Match Fishing - Fishing the Whitby Fishing Club Matches

Ive enjoyed fishing the Whitby Fishing club matches the past few years, but have to admit at times I also find it a touch stressful. My aim is always to do as well as possible. I must admit I never have thoughts of winning the fishing club (too many good anglers about) but every year I hope to do my best.
There are nights when things go really wrong, like last night for example. The sea just want as rough as I had hoped meaning my first choice venue was really out of the question, yet it was still too rough for some of the marks I would fish had it been calmer. I spent a while looking at the sea yesterday teatime and settled on a mark I knew could provide a fish or 2 if the sea state dropped just a little.
I got there at 6.45pm and immediately noticed the tide hadnt ebbed as far as I would have liked, Still 2 hours to low though so I opted for another mark near by. Knowing it was really too rough for this mark I cast in anyway but was faced by white water for most of the time and the conditions just didnt look right for a fish. However I got one bite but missed it. I cast in again hoping there may be others about but the sea just seemed to get rougher. Not a chance of a fish here I thought so I headed off to another mark the other side of the one I really wanted to fish as the tide still hadnt ebbed far enough - However conditions werent really right for here either - not rough enough this time. On the first cast I had a good bite, most likely a small codling but it never returned, upon winding in after 20 mins I noticed there was a huge dogger crab attached to the hook, infact the hook was right inside its mouth. The fish had obviously tried to shake the dogger of the bait but as the hook was in the crab there was nothing to catch the fish on - More bad luck I though - what more can go wrong. Had another cast in the same place, whilst waiting for a bite I noticed a lot of activity at the next mark along "are they catching lots of fish ???? should I move to them ????" I decided to stay where I was - I always thinks its best to ignore everyone else and concentrate my efforts on the place I have chosen. After 10 mins I saw one of the lads from the other mark pack up and head back past me heading for the mark I really wanted to fish. Noticing the angler looked in my bag for fish on his way past I knew it would be Paul Kilpatrick - Well who else would go poking about in your bag.
I quickly wound in and followed him knowing the tide would be far enough out to fish the one place I knew I had chance of some fish. Its now 8.45 and the night was getting on. First cast I had a bite but it never came back. Quickly cast in again and waited (all the time with Paul in my ear telling me we were in the wrong place, with the wrong bait at the wrong time, other people would be catching, and listing 50 different places that would be far better than the one we were fishing. Again I told myself to ignore my thoughts and Paul and stick to what I know. If I was going to get a fish from anywhere now it would be here. Paul eventually moved on and left me on my own. 2 more casts gave me a small undersized Billet. With the tide now floding in I waded out and had what I knew would be my last cast of the night where I knew I had chance of a fish. Its 9.20 and I let a load of slackline out and go back to my bag - where it was safe as standing waste deep in a flooding tide is not the best of ides. I felt what I thought might of been a bit but nothing significant. After 20 ins I went to wind in knowing my night was over without a fish. I thought i was snagged on the bottom but then noticed I was retrieving line. I winched in a dead weight knowing it wasnt a fish. Must be a great ball of weed I thought. By the time I got it to the side my arms were aching. I finally retrieved the weed and went to pick it out the water. As I sone my light on it I noticed it wasnt weed at all but a nice big cod foul hooked through the tail. Well that rounded off a dreadful night nicely. One more cast without the chance of a fish (to far back now due to incoming tide). I packed up and headed of to the weigh in. The fish that I thought was weed was just short of 7 pounds and gave me 5th place on the night. Not a bad way to round off a poor nights fishing.

Match fishing can do your head in but I will be back on Sunday for more of the same.