Well it was welcome back to Snetterton again this year for the 9th annual event. The weather was set fine and I had booked a days holiday on the Friday only to discover it was half term and I was off for the week.
Peter Jacobs (PJ) was the first to arrive as he tagged a day on the front of the get together as a result of bidding for a 48hr ticket donated by Les from the previous year. Having walked around the lake with Peter, he chose his swim and I then set about helping unload his mountain of gear. Peter certainly likes to fish in comfort.
I set up the communal porta potty, Peter had brought his own with him among all his other paraphernalia, and the Gazebo.
 |
|
Peter blending into the background with |
I joined Peter the next morning and slowly set up my swim, although I held off fishing until most had arrived, mind you I couldn’t wait for Windy, he arrived in the dark at gone 10pm. Having driven past us like the late Colin McCrae, only to stop when he was contacted on his mobile. He then chose a great pothole to partly park in, thus distorting his chassis so that his boot wouldn’t close.
Cakey got unavoidably delayed until the next morning and we finally had nine, Mark the Spark cried off late due to work commitments as did Craig. So the assembled crowd was finally, PJ, Cakey, Sandra, Keona and Buddy, Les and Chris, Sash, Wayne (aka Thrush) and Cecil, Windy, Trevor and myself.
Several fish were caught prior to the match including a huge tench that a certain carp angler didn’t bother to weigh, but by all accounts would have pushed the scales round well into double figures. Don’t worry Thrush I won’t say it was you.
Cecil had a tench prior to the match as did PJ, Trevor and myself. Evan had 3 tench outside the match and Sash had a pike of 12-13lbs, five tench up to 7lbs 5oz and 3 small eels having seen a 5-6lb specimen in the margins.
So the match started with no carp having been caught and not many showing. The weather held fine, just ask Les, he was opposite me, completely shielded from a cooling NE wind and with the sun in his face. Before he finally retreated half way into the woods I saw him through the binoculars with a towel over his head with a hat on top of that.
By the time the evening BBQ started and all rods were withdrawn several more tench were caught, but no carp. At the start of the match it was agreed that if no carp showed the biggest tench would win as they were certainly feeding.
 |
| Great barbeque with NOTHING cremated – for a change! |
The BBQ, what a fantastic job Wayne and Cecil did between them, shopping for all the grub and cooking, I’ll repeat that, cooking NOT cremating a great BBQ. Sausages, burgers, chicken kebabs, spicy chicken kebabs, spare ribs and loads of salads, dressings and sauces. We were joined by Karen the lake owner and her daughter and her friend, unfortunately James Karen’s husband couldn’t make it.
I am so pleased that a couple of locals, Barbara and Joe, popped in to see us during the BBQ. Our James spent a lot of time fishing near them up the lakes and in fact celebrated his 22lb carp, the evening before his death, with them over a cup of tea. Joe also took a smashing photo at the time, a photo that is dear to our hearts.
Thanks also to PJ, Windy and Les who donated varying amounts and types of alcohol between them. The ‘TEA’ was very nice Windy.
The BBQ over it was back to the rods and shortly after that some fairly heavy rain. The night was quiet for me and several others, although Sash seemed to have found ‘Tench City’.
The morning arrived bright and dry and the tench were still switched on. I ended up with 3 rods fished close in, about 1.2 /2 rod lengths and the fish went mad for an hour or so I had 9 or 10 runs and six tench on the bank. Cecil had three more tench to 7lbs 8oz, Peter none, Wayne none (how I wished he had weighed that huge tench). Les had a jack pike to show for his efforts, Cakey was next to Peter and also missed out on the action. Trevor had one tench to 4lbs, Sash had ten in the match to 7lbs 1oz, one eel and a bream of around 6lbs. When I asked Evan for his match stats he was very succinct, ‘Sweet f*** all.’ was his reply, said in such away all the ladies present also laughed.
 |
| The presentation by Peter to Richard. |
At the end of the day it turned out to be a tench only affair, no carp, and I’m pleased to say my third fish of Sunday morning did the business for me at 8lbs 4oz. I really cannot express in words how ‘chuffed’ I felt, and I know Di was really thrilled. To fish a match and have a social in such great company was wonderful, to win the match in that same company was an honour.
There are so many lovely memories of the weekend, PJ needing a mighty pull on his third rod to wake him for the BBQ as setting off the first two didn’t do the trick. My first sight of Windy in daylight sending home the ZZZZZZZ’s and my last, him baiting up with a Chinese gooseberry. Buddy in the water regularly to start with and producing a huge dump outside Wayne’s bivvy, which Cakey had to get Sandra to sort as he was putting up the awning to his camper van. Awning? It put everyone’s bivvy to shame, in fact I think we could have all slept in there and had plenty of space to ourselves. There are too many more to mention.
My huge thanks to Cakey for the FM auction and FM for allowing us to run it, all those who came to the Fish-in, be it angler or spectator, the rather inebriated and tattooed man who approached Sandra. She was about to summon Cakey as she was a little worried, and he then donated £5 having ascertained that he was at the charity fish-in. Also I extend my thanks to all the kind people who donated items, and to all those who bid for them.
The exact amount raised is not yet finalised but it is anticipated it will be in the £1500 region, which given the current economic climate is fantastic.
Once again thank you one and all. Finally, an early request for you to get your thinking caps on and to ask questions about the possibility of suitable waters being available next year. For next year will be the 10th fish-in and it would be nice to make it a special event.
Richard Farrow
Buddys View
On arriving at Snetterton Lakes I was very excited by the sight of four deer and one woodpecker and that was before getting out of the Bongo.
 |
| The Bongo! |
After being let out of the Bongo I had a couple of wees and a good sniff around and went to meet Peter Jacobs, what a nice man, loads of fusses so I let him know I like him back by licking his face and nipping his nose.
Then I met Posh, well how someone that farts and smells like that can be called Posh dog only knows.
On walking around further we came across Thrush and Cecil, Cecil was nice but Thrush was taking the wee out of me so I marked the spot and carried on walking. I then came across Windy and Trev who made the required fuss that a dog like me likes very much, but one word of warning – Windy wear that red Welsh rugby shirt again and I’ll chew your nuts off !
On we went to see Les and Chris deep in the forest, it is good to be a shaggy coated dog sometimes as my keepers were being bitten to pieces. On meeting them I had a nice cuddle and then tried to go for a swim, but with limited access I had to give up.
We then decided to go back and see Sash and on the way past Thrush I dumped right outside his bivvy, that will teach him to call me a sausage dog, ha-ha-ha!
I then went and said hello to Sash.
Later that day while Cakey was asleep I swam out to the island and just as I got there Cakey woke up and started panicking and calling me back but I had things to do, people to see, but in the end I gave in and returned to him.
I like to thank everyone for all the fusses and cuddles. Thanks for the BBQ the food was really good.
Hope to do it all again soon at the Marsbar do.
Buddy
