14.06.2012

Two Great Pole weights help me win the Arva Classic

Another great festival result for myself, in front after day 2, and never relinquishing the lead to finish 1st with 68.040 kgs Kevin Johnson was close behind all week, and finished 2nd overall with 56.730kgs, I had Rory O'Neill for company in my section all week, he is always hard to beat, this time i managed it, as Rory finished 3rd with a total of 55.790kgs.

The Arva Seniors Classic is a 5 day festival fished on a section rotation basis in Loughs and Lakes in the Arva area of County Cavan, Southern Ireland, its restricted to anglers of over 50 years, this year 66 anglers were competing.

My 1st day draw was to the right at Corfree, the sun was shining and the winds very light, I opted to fish my Z12 at 13 mts, cupping in 3 balls of groundbait laced with casters, and a cup full of chopped worms and maggots, loose feeding maggots over the top every cast, it was about 4mts deep, hookbait a single maggot on a size 16, i was soon catching roach and hybrids some on the drop, but most just a few inches off bottom, it was never brilliant but i kept them coming to finish with 96 fish for 12.600 kgs for 3rd on my lake. Bill Dodds won the day from Kevins Shore with 15.600kgs.

Kevins Shore was my day 2 section, it was raining and cold but the wind was not too strong, it was the pole again, this time at 11.5mts, 6 balls of groundbait at the start, plus cupping 2 really rich balls on top, loose feeding maggots over the top with a single red maggot on the hook, after a slow start I was soon catching well, roach hybrids and perch, my biggest hybrid must have been almost a 1kg and i finished with 145 fish for 17.690 kgs for 1st overall on the day.

Another big weight on day 3 saw me increase my lead, i was drawn on the left at Corfree, it was another perfect pole day,  with a depth of more than 4 mts, balling and then cupping in over the top, I was soon catching hybrids on the drop, loose feeding maggots helped keep them in my swim, the last hour was a bit slow but i had caught well for most of the match and finished with 17.240 kgs for 4th overall on the day, which was won by M Hargrieves from Kevins Shore with 20.600kgs.

Upper Gulladoo had been a tough section all week today was my turn, and what a nightmare start for me, not really a pole day, strong winds and heavy rain, still i opted to feed the pole line, cupping in 3 balls laced with maggots and casters also a cup of chopped worms, there had been some tench showing so i was hoping one might settle on my feed, i spent the first 15 minutes on the pole but no bites so I switched to the feeder, casting 70 mts as the bream and skimmers are usually a long way out here, after 2 hours not even a bite, everyone was catching fish but me i was definitely last in the section at this time, A switch to the pole, at last a bite a perch about 200 grams, then a roach, then I hooked a big fish which took about 10 minutes to land, a tench about 2 kgs things were looking up, then another big tench well over 2kgs this one took almost 20 minutes to land on my number 6 pure latex elastic, the pole line went quiet so back on the feeder, i decided to alter my line and came in 15mts what a wise choice as the tip started to go round and i caught 4 bream over a kg each in about 20 minutes and finished up winning the lake with 11.560kgs. Graham Frith won the day from Kevins Shore with 22.550 kgs.

Day 5 saw me on another tough section Lower Gulladoo, it was pole again, but conditions were horrendous, strong winds, driving rain and waves about 1ft high, my Z12 performed well, i could only fish at 11.5 mts but still managed to catch almost 100 small fish for just under 9kgs, Neil Mallinson won the day from Kevins Shore with 14.600 kgs.

Bob Nudd