Drennan Bordon’s Tyrone Hull reflects on his two days competing in the Drennan Knockout Cup Final at Docklow Pools.
After a successful series of qualifiers spanning rivers, canals and commercials, clocking up countless miles in midweek traffic and a hefty bait bill, unbelievably I somehow found myself preparing to fish the Final of one of the most prestigious events in the match angling calendar! Here’s an insight into how it went…
I had managed to get a few days practice on Docklow Pools’ Match Pool in the run up to the competition, and as the two-day event was on the same lake both days, I was confident I had a good idea of how to approach it. What struck me most during practice was that it was fishing HARD! Matches ran by local residents were being won with low weights, and this was to prove an important insight into how it would fish on the two days for the final.
The matches on the venue were normally fished from 11 to 5 o’clock and the resident carp liked to put in an appearance around late afternoon. The fish here grow big, especially in the margins, and a positive feeding approach was necessary to get the best results.
The Match Pool is a shallow lake, average depths are between 3ft and 4ft, with the lower numbered pegs six or so inches deeper in places. It is also a silty venue due to the surrounding foliage, so it paid to be careful about how you fed.
I had worked out through practice, but also by speaking to previous finalists, that hemp was by far the most productive bait to feed and normally fishing small pieces of corn or worm head over the top brought plenty of bites. If you fed too much the swim ‘fizzed’ like crazy and you foul-hooked fish – but don’t feed enough and the silver fish would eat it all before it gets to the bottom! It was important to judge things right to maximise the potential of the swim.
Rigs needed to be light, so Drennan AS3 in 0.2g, 0.3g and 0.4g and also Drennan AS1 in 0.3g were set up, plus Malman Roobs for down the edge in a 4×12 size. All rigs were tied to 0.18mm main line with the exception of the edge rig where I used 0.19mm. My hooklengths were 0.14mm and my go to starting hook was a size 14 Kamasan B911X. Although I was prepared to drop down if necessary, the shear variety of species in the lake meant I wanted to make sure I landed everything I hooked!
On my edge rig I fished a super strong Drennan Wide Gape in a 14 to 0.17mm hooklength, allowing me to swap and change between different baits. Shot wise, a bulk and two droppers was best in practice but I had set up a few ‘strung bulk’ rigs, covering my options. For elastic it was white Hydro for my long rigs and stronger pink Carp Bungee for down the edge.
Also, in practice the islands had proved unproductive so I felt it would undoubtedly be a pole dominated match. I would still set rods up just in case, but my main attack would be based around a 14.5m line with hemp and corn, a short top 2 plus one line with hemp and 6mm meat and lastly a margin line where I would feed hemp, pellet and caster.
My plan was to feed two lines at 14.5m; one negative through a toss pot and one more positive but both with hemp, alternating between corn and worm hookbaits. I would also ping 8mm pellets to the island and start here on the waggler in the hope of snaring a carp or two. Later on in the match I would then feed my short lines aggressively in the hope of extracting some of the lake’s ‘larger’ residents!
The Draw
Day One soon arrived and the four finalists (Tom Scholey, Matt Derry, Pete Goodman and I) were eagerly awaiting the draw at 8am. Unfortunately due to Matt needing to leave early for England duty in the Home International, the match times were brought forward to 10am to 3pm. This would prove pivotal as normal matches on the venue were fished from 11am to 5pm. This was going to ultimately affect our judgement of the fishes’ feeding habits.
All competitors had been practicing hard in the run up to the final and were confident. We all knew peg 8 was going to be the fancied peg to draw, especially on the first day, as it would probably give whoever drew it the edge going into the second day. I was last to draw and ended up on 26 which was on the left hand bank, opposite the furthest island from the car park. It was the shallower side of the lake. To my right I had Pete for company.
Opposite was Tom who had drawn peg 8, and in front of his peg was a large shoal of carp that were ‘gobbing’ leaves off the surface! My heart sank as he could potentially have a huge weight judging by how many fish were in front of him. Matt was drawn on peg 6 to his left which also looked very productive. Fortunately the format was to rotate the pegs the following day to try and make it as fair as possible, thus giving each competitor a second bite of the cherry!
All In!
The 10am start soon flew around and it was ‘all in’! I started by pinging 8mm pellets to the island and fishing a straight loaded Crystal Waggler just off the point. I flogged this for around 30 fruitless minutes before I gave up and went on my 14.5m line.
I kinder potted a small amount of hemp and fished a piece of corn on the hook, and waited… Looking around the lake I hadn’t seen a fish come out yet! A few indications on my float signalled a few fish were in my swim and minutes later the float dipped and I had a 1lb F1 on. By this time Tom had started to catch, Matt had also snared a carp on the waggler.
Things were noticeably slower for both Pete and I and we just couldn’t compete with the other two competitors in this early stage. After three hours I had around 20lb in the net, but from this point things started to heat up a little. As the sun broke through, this spurred the fish into feeding and I started to get more and more indications in my swim. Meanwhile I had been feeding my short top 2 plus one line with hemp and corn, and my margin line, too, heavily for the last hour.
I had a carp of around 7lb followed by a few larger F1s in quick succession. This boosted my weight significantly and I started to feel I was back in it again. I was itching to try my short lines as if these came good I was sure I could amass a good weight going into the next day.
The time came to try them at 2pm with one hour left. I slipped a piece of corn on the hook and dropped it short… no indications; a motionless float! I quickly had a look down the margin… nothing!
Back on my long line and there was, thankfully, some bites to be had. I rotated between all the lines to the end of the match, but the short lines never produced as much as a quiver on the float tip! The ‘all out’ came at 3pm. I felt I had done the best I could from the peg, and had amassed a decent weight to carry over into the second day.
I tipped a hard-earned 51lb onto the scales, followed by Pete’s 33lb, Matt’s 58lb and a superb 79lb from Tom. Nobody was completely running away with it going into Day Two and it was all to play for. I felt that any of us could still win it!
On getting back to my room I had a quick look at the weather for that night and into the next day. The conditions were to change and we were in for a cold night, potentially a frost and bright conditions in the morning. Not ideal, and a dramatic change from the slightly warmer night and overcast conditions from the previous day. But would it affect the fishing?
Day Two
I woke at 7am the next morning to find indeed it was cold. I had a quick walk around the lake to find it flat calm and no leaves on the water at all and very little fish movement too! Very different from the previous day I must admit.
The 8am draw soon came around and after a quick bacon sarnie we did the final day’s draw. I wanted peg 8 as I felt this was the only way I could catch up with Tom’s 30lb lead. I was happy to draw it out of the bag, leaving peg 6 for Pete. Tom had drawn Pete’s peg from the previous day which was obviously not as prolific, meaning he may struggle to hold onto a lead. Matt had drawn my peg from the first day, 26, so it was ‘game on’ and could be anyone’s for the taking!
I knew in the back of my mind that it wouldn’t fish as well as the previous day. I decided to try and maximise the potential of lines I would choose, and not set too much gear that may waste time. I ruled the island out as it didn’t produce yesterday for anyone. Two 14.5m lines with hemp and corn, a short top 2 plus one line, I would feed this with 6mm meat and hemp. Also, a margin line that I would feed heavy in the last hour to my right.
During set up I also had a few carp topping for leaves on peg 12. Unfortunately there was a large thick branch overhanging my peg and with the small waggler that was required I couldn’t reach them!
The ‘all in’ sounded and I immediately picked up the shallow waggler and tried to pick off a few from the shoal I could see on 12. This wasn’t particularly successful and proved to be frustrating and almost torturous at times as I couldn’t reach the fish! I didn’t plunder it for too long and didn’t let it bother me too much.
Things were very slow to start as expected but it was the same for everyone. I started to pick a few fish off my long lines and come the second hour I had around 20lb. It was at this stage that things started to go wrong. I started to foul-hook carp; three in a row in fact. They seemed to be in the peg but not willing to feed.
Time was ticking away but I didn’t seem to be able to string any fish together. By the fourth hour I had a welcome 5lb carp, plus a few more 2lb F1s to add to my weight.
I had started feeding my short lines an hour previously, so I dropped my rig in on them for the first time. I needed it to go under if I was to catch the weight required to win. A few quivers on the float and it went under with an F1. Not what I was hoping for but welcome nonetheless. I dropped back in and had to wait ages for another bite.
In vain I tried my margin line, nothing. I then when out on my long 14.5m line again and immediately hooked another carp, this kited off to the right at speed, foul-hooked no doubt, and the rig came back at speed and formed a bird’s nest around my top kit! Half an hour to go and I just had to switch between all my lines and hope.
The Final Weigh In
When the all out sounded I knew straight away that what I had caught wasn’t enough. Tom and Matt had both had better matches on the opposite bank. I can only put this down to the sun warming the water quicker and more fish were willing to feed over that side. Pete to my right was really unlucky both days and had drawn away from the fish yet again. Matt had fished a good match, catching from a variety of different lines, albeit only small fish.
Weigh in time and Pete was first, putting a hard-earned 30lb on the scales. Next, I tipped 41lb on the scales, giving me a combined weight of 92lb. I followed the scales round to Matt Derry who weighed in 42lb and straight away that was me out of it. Matt finished with a combined weight of 101lb.
It was going to be too close to call on who was going to win it, Matt or Tom? Tom tipped 27lb on the scales of very small worm and caster fish, mixed with the odd F1. This left him with a combined weight of 106lb and the deserved winner. Well done Tom who fished a great two days – the Drennan Knockout Champ 2015!
It has to be said how close the Final was and anyone could have won it. There is no doubting I had the chance to do the business but it wasn’t to be. What I have learned from this experience and just being at the Final of this superb competition was an honour in itself and I hope to repeat it next year – all the way this time!
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those that supported me over the two days via social networking and texts, including my ‘fishing widow’ girlfriend Ella of course who puts up with the constant matches, practice sessions and endless rig tying! My team mates who fish for Drennan Bordon and believed that I could win it! Colin Bartlett who kept me informed on the second day who was catching and how. Special thanks must also go to Steve Barnett at Bordon Angling Centre who supplied me with all my bait needs, his generosity was much appreciated.
Thanks must also go to the Match Fishing magazine team and Docklow Pools for hosting a brilliantly run competition. Thanks to Drennan for their continued and very generous sponsorship which allows the competition to be run year after year.
Tight lines!