Thursday 10/12/2009 - Bathampton AA Over 55's Christmas Match - Bridge Pool

Today was the Over 55’s Christmas Match and the last match of the 2009 series. The weather conditions were again spot on for the anglers and has it happened the fishing was un-expectantly good too. Especially compared with last year when John Bradford spent most of the match breaking the one inch thick ice for us all! As it happened I drew peg 11 which was the same peg as last year. However, my thinking was that the conditions will not be dictating where I fished this year. Wrong. When I got to my peg the reflected sun was blasting in my eyes and I was just as limited as to where to fish. The thinking is that you can fish away from the sun and as it moves over to the first swim you can open a new one where the sun once was. Wrong assumption, we are not the “pied piper”, so don’t expect all the fish to follow!!

I decided to fish just inside and just to the left of the reflected sun (anticipating that the sun would move similar to that of yesterday). I also decided on a rig to the left, again just inside the sun. The LH rig would be fished at 5 metres where I found bottom at nine foot with pellet/maggot. The RH swim would be my caster rig. I started loose feeding a few casters at the same time potted in a few micros. I started on the red maggot over the micro and caught a 1oz Ronnie first cast. I switched to expander pellet and had a run of small Skimmers. However, as the Ronnie’s seemed to be having it, I switched to the caster and had a run of quality Ronnie’s to 12oz. I then had a lucky Tench of 2lb. Next cast I hooked a Carp which broke me (it might have been foul hooked). The swim died so out to 5 metres on the pellet and a few more small Skimmers found the net. Back on the caster and first cast a10lb carp was hooked and landed. I had a few more Ronnie’s until another 10lb Carp found itself in the net. I then hooked a monster Carp which I played for 20 minutes; having done all the hard work the hook came free at the net as did the worthy competitor. The two carp weighed 20lb 4oz and the Silvers weighed in at 15lb 4oz. This put me first in the Silvers and third overall with 35lb 8oz and a pick up of £25.

The match was won be Chris Snow (pictured right with the Silvers winner) with four carp and a few Silvers for 43lb 9oz from peg 32. Chris caught his fish using double red maggot over red maggot feed.

The Bathampton AA Heron was in attendance again today and put in at least six attacks. However, the heron only managed to take fish from Mike Jones and Bob Price.

As today’s match was a Christmas match where everyone is a winner I have included a full result and photograph of all today’s Coffin Dodgers entrants (that is all the ones that arrived on time). If you want to see the photograph at full size go to "Mike's pick of Pic's" on the Favourite website navigation bar to the right.

Full Result from right to left:

7^th Mike Jones 13-03-0 peg 17

1^st Chris Snow 43-09-0 peg 32

15^th John Wild 4-14-0 peg 14

14^th Terry Bruton 5-04-0 peg 19

20^th Alan Jones 0-12-0 peg 23

11^th Ian Sheppard 6-08-0 peg 29

8^th Bob Feltham 8-07-0 peg 24

13^th Bryan Sheppard 6-08-0 peg 26

19^th Steve Jefferies 0-15-0 peg 25

16^th Colin Golding 4-02-0 peg 4

10^th Rich Coles 7-01-0 peg 21

21^st Dave Bacon 0-10-0 peg 30

17^th Terry Church 3-03-0 peg 13

4^th Martin Alexander 34-08-0 peg 7

6^th Bob Warren 14-0-0 peg 31

12^th Pete Bryer 6-05-0 peg 16

5^th Pete Phillips 16-10-0 peg 4

2^nd Bob Price 41-12-0 peg 8

9^th Bill Ferris 7-04-0 peg 15

3^rd Mike Nicholls (out of shot) 35-08-0 peg 11

Late arrivals:

20^th Tom Coulson 0-14-0 peg 3

18^th John Bennett 3-0-0 peg 6

Top Silvers:

1. Mike Nicholls 15-04-0 peg 11

2. Mike Jones 13-03-0 peg 17