15 July 2012, Pond 4 (MBK Coloured Ponds)

After quite a few days of rain it was nice to have a dry sunny day - this time on lakes 3 and 4 on the MBK Coloured Ponds complex in Rake, West Sussex. I drew on the far side of lake 4, one peg from the south east corner - as the lakes at Coloured Ponds are essentially rectangles with pegs on the two long banks the corner pegs really do dominate, so like everybody else I was really hoping to draw one (so near yet so far)!

Pole floats used today

As it is probably 50m from bank to bank I only set-up the pole at the start, five rigs in all:

1) On the deck at 13m with a 4x14 KC Carpa Chimp on 0.17 Reflo Power into 0.13 and a size 18 B911

2) Shallow with a 4x10 KC Carpa Shelf on 0.13 Reflo Power into 0.13 and a size 18 B911 (eyed with a pellet band)

3) On the deck at 5m with a 4x12 KC Carpa Chimp on 0.17 Reflo Power into 0.15 an a size 14 B911 (eyed)

4) Right margin with a 4x10 Preston Durafloat Plus 6 on 0.19 straight through to a size 14 Guru MWG hook

5) Left margin as number 4 above

I started with rig number 1 on the deck at 13m but could only catch tiny (2 ounce) skimmers and micro perch on chopped worm and caster, so I soon switched to rig number 2 in order to try and catch shallow with pellets at 14.5m. Despite seeing plenty of cruising carp I never had a bite on it! Next up was meat on the 5m line - with the same result!!!

Straight lead gear

As a result after 2 hours I had about 2lb in the net and was going nowhere fast so I decided to set-up a straight lead rod and started flicking 8mm pellets in groups of 4 to about 20m. This turned-out to be a great move as I caught on it steadily through to the end of the match, and with the exception of one carp caught on the pellet waggler I had the majority of my weight on it.

Meat and corn for the edge

Unfortunately despite feeding heavily to the right margin with meat & corn and to the left with 2 kilos of Sonubaits krill groundbait I had no margin munters today!

In the end my 46-10-0 was enough for second on the lake and fourth overall. Well done to Brian Stevens who every time I looked-up (he was pegged virtually opposite me) was playing a big carp hooked from his left margin and won the match by miles!

Link to MBK Leisures website