Thursday 25th July was the last Carp-r-Us match before the annual August break. The intense heat of the past few weeks proves how necessary it is to have this break, several anglers having decided to miss the match, the 2024 Summer Cup, because the heat would be just too much. With reduced numbers, the match was held on just one section of El Bosquet, pegs 1a – 7. Ian Brown drawn on peg 1 got off to a good start using pole and pellet to catch carp. The fish were not shoaled and he had to search for them near and far. He caught on and off throughout the match to weigh in 12.56 kgs for second place. Neil McBirnie, the venue maestro, had an odd and hard day by his standards but still managed to win. Fishing pole and feeder with pellet on peg 5 he caught three large bass before the carp eventually moved into his swim. He weighed 18.54 kgs to win the match. Roy Dainty on peg 3 came third with 8.30 kgs which included some large mullet caught on bread flake. The bass are now making more of an appearance on this section. Around five years ago a few made their way into the section from the adjacent lake to which it is linked by a narrow pipe. Having to be small to swim through it, their voracious appetite has enabled them to stack on the weight. In fact, there is now a good head of large fish of all the main species such that light tackle is an absolute ‘no’.

Last week the club received the news that another ex-member, Peter Boorman, had sadly passed away. Pete was usually accompanied to matches by his with Sue but ill health forced him to stop fishing a few years ago. Our thoughts are with all the family.

The picture attached is of winner, Neil McBirnie