Thursdays 11/12/08 Bathampton AA Over 55's and Disabled - Christmas Match - Bridge Pool

When I was at school (1960's) I got my pocket money of an half a crown (12.5 new pence) on Friday's. On the Saturday I made a beeline for Woolworths to buy an Airfix kit, which once built, I would hang from my bedroom ceiling. If someone had told me then, that in 2008, I could buy the whole Woolworths store chain for £1 I would have saved a bit harder!! Where as it all gone wrong - Mr Gordon Brown. The Labour party will go down in history as the party that introduced binge drinking (24 hour licencing) and binge spending.

Today was the last match of the year, finishing with our Christmas match. Matches don't start again now until 26 March 2009.

We were all welcomed with sub zero temperatures and 12 mm of ice. It was an amazing turn out, with twenty anglers up for it, which was surprising considering the conditions. John Bradford was the hero, who went round Bridge Pool with his ice breaker and broke the ice for all the disabled swims (some of which weren't even in the draw! - well done John mate - nice to see the tackle trade looking after it's customer).

I drew peg 11, which is one of deepest swims on Bridge. I got my ice breaker out to Finish off what John had started! I set up one rig a 4x16 Jolly. It was a toss up whether to feed some micro pellet or ground bait. I now think I made the wrong chose by feeding a small ball of ground bait. However, I did manage to put together 6lb 8oz of very small Ronnies using single red maggot. This put me fourth in the Silvers and seventh overall. I came away with a bottle of Rum, a chocolate orange and some after eights - well done Colin for the prizes.

The Silvers was won I think for the first time by Terry Bruton (pictured top right with his Silvers catch) - (I blame the ice - I'm not going to hear the last of this, and with fourteen weeks before the next match!!!) Terry weighed 13lb of quality fish - including a Bream of 3lb from peg 15. Terry fished red maggot over caster at five metres. well done matey.

The match was won by Bob Dark (pictured right with one of his three Carp) from peg 7 with 37lb, which included some good Silvers weighing 9lb 8oz. Bob fished red maggot over kinder potted micro pellet and red maggot.

Runner up was my long time friend Bob Warren (pictured bottom right) with 27lb 3oz from peg 17. Bob caught four Carp down the left hand margin on red maggot.

Full Result:

1. Bob Dark 37-0-0 peg 7

2. Bob Warren 27-3-0 peg 16

3. Bob Price 23-0-0 peg 17

4. Terry Bruton 13-0-0 peg 15

5. John Bennett 7-10-0 peg 31
6. John Wild 6-9-0 peg 18

Top Silvers:

1. Terry Bruton 13-0-0 peg 15

2. Bob Dark 9-8-0 peg 7

3. John Bennett 7-10-0 peg 31