The pegs to draw in the winter league final

If you’re in a team heading for this month’s Angling Trust Winter League Final, there will be only one thing on your mind right now – practice!

But ahead of the big day on the Fen Drains and Decoy Lakes, working out where exactly you’ll fancy being drawn is a tricky job.

20ft Drain action.jpg

There were big matches across both venues recently, and although leading weights were as good as ever, the real tale was told well down the list on the harder sections, which didn’t benefit from the brief spell of frosts following on from what has been a mild winter so far.

Of course, much can change between now and the end of February, but one thing is certain – to do well as a team you’re going to need a slice of luck at the draw to avoid some real duffers and be on pegs that give you a chance.

On Decoy, Daiwa old hand Simon Wheeler won the open comfortably with 130-1-0 of carp from peg 22 on Six Islands Lake, a noted winter draw, using pellet and corn on the long pole – so there’s one to keep an eye on. Meanwhile, 24 hours earlier, the strip lakes took centre stage.

They hosted the bomb and feeder-only Golden Rod qualifier and Elm Lake peg 13 served up victory for Maver man Graeme Wall. He took 72-6-0 of carp and F1s using Method feeder tactics, while on the neighbouring Cedar Lake Stu Fotheringham bagged second place. 

However, looking at previous finals, the winner has come off a different lake almost every time, so who really knows? 

It’s a little more straight-forward on the drains and the plum area is the Twenty Foot Drain around Chain Bridge near March, which is easily outfishing its more illustrious neighbour – the Old Nene. Graham Welton was there in the latest round of the HAJAC League and bagged a winning 32-12-0 of roach and small rudd on whip tactics. Rob Hewison was second on the next peg with 29-6-0.

Pressure can often play a part on these small Fenland waters, but it’d be a brave man to bet against the Twenty Foot not throwing up the winner. Let’s just hope your skipper hands you Chain Bridge on the big day!