Thursday 19/08/2010 - Bathampton Over 55's - Bridge Pool

With Huntstrete fishing so well it was no surprise to see yet another new attendee in recent retiree Ray Bazeley. Welcome matey. Paul Haines was wrong then, when he told us you were too tight to by a BAA Licence.

I drew peg 21, which to be fair has had a bit of form this year, so I was reasonably satisfied with the peg. However, I didn’t expect to catch any Ronnie’s by nonetheless set up the usual Ronnie rig. This swim is quite narrow and yet is still one of the deepest. I set up a 4x16 Jolly set to seven foot which was two foot up the inside shelf which only needed my top four. This rig was intended for the Skimmers using either corn or 6mm expander. My final rig was for paste for down the LH margin. I started by cupping in 125ml of hard 4,s at four metres. However, I started on caster with the Ronnie rig and had a 2oz Ronnie fall off first cast – which was last sighting of a Ronnie for the rest of the day! Next put in and a foul hooked Carp was bottoming out my 19 hollow elastic only, as expected come free. So it was time to go out after the Skimmers with 6 mm expander. In the meantime I kept a few 4’s going in to the margin. I did have a run of Skimmers to 8oz for the next half hour, which was when I lost another foul hooked Carp. This totally killed the peg for Silvers. I went back in the margin and another foul hooked Carp lost. I decided to give up on the Silvers all together as there appeared to be a few disruptive Carp about – that is, if I can get one in the mouth. I then hooked a 10lb Carp in the mouth and had it in the net double quick time with the 22 hollow elastic. After pulling out of another one hooked proper and another four foul hookers I did have three more near the end of the match. The four Carp weighed in at 48lb the biggest was a 17lb 8oz Common. My few Skimmers added 4lb 3oz to my total of 53lb 3oz for sixth overall. With my Carp averaging 12lb I only needed on more to move up to third!! So a tight match really.

Alan Jones drew peg 23 again and after four hours without a fish packed up and went home, probably just before the fish switched on!

The match was won by Bryan Sheppard (pictured right) from peg 16 with 99lb 6oz. Bryan fish pellet half a metre off the opposite island potting in 6 mm hard pellet. Bryan was gutted as he fell just 10oz short of a ton – unlucky matey, but a great days fishing nonetheless.

The Silvers was won by Chris Snow from peg 6 with 13lb 8oz. Chris alternated between luncheon meat and 6 mm expander pellet at 7 metres. Chris was seen jogging around Bridge pool chasing his top 6 (part of) which was being towed around the Lake by a Carp which had broken his number six section. Another insurance claim then Chris!

Full Result:

1. Bryan Sheppard 99-06-0 peg 16
2. Martin Alexander 85-04-0 peg 29
3. Keith Firks 61-04-0 peg 7
4. Ian Sheppard 60-05-0 peg 19
5. Paul Haines 55-06-0 peg 30
6. Mike Nicholls 53-03-0 peg 21

Top Silvers:

1. Chris Snow 13-08-0 peg 6
2. Rich Coles 12-04-0 peg 13
3. Mike Jones 11-10-0 peg 28