour, and no fish, I was in danger of a battering as the others were catching readily at 12metres to the far bank. The Maestro was catching one a bung on maggot, all small F1s. Sumo was also bagging small F1s on banded pellet, as was Pato. I eventually succumbed and unhappily went out to 12metres with corn. The chase was on.
Final weights, which were all F1 nets, showed the following result:- Lucas 24lb, Pato 26lb, Sumo 31lb odd, and I managed to claw back the early deficit to weigh 34lb. Amid much banter, the main highlight was when Sumo announced that he'd wrecked 8 rigs during the session, due to tangles. The amusing response was that the trouble with duplicates is.... if you make one crap rig, they all end up being crap!
We found a cheap 'carvery' pub for our evening meal and had some more beers and a superb roast, with the two big fellas going kingsize, while Sumo (surprise) and I went regulation. Pato even had room for an ice cream. Whilst outside for a fag, Pato was invited, by a delightful lady, to join her in town for a few drinks and a dance. However, being the consumate professional, he declined the offer, telling her he had a big fishing match the following morning. What dedication, the man is a true legend.
And so on to match day. Lucas gave breakfast a miss due to nerves, and must have left in time to be at the fishery by 7am. The rest had the 'all you can eat' meal in the hotel and we arrived at the fishery around 8.15.
Wow! the car park can be so intimidating. Everyone is decked in branded clothing from top to bottom, and then you spot the stars. The Ringer family, Jon Arthur, and a host of other top anglers. There, in the corner, is the Sky cameras trying to capture the atmosphere. The queue forms for the draw, and it's your turn at the bag of dreams. Lucas picks out an end peg on the lake we had fished on Friday afternoon. He's grinning from ear to ear, while we try to give him a sense of reality. Section win at best, the fish are too small. He toddles off happily. Pato draws on a smaller lake which has just one section (of 10). Arriving at the lake, the pegging looks cramped, and another section win seems the best hope.
Finally Sumo, and he looks delighted as he arrived at his chosen peg, on a lake reported to throw up a likely winner. With most of his tackle at the peg, a voice is heard, "is that peg 21, Serpent?". Sumo froze....he checked his ticket......21 OASIS......oh no! In best little britain voice, "dont want that peg, want THAT one"
Shifting all his gear to his actual alloted peg, John thought the 'new' peg looked even better.
I tried to decide who to sit behind, as bank walking during the match just wouldnt be right. From Sumo's peg I could visit Lucas without upsetting anyone, and from there I could get to Pato and stand about 10yards behind him, on the wrong side of a fence.
I started at Sumo's peg.
The hooter went at 11am and with all around him shipping big pots out all over the lake, John ships over to the island with a pinch of micros and a 6mm pellet on a band. He tipped the micros in and gently lowered his rig in. The float carried on going and it was fish on. What a start, as a pound and a half carp graced the net. Next two put-ins produced the same, and even I started dreaming of the Cudmore final. An hour later and John added fish number four to his collection. Talk about an anti-climax. He added another soon after and at 12.30, I went to see Pato.
Grueller was the description offered. He'd had 3 carp but lost four more, and the lake was not fishing well. I watched for twenty minutes, saw Neil's float twitch only twice, and went to find Lucas.
A familiar tale, with 3 small F1s in the first 3 chucks, and nothing since, Pete was going nowhere fast too. I gave it half an hour, and couldn't bring him any luck so it was back to Pato.
During my absence, Neil had now moved on to 7 fish and was in buoyant mood. I left him to concentrate and started talking to a fishery regular who was stewarding. His summary was as follows:- Pato's lake had not been fishing well, and a recent open match had been won with 15lb. Lucas was on a decent peg for that particular lake, but as we suspected, the fish were too small to compete. Finally, Sumo was, by the fishery owner's admission, on the worst lake on the complex, which really did need some new stock.
Back at John's peg, he'd had just 1 more fish in the 2 hours I'd been gone, and was talking about the walk of shame. "No disgrace in that" was my reply, as on my earlier travels, I'd spotted the legendary Steve Ringer putting all his gear into the van for an early dart.
With half an hour to go, Sumo became the fourth angler on his lake to pack up early, and tip back his 6 fish. Lucas had ended with 8 fish and his section was won with 18lb. Meanwhile, Pato weighed in with 14lb odd and had finished second on the lake, behind the winner with 25lb. No money, but Neil had fished a tidy match and was happy with his effort.
I was disappointed for the lads, but had lived the Fisho dream without the personal disappointment of bombing out, and I still had £25 in my wallet. In all honesty, the £25 is not a waste of money, as it gives you a chance to take part and it's a fantastic thing to be part of. The whole complex had been hard due to the weather and volume of anglers on the banks, with 65lb being enough to win and qualify for the final. Someone's dream lives on.