Thursday 30/09/10 - Bathampton Over 55's - Bridge Pool

I couldn’t help noticing Doug Sutton’s Catapult he has been using at Huntstrete, so I had a word with him about it today. Doug explained that he made it in 1963 from Hazel wood cut from a tree at Limpley Stoke. Doug also said he had left it behind a couple of times over the years and had always gone back to find it. For those of us that can remember we had no option to make our own catapult’s back then as you couldn’t buy them – especially like this one, pictured right with Doug on the end – what a monster, and still in use today after 47 years service. By the way Doug is still favouring the straight lead which won him a few quid back then on the river – Gentleman Doug.

Walking around the Lake prior to the draw I told Mike Jones and Bob Warren that I fancied peg 18. I probably like this peg for the solitude if offers! Another excellent turn out with the Lake by and large full. In to the draw box and opening the ticket I see a number 8 so I have either pegs 8, 18 or peg 28 either of them would have been very acceptable. Opening the remainder of the draw ticket – you guessed it peg 18 – that’s how it’s done!

I had decided on the way to the match to fish for Silvers and leave the Carp alone - provide they left me alone. I set two Ronnie rigs – one deep and the other shallow and a Skimmer rig to be fished at 6 metres 2 inches up the inside shelf. I wasn’t going t, but I set up a paste rig just in case for the LH margin. I started by cupping in the remainder of the GB I used yesterday (I can expect a comment from Rip Off on this one), six tangerine size balls. I also started to feed a short Ronnie line with caster. Starting on the caster I had a little run if Ronnie’s, Perch and small Hybrids. I suddenly switched off, so out on the maggot for Skimmer, where I had a fairly long run of very small Skimmers and Ronnie’s. Looking around and the only person I saw catching fish was Rich Coles, most others were blanking. So T persevered with the maggot at 7 metres until I foul hooked a Carp – good riddance. With two hours to go and still some anglers in view blanking I decide to give the paste a try in the margin – nothing. So I decided to feed all of the expendable bait – 1 pint of micro, casters and a bit of GB in to the margin. Back out on the 7 metre line after loose feeding a few maggots and casters and another run of very small fish which necessitated me changing to my lightest elastic. And as God’s will have it I hooked a Carp on single red maggot. It took me an age to land it with about 20 foot of elastic hanging around my feet! I fancied this would have completely buggered this line so switched to back to the margin loosing 2 foul hooked Carp in as many minutes. Back out at 7 metres and yes it was completely buggered. So I spent the last 15 minutes in the margin with paste and had one more 10 lb Carp just before the whistle. My Silvers weighed in at 10lb 2oz and my two Carp 20lb 8oz for a total of 30lb 10oz. This put me first in the Silvers and 6th overall.

The match was won by Mike Jones (pictured right with the Silvers winner) from peg 30 with 56lb 13oz. Mike caught all his fish on the waggler fishing banded pellet both at full depth and shallow.

Full Result:

1. Mike Jones 56-13-0 peg 30
2. Dave Bacon 48-14-0 peg 8
3. David Daly 35-04-0 peg 16
4. John Smith 34-0-0 peg 15
5. Tom Coulson 33-07-0 peg 10
6. Mike Nicholls 30-10-0 peg 18

Top Silvers:
1. Mike Nicholls 10-02-0 peg 18
2. Bill Ferris 9-14-0 peg 4
3. Mike Jones 8-03-0 peg 30