LAST Sunday I took part with my NDP10 team-mates for the latest round of the Kent Angling League at Lavender Farm near Whitstable in Kent.

Four seasons ago I was leading the overall individual event by four points and needed just a midway placing to win the title, but a bad draw blew my lead as I ended up with a section last to finish third. That day has always stuck in my throat and it has taken me all this time to return and erase the disappointment. I was drawn on the Old lake peg 90 in B section although I had never fished the lake before.

The pegging was tight as well and that always puts off a few who like to have the whole lake to themselves or maybe their bad casting gives that impression.

Bait-wise I had maggots, pinkies plus a few grains of corn but also in my bait bag was a new Ringer Baits expander pellet that the Ringers had sent me to try out in return for some feedback.

At the off I fed my long pole line via a pole cup and fished maggots on a size 18 hook.

Not much happened in the first 90 minutes and I had three small rudd and two very small carp.

It was time to try my margin line and after a fruitless 10 minutes or so my float buried and another small carp was in my net.

I was flicking out 6mm hard pellets over the top of my 0.5g float and using the Ringer soft expanders on the hook and the next 30 minutes produced a few signs that the peg was coming to life.

Everyone around me was struggling as well so I was not panicking at my slow start and felt that steady feeding and patience was needed.

It was at the halfway point of the match that things started to happen. I reckon I had about 3lb in my net at that point.

The carp were still small but at least I was catching and with two hours of the match left my catch rate accelerated with pound plus fish.

I was starting to bag up and put my rivals under a bit of pressure and when I started to land a few fish of two pounds I was flying and in command of my section.

The new pellets were working and those around me could only catch on maggots which, produced smaller stamp than my pellet fish, so it was looking good.

With a good run of five fish right at the end I was quietly confident that I had won my section but one angler four pegs to my left had also caught well.

At the weigh-in my 34lbs 14oz was well clear of those around me and when the only danger peg chipped in with 28lbs I was home and dry.

If only I could have done this four years ago.

I finished fifth but more importantly our team score of 38 points was good enough to win the day and take the round.

With Christmas rapidly approaching it will soon be time for the Fur and Feather matches, so good luck with your local club matches over the next few weeks, I'll be trying to win the odd bottle of wine myself.

Tight Lines