Sunday 06/08/1978 - King William IV Open - Crane And Swineford

In the summer of 1978 after a lay off from match fishing due to work and family commitments I decided to fish two matches on the River Avon. The decision was based on the fact that the NFA First Division National was to be fish on it and would draw plenty of anglers from far and wide. The first match was to be fished on my beloved Crane and Swineford. The second was Staverton, two totally different venues and miles a part. These waters and all those between were required as there were 79 teams of 12 anglers competing – 948 in total.

Because of work I had no time to practice so I went for an analytical approach. I purchased both the Angling Times and Anglers Mail on the Thursday before the match and analysed the winning baits from every single river match fished the previous weekend. The conclusion was that hemp and tares were responsible for most coin. So my plan was to start on hemp and tares on the crow quill, switching to bread or maggot over brown bread ground bait if this didn’t work – no caster.

Off to the draw being held in the Crane car park armed with my one float rod and wicker basket which contained all I needed for the day including the nets strapped to the top. Arriving at the draw it was who’s who of angling and the first time I had met the great Ivan Marks. There were 120 anglers fishing – a sell out – in addition there were plenty of walkers in support of their fishing team mates. In no particular order I drew and pulled out peg 78 (before permanent pegging). This put me approximately in the middle of the venue. On arriving at my peg I was pleased to find I was in a good area for Dace and Roach with plenty of depth – a swim I had fished a few times before. For company two swims up stream I had Ray Simms, everyone else around me were strangers.

I was soon tackled up with a 9BB bulked crow quill with 3lb maxima main line and 1 ½ maxima hook length to a number 16 Mustad Gold Crystal bend barbed hook Back then I tended to cook the H&T’s together and feed both. So after a few cast in to mid river with the tare hook bait and feeding regularly over the top with the catty I started to get the usual quick bites which were often small frustrating Dace. However, my experience with this bait was that it usually took an hour or so for the Roach to turn up in any numbers. It took a little longer than that to get my first decent fish a 2lb Bream, which was a total surprised. That said I had been catching Bream and Hybrids on tares on previous pleasure sessions. I then had to make a decision whether to change to GB and bread or stay with the tare. So I slipped on double bronze maggot and had another Bream. So the decision was made to stay with feeding H&T’s alternating between tare and maggot hook baits. After I had landed five Bream, Ray Simms came down and was amazed by the way I was catching. Ray went off to try the same – without success. After seven Bream (don’t believe everything you read in the angling press – see cutting right - double click on cutting to magnify) the swim died a bit so I slipped on a piece of bread and caught an 8oz Roach!! I weighed in 22lb 1oz for first overall, trebling the next angler’s weight.

On the long walk back I found Ivan Marks with his usual gallery trying to catch fish on Blood Worm. Arriving back at the draw I was welcomed by Topper Haskins who informed me that I had won the match and said something like “bloody turns up once in a blue moon and wins the coin”.

Where was peg 78? Well a few years later the Farmer put up a temporary barbed wire fence which terminated on a bank side tree to the right of the swim. Topper Haskins named the swim the “New Fence”. The fence has since been removed. However, the last time a walked by the swim (and I did that a lot after this match - never to draw it again) there was still the tell-tell signs of the remainder of some barbed wire stapled to the tree.

Full Result:

1. Mike Nicholls 22-01-0 peg 78
2. Dave Brown 7-03-0
3. Geoff Salisbury 6-12-0
4. Ken Clissett 6-09-0
5. Alan Coley 5-15-05
6. Martin Leonard 5-13-0

The national was won by Dave Harris fishing for Bradford City with a massive 48lb 13oz. The team event was won by Coleshill and District with 790 points.