There are defeats, there are big defeats, there are humongous defeats and there are defeats on such a scale that one certain Pete Curnow suffered on the 26th September 2020 at Shiplate Fishery. It wasn’t a case of being handed the wooden spoon but more like being whacked as hard as possible over the head with one. This would have been an ideal situation to make a few bob advertising for Hamlet cigars. There was a series of adverts which presented scenes in which a guy having failed dismally at something is consoled by lighting a Hamlet cigar.. Have a reminder.
So picture the scene there is me watching a motionless float and catching sod all. There is splish splashing constantly from pegs either side. One watches the anglers on the far bank whose pole elastic seem always busy at work. One keeps looking at ones float whose sole purpose it seems is to be a resting place for dragon flies. So strike a match, queue the music, light my Hamlet and have a good puff and just take it on the chin.
The 3 wise men. 
Mr Dodd Chilling. 
Mr Matrix Man.
The results.
| Position | peg | Angler | Silvers | Carp | Total |
| 1st | 13 | Eric Searle | 7 lb 01 oz | 127 lb | 135 lb |
| 2nd | 1 | Paul Smith | 5 lb 14 oz | 112 lb 06 oz | 118 lb 04 oz |
| 3rd | 5 | Ian Townsend | 8 lb 08 oz | 73 lb 15 oz | 82 lb 07oz |
| 4th | 3 | Bob Pascoe | 31lb 14 oz | 36 lb 02 oz | 68 lb |
| 5th | 11 | Rob Dodd | 52 lb 06 oz | 14 lb | 66 lb 06 oz |
| 6th | 4 | Dave Nash | 36 lb 06 oz | 28 lb 12 oz | 65 lb 02 oz |
| 7th | 10 | Alan Bland | 10 lb 08 oz | 49 lb 01 oz | 59 lb 09 oz |
| 8th | 7 | Phil Dodd | 15 lb 03 oz | 37 lb 04 oz | 52 lb 07 oz |
| 9th | 12 | Dave Colley | 6 lb 04 oz | 32 lb 03 oz | 38 lb 07 oz |
| 10th | 8 | Alan Jenkins | 15 lb 09 oz | 19 lb 09 oz | 34 lb 14 oz |
| 11th | 6 | Pete Curnow | 7 lb 12 oz | xxxx | 7 lb 12 oz |
Before the start of the match one Bob Pascoe was chosen to draw a name for the golden peg, the name drawn was Eric. Eric who is scared of getting the dreaded lurgies nominated me to draw his peg for him, and out popped 13. Eric in traditional fashion stated to have a whinge at yours truly because he had now the longest walk. He didn’t whinge after the match about the long walk back though.
First on the day from peg 13 was Carp expert Eric Searle. Eric tried bomb and pellet straight out in front but could only tempt 5 carp. The majority of his haul came down the edge on worm. Eric weighed in a grand total of 135 lb.
In 2nd place was Paul Smith with another hefty weight of 118 lb 4 oz his method of attack was corn and pole down the edges. Peg number 1 was his abode.
3rd place was occupied by Ian Townsend who managed to put 82 lb 07 oz. on the scales by using meat, corn and soft pellet mostly on the pole. Ian landed as we say in the angling world a right munter of a Carp which weighed 16 lb 14 oz. This was all achieved on peg 5.
4th was slivers basher Bob Pascoe with 68 lb of peg 3. He kept things simple with maggot and top 4 .
5th on peg 11 was grand master Rob Dodd who is normally in the top one, mustered a haul of 66 lb 06 oz. Mr Dodd had 80% of his fish on maggot, but did try worm and corn. All on the pole.
6th was another slivers basher Dave Nash on peg 4. Dave fished 6 meters and used caster and sweetcorn to put 65 lb on the scales.
In 7th was club match secretary Alan Bland. Alan had 2 plans of attack one was meat down the edge and number two was maggot out in front. His catch of of peg 10 was 59 lb 09 oz.
Occupying 8th place was veteran Phil Dodd. His only method was open end feeder with dead maggots, his weight for the day from peg 7 was 52 lb 07 oz.
9th position was NHS hero Dave Colley who on peg 12 caught a grand total of 38 lb 07 oz He had his slivers on maggot but all his Carp on sweet corn. All his Carp came in the last hour.
10th was the one and only Alan Jenkins AKA Mr Matrix Man, poor sod had the wind in his face all day. But Alan battled on and caught 34 lb 14 oz from peg 8.Alan employed mostly chopped worm and caster for his slivers and meat for his Carp.
11th was yours truly on peg 6 with a humbling 7lb 12 oz. The tactic employed was one that was never going to work and the bait used was the wrong one.
Now just to get my own back at the end of match like most anglers I throw my left over bait such as sweetcorn and meat etc in to the margins to feed the fish. But this time I took it home and put in my recycling bin. The fish weren’t going to get any freebies today.
So in true Winston Churchill style when things got tough he would say KBO.
So this is surely what I will do. KEEP BUGGERING ON.
The next match is At The Sedges on Brick Lake on the 10th October and this time I will bring a box of matches and a pack of Hamlet cigars just in case.
So until next time tight lines and don’t forget to change your clothes.
Pete C